Many years after the publication of Astonishing Tales #35, the late Rich Buckler liked to tell a story about how the issue’s cover, produced by himself and fellow artist Klaus Janson, came to be. This version comes from an interview in Back Issue #25 (Nov., 2007):
Most people don’t know about this, but there’s a cover of Deathlok where Ryker’s on one side and Deathlok is on the other… in the background, there’s a cityscape that’s curved. It looks all high tech. Again, we had no computers, I had no time to draw this city on a curved horizon. I knew what I wanted in the background, but I didn’t know how to implement it. And I thought, “How do I solve this problem?” And I picked up my cup of coffee and finished it, I put the cup down and looked at it, there’s the city, on the cup…in a moment of inspiration, I dried up the cup, broke it apart, flattened it, put it on a piece of paper, and I ran to Stu Schwartzberg, who was doing the photostatting, and I said, “Can you make me a quick photocopy of this? I need it, the cover is due,” and 20 minutes later I had it pasted it right into the background. No one would ever guess. It’s a very low-tech answer for a high-tech effect. It was like making a low-budget movie where you had to do very cool things on the fly with a budget. You have to be really inventive.
It’s a recollection that reflects the pride that Buckler still took in the work he’d done on “Deathlok the Demolisher”, decades after the fact. That pride was justified, in your humble blogger’s opinion, at least in regards to those moments when the short-lived feature was at its best — which also seemed to be the ones when the feature had the lion’s share of the busy creator’s attention. One such moment came with Astonishing Tales #35, which — in addition to boasting a really cool cover — presented the climax of the overall story arc Buckler and original series writer Doug Moench had begun back in Deathlok’s inaugural episode, published not quite two years earlier.
This issue begins a moment after the last one left off, with our protagonist having just mentally invaded the Omni-Computer for a final showdown with his arch-enemy, Major Simon Ryker (we’ll let Buckler, along with the other members of the “Deathlok” creative team — inker/colorist Janson and scripter Bill Mantlo — fill you in on the rest of the details)…
In his 2009 introduction to Marvel Masterworks — Deathlok, Vol. 1, Buckler recalled that he and Marvel Comics ran into some difficulties with the Comics Code Authority over the visual depiction of Maj. Ryker in this sequence, as well as on the cover:
Another thing that came up was the matter of Simon Ryker, Deathlok’s nemesis, appearing in their final battle completely naked. Well, it was in “cyberspace,” not the “real world,” but the visuals were still fairly explicit and controversial for that time. When I handed in the pencil pages it caused a bit of an uproar. This was still the days of the Comics Code, remember… “You can’t do that!” “Why?” “Because it’s never been done!” (Yawn.) How it finally passed the Code is still a mystery. But they did require us to slap a “bathing suit” on Ryker for the cover.
Ryker has cybernetically bound Deathlok’s atoms to his own in the pseudo-reality of the Omni-Computer — and so, the cyborg who used to be Luther Manning has no choice but to descend with his enemy to the surface of Earth, circa 1985, like an unwilling Dante being dragged by Virgil through the circles of Hell…
Along with Deathlok, we readers have spent this whole series wondering who was responsible for the destruction of Manhattan. So it’s rather ironic (but somehow, also weirdly satisfying) to find out that we (and he) will likely never learn the full answer — simply because the man who’s been in charge of things ever since that disaster, Simon Ryker, doesn’t know himself.
Here, yet another longstanding question — where did all the people in Manhattan go? — actually gets an answer. Of course, the notion of relocating that many people to Long Island (which, even on Marvel-Earth, would presumably already be hosting the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, not to mention multiple suburbs) raises plenty of new questions. Like, where did the resources to build out all the new infrastructure required come from? And where and how did a U.S. Army major acquire the manpower, as well as firepower, to be able to exercise complete control over such a massive population? And, finally — what the heck happened to the rest of the United States… or, for that matter, the world… while all this was going on in and around New York?
