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Preview art by
Jay Anacleto |
By Jim Beard
You may not glimpse it while the action's going down but the news in the Marvel Universe
always gets reported, and MARVELS: EYE OF THE CAMERA #5, out April 22, stands as a testament to that tradition.
Who better to explain what we mean than veteran scribe Roger Stern, co-writer of EYE OF THE CAMERA?
"As readers, we're privy to a lot a fantastic adventures," says Stern. "If the Hulk is running wild on the planet Foosbane, if the Avengers are caught up in the middle of the Kree-Skrull War, we get to witness all the action. But what about the man or woman on the street in the Marvel Universe? They're not getting any live reports from the Andromeda Galaxy. They may not be aware of what's happening—they may not even care.
"Ah, but if something is happening in their midst, something that affects them
directly--say, the Sub-Mariner invading New York City—they're going to know about it. They're going to want to know more, and they're going to want to know what's being done about it. So, the stories that we've referenced in MARVELS: EYE OF THE CAMERA #5 all had some significance to the general public in the Marvel Universe…"
INCREDIBLE HULK v1 #322 (1986)
A bed-ridden Bruce Banner, separated physically from his alter-ego, says the Hulk must die. When the heroes of the Marvel Universe surround the rampaging behemoth it seems as if the entire world's turned against the Hulk—except for Betty Ross and Rick Jones.
Stern Says: "The fully assembled forces of the Avengers finally manage to stop the Hulk, but not before he levels the town of Jericho, New Mexico. You'd better believe that makes the evening news, the next edition of the 'Daily Bugle,' and the cover of 'Now' magazine."
X-FACTOR v1 #4 (1986)
X-Factor, posing as mutant-hunters, battle the villainous Tower, who with Frenzy seeks to kidnap young mutant Rusty Collins. Fortunately for them Rusty's had enough of his mutant teachers and runs away straight into Frenzy's hands.
Stern Says: "The original X-Men chase Tower through the very busy LaGuardia airport. That draws a
lot of attention."
AVENGERS v1 #270 (1986)
Opinion on Namor's Avengers membership splits right down the middle, but as usual the negative voices ring out loudest. It doesn't help much when super villainess Moonstone throws a few sparks onto the timber to cover her tracks.
Stern Says: "The Sub-Mariner accepted Captain America's offer of membership in the Avengers in issue #262, but word of that didn't really get out until eight issues later. When it finally did, there were public demonstrations—for and against Namor—in front of Avengers Mansion, live on TV."
AVENGERS v1 #274 (1986)
Jarvis, the Black Knight and Captain America captured! Captain Marvel presumed dead! Hercules beaten to a bloody pulp! When the Avengers enemies strike on home turf they certainly don't pull any punches, nor show any mercy, in a story originally written by Stern himself!
Stern Says: "Baron Zemo's Masters of Evil had taken over Avengers Mansion, but the public didn't suspect that until this issue, when they encased the entire building—right there on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue—in a cube of Dark Force."
FANTASTIC FOUR #299 (1987)
Big day for the FF: Johnny's getting married, Reed and Sue prepare to unveil the new HQ, the Thing mopes in a bar and She-Hulk's trying to cheer him up. All this and Spider-Man, too! Did we forget to mention the fight scene?
Stern Says: "Months after the destruction of the original Baxter Building, the FF hold the public dedication of their new headquarters building, 4 Freedoms Plaza. Of course, it gets covered by all the media."
X-MEN VS THE AVENGERS #4 (1987)
Only one event could halt the hostilities between the X-Men and the Avengers: the surrender of arch villain Magneto. As his trial grows into turmoil, the X-Men's longtime foe divines signs of a coming war between his kind and humans, one that he himself may be responsible for.
Stern Says: "Some time after his first trial came to a very unsatisfactory end in UNCANNY X-MEN #200, the mutant terrorist Magneto is finally brought back before a special tribunal of the International Court of Justice, and the whole world is watching."
Polish your lens and crack open your notebook with Stern, co-writer Kurt Busiek and artist Jay Anacleto on April 22 with MARVELS: EYE OF THE CAMERA #5. You can also check out the original MARVELS on Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.
Check out the official Marvel Shop for your favorite Marvel Heroes!
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