The Marvel Adventures Of Indiana Jones

Many movie goers lose their minds when a new Star Wars film is released in the cinema as they cannot get enough of the Jedi and their fight against the evils of the universe. In fact, most people only focused on Star Wars when Disney bought LucasFilms back in 2012 and seem to have forgotten about one of the company’s most iconic characters: the one and only Indiana Jones! No joke, when the sale went through I was more excited about the prospect of new Indiana Jones films then Star Wars, and while I love Star Wars I have always felt that Indiana was more of a special movie experience. I can remember watching the Indiana Jones movies while playing with my Kenner Indiana Jones figure based on Raiders Of The Lost Ark and being mesmerized by the over all adventures those movies brought to their viewers, and with it being almost July 4, 2021, why not do a update about an America Hero and with a new Indiana Jones movie hitting the cinema in just a couple of days. I knew this update had to happen as Indiana Jones is a true American hero in the world of cinema, novels, video games and comic books! So sit back and pack a backpack, as it’s time to go on an epic adventure with Indiana Jones and Marvel Comics.

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Dr. Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones Jr. is the son of Henry Jones Sr. and works as a professor of archaeology in New Jersey at Marshall College in the 1930’s. The college is the one to foot the bill when Indiana goes on research trips and expeditions that have him travel all over the world and find all types of artifacts from the Lost Ark Of The Covenant, The Crystal Skull, The Holy Grail, The Sankara Stones among so many more. During his adventures he has made many friends and colleagues with names like Short Round, Willie Scott, Sallah as well as Marion Ravenwood with whom he ended up having a son named Mutt Williams. At one point Indiana even had an adventure with his father Henry Sr. to find the Holy Grail and they ran into a ghost knight while on the hunt. He has gone up against Nazis, Cults, Natives and Thieves and everything in between, and all the while he is the hero needed in the situations he finds himself in. It has also been shown that even as a youngster Indiana Jones has went on exploring adventures and was a hero. Indiana Jones is a skilled fist fighter and as well skilled with a gun and a whip. This is only a small crash course of the history of Indiana Jones who I think is hands down one of the best heroes in cinema history and actor Harrison Ford was the best choice to play the character.

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The first film in the series was “Raiders Of The Lost Ark” that was released in 1981 and has Indiana Jones looking for the lost Ark of the Covenant while trying to out step the Nazis who also want it! The film was a major hit with moviegoers and critics and brought the series into the world of pop culture. Raiders brought in $212,222,025.00 on a budget of only $18 million. “Temple Of Doom” was the second film and was released in 1984 and has Indy going after the Sankara Stones that are in the grip of Mola Ram and a Thuggee Cult, all the while he also saves children who are being used as slaves. The film was a prequel and was very popular when released with the kids who flooded the cinema to see it. The film brought in $179,870,271.00 on a budget of $28 million! The third movie was “Last Crusade” that was released in 1989 and has Indiana Jones and his father going after the Holy Grail and fighting with the Nazis again to get it! The film was a major hit with critics and fans and some even say it’s the best sequel and even best in the series! The film did fantastic at the box office bringing in $197,171,806.00 on a budget of $48 million. The fourth film in the series was released in 2008 and is called “Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull” and has Indiana Jones looking for the famed crystal skull while tangling with the Soviets and meeting his son Mutt Williams for the first time! The film was met with mixed reviews from moviegoers and critics, but was a hit at the box office bringing in $317,101,119.00 on a budget of $185 million. Now, with the fifth film about to hit theaters, who knows what true adventure Indiana Jones will have and how epic this one will be! But one thing is for sure, I will be there opening night and ready to find one of the world’s lost treasures along side Indy!

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I grew up watching the Indiana Jones films and have seen them all so many times I have lost count! For me hands down the best film in the series is Raiders Of The Lost Ark as it’s the original and really has that adventure feel to it. Plus it’s just so pure and really is a great way to pay respects to all the cliffhangers that inspired it. But when it comes down to the sequels many fans are torn to which is the best. Most say Last Crusade is the best and Crystal Skull is the worst, as people seem to not be able to get past CGI Monkeys and Indy surviving a nuclear blast in a refrigerator. For me the best sequel is Temple Of Doom as it was a film I grew up watching and was the one I had action figures of as well as books, trading cards and even comics and would be one that my brother and I would watch all the time and even played toy adventures in that world. The film had that true big adventure feel and the main villain Mola Ram was pretty spooky as he was a High Priest who can steal the hearts of his enemies! Plus Mola Ram’s men kidnap kids and forced them into labor! Indiana Jones also has a sidekick in the film called Short Round who is a taxicab driver who was 11 years old and is wise for his age, he was played by Ke Huy Quan, credited at the times as Jonathan Ke Quan, who also played Data in The Goonies! Willie Scott a club singer is the love interest in this film, and she is alright but she is no Marion Ravenwood as I feel Willie is more of the damsel in distress. Plus moments from the film like the iconic Indiana Jones on the bridge fighting and bringing it and the bad guys down is pure cinema gold and has stuck with me over the decades. And for those wondering, my least favorite in the series is Last Crusade as I could not get into that one as much and while I enjoyed it, I feel that Sean Connery and his over acting dragged it down slightly…but again keep in mind I still like the movie. And now after talking about Temple Of Doom, I have to get the old DVD out and give it a watch! Also I should say that my brother had the Indiana Jones figure from LJN and I had Mola Ram growing up and I can remember us making them fight, and of course Indiana always won.

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While not in modern times, back in the 80’s and 90’s the Indiana Jones franchise was hugely popular and was on track with Star Wars when it came to loyal fans. So with the popularity of Indy ABC decided to air a TV Show called “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles” that followed the character as a youngster with even a cameo from Harrison Ford as a 50-year-old Indiana in an episode. This show would have two seasons and would run 28 episodes and had actors Corey Carrier playing Indiana age 8-10 with Sean Patrick Flanery playing him age 16-21 and George Hall playing him at age 93! And the show would also have some amazing guest stars like Christopher Lee, Daniel Craig, Elizabeth Hurley, Keith David, Michael Gough, Max Von Sydow and Catherine Zeta-Jones among many others. The show was created by George Lucas when he found that many crew members on the sets of the film would always chat about the life that Indiana Jones must have had growing up and this sparked Lucas to write out a timeline of what Indiana Jones did in his younger life, and with that, the TV Show was born! The score for the series was done by Laurence Rosenthal and was good, not John Williams level but still a solid score. The show was meet with mix reviews by critics and fans with mostly them being positive, and the show would even win six Emmy Awards. The show would be released on VHS as well as DVD and while not as iconic as the films it still has a following and is great for fans of Indiana Jones to continue his adventures. And for those of you wondering, yes, I watched this show growing up and very much enjoyed it, and while I have not re-watched it since I was a kid, it is a TV series that I plan on revisiting at some point.

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We all know that Indiana Jones is a very iconic movie franchise, and one thing that all fans know is the amazing score work from John Williams that helps makes the films even more special! I mean you know as well as I do that as you have been reading this update you have hummed or heard “Raiders March” at least once! And while the Indiana Jones films are amazing, I truly think that the score work of John Williams really does make them even more top notch and adds to the adventure feeling of the films. I could never see another composer ever doing the score for any future Indiana Jones films, and if and when Williams is replaced, the new composer will have big shoes to fill. I just had to take this brief moment to praise the score as I truly do think that is some of the most iconic work done in modern cinema, so do yourself a favor and get these scores in your collection whether its on vinyl, CD, cassette or digital and give it a listen while you read the rest of this update.

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Another thing I want to quickly talk about is the very cool novels that have been released that features not only novelization versions of the films but also new adventures giving fans even more Indiana expeditions while they waited for new films. One of the books even was choose your own adventure style and was written by R.L. Stine who of course is known for his Goosebumps and Fear Street books. Of course growing up I had many of these books that I would get from the School Book Fair as well as find at Half Price Books. I can remember enjoying them, and while I liked the comics more these were fun reads on lazy rainy days or even late nights before going to sleep. In factm I think I still have a few of these novels in my paperback book collection.

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If the comics and novels didn’t give you enough new Indiana Jones adventures, he of course also made his way to the world of video games and has appeared on many systems as we are talking from computer to X-Box 360! Some of the games I want to highlight are the first Indiana Jones game was released for the Atari 2600 and was based on the film Raiders of The Lost Ark. In 1988 Temple Of Doom was released of the NES and had two versions of the game one official and one unofficial. In 1994 the super cool Indiana Jones Greatest Adventure was released for the Super Nintendo. 1994 also saw Instruments Of Chaos being released for Sega Genesis and had you play as Young Indiana Jones. In 2000 the N64 game Indiana Jones And The Infernal Machine was released and lastly 2003 seen the release of Indiana Jones And The Emperor’s Tomb released for PC, X-Box and Playstation 2, and this is really just a very small amount of games that have been released featuring Indiana as many PC games as well as even handheld and home console games have been released. The ones I highlighted here are the ones I remember playing the most over the years and are ones that have stuck with me. What was cool about these games and much like the novels, comics and toys they added new life and adventures to the film series and allowed the character to continue on as the fans waited for the next film or in some cases episode of air on TV. I keep the hope alive that for Playstation 5 we will get a new Indiana Jones game as I feel his return to the digital world is long over due.

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When I was a youngster Indiana Jones made his way into the world of action figures as well and my brother and I had to have them! The first series was 3 ¾” figures based on Raiders Of The Lost Arch and released in 1982 by Kenner and lasted two series and a total of 9 figures, 1 horse and 4 playsets with Indiana Jones in his classic hat and jacket being the most popular figure in the series. The line had three versions of Indiana and also had figures of Marion Ravenwood, Toht, Belloq and Sallah. Growing up I had many of these figures and playsets and still have some of them to this day. The next Indiana Jones toys that were big when I was a kid were released by LJN in 1984 and were based on Temple Of Doom and lasted for only three figures that were of course Indiana Jones, Mola Ram and Giant Thugee. And again growing up we had these LJN figures well we had Indiana and Mola Ram, and they were pretty cool. we got them from the old department store Gold Circle. And in 2008 with the release of Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull more toys were released this time by Hasbro and had figures not only released based on that film, but all of the other films in the series! And I bought so many of these figures as at the time I was in the early stages of making my own stop motion movie based on Flash Gordon and many of the Indiana Jones characters were to appear in his quest. And this is only some of the toys released based on the films! But needless to say, if you, like me, grew up a fan of Indiana Jones these figures added new adventures for the hero as we waited for the next film to be released.

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Indiana Jones of course had way more merchandise then what we have already talked about as collectors had so much cool stuff to collect over the years and this included shirts, posters, stickers, drinking glasses, board games, trading cards, statues, magazines, magnets, Halloween masks, watches, pocket knives, home media and so much more! I mean growing up I had some of the glasses, Halloween masks, trading cards and even one of the board games. And as you can see Indiana Jones has graced so many items both official and fan made that collect Indiana Jones stuff can be easy as well as a little pricy as some of the official merchandise has climbed in prices over the years. But if you like Indiana Jones and are a collector make sure to search your local toy, comic and antique shops as well as online shops and see what you can add to your collection today.

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Well as I am sure you have guessed by now that I am a big fan of the Indiana Jones movie series and we are now at the point of this update that we review the comics and again the Marvel Comics series was a no brainer for me to select as they are the ones I grew up reading. And what makes this update even more awesome for me is that I get the chance to reread these issues again after all these years and it will be cool to see if they hold up and are as enjoyable as they were back then. I want to thank Mavericks Cards And Comics, Bell Book And Comic, Game Swap Kettering and Lone Star Comics for having these comics in stock and making this update possible. I want to also remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, it’s entertainment value and it’s art and story. So if you are ready lets see what kind of adventures Indiana Jones can have in the Marvel Universe, and I am going to shorten the comics title from “The Further Adventures Of Indiana Jones” to just simply Indiana Jones.