Perhaps answers to at least some of these questions would have been forthcoming, had the “Deathlok” series gone on for longer than it ultimately did; we’ll never know. On the other hand, Ryker himself downplays the whole matter of forcibly relocating the people of Manhattan, insisting to Deathlok that everyone was happy to cooperate, once they realized that “it was for their own good! People need someone to watch over them!”
Naturally, that assertion prompts a retort from Deathlok: “So you elected yourself! Dictator and god all rolled into one!… You’re insane!!”
As in every other “Deathlok” story he’s worked on, Klaus Janson’s inks and colors mesh terrifically with Buckler’s pencilled art to enhance the impact of dramatic moments like the one depicted above.
And so, Simon Ryker comes to the end of his villainous career — one that’s been chronicled not only in ten issues of Astonishing Tales, but in a couple of issues of Super-Villain Team-Up and Marvel Spotlight as well. Your humble blogger found this resolution to Deathlok’s quest for vengeance satisfying back in the day, and still does. Though back then, I might well have wondered — what happens now? After almost two years pursuing the same vendetta, what’s Deathlok going to do next issue? Actually, for that matter, what’s he going to do for the rest of this issue? Because we’re still just on page 9 (of 17), with almost half a comic left to fill.
If my eighteen-year-old self was in fact concerned about that, back in February of ’76, he had only to turn to the next page to be reminded that although one Ryker had seemingly been dealt with once and for all, there was still another one out there causing trouble: Simon’s brother Harlan, aka “Hellinger”.
Releasing his “Doomsday-Mech” from his lead-shelded cell, Hellinger sends him out into the wider world — where, he says, “as your radioactive mass slowly deteriorates — you will gather unto yourself the force of the millenium [sic] — the destructive power of the portable plutonium bomb!!” And on that ominous note, “Chapter One” of our story comes to a close.
The reference on this page to the Provisional Revolutionary Army is interesting, given that the role of that group in the long-running struggle against Simon Ryker is still unclear. Given all the subterfuge and intrigue we’ve seen over the course of the series, one might have expected them to be ultimately revealed as being a front for the C.I.A. — if not for the fact that, even before the agent’s sarcasm-laden denial above, we’d seen the C.I.A. blow up their Central Park headquarters back in issue #34, for reasons that still haven’t been explained (and, alas, never will be).
“You remember Nina, the woman Ryker wired to his Omni-Computer?” While Deathlok answers “yes” — sort of — it actually wouldn’t be a surprise if he didn’t remember Nina Ferry, seeing as how the closest he’s ever come to meeting Simon Ryker’s unfortunate ex-girlfriend has been a brief glimpse via Hellinger’s viewscreen, back in issue #33 (a sighting which will turn out to be the last we readers ever have of her as well, incidentally).
Teresa Deveraux reminds Deathlok that if she really wanted to have him killed, “it could have been done a dozen times already.” He can’t argue with the logic of that, and so he continues on through the door…
Oh, that’s right… the other thing that’s been driving Deathlok through all these episodes, in addition to his crusade against Ryker, has been his near-hopeless search for a cure for his “locked in death” cyborg state. Well, obviously, Buckler’s not going to tie off both of those threads in the very same issue… or is he?
Deathlok and Luther Manning? Together again for the very first time? I have to say I did not see that coming, fifty years ago. And neither did Rich Buckler, by his own account — at least, not until he was given an editorial dictate to bring his cyborg into the present-day continuity of the Marvel Universe. But we’ll have more to say about that come April, when we’ll take a look at what would prove to be the final installment of “Deathlok the Demolisher” in Astonishing Tales… though it wouldn’t quite be the end of the feature itself. I hope to see you then.
I always felt that Deathlok and Killraven were ahead of their times. They did not seem to fit into the comics being produced in the mid-70s and were more adult in nature. I think as a 12 year old in 1976 I had started to appreciate them more and by the time I read all of them as back issues from local comic shops in 1980 as a 16 year old I really enjoyed the stories and artwork in both series. I still do and they are sat in my collection along with the Deathlok reboot from the 1990s. Great feature and unfortunate that it never made it past issue 36 as a solo story.
