Alpha Flight #1 (August, 1983)
"Tundra!"
Writer/Artist - John Byrne
Letters - Joe Rosen
Colors - Andy Yanchus
Edits - Denny O'Neil
Chief - Jim Shooter
Cover Price: $1.00
A lot of folks I've talked to have a special connection to Alpha Flight. I... do not. It's not like I dislike it... I just don't really understand the reverence a lotta folks have for it. Granted, I was like three-years old when this hit... and I didn't really give the property a chance until I had silly amounts of "discretionary income" in my late-teens, but by then, Alpha Flight was in its second volume... which is pretty much a completely different animal than what we have here.
It's been probably a quarter-century since I last cracked this issue open. All I really remember about it, is... that I dug it. Let's see if that feeling remains today!
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We open with Vindicator stood in the Department H compound just before the lights get shut off for good. The Canadian government has decided to shut down Alpha Flight. He's lost in his thoughts, recalling a recent run-in with the X-Men in Quebec... and how, just one week later, the Prime Minister visited with him personally to disband his team. The thinks about the three levels of "Flights" the Department is working with, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma... which, if nothing else, gives us a nice visual introduction to some of these characters.
Mac's thoughts are interrupted by Gary Cody of Department H, also who isn't happy with this turn of events. Mac jams out and heads home to Ontario... visions of unemployment dancing in his head.
Meanwhile, in the greater, whiter, norther... a fella, who we'll eventually learn is named Richard Easton prepares for an odd ritual. He begins to draw the outline of... something, in the snow with his foot.
Turns out, he's got designs on summoning this massive figure from the Earth. Once his outline is complete... he sits down, and places a ceremonial-looking crown upon his dome.
We shift scenes to the Sarcee Reserve in Calgary, where Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen (which was always one of the coolest and most interesting civvie-names to me) feels a disturbance emanating from a box he keeps above his medicine rack. Turns out, it's the skull of his grandfather... all adorned in jewels.
Elsewhere again... this time to La Valle, Quebec... Madame DuPont's School for Girls. It's here we check in with Mamselle Jeanne-Marie Beaubier. She's teachin' the tots, and is being swarmed by her adoring students. They find out that "he" will be here soon... and become very excited. The "he" is Jeanne-Marie's twin brother, Jean-Paul... the Olympic champion! He shows up shortly after, and is just as swarmed as his large-foreheaded sis. They head back to her place to talk.
Once settled, they chat the dissolution of Alpha Flight a bit... with Jean-Paul noticing that his twin is acting a little strange. It's almost as though she's at the school in order to "hide out" from something. He comments on her matronly and nebbish look... saying this doesn't feel like "her". He removes her glasses and shakes out her hair before setting her before a mirror to look at herself. She says that this entire thing is "perverse"... and, I'm not sure I disagree. Overcome, Jeanne-Marie faints dead away.
Next stop, Ottawa... and the home of Mac and Heather Hudson. Mac flies in the window, and they chat about Alpha Flight being shut down. Afterwards, Heather goes to make dinner... but is interrupted by a call from ol' Gary Cody... asking them to flip to the CBC on the TV. They do just that, and learn that somethin' strange is going on with the Northern Lights. I wonder if it might have anything to do with that weirdo in the nup north?
Mac's on the case... but Heather's not so sure it's the wisest idea to go it alone. She asks if she should call the rest of the Alphas... to which, Mac says no. He leaves... and, well... she summons the Alphas anyway. She even calls upon a couple of Betas for good measure!
Speakin' of whom... how 'bout we meet one? We head to a seedy... er, colorful bar in Toronto, where some nogoodniks are up to... well, no good. A waitress tells 'em to "take off, eh?", but... they don't. And so, she's gotta call in the "big guns".
It's Puck! And he proceeds to beat the bejeezus out of the drunks. As he's doing so, however, his little Department H skull-implant begins to ping... alerting him to the fact that he's just gotten "the call". Our li'l man rushes out the joint... and cartwheels down the street.
Next... Newfoundland, where we meet... eeeee... Marrina. This one always freaked me out a bit. She's stood at a rock formation overlooking some crashing waves, when she is joined by a fella named Dan Smallwood (that's not a name most dudes would want)... who informs her that her brooch just started pinging. It's the call of the Alphas... and, before we know it... she's in the drink.
