Power Pack #53 (1990)
by Terry Austin & Ernie Colon
Power Pack is one of the gems of the 80s, a superhero team of four children. Unfortunately, while the writing is still solid, by the time the series reaches Acts of Vengeance the artwork is atrocious.
While Doom is not on the cover, he’s the one who sent Daredevil villain Typhoid Mary after the kids. And he’s already there in the first page listening to her report, although you could be forgiven for not recognizing him.
I suspect he likes working with her because Typhoid Mary also absolutely refuses to sit down like a normal person.
She’s using her alternate personality of the meek Mary to infiltrate the Powers family, by flirting with their absent-minded physicist father.
In addition to being crazy Typhoid Mary has telepathic powers, so she’s able to slowly influence the father to trust her and eventually moving to Alex, the oldest member of the Power Pack.
It’s very well written, but the artwork is way too distracting. I keep wondering what’s wrong with Alex’s face! He’s suppose to be what, twelve at this point? Thirteen? Does THIS look like a tween to you!?!?
Interestingly, we get an expansion on Typhoid Mary’s origin story. It could be completely fabricated, of course, or she could be imagining the whole thing. But considering she’s a Daredevil villain, the idea that her father was blind is interesting.
Then again we really shouldn’t trust ANYTHING Typhoid Mary says, ever.
All this talk about fathers is making Doom ponder on his own, even expressing some resentment toward him for being weak. In contrast with the total veneration Doom has for his mother, we rarely hear him talk about his father.
Back to Mary’s narration, we see her subtly influence Power Pack’s father to be against his son. She’s fully in control of the whole situation the entire time, making for a very vicious villain.
Doom is starting to lose his patience: this might be interesting and all, but it’s still a superhero comic!
So… superhero time it is.
Despite the fact that she’s nowhere near Power Pack in terms of powers (they’re kids but they’re pretty versatile), Typhoid Mary has the edge of having taken hostage their father.
She ALMOST gets to kill him. Despite the panel she didn’t twist his wrist, it’s just the awful artwork.
Alex ends up saving his father, but Typhoid Mary is lying to Doom and telling him that she actually managed to murder him.
DOOM DOESN’T TAKE THIS WELL.
And so we end with a very strange twist: the entire time Typhoid Mary has been slowly manipulating Doom in order to psychoanalyze him.
And so we end with Typhoid Mary having the last laugh, SOMEHOW leaving the place alive.
What a weird ending, isn’t it?
Doom significance: 0/10
Completely forgotten.
Silver Age-ness: 0/10
The book can be crazy sometimes (I didn’t even talk about how the kids currently have their powers mixed up, something that happens constantly to the Power Pack), you could never see someone like Typhoid Mary in the Silver Age.
Does it stand the test of time? 6/10
I’ve said enough about the artwork, which brings down the entire issue considerably. The dialogues are great, especially the internal narration by Typhoid Mary that gives you her twisted perspective on things. Too bad the ending feels quite a bit forced… even allowing the idea that Typhoid Mary can manipulate Doctor Freaking Doom (it’s not stated that she’s using her telepathy, which shouldn’t even work on Doom), the fact that he just lets her go after insulting him that way really strains credibility.
It was a Doombot all along
I hesitate to call Doombot at every chance, and it’s not like it’s ENTIRELY impossible for Doom to be manipulated. But I can’t see Doom sitting down with Typhoid Mary to listen to the report of a very basic mission.
Number of superheroes who have fought Dr. Doom: 70
By my rules the heroes who fight Doom’s minions are still counted, and since he explicitly sent Typhoid Mary after the Power Pack. Because the kids are constantly swapping codenames I’m listing them under their civilian names.