#comic book artifacts

[thecollectorsector]

Since his 1973 debut appearance in the pages of Iron Man 55, Drax the Destroyer has undergone many drastic changes; both in terms of his powers and appearance. In addition to the obvious cosmetic changes were various character and power alterations. Few comic book characters have had the very nature of their character altered as many times as Drax the Destroyer. One thing that hasn’t changed is Drax’s lifelong vendetta against the Mad Titan Thanos. Thanos serves virtually the same purpose that Darkseid serves within the D.C. Universe. They are both cosmic tyrants with complex family power struggles who are the despotic rulers of their own world. Jim Starlin even admitted in later interviews that the look and origin of Thanos are largely attributable to Darkseid. These early exploits of Drax and Thanos along with Marvel’s impressive roster of other cosmic characters marked some of Jim Starlin’s best Marvel years. Jim Starlin penned many of Marvel’s best known cosmic masterpieces. Drax the Destroyer was a result of one such cosmic tale.

Origins of the Destroyer

It is often forgotten that originally Drax was a human. Drax the Destroyer was formerly Arthur Douglas, a Nevada family man whose only mistake was driving down a lonely stretch of road with his wife Yvette and daughter Heather one night. They were just at the wrong place at the wrong time when they were happened upon by Thanos, who was investigating Earth for the first time in his spaceship. For years, Drax believed his daughter Heather to be dead. He would later find out she had been “adopted” and raised by Thanos’ father Mentor. Heather would go on to become the Marvel character Moondragon, who has served as both a villain and a hero. 

Most of Thanos’ fellow inhabitants of the planet Titan were not as evil and power hungry as himself. Thanos’ villainous pursuits made him a disgrace to his Eternal father, Mentor. Thanos was the shameful black (or purple) sheep of his family and his father had had enough; he sought to end his nefarious son’s power-seeking schemes once and for all. Mentor asked the God Kronos for assistance in defeating Thanos. Kronos then created a physical form out of the Earth and (for some reason) put Arthur Douglas’ consciousness or soul into the newly made vessel for the express purpose of taking out the evil Thanos. According to this origin (which was first revealed in Captain Marvel 32) Drax the Destroyer is the amalgamation of an artificial body with the human Arthur Douglas’ soul trapped inside.This origin would establish the long-running feud between Drax and Thanos, as Drax was literally created to destroy Thanos.

First Appearances

Drax looked very alien and very evil in his earliest appearances. For many years Drax looked like a cosmic swashbuckler; replete with pirate-esque boots, a loud purple cape and the classic pirate skull and crossbones costume accessories. Drax possessed a significant telepathic ability early in his publication history. He contacted Iron Man telepathically from across the country in Iron Man 55. This telepathic power (sometimes referred to as ‘cosmic awareness’) would rarely be used in future Drax stories and would become an almost completely forgotten ability. Drax has an unusual history in that he has been portrayed as one of the strongest cosmic characters in Marvel’s roster as well as one of the dumbest.

I can’t be the first person to point out the visual similarity between Drax and the Marvel villain, Mesmero. They both appear very alien with both characters having a very similar appearance and aesthetic. Both characters have green skin with a heavy dose of purple in their attire. Mesmero now looks completely different but in his earliest appearances, Drax bore a striking resemblance to Mesmero. Mesmero’s origin and powers are vastly different from Drax’s, but strictly in terms of appearance, they look quite similar. 

The Many Deaths of Drax

Drax the Destroyer has experienced his fair share of deaths; he has been killed on at least three occasions. The worst of his many deaths might have been the first; when he was killed by his estranged daughter Heather, who had become the villain Moondragon. Heather was the very daughter he thought was dead from his first encounter with Thanos when Drax was still Arthur Douglas. Drax’s first tragic death was at the hands of the very daughter he believed to be dead. He would later be killed (again) by Paibok the Power Skrull and again by the Mad Titan Thanos. Drax the Destroyer is no stranger to death and has himself been destroyed on at least three separate occasions.