Our tour of Canada continues, as we head to northern British Columbia, where Walter Langkowski is "indulging in a favorite pastime"... which is evidently, walking through the deep woods? Hey, no judgment... we all have our vices. He gets "the call"... and Sasquatches up.
Further north... and we meet up with an Arctic Owl, which is actually Snowbird. She happens upon the site of the ritual, and sees the Northern Lights swirling ever so ominously over the outline of that great figure. As the ground begins to shake and a being begins to emerge...
... she knows exactly what (or who) she's about to have to deal with. It's Tundra!
We pop back in on Marrina for a minute... she's swimmin' like a devil... and emerges from the drink amid a great water spout. More on that later.
Elsewhere, Aurora and Northstar are also responding to the call... and the former's behavior is still quite suspect. Aurora refers to her superhero and civilian identities almost as though they're completely different people. This worries Northstar... and he wonders if his sister has perhaps gone mad.
Back outside Toronto, Puck tries to board a plane at the Mansfield Airbase. He's told to "take off, eh?", and so he beats up the security guard before stomping off.
Back in the nup north, Snowbird confronts Tundra... and is drowned in mosquitoes for her trouble.
Luckily, it's right about now that Vindicator shows up to distract the great beast. He manages to free Snowbird from the plague of blood-suckers before himself feeling the wrath of Tundra... in the form of a torrent of rock.
Next, Shaman appears... and very nearly gets stomped on.
Mac proceeds to attack Tundra with electromagnetic blasts... but, get this... is stopped by Snowbird! Ya see, Tundra is "one with the land", and so... if these EM blasts destroy him... they also may destroy Canada itself! Just then, Sasquatch emerges from a hovering helicopter. He lands on Tundra's back, and begins tearing the Earth-beast apart bit by bit, chunk by chunk.
Tundra eventually notices... and purges Sasquatch from his being. Northstar and Aurora fly in next, and zip around Tundra's head over and over again, rendering the thing... I don't wanna say "dizzy", but at the very least preoccupied. This gives Shaman the opportunity to toss some "mystic powders" into the air... which summon a rainstorm. Finally, it looks as though the former-Alphas are making a dent...
... but, they're going to need a whole lot more water to get the job done. Remember Marrina's water spout from before? Yeah, I'd forgotten about it too! But, thankfully... it's right here that she arrives. Shaman's powders control the torrent... and focus its full fury on Tundra... rendering it back to the Earth in no time.
As the dust settles, we see the skull of that weirdo summoner, still wearing that ceremonial crown-thingie.
Our epilogue takes us back to the Hudson home in Ontario... where all of the former-Alphas decide that, maybe they ought to stick together with or without the support of Department H or the Canadian government.
As Mac ponders whether or not they should keep the name "Alpha Flight", his thought process is interrupted by a knock at the door. It's Puck! Langkowski thinks the tiny man would make a great mascot for the team... and hilarity (plus a bunch of broken furniture) ensues.
--
Well, I was expecting to enjoy this little revisit... but, I wasn't prepared to enjoy it quite as much as I did! This really was excellent... and a whole lot of fun.
We talked about a week ago about John Byrne crafting the "perfect jumping-on point"... and, here's just another case of that. Though, perhaps not entirely the same... I mean... it is a #1 issue, after all. Whatever the case, Byrne uses the space given to introduce his "main cast" in both personality and power-set, while also giving us a glimpse into what's to come.
The page early on, with Mac thinking about the three "Flights" was really cool to me... and, is one of those pages I loved to pore over. Especially after "discovering" this property so late in the game. It's a very seminal scene, in that we get to "meet" a handful of characters who will become prominent players in the book.
I liked being able to "visit" with the characters during their stint of retirement. I love that sort of dynamic where we meet up with folks after their respective "jobs" are done. There's that nebulous feeling of "what's next?", and I feel like Byrne handled that really well here. Especially the scenes with the Hudsons and the Beaubiers.
Heather and Mac's two-pages of domestic bliss was neat... and I really enjoyed their interactions. We can see how much they care for one another... I actually wish we had gotten another page or two of that.
Having Heather sneak off to their secret Alpha-Closet or whatever to secretly (and against Mac's wishes) summon the rest of the Alphas (and a couple Betas) to join Mac in battle was a really neat way to facilitate the non-team coming back together. It didn't feel too forced, and was more just a wife worrying about her husband... who was heading into a confrontation with lord-knows-what.
