Marvel Team-Up #44

MARVEL TEAM-UP #44 (1976)
by Bill Mantlo & Sal Buscema

The previous issue was already a mess that barely used Spider-Man, Scarlet Witch, Vision and Doctor Doom. But sure, let’s add Moondragon to the characters to waste!

At least Moondragon gets a nice introductory page!
If you’re not familiar with her… it’s a looooong story. “Bald telepath with a bitchy attitude” is all you really need for the story.

She gets absorbed into a ball of mystical energy.

She’s told the origin of the Dark Rider in a few panels that are very easy to miss.

I’ve been reading comics for 30 years and I have no freaking clue about what’s going on.
I feel you, Moondragon.

The Dark Rider has been using Cotton Maher a.k.a. Witchslayer to start the Salem witch trials and now wants him to kill Scarlet Witch. Despite the fact that he betrayed him for Doctor Doom the second he met him?

I swear this story makes less sense each issue. “Cows, pigs and witches!” indeed.

How did Moondragon end up in 1692, by the way?
The same way Spider-Man did: Scarlet Witch did it… somehow.

Spider-Man and Vision save Doctor Doom from having his mystical power drained by one of the Dark Rider’s machines. Which I guess he didn’t need to drain the Scarlet Witch?

“See how the little bits fall into place” indeed. If that place is down the toilet.

For example: Moondragon contributes nothing to the story!

Except now that Doom has been freed he’s like “what if I actually DO SOMETHING in this story?”

Now I should complain that this makes no sense: Dark Rider absorbs magical energy, so the LAST thing that should be able to take him down is magic.
But at this point I’m so exhausted that I’ll take anything that makes this story end sooner.

The last straw is Moondragon borrowing Spider-Man’s “mind-force” to deal the final blow.
Because she can do that apparently. (WTF?)

The Dark Rider is defeated, and Doctor Doom is just DONE with this nonsense. And really, can you blame him?

And apparently Vision has a remote control for Doom’s time machine (???), because he offers to take everyone back to the present.
Except Spider-Man has to do something about the Salem witch trials.

Except… surprise! The trials are already over and the witches have been hanged!

It’s a little too late to try to give this story any kind of weight, comic.

 

Doom significance: 0/10
Everyone is better off forgetting this story.

 Silver Age-ness: 9/10
To recap: a demon with a mohawk has given magical powers to a real historical figure, so he can use the time machine of a scientist wizard from the future, in order to kidnap a witch who is then saved by her robot husband and two superheroes she randomly teleported through time.

Does it stand the test of time? 0/10
What else can I say at this point? The ending really drives home how much the Salem setup is completely wasted. Let’s add Moondragon to the characters that have barely anything to do. And in the end, what was even the point of the time machine? If all the Dark Rider wanted was to absorb the magic powers of Scarlet Witch and Doctor Doom, why use Witchslayer instead of stealing their powers by himself? He’s clearly powerful enough to do it!

It was a Doombot all along
Once again, with the use of magic this has to be the real Doom.

 Take over the world & Destroy the FF!
Not in Doom’s mind: he just want to be done with this story. And honestly, can you really blame him?

Crazy tech
As much as I hate to admit it, it’s kind of cool to see that Doom has integrated the time machine into his armor.

Number of superheroes who have fought Dr. Doom: 20
As was the case from last issue and Vision, I’m not adding Moondragon to the list since she doesn’t fight Doom. The two never even talk to each other!