Journey Into Mystery #93 Written by Stan Lee and Robert Bernstein Art by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers
It’s Thor vs the Radio-active Man! No, not the one you’re thinking of. In The Simpsons it’s Radioactive Man, not Radio-active Man. Totally different characters. Both do have the power of… radiation… though.
There’s a lot to unpack in this issue and, believe it or not, a dude walking around with radioactive powers is probably the least problematic thing in this issue.
For the most part, I absolutely love reading old Marvel comics. They seem to revel in the ridiculousness of super powered beings and they tend to be just trying out a lot of things to see what sticks to the wall. Some of it works, like a teenager with spider powers, and some of it works for a while, like a man in an asbestos suit fighting The Human Torch, but there is some of it that just doesn’t work at all.
The premise of this issue is Dr. Donald Blake is helping out in a skirmish between India and China by attending to the needs of the injured. And since he is also secretly Thor, he can help India win the skirmish which in turn helps America and slows down the threat of communism.
This would all be fine if not for a few things that can’t be denied about this issue. First, having Thor fight communists just seems out of step with what Thor can do. It’s essentially beneath him. To be fair, this was during the cold war and the threat of communism was on everyone’s mind so it makes sense from that context. But, it just seems silly looking at it all these years later.
More problematic is how both the Chinese and Indian people are portrayed in the issue. From the Chinese being constantly referred to as the “Red Chinese” or China as “Red China” to the fact that these characters are given a yellow skin coloring in the issue, it feels quite out of step and fairly racist. Compound this with the habit the writers here have of interchanging the words Indians and Hindus as one and the same, it certainly feels like this issue would never fly in modern times and for good reason. The issues from the 1960’s tend to consistently have this problem, along with a heavy dose of sexism sprinkled here and there. It’s unfortunate this shows up, but then again, those were different times. That doesn’t make it okay, it just makes it more understandable that it happened.
Aside from these issues, the story almost works. The Chinese army realizes Thor can basically beat their army if he chooses to so they ask their scientists to come up with someone who can take on Thor. There is a guy who has been secretly tinkering with radiation for years and has been “immunizing” himself to radiation slowly. Pretty sure that would just kill him but we’ll let that go for the issue. Anyway, he can infuse himself with an infinite amount of radiation which seems to make him bullet proof and no one can touch him because, you know, radiation is deadly. He goes to New York, declares he wants to fight Thor and waits for the god of thunder to show.
It takes a while because Dr. Blake is busy performing life saving surgery on someone. When Thor finally does show up, Radio-active Man is able to deflect Thor’s hammer and lightning bolts, and Thor can’t hit him because Radio-active man’s body would hit critical mass and kill everyone in the city.
As nuts as that all is, this guy seems to also be able to hypnotize Thor. Again because of… radiation? He makes Thor toss his hammer and it goes pretty far. Radio-active man goes to find the hammer but that takes long enough for Thor to turn back into an un-hypnotized Dr. Blake. Blake goes back to his office and Jane Foster thinks he’s cowardly because he’s ignoring the menace in the city. I don’t know what she thinks he can do though.
Anyway, Blake invents a device to help him find Mjolnir. Unfortunately for Blake, it’s eighty feet below in the waters of the Hudson river. He dives in and gets it just in time. Thor goes back to Radio-active man and makes a tornado that will carry the villain across the sea to “Red China.” Nevermind the fact that if he lands, the dude will blow up whoever is near him, including innocent civilians. Thor doesn’t seem to think that’s his problem. Radio-active man does end up in China and appears to blow up a mountain. Jane Foster is still pretty disappointed in Dr. Blake though.
Overall, this was not one of the best issues of Journey Into Mystery and it’s really one of the worst Thor stories so far. I’m sure it worked well enough at the time but looking back on it now, it’s totally skippable.
Next up on the reading list we’ll be taking a 180 and getting into one of the best origin stories in Marvel comics as we read about Otto Octavius in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man #3!
Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game Core Rulebook by Matt Forbeck
Hello Marvel fans! Hello tabletop gamers! If you’re like me these interests are not mutually exclusive and I’ve gotten my hot little hands on a copy of the Core Rulebook for the new Marvel Multiverse Roleplaying game by Matt Forbeck. I did a post about this book earlier where I compared the system to a few others you might want to play which you can read here. But now that I have had a chance to read and fully digest the book, I want to give a review of the content itself. In future posts I will go through the book chapter by chapter to let you know what parts I think are exceptionally good, which ones are tragically bad, and where I think improvements can be made for use at your home table. This post is just my overall impressions and initial takeaways. I’ll lightly touch on a few topics to let you know what I think but be on the look out for more in-depth content on this game in the future.
(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)
First Impressions
On the first page of the book there is a dedication to Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. To me, this is a nearly perfect dedication. If you could somehow throw George Lucas in there it would be the ultimate book for me. But it’s pretty darn close. If you’re a comic book nerd and a Dungeons & Dragons nerd, this book has you covered. And upon reading it’s also clear the book was made by someone who loves both Marvel comics and tabletop roleplaying games. It doesn’t feel like just fan service, although it’s obviously for fans of Marvel and D&D.
The book is well organized, giving chapters on everything from general advice for Game Masters to character creation to an extremely brief but helpful summary of the Marvel Multiverse. And, of course, it covers the basic rules of the game, including tons of cool powers and character sheets you can copy for use at home.
This being a Marvel book, I would be remiss not to talk about the artwork. It would have been easy for Marvel to phone this in with just a bit of old artwork and call it good. But they went the extra mile. There are some iconic images you’ll recognize from your favorite comics. And there is a ton of artwork in here, all dynamic and exciting, making it really easy to get in the mood to play a superhero game.
I should also mention there are a whole lot of premade characters you can use in your own game. Most TTRPGs give you five to ten characters that are ready to go but Marvel was smart about this. They knew if you were playing in a Marvel game, you might very well want to play one of your favorite superheroes (or villains). They did a lot of heavy lifting and you can find over a hundred Marvel characters to play, ranging from an A.I.M. Agent to Dormammu and beyond. One notable character missing is Silver Surfer but I guess you can’t win ’em all. You can also use several of these characters as NPC’s making it easy to find inspiration as a Game Master (in this case called a Narrator).
