The Toy Box

Comics Corner: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars 9

Title: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars
Issue Number: 9
Release Date: January 1985

Highlights

Colossus goes to fight Galactus, who has begun to devour the planet
The remaining X-Men also attack Galactus
As the remaining heroes race towards the battle aboard a ship, the Hulk sits in depression, concerned that he's losing his grip on both the brains of Bruce Banner, and the brute strength of the Hulk
As Ben Grim slams his fists down on a console, angered that he isn't the Thing, he suddenly transforms back into the orange rock hero
Spider-Man realizes that he has his webbing back, coming directly from his costume with a mere thought

He lost his web shooters when Reed Richards cannibalized them to repair Iron Man's suit

Reference is made to Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars 4
Reed Richards tells Spider-Man he'd like to examine his suit if / when he gets back to his lab
Reed Richards is convinced there is something more to the Beyonder's and his Battleworld than a cosmic being simply wanting to give the victor all they desire, and he thinks it all has something to do with Galactus
During the fight, Reed finally figures it out, and tells everyone to stop attacking Galactus

If Galactus wins, the Beyonder will grant him his greatest desire - to never have his eternal hunger again, thus ending his need to devour planets
If the Beyonder renigs on the offer, Reed is sure Galactus would then destroy him
Both scenarios are a win for the heroes, even though they all sacrifice their lives when Galactus devours the planet

Galactus beams himself, his home, and Reed Richards millions of miles way from Battleworld
Galactus shows Reed a vision of his pregnant wife and child on Earth
Doctor Doom realizes the secret to everything is Galactus's home, and escapes from the prison the heroes put him in

As he leaves, the other villains beg him to free them, but he tells them, save for one, he doesn't need any of them anymore

Doctor Doom frees Klaw, and tells him to follow him to the lab where he'll be dissected - Klaw simply responds, "Oh, good!" and follows
Reed Richards returns to the heroes and admits he doesn't know if they should fight Galactus, or simply let him devour the plant

The Thing and Human Torch say they'll follow his lead

Captain America, on the other hand, says he's going to fight, and anyone who wants to join him should come along
The battle against Galactus begins again, this time with the giant fighting the heroes directly, versus sending drones
Doom does indeed dissect Kang, who enjoys every minute of it
The members of the Fantastic Four join the fight
The heroes don't listen to Reed Richards, and deviate from their direct attack of Galactus to destroy his world eating machine
Without his machine, Galactus returns to his home, and begins reducing it to raw energy, with the intensions of devouring it
Reed informs the heroes that Galactus doesn't need his world devourer to eat planets, it just makes it easier

Once he eats his home, he'll turn his attention to the planet, and then the sun, being unstoppable

Reed deduces he'll need all of this energy to fight the Beyonder, if it comes down to it

Either way, the heroes won't be able to stop him, and they're as good as dead now

On the planet, Doom has created lenses with Klaw's body parts that will draw all the raw energy of Galactus to him

Low Points

None

Oddities

None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Pat Benatar - Tropico

It's been a fairly good trip down the road of Pat Benatar over these past couple of days, and I'd say it's also been lucrative in terms of finding some good tunes to add to my shuffle list. Sadly, my IPOD has also been missing for the past two weeks, and I can't for the life of me find it.

Prior to releasing her fourth studio album in 1984, Benatar first delivered the 1983 live album, Live From Earth. With it came two exclusive studio tracks, and a music video that would hit hard on MTV. That song was, Love Is A Battlefield. Musically, pop friendly, radio ready. Lyrically, a deep-rooted look at domestic abuse. The track would peak at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the charts for twenty-two weeks. It would also reach number one on the Billboard Rock charts, holding that position for four weeks.

This success served as a piggyback for Tropico upon its release, which would become her fifth consecutive platinum selling studio album, but sixth, including the aforementioned live album. Its lead single, We Belong flew up the charts in multiple countries, peaking at number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100. Critics praised the track, and the album as a whole, for its softer and sophisticated direction, with Pat and husband Neil stating it was their first to intentionally move away from hard rock.

A second single, Ooh Ooh Song, followed. However, it was not as successful, reaching number thirty-six in the USA, but failing elsewhere. Following the success of We Belong, Love Is A Battlefield was re-released as a single in the UK and became her highest charting song in that country.

I'm not much into ballad slow type songs, but I will admit We Belong is the reason I bought Tropico. I dare say that Pat is one of the few artists from the 80's where regardless the album you buy, you're going to get a hit. I think only the legacy type artists can truly claim that, and I suppose in hindsight, I would label her as legacy.