Jean-Paul and Jeanne-Marie's scenes were also pretty great, and provided a good deal of interesting foreshadowing as to what's to come for them. Aurora's acting weird... and, it's (relatively) subtle. She's at a pivot point in life, and it sort of stands to reason that you might change a bit as a person in situations like that. Northstar, however, is picking up on some of these peculiarities... and giving we readers the hint to maybe pay attention.
The battle with Tundra was very fun... and beautifully drawn. I appreciated the creativity in getting all of our heroes to "show their stuff" insofar as using their powers. We also get some good old fashioned "powers in tandem", with Marrina and Shaman being able to ultimately return the beast to the Earth. Really good stuff... and the stakes were just high enough.
The art here, I mean... it's peak Byrne. Really great throughout... with the caveat that... there were some biiiiiiiig foreheads in this book. I thought for a minute Aurora looked more like The Leader's twin sister than Northstar's! Oof. Other than that, however... excellent stuff!
If you've never tried Alpha Flight before... I'd suggest you do. If it's been a long time (like it has been for me), again... I'd suggest you give it a proper revisit, you might be in for a sweet surprise!
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(Not yet the) Letters Page:
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Interesting Ads:
Strikeforce: Morituri #1 (December, 1986)
"Though Some Have Named Thee So--"
Writer - Peter B. Gillis
Pencils - Brent Anderson & Whilce Portacio
Inks - Scott Williams
Letters - Jim Novak
Colors - Max Scheele
Edits - Carl Potts
Chief - Jim Shooter
Cover Price: $0.75
It's Monday... and, for me... that means it's Morituri. For the better part of a year, Chris Bailey and I have been talking Strikeforce: Morituri on the air darn near every single Monday (we did take a break around the Holidays). As of this writing, we've covered the first 19 issues in great depth. This is a very important comic to me... and, if you've followed my audio-exploits, you'd probably know that. I shoehorn it into any conversation I can, after all.
This will be... yeesh, the third or fourth time I'm discussing this issue... though, the first time I'm doing so in writing, which will be an interesting experience... ya know, talking about it with visual aids.
Here are some of the other times I've talked about this one, if you're interested... which, you're not... but, what do I have to lose?
During the above Chris is on Infinite Earths episode (#24), I discuss, at length how and when I first heard of Strikeforce: Morituri... and how, the first time I read it I was able to draw a lot of sorta-kinda parallels between the basis of the story... and my own real life at the time. It might be a bit of a reach... at least insofar as the "mortality" of it all... but, suffice it to say, I feel like I first read this at exactly the right time in my life.
I suppose this also gives me the opportunity to share some "hype videos" I made to promote the show:
So yeah, this is a very special property to me... and, I'm hoping that through the work we're putting into it, maybe some folks will "discover" it. Unfortunately, at the end of the day... it's still Strikeforce: Morituri... and the only time people actually seem to care about it is when they think they've discovered it. Once the novelty of that "discovery" wears off... and they get their 15 Twitter or Facebook "likes" from sharing a picture of the cover they found on Google Images... it's forgotten once again.
Well, here's me trying again to promote this wonderful book as best I can! We who are about to... read the same damn comic for the eleventy-hundred skatey-eighth time... salute you!
--
Our story opens in 21st century New Roanoke, Virginia... a former thriving port now decimated my an alien invading hoard. We discover that a group called "The Horde" took over the Earth... plundering stores and factories, took slaves and killed millions melting half the city with their engines. Earth was woefully unprepared for the attack.
As a result we next observe the "Paideia Emergency Volunteer Unit", as they're looking for survivors. They don't find any... but take solace in the fact that they can now, at the very least, bury the dead with dignity. We catch up with the central character of the story, who is on his last day of duty with the volunteer group... he is nicknamed R.B. by his colleagues or Rabid Beaver for short. His civvie name is Harold Everson, and he's just about to leave in order to undergo something called the Morituri Process. His pals note that he is moving on to become a superhero and a celebration ensues. We could assume this is gonna be one heck of a going away party!
Later, we rejoin Harold while on a train headed home to Alexandria, Virginia. It's here we get to eavesdrop on some of his true thoughts and discover that he feels that being part of the few individuals selected to be involved with the Morituri Process is like hitting the jackpot... at the same time, however, he struggles with the fact that others disagree... namely his parents.
