TITLE: The Invaders – Vol. 1, Issue #15
YEAR: April 1977
COMPANY: Marvel Comics
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas
Illustrators: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Letter: John Costanza
Colorists: Don Warfield
Back in 1964, writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema would feature the debut of The Invaders in “The Avengers” issue #71. But the group before the had The Invaders monicker dates back in the mid-1940’s in “All Winners Comics” issue #19 (Fall 1946) which was published by Timely Comics (the original name before it changed to Marvel Comics in 1961) and they would appear once more in issue #21.
The superhero team was known as “The All-Winners Squad” and featured a team which would consist of Captain America, Bucky, Human Torch, Toro, Sub-Mariner, Whizzer, Miss America, Blonde Phantom and Angel (not the same Angel from the Uncanny X-Men).
In 1975, the first issue of “The Invaders” was released and the setting would be during World War II and Adolf Hitler and the Nazis were the primary antagonists.
And with issue #15, as America had The Invaders, England had the Crusaders. And with the group are in England discussing if they should turn over a job to guard the King of England to the Crusaders, many on the team are against it.
This upsets Spitfire because she feels her teammates are pro-American and will not trust anyone else, including a Britain superteam.
I found this issue fascinating as it addressed the need for a British team and that not everything should be left to Americans, when other countries have their own superheroes.
Needless to say, the argument between the members of whether to turn over a job to the Crusaders or not, will eventually create a rift.
Meanwhile in Britain, the team are having a meeting and their government contact, Alfie is telling them to beware of the Invaders because they are Nazi’s and they were fighting against their own.
But when Alfie leaves, he reports to the Nazis of how he has the Crusaders wrapped around their finger but he is unaware that Dynamite (in super miniature size) had hitched a ride in his pocket and heard everything. But Alfie knocks Dynamite out with a telephone sending him falling in the ocean.
Dynamite is able to use his remaining power to hitch a ride and make it to where the Invaders are staying and tells them they must protect the King by preventing him from christening the H.M.S. Hornblower.
But to do that, they know they will need to go through the Crusaders, who think the Invaders are Nazis.
While I enjoyed this story, I do feel it cheapened the whole effect because instead of the Invaders giving support to these new heroes, they just let these heroes quit (because they fell for the Nazi’s tricks and can’t fathom that they were working and believed a Nazi). If anything, the Invaders should reinforced that Britain needs their own heroes.
But granted, this was released in the late ’70s and years before Excalibur and Marvel UK and even before the “Contest of Champions” which revealed more international superheroes.