A Marvelous Anniversary Part 2: The Angel

Continuing the weeklong Fire and Water Podcast event celebrating the third anniversary of the FW Network and the 80th anniversary of MARVEL COMICS #1. This episode, Ryan Daly and Bass review the second story in Marvel Comics, "The Angel" created by Paul Gustavson.

Let us know what you think! Leave a comment or send an email to: RDalyPodcast@gmail.com.

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Additional music this episode: "Someone To Watch Over Me" by Gertrude Lawrence.

Thanks for listening!

13 responses to “A Marvelous Anniversary Part 2: The Angel

  1. Great episode guys! I knew ZIP about The Angel other than he appeared in this comic—that was literally it, so I liked all the history. Not that DC’s heroes didn’t kill, but going by the stories in this first book, the Marvel/Timely heroes were particularly bloodthirsty. Maybe to try and differentiate themselves from other heroes?

    I fondly remember The Scourge storyline (“Justice is served!”), but had no memory of The Angel being involved. I must have stopped reading by then, it’s a fun idea and, from what this story shows, kinda on brand.

    Looking forward to seeing what the other hosts come up with for the week. I know for a fact tomorrow’s show is superb.

    P.S. And yes, Ryan did say Angel was whacking off the criminals. I chose not to mention this to keep it classy. Thanks Nathaniel.

  2. Angel also appeared together with a bunch of together with Marvel/Timely Golden Age heroes (Captain America, Sub-Mariner, Human Torch and the then virtually forgotten Blazing Skull, Fin, Patriot and Vision) in the conclusion of the Kree-Skrull war in Avengers #97.

  3. I think Xum brought this up in our secret meeting room, but Angel’s brief cameo in Marvels did briefly convince me that Alex Ross had snuck Superman in there. Kind of odd that they didn’t give The Angel wings, especially with the Hawkmen from Flash Gordon around for nearly a decade before to provide inspiration. DC ripped off the look whole cloth for their winged wonder. I guess Marvel made up for it in the 60s.

    The retcon of the Angel getting his origin through timey-whimeyness reminds me of what DC tried to do with the Crimson Avenger in the late 90s/early 2000s. He was given a vision of the future, and was “avenging” the death of Superman! I thought it was a bit of a stretch, myself.

    Fun show fellas!

    Chris

  4. This is even more of a mess than the Torch story! I’m sure that Gustavson, and his comrades, were frustrated comic strip artists. That was the template they would have been familiar with. Look at each page as a succession of strips. After all, that’s what most comic books were in 1939. This tale, like the Torch story that preceded it, sort of reads like two or three weeks of daily continuity. The other thing to remember is that Timely was just buying and publishing this stuff from production shops. The lack of editorial input and oversight is evident. That’s the advantage National had over most of its competition right from the beginning, good editors, like Whitney Ellsworth and Sheldon Mayer,who could not only get the stuff ready on time, but also guide the creators to an extent.

  5. Gustavson is one of the artists I knew before checking out Marvel Comics #1, as he did a lot of work at Quality Comics, the output of which I know better than Timely’s. He created the Human Bomb and the Jester, as well as lesser lights like Magno and the Spider. DC also appropriate the Fantom of the Fair, which he created for Centaur Comics, along with the Arrow and A-Man who had their turn at bat in modern comics when Malibu tried to make them a thing as the Protectors.

  6. I had read this story, but nothing else involving the Angel. Thanks, Ryan for doing your research regarding his history. How cool that they turned him into a financial backer (though maybe not for what he was backing). I have a feeling you were going to mention the term for that, Ryan, but got caught up in the next topic.

  7. In my head, the Angel was a superhero take on the classic character, the Saint. Maybe not the Roger Moore version everyone knows, but the earlier film version with George Sanders and Tom Conway. And, of course, the book series by Leslie Charteris.

  8. Back when I though The Marvel Super Heroes Podcast was going to be more like The Spawnometer and look at the Marvel Universe in roughly chronological order (on some sort of alternating schedule,) I read the first 10-12 issues of Marvel Comics, and it disabused me of that notion. I knew I’d never get the guys to read even one issue in total, plus they didn’t deserve to have something so cruel asked of them. Of the three “headlining” heroes, The Angel was easily the worst– monotonous, repetitive, unimaginative slop.

  9. The very first time I’d heard of this Angel was in a Superhero Trivia Quiz book. I think the question was, “Who were the first 3 Marvel superheroes?” Answer: “The Human Torch, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and The Angel.” And being in the late 70’s/early 80’s, it would have been nigh-impossible to get more details.

    Or just wait about 40 years and have podcasters do the research for me. Winning!

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