The Cosmic Hulk

Shortly after each death, Drax was quickly brought back, sometimes with little to no explanation for the resurrection. With each return his powers and appearance changed drastically. Drax the Destroyer went from being fairly average-sized to a giant, green space barbarian. His personality and demeanor changed from being intelligent and purposeful to a Hulk-esque rage monster hell-bent on killing the Mad Titan Thanos at any cost. Drax’s appearance in his Infinity Watch/Silver Surfer appearances was very similar to the Hulk. During these early 90s Silver Surfer and Infinity Watch appearances, Drax was so single-minded in his drive to defeat Thanos, that Drax’s presence was often more of a hindrance to his teammates. He would hurt enemies and teammates alike in his quest to bring down the Mad Titan. His power had been increased to a surprising degree and he was now a danger to everyone around him. During the events of the Infinity Gauntlet/Watch sagas and the Jim Starlin/Ron Lim Silver Surfer series, Drax was one of Marvel’s strongest cosmic characters. He easily held the Silver Surfer’s board in place, went head to head with the Hulk and could hold his own against other cosmic heavies like Thanos, Captain Marvel and the Silver Surfer. He would eventually lose almost all intelligence, becoming a child-like simpleton who, for some reason, was entrusted to safeguard the Power Gem by Adam Warlock.

This hulking giant depiction of Drax the Destroyer would not last long. With Abnett and Lanning overseeing some of Marvel’s best cosmic characters, Drax would be brought back with an all new appearance. This is the better known depiction of Drax as seen in the MCU films, wielding knives and covered in tattoos.

In his newest incarnation, Drax was still hell-bent on killing Thanos but he was now more intelligent and could function slightly better as a functional member of a team. After years of failing and experiencing defeat at the hands of the Mad Titan, Drax would eventually fulfill his original purpose of killing Thanos, and in spectacular fashion. Sadly for Drax, Thanos’ death would be as short-lived as his own. Thanos is too popular a villain to remain dead for long and he has since been brought back. After years of struggling to achieve his objective, Drax was finally able to defeat Thanos with his bare hands. 

Drax the Destroyer has had a surprisingly mercurial history. His appearance and powers change with each death and subsequent return. Drax has gone from a cape wearing space pirate to the blade wielding, tattooed space brawler fans know and love. He is one of the more popular members of the Guardians of the Galaxy and has served as a member for years. It’s ironic that in various representations Drax has been a human, an intelligent character with telepathic abilities as well as an almost brain-dead brute who was (for some reason) entrusted with protecting an Infinity Gem. He actually ate the Power Stone thinking it was a jelly bean, despite not being able to pass it. Unlike his MCU counterpart’s “famously huge turds,” Adam Warlock actually states in Warlock and the Infinity Watch issue 2 that Drax doesn’t poop (yeah that happened). Drax’s new body apparently doesn’t have the same limitations of his previous human form... Drax the Destroyer has experienced constant change; he has been elevated from an obscure, C list cosmic Marvel character to a member of one of the most popular teams in modern comics.

-AG

[thecollectorsector]

Did you know...

That Danzig’s classic logo:

Was originally designed and created for a Marvel comic book cover?

Crystar

Today, not many comic book fans remember the Marvel character Crystar. This relatively obscure 80s character was originally created and developed for a line of toys. Crystar was a crystalline warrior who came from the world known as Crystallium-where everything was made of crystal and most characters had bad, rock-themed pun names like Ogeode, Feldspar or Stalax. Marvel Comics later created a Crystar comic book to accompany and promote Remco’s Crystar toyline. This is one of Michael Golden’s many classic comic book covers and is probably recognizable to any die-hard Danzig fan. I doubt Michael Golden imagined when he first created this cover, that someday one aspect of this image would be the identifying symbol of a major band. I’ve always wondered if Michael Golden receives any kind of compensation or recognition for creating the original comic cover that formed the basis of that now famous and highly-merchandised Danzig logo.