Further Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 1

Indiana Jones # 1  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 1 of 34

Indiana Jones gets a visit from a former student named Charlie Dunne who informs him that he has found the gold cursed statues called The Ikons Of Ikammanen and before he can tell Indy anything else a knife is thrown into the window killing Charlie! Indiana takes Charlie’s notes, maps and heads to the location as Dunne’s sister Edith in order to tell her the grim news as well as find these statues. Indy shows up in Africa and is greeted by Edith, and Indy tells her his main goal is to find who killed her brother and to then find the statues, but ones the enter his hotel room the are attacked by shrouded men who have knives, as Indy fights them off one kidnaps Edith and runs through the streets. Indy gives chase and soon finds himself in a trap that takes him to a underground base were he meets Solomon Black a criminal business man who wants Indy and Edith to find the statues so he can sell them as they are made of gold, and threatens the life of Edith if they do not help him as he is also in control of some very bad men and his hooded henchman Vont will do whatever he says and that includes murder. Indy and Edith are forced to head to the island with the gold statues and find that the beach is booby trapped when it kills one of the two guards, and once at the temple Indy finds that the statues are really just human bodies dipped in gold and he and Edith are attacked and about to be dipped themselves in gold by a tribal cult of old men that lives on the island.

This is such a fun Indiana Jones comic adventure and showcased why back in the 60’s-80’s Marvel Comics was the king of the comics. In this adventure Indiana must travel to an island in order to find golden statues that are said to be a legend, but he is forced to search for them when one of his old students is murdered and a crime boss threatens the life of a young woman. Indiana Jones is a true hero in this comic as he does the right thing when needed, wants to solve a murder, find lost treasure and protect the life of a young woman, and he uses his trusty whip and handgun to get himself out of danger as well as to set his adventure on the right path. Edith Dunne is a smart young lady who along with her brother found the secrets of the Golden Statue, and yet cause she is a woman the bad guys downplay her worth is the quest to get them, and you have to feel bad for her due to her brother being murdered. Solomon Black is a slimy crime boss who surrounds himself with cold blooded killers, and all he cares about his getting the gold statues so that he can sell them and make lots of money, lets hope he gets what’s coming to him soon. The issue is filled with drama, adventure and even a little dash of comedy as Indiana’s wit is in full effect. This was a great issue and story to kick off a comic series based on such an iconic movie character, and as I said proved that Marvel Comics use to truly know how to make great comics. The cover is very eye catching and showcases Indiana Jones and his whip surrounded by the other character in the adventure and the interior art is done by the team of John Byrne and Terry Austin is great stuff, but I do have to say I wish that they drew Indiana to look more like Harrison Ford the actor who plays him in the films. Over all this is a great read and makes me look forward to seeing what’s next!

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 2

Indiana Jones # 2  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 2 of 34

Indiana and Edith are being lowered by a chain into a molten gold pit by the islands natives and are trying to find away to escape this painful death, and that’s when Mr. Black and his men arrive and start a battle with the natives an this allows Indiana and Edith to swing the chain an hit the leaver to free themselves. Once outside the temple Mr. Black and his men have defeated the natives and Black gives the order to kill Indiana and Edith as he does not need them anymore and that’s when more natives show up and attack Mr. Black and his men given Indiana and Edith a second chance as they are forced to work along Black and his men in this attack. After the fight Indiana is able to save he and Edith’s life by claiming there is more gold statues an that only he and maybe 11 other people in the world can read it. While back on the ship Edith dresses sexy and lures one of the armed guards into a trap, and Indiana and Edith make their way off the ship but end up being caught by Mr. Black who makes the pair walk the plank into the ocean. But just then a German submarine fires a missile at Black’s ship sinking it and the German’s give our heroes a ride to New York, and best Edith is able to save one of the golden statues. Edith and Indiana get on a plane with one of the statues an that is when Indiana confronts Edith with being behind the murder of her own brother, and it’s true as the pilot of the plane was also in on the killing and quick thinking Indiana says the magic words that brings the golden statue alive and as it kills Edith and her cohort our hero Indiana Jones gets a parachute and dives from the soon to be crashing in the ocean plane.

This second issue is a pretty fun adventure as it has Indiana Jones along with Edith trying to survive natives who want to turn them into golden statues, avoid being murdered by Mr. Black and his band of cutthroat killers as well as for Indiana to try and find out who killed his friend and former student that started these crazy events. Indiana Jones as always is very brave and uses his not only his skills in fighting but it’s his mind that gets himself out of trouble, and is able to defeat all his enemies that seem to be all around. And he not only gets to bring down a scummy criminal organization but also stops a killer who was after fame and fortune. Speaking of that killer her name is Edith and she is the sister of the murdered friend of Indiana who has her brother killed so that she could get all the credit for the golden statues that they were close to discovering, an worse is Indiana had to protect this killer as they both get kidnapped by criminals…and at a point he already knew she was the one who killed his friend. Mr. Black and his men are cold blooded and they do not value human life as they as well just want money and lots of it. Plus while the ship he was on got blown up I think Mr. Black is not dead and will be back. I like the touch of the Golden Statue coming to life at the end to kill Edith and her cohort as it adds that supernatural cliffhanger feel that has made Indiana Jones films so special over the decades. And like I said before the creative team behind this series clearly knew how to make a comic based on this movie character as this was a very entertaining read. The cover for this issue is ok an not as eye catching as other comic covers of that time and the interior art for issue two is done by John Byrne and Terry Austin and I have to say that in spots it looks slightly rushed and sloppy but is still not bad. Over all a good solid issue and keeps up the great work that Marvel Comics was doing with this Indiana Joes comic series.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 3

Indiana Jones # 3  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 3 of 34

As Indiana Jones lands from his air jump a terrible rainstorm rages on and he watches as a group of people are chasing a man and are about to hang him! Indiana Jones decides to save the man and as the two run away his attackers as well as now army soldiers are giving chase, as the unknown man says that they all hate him cause his grandfather has created an elixir that gives the person who drinks it immortality! After escaping their pursuers the man takes Indiana to meet his grandfather who is in a cave that has a stream and after brief introductions the grandfather attacks and beats up Indiana as he has drank some of the elixir water and is super strong and in a rage over Indiana being around and knocks our hero out. When Indiana wakes up he finds that he is tied to a rock with explosives all around as the grandfather wants to crush the army base below with the falling rocks, Indiana is able to escape but is taken prisoner by the army who find him and label him a traitor. Meanwhile the grandfather that’s name is Prospero and his grandson who is Dullard set to blow up the cave after the soldiers disappears and the older is a little annoyed that the younger helped Indiana escape by cutting the ropes that bound him. Indiana Jones is able to escape his cell and steals a army jeep that has a cannon on the back of it, Indiana makes its just in time to fire the cannon and save the lives of the army people as Prospero had set the explosives again…but saving the day gets the stream with the elixir water to be caved in. In the end two locals try to attack Indiana Jones and is saved by Prospero and Dullard who are now teaming with our hero and they flee from the coming army that is tracking them down.

Poor Indiana Jones goes from the frying pan into the fire as soon as he lands from jumping out of the plane he finds himself right back into an adventure! This time around Indiana saves a man from a lynch mob and this makes him the target of not only them but also the military as the man he saved and his grandfather have been a pain in the ass and are claiming to have an elixir that gives the drinker eternal life and super strength…that is if you keep drinking it. Indiana Jones once more does all the things he thinks is right and saves lives as well as gets himself in and out of danger throughout the issue, he even gets beat up by an old man in this issue! Prospero and Dullard claim to have found waters that will give them forever life, and its unsure if they truly have found this or if something else is giving them a boost of strength…are they good or bad it’s hard to tell. Meanwhile the army is being lead by General Hannigan who is looking for a war and so wants to take human lives but is being held at bay due to the rules of the military. And what is cool about this issue is that it takes place right after the last issue and leaves us on yet another cliffhanger as we have no idea where Prospero is leading Indiana Jones and we know that the army will be on their trail and Hannigan is not going to let them get away. The cover for this issue is great and showcases Indiana in the stolen jeep as the army is firing at him! The interior art this time around is done by Gene Day and Richard Howell and its pretty great stuff and has that early 80’s Marvel Comics charm. Over all a great issue that once more showcases that Indiana Jones is a fantastic film character as well as a comic book one and Marvel Comics was the right company to make Indiana leap into the comic pages.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 4

Indiana Jones # 4  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 4 of 34

Indiana Jones is on a plan set to England and soon finds that it’s a trap as the pilot parachutes from the plane and Indiana has to use an old blanket to leap from the crashing plane. Once in the ocean he is picked up by an English ship and finds out that he has been sent to England by America in order to help look into cryptic writings on a cylinder that was found at Stonehenge and is being called “The Gateway Project” and the Nazis are also now after these secrets and the danger level is high. Indiana is paired with the beautiful Professor Karen Mays and together the solve the writings on the cylinder that proves a race of something that could be good or evil wrote it long before mankind walked the Earth, and soon find themselves being chased by the Nazis who want the cylinder! They run through the streets, the train station and finally Indiana has to “borrow” a car in order to drive away but finds himself crashed on a bridge and about ready to plunge to his death along side Karen.

This issue is pretty much a chase that has Indiana Jones and his new female friend Karen on the run from bloodthirsty Nazis who want the secrets that are written on a cylinder that predates the time of man that was found in Stonehenge, and even starts with a airplane pilot trying to kill him with a crash…so to sum it up this is a wild ride and super fun issue! Indiana in this issue is quick thinking as well does not trust the cylinder that speaks of beings coming back to the site of Stonehenge, as he questions if these beings are not going to be monsters. Karen Mays is a professor who helps solve the riddle of the cylinder and the writings on it, and by being so smart she finds herself now the target of bad guys who want what she knows. The Nazis are total scumbags and have places bugged in order to get information, have no issues killing people, stalk and attack their targets and prove that they will always be a thorn in the side of Indiana. The one odd thing about this issue is that it seems that the story of Prospero and his eternal life elixir just has no finish as this issue makes zero comments about that adventure and does not continue the story, so that was very odd. The cover is awesome and has Indiana Jones and Karen on the train rails surrounded by bad guys as the train is behind them. The interior art is done by Ron Frenz and is great stuff and has that classic 80’s Marvel look. This is a solid issue and while I wished they would have fully wrapped the last adventure up, this new one seems like it is going to be fast paced and filled with action and even maybe a little super natural monsters! So with that lets see what happens next in this tale.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 5

Indiana Jones # 5  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 5 of 34

Indiana and Karen are able to escape the falling car thanks to his trusty whip and as they get back to the top of the bridge they find that Nazi’s waiting for them, but Indiana times it out perfect as he allows himself and Karen to fall back off the bridge and land on a garbage ship to make their escape. Karen takes Indiana to her mothers house so that they can hide and come up with a plan as Indiana is worried that the beings that could be summoned tonight could be evil and they can not allow them to be set free and that the cylinder not fall into the hands of the Nazis as this could end bad for everyone in the world. As Indiana and Karen head to the train they are unaware that the Nazis had Karen’s mom’s house bugged and they have the Cargo Pilot on the train to get the cylinder and kill Indiana Jones, as they are made at him for failing to kill Indiana with the plane crash. As he tries to attack Indiana and steal the cylinder the two end up on top of the fast moving train and with his quick thinking Indiana is able to go over the side of the train and get inside safely as the Pilot goes splat as he hits a tunnel. The Nazis end up stopping the train as they dress as cops and Indiana and Karen escape on a stolen motorcycle and make it across a broken down wood bridge that crumbles after they cross to get some distance between them and the Nazis who are hot on their trail. But Indiana and Karen’s luck runs out as they find themselves stuck in quicksand and this allows the Nazi’s to catch up with them and get the cylinder. The Nazis leave Indiana to die in the quicksand and head towards Stonehenge to make contact with the ancient beings. Indiana with his quick thinking and help from a gun and a tree branch saves Karen and himself from death and the pair rush to Stonehenge. As they get there the Nazis have the cylinder and in the sky are snake like demon creatures, and before they can fully return Indiana is able to break the cylinder stopping their return as well as take down the Nazis and allows the police to arrest them.