One thing I would say is lacking here is an introductory adventure. While having the rules laid out and tons of characters is awesome, it helps the Narrator to conceptualize how the game is played if there is at least one short adventure. There will be a full adventure coming out in November but it would have been nice to have something to start with. You can get an introductory adventure on Roll20 if you really want but it’s not a PDF and if you are like me and mostly play in person, that’s not a ton of help.
Say Hello to the D616 System
The system in this book can best be described as 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons converted into three six sided dice. There are a few more bells and whistles to it, and definitely some things targeted to working well with superheroes rather than fantasy characters. It does require a bit of math, both addition and multiplication, and it gets more complex in the higher Ranks (what you would think of as levels in D&D). However, the system is simple enough that anyone who has played a TTRPG will pick it up, and even if you haven’t, it shouldn’t take a great deal of time to learn.
There are some really fun mechanics in the system, especially when it comes to what they call the Marvel die. And the powers are a blast in the way they play around with the mechanics, allowing you to do everything from rolling your body up into a ball like Mr. Fantastic, swinging on webs like Spider-Man, or being tossed like Colossus tosses Wolverine in a fastball special.
I’ll be writing a lot more about the system in the weeks to come but overall, it’s great because it’s accessible, it’s quick to learn, and you need a minimal amount of materials to play it.
Future Potential for the Game
I’ve mentioned there is an adventure coming in November but there is also an X-Men expansion and a Spider-Verse expansion due out next year. To me this is a good signal because it means Marvel must think the game has some staying power. I hope this turns out to be the case, although Marvel does have some stiff competition in the TTRPG space, even from other superhero games.
I’m an advocate for more people to play TTRPG’s of any kind and I’m always looking for something that would be interesting to a large amount of people, be appropriate for most age groups, and lead them on to other games. Because of the sheer popularity of the Marvel name, and because you really do only need three six sided dice to play, I feel like this could be that game. Even if you’re not a Marvel fan, you’ve heard of it. And the rules are not so complicated it feels like homework rather than a game.
Most importantly, for a TTRPG to continually succeed, it needs new players. Well, a kid who is in a comic shop to buy the latest issue of Spider-Man and is somewhat curious about a table top role playing game but isn’t really into all that dragon stuff could do a lot worse than this book. In other words, I see this as having the potential to be a gateway TTRPG which expands the hobby.
For that to happen, people will need to buy, and play this game. I’m hoping we’ll see evolving editions, rules errata, and all of the usual stuff that goes with a big TTRPG here. The Core Rulebook is a good start but it will need some attention to flourish. This depends on Marvel as much as it does the community. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens in the future.
Experienced Game Masters Needed
While the book does have some sections on how to be a Narrator, this feels much more like a player’s guide than a Narrator’s guide. This means to effectively run the game, you’ll likely want at least one person in your group to be an experienced GM. This is further complicated by the fact there is not a starting adventure to show you the ropes.
It’s certainly not going to be impossible for someone to learn to GM from this book but it will be a much bigger learning curve than in some other games. There are some rules that seems contradictory or that could easily be abused by players. When those kinds of things crop up, it’s certainly better to have someone who has run a few TTRPGs before to handle it.
While I’m not trying to dissuade anyone from buying or playing the game, I do think having someone experienced at the table is going to make things easier.
Reasons Not to Buy the Book
This is not a game that is going to be for everyone. If you are not into superheroes, this isn’t for you. I’m not judging at all, everyone has their own taste, but if what you love is high fantasy, this game isn’t going to scratch that itch.
Also, if you’re a D&D rules purist who only wants to look back on the good old days and play some OSR style games, I suspect this will not be your cup of tea as it’s not as complicated as a lot of other systems.
There will definitely be things you may want to homebrew or make house rules for here if you do buy the book but it by no means needs a complete rules overhaul. I’ve seen a few people online already complain about the system and want to make a ton of changes without even having played the game. I say, if you’re going to do that, maybe try another system instead.
There are tons of TTRPG’s out there and if this one isn’t for you, just find one that is.
Reasons to Buy the Book
If you do love superheroes and you love TTRPG’s this should be right up your alley. You’re not limited to just existing Marvel characters either. You can make up your own whacky superhero or villain, give them your own Marvel style origin and twist and be off to the races playing as your character against someone like Dr. Doom.
If you haven’t played TTRPGs before and are looking to get into one, this might be the perfect book at the perfect time. While there is a lot of comic book history with Marvel, this game doesn’t have the same kind of version history as something like Dungeons & Dragons. You won’t find rules here that have been in existence for thirty years just because it was in the original version. And, as it’s a newer game, Marvel has a lot of support for it right now which should make it an easier entry point.
There will also be more to come so getting into the game now might be just a bit more fun as you can play yourself and then onboard people who you know might be interested. You don’t even need to convince them to buy all those oddly shaped dice you see everywhere.
How to Buy the book
If you have read enough to realize this is a game you want to try out there are a few things you can do to get it. The different methods have some pros and cons so I’ll go into that a bit as well.
And, I’m not trying to make the hard sell here but if you want to help out this blog, buying through the links below goes a long way and it won’t cost you any extra.
You can pick up a copy at your local friendly gaming store. The books should run around $50-60 bucks and not only do you get to support a local business, you get to walk away with a copy in your hot little hands that day, no muss, no fuss.
You can buy a hardcover copy on Amazon for $53.99. This is a great way to get the core book, although it does come with a hefty price tag and of course you will need to wait for it to be shipped to you. If you want to help this blog out buy your copy here.
You can get a copy for Roll20 for $49.99 on drivethrurpg. However, a couple of warnings here. First off, you’re not getting a physical version of the book this way. Also, you need to have an account on the Roll20 Virtual Table Top in order to access the content. (This is a free account and there’s a link in the purchase description on the Drivethrurpg site if you don’t already have one) Finally, and this is my biggest complaint about this purchase method, if you buy this through Drivethrurpg you are not getting a PDF of the book. As far as I can tell, there is no way to get a PDF of this book at this point. If you do want to buy this version and use it on Roll20 it’s a great option. And if you want to help this blog out you can buy your copy here.
If you happen to have Marvel Unlimited, you can get the test version of the book by typing in Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game: Playtest Rulebook. This will be an earlier edition and some of the rules have changed but it’s got the basics.
