Never saw that cover before. Truly awesome.

Dan,co-incidence, I just bought that issue a couple months ago.
John Bucema art.

Lars -

John Buscema and Joe Sinnott too !  WAHOO !

I bought that issue (not the copy I posted) right off the rack the same month I bought FF #155 !  Buckler & Sinnott !  WAHOO !

Re: SVTU #14 -

The Avengers and the Champions bowing down before Dr. Doom . . . . that's scary when a person thinks of the ramifications !  The cover communicates total mastery!

Ah well, the Shrould is so obviously derivative in his origin (mugger killed parents), it was at least interesting to note that one bit of his origin seemed homaged later on.

http://random-happenstance.blogspot.com/2008/03/how-dcs-lawy ers-missed-this-i-have-no.html

Interestingly, when the Shroud debuted, Bruce Wayne's trip to Tibet was not a part of his origin. It was not added till the late 1980's, so far as I know. Of course, the Shadow's Oriental scholarship was already long established.

In an article for Comics Scene, David Goyer noted that he wrote a screenplay for Doctor Strange in the 1990's. He noted that he wanted to follow the origin storyline-a selfish, acquisitive man gets redeemed when going to Tibet and studying under a mystic. Then The Shadow came out in 1994 which features a similar origin. So he rewrote his Doctor Strange screenplay to not focus on Tibet. However, Goyer felt no compunctions about including Tibet in Batman Begins. Goyer stated this in Comics Scene #49.

Tibet and or the Himalyas or Himalayan Mountains have played parts in the history of the Cold People, Lizard Men, Blazing Skull, Vision, Thin Man, Dr. Strange, Dr. Druid, Doctor Doom, the Aged Ghenghis, the Ancient One, and the Undying Ones. Fu Manchu trained in Tatsienlu, Tibet. Minya Konka Mountain saw the site of the Rache Churan, the Monastery of Fear. There he learned martial arts, botany, medicine, and hypnotism. Thugben Sung runs the monastery now.

John -

Your research affirms that Tibet/Tibetan Buddhism is "huge" in comics !

Tibet and or the Himalyas or Himalayan Mountains have played parts in the history of the Cold People, Lizard Men, Blazing Skull, Vision, Thin Man, Dr. Strange, Dr. Druid, Doctor Doom, the Aged Ghenghis, the Ancient One, and the Undying Ones. Fu Manchu trained in Tatsienlu, Tibet. Minya Konka Mountain saw the site of the Rache Churan, the Monastery of Fear. There he learned martial arts, botany, medicine, and hypnotism. Thugben Sung runs the monastery now.

***

Tibet was always a cliche for that kind of origin.

Stan Lee writes in his ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS, that he based Dr. Strange partially on an old radio show, he listened to in his youth called: CHANDU THE MAGICIAN.  Chandu likewise, had his origins in learning mystic arts in Tibet.

Darren -

I remember reading Lee's thoughts on Chandu and Doc Strange !  That's a fun book !

BTW: What was always "strange" to me is that DS became the Master of the Mystic arts while studying under the Ancient One.  This would have prepared him to traffick in Tibetan Buddhism, Tantric Hinduism, Bonism and Asian Shamanism or Animism.  But it would not have trained him to be a "master" in things like Voodoo, Black Magic, Witchcraft, Egyptian and Sumerian mysticism, etc.  I've always wondered, how and when did DS pick up all of these other skills that he is apparently proficient in? As much time as DS has been portrayed in meditation and study to become the master he is, it would take more than just a graduate or post-graduate course in world religions to enable him to be actively proficient in so many diverse fields of magic !

Why not? The Ancient One was reeeeally ancient!

LOL !  Good one JB, I never made that connection !  But then again, when did AO get out of Kamar Taj (either physically or ectoplasmically) to learn about other forms of magic?  You don't suppose he just put the Darkhold under his pillow at night and learned all of this stuff osmotically?

Maybe this is something you can write/draw in the future?  Not the "osmosis" but AO's student years and travels !  Might make a fun ret-con !

If you want to be a master of the mystic arts, you've got to be dedicated!

Well said Darren !  However, I understand "mysticism" as a supernatural/contemplative form of magic that doesn't embrace all forms of magic!  In short, DS would be more appropriately named: Master of Magic, if he is indeed master of all the forms we discussed above!