This is another issue that plays up on high action and builds the chase of the Nazis going after Indiana and the cylinder and by the end Indiana going after them so they don’t use the cylinder. The plot as Indiana Jones in charge of a cylinder that has writing the predates mankind and the spooky thing being is that the cylinder could bring the demonic race back the wrote on it! So Indiana must do his best of keeping it out of the hands of the Nazis who are chasing him as well as his fellow professor Karen Mays as if the Nazis use the cylinder at Stonehenge who knows what kind of evil will be unleashed on Earth. And in this issue Indiana chooses to break the cylinder a priceless relic so that the power it holds will not help the bad guys in their quest for world domination. And of course throughout this issue Indiana uses his smarts, quick wit and tools of his trade whip and pistol in order to discover and be the hero we all know and love. Karen Mays is smart and charming, but sadly her roll in this issue falls fast as at times she just kind of feels like a background player who has a crush on Indiana. The Nazis are as scummy as always and crave the power that the cylinder holds, and they don’t care who lives or dies in their quest to get it, and that even includes their own spies. The demons sadly barely appear and are sent back just as quickly as they appeared, making them spooky but zero threat to our hero. My favorite part of this issue is hands down when Indy tricks the Nazi assassin on top of the train that leads to the attackers death by being smashed by a tunnel, this is a segment that feels straight out of the movies. The cover is very cool and eye catching as it showcases both Indiana Jones as well as one of the cylinder demons. The interior art done by Ron Frenz is good stuff and I have to say I truly love the classic 70’s and 80’s Marvel artwork and miss this style in modern comics. Over all another good issue and a cool adventure to see Indy on.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 6

Indiana Jones # 6  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 6 of 34

The Ravens Nest nightclub is opening in New York and is owned by Marion Ravenwood and even Indiana Jones has money in the club that’s opening night is for the rich and famous. But as Marion is crossing the street to enter the club a car almost hits her, and of course it was Indiana that saves her life. Once inside the club Jamal an art dealer with a shady past and is now decorating the club is upset that an attempt was made at her life. And before the doors open Marion warns Indiana that mobster Marko wanted to put money into the club to use as a gambling place, she rejected his offer and thinks he is the one that wants her dead. That night another attempt is made at Marion’s life and even after she and Indiana Jones confront Marko the next day someone tries to kill both our heroes in a horse carriage accident! Marion and Indiana investigates Marko and soon find that he is not the one trying to kill her, and in fact as they make an escape from Marko’s mansion via a boat they are attacked again by the assassin and Indiana is able to get the attackers knife and comes up with a suspect he thinks is behind these attacks. They head to the shop of Jamal who is away and Indiana knows he has their attacker, and they rush to the Ravens Nest to find Jamal placing explosives around the club! Jamal comes clean when he is confronted and says he has hidden stolen treasures inside the decorations and he used the drama with Marko as away for the mobster to take all the blame so that he could get his riches and make money. Jamal and Indiana start fist fighting and a fire breaks out in the club, Marion and Indiana are able to escape but Jamal stays behind to grab some of his stolen treasure and is blown up in the club explosion. In the end Indiana alerts Marion that he took insurance out on the club so they should be able to get their money back from the fire.

What a fun issue that brings back Marion Ravenwood back from Raiders Of The Lost Arch and has her and Indy opening a night club in New York and find themselves being targeted by a hitman that could have been hired by an angered mob boss but is really a sleazy stolen art dealer who wants to frame the mobster in order to get away with smuggling stolen goods through the club. Indiana Jones is a hero who once more risks his life in order to do the right thing and in this case he gets in the way of a killer who is targeting his lady friend Marion who herself is strong willed and one heck of a fighter and business woman. Really seeing these two back together was awesome and Marvel Comics and the creator behind this series are doing a great job of capturing the fun nature of the film series and the characters that make up that world. The main bad guy Jamal is a true scumbag as he deals in stolen treasures and even after Indiana Jones tries to help him out with the law, his main goal is to kill those who helped him in order to get away with more stolen goods…and like he plans on blowing up a night club filled with people…this guy is scum! The action is fast paced and I enjoyed the fight on the speeding boats by Indy and the masked attacker as the adventure is high in these panels. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and has Indiana leaping into a car being driver by a masked man. The interior art is done by Howard Chaykin and is pretty good with his drawing of Marion and Jamal being good, his Indiana is a little off and has zero resemblance to actor Harrison Ford. Over all a very good issue and makes me look forward to seeing what issue seven has in store for us.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 7

Indiana Jones # 7  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 7 of 34

At a vineyard in France Indiana Jones has found a thief that is dressed as a monk and with a pistol in hand he wants his stolen ancient artifact back, well the one he has been hired to return! The monk is McIver and all the monks that are making wine are in fact thieves and after Indiana escapes with the artifact wrapped in map to keep it from getting damaged the very angry McIver swears revenge. Once back in America Indiana Jones discovers the map he used to protect the artifact leads to lost treasure from a Atlantian tribe and if this treasure is found could be priceless as well as prove that Atlantis was real! And as Indiana Jones sets out for Africa were the map leads he must take along Marion Ravenwood who over heard the importance of the find and wiggles her way into going along for the adventure. Once in Africa they try and hire some extra help, but find that someone else has hired all the extra hands to look for a rare flower, and Indy knows something is up and he and Marion rush into to the jungle to find the treasure. While floating down the river Indy and Marion are attacked by a hippo, alligators plus a python and escape the river but find themselves stuck in quicksand and are saved by flower hunter’s expedition that turns out to ne Nazi’s that are also after the treasure and are being helped by McIver! After escaping the camp Indy and Marion are hiding in the jungle from the Nazi’s who are now hunting them, but some sort of wild animal is also on their trail!

In this seventh issue of Indiana Jones we find him once more alongside Marion Ravenwood as they are on a adventure this time in the Amazon in order to find the treasure of a tribe that is said to have been from the city of Atlantis, but of course one of Indy’s past enemies is also after the treasure and he has brought backup with the Nazi’s and to both sides have to be aware of nature as the beasts of the jungle are also on the hunt. Indiana Jones in this issue by accident stumbles on a map that leads to what could be a very priceless treasure and by finding the map he also finds him self being the hero as always as he gets himself as well as his lady friend Marion out of trouble. The one thing they dropped the ball on with this issue is they do not play up on Indy’s fear of snakes. Marion is as strong willed as ever and wants to get the scoop on this treasure as well as just be alongside Indy as it’s clear the tension between her and Indy is thick. McIver is a treasure thief who hates Indy with a passion and even teams with those scumbag Nazi’s in order to beat him getting the treasure. Like always this is a very action packed issue and Indy has to use his wits throughout in order to outsmart the baddies who want him dead! The Nazi’s being the villains in the story is normal at this point as is adding a past baddie from his past with McIvers, but I do like the idea of adding the wild animals of the jungle into the mix as they do not choose sides and only have one thing on their minds and that’s to make humans go dead! The cover is very cool and eye catching and has Indy saving Marion from gators, and this time around the interior art is done by Kerry Gammill and is very good and I like the way he draws Indy. Over all a great issue that keeps up the high quality and delivers a new adventure for Indiana Jones to keep fans happy until the next film.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 8

Indiana Jones # 8  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 8 of 34

Indiana Jones and Marion are hiding from a group of Nazi’s who are hunting them down and find themselves in a cave with a blood thirsty Panther who is only held at bay thanks to a small brush fire that Indy sets. As our heroes run from the cave the panther attacks a near by Nazi and Indy and Marion run into a Atlantis Giant who is then shot and killed by the Nazis and this goes very bad for everyone as the Atlantis army surrounds them all and takes them to their cave base and to their King who is not happy with the killing of one of his own. The King takes the Nazi that killed one of his men and uses crystals to kill the man as they burn him up from the inside out. As the rest watch on in horror they are rushed away and placed in a cell room, that in the morning turns into a crystal tomb when the sun comes up and the lasers start flying and killing! Indy does not panic and uses the mirrored compact of Marion’s to blast the lock off the cell door and this allows he and Marion to escape as well as McIver and what is left of the Nazis. As Indiana and Marion are trying to get away from the Atlantis Warriors they are also trying to find away out of the cave, while the Nazis and McIver have gotten back their weapons and are killing the warriors as well as The King as the Nazi Captain wants the main crystal and he foolishly grabs the crystal and this causes the energy to go crazy and his own men to be burned up alive and the cave it’s self to collapse onto it’s self! As the cave crumbles Indy and Marion escape with Indy being able to at least save one necklace from the tribe, and unknown to the McIver also escaped and swears revenge of Indy one day. As Indiana and Marion walk back into the jungle they realize that everyone is dead and they can not prove that the Atlantis Tribe even was alive as its all been crushed and blown to bits.

What a fun adventure that takes us into the heart of the Amazon jungle and into the cave of a tribe that is from Atlantis and who uses crystals in order to deal death as well as keep their cave in order. Indiana Jones in this issue as always has to use his brilliant mind as well as trusty whip in order to get himself out of trouble and of course he has to look out for Marion as well who is very strong willed and has no issues grabbing a wood board and putting up a fight. In this issue alone Indy and Marion survive attacks from Nazis, Atlantis Warriors, Deadly Crystal Lasers as well as a Panther! McIver who is a stolen art dealer makes the big mistake of teaming with the Nazis and soon learns that their greed and crave for power almost lead him to being crushed to death or even fried from the inside out by a crystal laser, and I do think we will see him again in another issue as he really wants his revenge against Indy. I like that this issue takes place in a cave that is covered in human bones and crystals and is pretty much a death trap if anyone moves one master crystal the wrong way…truly a deadly spot in the Amazon and adds to the lore of that river and jungle. The over is awesome and has Indiana and Marion in front of a skull cave with arrows coming at them and this makes it very eye catching. The interior art is done by Kerry Gammill again and is good stuff and really helps bring this adventure alive. We are eight issues into this series and I have to say that the creators and Marvel Comics had something special going as every issue has been great and for me has this far lived up to the re-reads.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 9

Indiana Jones # 9  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 9 of 34

Indiana Jones is still in Africa as he is going after The Chachapoyan Idol that was stolen from him by Belloq and sold to a dealer, and as Indy is sneaking into the place he is getting the help of his friend Sallah who is in charge of keeping an eye out. But once inside Indy finds that he is not the only one after the idol as two armed hooded figures are also there trying and now are after Indy and Sallah who have the idol and give them chase on top of the rooftops and by luck Indy and Sallah jump off a roof into a truck that his hauling hay and they take the truck to escape. We soon see that the hooded figures are one scar faced warrior and a blonde woman who swears that she will kill Indiana and get the idol back. Back in New York museum currier Marcus Brody along with Marion Ravenwood are entertaining the press as they all wait for Indiana to arrive at the museum with the idol, and when Marcus takes the idol to a safe room he is confronted by the scar faced warrior and his friends to take the idol. Indiana Jones rushes out of the window that is 23 floors up to try and walk the ledge in order to save his friend Marcus, but once outside he finds that the warriors are as well on the ledge trying to make their escape! Indy almost falls once and is saved by Marion who followed him outside the window, but after taking out one warrior Indy finds off the ledge and the other warriors is stomping on his fingers to try and make Indy falls to his death!

This ninth issue really brings the characters of “Raiders Of The Last Ark” back together as Indiana Jones is joined by not only Marion Ravenwood but also Sallah and Marcus Brody for this adventure that all revolves around the idol that Indy gets at the start of that film. And after getting the idol back Indy finds himself the target of warriors from the tribe it originally belong to. And this issue has a pretty big cliffhanger as Indy is hanging off the ledge that is 23 stories up and a warrior is stomping on his fingers to try and make him fall to his death! I like that Indy as well rushes into a very dangerous spot in order to try and help his friend that is in danger, I also like that in this issue they showcase his friendship with Sallah who I hope makes more appearances. The baddies of this issue are the scar or later said tattoo faced Xomec and his warrior friends as well as a yet to be named blonde haired woman as they all want that idol. This issue really is a fun start to this story arc and does a great job of bringing the film characters into the world of Marvel Comics and I am not going to lie as I would love to see the likes of Steve Rogers aka Captain America cameo in this series or image if Indy had to tangle with the Red Skull! The cover for this issue is pretty cool and has Indy on the ledge and one of the warriors ready for the attack, the interior art is done by Dan Reed and is pretty great, though I have to say that I am not a fan of how he drew Indy in some panels. Over all a great issue that makes me look forward to reading the next issue.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 10

Indiana Jones # 10  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 10 of 34

As the warrior is about to stomp on the fingers of Indy one last time a shot rings out and the warrior falls to his death as once more Marion Ravenwood has saved the day armed with a pistol. Indy then gives chase to Xomec who is able to escape with the idol and even leaves Indy hanging from a flagpole. Back at the museum Marcus is ok and has gotten a phone call from the blonde woman who tells him they can have the idol for a price back and that Indy but deliver it to an old opera house in the amazon, but must come alone! Once back in the jungle Indy knows it’s a set up and he is quickly proven right when he is attacked by warriors, he is able to fight a few off but soon is captured and taken to Xomec as well as the blonde woman who is Ilsa Toht the sister of Ernst Toht who was the Nazi that had his face melted off by the Lost Ark, and she wants revenge and her plan is to have Xomec and his warriors leave Indy tied to some stakes in order for the wild animals to eat him alive! Once by the riverbank and left alone Indy escapes his binding and even fights off some hungry alligators, Indy then is able to get aboard the plane of Ilsa as it takes off. While in the air Indy is able to outsmart and out live Xomec who falls from the aircraft to his death, and then Indy is able to grab the idol and force Ilsa to crash the plane, with of course Indy being able to escape the crash just in time and he does not know the fate of Ilsa. In the end with the idol in hand Indy starts his journey back to New York to the museum.