He arrives at the station and meets up with his parents who take him home to relax before he leaves to join The Morituri. An argument ensues as his parents try to convince Harold that he is making a mistake and that maybe he should stick to writing for “The Local Net”. Harold says he is tired of hauling bodies and wants to do something about the Horde himself. His parents quibble as he storms into his bedroom that their son is off to "become a dead man".
As Harold rushes off to his room he grabs “The Book” which we see is a comic called The Last Stand Of The Black Watch. The Watch, as we would discover, were the fabled original superheroes of the Morituri Process. We see three futuristic looking soldiers dressed in traditional black leather style uniforms, complete with metal shoulder pads and pouches. They are Clint, Bruce, and Woody... and they're riding on top of a space cruiser flying directly into the heart of Horde territory looking to bring a fight.
Their superpowers and bravery are evident as they easily combat the monstrous horde armies with their bare hands,and super strength. Worth noting, this is just a comic book... but it really does a great job motivating Harold to be just like his heroes of The Black Watch.
We jump ahead some time later, and rejoin Harold as he's being driven into a gated compound named “New Haven”. Upon arriving Harold observes the well manicured gardens and iron wrought gates and compares it to... a cemetery.
Immediately, Harold notices that the air is filled with flying crafts, which he calls “Contrails”... which he recognizes as part of the Alien Hordes flying fleet. Harold and his driver are about to leap into action but discover that these are actually some Paideia on patrol... and, instead head inside the large compound. It's here that Harold meets the Morituri Commander, Beth Luis Nion (lookin' a lot like Brotherhood of Evil Mutants era Rogue) and the creator of the Morituri Process Kimmo Tuolema. Harold is introduced to the other recruits...
... Robert Greenbaum, Jelene Anderson, Louis Armanetti, Lorna Raeburn, and Aline Pagrovna... who appears to have already undergone the first stage of "The Process", as when she shakes Harold's hand... she nearly crushes it with her super-human strength!
Harold tried from his journey retires to his room where he curls up in bed with his issue of The Last Stand Of The Black Watch... yes, the same issue. The only issue, in fact!
As he continues through his comic, he gets to the part where it shows the final fate of those three original members. They are surrounded by the Horde legion who are rather ticked at all of the damage the Black Watch had done them... and so, the Watch is killed! Though, not before warning the Hordians that there will be more to replace them... ie. the Strikeforce: Morituri. Hmm... feels like this innocent little comic book might just be a propagandist brochure, dunnit?
Lorna is watching Harold from the hallway, but he is way too caught up in his comic book to notice. It's here that Lorna sorta plants the seed of doubt in Harold that the story he just read was not how this scene actually played out.
As the night rolls on, the Compound is stirred awake by some terrible noise and clatter. We see fellow Morituri recruit, Aline who is absolutely terrified and crying for help. It's as though she just now realized what she's given away in order to join the team. She is taken away by Dr. Tuolema, while Harold watches on in confused horror. This is our first real indication that there is a certain "sacrifice" involved in undergoing the process. It's been "in the air" for much of the issue, but this is where it really hits.
The following morning, Commander Nion interviews Harold for the process... by asking him the simple question of “--Why do you want to die?” Harold struggles to answer the question before finally saying he wants to use his life the best way it can be used...in defense of the planet. Beth, like Harold's parents earlier on, reminds him that he is a writer and this is dead serious and not just some “story”. She continues... and drops the big bombshell on the readers, by telling him that once he starts the Morituri Process... he will die within one year. Harold doesn't seem all that phased and suggests that he will write his memoirs regarding his Morituri Process experience in order to share with the world. This way, he'll sorta-kinda become immortal.
A bit later on Beth gives Harold the nickel tour of the lab facility where Louis Armanetti is about to undergo his initial Morituri Process. While Harold, Commander Beth and Dr. Tuolema look on with Armanetti's procedure they decide to show Harold the actual video of what happened to the real members of The Black Watch.
While the heroic battle appears to have been not unlike what had transpired... it's the ending that is dramatically different from the pages of Harold's one-and-only comic book. Instead of going out in a blaze of glory from Hordian fire... Woody the team leader spontaneously combusts and burns to death as a result of the Morituri Process. Harold is rather shook. It is explained that the human body is not compatible with the Morituri Metabolism... and is eventually bound to reject it and kill its carrier... which explains why those who undergo the Morituri Process are doomed to die within a year.
