Sunday, October 06, 2024

Sunday Splash Page #343

 
"A Duck's Defenders", in Marvel Treasury Edition #12, by Steve Gerber (writer), Sal Buscema (penciler), Klaus Janson (inker), Marie Severin (colorist), Joe Rosen (letterer)

I own one issue of Marvel Treasury Edition, courtesy of the first volume of the Howard the Duck collection. Set between issue 7, when Howard accidentally becomes the Presidential candidate of the All-Night Party, and issue 8, when he starts his ultimately unsuccessful campaign, Howard is targeted for assassination by Dr. Angst, master of mundane mysticism, and a pack of losers he gathers with promises that they'll become well-known (also wealthy) if they pull this off.

Except he also promises them "mettle spheres" which will boost their strength, if they help him defeat Dr. Strange, who Howard has by this point encountered after Beverly makes a wrong turn trying to get them to a friend's house for the night. Strange gets kayoed after Angst makes a bunch of tennis balls explode from the Orb of Agomatto, forcing Howard to don the sorcerer garb and fight Angst, while the Defenders and Beverly get teleported into a football game to fight the rest of the crew.

Howard (with Strange's astral guidance) busts out all the classic spells, your Seraphim Shields and whatnot, while Angst is sealing the entrance of the Sanctum with a giant cereal box ("boxed" in), or conjuring a set of 6-ply tires to send at Howard. Angst's goons are beaten in about 3 pages, because the mettle spheres don't actually do anything, except perhaps trick these dopes into having confidence in themselves. Howard's really just hoping Strange can send him home, preferably before Beverly comes back and he has to deal with any awkward good-byes, but by the end of the fight he's so tired, he ditches the notion entirely, settling for a nap, and hopefully cab fare.

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