In his "Deus ex Comica" series of essays, Adam Besenyodi is taking a look at the impact of comic book pop culture on a personal level, from the Marvel titles' influence on his mid-'80s preteen and early teen years to the friendships formed around the books and characters, to what it's like rediscovering that world as an adult. 

    Although I quickly became -- and remain to this day -- a loyal Marvel guy, the very first superhero comic book I remember buying with my own money was The Super Friends #13, dated September 1978.  I would have been 7 when it came out.  I'm almost 100% certain my best friend Mark was with me when I bought it.  He was my first friend, and the first kid I ever had sleep over at my house (and I remember being so excited about it that I couldn't actually sleep that night).  Growing up, we shared a geek love of comic books, G.I. Joe (both the comics and the action figures), the music his older brothers exposed us to (The Who and Oingo Boingo), and James Bond. 

    The cover of that Super Friends book was of an enormous, dazzlingly green-skinned (furred?), red-eyed mole-like creature emerging above Wonder Woman, Jayne, Robin, Superman, Aquaman, Zan, and Batman as they investigate a giant hole.  Wonder Woman and Batman's exchange captures the tension of the moment and the horrifying realization of what they are up against: "What a strange place for a mine shaft..."  "That's no mine shaft... That's a BURROW!"

    Although that Super Friends cover is etched indelibly on my brain, when I look through the Original Collection today, I realize that it's the covers from 1982 that really took hold.  We were 11 going on 12 that year, and Mark and I would bring our comic books with us when our families would go camping together.  I remember sitting in the side-facing seats in the very back of his family's white station wagon with deep maroon vinyl interior.  We'd have the hatchback open and our comic books spread out around us as we'd pass a summer afternoon at the campground reading and swapping books, discussing the merits of various characters, their situations, and storylines.

     For whatever reason, the covers of that year's annuals really left an impression -- "Twice as many pages!  Twice as many thrills!" were promised.  Marvel Two-in-One Annual #7, with the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing on the cover, clad in white Everlast boxing shorts and black boxing gloves, surrounded by Colossus, Sasquatch, Wonder Man, Namor, Hulk, and Thor.  The cover copy intones in a most grave voice: "And They Shall Call Him... Champion!"  Marvel Team-Up Annual #5 finds Spider-Man, The Thing, Scarlet Witch, Dr. Strange, and Quasar surrounded by menacing giant serpents ready to strike (no doubt, playing off the popularity of Raiders of the Lost Ark).  Another favorite is Incredible Hulk Annual #11, where my dollar got me "The Day the Earth Turned Green" and The Hulk himself holding the world in his emerald hands while Cap, Iron Man, Beast, Spidey, and Vision come into frame.

    Regular monthly issues were also starting to leave their mark on me that year.  Ant-Man gripping the tip of one of Hawkeye's arrows, bow drawn and warning when these two team up "Somebody's Gonna Get It!" on the cover of The Avengers #223.  I still wonder "Who is this guy and is he a hero or a villain?" when staring at Spider-Man's red-gloved fist bursting out of The Man-Thing's shoulder as the swampy creature literally consumes Spidey on the cover of Marvel Team-Up #122.  It's a cover that has spawned in me a fascination with the plodding creature of the Florida Everglades that continues today.

    Sure, the "Knight's Errand" story of The Invincible Iron Man #163 may carry inside it the introduction of Tony Stark's nemesis Obadiah Stane, but the cover is pure '80s gold.  "The Challenge of the Chessmen" out front shows a wicked life-size knight attacking Iron Man on a chessboard with a firing jousting lance!

    Then there is Daredevil.  For some reason, even as kids, Mark and I were drawn to the title.  (I'd love to say we knew who Frank Miller was, but at the time we had no idea we were reading the work of a legendary writer.)  Issues #186 and 187 illustrate just how powerful a cover can be.  The blue background with orange and yellow rectangles surrounding Daredevil's freefall perfectly conveys the hero's plummet among abstract New York City skyscrapers on the cover of issue #186.  And issue #187 could be one of the greatest covers ever produced: the red-lettered "Daredevil" and "The Man Without Fear!" designation provide striking counterpoint both visually and emotionally to the stark white cover, a shrinking Matt Murdock with his cowled-head in his hands and on his knees, pleading "Stop it!  Please...  ...Stop it..."  That same month we got Daredevil #187, Marvel also gave us What If #35: "What if Elektra Had Lived?" with 'ole Hornhead and Elektra on the rooftops of Hell's Kitchen in an embrace.

    Of course, with the last half of 1982 also came the first six issues of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.  And those half-dozen covers always did a perfect job of capturing the action inside the book.  I can look at any one of them and immediately recall the story within, jingoistic Reagan propaganda and all!

    1983 and 1984 were the high-water marks in purchases for the Original Collection, clocking in around 100 to 130 comics in each of those years -- no mean feat for an early teen without a reliable income.  Alpha Flight produced the most consistently iconic covers of that era, and there was also the Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars and related covers like The Amazing Spider-Man #258, and the Kitty Pryde and Wolverine and Cloak and Dagger miniseries.  But it seems 1982 was the line in the sand -- the place where Marvel's covers really started make an impression in the wayback seat of my adolescent consciousness station wagon.

Miss an installment of "Deus Ex Comica?" Here you go:

Part 1: Gateway Drugs

Part 3: Ignoring Personal History

Part 4 - "Sweet Christmas!"

Part 5: Bound for Greatness

Part 6: Marvel 1985

Part 7: A Real American Hero

Part 8: It's a Sickness

Adam Besenyodi loves to talk pop culture. He is a former editor and staff writer for PopMatters, a participant in the Pop Conference and a freelance writer.

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