Friday 14 November 2014

1993: MARVEL UK's MOTORMOUTH AND KILLPOWER in THE INCREDIBLE HULK (Marvel)




Well £+<$ me!  These two issues of THE INCREDIBLE HULK (408 and 409, August and September 1993 respectively) are little landmarks in the history of MARVEL UK and - more specifically - the Genesis Project.

The constant guest appearances and cameos by bankable US characters in the UK books (deemed vital for giving them some traction and credibility in the febrile US market during the early 1990s boom times) became something of a running joke (and, potentially, a great source for a Drinking Game... should you be so inclined).  But, conspicuously, the British characters had a much lower profile in the US books.  

Despite (or, perhaps, because of) omnipotence in the UKverse, DEATH'S HEAD II couldn't even crack the New York Bullpen.  

The one exception to this one-way flow of talent was MOTORMOUTH and KILLPOWER's two-part sojourn into the pages of the Hulk.  In truth, 408 only amounts to a cameo (see above) but the following issue has them front-and-centre with even MM/KP's logo as part of the cover design.  

The legendary Peter David scripted both installments (which brought the Green Goliath to London... for a punch-up), joined by Marvel UK stalwart (and MM artist) Gary Frank.  

They were never reprinted in the UK.  

Ironically, these issues appeared around the time that the Annex of Ideas shuttered Harley's own book after a twelve issue run, depriving them of the cross-promotional opportunity.  Ms. Davis did form part of the DARK GUARD line-up (the UKverse answer to The Avengers/ JLA... except without the longevity, sales figures and movie franchise) but that proved a short-lived venture (four issues) before it fell victim of the Genesis Implosion.

Plans for two MOTORMOUTH mini-series floundered (fatally) in the Genesis Massacre. 

This lack of success Stateside (at least until this year's REVOLUTIONARY WAR) ironically makes the original DEATH'S HEAD (the character Paul Neary loathed so much) as the most successful British character when it comes to infiltrating the mainstream MARVELverse. 

1 comment:

  1. A blink and you'll miss it cameo by some Genesis 92 MUK characters also occurred in Excalibur #67. Although only a cameo, they were referred to by name in the dialogue, and one of them was, perhaps inevitably, Death's Head II in one of his only two contemporary Marvel US appearances to my knowledge (the other being What If? #54).

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