The Raiders Of The Lost Ark connections continue in this one as we find out that the blonde female villain is the sister of Ernst Toht the main baddy from that film, and she is filled with hatred and wants revenge for her brother’s death and is following in his footsteps by becoming a Nazi as well. Her partner in crime the tattooed faced Xomec is a warrior who is also to cocky for his own good, and his ego is what leads to him falling to his death and going splat on the land bellow from a in flight plane. Marion Ravenwood is a hero like always as she once more saves Indy’s life by killing a warrior who almost had Indy’s number punched. It’s a shame that she did not get to sneak to the Amazon with Indy to get the idol back as it would have been great to see her punch and knock out Ilsa. Indiana Jones in the issue is like always a lucky hero who uses his wits and skills in order to stay alive as well as re-get a stolen idol for the New York Museum. In this issue as well if you think about it both main baddies are dead as one is blown up in a plane crash while the other falls from said plane onto the cold unforgiven ground below…but I have a feeling that Ilsa Toht is not dead and that she might return to get revenge on Indy once more. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and has Indy on the wing of the plane, though I am not a fan of the art style used for it. The interior art is done again by Dan Reed and is good stuff for the most part. Over all another great issue and delivers a fun Indy adventure and like before I cannot wait to see what’s next.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 11

Indiana Jones # 11  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 11 of 34

Indiana Jones is in Australia and with an artifact in hand is running from a tribe who are throwing poisoned tipped spears at him during a sandstorm! And as Indy tries to frighten then off with his pistol and whip a group of masked Egyptian ninjas appear and kill all the tribe members and take Indy to a cave were the very rich art collector Ben Ali Ayoob who wants to hire Indy to travel to Spain in order to find the fourth nail of Jesus that is said to be in the hand of a Gypsy King, Indy rejects the offer and Ben sends three of his ninjas to follow him. Meanwhile back in New York Marcus has just hired Marion Ravenwood to work at the museum as they get a package from Indy that holds the artifact as well as a note, saying he is going to Spain to find that nail for the museum if it is indeed real. While in Spain Indy finds an old friend named Torino who is a thief and is running from a group of men he stole money from in a street game, and they pair hide in a nearby church. Once in the Church the workers have heard what Torino has done and they attack the pair and one that is built like a pro wrestler chases Indy around and thanks to a rotting roof that causes the big man to fall, Indy and Torino are able to escape just as the cops arrive. As Indy and Torino escape into the sewers they talk about the Fourth Nail and it scares Torino who once they exit the sewer goes missing! Indy finds himself in a bull fighter arena stable and with him is one angry bull that is charging.

This is a strange issue that takes Indy from Australia to Spain and his end goal is to find a nail that was said to have been selected to be the deathblow to Christ as he was on the cross, but was stolen by a gypsy in order to try and help him. And Indy of course finds himself in all types of trouble, but yet still always finds ways out of danger mostly thanks to his luck, pistol and whip. In this issue as well Indy faces lots of challengers from a Aboriginal Tribe, Egyptian Ninjas, Angry Workers and even on a cliffhanger ending a massive bull! Torino is his sidekick in this issue and is a Gypsy street thief who picks pockets as well as rigs street gambling games, he knows of the Fourth Nail and is scared to talk about it. One of the most fun moments in this issue is Indy trying to fight and avoid the massive muscled church worker who wants to squash Indy like a bug, and the way he defeats him is pretty cleaver by using the big man’s weight and the rotted roof wood to make him fall (to his death maybe?) was pure classic Indy smarts. I also like that this adventure takes him to Spain to find another missing religious artifact and we end the issue on a cliffhanger of a bull about to charge and gore him, great stuff and makes you really want to read the next issue to see how he gets out of this dangerous spot. The cover for this one is pretty good and show cases the drama at the church and has Indy holding onto a ledge as his attacker is about to attack, pretty good stuff. The interior art is done by Kerry Gammill and is pretty great stuff and I like the way he draws Indy as it’s got a touch of Harrison Ford’s look to it. Over all another great issue that leaves us on another big cliffhanger so lets see what happens next.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 12

Indiana Jones # 12  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 12 of 34

Indiana Jones is stuck in a stall at a bull fighting arena with a bull that is very angry, and after dodging the beats for a bit Indy uses the fighters cloaks that are in the stall to cover the bulls head and this gives him the time he needs to escape and be back on the street. While looking around he notices that the police and the angry mob are still looking for him and the missing Torino, and he gets the shock of his life when Marion Ravenwood surprises him and has joined him in Spain as she has taken a job for the museum to cover all the discoveries of Indy’s. Marion also informs Indy that she seen his friend Torino being taken to a warehouse by the Egyptian Ninjas and they rush to the site to save their friend. Indy and Marion get to the warehouse and fight with the Ninjas and are able to knock some of them out by luck and Marion even shoots one of them wounding him badly. But as Indy and Marion save Torino they get away as The Ninjas come to and even the wounded one is up and wants to continue their mission for their master Ben Ali Ayoob who wants the Fourth Nail. Torino ends up taking Indy and Marion to a Gypsy Camp that the Fourth Nail is at and after Indy helps the gypsies fight off the town’s people who are armed with clubs, they take him to view the Fourth Nail as he has proven himself as a friend to the camp. Once inside the cave that holds the nail they are guided by an old woman who explains that it’s more than it seems, but just then The Egyptian Ninjas show up and they have Torino and drop him down a mine shaft and as Indy and Marion rush to save him the Ninjas take the nail…big mistake! The torches that light the cave flicker and the Fourth Nail glows and as Indy and Marion get Torino to safety they find that the Nail has killed the Ninjas by pearling all their hearts! As the old woman asks Indy if he still would like to take the nail he declines the offer and heads back home along side Marion. Meanwhile Ben Ali Ayoob has not heard from his Ninjas and knows that they have failed and swears that he will see the end of Indiana Jones.

In this issue Indiana Jones is in Spain and is being joined in his adventure by Marion Ravenwood and the gypsy named Torino as they go on the hunt for the religious artifact The Fourth Nail as they are being hunted down by the locals, the police as well as the Ninjas of the greedy Ben Ali Ayoob all who want Indy dead or locked up, so in other words the odds are against him in Spain, and yet its almost like Indy would not have it any other way! Indiana while on the hunt for the Fourth Nail also doubts it and even when seeing it he is not impressed with its rusted appearance, but once he sees that it does have power and kills an elite group of Ninjas in seconds…he changes his tune and decides that maybe the Nail should stay with the Gypsies. Ben Ali Ayoob is clearly now turning his rivalry with Indy into a game that he swears will only have one of them left alive, and keep in mind this is all because he could not buy him off to get the nail for him. The poor Ninjas who are just following orders find themselves nailed in the heart and dead as a doornail…you get it. One think that is always so cool about Indiana Jones adventures in both films and comics is when they can add that supernatural elements to the stories and make the quest a little more danger. Plus in this issue I like the Gypsy Camp and I really like that the Fourth Nail is real and deals death to those who want to steal it away from them. The cover is really cool and features Indy fighting a raging bull! The interior art is done by Kerry Gammill and is a solid as ever and is good stuff. A very fun issue that has Indy not getting the artifact for the museum for once!

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 13

Indiana Jones # 13  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 13 of 34

Indiana Jones has some of his students on a fieldtrip looking for Indian artifacts near a cave that is said to be unsafe and after a few accidents including Lucy Giles almost getting stung by a scorpion and a rockslide that almost crushes Indy and one of his male students they start to make their way back to camp in town when they are also run off by two gun caring strangers named Oinkster and Dominic who warn that people could get hurt around the cave if they snoop around. Later that night Indiana thinking that art thieves are inside the cave and sneaks back to it and finds that a criminal named Busby along with lots or workers are making a hidden city inside the cave for criminals on the run, and Indy has to swear and leave and not tell a soul as somehow they have also captured Lucy Giles and are keeping her hostage are insurance. The next day Busby watches as the trucks caring the students leave, but unknown to him Indy has stayed behind and takes out some of the criminals and enters the cave and finds Lucy who turns out to be the daughter of Busby and was in on this cave base idea all along! But Indiana was also smart and before he found her radioed the police who are now on their way! Before the cops get there Indy is able to stop the escape plane that Busby and he along with Lucy and his crew are all arrested.

This is a issue that wraps the full story that has Indiana Jones with his students being run off of the land by criminals who want to turn a cave filled with artifacts into a hidden base from wanted criminals, and Indy must use his smarts to bring them all down and to pay for their crimes. Indiana Jones in this issue also shows that he can be on an adventure and yet still be teaching his students about artifacts and history. I also like that as always Indy’s whip helps save the day as he is super skilled with it. Lucy Giles is a student who clearly has a crush on Indy and seems to be following him around as well as always trying to get his attention, and we then learn that she is really the daughter of a crime lord and is really trying to get his attention cause she is keeping an eye on him. Lucy’s father Busby is a scumbag who is destroying history all for the love of money and to keep criminals out of jail. We do get a very small cameo from Marcus Brody who has a phone call with Indy over the oddness at the cave and the actions of Marion Ravenwood while Indy has been away. The threat in this issue seems a little less dangerous as Indy is able to bring down Busby and his crew pretty easily as he outsmarts them at every turn and gets them all arrested and is even able to smart off to Lucy is tries to hit on him even while being arrested. The cover for this issue has Indy being dragged behind an airplane and is pretty eye catching. The interior art for this issue is done by Ricardo Villamonte and is good stuff and has that classic Marvel Comics feel. And to sum it up another great issue of Indiana Jones done by Marvel, and I really do think that modern Marvel should bring Indy back to comics and get a good creative team behind it.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 14

Indiana Jones # 14  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 14 of 34

Indiana Jones is upset at Marion Ravenwood when she is doing a promotion for the museum that has her dropping flyers out of a hot air balloon on the collage campus as well as around town, as Indy thinks this is cheapening history. Poor Marcus Brody is stuck in the middle of this fight and even has to blow off Harvey Pondexter who works in the accounting department, and this hurts the old workers feelings as we feels he is never listened to. Meanwhile Indy storms away and will be flying out to Alaska soon as Marcus and Marion try to get to the bottom of why they fight so much and it comes down to Indy breaking her heart. Pondexter ends up finding a journal of a past worker at the museum who committed suicide and bones of a deformed god that he found in Mexico that he thought was evil and that’s why he hid it, and now Pondexter decides to steal the bones and sell to another museum and is caught by Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood who are trying to patch things up and they give a chase via cars. Pondexter ends up shooting at them as well as causing a landslide to try and crush them as its clear something is mentally messing with him. And Pondexter ends up setting a fire on a wooden bridge and Indy and Marion must escape by falling into the water bellow as Pondexter himself breaks into a hotel in order to rest and clear his head that is now very cloudy. Indy and Marion make their way to the hotel and Pondexter is waiting for them and is now armed with a poison tipped sword and he is able to cut Indy who is growing weaker and weaker, and as he and Marion try to dodge the stalking Pondexter, it’s Marion who saves the day when she tosses the trunk over a balcony and Pondexter leaps to his death after it. In the end and back at the museum the poison has worked its self out of Indy’s system and Marion gets a telegram that shocks her.