If you don’t have Marvel Unlimited and you are willing to shell out $10 to get the Playtest book, you can get it on Amazon. If you want to help out this blog buy it here. Again, it’s not the full current book but it does cover the basics and it gets you started at a much lower price point.
Special Bundles
If you are all in on the game and have cash to spare you could really go all out here in a couple of ways.
If you are already big time into Roll20 anyway, the best value through drivethrurpg is to get the Marvel Multiverse RPG Roll20 Mega Bundle. This will give you the core rulebook, a short module made for the Roll20 system called Revenge of the Super-Skrull, and the preoder for The Cataclysm of Kang. Just remember this is only for Roll20 and does not include PDF’s. To help out this blog, buy it here.
In Conclusion
Overall, I really think this book has potential and I want to see it succeed as a game. As with any game, there will be issues and there will be the need to make some changes here and there. But, if you want to have a good time with a superhero game. this seems like a fantastic success.
Next time I’ll dive into Chapter 1 of the book How to Play. Until then, have fun out there and make mine Marvel!
Tales of Suspense Issue 41 Written by Stan Lee, Robert Bernstein,
Nope, not that Doctor Strange! The forty-first issue of Tales of Suspense pits Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, against an evil villain named… Dr. Strange. But it’s not the master of the mystic arts you are thinking of. The Dr. Strange in this issue has a vague ability to control electricity, more from being smart (I think) than anything else.
The issue starts out with Tony on one of his many famous dates, at a charity auction dinner where he has just donated enough money to build a hospital for orphans. Tony’s date (who is never named in the issue) wants to know why he won’t settle down. In response, we get a bunch of flahsback style panels showing Tony working on various scientific projects. In essence, his answer is no wife would want to be married to such a busy guy. And, of course, he also thinks to himself about how he’s not telling her about what he does as Iron Man.
Not only does Tony offer to build a hospital, he also says he can get Iron Man to show up and perform for the kids at the hospital. We see a bunch of panels of Iron Man doing neat tricks with his resistors, juggling cars, catching canon balls and generally doing fun stuff the kids like.
But, as this is happening, a sinister evil we have never encountered before is watching. This is our evil Dr. Strange. This dude seems to be in jail for… reasons? And he was hit by lightning! To fool the guards this guy has been faking that he has fainting spells caused by the lightning that hit him. He can sort of control electricity, I guess. It didn’t seem real clear in the issue.
Anyway, this guy seems to be expecting Iron Man and is able to send out some kind of electrical signal that basically hypnotizes Tony. And soon, Iron Man is busting a bad guy out of prison. Interestingly, when cops and guards see Iron Man, they somehow instantly assume he’s under a spell of some sort, not just turned to the dark side.
We find out that Dr. Strange is essentially trying to take over the world to prove his love for his daughter. Of course, his daughter just wants like a decent person for a dad. Anyway, Dr. Strange demonstrates a bomb and says he’ll blow up the world if he doesn’t get to be ruler. The military tries to bomb the heck out of the guy but he’s got a force field so it’s no good.
Lucky for us, Iron Man is out of his spell. He’s able to figure out a plan to go after Dr. Strange. He gets onto a submarine and launches himself, as Iron man of course, through a torpedo tube at Dr. Strange’s compound. Turns out the force field didn’t go under water.
Iron Man breaks into the compound and there’s a bit of a tussle. Dr. Strange does whatever it is he is able to do to turn off electricity and figures that will kill Iron Man. He almost succeeds but Dr. Strange’s daughter passes Iron Man a flashlight which has some batteries in it. Apparently that’s enough to run the whole Iron Man suit.
And, of course, in the end Iron Man is victorious.
It will still be a couple months before we see the appearance of a Dr. Strange that actually matters but I wonder if the writers here were just testing out the name.
This story is not largely notable in the context of Marvel 616. It does however contrast how Iron Man is perceived by the public with someone like Peter Parker. Tony seems to have everything he could want, including an adoring public, except for a steady girlfriend. The most notable thing here is there is an appearance of J.F.K. and Nikita Kruschev for a very brief cameo.
Still, even though the bad guy’s powers are not well defined, and the story is kind of silly overall, it’s a fairly fun read. It is odd to read about someone called Dr. Strange and not have him be the character we know so well.
Next time we’ll be catching up with the golden haired god of thunder himself as we read about Thor in Journey Into Mystery #93!
Tales to Astonish Issue 43 Artwork by Don Heck, Written by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber
Tales to Astonish is full of short stories of all kinds of science fiction and fantasy. But no character in this comic was more popular than Henry (Hank) Pym, also known as Ant-Man. He was the leading story in Tales to Astonish virtually since his first appearance. And, not only that, even in the world of Marvel 616, Ant-Man is popular at this time.
This issue starts out with Ant-Man quietly trying to make his way home in a crowd. He gets trapped under a telegram and when the delivery boy who picks it up realizes Ant-Man is there, the crowd goes wild. People ask for Hank’s autograph and try to interview him for their magazines. Unlike heroes such as the Fantastic Four or Spider-Man who have a more complicated relationship with the public, Henry Pym is celebrated almost everywhere he goes. Eventually this will change, but for now, he, along with Tony Stark is one of the most popular heroes in the public eye.
The issue still does not place Ant-Man in New York, it refers to where he is living as Center City. Yet, from the backgrounds and the fact that most of the other heroes in 616 have already been placed in New York, it’s a safe assumption that this is really where Ant-Man is active.
After Hank makes his escape, we see where the telegram goes. It heads to an older gentleman named Elias Weems. His grandson is coming to visit him and as Weems is a scientist he’s excited to show his grandson where he works and all the science he does. But Weems is confronted with a horrible problem. Ageism. He’s 65 and apparently the company Weems works for has decided anyone that age or older is not capable of good ideas anymore so he’s fired. It would be nice if this was an issue we didn’t have to face anymore in the real world but there you have it.
As any smart scientist who is 65 years or older would do, Weems decides to make a ray which will accelerate the age of any living thing and get his revenge. He tests his ray on a sapling and it grows into a tree. Then he heads to the zoo to test it on larger animals. And it just so happens Henry Pym is there looking at elephants and thinking about being able to control them with his cybernetic helmet.
