7 posts tagged “dave cockrum”
Below: The wonderful Wedding of Duo Dansel and Bouncing Boy splash page that eventually led to Dave Cockrum leaving the Legion of Super-Heroes.
Apparently, the story goes that Dave loved that illustration of the wedding so much, he asked editor Cary Bates if he could have the original art as a keepsake. “I don’t see why not,” was Bates’ reply. Later, however, when editor Carmine Infantino came into Cary’s office, he saw the artwork on his desk and asked what it was doing there. When he told him he’d like to give it to Dave, Infantino said flatly, “We don’t give the artwork back!” Dave was so hurt by this callous descision, that he left, right then and there!
Happily enough, Dave was able to pull some strings and get his hands on that artwork some years later! In an interview with Philip Schweier for BACK ISSUE magazine, he admitted that although he DID have it at one point, by the time of the interview, he’d already sold it off! Ahahaha!
Triplicate Girl
First appearance: Action Comics # 276
By Jerry Siegel and Jim Mooney
Taking one look at evil chanteuse EMERALD EMPRESS’ striking features, one would immediately assume that the Marvel Comics character she reminded me of was Lorna Dane, that OTHER green-locked vixen POLARIS of the X-Men...but you would be wrong!
While it’s true that the two girls look awfully similar in both appearance AND their flight/attack mode, for some reason, the character that Emerald Empress always reminded me of was that THOR and AVENGERS baddie The Enchantress! Maybe part of it was the similar sounding names and green-coordinated outfit. And perhaps part of it was her haughty yet alluring personality that was so akin to the Asgardian outcast. But most likely, the BIGGEST reason was that both were paired up with a giant armored warrior with a huge-ass axe!
As the reigning queen of the Legion of Super-Heroes diabolical arch enemy group THE FATAL FIVE , she appeared alongside four other baddies: Leader THAROK and his mind controlled powerhouse VALIDUS, MANO, the mutant with powers to make things crumble at his touch, and finally, THE PERSUADER, the wielder of the giant battle “Atomic” Axe, the character that reminded me SO MUCH of Enchantress’ sidekick / partner THE EXECUTIONER!
Take a Side-By-Side analysis of both Emerald Empress & The Persuader along with The Enchantress & The Executioner:
I never drew any connections between them when I was reading Legion comics with the Fatal Five intact (i.e., all five members present) but when Emerald Empress and Persuader broke off from the group and became a duo , something in my mind clicked! Ahahahaha!
By the way, it was interesting to note that in almost every story where the Fatal Five (or sometimes even all by her lonesome), at the end when The Empress is “defeated”, she’s always detained simply by being held down by one of the male members of the group, and when you look at some of the illustrations, part of me thinks Superboy and the guys rather looked forward to their chance to "subdue" her...!
Sarya's one of the Legion's oldest foes and one of the most enduring characters, She's absolutely my favorite villain in the series, and she sports one of my very favorite costumes as well! That's a thumbs up, all around! Now If I could only catch her without that darn Emerald Eye spying on me...
Sarya
Emerald Empress
First Appearance: Adventure 352
By Jim Shooter and Curt Swan
With the ability to phase through solid objects, Tinya was inducted into the Legion’s fold early on, but it wasn’t until years later when Dave Cockrum updated her character with that swinging’ futuristic bell-bottom jumpsuit that she became the spunky pony-tailed girl that we came to know and love!
While girls like Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet and Dream Girl were heating up the Legion Outposts, Tinya always came across as the warm and bubbly “best friend” to everyone, she was the “sweet” girl! In fact, I always used to read the old 25¢ Superboy comics thinking that she looked an awful lot like Dawn Wells a.k.a. Many Ann Summers of Gilligan’s Island!
Most of these scans come courtesy of my beloved beat-up copy of Superboy starring the Legion Of Super-Heroes #203, an issue which Mike Grell seemed particularly inspired with his depictions of Tinya. She looked so adorable in every panel! The illustration of Tinya on the cover is a fave, too, drawn by the master himself, NICK CARDY. ..Can this man EVER draw a bad picture of a girl?
