Vision and the Scarlet Witch #8

1958 marked the first of many appearances of civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr in a comic book. Martin Luther King and The Montgomery Story tells of the Atlanta preacher's involvement in the Alabama bus boycott that came about from the incarceration of Rosa Parks after she refused to give up her seat to a white patron. What I am not certain about is the first instance of a comic book to take place during Martin Luther King's birthday, I very much may have read the very first one. 

The first push for a federal holiday honoring King was in 1968 just a few days after his assassination. The push for the ratification of a bill had gained enough momentum by 1981 that the US Senate was presented with a petition signed by some 6 million people after a brief march through the nation's capitol, led by King's widow, Coretta. After a few committee stalls and some contentious debate, a vote took place in the fall of 1983. The bill was signed into law by Ronald Reagan in November with the first official Federal holiday of Dr. King's birthday to take place in January, 1986.

This issue of Vision and the Scarlet Witch hit store shelves on February 4th, 1986, just 2 short weeks after the first official MLK, Jr. holiday observance. Other books might have come out before celebrating the unofficial observances of King's birthday. There might have been other books released by DC and Marvel (or some of the smaller publishers) earlier that year that also have stories that take place during that first MLK Day. I just don't know. For a fan of holiday themed comic books, this is my first experience with a story set during this event. There's been a couple of books I've read that mention the Federal observance as a part of King's legacy. But usually those books only have a single panel set during the holiday. This story is 24 pages of super heroes operating during the night of January 20th, 1986.

Quicksilver and wife Crystal are visiting with Vision and the Scarlet Witch when Luke Cage comes crashing through the living room window of the former Avengers. This is supposed to be a peaceful day for Cage, reflecting on the legacy of Dr. King. Instead, a magical death cult has other plans for the Hero for Hire. 

Followers of a demon called Zor are looking for a set of idols that Luke Cage and partner Power Fist once confiscated and gave to Wanda for safe keeping. Wanda hid the idols somewhere in the World Trade Center. With brother Pietro in tow, Cage, Vision and the Scarlet Witch head over to the WTC to destroy the relics once and for all.

You might think that a story such as this has minimal references to MLK Birthday and you're right. Unlike an issue set at Christmas, Halloween or just about any other holiday, the settings are not full of posters of Dr. King and other decorations. We get Luke Cage reflecting on the civil rights icon. Scarlet Witch bestows Cage a blessing of the 'new holiday'. Then as things end for the story, Quicksilver makes a racist statement against humans and Cage comments that making strides for racially equality includes mutants and that was what Dr. King's dream was all about.

Yes- this issue really ends with Luke Cage doing his best impression of Linus from A Charlie Brown Christmas! The sapping ending kinda gives new meaning to Cage's trademark exclamation of 'Sweet Christmas.' Yet, in a time when not every state was willing to celebrate a holiday devoted to a black American, this issue was a big deal. Remember it wouldn't be until 1993 before Arizona would finally observe MLK Day and another 7 years before South Carolina would pay state employees for the day off work. So to have January 20th the setting of this Marvel issue, as passing or trite as the creative team might have made it's usage in this story, it was a huge step forward in bringing about normalcy and acceptance to the new holiday celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out 10 stars.