An American Christmas! acts as a backdrop to tie up some loose ends before the original Secret Wars kicked off.

Captain America (1968) 292

Steve Rogers/Captain America is haunted by a recurring dream that isn’t a dream. A black crow visits Captain America while Steve goes about his holiday happenings.

Supporting characters receive the spotlight with J.M. DeMatteis moving the story along. The season acts as so much background with snow and Christmas decorations in the periphery.

The Black Crow is dispatched by stories end with the epilog showing the Avengers as they speed toward their destiny with the Beyonder.

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars was a 12-issue mini running from May 1984 to April 1985. The series is most notable for the licensing deal with Kenner and the introduction of Spider-Man’s black costume.

A sequel, published from 1985 to 1986, ran nine issues and spilled over into most of the Marvel Universe in the form of cross overs. While the best-selling comic book of the year, it is also one of the most despised.

Following up yesterday’s celebration of kindness is today’s day of freedom as man stretched in another dimension and conquered a new frontier. Today is National Ride the Wind Day.

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One of those who truly is a wind rider, at least in the Marvel Universe, is Ororo Munroe, or Storm.

Her ascension to the clouds was born of a natural ability to shape the elements to her whim. When Len Wein and Dave Cockrum introduced Ororo in Giant-Size X-Men issue one, she was as much a mystery to her audience as her teammates. She shed her goddess honorific mistakenly bestowed upon her and became more.

In reality Storm became the first major black female character in comic books. In fiction she was one of the first of the new X-Men soon-to-be-scribe Chris Claremont would catapult to legendary status.

Claremont and Cockrum, later John Byrne, and Cockrum again, laid a literary foundation that became a golden goose for Marvel Comics. The X-Men earned much deserved credit through the 1980s until exploding in the 1990s as a flagship title not only in comic books, but the outside world as well.

Ororo – Storm – belonged to every incarnation of the mutant standard bearers. She would earn another honorific when she married T’Challa, aka Black Panther leader of Wakanda.

Storm has appeared in X-Men, X-Men: Evolution, Wolverine and the X-Men and Marvel Super Hero Squad. Other animated appearances include Black Panther, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, Spider-Man: The Animated Series and Ultimate Spider-Man.

On the big screen, Storm was in the original X-Men trilogy as well as X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix. She made cameos in X-Men: First Class and Deadpool 2.

It will be harder for us mere mortals to “take to the air” as suggested by National Day Calendar’s site, but we can live vicariously through Ororo in all forms of media.

With his golden locks and alabaster wings, Warren Worthington III is the logical choice to host National Be An Angel Day.

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First appearing in X-Men 1, Warren was more of an antagonist within the group in the love triangle that included Scott Cyclops Summers and Jean Marvel Girl Grey. This would continue through the book’s run of original stories with issue 66. The book went into a short hiatus only to be revived as a reprint title.

When the original team was ousted – with the exception of Cyclops – in favor of fresh blood, Angel and former X-Men teammate Iceman began anew in California. Their new team, the Champions, didn’t fare well and lasted a mere 17 issues.

Angel would return to the X-Men in guest appearances. Not until X-Factor was he member of a mutant team again. As before, he found himself gone when a new team came onboard in issue 70.

He returned to his original fold with volume two of Uncanny X-Men. He had a home there for most of the 1990s as well as a few team ups in mini-series.

Angel bounced around for a time after the new millennium dawned until finally abandoning the hero business in favor of personal business.

Other incarnations have been present in television, first with the 1966 Saturday morning Marvel Super Heroes animated feature. He appeared in two episodes of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, but was a prominent player in X-Men: Evolution. He was Archangel in the popular 1990s X-Men Fox cartoon.

Angel was a character in several video games, but only appeared briefly on the big screen.

National Be An Angel Day is the 1993 creation of Howard Feldman to encourage acts of kindness.

Okay, time ran out.

A long time ago.

January 31, 1986, to be exact.

No matter, this in-house ad is still a time capsule. First of all, this baker’s dozen issues for $6.50 – “only 50-cents an issue” – when on-stand prices were $.65 is amazing. As of this writing, fans are paying at least four bucks a pop for their favorite heroes.

