Spaceknights and Just Wars

One of my favourite comic book writers is Bill Mantlo. Bill started writing in the late 70s and was prolific: having fantastic runs with The Incredible Hulk, Spectacular Spider-Man, Alpha Flight, The Micronauts and one of my favourites, ROM Spaceknight. And while I’m not going to talk about what happened to Bill right now, I invite you to read his story here and do whatever you can to support him at this time.   

This comic is 30 years old this month. Marvel's ROM Spaceknight #26, January 1982

Recently, I went back to Bill’s enjoyable run on ROM and found myself absorbed in the 30 year old #26 and #27, a story called 'Galactus on Galador'. Like most of Bill’s work, I found this short story both enjoyable and provocative, raising some interesting ethical and legal issues with regard to the conflict the Spaceknights have with Galactus and their old enemies the Dire Wraiths. 

Marvel's ROM Spaceknight #27, February 1982

It begins with what one might call a borrowed story from Lee/Kirby's Fantastic Four ‘Galactus Trilogy’, but quickly evolves into something else. When Galactus and his herald arrive on Galador, (home world of the Spaceknight's people), the Spaceknights understand the looming threat and do their best to repulse Terrax. Meanwhile, ROM heads to Galactus’ ship to attempt a negotiation. During that parley a deal is struck: 

From Marvel's ROM Spaceknight #26, January 1982

Splash from Marvel's ROM Spaceknight #27, February 1982

From Marvel's ROM Spaceknight #27, February 1982

'Give up on this world and we will give you another' is ROM's proposal. Of course, this world is Wraithworld, home of the Dire Wraiths.

From Marvel's ROM Spaceknight #27, February 1982

Which provoked me: is this is a moral or legal bridge too far by the Spaceknights? In both this and earlier ROM comics, we learn of the Galadorians just and long-standing grievance with the Dire Wraiths, and I would say they have an absolute right and duty to defend themselves. This is the whole raison d'être of the Spaceknights to begin with.

From Marvel's ROM Spaceknight #27, February 1982

But by manipulating Galactus into obliterating the Dire Wraith home world, has ROM crossed the line into the illegal or immoral? The Dire Wraiths are unquestionably evil, but do they also not have a right to live? This is what got me thinking about Just Wars and how we humans have come to determine what is legal and illegal in war.
  

From Marvel's ROM Spaceknight #27, February 1982

While the idea of a 'Just War' goes back to Classical times, it was in 1625 that Dutch philosopher Hugo Grotius wrote De jure belli ac pacis (On the Law of War and Peace) which summed up the evolved Western thinking about just war, itself an idea descended from ancient and medieval thinkers including Cicero and St. Thomas Aquinas. Grotius’ list was fivefold:

1) There must be a just cause

2) There must be a right authority or legitimate sovereign initiating the war.

3) There must be right intention on the part of the parties using force

4) The response must be proportional

5) The force must be last resort

In the conflict between Galactus and the Spaceknights, it seems they are doing what is needed to protect themselves. But once they make an ally of Galactus and decide to use his overwhelming power against their enemy, have they crossed the line? No one would doubt the Dire Wraiths are evil and the cause against them is a just one. Moreover, the Spaceknights derive their authority from a legitimate sovereign and their battle is (mostly) fought with good intentions and is one of last resort. But by enlisting Galactus to annihilate the Dire Wraiths, are they being proportionate as per number four (and possibly number three) of the Grotius criteria? 

To determine this let's look at proportionality, a very important and pervasive concept in almost every legal system in the western world. Just like you might say in criminal law, the punishment should fit the crime, so too in warfare you might say that any just war would not include the absolute destruction of a nation, even if they initiated the conflict.  

But isn't this what ROM knows will happen if Galactus devours Wraithworld: the destruction of that place and the end of the Dire Wraiths? And is this a proportionate or well intentioned response? Personally, I’m not convinced. I know of Marvel villains, the Dire Wraiths are among the worst, but do they also not have a right to live?  