As Henry is lost in thought, the baby elephant grows up right before his eyes in a matter of moments. Weems then reverses the ray to make the elephant younger again. In his final experiment, Weems makes a woman turn older then turns her back to her rightful age. Why Weems didn’t just use his ray to make himself younger, I can’t tell ya.
Weems then dubs himself the Master of Time and writes a letter to the police telling them to give him rulership over the city or he’ll age everyone. Thankfully there are ants around the place to relay this message to our hero.
Ant-Man hops into his catapult and shoots himself towards an alley where a bunch of ants are ready to catch him. Hank then runs around town talking to scientists and discovers there was a scientist recently fired for being too old. Ant-Man rushes over to Weems’ house where he’s mad because the police didn’t answer his threat in the newspapers.
Before Ant-Man can do much, Weems uses his ray to make Henry older. Ant-Man asks why Weems didn’t just age him to death. Weems just wanted to slow Henry down but didn’t actually wish any harm upon him. The Master of Time is smart enough to know to take Ant-Man’s helmet so he can’t call the ants. But he doesn’t realize Pym can change back to normal size. Weems leaves the room and Hank sizes up and grabs his helmet, although he is still elderly.
Meanwhile, Weems goes to city hall to try and seek his vengeance. He is able to age up a few folks but he doesn’t know Ant-Man is in the crowd and can once again control ants. Before Weems gets too far, his grandson shows up and recognizes him. Weems realizes his grandson is now aging so he tries to reverse the ray but he drops it. Ant-Man gets his ants together to go and attack Weems but as he sees the ray drop, Henry commands the ants to catch the ray gun instead. Henry reverses the controls on the gun and de-ages everyone, including himself, as fast as he can.
Weems is arrested but in court, Ant-Man sticks up for him, saying Weems did everything because he was afraid of losing his grandson’s affection. Weems’ old employer also wises up and realizes this old guy was able to invent a pretty nifty ray so he hires Weems once more.
For once the story ends pretty happily and no one goes to prison. No one was really hurt and I guess we all learned not to discriminate against 65 year olds? Glad that got solved. But anyway, this was a kind of silly story but nice to see it end without the usual bad guy in jail but still a threat later kind of thing.
One of the more interesting things about this issue is this is one of the last stories where Ant-Man doesn’t have a partner. His whole dynamic is about to change, and not necessarily for the better.
Next time we’ll be checking in with the man in the armored suit as we read about Tony Stark in Tales of Suspense #41!
Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game Core Rulebook by Matt Forbeck
Hey Marvel and TTRPG fans! Two of my favorite things have come together in the newly released Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game Core Rulebook. I wanted to give my thoughts here. If you love Marvel and you love role playing games, this book is likely for you. However, if you’re just looking for a good TTRPG involving caped crusaders and villainous villains, there may be better options. I’m going to take a look at what is good and bad about Marvel’s new foray into TTRPG’s. And I’ll give you a couple of alternatives if this one isn’t for you.
(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)
What is the Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game?
The Marvel Multiverse Role Playing Game is exactly what it sounds like. Have you ever imagined what it would be like be Daredevil swinging on a flagpole going after bad guys? Put two fingers into your palm and said thwip while pretending you are webbing up a scientist with eight arms? This TTRPG lets you dive into those ideas with a rule structure and six sided dice to determine the outcome. Want to know who would win in a fight between any Marvel characters? This game lets you do that.
You can play any kind of super powered being you want. Whether it’s a sorcerer supreme, a woman with cosmic powers, or a teenager who can communicate with squirrels, you can do it. And you can invent your own hero (or villain). All you need is a group of friends to have all kinds of adventures.
The idea is simple, you make a character, you have one person in your group be the game master (in this case the Narrator) to guide the story. The Narrator controls the non-player characters while the rest of the players just control what their own characters do.
If you have played a role playing game before you’ll definitely catch on quickly. Even if you haven’t, if you’ve pretended to be a super hero before, you’ll still catch on. You’ll just be asked to roll some dice in the middle of it.
Is it Hard to Make a Character?
Compared to a lot of systems, character creation is pretty simple here. The book also gives you a bunch of pre-made profiles of some of your Marvel favorites you can use immediately if you don’t want to take the time to make your own character. There is still some math involved and there is a huge list of powers and origin stories you can use. There’s also a guide to quick character creation if you want to make your own character but not spend tons of time on it.
And, if you want a little preview of what the character sheet looks like, you can even download a copy for free from drivethrurpg right here. It’s totally free and if you are an experienced TTRPG player, you’ll probably get a quick idea of what they are going for here.
Are the Rules Complicated?
Again, compared to other systems, the rules here are not overly complicated. Marvel created their own system called the d616 system. Yes, that’s 616 like the number for the main Marvel universe. Also, eagle eyed gamers will have spotted that the abilities listed on the character sheet are Melee, Agility, Resilience, Vigilance, Ego and Logic which spells out MARVEL. Clever!
The really nice thing about this system is you only need three six sided dice. There are instances where you can get bonuses or take penalties but you never need more than three six sided dice and since everyone has those already, there is no need to go looking for the full set of gaming dice which can be harder to find. It’s also helpful for younger players because it’s almost certain they’ve used six sided dice before so it’s familiar.
How much math is there?
There is a fair amount of crunchiness when it comes to the powers and how they work and what level they are at and things like that. But with the premade characters, a lot of that work is already done for you ahead of time. If you want to fully dive into making your own character, there’s going to be more math involved but it’s not nearly as complicated as building a character in something like Dungeons & Dragons.
There is a bit more of a heavy lift for the Narrator here because there isn’t a pre-made adventure in the core book. However, if you’ve seen the play test version of these rules, you’ll see a couple of significant changes that make the rules a bit more streamlined than they were in that book.
There are also fairly extensive rules on combat and how that works. But then again, half the point of superheroes is that they will get in a fight with someone anyway. It is a section you’ll probably need to reference more than once though.
If you’re a seasoned TTRPG player, this ruleset will be no trouble for you. If you’ve never played a TTRPG before, this will take a bit of reading, practice and some math to get used to but it’s nothing impossible.
Who is This Game For?
One criticism I have for this book is the rules seem like they are not quite complicated enough for seasoned D&D players and not quite simple enough for people who have never played any TTRPG’s. While I don’t think this is insurmountable, it does mean, I don’t think this game is for everybody.