Secondly, the artwork takes us back to a time when the Hobgoblin was still a mystery to most of the Marvel U. First introduced in Amazing Spider-Man 238, March 1983, no one was privy to his private identity for years. It was unveiled in AMS 289.

Not only does it bring back memories of the Hobgoblin, but the Green Goblin, too. The illustration is a homage to Amazing Spider-Man issue 39, the issue that revealed the (original) Goblin was Norman Osborne.

The Hobgoblin is a derivative of the Green Goblin, anyway. He came about when one of the original Goblin’s hideouts was discovered. Guess it’s only fitting the advertisement resurrect one of Marvel’s best covers.

It also showcases the titles published in 1985; from Alpha Flight to X-Men. Special books, at varying prices, included Marvel Age, G.I. Joe, Sectaurs, Elf Quest, Transformers, Groo the Wanderer, Dreadstar, Alien Legion, Swashbucklers, Conan the King, Marvel Saga, Marvel Fanfare and Savage Sword of Conan.

The last book was the last of Marvel’s magazine line that played in the periphery of the 1970s.

Though time has run out for the ad, it doesn’t stop us from turning the hands of time back to relive comic book history.

Last year we celebrated Black Cat Appreciation Day with Amazing Spider-Man 194 and 195. This year let’s follow the non-holiday up with Felicia Hardy’s second appearance, Amazing Spider-Man 204 and 205.

Using one of her nine lives, Felicia has survived her plunge from Amazing Spider-Man 195. As the Black Cat, she toys with Spider-Man stealing romantically-themed works of art over the next two issues.

It is revealed the thefts were made to complete a shrine Felicia is constructing to her love: Spider-Man.

Amazing Spider-Man 204

The infatuation would grow throughout the decade, mostly in the issues of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man. Not only grow, but become mutual.

As history has proved, Peter and Felicia were not meant to be. That fate was reserved for Mary Jane Watson.

Instead, Black Cat would go on to make various guest appearances. In 2002, she received her own mini-series.

Felicia would also co-star with Wolverine in a mini and the follow up in 2011 with a sequel. She was one of the headliners in the 2006-07 Heroes for Hire title.

In 2019 Jed Mackay began scripting her solo series.

Black Cat was introduced to viewers in the 1981 Spider-Man cartoon. She was a major player in several episodes of Spider-Man: The Animated Series. Black Cat was shelved – on television – until The Spectacular Spider-Man and brought back in the 2017 Spider-Man series on Disney XD.

To date she has only appeared as Felicia Hardy in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 on the silver screen.

As fans have come to appreciate Spider-Man’s former foe, many of us have come to love Felis catus. The same nocturnal creatures that prowl our homes and yards are celebrated around the world.

However, today has been set aside to acknowledge the ebony-adorned portion of the population. August 17 has been set aside to, according to National Day Calendar Web page, “…to dispel all myths surrounding black cats.”

To observe, consider adopting a black cat.

Black Cat Appreciation Day is not to be confused with National Black Cat Day, Oct. 27.

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Marvel Comics Group was riding high in 1993. The comic book boom was near its apex and publishers could push almost any title on the stands.

That meant a lot of dreck was hoisted on the public, including the third installment of the Punisher’s fun-in-the-sun series.

Pat Mills does not reprise Rough Cut in ’93. He and Tony Skinner do have an interesting concept in Dead Man Coming Through, but fail to deliver.

Faster, Faster! is a better entry. Chuck Dixon holds his head up high during this high-speed chase. Fuel by Phil Felix.

Finally, Idyll is Steven Grant’s textless flirt with danger. Only the Punisher swims away from this one.

Other than Dixon’s entry, the book is better suited as a fan than a read.

Another Punisher Summer Special to keep everyone feeling cool.

Only three stories this time around. The first is by Pat Mills who brings back a baddie from the first special.

Rough Cut is a better sequel than Bombs “R” Us was a story. The Colonel has survived and is now making snuff films. At least Mike McKone makes it look polished.