It is also revealed here that people will react differently to The Process, and will likely develop radically different power sets. Beth reminds Harold that this is the price the Morituri are being asked to pay (hmm, just like that Twisted Sister song I've heard a few times)... and he she implores him to truly think this over before crossing the Rubicon.
Moving into mid-day, it's lunchtime at Camp Morituri. Harold and Aline are talking shop over some non-descript foodstuffs. Aline reveals that she is taking the Morituri Process because... get this... she has been overlooked by men her entire life and The Process will make her strong and give her purpose. Otherwise, she would have likely committed suicide a long time ago. Yikes. Now, she's stronger... her skin's cleared up, she has a bigger bustline... and she's gonna be a superhero. The makeshift meal is interrupted by the emergency alarms. The Horde are attacking!
Our new recruits leap into action and are immediately sent underground to a bunker where they're told not to engage the combat. Remember, the majority of 'em don't have any powers yet! Harold is stompin' mad about being left out of combat. It's here that Aline stumbles upon a newly manifested element of her Morituri-Power Set! She transmits an odd energy through her hands and melts the locks off the bunker's doors, allowing the recruits to escape. Disobeying orders, they... get this... steal several land ships and fly into the shock zone.
Aline the only one with developed powers leaps out of the ship and joins the battle. Harold and the rest land their ship and bust out of the tub guns a'blazing!
Harold is taken by surprise by a Horde warrior by surprise and is very nearly killed! Before that can happen, however, Commander Beth Nion makes the save... which reading this idiot the riot act for disobeying orders. but not without chastising the new recruits for disobeying their orders to remain on base. While Beth is busy, ya know, saving lives... she herself gets hit by a "parting shot" by the fleeing Hordian! She survives... they all do.
Back at base, Commander Nion continues to berate the newbies for their stupidity and informs them that the place the Horde was attempting to rob was... a chocolate factory. So, they all put their lives in jeopardy... for chocolate. She, rightfully calls them all morons... and boots 'em from her office.
We join Harold back in his room as he... once again... flips through his one and only comic book... The Last Stand of The Black Watch. It's now where he realizes that everything he thought he knew regarding the Morituri Process was... a lie.
Harold drops the comic... and heads over to the Commander's office. Beth, who is in the middle of writing up her days report, is more than a little surprised when Harold brazenly enters and proclaims that he's decided to sign on after all!
--
Man, I've talked about this issue so many times... it's starting to feel like I'm turning into Harold with his stupid Black Watch comic! Still though... I love it!
It's very hard to talk about in a vacuum, however... ya know? I've been so embedded in Marvel Earth-1287, that it's difficult to just talk about this one singular issue... but, I'll do my best.
Let's start with The Last Stand of the Black Watch. It's weird... the Black Watch even gets the cover of this first issue. We don't see Harold, or any of the Morituri... it's three dead guys! It really sets up a strange expectation, dunnit? We might expect an issue rife with firefights and intergalactic yadda-yaddas... but instead, it's a (relatively) "grounded" and almost soapy affair.
I do love that Harold's lone comic gets so much "play" here... as it really informs us as to the propagandist angle of the Paideia-approved Black Watch "lore". This comic wasn't made to top the Diamond Top 300... it was made to foment Earthen "jingoism" (if that's a thing) and ultimately result in a new generation of recruits. Harold bought the propaganda... hook, line, and sinker!
I mean, this wouldn't be the first time comics tried to inform a generation as to how they ought to think. Comics from way back in the Golden Age would feature our "enemies" as not much more than evil caricatures... and, would also promote things like "war bonds"... with the message that in order to be a "Good American", you'd support the war effort. Pretty clever stuff here from Gillis.
Harold finding out "the truth" was also very well done. I appreciate the lengths the go to show Beth Nion as... I dunno, sympathetic to Harold's naivete? She knows he "came in" via the propaganda brochure... and rather than just scoop him up, and push him through The Process, she makes sure he understands exactly what he's getting himself into.