I have a much greater appreciation of the 1990s Deathlok reboot nowadays than I did at the time. Dwayne McDuffie & Gregory Wright were telling some really intelligent, insightful stories about violence vs pacifism, race relations, the dehumanizing effects of technology and other complex themes. Denys Cowan’s artwork on the series was really solid & atmospheric.
Having lived through a couple of hurricane evacuations, I know moving an entire population, even for a small town, is waaaay harder than most writers think (or they simply ignore that for the sake of the story).
Interesting issue, though I didn’t find Ryker’s fate as compelling as you did.
It may be a lot harder if you are concerned about the long-term survival of the vast majority of those moved.
That seems unlikely for MAJ Rryker, somehow . . . .
Then why bother? Evacuate the few he values, let the rest die.
You may need slightly more as laborers or soldiers. I guess that might be part of “the few he values.” It just makes that set slightly larger . . . .
Even fifty years ago it felt like Deathlok lore was being made up as it went along and whomever did it had problems with short term memory and it overall made little sense.
Kudos to Alan’s timely review as I got to spend my early Wednesday morning reading about a world whose internal order has already been shattered instead of reading about one whose internal order is being shattered. 🙂
I also agree with John in that both this series and Killraven were indeed ahead of their time. Part of the reason I say that is I would like to imagine how Deathlok would have come across a few years later as a maxi-series under stricter guidance where we would have read these on a monthly basis without reprints, shorter stories and the various challenges this book faced in the chaotic Marvel of the mid-70’s.
My thanks for a wonderful midweek distraction!
I didn’t buy this at first, my aversion to the art team of Buckler and/or Janson kept me away. But sometime in ’76 or ’77 I got a few issues in a stack of random comics, and wound up intrigued in spite of myself so I eventually got the set. I thought it was a mess then and even more so now, and I have always thought Buckler’s style, all spread legs and dramatic gestures, was ugly. Interesting that Deathlok itself’s human side looked like a black man (and I think subsequent revivals have shown him this way in both states), but when they show him on the table in this issue, he’s white as white can be. And maybe it’s just me, but every time Luther said (or thought) ‘Puter, I winced, even at 16. Nobody talks like Marvel comics characters talked, especially after Roy Thomas became ascendant.
The basic premise was sound, and sometimes I kinda wish someone with some imagination and a knowledge of the technology would rethink and redo it. I know, Deathlok has appeared on and off for many years now in Marvel books but none of the revivals were what I was looking for.
Funny, Luther’s constant “puter” always worked for me.
I recall a book where a black comics fan figured Luther Manning, from Detroit, was on their team. But Deathlok seems too far gone to get any real clues from appearance.
Just for the record, Luther Manning was consistently depicted as white in flashback scenes, at least during the feature’s original run. His wife was Black, however.
It just goes to show that when Buckler wanted to–when he cared enough about a project and paid attention–he could create a pretty good comic. Were there problems with Deathlok, the comic? Certainly, but Buckler was trying to do something that hadn’t been accomplished all that often in the comics medium and for the most part, I think he pulled it off. The artistic team of Buckler and Janson was well-suited to one another and if Buckler the Writer was perhaps less refined than Buckler the Artist (my opinion), the art more than made up for it.
As for the “death” of Simon Ryker, the idea that, once placed in Deathlok’s cyborg shoes, he lost his mind was an interesting idea that simply didn’t get enough attention. I would have enjoyed seeing Ryker really freaking out, to the extent that his men had to put him down like a dog, or what have you. The fact that Ryker was still alive, but insane, creates an opportunity for the character to return over and over again (which might have been the idea). The realization that Luther’s consciousness was somehow both awake and aware in his new body, as well as his old one was interesting, and didn’t get enough attention, largely due to the cancellation of the book.