Chuck Dixon takes a turn behind the typewriter for the final two tales.

High Risk is a short, page turner that’s entertaining as it is whimsical.

Dixon doesn’t fare as well with The Local. John Hinklenton’s art doesn’t help. The commuter theme was better played and portrayed by Liam Neeson.

Okay, time to go back to the heat.

Continuing to observe International Clown Week, Four Color Holidays presents Obnoxio the Clown in his first – and only – special.

Obnoxio the Clown (1983) 1

Alan Kupperbert is judge, jury and executioner in this one-shot. He has everyone chewing the scenery like a Stan Lee-scripted comic book in Something Slimey This Way Comes.

A classic misunderstanding has the protagonists pummeling each other for a majority of the book. When the real villain is discovered, he is quickly dispatched in one panel and a witty retort.

Something Slimey is followed by Jury Duty or: “Oy, the Jury.” More slapstick and abusive asides make up the short story. The tale of tropes is not as entertaining as its predecessor, but suffices.

The book is rounded out with a few one-page puzzles and gags and wrapped up in a neat bow of homage in the form of a Marvel Masterwork Pin-Up.

Obnoxio was created by Larry Hama as a mascot to Crazy magazine. He’s described as “slovenly, vulgar and middle-aged.”

His career would cross over into comic books after Crazy. His first appearance in four color was What If..? (1977) issue 34. The second his special recounted above. Following that, the clown was basically forgotten until What The–? in 1992.

Outside of the printed world, Obnoxio made a guest appearance in Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. Fear Itself episode. His likeness was used for robots in the Spider-Man and the X-Men game Arcade’s Revenge video game.

As the summer blooms, the tans deepen and the grass grows, take a break and enjoy someone else sweltering in the heat.

The Punisher stars in this 48-page attack on peace. Pat Mills and Tony Skinner pen ‘Bombs “R” Us’ while Val Mayerik turns his talents to fleshing out the visuals.

An old acquaintance becomes the Punisher’s agenda. Lots of weaponry jargon as buyers look for the latest in killing modes.

‘Cross Purposes’ is a smart Peter David thriller with more Hitchcock tension than bloodshed. Mark Texeira and Michael Bair take care of the art chores.

Dan Slott does a credible job on a near dialog-free tale in ‘Independence Day.’ Art by Mike Harris who helps the good guys win this time.

Terrorists take on the thinly veiled, happiest place on Earth in Will Murray’s dark ‘Wish Granted.’ Much like a lighter-hearted The Mouse Who Roared, the tale looks at America from outside the box.

Art by Rodney Ramos.

Enjoy the equinoxes and solstices as the days run the longest, the nights the shortest and the temperatures the hottest.

Mr. Yak channel surfs to the cadence of a twisted ‘‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ in this holiday hoot that parodies cable television of the 1990s holiday season.

A stop on ‘The Muddy Mudskipper Christmas Show’ offers a musical that merges with an advertisement, merges with his neighbors, Ren Hoek and Stimpson J. Cat, arguing about commercialism, ad nauseum.

The Ren & Stimpy Show Holiday Special, Yah Lousy Bums! (1994)

Ren and Stimpy’s ‘Yule Time Log’ interlude is a send up – of sorts – of ‘The Gift of the Magi.’ If there is a lesson to be learned, it’s not forthcoming.

Back to Mr. Yak and more of the Muddy Mudskipper Christmas extravaganza followed by flipping through the late-night show, more commercials, trash-talk TV and a surreal look at the Ren and Stimpy Show.

Airing is ‘Black Mail, White Christmas, Green Moulah,’ a dark tale of Ren stealing Santa’s surveillance equipment and using it for evil. It ends with more channel surfing and the ugliest “snowman” conceived.

Dan Slott does a fine job of recreating the madness normally animated on television, but the special is disjointed. The flow would have been smoother had it been a television special.

The Ren and Stimpy Show debuted on Nickelodeon in 1991. Creator John Kricfalusi only lasted one year with the series, but the show ran until Dec. 16, 1995 airing 52 episodes.