While I would have preferred to hear a more hard rock friendly release, I can at least get behind tracks like the above hit, Painted Desert, Love In The Ice Age. When taken into consideration with her discography as a whole, or rather, the tracks I prefer from it, it makes for a well-crafted greatest hits album with a little heavy, a little soft, and of course, all the deep topical matters that come with them all. As for the album as a standalone, I don't know that it would be my go-to.

Songs do pick up the tempo, such as A Crazy World Like This, and Ooh Ooh Song. However, the rockability style of the latter, in light of the softer tone of the rest, kind of feels out of place. Frankly, with how unique it is to the majority of her work, I don't know that it would necessarily fit in anywhere on any of her albums.

It doesn't appear that Benatar embarked on any type of tour, which would be understandable coming off of forty shows in 1983. Instead, it appears she went right back to the studio to begin work on what would become her sixth studio release, 1985's Seven The Hard Way.

With that, there's not much to say until we get to that album tomorrow.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
November 25, 1989

Comics Corner: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars 8

Title: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars
Issue Number: 8
Release Date: December 1984

Highlights

That iconic cover
First appearance of the symbiote, and Spider-Man in his black suit
Iron Man gets his alien pieces of armor, which later become Omnivore
The heroes attack the villain's base in an effort to find and help She-Hulk
Enchantress is conjuring up her own mead, and severely drunk
Reference is made to Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars 3, 4, and 6
Klaw frees Lizard from the stasis prison the villains put him in
Wrecker hits Iron Man with his prybar, damaging the heroe's armor
Absorbing Man sends shards of metal flying with one blow from his wrecking ball, shredding Spider-Man's suit with the debris
As Thing attacks Absorbing Man, he transforms back into Ben Grim
Hawkeye fires a warning arrow at Piledriver, but despite asking him to halt, the villain pushes forward - Hawkeye's next shot penetrates, shocking PIledrive, who has never been wounded before
Mr. Fantastic burns his hands pulling Iron Man in his hot armor from the path of another blast of plasma from Volcana
Hawkeye and Ben Grim distract Lizard and Klaw with a rousing game of patty cake
The heroes take over the villains base, locking them up in the dungeon
Captain Marvel and Hawkeye leave to go get Wasps body to bring her to the base for a proper burial
Colossus uses the mist from Zsaji's hut to see into her mind, and realizes that Wasp was only on the edge of death, but that the healer used so much power to help her that she herself almost died
Captain Marvel and Hawkeye arrive at the village to find Wasp alive
Mr. Fantastic fixes and enhances Iron Man's armor with the alien technology, and sees that the man underneath the armor isn't Tony Stark
After fixing up Thor's suit, the Hulk tells Spider-Man of a machine in the room behind him which can repair any type of cloth with just a thought
Spider-Man unintentionally steps up to the wrong machine, and a black blob falls in front of him
While his spider senses trigger, the ball envelopes his hand, encasing him in the black suit - A new era begins

Low Points

None

Oddities

None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Just Doodling - Animaniacs

Hello nurse!

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Retro Spins: Pat Benatar - Get Nervous

Riding the waves of her first album to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 200, 1981's Precious Time, Pat Benatar went back to the studio to record the tracks which would become 1982's Get Nervous. Prior to things starting, a lineup change occurred when Scott St. Clair Sheets departed, and Charlie Giordano would join.

Led by the single, Shadows Of The Night, and Benatar's supporting music videos which would see steady rotation on the newly launched MTV, Nervous would reach number four on the Billboard Hot 200. The single would also Garner her a third Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Two additional singles would come from the album, Little Too Late (peaking at 20), and Looking For A Stranger (peaking at 39). However, neither would chart outside of the US.

A fun fact about the music video for Shadows Of The Night is the inclusion of the relatively unknown (at the time) Judge Reinhold, and Bill Paxton. Have a watch!

If you prefer your 80's stars covered by Alvin and the Chipmunks, you can also check out the episode, Court Action, from season three. Just be aware, it's quite a bit of nightmare fuel, which sees Alvin dreaming about being put in an old time judge's cloak and wig, only to be pushed through a mirror where his head is being dribbled like a basketball, culminating in him coming face to face with an eyeless David Saville, who ushers him through a door where he begins to fall.

High on my listening session for Precious Time, I was eager to jump into Get Nervous, and was ecstatic that it launched right into things with the hit single. Of course, I'm also leery of this strategy, because it worries me that the best has been dropped from the get go, and things tank from there.