The bombshell that those who undergo The Process are doomed to die within a year was very well handled... and we get the impression that this may... or may not be known by the public. Sure, the Eversons referred to their son as "becoming a dead man", but... that could mean many things. Think about military parents who aren't exactly "on board" with their child's decision to sign up.
That spotlight gets a bit brighter when Aline wakes in the middle of the night in a panic over dying... but, again... that could be taken in a few different ways. Again, think of a new military recruit who has just found out they're being sent into battle. I can't speak from experience... but, it stands to reason that might cause a bit of anxiety and stir up some mortal fears, no?
It's not until Harold is told, in no uncertain terms, that... this is a one-way trip. Once you're part of The Process, your clock starts tickin'. It's a heavy prospect... and, it was dealt with here incredibly well. Harold struggles... he's got a lot to mentally digest... but, ultimately, after tasting just a little bit of battle, comes around to the idea.
I tell ya... this is a very special book. Oh, and the art... oooh... Brent Anderson absolutely kills it! Just awesome stuff! The characters aren't like "TV pretty"... they're just normal flawed folks... and it's that normalcy juxtaposed with the extraordinary situation they're in, that keeps these characters relatable... and cheer-on-able. Whilce Portacio delivers the art for the Black Watch bits, which... I like. It drives home that these are two different stories... one "real", and one... less so.
Now, one thing about Strikeforce: Morituri that I sort of tire of hearing is that it would "make a great movie/TV show". I get that... that's where a lot of folks' heads are right now. But, here's the thing... Strikeforce: Morituri already exists. The comic is here... and isn't hard to find (check your Marvel Unlimited). Don't "wait for the movie", because you can experience the whole story... right now. It ought to go without saying, that I recommend ya do so!
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Interesting Ads:
Spider-Man and the New Mutants #1 (1990)
"Homework for Spidey"
"Hits and Misses!"
Writers - Walter Simonson & Louise Simonson
Pencils - Alex Saviuk & Bret Blevins
Inks - Keith Williams & Bret Blevins
Letters - Janice Chiang
Colors - Evelyn Stein
Edits - Bob Budiansky
Chief - Tom DeFalco
Sponsored By - K-Mart
Now, if you've been following this site for any amount of time, you'll probably know that I've got a big-time weakness for PSA issues. I won't bother linking to 'em here, but it's safe to say we've seen our fair share of "very special" issues here.
Today we're going to be looking at one starring Spider-Man... and some young folks. No, it's not that Spider-Man and Young Folks PSA (though that one would almost certainly get me more hits and engagement). We're going to check out one I never even knew existed until happening across it a few months back at a used bookstore. Spider-Man and... Skids? Really, Skids? Of X-Terminators, New Mutants, and "Rusty and..." "fame"? Well... okay then.
This one, going by the cover, has to do with child abuse... which, is a slippery slope and a subject I'm a bit nervous to cover here. I hope I can do so with the proper respect and insight... I guess you'll all be the judge from here on in...
--
Our first story opens with Spider-Man swinging by, I'm guessing, a rather unsavory neighborhood... where he happens across something of a rumble. Two rival gangs are havin' it out in broad daylight... and it's up to our hero to shut 'em down. Which he does, more or less just by showing up. The gangbangers scatter... and the day is saved, or so it seems. Amid the newfound silence, Spidey hears another scuffle goin' on nearby... this time, concerning some children! He hops over to the playground, and this is where we meet... a kid named Billy.
Billy is beating up a kid named Junior... and Spider-Man would really like to know why. Ya see, Junior was talking about Billy behind his back... oh no he di-in't! And so, Billy decided to enforce some playground justice. When Spidey presses him for his rationale, we learn that... this kid has literally had it beaten into him that "might makes right". His teacher, Mrs. Pettigrew routinely hits Billy!
Spider-Man ain't cool with that... and thinks to himself that, this is probably what leads kids in this playground to ultimately become the gangbangers he had to break up two minutes ago. He pulls Billy aside to have a chat... and suggests that the kid tell his parents that he's being abused in school. Billy isn't so sure... he thinks his folks will just say he's making it all up. Spidey suggests he try anyway... ya never know.
And so, they swing on over to Billy Maslin's house... and meet his parents, Wilson and Mary. Billy attempts to explain the situation... which, initially doesn't go all that well. His father figures, if the teacher is hitting him, it's probably because he'd done something to deserve it. When Billy reveals that he'd also just gotten into another fight with Junior... Papa Wilson threatens a spanking! Right there, in front of Spider-Man! How embarrassing.
