posted May 12, 2003 09:03 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by James Friel:
Was this one/were these three of the Rutland, VT Halloween parade stories?

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posted May 12, 2003 11:30 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by James Friel:
Was this one/were these three of the Rutland, VT Halloween parade stories?

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posted May 13, 2003 06:42 PM               

What happened in the other two stories?

posted May 14, 2003 02:57 PM            

Justice League of America 103, December 1972, written by Len Wein.

Amazing Adventures (featuring the Beast) 16, January 1973, written by Steve Englehart, coloured by Glynis Wein.

Thor 207, January 1973, written by Gerry Conway, coloured by Glynis Wein.

The story:

JLA: In Rutland Vermont, when the clock strikes midnight, Old Sarah chants the names of those about to die: Superman, Flash, Batman, Hawkman, Green Arrow, Green Lantern. Meanwhile, those JLAers are summoned by the Phantom Stranger who tells them that Felix Faust is summoning dark evil things to Rutland.

Meanwhile Gerry Conway, Steve Englehart and Len & Glynis Wein are driving up to Rutland for Tom ***an's halloween party. Unfortunately Steve's car hasn't survived the journey - the muffler fell off. They continue the journey albeit extremely noisily.

AA: Not far from town, the car not getting any quieter, they come across the hitch-hiking Hank McCoy and his girlfriend, Vera. Steve, who finds hank strangely familiar agrees to give him a lift. As they drive off, the Juggernaut appears out of thin air behind them. A voice tells him he is being drawn to Rutland.

After an extremely uncomfortable ride (Glynis complains that they should have travelled with Mike Friedrich), Steve's mustang pulls up at the motel where they say goodbye to Hank and Vera.

Thor: Afterwards, the foursome take a look at a parade which includes an Avengers float followed by one featuring Superman and Batman. They reluctantly get back in Steve's muffler-challenged mustang for the trip to Tom ***an's place.

JLA: When Steve's poor Mustang,falling apart by degrees, finally pulls up at Tom ***an's, they are joined by the Justice League who ask if they can stick around. Len whisper's "Julie will never believe me when I tell him about this!". Tom asks the JLA to take part in the parade.

Thor: Len and Glynis are worried about Tom, though, who seemed a bit distant (not surprising since he's got Loki as a houseguest!) They put it down to nerves.

Meanwhile Thor, Sif and Hildegarde arrive in the nearby woods searching for the Absorbing Man. They find him and battle commences.

AA: Steve, Gerry, Len and Glynis (who is wearing a Supergirl costume - the red hotpants version) head back to the parade and meet Hank and Vera again just as the Juggernaut makes an appearance. Juggernaut smashes one of the floats and vanishing again. Suddenly Vera notices that Glynis is missing. Hank suggests they split up to look for her. He removes his disguise and starts to hunt for the Juggernaut as the Beast.

Thor: While the floats are being repaired, Steve, Gerry, Len and Glynis (who has turned up again) go for a snack. Glynis makes fun of Len who tried to dress up as Morbius until he split his tights. In return, Len makes fun of her costume, "Who ever heard of Powergirl anyway?" Glynis goes to the bathroom, but after 20 minutes she still hasn't returned. This time she really is missing.

JLA: Outside, the parade has resumed, with a new Green Lantern created float featuring the JLA. Behind them is a float featuring Captain Marvel, Earth-2 Robin, Supergirl, the Hulk, Thor and "Commando America". Suddenly, all the floats apart from the JLA's have vanished, athough the rest of the crowd doesn't seem to notice.

Searching the woods, the JLA come across partygoers dressed as Commando America, Adam Strange, Spiderman, Thor , Robin, Captain Marvel, Earth-2 Flash and Glynis as Supergirl. They have been possessed by demons summoned by felix Faust to battle the JLA.

AA: After an inconclusive battle with Juggernaut, Hank disguises himself again and decides to crash Tom ***an's party. (With all the costumes around, Superman, Scarlet Witch, Marvel girl, Cyclops, Captain Mar-Vell, Tom as Nighthawk and Roy Thomas as Spiderman, Hank might have been better off staying as the Beast.) Juggernaut tracks Hank down and in the battle, he loses his helmet.

JLA: The JLA are on the point of death after their defeat by the demon inhabited partygoers, when the Phantom Stranger intervenes and counteracts the spell. Meanwhile, Len, Steve and Gerry are searching Tom's house for Glynis.

AA: Len and Steve, searching upstairs, come across the Beast and Juggernaut. Len is shouting at Steve, looking for some sanity, when Juggernaut tries to steal Steve's car. Of course it won't start and the Beast catches and defeats the rapidly weakening Juggernaut.

Thor: Meanwhile Thor defeats the Absorbing Man and has to face off against Loki. He's not doing so well so Sif does a deal with Karnilla, Queen of the Norns, who conjures up a storm to boost Thor's power. Thor brings down a lightening bolt which blinds Loki, who then runs off into the woods in panic.

JLA: Faust, hidden upstairs in Tom's house, realises that his spell has failed and seeks to escape. As he is about to jump from the window, he is spotted by Steve, Len and Gerry who think he is about to commit suicide. Faust jumps down and lands on Steve's car. He seizes his chance and uses the last of his magic to jump start the car. As he drives off, Glynis reappears, thinking she saw a battle.

AA: Len asks Glynis where she'd been. She says she can't remember, but she thinks she had a good time and it was no big deal.

Thor: Blindly racing out of the woods, Loki hears Steve's noisy car being driven off by Faust and tries to command him to stop and help him. Faust ignores him and Loki runs over the edge of the cliff.

JLA: Further down the road, Faust is arrested when the police stop him for having a faulty muffler.

posted May 16, 2003 08:32 PM               

Gracias!!!!!

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Bgztl a/k/a Jack Holt

All of human wisdom is summed up in two words: wait and hope.

posted May 17, 2003 06:29 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Bgztl:
May you live for a thousand years, DavidSpofforth!!!!

Gracias!!!!!

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Why, thank you kind sirs. I've always felt quite fondly for that story as I read the Thor issue quite young. I bought the Beast issue some years later which filled in some more gaps. It was only after I read the index to the Amazing Adventures series in the old Marvel Index to X-Men that I found out about JLA 103. I tracked it down and everything snapped into place.

I've got a soft spot for the Rutland halloween stories. If Marvel & DC are in a friendly mood one autumn I'd like to see a TPB of all the Rutland stories - Lady Liberators and all!