A lot of the songs are punchy, fast paced, very hard rock driven, and often touching on a deep subject matter. Sadly, most of them are also pretty generic, and forgettable. The only two tracks which stood out for me were Anxiety (Get Nervous), and Fight It Out.

It doesn't derail me from wanting to hear more from Benatar, nor does it worry me that things will get worse. I do hope there are a bit more hidden gems to be found, such as was the case with Precious Time, but I suppose I'll find out tomorrow when I jump into 1984's Tropico.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
November 24, 1984

Comics Corner: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars 7

Title: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars
Issue Number: 7
Release Date: November 1984

Highlights

First full appearance of the new Spider-Woman (AKA Julia Carpenter)
The Wrecking Crew roll up on the heroes, and toss the body of Wasp at them
The village healer, Zsaji, attempts to help Wasp, but is unsuccessful, she is dead
The heroes rally, ready to go after the villains, only to be stopped by Captain America who tells them they need to stay put and be prepared for Galactus's move to devour the planet
The X-Men attack the group of villains who were previously at the volcano
During the battle, Wolverine cuts off Absorbing Man's arm - Though he's protected from bleeding to death by being solid rock at the time
Volcana begs Enchantress to teleport her to the side of Molecule Man, and promises anything in return

Enchantress agrees

Inside Galactus's home, Doom continues to search for answers to his questions, and information on how to defeat Galactus and the Beyonder
Galactus senses small out of place on his home, and expels it - That something being Doctor Doom, which he isn't gentle about removing
Galactus also senses the erupting volcanos, and turns his attention to fixing them
Uncertain if it will work, Absorbing Man holds his severed arm in place, and turns back from rock to flesh - His arm reattaches itself
She-Hulk breaks into the villains base, seeking revenge for Wasp
Though she first gets the upper hand on all four Enforcers, she sis soon overwhelmed when the other villains join the fight
A battered and defeated Doctor Doom returns to his base, collapsing in bed
Back at their base, the other heroes notice She-Hulk is missing, and knowing where she is, they ask Captain American to go help her - He tells them no again
Meanwhile, an exhausted Zsaji stumbles out of the hut where Wasp's dead body is

Colossus, who has secretly fallen in love with her, quickly rushes to her aid

Xavier reaches out to Captain America telephatically, and tells him the X-Men will stand watch over Galactus, giving him the time he needs to go rescue his friend - Captain America accepts the offer

Low Points

None

Oddities

None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Pat Benatar - Precious Time

Still checking off boxes, I make my way back to Pat Benatar. She's an artist that has been long since been in my 80's collection for the obvious reasons. However, she's not one who I've necessarily sat down and made an effort to get from point A to point B with. So, it's time to rectify that.

She's one of the rare artists who I went back to the 70's for, and have actually done a Retro Spin on her 1979 debut, In The Heat Of The Night. I've also already go through her first 80's album, Crimes Of Passion (1980), and her last, Wide Awake In Dreamland (1988). So, essentially, it's time to fill in the gap, and let's do that by diving right into 1981's Precious Time.

Things start out with the massive hits, Promises In The Dark, and Fire And Ice. We then dive into the Paul Revere & the Raiders cover, Just Like Me, which is pretty good. While I would normally be quite critical of a cover, I don't actually know the original version to compare it to. I will say that one of the things I came to learn about Benatar in previous Spins was her heavy reliance on covering other people's music.

I was quite surprised at the title track, Precious Time. I'm surprised it didn't get much airplay back in the 80's. It's pretty solid, as far as I'm concerned. I suspect the six (plus) minute runtime probably had a lot to do with that.

Things kept firing on all cylinders with It's A Tuff Life. At first, I thought I wouldn't really like this tune with its reggae style beat, and generic punk sound. However, it quickly grew on me. Tracks taper off from there, remaining good, but not necessarily memorable.

Benatar circles back to the world of cover tunes, and finishes the album off with her rendition of The Beatles Helter Skelter. Since I'm not necessarily a fan of the Fab Four, nor the song, it's kind of a take it or leave it song for me. It's decent, definitely hard rocking, and a solid cover

Overall, it was a good listening session, and one that invigorates me to want to hear more from her. Good thing I have three more albums to go. I'm hoping the momentum can stay high, and that I grab a whole lot more for my ever expanding, and probably bloated, shuffle list.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
November 23, 1985

Comics Corner: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars 6

Title: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars
Issue Number: 6
Release Date: October 1984

