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Rebecca Jansen
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Posted: 29 April 2018 at 8:48pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

Anyone have any love for this Marvel character? He was J. Jonah Jameson's Astronaut son before becoming the slavering furry mini-Hulk that grabbed my attention in the late '70s. David Anthony Kraft and George Perez kind of made him over into an outer space sword & sorcery type adventure guy which was at least trying hard, yet he never really developed into anything big league.

I think there's was/is a lot of potential in the character but feel I might be one of the few to think so. A Man Wolf movie might seem very do-able because of loving An American Werewolf In London and The Howling 'back in the day' too. It seems like something that should have happened yet hasn't. Werewolf By Night was a version of the Lon Chaney Jr. movie character named Larry Talbot, but Marvel would own Man Wolf! Maybe something along the lines of Guardians?

I'm not sure why but I latched on to getting every '70s Man Wolf appearance, I think I might have them all now. All those Creatures On The Loose and one Marvel Team-Up, plus two Marvel Premiere issues kind of wrapping up the whole 'arc'. He seemed like he'd be a fun character to draw, and in an outer space or sword & sorcery type setting he was especially eye-grabbing as you don't expect to see werewolf people there.

I first came across him in the John Byrne drawn Amazing Spider-Man #189 & 190 plus reprints of the first appearances in Marvel Tales #101 & 102 (one of my first back issue purchases and probably the second or third time I was ever in a comic book shop, X-Men #138 was new at the time).
I really like the way JB draws him and wish there could've been more... George Perez's style is rather overly neat and shiny for a wolf, so his Man Wolf doesn't pack that savage vibe. Man Wolf also appeared in a  flashback in Amaz. Spider-Man #181... is there anything I've been missing? Has he shown up in any of the various Marvel animated series?
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Brian Hague
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Posted: 29 April 2018 at 9:07pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

It is interesting the way in which some characters or storylines speak to us at a certain point and compel us to track down everything we can concerning them. For me, it was the sad story of the wizard Xandu from The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2, the big Ditko team-up between Spidey and Dr. Strange. I followed that story up and down, all the way and all around, and was tickled pink when the Wand of Watoomb showed up briefly in the Dr. Strange movie. 

As for Man-Wolf, I never took to him, seeing him as one more case where almost every single character in Spidey's sphere of friends and acquaintances is just one degree of separation or less away from being costumed adventurers themselves. Liz Allen's brother is Mark Raxton, the Molten Man. Flash Thompson is Venom. Harry Osborn and his father are both Green Goblins. I didn't like it much that J.J.J.'s son was a space-themed werewolf with his own series. 

Of course, I learned later that he'd been an astronaut all along, so that helped him ring a little more true, and he fits in with the "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" theme that weaves its way through so much of Spidey's rogues gallery. And I like his visual. You don't find that color scheme on too many characters. I came to view him as one of those characters who's someone else's favorite, not mine. And now I know whose. :-)

John Jameson and Man-Wolf appeared in the initial She-Hulk series as one of her romances, and the relationship was revisited in Dan Slott's run on the character. I know he's in #14 of the original series, and I believe his involvement with Jen begins again in either #9 or #10 of Slott's first series. 

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Rebecca Jansen
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Posted: 29 April 2018 at 9:26pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

Oh yeah, I did read something on a wiki type site about Man Wolf and She-Hulk. I'll add original 'Savage' title #13 & 14 to my list of wants. Not sure if he ever appeared (furred form anyway) in JB's Spider-Man: Year One 12 issue series.

I do see my want list will have to include something titled Giant-Size Superheroes #1 as well. Oops! Always something missing... :^)

Edited by Rebecca Jansen on 29 April 2018 at 9:29pm
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Karl Wiebe
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Posted: 29 April 2018 at 10:01pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

I think Man Wolf is cool - it is a good point about virtually everyone in Peter Parker's sphere eventually is some sort of super hero (or villain).  I guess when a guy who sticks to walls is fighting a Green Goblin or a Molten Man, there are a few unrealistic pieces to choose from.  Man Wolf makes a one panel appearance in Fantastic Four 204 (Keith Pollard art, wonderful).  Wimpy cameo but technically an appearance.