If you are a huge Marvel fan and love TTRPG’s, this is the book to buy. It’s also a very accessible game. If you have never played a TTRPG but you know about Marvel, you can find some ground to start on. If you’ve always wanted to play a TTRPG but found things like Dungeons & Dragons too intimidating, this is a pretty good compromise. Just know there will still be a learning curve.
The book is certainly suitable for younger kids as long as they can read and do a little bit of math. And as adults, you can always scale it up a bit to make it more adult oriented. The game allows you to imagine playing anything from a Saturday morning cartoon Spider-Man episode to a gritty Walking Dead-like Marvel Zombies scenario made for mature audiences only.
The game is not for people who are sick and tired of super heroes or have had it with Marvel for whatever reason. It’s for comic book fans, and you don’t have to be a Marvel specific fan, but it helps.
If you want to play your own unique superhero but in a Marvel setting, this is a good game for that. But, if you want to make your own unique superhero in a completely unique setting, you might be better off with a different superhero TTRPG instead. (I have some recommendations below if this is you)
Where Can I get a Copy of the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game Books?
If you have read enough to realize this is a game you want to try out there are a few things you can do to get it. The different methods have some pros and cons so I’ll go into that a bit as well.
And, I’m not trying to make the hard sell here but if you want to help out this blog, buying through the links below goes a long way and it won’t cost you any extra.
Physical retailers
You can pick up a copy at your local friendly gaming store. The books should run around $50-60 bucks and not only do you get to support a local business, you get to walk away with a copy in your hot little hands that day, no muss, no fuss.
You can buy a hardcover copy on Amazon for $53.99. This is a great way to get the core book, although it does come with a hefty price tag and of course you will need to wait for it to be shipped to you. If you want to help this blog out buy your copy here.
Digital versions
You can get a copy for Roll20 for $49.99 on drivethrurpg. However, a couple of warnings here. First off, you’re not getting a physical version of the book this way. Also, you need to have an account on the Roll20 Virtual Table Top in order to access the content. (This is a free account and there’s a link in the purchase description on the Drivethrurpg site if you don’t already have one) Finally, and this is my biggest complaint about this purchase method, if you buy this through Drivethrurpg you are not getting a PDF of the book. As far as I can tell, there is no way to get a PDF of this book at this point. If you do want to buy this version and use it on Roll20 it’s a great option. And if you want to help this blog out you can buy your copy here.
If you happen to have Marvel Unlimited, you can get the test version of the book by typing in Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game: Playtest Rulebook. This will be an earlier edition and some of the rules have changed but it’s got the basics.
If you don’t have Marvel Unlimited and you are willing to shell out $10 to get the Playtest book, you can get it on Amazon. If you want to help out this blog buy it here. Again, it’s not the full current book but it does cover the basics and it gets you started at a much lower price point.
Special Bundles
If you are all in on the game and have cash to spare you could really go all out here in a couple of ways.
If you are already big time into Roll20 anyway, the best value through drivethrurpg is to get the Marvel Multiverse RPG Roll20 Mega Bundle. This will give you the core rulebook, a short module made for the Roll20 system called Revenge of the Super-Skrull, and the preoder for The Cataclysm of Kang. Just remember this is only for Roll20 and does not include PDF’s. To help out this blog, buy it here.
Are there Other Systems to use?
I get it. Not everyone is a Marvelite and some people just want to play a costumed superhero (or villain) in their own way. I totally support that. If you want, you could probably come up with Batman stats for the Marvel game but that takes a lot of work and there are some systems better suited to that job.
If you’re not going to play the Marvel TTRPG, I’ve got a couple suggestions for you.
Mutants and Masterminds
Mutants and Masterminds is a game which only uses a d20 and allows you to play any kind of super powered being you can imagine. There is work you have to put in because it’s not a setting you may be familiar with. To start playing in this system I recommend getting the Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook. And if you are going to be the GM I also recommend getting the Mutants & Masterminds Gamemaster’s Guide. The GM’s guide is around $18 and the Hero’s handbook is around $20. This is for PDF’s on drivethrurpg, not hard covers. If you do want the hardcover I recommend buying this one at your local friendly gaming store.
The Valiant Universe
The Valiant Universe of comics has its own roleplaying game. This is great for a few reasons. First, Valiant makes some great comics and they are overlooked. This means it’s a rich universe of heroes but ones you may not be familiar with. Secondly, the rules system here is rules light meaning you can jump in and play almost immediately. You can play established heroes in their universe or you can make up your own. The best value here is to get a bundle. This will give you the RPG books but also gives you a few comics to read so you can get an idea of what kind of universe you are playing in. The bundle will just be PDF’s but you get 5 books total (2 RPG books and 3 first volumes of comics) for just $20. To get the bundle buy it here.
Masks
Masks is a superhero TTRPG using the rules-light system used in Apocalypse World. You make characters along the lines of Young Justice, or Young Avengers. It’s fairly simple system with some fun stuff in it and it allows you to play an angsty teen with lots of problems who is not necessarily named Peter Parker. The best way to get in on the action for this game is to buy the core book PDF Masks: A New Generation for $14 on drivethrurpg. It’s a good starting point for this game and if you get into it, there are plenty more books to expand your library. If you’re interested in this one, buy it here.
In Conclusion
Is the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game for everyone? The short answer is no. But if you do love comics (especially Marvel comics) it’s great fun. To try to keep this somewhat short I’ve listed the pros and cons of this game as I see them.
Pros
Easily accessible IP most people are familiar with
Rules are mildly complicated but don’t take a huge amount of effort
Character creation is a breeze, especially if you use the pre-made characters
You only need six sided dice to play
There are a massive amount of powers and characters to choose from
The artwork in this book is as outstanding as you would expect from a company like Marvel
You only need to buy one book in order to play
Cons
The book does not include an adventure module
While you can make your own characters and settings, there may be better systems for that
The book is a little pricey at over $50
You can’t purchase it as a PDF at this time
While almost anyone can play, you might want a more experienced game master to take on the role of Narrator at first
If you want to play mutants, you’ll likely need to wait for the expansion which does not come out until April of next year
Well, I hope this post has been helpful. If you have played the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game, I’d love to hear about it. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
If you want to see more of my thoughts on this game, click here!