This issue is a pretty fun read as most of the action takes place on a very stormy night and has Indy and Marion on the hunt for a museum employee that they caught stealing who in turn is being possessed by the evil spirit of a Mexican God who is clouding his brain with thoughts of murder! And after trying to kill our heroes several times his connection to those cursed bones lead to his own death. Indiana Jones in this issue is very upset with Marion over her tactics of advertising for the relics in the museum, but its clear he loves her just as much as she loves him, but Marion is dealing with some issues as her father before he passed away in a accident was very upset with Indy for breaking his daughters heart and she has kind of held this against him. The baddie of this issue is Harvey Pondexter a long time employee of the museum who seems to always be over looked by the rest of the staff and treated not well as everyone seems to have no time for him, and after finding cursed bones and artifacts in the wall of the museum he is over taken with bloodlust and greed and turns into a drone for a curse. The action in this issue is lots of fun and kind of reminded me of an early slasher film, and the cliffhanger of the message Marion gets is a good way to get the reader to return for the next issue. I will say that the cover for this issue is pretty cool and has a real fantasty feel to it, in fact it reminds me of a cover you would have seen for other Marvel Comics like Conan The Barbarian or Saga Of Crystar. The interior art is well done and is by David Mazzucchelli who should have been working in Horror Comics as his art would have fit for Marvel Horror series. Another great issue and I cannot wait to see what the big shock is that was in that message.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 15

Indiana Jones # 15  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 15 of 34

Indiana Jones and his friend Jock are in a plane taking pictures of some old ruins in the woods, but are also having to dodge a Japanese ship as well as fighter plane and of course Indy figures out a way to escape the ship and bring down the plane and this angers the ships Captain Commander Hiroto. Once safe back at the museum Indy and Marcus Brody talk about a Chinese Statue that looks like it’s in the ruins and that would be priceless as well as could change history, and Indy know that he has to get it for the museum and heads out to get a ship and a captain that would ask no questions. Now in Panama Indy bails Captain Simon Katanga and his crew from jail as they got busted with an illegal shipment of rum, and now are on board to help Indy get the statue and other artifacts off that island. Before they can even leave Panama they are attacked by goons and after dealing with them and while at sea they run into Commander Hiroto and his men who search the ship, and even semi make a threat to Indy for being American. Finally they make it to the island and to the ruins and the statue is there as well as lots of other treasures but their joy is cut short when female pirate Emeralda Vasquez and her men show up with guns and want to take all the treasures as one of her men was in the jail cell when Indy bailed out Simon and heard it all. Indy along with Simon and his men try to escape but The Pirates capture them at the beach and Indy notices that the Pirates have an American submarine and Emeralda forces Simon to alert his crew they now take orders from her and Indy is taken to the beach and buried up to his neck in the sand with the hopes he will drown with the coming tide and worse flesh eating crabs are also coming his way! Meanwhile Simon dives off his ship and is shot at by the Pirates who think that the Captain has drowned.

Indiana Jones in this adventure as found some ruins and a statue that could change the history books over Chinese culture in America and teams up with a smuggler ship Captain and his men in order to get the goods back to the museum, but along the way they have made big enemies out of the Japanese military as well as pirates who now all have Indy in their sights. This is another very solid and fun read that as always shows that Indy has not only a great mind to escape danger but also has lots of luck as he gets past attacking ships, plans and pirates…but to be fair he in the end of the issue is in threat of drowning or having his face eaten by crabs. Captain Simon Katanga and his men while they deal with shady people and haul some shady things and even kill some people, they are good people at heart and are loyal to tying to help Indy in his quest. And while Commander Hiroto and his men are around they truly are not the baddies as Emeralda Vasquez and her pirates are the true evil ones as they will take human lives as well as steal from everyone. This is a really cool issue as I also like that it takes place on the open waters as well as on an island as it helps add to the adventure nature of the comic. The cover for this issue is fun and the bright red makes it eye catching. The interior art is done by the legend Herb Trimpe and its great stuff! Over all a great issue and I am looking forward to seeing how Indy escapes these crabs! Also if we will get any answers on what the letter in the last issue said that shocked Marion Ravenwood.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 16

Indiana Jones # 16  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 16 of 34

Indiana Jones is buried up to his neck in sand and crabs hungry for flesh are closing in and just as all looks lost Captain Simon Katanga saves the day and kicks away the crabs and digs up Indy and then the two head to the temple and find that the pirates have cleared it out of all the riches and have set bombs all around and Simon’s crew are tied up inside! The timer only has five minutes left and Indy ends up having to leave some artifacts behind in order to rescue the crew and they all make it out at the last minute. And the explosion also gets the attention of Commander Hiroto who sets his site now on that island. Indy and Simon take the submarine and go to the ship were Emeralda Vasquez is and threaten to blow them up and sink them and of course Indy is bluffing. Emeralda comes up with an idea to send a SOS message to Commander Hiroto’s warship that is on the way, and this causes the submarine to dive and once under water the pirates on board clash with Simon’s crew in order to try and take back control, but soon they all join sides as they are attacked by the Japanese warship! Indy fakes the submarines sinking and this causes the warship to go away and gives Indy and Simon along with the crew to get aboard Emeralda’s and a fight breaks out and Indy even punches and knocks out Emeralda, just as Commander Hiroto returns to the fight as he sees the submarine has returns to the surface. Emeralda goes overboard and gets on the submarine and gets behind the gun and is about to fire before she is blown up by Hiroto who leaves the scene after the explosion as he knows he could be in trouble if he attacks the other ship at this point. Indy returns home and meets up with Marcus Brody who informs him that Marion has taken time away from the museum and is going to Greece in order to find her father was suppose to be dead!

In this Indy adventure he finds himself being saved from being eaten alive by crabs and fights alongside pirates and seamen in order to save treasure and overthrow a female pirate captain as well as dodge the attack of a Japanese warship that is on the hunt to stop and kill any pirates they come across. But like always Indy uses his good luck, brains and skills in order to defeat the Pirate Captain, avoid being blown up by a warship and even helps his friend regain his ship and crew and even gets him new members that were once pirates who now have learned a lesson on trust. Commander Hiroto just wants to blow up ships that he thinks pirates are on and does so and takes down one of the high seas most cold-blooded pirate captains, and when he does his goal he and his crew calmly sail away. Captain Simon Katanga is a hero who fights alongside Indy but also saves Indy’s life twice as well as saves his own crew from being blown up by bombs. Pirate Captain Emeralda Vasquez has no quit in her soul and fights to her bitter end as she wants all the gold as well as really wants to kill Indy for getting in her way and being a pain in her ass and cause her plan to get out of control. I also like that Indy in the issue gets a mouth full of sand in order to spit at grabs to keep them away from his face, what a great way to fight back against those little flesh eaters. This besides being a fun adventure mostly set at seas gives us a great cliffhanger as it shows us that Marion has left for Greece in order to meet up with her father is was suppose to be dead, and keep in mind her father also did not like Indiana Jones as he felt he broke his daughters heart. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and has Indy above the ship as pirates are shooting at him and the interior art is done by Herb Trimpe again and is fantastic stuff. And with that another great issue from Marvel Comics as they keep proving their creative team really knew how to bring Indy to the world of comics.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 17

Indiana Jones # 17  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 17 of 34

Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood are in some sort of catacombs in Greece and are being stalked by a Minotaur who is swinging a giant wooden club, and Indy remembers back to finding Marion in Greece and how a cult has chased them here to this maze! Indy and Marion try to fight the Minotaur and find that it’s just a man in a mask and by accident they fall into a whole that leads to a cave with blood thirsty bats, and Indy and Marion make barely make an escape to a door that they end up tricking the Minotaur into and the bats end up killing him. Back on the streets Marion and Indy meet up with the drunken Kershaw a man who use to work for her father who tells them for a price about a map that leads to a location in the Himalaya Mountains and about an old white man who leads people there and it’s the location of the disappearance of Marion’s father! The arrive at the location given to them for the map and find that it’s in the hands of Andre Lafonte another man who use to work with Marion’s father and is working along side a group of Mongols as well as McIver who Indy thought had died in the explosion in Africa and now a death order is given to kill Indy and Marion who in turn are able to get the map during a scuffle the make a big escape that includes a car chasing them on horses and getting to a train that takes them to the Himalayas. Once walking around in the deep snow they find a trap and know that people must be around, and when they cross a old rope wooden bridge a massive figure on the other side shakes the bridge and then breaks the bridge and causes Indy and Marion to fall.

Wow this adventure takes Indiana Jones all over the world and has him at the side of his lady Marion Ravenwood as she looks for her father that was suppose to be dead, but now rumors say he is alive and well and running a village in the Himalaya Mountains! And along this quest to find the missing man they come across a cult, a Minotaur, Warrior Mongols, a massive shadow figure and an old enemy in McIver. And of course Indy and Marion do a great job of surviving as well as escaping the grips of them all, well besides the massive shadow figure that causes them to fall off a broken bridge in the issues cliffhanger. And all through the issue you can tell Indy is doing all this for his love of Marion, but is also worried that her father if alive could come between them as he has always had it out for Indy after he first broke his daughters heart. It was cool to see McIver back even if it was for a brief moment and it’s clear his hatred for Indy is still burning bright, and I am sure if not in the next issue in the future their paths will cross again. The Minotaur who is just a muscle man in a costume is apart of the cult in Greece and he is really cool, even if he gets killed by a horde of bats and its clear as day that the massive shadow is the cryptozoology creature known as the Abominable Snowman or The Yeti as others call him. This is a very fun issue as I love the world travel and all the odd bad guy characters, it as a great mystery of is her father alive and ends with a great cliffhanger. The cover for this issue is just ok and is nothing special as it just shows the horse and jeep chase and the interior art is once more done by the great Herb Trimpe and is outstanding stuff. To sum it up this is a great issue and I cannot wait to see how they escape the fall and if Marion’s father is really alive and how they will get past The Yeti.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 18

Indiana Jones # 18  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 18 of 34

Indiana Jones holds onto the side of the mountain and watches as Marion Ravenwood falls off the cliff, and when Indy is able to get to safety he sits in sadness thinking Marion is dead. A group of villagers appear and take Indy to their village that is under a dome and is heated all thanks to a stone that fell from the sky, he also meets the elder leader named Chen Sha who alerts Indy that Marion is hurt but will be ok, as he watches them take her to a temple. The next morning Indy is awaken from sleep by Marion who is healed by a stone from space and they two are very happy to see each other, and the two are taken to a ceremony and notice that a man is sitting with Chen Sha is wearing a Golden Mask and could be her father. They watch as the villagers bring a cage that inside is a Yeti who is very mad, they open the cage and the beast man rages on people and drags one of the villagers away who is happy to feel the touch of death and then Indy and Marion learn that they have been selected to take the place of the Golden Masked man who is dying do to his dependence on the healing stone. Indy and Marion are locked in a cell and use trickery to escape, they head toward the healing stone and find the Golden Masked man their as well who is voiceless, but unknown to Indy he is has been tracked by McIver, Andre Lafonte and his men who even already had a small run in with a group or Yetis. In the end Indy sets a bomb to destroy the healing stone, The Golden Masked man is clearly her father kills Chen Sha and McIver and his crew are killed by a pack of wild Yetis! When back home at the museum Indy and Marion find it closed and inside Marcus Brody informs them that an item Indy brought back has been called out for being a fake and he is now being replaced at the museum.

In this issue Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood find themselves in a strange village in the Himalaya Mountains that is being controlled by a power hungry old man who has them all worshiping a magical stone that fell from the sky that gives off heat as well as heals all manors of illness and even death. And to make things worse for Indy and Marion they are also being stalked by Yetis as well as McIvor and the Mongols and lets not forget the mystery of is the Golden Masked man really Marion’s father? Indiana in this issue of course has luck on his side that keeps him alive, but also for a brief moment he feels the ultimate sadness as he thinks his lady love Marion is dead who turns out not to be but also feels sadness as she never gets the answer of if the Golden Masked man was her father…and we as the readers of course see that it was her father. Chen Sha is kind of a cult leader as he leads his people to worship a stone from space and is willing to kill in order to keep his power over his people. McIver finally tracks down Indy only to seem to be killed off by Yetis, but who knows maybe he will come back as maybe he was able to escape. Marcus Brody this go around is down in the dumps as under his leadership he is accused of showcasing a fake piece and is now on the verge of loosing his job and being a laughing stock, so its an interesting cliffhanger for this important and yet background character. I really like the Yetis as they are wild and clearly hate humans and will kill any that get in their way, and I don’t blame them as its clear that Chen Sha and his people capture them for their weird ceremonies. The cover is very cool and showcases Indy and Marion on a bridge being shaken by a Yeti, and the interior art is once more done by the legend Herb Trimpe and is good stuff. Over all another great issue and Indiana Jones survived the Himalaya Mountains and now must save his friends job.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 19

Indiana Jones # 19  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 19 of 34

Indiana Jones find himself once more near the Himalaya Mountains this time because of a letter from his friend Professor Kobayashi that alerts him that in a cave a primitive tribe lives and worships a dragon that is frozen in ice and the Japanese Military are wanting to get the dragon and use it as a weapon against America! Indy finds the cave but it’s to late as they have the dragon, and a solider even gets a shot off at Indy that grazes him, once the dragon and soldiers are gone Indy is helped by the tribe for his wound and they as well give him a script to control the dragon. Later Indy goes to Japan and finds that Professor Kobayashi has committed suicide after he wrote the letter and now has the help of his young daughter to find the location of the dragon that might be in a old temple, and Indy sneaks in as she keeps an eye outside for his escape. Once in the temple Indy is discovered by a sumo wrestler and soldiers, that want him out and he uses his skill and whip to hide, and later finds the frozen dragon in a lab in the basement. Indy is able to awaken the dragon in the lab and the beats goes on a rampage and as it is about to take flight Indy uses his whip to hitch a ride on the great fire breathing beast that is tormenting people in the villages, but Indy is able say the magical words that sends the dragon back in Himalaya Mountains cave frozen in ice and Indy along with Kobayashi’s daughter are able to get him safe passage home via a old ship.