Marvel partnered with the now-defunct toy company Remco to produce a comic book series to expand the Crystar line of action figures and playsets. This was a common practice in the 70s and 80s. Marvel had also found success with such toy/comic crossovers like the Shogun Warriors, Micronauts and ROM: Spaceknight line of toys. Since the storytelling abilities of the toy industry were so limited, many toy companies benefited by having a comic book expand upon the characters and universe of a limited toy line. Companies like Marvel benefitted by having a large captive audience of kids who were familiar with the toys but would never have bought a comic book otherwise. This would not be the last time Marvel would create a comic series to promote a line of toys. G.I. Joe, He-Man, Transformers and even the beloved Secret Wars line of toys were all popular toy lines that Marvel published comic books to accompanying and promote. He-Man actually had the rare distinction of being one of the only toy lines to have a promotional comic book published by both Marvel and D.C. Toy companies like Remco used to view comic books as an advertising mechanism to draw in new kids while also being a cheap, easy way to create new characters that could eventually become new toys.

The Punk Connection

I’ve always loved the Misfits and by extension Glenn Danzig. Back in my punk days, The Misfits were always my favorite band, usually tied with the Dead Kennedys and the Germs (but I also loved T.S.O.L, the Buzzcocks, The Adicts, Crass and Minor Threat). As a fan of classic horror, sci-fi, and monster movies, I always appreciated The Misfits’ and Danzig’s use of horror and sci-fi imagery in their lyrics and album art. That was actually one of the things that I loved about the Misfits above all other bands; the imagery. All that Vincent Price and Plan 9 imagery really appealed to a kid like me. When I was a punk, comic books were the last thing on my mind. I hadn’t read or collected comics in years by that point. So I never made the connection between Danzig and comic books, despite being aware of Crystar as a character. I remember owning several issues of the Crystar Marvel series as a kid. After all, I am a child of the late 80s and early 90s who grew up owning many toys from some of the most iconic toy lines of the 80s. I was initially surprised that Glenn Danzig would show an interest in comics and co-opt the cover of a Marvel comic book series that targeted kids and was designed to promote a corresponding toy line. That fact is even more surprising looking at some of his later, solo-era imagery and lyrics.

Looking at that kind of album art, I don’t know why anyone would be surprised Danzig digs comics. As it turns out, Glenn Danzig has been into comics for years. This is why he used so much of that sci-fi/horror imagery in his early days in the Misfits and borrowed themes and concepts from comic books like Crystar and Conan. The misfits often used a comic book/Lichtenstein-esque pop-art art style as evidenced in their Bullet imagery with JFK and their Horror Business album art. Danzig also chose an HR Giger painting as one of his later albums. When you compare Frazetta-era “barbarian/warrior” artwork with Danzig’s comics or album art, you can see the obvious inspiration. In the 90s, Danzig actually began publishing his own line of comic books, Verotik comics (Verotik was a portmanteau of the words “violent” and “erotic”). It would be easy to looks at some of the comic books he’s published and dismiss them as immature or sophomoric. After all, they do feature most of the things pubescent boys are into-big pecs, bigger boobs and the biggest swords. It would also be easy to view Danzig’s foray into the medium of comics as a cash grab. This was the era that outsiders and speculators were coming into the comic book field en masse. Many people who had zero interest in producing quality comics came into the field with delusions of making a fortune based on the newfound popularity of comic books.

The Bubble Goes Burst

When the comic book speculator bubble burst in the mid-to-late-90s, many of these new imprints and comic lines went under; never to return to publication. Verotik has managed to outlive Homage, Wildstorm, Continuity, Legend, Malibu, Chaos!, Caliber, Comico, Defiant, Kitchen Sink Press and Eclipse (to name a few). It’s important to remember that those were among the most acclaimed indie comic companies during the 90s comic boom. All of those companies were either bought, closed or are otherwise now defunct. While it is true Verotik published way fewer comics than most of those other companies, Verotik still publishes comics today. Glenn Danzig outlasted them all. Surprisingly, Danzig’s line of Verotik comics have been continuously published since 1994, with Glenn Danzig himself still involved. While other, more mainstream comics have been adapted into the Hollywood Blockbusters we all know, Danzig adapted one of his comics, Grub Girl, into a porno that came out in 2006. Say what you will about adapting a comic book into pornography... it shows that Danzig has found a way to maintain an almost entirely adult audience while simultaneously promoting his line of comics and spinning those characters off into another medium (film).