The Fantastic Four Issue #14. Writer: Stan Lee, Artist: Jack Kirby
The last time we checked in with The Fantastic Four in their own series, they had defeated and enemy on the moon known as The Red Ghost. The FF are heading home expecting a heroes welcome as they’ve become the first people to successfully land on and return from the moon. This was years before it happened in reality so it was still anyone’s guess what would really be found there.
The first page gives us a small recap and then Ben Grimm says he wants to take over the controls of the ship, although Reed Richards brags he designed it to practically land itself.
Sure enough, as they land in New York, there is a huge mob of people there to cheer on the team. They were already notable as heroes and explorers in New York City but it seems this return trip solidifies their status as not only heroes but super celebrities. It’s depicted in the way one might expect The Beatles to have been greeted at the height of their fame. Reed Richards even has two rival fan clubs both desperately trying to touch him or maybe get a lock of his hair. Meanwhile, a super star wrestler named The Golden Angel challenges The Thing to a fight to the finish. The Thing just tosses this dude in a trash can and walks away. Sue Storm is badgered by people wanting her to sign Hollywood contracts or sell their deodorant on television. Lucky for her, she can just turn invisible. Johnny Storm sees the problem with the crowd here and makes a whirling tunnel of warm air which creates a vacuum of suction to get the team back to the Baxter building. This is clearly one of the sillier powers Johnny has displayed but I think as an audience we’re past caring about that sort of thing now.
The team goes back to their penthouse apartments and tries to get in a bit of relaxation time. Although, in the fashion of the day, Sue Storm says she’s going to, “do a little housecleaning” instead. Reed dictates his notes on the rocket fuel he invented for the trip and goes to find Sue to have her type them up. When he finds her, she’s taking a look at some of Reed’s cameras on the bottom of the sea. She immediately switches it off when Reed enters. Reed knows she’s hoping for a glimpse of The Sub-Mariner and then goes off feeling kinda sorry for himself. Sue brings the roving camera back to the Baxter Building.
Meanwhile, we see a mysterious man speaking with a doctor who says the man is cured. This man says he knew he was cured long ago but was waiting for the world to forget him. The man seems to have a vendetta against our heroes after he experienced a fall that people seemed to have thought killed him. He’s also planning to get a scapegoat to do the job for him. This person goes through a list of enemies The Fantastic Four have defeated before until he thinks of The Sub-Mariner. It turns out our mystery man is The Puppet Master. This is a person who can control others simply by making a clay sculpture out of them with his magic clay. And of course, he’s ready with a sculpture of Sub-Mariner.
Namor, The Sub-Mariner is looking for his lost people under the sea when he’s pulled away by a powerful force. It seems he’s compelled to do as Puppet Master asks. Namor then uses something called a, “Mento-fish” which can sense human thoughts ad transmit them to any point on earth through, “mental electro waves!” Yeah, I dunno, doesn’t make much sense to me either. Anyway, Namor uses this fish to call to Sue Storm. Thinking Namor is in distress, Sue goes to him. She sneaks past her team while invisible to do so, and thinks this meeting will at long last decide her feelings for Namor.
Sue meets Namor at a pier on the lower east side of New York. Namor uses a, “hypno-fish” to hypnotize Sue. The fish puts Sue in an air bubble and they go under the sea. Puppet Master decides not to put the FF under his control, figuring his revenge will be sweeter if they retain their free will. Namor then transmits a mental image to the remaining members of the superhero team to tell them he has Sue Storm. He basically dares them to come after her, which, of course, they do. Before setting out, Reed and Johnny go to deliver their secret files to the police commissioner and Ben goes to let Alicia know where he’ll be so she doesn’t worry.
When Ben gets to the building, he’s overcharged for parking. He agrees to let Alicia come along with him, and then Ben stacks up the cars in the parking lot so he can fly outta there. But off panel he says he put them back so I guess no harm done?
Reed has gotten the loan of a deep water diving vehicle so he can search for Namor and the group piles in to go find him. They have to evade some attacks set up by Namor, including sharp quills shooting at their vehicle and a whirling tornado of water. Johnny flames on with white hot flame to dissipate the tornado and nearly drowns until Reed saves him. Namor springs a final trap where the heroes get trapped in a giant clam and knocked out with chloroform gas the clam naturally produces. Yeah, not sure I believe any of that but we’ll just go with it. Namor brings them back to his headquarters.
Namor has a giant octopus guarding Sue who is inside a glass globule the octopus could probably crush. Reed realizes pretty quickly this behavior is not typical of Namor. He’s always professed his love for Sue so putting her in this kind of danger seems extreme even for him. Namor then challenges the heroes to fight him one by one. First up is Johnny. He’s defeated because Namor has a strange living undersea weapon that absorbs any kind of heat. The Thing sees the use of this weapon as cheating so he grabs Namor who easily gets away. Namor throws some kind of sea foam on Ben which hardens and traps him in place. But The Thing breaks out anyway. Reed Richards tangles Namor up in his stretchy arms, trapping him, as Ben goes to save Sue.
Ben Grimm tosses the octopus by the tentacles and saves Sue. He tells her to hold her breath as they swim through the water. And we get this super sexist gem from Stan Lee, as The Thing thinks, “First time I ever saw a female who could keep her mouth shut so long!” Yeah, I mean I know it was different times and all, but there are some real sexist gems dropped by Stan the man in these days.
The Puppet Master has been watching from afar in his own submarine. He ups the stakes by telling Namor he has to do more than defeat the FF, he has to slay them. Alicia seems to sense Puppet Master’s presence and lets Reed know what’s going on. Sub-Mariner grabs some deadly sea tubes which will release a poisonous gas but still hesitates because he doesn’t want to harm Sue. Namor does eventually release the gas but also realizes he’s being controlled. Luckily for everyone involved, Reed put on special, “flex-o-gen” masks on the team and Alicia so they wouldn’t breathe in the fumes. Reed, Ben and Johnny all want to clobber Namor but Sue stops them, telling them she knows he’s under some kind of influence.
