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Friday, May 20, 2022

The 'Other' FF? Danger Unlimited

Not long after John Byrne left Marvel Comics he began developing projects for Dark Horse Comics.

Disillusioned with his tumultuous run on Marvel’s The Uncanny X-Men John created his own versions of The X-Men with his Next Men title.

He butted heads at Marvel Comics on his Fantastic Four run and in response created a similar group called Danger Unlimited.

As an extra-added bonus he added an additional poke in the ribs of Marvel when he created a back-up feature in the mini-series taking jabs at Captain America called the Torch of Liberty.

John, John, John your curmudgeon ways often has you burning bridges.  Fortunately such face to face confrontations seems to spark your creativity resulting in some of the best work of your career-in my humble opinion.

After so many issues of Next Men John Byrne decided to do his own Fantastic Four book the way he wanted to do it, thus Danger Unlimited.

In the not too distant future a team of demolition experts guide their craft to the sealed former headquarters of Danger Unlimited.  The building has been off limits for the last 75 years.  It was decided to finally tear it down.

When the team draws closer the ship's sensors indicate a life form inside.

Sending in a research team they discover a chamber where the life energy is emanating from.

Attempting to torch it open they release the person inside: Thermal from Danger Unlimited.  There’s also another person or thing inside that suddenly builds up a massive amount of energy and detonates-destroying the complex.

Meanwhile a team of scientists investigates the transformation of one of their team members into a rocky monstrosity-supposedly caused by the exposure to the ‘gunk’ that created the original Danger Unlimited.

While the scientists investigate a sinister alien figure ponders its next plans.

In a back up story the Torch of Liberty frees some American prisoners of war from a Nazi camp.  After the may lay one of the surviving officers reports to his superior-the skull faced Golgotha.  Captain America and the red Skull anyone?

You can tell Byrne was having a fun time ‘sticking’ it to Marvel by creating two series reminiscent of his work at Marvel.

Psalm 103:1 (KJV) “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”

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