From Marvel's ROM Spaceknight #27, February 1982

In recent human history we need only look at the Nuremberg trials, themselves the precursors of International Criminal Court in The Hague as examples of proportionality in action. When even as great a leader as Churchill wanted swift, bullet-based retribution against the surviving Nazi leadership, President Roosevelt and later President Truman (thanks to persuasive arguments made by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the US and eventual Chief Prosecutor at Nuremberg, Robert H. Jackson) decided that even these despicable men should have their day in court. This in turn, led to hastened reconciliation with the German people, who would eventually become an important pillar of the world community. Likewise in Japan, the similar Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal eventually let the Japanese move on and become another important contributor to the world community.   

From Marvel's ROM Spaceknight #27, February 1982

Of course, Galactus fails in devouring Wraithworld and I am now going well beyond the scope of a comic blog. (Nor do I think Marvel will ever publish a comic that has the Dire Wraiths putting the Spaceknights on trial.) But I do believe that ROM, by enlisting Galactus to destroy Wraithworld, went too far. Of course, this is just an opinion, but it's also a reason why Bill Mantlo's writing was so good and why I'd like to thank him again for using comic books to provoke thought. Although ROM Spaceknight #26 and #27 are thirty years old this month, they are just as interesting and enjoyable to read today as they would have been then.  

If you are interested in starting an investigation into just wars and the law, I highly recommend The Nuremberg Legacy: How the Nazi War Crimes Trials Changed the Course of History by California Judge Norbert Ehrenfreund. Ehrenfreund was a US Army journalist for The Stars and Stripes during the war and witnessed the main trial first hand. His book is an accessible primer for anyone interested in Nuremberg and its legacy. Further, as a law student, I do not claim to be an expert on these legal issues so if you think I've missed something important or would just like to offer a comment, please feel free to (respectfully) add one.

The Neutralizer Strikes Back!

If you picked up the latest FF (#9) on Wednesday you may have noticed something that hasn't been seen in comics for a while: a Spaceknight Neutralizer! During the Marvel panel at FanExpo in Toronto this year, Jonathan Hickman mentioned there would be one in an upcoming issue and it was great to finally see it.

From Marvel's FF #9, November 2011

From Marvel's ROM:Spaceknight #26, January 1983

The ROM images are courtesy of #26 'Galactus on Galador!' a favourite story of mine written by the great Bill Mantlo. It involves some serious moral issues and I'm currently planning  a feature length piece that will use this two issue arch as a cornerstone. In the meanwhile, enjoy the new and old images and thanks for visiting WGTB!   

From Marvel's FF #9, November 2011

From Marvel's ROM:Spaceknight #26, January 1983

SuperSoundtracks #3: Siouxsie and the Banshees and Lady Deathstrike

WGTB has been working on this entry for a while. Usually, writing a SuperSoundtrack begins with a comic book character and then a search for a good song. This time we started with the album and had to narrow things down to a great song; only afterwards finding a matching comic book character.

The album is Siouxsie and the Banshees' 1979 debut The Scream and our eventual track is Metal Postcard. The search for the ideal comic book character was tough until it hit like a bolt of lightning: LADY DEATHSTRIKE!

Siouxsie and the Banshees were formed in 1976 by Siouxsie Sioux (Susan Janet Ballion) and bassist Steven Severin. They met at a Roxy Music show, and would eventually become part of the “Bromley Contingent” a group of fellow misfits and music fans who travelled the UK attending Sex Pistol gigs.

The Scream captures the angst of the punk movement perfectly, but also serves as a pioneering bridge into the Post-Punk movement. Post-Punk is a more introspective and experimental type of indie music that captured the energy of Punk while being more accessible to mainstream fans. The movement would also lead to a number of spin-off genres including Goth, Industrial and Synthpop.

Metal Postcard is a masterpiece. Its lyrics match the ferocity of our comic book character and, while WGTB is loath to use singles as SuperSoundtracks, ultimately we had to choose this GREAT song. That said, it wasn’t an easy decision. The album includes a brilliant cover of the Beatles' Helter Skelter and another great track, Nicotine Stain, which may yet appear in SuperSoundtracks.

So how does this SuperSoundtrack capture Lady Deathstrike so perfectly? Start by looking a sample of the lyrics. Of course, you'll be even more convinced when you hear the screaming guitars and haunting bass.