Remember the octopus The Thing threw? So that finds The Puppet Master’s submarine and attacks it. Puppet Master tries to carve a clay sculpture of it to control it but apparently the octopus doesn’t have enough of a brain for it to be controlled. This breaks the control on Sub-Mariner and the team have to escape because a hole in the dome of Namor’s place is letting in water. Johnny fixes it and Namor thinks he’s been invaded by the Fantastic Four. He sees Sue and asks if she’s come to share his underwater kingdom. She tells him no, that her loyalties are with Reed. But she keeps open the love triangle by saying her heart has not made a final choice yet. It honestly makes you feel a little bad for Reed here since he’s made it pretty clear he is in love with Sue. Namor does let them go because he wants to go back to looking for his lost people. Sue still hopes he’ll someday be their friend and we end the issue with the promise that the Fantastic Four are about to head for one of the most bizarre adventures of all time in the next issue.
With an issue about telepathic fish, people who live under the sea, and a dude who can control minds through clay, saying the next issue will be bizarre is a pretty bold statement here.
It’s still early days in the Marvel 616 universe here but it’s always great to see a good villain come back. And in this one there are two worthy villains. For one, the team isn’t certain Puppet Master is actually back, although we as the audience know he is. And secondly, the love triangle between Namor, Reed and Sue is always interesting. Namor is a compelling character in that he never quite crosses the line to total villain (at least in the eyes of the Fantastic Four) but he’s not an outright hero either. One gets the impression with him that if Sue Storm was not around, the Fantastic Four could be in real trouble from him.
The way villains keep returning in Marvel 616 comics really helps build out the universe and makes it feel like things are happening all over even when we’re not reading the comics. It takes a while before there’s a great connection between everything but the building blocks are definitely starting to shape up.
Next up on the reading list, we’ll be getting small again with Ant-Man in the pages of Tales to Astonish #43!
Journey Into Mystery Issue 92 Writers: Stan Lee, Robert Bernstein, Artist: Joe Sinnott, Cover Art: Jack Kirby, Photo Credit: Marvel
Journey Into Mystery continues to be a showcase for Thor and the other Norse gods who appear in Marvel 616. In this issue we get to see a deeper look at Asgard and the rivalry between Thor and Loki continues. But we have to take the good with the strange here because in the same issue, Thor has to take down several lowlife street thugs after his alter-ego Dr. Donald Blake has operated on one of them. It’s an odd mix of foes who are absolutely no match for Thor and one who can hold his own.
The story starts with a splash page, as most 616 comics do. Loki is scheming how to free himself from his bonds while at the same time weakening Thor. We next get a good look at the Bifrost bridge and see Heimdall guarding it. He doesn’t allow Neri, hand-maiden of Fricka, to cross the bridge until he’s made certain Loki is still chained in place.
Loki overhears the whole thing and he’s still hopping mad about being stuck here, chained to a rock with chains made of Uru metal. This is the same substance Thor’s hammer Mjolnir is made out of.
As Loki goes on swearing his vengeance on Thor, we switch back to Earth in the offices of Dr. Donald Blake. Jane goes out to run a blood sample to a lab. Outside, three common thugs wait. One of them has been shot and they plan to force Dr. Blake to operate, without filing a police report, whether he wants to or not. The crooks pulled off a jewel heist and Blake knows they are on the run. Being a good doctor, of course he operates. He also mentions Thor is helping the police. The thugs don’t believe him until Blake distracts them with the classic look over there technique and changes into Thor. Weirdly, he decides to tape the gangsters onto an operating table, tie his hammer onto the table, and basically chuck his hammer towards the police station. The cops figure out what happened rather quickly and the hammer returns to Thor who changes back into Dr. Blake.
A week goes by and Thor is summoned to… a film set. Yep, you read that right, he’s making a movie. His proceeds, “will go to various charities,” so he’s still doing heroic work. He starts filming a scene or two and Loki sees what he is doing. Thor’s final scene involves him throwing his hammer to cause an avalanche, which he does. The hammer doesn’t stop flying and we find out this is because… well because Loki has used his sorcery to… make the metal in his chains magnetic and attract the hammer to them. So, I guess Loki is kind of like Magneto for a minute here? It doesn’t make a lot of sense but it does break Loki free.
To press his advantage, Loki lures Thor to Asgard. Loki figures Thor knows Earth pretty well but Loki might gain advantage in his home. I suppose Loki has forgotten Thor is no stranger to Asgard but we’ll go with it. Thor asks Odin to transport him to Asgard, which he does. Conveniently, time stops on Earth when Odin is around and in Asgard Thor can’t lose his powers even without his hammer. So, we don’t have to follow the established rule that Thor can’t be away from his hammer for more than 60 seconds.
Loki also convinces the council of gods to say they’re too busy to help Thor find his hammer. Loki sends some killer trees after Thor but Thor makes a hammer out of wood and defeats them. Thor figures Loki must be up to something and goes to check on him. Loki turns some clouds into dragons to attack Thor. This time Thor makes a hammer out of stone. That hammer also flies to where Loki had been chained. There he finds Mjolnir. The gods Odin, Heimdall, and Fricka show up and take Loki prisoner again.
Thor heads on back to Earth and we get a silly scene where Dr. Blake is testing someone’s reflexes with a rubber mallet. Jane Foster reassures the patient that, “Dr. Blake is very experienced in using a mallet!!” to which Blake thinks, “Jane, honey… you don’t know the half of it!”
While this story is a bit of an odd mix, it does drive the larger story forward just a bit. We get more of Asgard and more of Loki and this is vital to the upcoming creation of the Avengers. In time, a lot of the sillier stuff, including Thor fighting common street thugs will fade away but it’s still going to be a while before we get there.
Next up on the reading list, we’ll be checking in on Reed and company in The Fantastic Four #14!
The Amazing Spider-Man Issue #2 Photo Credit: Marvel, Written by Stan Lee, Art by Steve Ditko
The second issue of The Amazing Spider-Man introduces a major recurring villain who is still in use in Spider-Man stories today and it has a second, completely forgettable story as its second feature. While both are included in Marvel 616, it’s clear The Vulture is the standout enemy.
The first page of the first story shows Vulture in aerial combat with Spider-Man, signaling a lot of the kinetic and fast pace action to come in many issues of Spider-Man. This is, of course, just a splash page to get the audience excited about reading.
The story starts with a figure wearing vulture wings coming out of nowhere and snatching a briefcase from a pedestrian. This was a briefcase full of a fortune in bonds and Vulture gets away easily. The crowd reacts in shock and excitement, and marvels at how silent the attack was.
