Getting Hooked

Tammy pointed me to this Entertainment Weekly article in which a bunch of comic book professionals describe the first comic that sucked them in and wouldn't let them go. I've written before about my first ever experience with the four-colour medium, in the form of Captain America Annual # 1 and how it provided me with "cartoons that I could watch whenever I wanted." (That story also made it into the Agile book!) Obviously that was a big moment in my life.

But while that Cap Annual was certainly my entry point into comics, I'm not entirely convinced that that particular comic was what drew me into superhero servitude for keeps.

One early addition to the collection that may've possibly pushed me over the edge was the one shown here. I can still remember very clearly my mother coming home from a shopping trip of some sort with this little beauty and that my brain could barely grasp what I was seeing! There were six characters, most or all of whom were new to me, and they were about to fight each other! Apparently some of them were 'The Mighty Avengers' (who assembled, whatever that meant), but which ones? And what's with the guy on the surfboard? And the green monster... Hero? Villain? Who could tell? I had to read it now... and then a few more times, for good measure!

I didn't know it at the time - nor did Marvel, for that matter - but this was the first ever Defenders-Avengers battle, before the former team even officially existed! No wonder it hooked me!