Phantom Girl:
First Appearance: Action Comics #276 by Jerry Seigel and Jim Mooney
Favorite Artists: Dave Cockrum and Mike Grell ( the Legion Immortals! )
Growing Up, Shrinking Violet (or “Vi” as the kids called her) was never one of my favorite characters, and I really didn’t much care for her Cockrum-designed costume (This one that looks like Marvel Comics’ Polaris’s Shi’ar
oufit), but I did like how he drew her features, and boy, when Mike Grell was pencilling the Legion Of Super-Heroes, she sure was pretty! Plus, she seemed to be one of the more “serious” characters, and when the 1993 Legion portrayed a grown-up Salu working for the military, that really seemed to fit, for me!
Shrinking Violet
First Appearance:Action Comics # 276
by Jerry Siegel and Jim Mooney
Jean Grey, telekenetic mutant,founding member of the original X-Men, and sporter of not one but TWO of my favorite super-heroine costumes! First Up; Marvel Girl!
Okay, at first glance, Jean Grey’s outfit seems to be nothing more than a green dress with yellow gloves and boots.Then looking closer, you realize…Yep, It’s a dress, alright!
So why do I love this costume so much?!
I don’t know, but I WILL say that in the era where Sue Storm was wearing the same outfit as Reed Richards and Wanda Frank & Janet Van Dyne were wearing one-piece bodysuits, Jean’s dress outfit was positively original and sexy!
I know that a lot of people had an aversion to the new costumes of the Original X-Men, especially John Byrne ,who seemed to be obsessed with the original outfits (Kitty Pryde and later Jean in the Hidden Years reflect this) and Neal Adams, who quickly changed the Angel’s Yellow ‘n’ Suspenders look to a more sleek style, but hey, one of the first classic comics I read was Avengers #53, and John Buscema’s depiction of the X-Men will always be THE defining look of the group.
One of the first 12¢ comic back issues I bought was Issue #39, which of course, featured the X-Men for the first time in their “new” outfits, as illustrated by Don Heck and Werner Roth, but it wasn’t til my friend James got this hardcover book published by Grandreams which reprinted the Neal Adams Sentinels stories that I really fell in love with Jean’s Marvel Girl outfit. He really made her look terrific in that dress!
For some reason, the green Marvel Girl outfit is one of the things that IMHO Byrne didn’t seem to care much for , and as I’d mentioned before, he couldn’t wait to find a reason to get her out of the green dress and back into the yellow and black suit in The Hidden Years strip. But that’s okay, because she gave the costume to Candy Southern to wear, and my didn’t she look nice in it!
Up Next: Phoenix!
The Mighty Dave Cockrum strikes again with this totally awesome outfit, one of my favorite designs, and I don’t care that he designed practically the same identical suit for Ms. Marvel… In fact, that costume is gonna show up any time now on this list!
Man, I just love this outfit, and it only got better when Byrne took over! Funny thing, one big difference in the way the two artists depicted the costume for me was that in Cockrum’s drawings, the green part of her costume always seemed like cotton material, for some reason, with leather boots and gloves, whereas Byrne’s illustrations always looked completely slick, like some kind of cosmic latex!
And another thing I mentioned before, John Byrne just loved drawing girls in pretty clothes, and Jean was no exception- in fact, he really draped Ms. Grey in some wonderful outfits over the years, but my favorite has to be the green off-shoulder dress she’s wearing in Uncanny X-Men #114. Just so damn pretty!
Call me stubborn (yes) and hard headed (yep, yep), but as far as I’m concerned, the Jean Grey that we knew and loved has passed away, and I refuse to subscribe to any of those revisionist storylines that sprout up regularly like evil baobabs seeking to invade and destroy my planet! Argggh…
Jean went out in a thoughtful, unselfish and poignant way, and that’s how I want to remember her.
Jean Grey:
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Jean Grey:
First Appearance: X-Men #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
First Appearance in new Marvel Girl Costume:
X-Men #39 by Roy Thomas and Don Heck
Favorite Artists:
Werner Roth (X-Men 48,49)
John Buscema (Avengers #53)
Neal Adams (X-Men #56-65)
First Appearance in Phoenix Costume:
Uncanny X-Men #101 by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum
Favorite Artists:
Dave Cockrum and John Byrne
This is part of an ongoing series spotlighting my favorite Comic Book Super-Heroines.