Mainstream comic readers have not spoken kindly about some of Verotik’s offerings. I certainly don’t like everything that Dark Horse, or Marvel, or Image publish. Many comic fans have dismissed Danzig’s line of comic books for their perceived “low quality.” However, if you go back and examine some of his earliest works, you’d be surprised by some of the names you’d recognize. Many well known, popular writers and artists of today had work published in one of Verotik’s comic books. Grant Morrison actually had a story published in the first issue of Verotika, something he never mentions. Simon Bisley contributed some really solid artwork on many Verotik comics, as did Frank Frazetta.

Some of the most iconic Frazetta artwork (beyond his legendary Conan art of course) appeared in Verotik comics. The “Death Dealer” image has come to typify the classic Frazetta “barbarian” style. The Frank Frazetta style of heavily painted Barbarian/Warrior art has almost completely disappeared from the today’s modern comics. In my opinion, Danzig and his line of Verotik comics are almost solely responsible for the preservation of that kind of 80’s barbarian/sword-and-sorcery/heavy metal comic book aesthetic. By the 90s, that genre of comic and it’s associated art style had fallen out of favor with the general public and was considered dated by many critics and fans alike. This kind of hyper-masculine Barbarian imagery existed only on the fringes of pop culture and is virtually nonexistent today. What had been an industry staple was now relegated to a tiny niche audience. Fantasy artwork like that is sorely absent from today’s comic book marketplace. Rafa Garres, Eric Canete, Liam Sharp, Arthur Suydam, Dave Stevens and Kent Williams all contributed artwork to at least one of Verotik’s many comic books. When you re-examine some of the covers to Verotik titles like Jaguar God, Valkyrie or Weird Voodoo, they still look pretty damn good even by modern standards. Painted covers like these have withstood the test of time; good writing and artwork often endures and stays relevant for years.

Legacy of Brutality (and Comic Books)

It‘s a shame that Danzig doesn’t get more recognition for his contribution to comic books from the modern comic book community. I’ve never heard anyone mention Danzig and comics in the same sentence. For a guy who’s written songs for Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison, owns his own label (Plan 9), had a long history with the Misfits, found renewed success with Samhain and again with his solo project Danzig...the guy has quite a resume. Even many punks don’t know that Samhain was essentially a punk supergroup, since their debut album featured former members of Minor Threat, Rosemary’s Babies and Reagan Youth. To switch gears entirely and begin writing and publishing comics shows how seriously he took his interest in comic books. He never compromised his artistic integrity and made exactly the kind of comics and music he wanted. Whether you personally like the results or not, you should respect that kind of commitment and discipline. It’s unfortunate for Danzig since many people in the punk/metal community would mock his comic book pursuits, and the comic industry often resents outsiders coming into the field from another medium, he rarely gets recognition from either community.

His contribution to music cannot be understated and his foray into comics cannot be dismissed as a mere cash grab or way to stay relevant. He put his money where his mouth was and was willing to invest his own money and time into his life-long love of comics. I honestly wish more people would do that. Danzig teamed with some of the best fantasy comic artists in the field at the time and wrote many of Verotik’s comics himself. He is also a graphic artist in his own right who is known to do sketches at signings and conventions. Danzig has created music for over 41 years and for 24 years he has also been involved in the production of comic books. That alone makes you a pretty cool guy in my book. His comics are about as “creator owned” as it gets and in that 24 years he has made the kinds of comics that he wants to make. You can’t dismiss that kind of artistic determination. For a guy who has always been known as the “Heavy Elvis” of punk music, his artistic portfolio is surprisingly diverse. Danzig should be accepted by the comic book community as being every bit as worthy of inclusion as any other, more accepted comic book creators.

Don’t sleep on @therealglenndanzig-blog, the dude might just surprise you.

-AG