Metal is tough, metal will sheen
Metal won’t rust when oiled and cleaned
Metal is tough, metal will sheen
Metal will rule in my masterscheme

Lady Deathstrike is in so many ways a perfect foil for Wolverine, her principal antagonist. Born in Osaka to the inventor of the adamantium lacing process, she would later become a cyborg with the one motivation: to avenge the dishonourable death of her father and avenge the theft of his intellectual achievement.

She has a similar healing factor to Wolverine and her adamantium laced skeleton and razor-like fingernails are a near match for Canada’s fiercest superhero. Lady Deathstrike was invented by Denny O'Neil and Larry Hama and first appeared as Yuriko Oyama in Daredevil #197. Blog favourite Bill Mantlo and Chris Claremont would later refine her story in Alpha Flight #33 but WGTB will always remember her for her prominence in Wolverine (V.2) numbers 35, 36, 45 and 46 when we saw her in ACTION!

(From Wolverine Vol. 2 # 35 "Blood and Claws")

(From Wolverine Vol. 2 #45 "Claws Over Times Square")

SuperSoundtracks is proud to present the theme song for Lady Deathstrike: Metal Postcard by Siouxsie and the Banshees!

Random Reviews: The Incredible Hulk #269 & The Incredible Hulk #270 “The Mouth Monster Saga”*

The thing about having (one time) comic-collecting brothers, is that every family residence WGTB frequents has a long standing prohibition against the destruction or discarding of any comic book. So, while WGTB has never been much of an Incredible Hulk fan, we recently came across in our parent’s basement (insert geek/internet joke here) a copy of The Incredible Hulk #269. We promptly claimed salvager’s rights,** and remembering that The Incredible Hulk #270, was one of the few Hulk books in our possession, thought it would be cool to read and review them.

The Incredible Hulk #269

WGTB has said this before – Bill Mantlo was an outstanding writer – and these two issues are further evidence of that. Incredible Hulk #269 (March 1982) is titled “Hulk Hunters” and prologues with an account of an artist on the distant world of Krylor contemplating an attempt to recapture past artistic glory by going back to the well-spring of success: the Hulk. And while we never learn if her sequel is a “Godfather II” OR “Godfather III,” your humble blogger soon discovered that the whole point of this continuum sidebar was to connect this tissue to the Rampaging Hulk magazine produced by Marvel in the late 70s and early 80s.

About seven pages into #269, the prologue ends and we are given a new splash with Bruce Banner and Betty Ross in conversation about the Hulk, the madness and what it means to be Bruce Banner. As the two contemplate the troubles of being both man and monster, three spaceships arrive bringing the “Hulk Hunters” – ugly and aggressive beings from distant space.

Then, as is prone to happen when monsters arrive at the Hulk’s door, the four quickly spark up a mêlée with the Hulk quickly getting the better of the three. Of course, no sooner does this happen, than it is made clear that Hulk is actually needed as an ally of the Hulk Hunters. See, Mantlo was using the word in the "House Hunter" sense rather than the "Dear Hunter" sense. Clever twist, eh?

The Incredible Hulk #270

Which brings us to The Incredible Hulk #270 (April 1982) and the mission Hulk and his new friends undertake. Suffice it to say, it’s dangerous and involves an old Hulk foe, this time going by the name “The Ravager of Worlds,” in a support of another, junior Galactus-type baddy. Naturally, WGTB would not be the GREAT comic blog it is, if we gave away stories completely – but trust us when we say it resolves well but makes you wonder what the Hulk will do next issue! How do they do it?!?

All kidding aside, this is one of those stories that makes us wish Bill was still writing. It’s fast paced and has enough heavy sci-fi to keep the sophisticated reader interested. Sal Buscema’s artwork is typical of the early 1980s, and has stood the test of time. While this blogger has not always been willing to give The Incredible Hulk a flip-through/pick-out, we'll certainly start flipping through the Mantlo numbers next time WGTB visits the shop. Think about it next time you're at your store -- you’re certain to enjoy them.

*"The Mouth Monster Sega" is a WGTB-ism and does not have official Marvel sanction.
**The rightful owner of The Incredible Hulk #269 SAYS he’s a frequent reader of WGTB. Let’s test him – if he asks for it in the comment section, WGTB will return it. Until then, it will be safely housed in Marvel Box #2!