In this issue we have Indiana Jones once more going to the Himalaya Mountains in order to stop the Japanese army from getting a dragon that they plane on using as a weapon against America! And of course because of Indy’s luck and skill he is able to dodge and defeat some of the army soldiers as well as stop the dragon all the while being a hero that the world will never really know about. Indiana Jones is not looking for artifacts at all as his goal really is to stop the dragon from reaching American shores and later to save innocent citizens in Japan from it’s rage. The dragon it’s self is massive and can not only fly but also breath fire and has zero issues with killing men, women and children and if not for Indy this beats rampage could have been deadly for the world. The weird thing about this issue is that the plot of poor Marcus Brody being called a fraud is not even talked about and makes you wonder what is going on with him and is Marion Ravenwood trying to help clear his name as Indy plays hero in Japan? But while they did not follow up on the cliffhanger of the last issue this pretty much stand alone story was lots of fun and I really am enjoying all the weird creatures and cults they are adding into this series as you cant go wrong with a dragon, Yetis and a Minotaur Cult! The cover for this issue is interesting and somewhat eye catching as it has Indy above the ground holding onto the handle of his whip as we see the shadow of the dragon below. The interior art is done by Larry Lieber and is really good stuff as I do like the way he draws the Dragon as well as he captures the likeness well for Indy. Over all this is another solid issue and I can’t wait to see what is next in this series as it has stayed great from the start this far.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 20

Indiana Jones # 20  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 20 of 34

Indiana Jones is at the museum looking at the artifact that when he brought it there was real and now in it’s spot is a cheap knock off, while looking at it he also meets the new curator named Sloams-Hagen who is a combative way talks to Indy about it. Later Indy and Marion talk to Marcus Brody about the fake and Indy asks who had access to it and the only to people would have been two men that installed the new boiler, and Indy and Marion go to investigate and talk to them. And once at the workshop the meet Al who was one of the men who installed it and he starts to run away when the confront him about the real piece missing. The chase goes all around the warehouse and Al tries to hurt and kill our heroes at every turn, and its Marcus who shows up that saves them and they get the info from Al who tells them that Juan Soto from Cuba is who paid him to make the switch. Indiana, Marcus and Marion all head to Cuba and to the home of Soto that is surrounded by sugar cane that hides his drug operation, and when Soto finds out his land has intruders he sends out his men to bring them down. And after a few moments Indy and his friends are captured by Juan Soto who informs them that he got the artifact for a client that he will not revile their identity, and Marcus drops his cigar onto a box of ammunition that explodes and Juan Soto escapes on a boat and Indy and his friend give chase and they all end up on the same boat after a chase. After a fight Juan tells Indy who hired him and then jumps into the waters and is eaten by sharks. Indiana then tells Marion and Marcus that Ben Ali Ayoob is the mastermind behind the fraud and stealing of the artifact.

In this issue Indiana Jones is on the case to figure out how the real artifact was switched with a fake that leads to his friend Marcus Brody being fired from his job at the museum and all things lead to a game being played by Ben Ali Ayoob who hates Indy after he rejected his offer to join his hunt for the Fourth Nail and after Indy beat some of his Ninjas. Indiana Jones is filled with anger in this issue as he wants to clear the name of his friend and get his job back as well as find the real artifact for the museum. Also fired up is Marion Ravenwood and Marcus Brody who both go on this adventure with Indy to get the answers they seek. The baddies in this issue are warehouse worker Al and drug lord Juan Soto both who are deadly and don’t mind killing to save their own hides and both are just puppets for Ben Ali Ayoob who is the true evil mastermind of this plot all to hurt Indy. This adventure also takes us to Cuba and in this issue Indy almost gets killed by a fighter plane as well as a pack of wolves that are being used as guard dogs but like always his good luck and quick thinking saves his hide! The cover for this issue is pretty cool and has Indy running from a plane and the interior art is done by Luke McDonnell and is good for the most part, though at times I think he makes Marion’s face look manly. So like before a good issue and I am looking forward to seeing how Indiana takes on Ben Ali as it’s clear the two are headed for a showdown with only one living through it.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 21

Indiana Jones # 21  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 21 of 34

Indiana Jones along with Marion Ravenwood and Marcus Brody are heading to a small town in Indiana to find a old school mate of Marcus’s named Austin Coleridge who has bought the towns mine and shut it down putting everyone in the town out of work and might know were the new hideout of Ben Ali Ayoob! And when they head into the local bar looking for him they are attacked by the locals and as the fight spreads to the streets hawks come from the sky and attack the villagers and as Marion hides with them, Indy and Marcus are taken by Tarrant the right hand man of Coleridge to the mine where Coleridge informs them that he bought the mine to find The Gateway To Hell to find The Devil’s Heart as he has been hired by Ben Ali to find it! Meanwhile the townsfolk are now with Marion on their way to the mine as they want to stop this evil man and his crew once and for all. Indy is able to escape the mine, but Marcus trips in the escape and is told by Coleridge that he thinks behind that wall in a stone that turns everything to gold and proves it by showing his old school mate is hand that is now gold! Meanwhile outside Indy runs into Marion and the locals and head back to the mine to save Marcus and stop these evil men from destroying the mine and the town. Once inside the mine Indy fights and defeats Tarrant and his birds as Marcus and Coleridge fight near the Gates Of Hell and a small hole opens up and turns Coleridge into a ghostly monster spirit that ends up blowing up the entrance to the cave. In the end Marion and the townspeople capture all of Coleridge’s men, Marcus watched as his one time classmates now turned monster is crushed under the cave explosion and Indy finds a gun pointed at him from a Nazi that has been stalking him throughout the start of his quest in this small town.

In this issue Indiana Jones along with Marion Ravenwood and Marcus Brody head to a small town in Indiana in order to find a man who might know the hideout location of Ben Ali Ayoob, but instead they find a small town dying due to no jobs and a man who is on a mission to find the Gates of Hell! This is a strange one for sure and yet was super entertaining as I enjoyed the fights in the mine, the spooky supernatural nature of the gates and of course we get one step closer to the showdown between Indy and Ben Ali. Indy in this issue is able to once more escape deaths grip and is able to be the hero as he his fighting for the honor of his friend Marcus who is being framed by a terrible person who has an issue with him. In this issue as well we get a better look that Marcus Brody is not a weak as we think he is as he defends himself even knocking silly his one time classmate Austin Coleridge, and does not break when with his own eyes we watches a man turn into an evil spirit. Marion Ravenwood meanwhile helps lead the townspeople into an uprising to take their mine back. The one thing that is kind of bland and boring in this issue is the Nazi Soldier who is stalking Indy as he adds nothing to this adventure and just kind of around, and I hope next issue Indy kicks his butt and then he is gone. The cover for this issue is fun and has the hawks attacking Indy and the interior art is done by the legendary co-creator of Spider-Man himself Steve Ditko and is great classic looking comic stuff. Over all a fun issue that acts as a piece to the puzzle that is the showdown between our hero and at this point the series most evil villain. Lets see what the next issue has in store for use and if Indy gets one step closer in clearing the good name of his best friend.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 22

Indiana Jones # 22  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 22 of 34

Indiana Jones has a gun pointed at him by a Nazi spy who informs him that Hitler wants him dead, but Indy ends up saving the life of the Spy when he throws a rock at Tarrant who had woken back up and was about to stab the Spy in the back, this act has now made The Spy go along with Indy, Marion and Marcus on their quest by lying and saying he is an officer from Scotland Yard. They arrive in Switzerland as a castle on a hill is the new base for Ben Ali Ayoob and the four split off into groups as Indy and the Spy climb up the hill and fight off the Ninjas Marion and Marcus use a hot air balloon to drop inside the castle to look around for records of art dealing and the stolen artifact. But the plan goes bad when all four end up being captured and taken to Ben Ali Ayoob who orders them all to be killed in the morning. Morning comes and Ben Ali Ayoob has Marion at a table with him eating breakfast as Marcus and the Spy are tied to a tree and Indy is free but all are in a pit with a very hungry Grizzly Bear! Marion tosses Indy a wine bottle and he pops the cork that hits the bear confusing it for a moment, and Indy frees Marcus who in turn frees the Spy. As Indy and the Spy fight the bear, Marion as run off and freed all the hungry animals from Ben Ali’s zoo and the animals attack the Ninjas as man fights against beast all around. Indiana, Marion, Marcus and the Spy all end up in the office of Ben Ali Ayoob who ends up shooting and killing the Spy who throws an old relic into the fire that was connected to The Devil and as Ben Ali Ayoob goes for it he catches on fire and goes up into a poof of black smoke. Once back home Marcus Brody gets his job back at the museum as his name has been cleared, the stolen artifact is returned and he enjoys a drink with his friend Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood.

The game of life and death between Ben Ali Ayoob and Indiana Jones comes to an end and it’s Ben Ali that meets his fate thanks to a mixture of fire and the Devil himself! Indiana Jones also in this issue teaches a Nazi Spy that human life is important and helping others is the right thing to do and this leads to the Spies death who sacrifices himself in order to save indy’s life, that man he was hired to kill. Indy in this issue not only is able to defeat Ben Ali and his men, but also fights a Grizzly Bear in a small arena in order to save the lives of his friends. Marion Ravenwood is also a big hero as she not only disrespects and escapes the grip of Ben Ali and his Ninjas she also sets all his wild animals free who end up taking care of all the Ninjas! Marcus Brody and the Spy as well do there part is shutting down the evil ways of Ben Ali and his men. I really liked the idea of the arena pit that was just the right size for a full-grown bear to do battle with Indy and his friends as it made me think back to the Gladiator days. The game of death between Indy and Ben Ali is pretty well done and while I wish that Indy had been the one to truly stop him with some well-placed fists to his jaw, his fate is pretty messy and well deserved. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and eye catching as it’s Indy squaring off with the Grizzly and the interior art by Joe Brozowski is well done. Over all yet another great issue of Indiana Jones and his Further Adventures this far have been outstanding.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 23

Indiana Jones # 23  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 23 of 34

Indiana Jones gets a new expedition from Marcus Brody at the museum to head to the island of Kaloo to get the Crown Of Rurick, but the island is under the rule of Lord Harry and his drunken pirates who kill anyone that dare enter their land! Indy comes up with an idea to get to the island by joining a Hollywood movie that is in production as a stunt man with the promise he will do the stunt for free as long as he gets to pick the location of the diving stunt and of course he picks Kaloo Island. The films director is Samuel Greeley who makes a deal with Lord Harry to shoot on the island and that’s Harry gets a part in the film! The leading lady is Stephanie Windslow and the leading man is Alphonse Dumarr who is jealous of Indy as Stephanie keeps flirting with him. When they get to the island and during a rehearsal Stephanie keeps flirting with Indy and Alphonse snaps and attacks Indy and the two fight for a bit before they are broken up by the crew. That night Alphonse goes drinking at a bar with the crew and pirates and makes the mistake of talking about who Indiana Jones really is and that he is not a stunt man at all…this of course gets back to Lord Harry. The next day after filming and Indy finds the crown they Hollywood crew and Indy find themselves the prisoners of Lord Harry and his men who also take the crown, but Indy is able to escape and steal a old World War I tank and rescue the crew and they are able to get the Crown and head back to the plane to make it off the island in one piece. And along the way Alphonse mans the gun and canon on the tank making him a hero as well to make up for his mistake. Once they make it back to America and land at the San Francesco airport Stephanie gives Indy a big kiss and as she walks away Indy sees that Marion was waiting for him and witnessed the kiss and runs off heart broken as Indy wants to go after her.