Lastly, regarding Ryker’s lack of a, uh, “dress uniform,” so to speak, I kept waiting for Deathlok to knock him out of a panel with the admonition, “And put some pants on!” Alas, Buckler did not share my sense of humor. Most people don’t. Thanks, Alan!
Klaus Janson inked the first two Panther’s Rage stories in Jungle Action and inked Buckler’s fill-in on War of the Worlds. Those were some of Buckler’s best jobs.
After a handful of rambling, mostly aimless chapters of Deathlok, Rich Buckler, working with Bill Mantlo & Klaus Janson, pulled this feature out of its tailspin and delivered a surprisingly effective, dramatic, satisfactory conclusion to the storyline that had been brewing since the first chapter. I really enjoyed this installment. Great writing & artwork, with the theme of freedom vs fascism really at the forefront.
It’s worth nothing that Buckler & Co were pretty cutting edge here. Cyberspace as a term had not (according to Wikipedia) been coined until the late 1960s. Virtual reality was in its infancy in the 1970s. William Gibson’s speculative “cyberpunk” fiction was still several years in the future. The confrontation between Deathlok and Ryker in this issue presages the movie The Matrix and other similar stories by more than three decades. So, yes, this is ahead of the curve.
It’s unfortunate that Buckler developed such a reputation as a hack from his numerous pastiches / swipes of Jack Kirby, Neal Adams and others, because this issue shows that he really was capable of doing really great, groundbreaking work.
I was going to say this seems to presage The Matrix. So did Doctor Who with its…well, Matrix. That seems a bit of a giveaway.
I cannot believe I forgot about the Doctor Who serial “The Deadly Assassin” which is also 50 years old this year, having originally been broadcast from 30 October to 20 November 1976 on the BBC. So, yes, Astonishing Tales #35 came before that by about eight months.
John Varley’s “Overdrawn at the Memory Bank” also came out in 1976 and involved a mind trapped in a computer. So clearly it was in the air, for whatever reason.
Agree, Ben. There’s a whiff of Terminator which I’m sure must have already been mentioned here. Whether Buckler had dipped into the Harlan Ellison work that inspired Terminator, as well as James Cameron, I don’t know. Like many of his generation it seems that Buckler couldn’t do more than a book a month: if I’ve got my timeline correct, he was drawing F.F. for most of this run? Plotting & pencilling this plus FF and whatever else he was doing was a big ask early in his career.
Rich Buckler’s figures vary wildly in quality, leading me to believe the best ones here were Adams swipes, but I can’t cite any particular instances – unlike Mike Grell in the Legion of Super-Heroes who liberally swiped Adams figures from GL/GA and Batman.
Having Klaus Janson on inks gives some of the panels an Adams-Giordano feel – if only Buckler’s pencils were more consistent throughout.
I never tried to read Deathlok, but the comic is certainly interesting to look at.
I wonder – did the CCA at the time stipulate that characters in comics could not be shown naked? It’s not as though Ryker’s meat and two veg were ever on view, thanks to some carefully concealing compositions by Buckler, so I wonder why it was felt necessary to place trunks (or more correctly a brown stripe) on the figure on the cover.
I expect that, especially on the cover, it might have sent the wrong message to parents: your child is reading something erotic. Marvel and DC would have been nervous about any flak that would hurt their sales.
Interior art had somewhat looser constraints. In Swamp Thing no. 2 the monster’s body is taken over by Arcane, leaving Alec Holland human again and momentarily nude. In the Limited Collectors Edition The Bible (with Kubert layouts and Redondo art) Adam and Eve are portrayed as nude with garden vegetation and tree branches judiciously placed.
.. and Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-Man no. 149 stepped out of her cloning chamber au naturel — but none of these examples were portrayed on the front cover.
au naturale (spelling)
This is a disjointed series, which does indeed give a strong impression of being made up along the way. But it has its charm.