Spidey's all "whoa-whoa-whoa"... and suggests to Daddy that spanking might not be the most helpful approach at present. He says what Billy needs right now is moral support... and really presses the couple to chat up Mrs. Pettigrew about the, ya know, public displays of child abuse. Just then, Mary gets it in her head that maybe they should talk to Billy's teacher. Don'tcha just love it when you give someone an idea... then they pretend they came up with it themselves? Whatever the case... the Maslins are going to head to P.S. whatever the heck, to chat up the teach.
Spider-Man swings by as the Maslins are about to head inside, and pats himself on the back for facilitating this whole thing. Did Mrs. Pettigrew stop beating up Billy? Well... I suppose that doesn't really matter, since the story ends here.
Our second story features Skids of the New Mutants... as she's shopping for some nondescript canned goods. Unfortunately for her, the nondescript food item she covets is all the way up on the top shelf... and when she reaches for it, she manages to topple a whole heapin' helpin' of nondescript cans all over the place! This does give her the opportunity to show off her mutant "deflector shield" ability... so, I think we can allow it.
While she picks up the newly-dented cans... she spies a mother attempting to grocery-shop with three children, which I'm pretty sure was one of Dante's Circles of Hell. It does not look pleasant in the slightest.
The two older kids are arguing over which form of diabetes they're going to be having for breakfast that week, and are getting pretty wound up... and wind up knocking over a whole display. At this point... Mom's had enough. It's spankin' time!
This sends Skids into a flashback about her earlier adolescence... when she was the regular victim of abuse at the hands of her stepfather. It was during one of these beatings that her mutant deflector shield powers manifested. She was so traumatized, that she remained inside her bubble for several years.
She knows she's going to have to intervene... which, I dunno about you... makes me feel pretty uncomfortable. She uses her shield to protect the young girl who is still being thrashed by her mother. Rather than throwing Mom into even more of a rage, this measure actually gets her to stop and consider her actions. Skids tells the mother to finish up her shopping and that she'll help the kids pick up the knocked over display. The mother... probably dazed out of her mind at this point, agrees.
So, we've got Skids and the kids picking up a bunch of boxes of cereal... when little brother starts acting out. Upon seeing this, big sister goes to... you guessed it... smack the boy. Skids stops her mid-swing, and asks her to think about what's she's about to do. She doesn't like it when her mother hits them... and here she is, about to hit her brother.
Big sister is confused... she doesn't understand the mixed messages her mother gives her. On one hand, she can be so nice... but, on the other... she can be abusive. Finally, mom wraps up her shopping... just in time for a lecture from Skids. Our Sally suggests that Mom maybe take some classes in parenting (oh no she di-in't)... and, rather than Mom hauling off and slapping her... the Mom agrees. Unfortunately, she just doesn't have the time. Skids then offers to watch the children for her so she can. After all, that's what friends... and weird teen-agers you run into at the grocery store... are for.
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This... is going to be a tough one to actually analyze. Not only do to its PSA nature, but by the arguably contentious subject matter. I can't assume to know everybody's position on whether or not a child ever deserves to be spanked/hit... all I can do is tell ya my story, and I apologize in advance for these next several self-indulgent paragraphs.
Growing up, there were times where I'd get hit. I mean, I hate the fact that I'm "of a certain age" nowadays where I can reflect on my childhood as a time where this was more widely socially acceptable... just makes me feel ancient. Anyhoo, did I like it? No. Did I deserve it? Maybe... maybe not. Did it effect and modify my behavior? Definitely. Here's the thing though... did I learn my lesson? Did I realize, via the punishment, why what I was doing was wrong? No... can't say that I did.
Being a full-time student of psychology for around a decade at this point, and working on my third degree... I've taken many, many classes on child and adolescent psychology, as well as (mostly Skinnerian) behaviorism. Spanking as punishment is ever the hot-button topic... made even more interesting by the fact that grad school is typically made up of a very diversely aged group of students. There are people in their 60's, people my age, and... yes, people in their mid-20's. It's very eye-opening to hear the "takes" on hitting from such a differently-aged assortment of intellectuals.