In this issue Indiana Jones goes on a solo mission without the help of Marion Ravenwood or even Marcus Brody in order to get a crown that is on an island that is over ran by pirates and their blood thirsty leader who’s ego is out of control. And to even get to the island Indy has to go Hollywood and even gets the attention of a beautiful actress! And of course this mission can go smooth or easy for Indy as he has a actor who wants to beat him up for the attention of the lead actress and a pirate who wants to see him dead. What a fun issue as I love the addition of the Hollywood crew being apart of this adventure as cinema was just becoming a big part of culture at that time. Indy of course is a hero who’s skills, brains and luck get him the artifact and out of harms way. Alphonse Dumarr is a actor who starts all the trouble on Kaloo island as his ego and love for actress Stephanie causes him to run his mouth to the wrong people and this puts them all on the chopping block to be killed. Lord Harry and his men care about money, power, being known and feared all the while they do all this with great happiness and bloodthirsty glee. I feel bad for Marion as she watches as another woman kisses her man and given the fact he has broken her heart many times before lets hope Indy can smooth this over as he had no interest in Stephanie and she is the one who kissed him not the other way around. The cover for this issue is pretty good and showcases Indy over the waterfall, with the interior art and story being done by Herb Trimpe who work is great as always. And like all before this is a great issue and the cliffhanger of Marion being upset with Indy adds drama to the next issue.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 24

Indiana Jones # 24  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 24 of 34

Indiana Jones is still in San Francisco taking a few days of vacation to relax and gets a call from a sleazy “friend” named Reeko who has big information for him, but once he finds Reeko something is off as he seems sick and soon Indy notices that Reeko is dying cause he has a knife in his back! And worse a semi truck tries to run Indy over, but Indy is able to dodge it and then hitch a ride to a warehouse on it but can not see who the man is who ordered for his murder but he does find a young woman tied to a chair, but before he can save her he is attacked from behind and knocked out. Once Indy comes to he beats up the thug that was left behind to kill him and also gets out of him were they took to girl and that is on a ship headed to South America. Indy is able to sneak aboard the ship and finds that scummy archaeologist Klexx along with his friend Flaggart are the ones behind the murder of Reeko as well as had him almost killed twice at this point, and he learns that they want to sacrifice the woman at a temple in order to get hidden gold and gems. Indy ends up getting the woman off the boat whose name is Julia Valdez but the two are captured by Klexx again who figured out that Indy was on the ship, once at the temple they have Indy tied up and Julia ready to be sacrificed, Indy uses his pocket knife to cut his ropes restraints and is able to save Julia and all hell breaks loose after. The temple door opens and heat, fire and light fills the area and burns the flesh from the bones of all of the bad guys as Indy and Julia hide from the burning death. In the end Indy and Julia leave the area to return home and we see the twisted hand of Klexx reaching for help that will probably not come.

Indiana Jones even on a mini vacation can not find quit times as adventure and trouble just seems to follow him around! In this issue Indy finds a man dead, has to try and save a kidnapped woman, stop a fellow evil archaeologist from unearthing a hidden treasure and of course has to try and save his own hide from being killed. Indiana Jones once more puts his safety to the side in order to save a young woman from a terrible death, and of course with his luck and skills he is able to save the day as well as avoid being injured or killed himself. Julia Valdez is a you collage student who was kidnapped and set to be killed at a temple all because of her bloodline that is linked to the natives that use to live around the temple. And Klexx is very cold blooded and loves wealth more than he does human life as he has killed and stolen his way through life and has no respect for anyone besides himself, and in the end he gets what he deserves as his own death is very painful. And the supernatural elements are back in play here as the occult is very much a big part of this comic series and it fits in so well and in fact helps add a dash of Horror as well as adds to the adventures of each issue. I wish they had shown what is going on with Marion Ravenwood who watched Indy get kissed by a film actress at the airport, as oddly this is not mentioned at all. In the issue as well the mention that the Crown Of Rurick that he got from Kaloo Island and had to fight Lord Harry and his men to get was a fake, all that travel and danger for a fake. The cover is great and has a painting look to it and the interior art and story is once more done by Herb Trimpe and is fantastic as always. Over all another great issue and again the death of the baddies in this issue is pretty damn brutal.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 25

Indiana Jones # 25  ***
Released in 1985     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 25 of 34

Indiana Jones shows up in Peru to help Jessie Hale on her biggest discovery and she needs help in translating a few things as she thinks she found the lost city of El Dorado that is said to be the location of lots of treasures. As Indy starts to translate the rock slab that has the location a group of gun caring bandits lead by Ivar Reiss comes busting in as he wants the treasures for himself and threatens their lives if they do not help him get it. Meanwhile back in America Marion Ravenwood is mad when Indy does not show up for a lecture at the collage and instead Marcus Brody shows up, and this really makes Marion at wits end with her boyfriend. Meanwhile Indy with the help of paper and hot coffee is able to escape along side Jessie from Ivar and his men, and Indy and Jessie hop a train in order to get distance between the two. Indy and Jessie find what they think is the entrance to El Dorado and of course Ivar and his men also appear and they all enter the city together, and Ivar is made with power as gold is all around him and he thinks that this will all make his life easier, but they all soon find that the gold is all fake and that this room is a trap that Indy sets off and as he and Jessie make it to safety Ivar and his men are crushed to death by falling stones as instead of fleeing the room they continue to look for gold. In the end Indy returns to the museum and Marcus Brody hands him a note from Marion Ravenwood to alert him that she is gone and to not come looking for her.

So this is how it ends…and no I am not talking about the comic series or Indiana Jone’s life but I am talking about the relationship between Indy and Marion…it all ended after him not showing up for a speech at the collage…well and the mountain of other issues the two have been having for years. It’s going to be sad not seeing Marion Ravenwood on anymore adventures with Indy in this series as she really was a great character, but now this opens the door to allow Indy to flirt with all the ladies he comes across around the world. This issues plot has Indy looking for the lost city of El Dorado and along the way meets back up with an old friend who cant stand him as well dodges evil doers who want to steal goal. Ivar Reiss is a bandit who comes from a rich family that has been disowned due to his nasty behavior who is driven mad with power when he thinks he can find lost gold that will make him richer than his father, and his greed is what leads to his smashing death. Jessie Hale is a hard working woman who is close to finding the secret of the lost city of gold, but gets caught up in this adventure and must put her faith in Indiana Jones in order to find the location as well as survive it. This one is also a very quick read as the action and adventure moves the story along and the payout in the end truly reminds me of the old Jungle Adventure books I read as a kid. The cover art for this issue is pretty cool and has Indy hanging off the back of a train while baddies on horseback are giving chase. The interior art is done by Steve Ditko, who does a great job of drawing Indiana Jones as he captures the look of Harrison For pretty well, but I do have to point out that sometimes the characters eyes look very dead and wide. This is another fun issue and really by now you readers should be making a mental note to head to your local comic shop and grab this series as if you like Indy they are 100% worth reading.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 26

Indiana Jones # 26  ***
Released in 1985     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 26 of 34

Indiana Jones is in the waters of the Caribbean islands looking for a tablet that could the secrets of the location of Atlantis and finds it in the home of a very angry eel that he ends up having to capture in a bag in order to get the tablet, but once he comes up he meets Captain Belgrade who is mad at Indy as he thinks he is stealing fortune from his land and when he demands the treasures Indy has he of course gives him the bag with the eel in it! And when Captain gets mad and orders his men to kill Indy our hero uses a flare gun to set the Captain’s boat on fire and he himself is saved by Short Round who is driving a speed boat and gets Indy out of danger. Once back home Short Round has to go back to school while Indy is bummed that the tablet turned out to be nothing and he then meets Efrem Decker and Elizabeth Cody who wants to hire him to get back a pair of gold plated, pearl handled guns that belonged to Elizabeth’s grandpa Buffalo Bill Cody! They think that Salkovich a rich Russian man has stolen them as he tried to buy them twice and after they rejected the offer the guns was stolen from a museum. Indy and Elizabeth head to Russia and while on a train they are greeted by Peter Rostoff and his men who inform them both that they know who they are and might have information on the missing guns. And soon Indy and Elizabeth find themselves riding with Peter and his men as the Russian army give chase as our heroes have no idea what they have gotten themselves into, Peter’s men end up ditching the army in the river. Once back at Peter’s camp Indy and Elizabeth meet Uri Rostoff the chief and grandpa of Peter who tells them the location of the guns that are indeed in the hands of Salkovich and his private army, he also tells them that Buffalo Bill won the guns in Russia in a shooting contest by beating him…and lastly he tells them that he will have Peter and his men help get the guns back only if they agree to another shooting contest with the guns as the prize against Elizabeth and Peter! They agree to the terms, and it should also be noted that when they first arrived Indy made an enemies of one of Peter’s men who was getting handsy with Elizabeth, who later that night attacks Indy from behind and ties his four limbs to horses to try and rip him apart, but this slimeball also alerts him that he works for Salkovich and is a spy in Peter’s camp!

This is such a great start to this arch that has Indiana Jones on a adventure in Russia alongside the granddaughter of Buffalo Bill Cody on a mission to get back stolen goons that he won in a shooting contest, and they are now the target of the Russian Army as well as a rich thief and his army of goons! Indiana Jones in this issue goes from striking out on finding the location of a tablet that could lead to the finding of Atlantis to being in Russia tied to horses and on the verge of being ripped apart. Elizabeth Cody is a skilled shooter who has her pride in her family name and is doing her part as well to get them back. Efrem Decker works for the American Government and wants Indy as well to try and see what is going on in Russia as they are not sure if they are teaming with the Germens. The coolest cameo in this issue is Short Round who of course is from the film Temple Of Doom and I wish he had been along for the full adventure. It makes so much sense now that they wrote Marion Ravenwood out of the series as we are now in the time of Willie Scott being the lady around Indy’s life. The cliffhanger in this issue is a good one as a spy in the camp has Indy about to be ripped apart late at night so who is going to be the one to save him, or how will he figure out how to escape. The cover for this is ok but not all that eye catching, and the interior art is one more done by Ditko and is top-notch stuff. So with that lets see what happens in the next issue!

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 27

Indiana Jones # 27  ***
Released in 1985     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 27 of 34

The Spy cracks the whip and the horses start to run in different directions and the pain starts to rip through the body of Indiana Jones, but luck for him Elizabeth heard the attack and is able to shoot most of the ropes off and with his pocket knife he is able to save himself fully. As Peter Rostoff and the rest of his men arrive the spy is long gone and Indy films them in on what has happened. The next morning Indy, Elizabeth, Peter and his men head toward the mansion of Salkovich ready for the battle that is surly going to happen. When they get to the mansion they notice it’s protected all around and that the Russian Army even has housing there for many soldiers who are ready to fight and protect Salkovich and the stolen guns inside, and when some of Peter’s men attack the soldiers Indy leads some to the inside of the mansion to try and conquer it as well as get the guns. Once inside Indy, Elizabeth and two soldiers are caught just as they find the guns by Salkovich and the Spy, and Salkovich even guns down the two soldiers and tells the Spy he can have Elizabeth to have some fun with as he deals with Indy, but our heroes escape and Salkovich goes after Indy with his whip and Elizabeth is being hunted down by the slimy spy. While Indy has a whip fight with Salkovich, Elizabeth meanwhile uses her quick wit and uses caged birds in order to distract the Spy who trips and falls out of a window to his death. Indy ends up knocking out Salkovich thanks to an electric shock and he meets his life when the mansion explodes just as Indy and Elizabeth escape with the prized guns in hand. Back at the camp the shoot contest takes place and Elizabeth ends up throwing the match so that Peter can win and Uri Rostoff can get his pride back, and after they give Uri the guns he passes away and Peter ends up giving the guns back to Elizabeth as he knows she threw the contest in order to make a dying man feel better. In the end Indiana Jones and Elizabeth Cody have the guns in hand and are heading back to America as friends.