We next get a glimpse of J. Jonah Jameson inside the building where Now magazine is published. While we will most associate J.J.J. with The Daily Bugle, he does publish this magazine and it pops up here and there in the comics. The publisher is in desperate need of photos of this Vulture character and is willing to pay top dollar to get them. He also continues his crusade against the menace known as Spider-Man.
We change scenes to a high school where Peter Parker is working at a lab experiment. His classmates mention how valuable pictures of the villain would be while looking at an issue of Now and Peter realizes he can probably make some money as a photographer if he can get a good shot. Peter gets a bit picked on for being a science nerd but he quips right back. He next goes home and Aunt May gives him a mini-camera perfect for what he wants to do.
Again shifting scenes, we check in with Vulture who has a plan to steal a million dollars worth of diamonds about to be moved across town. For some reason, Vulture decides to leave notes with the authorities tipping them off to the fact he’s trying to rob them. It’s not the plan I would go with but then again I am not a master criminal.
As Vulture is flying around, Spider-Man is setting up his camera. He senses The Vulture but doesn’t hear him flying silently through the air. The police get ready for the attack, with special attention paid to the skies. On his way to the crime, Vulture sees Spidey and knocks him out. Vulture dumps Peter in a water tower. It takes him a minute to figure it out but Spider-Man uses his strength to push off the bottom of the water tower so he can leap out of an open hatch. I doubt the physics would work like this here but it’s a comic so we’ll just go with it.
This is one of the first times Spider-Man runs out of web fluid when he needs it, since that would have helped him to get out. He realizes before he escapes, he needs to make some adjustments to the web shooters. He heads home and makes what is basically a utility belt he can hide under his costume with extra web fluid and a spot for his camera. He also rigs something up he says will stop The Vulture next time they meet.
The next day Peter goes to sell pictures he did get of Vulture to J.J.J. The publisher tells Parker he’ll pay even more for Spider-Man photos.
The day after, Peter goes to school and all his friends want to go watch the diamonds get moved. Peter knows he’ll need to slip away and be the hero. While the police were ready for an aerial attack, Vulture strikes from below, popping out of a manhole. He snags the diamonds and flies through the underground sewer system to escape. Peter catches up with him as Spider-Man. There’s a bit of a fight but Peter gets the upper hand when he uses a web to stick to Vulture and then uses his gadget to stop the Vulture from being able to fly. Vulture crashes to the ground and is captured by the police. Turns out Peter’s gadget was an “Anti-Magnetic inverter.” The Vulture powered his flight using magnetics so this device disrupted that. Again, the science is way off here but it’s a comic so we’ll have to let it slide. Peter cashes in on his photos and brings the money back to Aunt May. In the last panel of the story, Vulture swears revenge on Spider-Man.
The next story is about a group of aliens who try to take over the world by inserting special tubes in radio equipment. The main villain is called the Tinkerer and there’s a group of aliens, a rubber mask, and Spider-Man saving the day. It’s a remarkably forgettable story and it’s yet another entry in the superhero saves the world from aliens tales we keep seeing in 616 up to this point. We do get a little diagram of Peter’s web shooters in the story though. Other than that, there is just not much to mention here.
What I find interesting about this issue is this is the beginning of a really colorful rogues gallery in Spider-Man comics. Vulture may not be the smartest or best villain in the world but he’s unforgettable. In the months and years to come Spider-Man comics end up with villains that are consistently good, probably only rivaled by those found in the pages of Batman. We also get the first hints of the ongoing and somewhat complicated nature of Peter’s relationship with J. Jonah Jameson. Peter sort of has a triple problem going where he needs money, but he thinks it’s funny to get it from the guy who hates Spider-Man while hiding the fact he is Spider-Man. It works on a lot of levels and comes into play in more stories than can be counted. It’s easy to see, even in only the second issue of The Amazing Spider-Man why he has such appeal and goes on to be one of the most popular comics characters of all time.
Next up on the reading list we catch up with the first family of superheroes in the pages of The Fantastic Four #13!
Strange Tales Issue 108 D Story, Art by Steve Ditko, Script by Stan Lee
Strange Tales is an anthology book so sometimes there are multiple stories in a single issue which relate to the 616 universe. The D story in issue 108 is a bit of an oddball because while it doesn’t entirely relate to a lot of what is going on in 616, it does introduce some characters who will come up in the long run. Also, it’s one of the few comics so far in the 616 universe not available on Marvel Unlimited. If you want to read the issue you may have to do a bit of Google sleuthing to find it. Merlin the Magician, famous from the Arthurian legends shows up here and this will not be the last time we see him. We do also see a character called The Black Knight but this is not the modern character, nor is it the character who showed up in the Golden Age of comics. We also run into King Arthur himself, as well as our villain Sir Mogard. The Black Knight is nothing more than a construct and is the twist of the story but the rest of the characters mentioned do all come back into 616 at various times.
The story here is quite short, running only four pages long. It’s titled The Iron Warrior and relates a short incident in the life of Merlin the Magician. Basically, Sir Mogard thinks Merlin is not so powerful as he seems. Sir Mogard accuses Merlin of being a fake and throws down his gauntlet. Merlin is instructed to choose a champion and meet Mogard in battle. Merlin accepts.
Merlin shows up the next morning with his champion, a knight in black armor. There is a joust and a melee with swords. The Black Knight bests Sir Mogard who has to surrender. Mogard then says Merlin had nothing to do with the battle, therefore Merlin is not so powerful. The twist here is that Merlin was controlling the knight, nothing but an empty set of armor, the whole time with his magic. It also says Mogard is struck dumb from the wonder he beheld. We’ll see if that is true the next time he shows up.
And that is the whole story. A short one, but it has a few implications for 616. It reestablishes magic as a real theme and gives us a couple of characters who will become important later. Also, it was kind of nice to have a little bit of fantasy thrown into the superhero mix just to have something a little different to read. I don’t think the intention with this story was to set up anything long term and likely could have been a throw away story. Still, in the long run Stan Lee will make use of it and he does come back to Arthurian legend a few times.
Next up on the reading list we’ll be checking in on the wall crawler himself in The Amazing Spider-Man #2!