There's a saying in psychology that... the best research is me-search, which is to say... you're your own best subject, since you know your history, and have 100% access. When discussions become heated... we're often told to look within, with an analytical eye... ya know? Like, push aside the emotion, push aside everything but "what is". It's basic A-B-C behaviorism (antecedent leads to behavior leads to consequence). You break apart an action, and more or less analyze it by its component parts.
It's not often I change my mind on things... especially things I grew up accepting as fact. So, initially... when the concept of spanking was introduced to conversation, I looked at it as just something that "happened", ya know? "I got smacked, and I turned out okay!" That sort of thing. But... there's this thing called cognitive dissonance. It's when you hold a position, but also many cognitions that fly in the face of that position. While I got hit... and was okay with it, it wouldn't be something I would do if/when I had children of my own. Now, why is that?
Well, in reflecting and breaking down the A-B-C's... I came to the conclusion that spanking, yes... did result in a change of behavior. At the same time, however, it didn't tell me why what I was doing that elicited the smack was wrong, ya dig? I stopped "misbehaving" not because I actually learned anything... it was simply to avoid reprisal. It was this realization that... well, it caused me to become a bit more "fluid" with my personal position on the subject.
I didn't mean to waste the last few minutes of your day on that paragraph... that became a short essay, but... ehh, we're already here. What does all my gobbledygook have to do with the stories we just read? Well, rather than simply viewing them as a black and white issues... it causes the hamster on the wheel in my head to start spinning out a bit.
Let's start with the second story, as it's one that I can better wrap my head around. This feels like something you could see in any Walmart on any day of the week... and, it's weird. If we see this going down, and the parent does nothing... we judge them. Conversely, if this happens and the parent(s) get slap-happy... we also judge them. Can't win fer losin'... so, what's the right answer?
Putting ourselves in the shoes of a tired mother dragging three children to the grocery store... two of whom are whirling dervishes... what would we do? Not being a parent, it's easy for me to say "tell the children to behave" and be done with it. That's... unfortunately, not realistic, is it? So, what would we do? I don't have an easy answer.
Going by the A-B-C approach... we can suggest that perhaps the cereal aisle is a "trigger" for the tots... and, so... maybe mom should just avoid it? Also, let's check out the consequences... hitting... which, is also, attention. These are three kids with an overworked and overtired mother... could the attention they get from being hit be something of a positive reinforcer? Ya see, I'm thinking far too hard about this, haha. I've been on semester break for all of a week at this point, maybe I just miss grad school.
One more step though before we shift gears. Skinnerian behaviorism involves something called "extinction"... which posits (very simply) that any attention, good or bad, can serve as reinforcing a behavior. Anything from rewards to a beating... can reinforce a behavior in a given situation. Extinction is, more or less, ignoring the behavior... not giving any reaction... and, in so doing (or not doing), removing any possible reinforcement from it. So, those parents in Walmart not doing anything about their screaming kids? They might just be practicing Skinnerian behaviorism! No, they're probably not...
As a story... it was okay. I do feel like Sally was sorta-kinda taking her life into her own hands in a) intervening, and b) suggesting mom take parenting classes. I don't know that I'd suggest anyone actually do that... unless you're cool with getting beaten up yourself!
Now, the first story... corporal punishment in schools. Hmm... this feels like something out of the 1950's, but... it ain't! In fact, on one of the "et-cetera" pages I've included below, we learn that as of 1990, two-thirds of schools still allowed teachers to swat the tots with a paddle! Whaaa?
I wanna say, having Billy's father be quick to swat... maybe confused the issue a bit? I get that we're really trying to press the issue of spanking here, but... this just felt like a step too far. Kinda pulled me out of the story... unless we're supposed to think that poor Billy's just constantly getting beaten up, whether at school or at home. I think we could'a just done with one or the other.
Also, the quick turnaround and non-ending didn't do all that much for me. Out of the two stories, this one felt like an "assignment", whereas the New Mutants chapter actually had some of that trademark Louise Simonson "heart". The back half, as heavy-handed as it was, could very easily have been fitted into a back-up slot in a New Mutants Annual or something... where the Spidey strip... ehh... it was cashin' a check, and not much more.
Overall... I thought this was fine. Some top talent were involved in this... and, at least the back-half, didn't feel like a "throwaway". Worth a peek if you happen across it in the cheap-o bins!
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Et-Cetera:
