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From: dwc@hou2b.UUCP (D.CHEN)
Newsgroups: net.comics
Subject: Re: Secret Wars
Message-ID: <184@hou2b.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 11-Jan-84 19:40:26 EST
Article-I.D.: hou2b.184
Posted: Wed Jan 11 19:40:26 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 13-Jan-84 04:37:36 EST
Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 66








       Having just read	the first issue	of Secret Wars,	I  tend	 to
       agree  with  OZ.	  This is yet another case of introducing a
       being into the Marvel Universe who is the "most powerful	 of
       all".	Although   this	 mode  of  writing  has	 not  given
       undesirable  results   (e.g.   Galactus),   the	 increasing
       frequency with which Marvel is doing this is unsettling.

       For the	longest	 time,	Marvel	had  a	nice  hierarchy	 of
       characters  when	 classified  by	 OMNIPOTENCE  LEVEL.  Sure,
       people would argue over whether Odin was	more powerful  than
       Galactus	 and  one could	cite examples for either side.	The
       thing was it seemed Marvel strove to keep this stability.

       Then about 5 or so years	ago, Kirby introduced the  Eternals
       comic  and their	supporting characters, the Celestials.	The
       Celestials were	supposedly  the	 most  powerful	 beings	 in
       existence  and  the  beings  responsible	for the	creation of
       humans on Marvel's Earth.  In Thor 290-300  (approximately),
       it  was	definitely  established	 that  the  Celestials were
       indeed the most powerful	in Marvel's hierarchy.	 They  were
       beings  capable	of  "laying waste to a universe".  And Odin
       and Zeus	were "demoted" to the rank of  minor  gods.   Odin,
       who  as	Infinity in Thor 190 (approximately) threatened	all
       of creation.  Although they upset  me  with  the	 Celestials
       saga,  they  did	 an  okay job with it.	Now in Secret Wars,
       they are	chopping up Galactus!  I was upset at the portrayal
       of  Galactus  as	 the  "son  of	Eternity"  in  a  recent FF
       (inconsistent with the Galactus origin presented	in Thor	168
       (approximately)).   That	 was nothing compared to this!	Now
       he's a "fly compared to the Beyonder".  Not only	is he a	fly
       but  he	is an over-emotional fly.  Something has to be done
       to stop this madness!!!

       Anyway, back to Secret Wars.  The comic had a great deal	 of
       character   de-development.   That  is  they  took  all	the
       characters' personalities away from  them.   Everyone  spent
       too  much  time explaining who they were	and what they stood
       for instead of being themselves.	 I suspect that	the  series
       is  being  written  to attract new readers at the calculated
       risk of	losing	older,	more  established  readers.   I	 am
       presently  stuck	 on  Marvel  comics (particularly Thor)	and
       would only stop buying Marvel comics if I read  eleven  more
       Secret Wars issues like the first one (12 strikes and you're
       out, Marvel).

       Would anyone mind my sending to Marvel the net articles that
       have been posted	regarding Secret Wars?

					       Beta Ray	Dan
					       hou2b!dwc