If you would like to view past entries, please visit the Archives at:
supervixens!@greyvictory
So imagine there's this super-heroine whose powers are precognition. Then say that the futuristic visions come to this girl in her dreams. That would naturally set up a character whose comic scenes would ultimately be spent in her bed, wouldn't it? So you'd figure that a character like this couldn't work, because the writers would have to work her bedroom into each issue, as well as outfit the girl with her very own bed in headquarters, right?
Yet that's exactly what happened to beautiful Nura Nal, the clairvoyant young girl from the planet Naltor who became the resident precognitive of DC's Legion Of Super-Heroes. Yes, she spends most of her crime-fighting in bed. And yes, they've been known to feature Nura's bedroom in many issues. In fact, although she does have a body-suit for fighting action, her usual Legion outfit (designed by that master of gal costumes Dave Cockrum) consists of what amounts to more or less a suped-up negligee!
Obviously Nura's called Dream Girl because her powers are the ability to dream the future, but on a more practical note, she could just as easily be called Dream Girl because of her general HOTNESS! The very first time I read an issue of the Legion (it was issue #203) and saw her alerting her fellow members of an imminent attack in that nightie-costume, my mind went..."Whoa....Dream Girl!"
In later issues, she was "toughened up" a bit, and was more prone to butt-kicking than sleeping, but she still retained her gorgeous looks (not to mention that mole on her cheek shaped like a star), thus ensuring her legacy as the dreamiest Legionnaire no matter what her modus operandi!
First Appearance: Adventure Comics #317
Favorite Artists: Dave Cockrum, Mike Grell, Dan Jurgens
If you would like to view past entries, please visit the Archives at:
supervixens!@greyvictory
Originally created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum, Ororo blossomed into the gorgeous Goddess she would be known for when writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byrne took over the strip starting from Uncanny X-Men #108.
This seminal issue run would feature Ororo at her most fetching; strong and powerful in her element, but also young and naïve about life in the city and living with her fellow X-Men in domestic settings.
Ororo always looked great and was always an interesting character during Dave Cockrum’s reign, but it wasn’t until John Byrne came around that I was totally taken for a loop with Storm.
Under Byrne’s penciling, she became one of the hottest commodities comics had, with a tight curvy figure, billowy snowy white hair, and lush, exotic eyes. It was fascinating to watch her in costume OR in street clothing, both of which John Byrne had a fair for drawing. It became the main focus of these early issues to see what Storm would reveal to us next! Under Byrne’s eye, Ororo became HOT, HOT, HOT!
Someone at work once pointed out to me that it seemed to him that in almost EVERY issue of the Byrne/Claremont X-Men run, Ororo would be either
1) scantily clad 2)undressing or 3) nude.
Looking back over the run, I find this statement to be pretty accurate! He also added, “Not that I blame them…if it was up to ME, I’d have her in the same state of semi-undress, too!
I’d like to take this opportunity to relive some of these “magic” moments with Ororo in all her sexy goodness!
FIRST APPEARANCES OF ORORO
The first time we are introduced to Ororo in Giant-Size X-Men #1, she is already half-naked, attired in nothing more than a loincloth and belt, her gorgeous white mane always strategically placed over her breasts. Below are both Dave Cockrum’s original art and John Byrne’s take on Ororo’s African days.
ORORO’S COSTUME
When Ororo joins the X-Men, she is given a sleek new costume, and as designed by Dave Cockrum, became one of my favorite heroine costumes of all time along with Jim Steranko’s Polaris design and Neal Adam’s Marvel Girl.
When John Byrne took over, he added a rich leather-like texture to her outfit and really made the costume hug her curvy body nicely!
UNCANNY X-MEN #109
John Byrne’s first “proper” issue (#108 was essentially him finishing up Dave Cockrum’s Starjammers story), and what a beginning it is. In this issue we get to see Ororo in a tight pink top, and skimpy black bikini ,and showering totally NUDE!
In should also be mentioned here that in this bikini scene, Ororo is complaining about having to wear “these absurd scraps of cloth”, and Peter reminds her of a time when she caused an uproar when Ororo sunbathed naked at the Mansion.