Highlights

First cameo appearance of the new Spider-Woman (AKA Julia Carpenter), but only her shadow
Wasp takes rest at a swamp, only to be confronted by Lizard
Using the machines in Galactus's home, Doom inadvertently resurrects Klaw, who had recently been absorbed by Dazzler, and absorbed by the walls of Galactus's home when she fired him out of her as energy
Galactus returns to his assembly work of a device, which Doom identifies as a world devouring machine
Reference is made to Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars 2, and 4
Back at the swamp, Lizard doesn't attack Wasp, but instead stakes his claim to the swamp which she has intruded on
Xavier dispatches the X-Men to infiltrate the villains, who he probes mentally, and learns they are headed for a volcano
Storm argues with Xavier over leadership of the team, and Xavier puts her in her place
Colossus can't keep his mind off the village healer, Zsaji, falling in love with her
Captain Marvel gets approached by Iron Man, and despite him trying to make a move, she shuns him - When She flies away, she says that Iron Man is acting different from how she imagined he would be

She, and many others don't know that James Rhodes is now inside the armor, not Tony Stark

Cyclops blasts the inside of the volcano the villains were at, sending a massive chain reaction of erruptions
Wasp cleans and bandages Lizards wounded arm
A second group of villains arrives at the swamp of Lizard, and shoot Wasp, sending him into a rage
The villains capture Lizard in a stasis field, which in turn also captures Wasp

Low Points

At the halfway point of the mini series, there are more questions than answers - I hope the gaps start getting filled in soon

Oddities

None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: .38 Special - Rock & Roll Strategy

1988 ushered in the next, but short, era for .38 Special. It included a new singer, new guitarist, and new sound. The band downplayed their once heavy guitar driven tracks, instead favoring a more pop synth style. Though an abrupt shift, it paid off with the adult contemporary charts number one hit, Second Chance, which reinvigorated the band.

Despite this, Rock & Roll Strategy would be the only album from the band in the 80's which failed to receive any sales certifications. It would also serve as their last with A&E Records, which was sold at the end of the decade.

Listening to it, the new style of the band really doesn't resonate with me. Candidly, I found myself bored with it. With exception of Second Chance, which is what I bought the album for, I honestly had no interest.

By the back half of it, I was skipping tracks, just trying to find something that appealed. That never happened.

Overall, things ended on a pretty low point for me, and I'm definitely not going to call myself a fan of the group. I do like the hits, and I got a handful of other songs throughout my journey, which I suppose isn't a loss by any means.

.38 Special switched to label, Charisma Records, and released Bone Against Steel in 1991. New members Bobby Capps, and Scott Meeder came on board. The latter after the departure of Jack Grondin, who left to pursue a career as a Christian missionary.

Unfortunately, things for the label weren't too stable, and by 1992 the band found themselves on their own when Charisma folded. Additionally, after touring, Max Carl opted to depart, making room for Don Barnes to rejoin.

Since then the lineup has continued to change, and the band, though still periodically releasing studio albums, opts to focus on touring. Their most recent album, Milestone, was released in September 2025, their first in twenty-one years.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
November 22, 1980

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
November 22, 1986

Comics Corner: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars 5

Title: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars
Issue Number: 5
Release Date: September 1984

Highlights

First appearance of Galactus' Cat
Galactus summons his home from across the universe
The village healer, Zsaji, creates a concoction that starts to fill her hut with smoke, and after Human Torch breaths it in, she can see into his mind, and identify all the heroes and villains who have been brought to Battleworld

She also serves as the gateway for the flashback to bring all the readers up to date of some of the important events thus far

Johnny kisses the healer, telling her he loves her - He moves fast
Enchantress tells Doom that together they could flea Battleworld, and asks how much he would enjoy having a goddess by his side for the rest of his life - Doom responds that he wouldn't
Reference is made to Fantastic Four 244
Galactus becomes aware of the heroes presence, and sends his Cat to deal with them
Galactus begins assembling a massive machine
As soon as the battle with Galactus's Cat ends, the villains attack again, sent by Doom to cause a distraction
The X-Men join the battle, and attack the villains, giving the other heroes a well needed rest
The battle gets the attention of Galactus, and Doom uses the opportunity to infiltrate his home
Enchantress uses her powers to initiate a retreat for the villains
The X-Men give chase, leaving a wounded Colossus behind
Colossus is smitten by Zsaji, and doesn't like to see her being held by Human Torch

Low Points

None

Oddities

None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: .38 Special - Strength In Numbers

Things have been pretty uneventful throughout my listening sessions of .38 Special. Not a whole lot happened internally. No band shakeup, no members being fired, quitting, or thankfully, dying. Instead, it was status quo. Record, tour, repeat. That is until 1986.

