This file created by Jess Nevins, jjnevins@ix.netcom.com. Amalgam Annotations: Dr. StrangeFate #1 (corrections/additions to my errors/omissions are welcome) p 2 The "Abominite" - a merging of Marvel's Abomination (a long-time enemy of the Hulk who is big and green and deformed, like the Amalgam Abominite, and who is also living in the sewers, like the Amalgam Abominite) and DC's Hellgrammite, about whom I know nothing about. p 5 "Dr. StrangeFate." Again, I apologize if I'm explaining the obvious, but I assume at least someone out there won't know what's going on... Dr. StrangeFate is a combination of DC's premier magic-user, Dr. Fate, and Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Strange. From Dr. Fate we get the Egyptian motif and the unmistakable helmet; from Dr. Strange we get the long, flowing cloak and the look of the tower, including the very- recognizable oval window. p 6 "Myx" - a combination of the Marvel Continuity characters Wong (Dr. Strange's faithful Asian manservant, created back in the days when people weren't aware of how demeaning a stereotype this is) and the magical imp Nyx (an unwilling helper to Dr. Strange in Marvel Continuity), and the DC Continuity Mr. Mxyzptlk (or, if you are spelling it GA-style, "Mxyztplk"), the magical imp from another dimension who has been plaguing Superman for the last 50+ years. Thanks to John Jakala and a few other people whose name I didn't catch for clearing up Myx's DC and Marvel analogues for me. p 7 Enter Dr. StrangeFate's "chosen agents": "Bruce Banner, Skulk" - in "real" Marvel Continuity Bruce Banner is the Hulk. His DC source will become clear in a few pages. "Frankie Rayner, Jade Nova" - combining the most recent of DC's Green Lanterns, Kyle Rayner (we see her lighting a cigarette with the ever-recognizable GL ring), and Marvel's Frankie Raye, who had flame powers and joined the Fantastic Four as Nova before being apotheosized by Galactus and becoming his herald. She died, eventually, at the hands of one of Galactus' other heralds. (John Jakala points out that part of her character is also the DC Continuity heroine Jade, who is the daughter of the GA Green Lantern). "Wanda Zatara, White Witch" - Wanda Maximoff, in Marvel Continuity, is the Scarlet Witch, a mutant sorceress who was a member of the Avengers. Zatanna Zatara, in DC Continuity, is a sorceress who used to be (pre-Crisis, pre-Zero Hour) a member of the Justice League of America. And the White Witch was, pre-Zero Hour, a member of the Legion of Superheroes. Wanda Zatara has the white motif of the LSH White Witch; her costume is a combination of the Scarlet Witch's and Zatanna's. Kevin Wong points out that Wanda Zatara might also be influenced by the Marvel Continuity character the White Queen, an enemy of the X-Men, especially given her blatantly sexual nature and costume. And John Polojac points out that, given the interplay between the Wanda Zatara and Dr. StrangeFate, Zatara might also be influenced by the Marvel Continuity character Clea, who also has white hair and was at one time Dr. Strange's lover. Paul Moorehead and Michale Grabois point out that Dr. StrangeFate's use of agents to achieve his ends is quite similar to the DC Continuity character Baron Winters, who might be a further influence on Dr. StrangeFate. p 8 I originally found the characterization of Wanda Zatara here to be offensive - stereotypical Horny Female, willing to screw anything that moves - but others, Elayne Weschler-Chaput prominently among them, have convinced me I'm overreacting. Mark Coale points out that that big book near Fate in panel 1 could be the Book of the Vishanti, which is a powerful talisman for Marvel's Dr. Strange. p 9 Dr. StrangeFate here mentions two of his enemies: "Mephisatanus" and "Baron Wotan." Mephisatanus is a merging of Marvel's Mephisto and DC's Lord Satanis; Mephisto was the personification of ultimate evil in the Marvel Universe (until, as Jeremy Harris pointed out, he got killed recently), while Lord Satanis is a very powerful evil sorcerer from the future; Baron Wotan is a merging of Marvel's Baron Mordo and DC's Wotan; Baron Mordo is Dr. Strange's arch-enemy, and Wotan is Dr. Fate's arch-enemy. p 10 Just about the only page in this issue in which we get some throwaway metatext; the sword with Superman's symbol is, as bgrubb points out, from a 1984 Superman annual - the sword was created during the Big Bang; the mask is, I think, from Monarch, a DC villain-from-the-future who-came-back-in-time- to-take-over-the-world and was revealed to actually be a hero who would eventually go bad (several others, including Kevin Wong, have pointed out that the mask looks a combination of the masks of Monarch and Marvel's Iron Man); the hammer is Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor - Marvel's Thor, in this case, although Marvel's Mjolnir could only be lifted by someone worthy - which is definitely not the case with Frankie Rayner here (extraspecial annotation for the truly obscure-minded: Mjolnir here is all pitted and damaged on one side - this might, just might, be Marz making reference to Journey into Mystery #120 (or thereabouts) when it got damaged by the Destroyer, who sliced off the end of the hammer, which left it looking more or less like this); and that coin next to Mjolnir might well be one of Two-Face's coins or a reference to the coin from the classic DC Continuity Batman case "the Penny Plunderers." (although we have already seen that penny in _Legends of the Dark Claw_ #1) Theodore Jay Miller pointed out the Maltese Falcon in the background. p 11 That figure on the wanted poster on the wall in panel 2 is the Hyena, the Amalgam Universe Joker, who figures prominently in _Legends of the Dark Claw_ #1. p 12 We see here perhaps my favorite merging of them all - Bruce Banner, "Skulk" - actually Bruce Banner, the Incredible Hulk, merged with DC's Solomon Grundy. Grundy looks more or less like Skulk, and is white like Skulk - but DC Continuity Solomon Grundy has no alternate, human identity, and is just a malign failed Earth elemental. This Bruce Banner, moreover, can change into his monstrous alter-ego at will - which is rarely if ever something the Marvel Continuity Bruce Banner has been able to do. John Jakala points out that there seems to be a bit of the DC Continuity Character John Constantine in Amalgam's Skulk, what with his scruffy appearance, his overcoat, and his name - "skulk." p 15 The relationship here between Frankie Rayner and Skulk is in keeping with the friendship between their DC Continuity analogues Jade and Solomon Grundy. p 18 Dr. StrangeFate mentions having been taught by "Nabu the Ancient One." In DC Continuity Nabu was, depending on the writer, either the ancient Egyptian god that gave Dr. Fate his powers, or the Lord of Order who inhabited Dr. Fate's helmet. In Marvel Continuity the Ancient One was the wizened figure who instructed Dr. Strange and acted as his mentor. p 19 That's the All-Seeing Eye of Agamotto that Dr. StrangeFate is using on Access - the Eye is Dr. Strange's most powerful tool, back in Marvel Continuity. p 22 Charles Xavier, of course, is (in Marvel Continuity) the bald-headed leader of the X-Men, and (as implied here) the most powerful telepath on Earth. Thanks to Mark Coale, bgrubb, Michael Grabois, Jeremy Harris, John Jakala, Doug Limmer, Theodore Jay Miller, Paul Moorehead, Elayne Weschler-Chaput, Kevin Wong, and everyone else whose names I didn't catch for their comments and corrections. jess This file created by Jess Nevins, jjnevins@ix.netcom.com.