The “shower” segue was originally drawn by Dave Cockrum in issue #101, and John Byrne wasted no time drawing HIS version of this delectable scene!
UNCANNY X-MEN #111
The X-Men get hypnotized by old villain Mesmero, and he turns them into sideshow acts. The other members get turned into strongmen and man-beasts, but cute little Ororo gets stuffed into a leopard-print bikini and is billed as the “Jungle Princess”!
It is interesting to note how upset Ororo is when she realizes she’s been tricked into parading around in a skimpy bikini for guys to ogle her!
This poor carny here takes the brunt of her frustrations.
UNCANNY X-MEN #114-116
There is no doubt that by this time, Byrne had hit his stride. Ororo looks just fantastic here, and every depiction of her since has to be judged against this one. Ororo is shown wearing “Chief Tongah’s wife’s robes”, but for all points and purposes, it’s just another curve-hugging bikini for her to wear!
UNCANNY X-MEN #118-119
Issue #118 had a guest inker, and Byrne’s art suffers a bit for it. Happily, Terry Austin was back by issue #119, and it’s a good thing because I would hate to have Ororo’s Kimono moment ruined. She even gives Kurt some sugar, she’s so happy being in the group.
UNCANNY X-MEN #120-121
Strom Gestures out to try and control a snowstorm, flashing everyone in the process. Too bad they wisely bathed this scene in dark shadows so all you get is the gesture and not much else. This scene has been slightly color corrected so you can see what you’ve been missing!
The highlight of this story has to be the scene where Ororo has to “blend in” with the crowd, and goes shopping. Byrne used this as a chance to pencil her in some beautiful outfits, and I LOVE the one she’s wearing when she kicks Vindicator’s ass.
UNCANNY X-MEN #122
Never Mind Colossus on the cover, this is essentially a solo Ororo story, and she looks just luscious cruising the streets of Harlem at night.
UNCANNY X-MEN#123-124
“Sleepy-Bye, Honey Chile!” leers Arcade as he shoots Ororo in a thin bathrobe. She had just gotten out of the shower, and Byrne made sure we knew it was COLD out in the living room… (wink, wink)
And in that wonderful Claremont / Byrne tradition of “Let’s find a reason to have Ororo taking off her costume”…
Here we have Ororo removing her cape and boots, showing off those lovely gams.
Byrne always drew Ororo’s body all nice and curvy, and I particularly love her thighs in this next picture, not to mention that nice butt action going on there.
UNCANNY X-MEN #125-128
As the Claremont / Byrne story arc races towards what would become the “Death Of Phoenix” story, individual character development took a back seat to the plot. So all we get are snippets here and there, in this case, Storm spraining her shoulder and unclasping the top of her costume so Lorna can bandage her up. Yep, It’s a tease.
UNCANNY X-MEN #129-136
The X-Men are captured, and of course the first thing to do is search them. No one knows what Ororo was doing with the phone number to the X-Line stitched into her suit…maybe she couldn’t remember it? In any case, it was an opportunity to have her tear her costume open to show more skin!
UNCANNY X-MEN#137
This is the last Ororo treat of the Claremont / Byrne Uncanny X-Men storylines,
Storm waking up after sleeping au nataurel in the Imperial Palace. Byrne loved depicting his heroines this way- he even got Wanda the Scarlet Witch to doff her clothes for bed in Avengers #186.
UNCANNY X-MEN #143
This is the last pin-up of Ororo that John Byrne drew before he left the Uncanny X-Men, never to return. It was a nice gift, and I remember tracing this picture many, many times, Ororo’s figure looked SOOO good!
* * * * * * * *
Years later, John Byrne started up a new X-Men comic called X-MEN: THE HIDDEN YEARS. He vowed to re-introduce Ororo into the storyline. And out of all the various costumes Ororo wore that he had to choose from, which costume did he eventually depict her in?
YES!! OF COURSE!
John Byrne wouldn’t have had it any other way than to have the opportunity to draw Ororo battling side by side with the X-Men the way that she was truly meant to be- FREE and AS NATURE INTENDED!
EXCELSIOR!
THE END
of
MY RANT on ORORO