After a three year hiatus, the band released Strength In Numbers. It spawned two singles, which were sporadically as successful as prior hits. Like No Other Night would peak on the Billboard Hot 100 at number fourteen, and Somebody Like You would stall out at forty-eight.

Playing through it, it's pretty much as expected. The hits start things off, and from there things stay okay. Nothing exciting to really write home about, but nothing so terrible that you want to skip it either.

Additional standout tracks included Last Time, and Never Give An Inch. However, the rest of it is pretty much forgettable.

Overall, it was just okay.

It looked like business as usual for the group. They would even contribute to the film, Revenge Of The Nerds II: Nerds In Paradise with the track, Back To Paradise in 1987.

However, in this same year things would suddenly change when founding member, and co-lead singer, Don Barnes, would quit. Though it's been stated that this was a result of differences with Carlisi and some of the others, no details are provided on what said differences were.

.38 Special would opt to carry on, adding Danny Chauncey as a new guitarist, and Max Carl as their new vocalist. During this time, Steve Brookins would also leave the band, but no details have really been given as to why he opted to leave.

Barnes would strike out on a solo career, recording the album, Ride the Storm for A&E in 1989. However, this would be shelved when the label was sold. He returned to the band in 1992.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
November 21, 1981

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
November 21, 1987

Comics Corner: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars 4

Title: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars
Issue Number: 4
Release Date: August 1984

Highlights

First appearance of Zsaji
Death of Kang
Molecular Man destroy the super heroes headquarters with a wave of his hand, and then drops a mountain on them
Thor and Enchantress return to where they original left from - Unfortunately, it's to a destroyed base, surrounded by all the villains
Thor is defeated, and seemingly disintegrated, but actually escaped
Doom has Ultron kill Kang to show the other villains that treachery against him will not be tolerated
Reference is made to Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars 1
The X-Men arrive at Magneto's base, and inform him they want to work together
Wasp reveals that she was just going along with Magneto to reveal his plan, and now that she knows, she's bailing
The X-Men try to stop Wasp, but she defeats them, and escapes
Wolverine complains that the X-Men keep getting defeated by everyone they attack
The Hulk struggles to brace the mountain on his back, keeping it from crushing the heroes
Reed Richards concocts a plan to free the heroes, but it requires items from the other heroes, including Spider-Man's web shooters
Reed Richards insults Hulk, intentionally making him angrier because his anger makes him stronger, buying more time for him to create a cannon which Iron Man uses to blast a massive hole through the mountain
Captain Marvel scouts the planet, and finds a village where she leads the other heroes to
The villagers take them in
Galactus remains standing on the mountain top, which is within site of the village
The healer of the village helps the wounded, including healing Human Torch's broken arm and ribs
Ben Grim suddenly turns back into the Thing
Without warning, Galactus begins moving, all to the horrific shouts of "No" from Reed Richards

Low Points

Things have been steadily slowing down since the previous issue

Oddities

None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: .38 Special - Tour De Foce

Without drama, lineup changes, or other such information, it's difficult to really put together a post that delves into the history of a band. Well, it's actually easier, but it doesn't necessarily make for much to read or write about.

Such has been the trend with my journey through .38 Special, there's nothing really to talk about past a couple details of the albums. 1983's Tour De Force was yet another platinum seller for the boys. It ushered in their third number one Billboard Rock Charts hit, Back Where You Belong, and the top twenty hit, If I'd Been The One. Both would also reach the top twenty for the Billboard Hot 100.

Much like their previous records, .38 Special comes out of the gate with the singles starting things off. It sets the bar high, but also leaves me concerned that it's the best, leaving just the rest.

One of the things that was very noticeable was the absence of the traditional Southern rock sound that was typical of their music. While it showed up in mild doses, everything sounded more mainstream pop rock. A product of the times, so to speak. It wasn't a bad thing by any means. It just wasn't expected.

I did end up grabbing more for my shuffle than I initially thought I would. These included the songs, If I'd Been The One, Back Where You Belong, See Me In Your Eyes, Long Distance Affair, and I Oughta Let Go, I suppose ratio wise, that would make Tour De Force my favorite of the the three I've listened to so far.

It would be three more years before .38 Special would release another studio album. However, this wasn't from just sitting around. Instead, the band was out touring, working with up and coming opening acts, Huey Lewis And The News, and Bon Jovi. It would also be during this time that we'd finally get a bit of drama from the band, and the start of lineup changes.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
November 20, 1982