Edited by Karl Wiebe on 29 April 2018 at 10:01pm
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Peter Martin
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Posted: 29 April 2018 at 10:55pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply

Can't really say I'm a fan of Man-Wolf, though I do like the character of John Jameson himself, as I like the way he adds another dimension to J. Jonah Jameson.

One of my top-20 or so favourite comics is Amazing Spider-Man annual 18, and it does a great job of showing the more sympathetic side of JJJ. A large part of that is down to his relationship with his son.

Separate but related story: when I go for a haircut here, my barber always has a nice selection of oldie Marvel comics for waiting customers. Last time I went, I was reading a reprint of a very early ASM story and it featured John Jameson on an out of control space flight (sabotaged by the Chameleon) that Spidey had to help out with. Was kind of taken aback by just how early JJJ's son appeared.


Edited by Peter Martin on 29 April 2018 at 10:55pm
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Brian Hague
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Posted: 29 April 2018 at 11:51pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply

John Jameson plays an important, if off-camera, role in What If #19, "What If Spider-Man Had Never Become a Crime-Fighter?"

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Eric Jansen
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Posted: 30 April 2018 at 12:24am | IP Logged | 7 post reply

Yes, I always liked Man-Wolf too. I know I'd seen the wild version earlier, but I loved the MARVEL PREMIERE two-part finale.  Of course, I pretty much loved everything Kraft and/or Perez did back then.  I also liked Morbius and I thought it was cool that Spider-Man had a science-based vampire and werewolf as "villains."  I was also aware of TOMB OF DRACULA and WEREWOLF BY NIGHT but never bought either of those until, literally, the last few months.

Reading reprints, it's interesting to me that Stan Lee may have intended John Jameson as a hero from the very beginning.  In fact, it looks like Spider-Man's rescue of John in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1 was the initial reason that Jonah hates Spider-Man.  Turning him into a (temporary) super-hero in issue #42 (in nearly the same suit as Man-Wolf later wears!) is one of the first things that Stan did after Ditko left.

Yeah, John Jameson and Man-Wolf could have been a major figure in Marvel's history, but somehow missed it--but it could still happen!  Though the MCU seems better at plucking "almost-was"s out of obscurity.  I never ever thought that Star-Lord or the Guardians of the Galaxy (or even Black Panther) would be household names but there you go.
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Doug Centers
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Posted: 30 April 2018 at 4:55am | IP Logged | 8 post reply

I got Creatures On The Loose #37 off the rack mainly because of the art. Unfortunately that happened to be the last issue of the whole series, aarrgh!
I would have kept going with it as long as Perez was on it, back then though there was no finding back issues unless you had a friend that had them.


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Trevor Smith
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Posted: 30 April 2018 at 5:11am | IP Logged | 9 post reply

While not a favourite by any stretch, Man-Wolf holds a
place in my early comic book memories, due to being
featured in one of the Spider-Man book and record series
from Power Records.
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Robbie Parry
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Posted: 30 April 2018 at 5:44am | IP Logged | 10 post reply

 Brian Hague wrote:
It is interesting the way in which some characters or storylines speak to us at a certain point and compel us to track down everything we can concerning them.

I feel that way about Dormammu, Nightmare, Juggernaut and Destroyer. Visually, they are cool, but I feel they lend themselves to great adventures.

Man-Wolf? Never really been a fan. I can't understand why, but some characters have never appealed. Deathlok is one. Hydro-Man is another. I like to think there's someone out there who will write/draw these characters and change my mind, but nothing has gelled for them.

I do like werewolves. I like WEREWOLF BY NIGHT. I like werewolf films. Someone in my family was even a werewolf. But Man-Wolf, I don't know, something didn't appeal to me.
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John Cole
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Posted: 30 April 2018 at 7:07am | IP Logged | 11 post reply

Don't forget Giant Sized Super Heroes #1 where Morbius retrieves the pendant from the where Spider-Man threw it after ripping it off John Jameson's neck in ASM #125.
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Ted Downum
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Posted: 30 April 2018 at 7:32am | IP Logged | 12 post reply

While not a favourite by any stretch, Man-Wolf holds a
place in my early comic book memories, due to being
featured in one of the Spider-Man book and record series
from Power Records.

*****

Same with me, Trevor! I loved that Power Records story.

Maybe for that reason, I have a soft spot for Man-Wolf. I only vaguely remember the sword-and-sorcery reboot. Obviously it didn't catch on, but it was worth a shot. 
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