Indiana Jones is one lucky guy as he is saved from being ripped to pieces and even helps bring down a very corrupt and powerful man in Russia and best of all makes a new friend with a very skilled young woman who is a master shooter. The issue also showcases just how skilled Indy is as he uses his great mind also to quickly think of plans to get him out of danger and his mind is what brings down Salkovich once and for all. Speaking of Salkovich he is truly a rich man who kills, steals and smirks his way through life as his wealth allows him to get away with so much in his country as his land even houses so many of the areas military. So its nice to see Salkovich get what is coming to him and besides getting a bad electric shock he also gets blown up! I liked Elizabeth Cody as she is fast with a fun, is a hero in her own right and does not run from danger in fear as she uses her mind and skills as well to take out the baddies and save her life as well as those of her friends. The ending of this issue is also about compassion as Elizabeth is willing to throw a contest in order to give a dying man his pride back, and everyone of the old man’s friends and family know what she has done and are very pleased she was such a nice person. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and has Indy swinging in through a window and the art done for this issue is done again by Steve Ditko and is great stuff like always. I would also like to point out that in this issue in the letters page fans are asking for Short Round and Willie Scott to be added in as cast members, one even takes shots at Marion Ravenwood as he wants Willie in the comic more than her! But with that lets get to the next issue and see what adventure Indy is going to be on next.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 28Indiana Jones # 28  ***
Released in 1985     Cover Price .65     Marvel Comics     # 28 of 34

Indiana Jones is at a cocktail party with his fellow colleges from the collage when a young man named Alec Sutherland who is delivering the research diary of the recent passed away Doctor Arthur Hecht who thinks that there are seven towers around the world and had found the location of on in Iran…and Indiana to finish his old friends work heads to Iran to find the tower. Once in Iran Indy is being followed by Alec who wants to help in the discovery and when they run into some villagers they make the mistake of telling them they are looking for the tower that is called The Tower Of Tears, and the villagers go crazy by the mention of the tower as they say it is evil and they attack Indy and Alec who barely escape. Later that night they find The Tower Of Tears and watch a woman in a trance is called inside as her brother tries to beg her to not go in, Indy and Alec follow and see that a powerful Sorcerer is inside and uses a powder on the brother that turns him to dust. When Indy and Alec are discovered to be in the temple a fight between Indy and the Sorcerer breaks out and an eternal flame is put out that fills the tower with Natural Gas! Indy tells Alec to get the woman out of the tower and The Sorcerer makes the mistake of firing a gun that blows up the tower! As The Sorcerer is dying he tells Indy that there is no other towers and that he needed that woman as she was with child and he was going to use the child to take his place as watcher of the evil tower, and with that The Sorcerer dies and the woman’s village come for her and Indiana returns home closing the research of Dr. Hecht.

This issues adventure has Indiana Jones along with a student traveling to Iran in order to look for a tower that is suppose to be evil that is the first of seven, only to get there to find that is the home of a crazed Sorcerer that ends up blowing himself up and informs them that there is no other towers. Indiana Jones in this issue is really looking into these towers in order to finish the research of one of his friends who passed away, and as always his luck gets him out of trouble and he quickly wraps up the research and even saves the villages an towns around the tower from the evil doings of The Sorcerer. Alec Sutherland is a young kid who tags along for the ride who is skilled at riding horses and is one of my least favorite characters to go on an adventure in this comic series, I hope Alec does not show back up as at the end of this comic he acts like he will be sticking around the collage. The Sorcerer is pretty much evil as he kills and wants to kidnap a child to force it to learn dark mystic arts in order to take over living in the tower and tormenting all those who live around it. And like before this issue has that supernatural touch and I like the Tower Of Tears as what a cool and odd thing for Indy to be looking for. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and had Indy and Alec jumping from a plane, and while I would have made it a little more flashy the colors make this cover stand out. The interior art is done by Steve Ditko and like always its great stuff and you have to love his style. Lets see what is next and lets hope that Short Round, Marion Ravenwood and even Willie Scott join him in the next one and we don’t get the return of Alec Sutherland.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 29

Indiana Jones # 29  ***
Released in 1985     Cover Price .65     Marvel Comics     # 29 of 34

Indiana Jones finds himself being attacked by a group of men, but he is saved by Jessie Hale who ends up shooting some of his attackers dead and they find that they are both heading to the shame docked ship as Jessie’s brother Peter is in charge of the cargo ship and Indy is there to buy a Chinese Mummy. But of course this can not ho smooth as Michael Cobb who is leading The Irish Republican Army and Shih Ho of The Tong have set their sights on getting the Mummy as well and will do whatever it takes to get it! The Tong end up capturing Peter Hale and the I.R.A end up capturing Jessie Hale and both sides threaten the lives of Indy’s friends if he does not turn over the Mummy and also it seems one of the Museum’s trustees has it out for Indy as he send a telegram that if he does not get the mummy to the museum then his job there will be terminated. Indy tracks down Peter who is being held in a basement and talks to him to find the location of The Mummy that Peter hid in a nearby cemetery and tells Peter to tell the Tong the location after waiting a few minutes and then Indy alerts the I.R.A to the location as well and they all show up at the cemetery. While at the cemetery Indy finds out that Peter has lied to him all along the to crate that was suppose to have the mummy really has guns inside it for the I.R.A or so they even think! After The Tong and I.R.A fight they come to a truce that if the crate has guns the I.R.A take it and if it’s the mummy the Tong take it…once open they find the body of a I.R.A member and learn that the man who set it all up in China has ripped everyone off! And Indy in the end is forced to go to China alongside Cobb and the I.R.A to get what’s owed.

This is such a fun issue as Indiana Jones is sent to pick up a Mummy that has been shipped from China and instead finds himself being attacked and tracked by two different groups with one being The Tong and the other The Irish Republican Army Who want the crate that the mummy is in all because Peter Hale the brother of Jessie Hale is a liar and a goof who has screwed up a deal that was originally a fraud that took place in China that was a scam to get money…yep its like that. Indiana Jones has to fully use his wits and skills in this issue as not only is his life in danger but so are that of Jessie and her brother, and the criminals they are messing with do not value human life! Jessie Hale is caught up in this adventure because of her brother, but good thing she is around and she saves Indy once as well as helps him slow down those who are tracking him. Peter Hale is a goof who lies and deals in stolen goods and because of his lies almost gets his own sister killed as well as Indy! Both The Tong and The I.R.A are very dangerous and both have their reasons for wanting the crate that in reality has neither items they want. The cliffhanger of the issue is good as it has Indy having to go to China along with the I.R.A in order for them to get their guns and Indy to get his Mummy and I think they both want revenge on the scumbag who ripped them both off…and Indy is also going and Peter Hale would be killed on site in China. The cover is pretty cool and has Indy and Jessie in a graveyard with the I.R.A getting a coffin from the ground and the interior art by Ricardo Villamonte is really good stuff and I like the way he draws Indy. Over all another great issue and one that makes me look forward to reading the next.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 30

Indiana Jones # 30  ***
Released in 1985     Cover Price .65     Marvel Comics     # 30 of 34

Indiana Jones and Michael Cobb of the I.R.A have arrived in China and find that they are also the target of Weng Ho and his men and Weng Ho of course is the man who ripped them both off. After fighting off some of Ho’s men Indy and Cobb go their separate ways and both find themselves being captured, but Indy is able to escape his captors when Cobb sets off dynamite that distracts them and Indy himself then goes and rescues Cobb who was being tortured by a General and the two once more together escape, and each still do not like one another as they have a difference in how to get their revenge on Weng Ho and get what they are owed. Indy and Cobb end up finding the general again and force him to take them to the base of Weng Ho who has an army on his side and once our two heroes arrive at the throne room of Ho he alerts them that he knows that they are there and orders for them to be killed, but Cobb left dynamite to explode outside and this give him and Indy a chance to fight back and as Ho leaves the room Cobb is shot, as Indy goes after Ho a big explosion goes off and Ho and Indy think Cobb is dead. Ho leads Indy to the mummy and tries to get Indy to see his side of things that of course is very evil, and quickly Ho grabs a gun and before he can shoot Indy he himself is shot dead by the hands of Cobb who dies right after, but also makes Indy swear to get his men the weapons…Indy instead uses the last of the dynamite to blow up the shed that holds all the weapons and he wants the bloodshed everywhere to stop. In the end Weng Ho is dead and his army is disbanded, Michael Cobb is dead and his fighters do not get the weapons and Indy is returning home with one mummy ready for the museum.

Indiana Jones heads to China in this issue to recover his missing mummy as his job is hanging on it making it to the museum and finds himself having to go alongside a very unhinged man who is gun happy and have to go against a warlord in China who wants to bring war to his nation so that he can rise to power and part of his idea was screwing over many in order to get money and weapons of war. Indiana Jones shows that you can defeat your enemies without killing them and tries his best to showcase this to Michael Cobb who has been fighting for most of his life and only knows violence to get his point across. And the same can be said for Weng Ho who uses violence in order to get what he wants and that is power and respect and while he does end up being the reason of Cobb’s death he as well almost kills Indy! This issue also brings back Alec Sutherland that lame character from a few issues back and he is indeed now attending the collage so that he can take classes taught by Indy…lets hope he does not make more appearances. The payout for this issue is well done as all those who murder and use violence end up loosing it all and Indy who used his mind and skills is the one who gets what he needs in the end. The cover for this issue is ok and showcases the final moments of the fight from the issue and the interior art is once more done by Ricardo Villamonte and is good stuff. Over all a good issue that features lots of action and adventure all over a Mummy, so lets see what is next for us readers.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 31

Indiana Jones # 31  ***
Released in 1985     Cover Price .65     Marvel Comics     # 31 of 34

Indiana Jones is in a plane being flown by his friend Smitty from China back to America when they crash and Smitty is hurt bad and the pair are found by big game hunter “Congo” Kate Crawford and her Native American scout Robert ThunderCloud as they are in the area hunting Bigfoot as many terrible mutilation deaths have taken place in the woods. And once back in town Smitty is taken to the hospital and Indiana Jones is asked by Kate to go on the hunt for Bigfoot, but before he can fully answer the local sheriff and some towns folk bust in to argue with her as Indy finds himself fist fighting some of the locals at the bar when they refuse to serve and attack ThunderCloud due to his race! After the fight and the next day Indy is set to head back home when the Sheriff and the Mayor show up with the body of the bartender from the night before and while the Sheriff blames Bigfoot the Mayor says that it was ThunderCloud who killed the man and this causes ThunderCloud to run away for his life and the town starts up a lynch mob to do justice. Indiana Jones and Kate head into the woods to find ThunderCloud and save him from the mob as well as to of course see if they can find Bigfoot, but things are getting more and more confusing for Indy as Kate runs off to hunt Bigfoot and he runs into Thundercloud who informs him that he is not a killer and that the bartender worked for the F.B.I and that others are the ones who are killing him to cover up a crime, and with that Thundercloud knocks out Indy and rushes to the cliffs and finds that The Sheriff is a traitor and killed people and made up the Bigfoot story to keep people out of the woods as he had a meeting set up with the Japanese to give them information about the areas Military bases! In the end Indy and ThunderCloud stop the Sheriff, Kate finds the truth about their being no Bigfoot, no secrets are passed to the nations enemy and ThunderCloud is shown to work for the Government and was their to stop this act of treason. Plus Indiana Jones flies home and Kate Crawford goes with him to checkout the museum.

This issue feels like an episode of some late 70’s or early 80’s TV Show that takes supernatural vibes and mixes it with a thriller and in the end it was some pesky human that was the monster that the town thought haunted the woods. Indiana in this issue is a little out of his element and is kind of sucked into the adventure even though he wanted nothing to do with the search of Bigfoot, but does want to save a man from being accused of murder and killed by a mob of townies who are scared. Kate Crawford is a skilled hunter who has came to town in order to hunt down and kill the legendary creature Bigfoot, and while she is a nice person her want and need to be the one to kill the legend also makes her kind of cold in emotions as she gives zero cares for ThunderCloud after he has to run for his life, but also lets see what comes of her as she is on her way home with Indy! Speaking of ThunderCloud he is a lawman who is acting as a guide in order to get to the bottom of the case of who is killing people in the nearby woods and who is the one giving information to the Japanese, a tough as nails fighter who does what he needs to keep America safe. I do wish that a Bigfoot would have shown up and helped fight off the bad guys, and I also think it’s odd that Indiana Jones does not believe in Bigfoot when he has seen a tribe of Yetis not to long ago. Plus poor Smitty man is rocked silly in this issue and this is a side character that has appeared in other issues and makes you wonder if he was left behind or if he was flying the plane that Indy and Kate leave in. The cover for this one is just ok and has more of a superhero comic vibe and the interior art is great like before as it was done by Ricardo Villamonte again. And with that lets see what is next for Indiana Jones in the next issue!

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 32

Indiana Jones # 32  ***
Released in 1985     Cover Price .65      Marvel Comics     # 32 of 34

Indiana Jones has just got done with his class when in the halls he is tracked down by Alec Sutherland who has found more writings of Doctor Arthur Hecht but also at the same time Marcus Brody warns Indy that he has been chosen to escort Victoria Keith around as she is from the British Museum. After showing her around as well as taking her to dinner and when walking her back to her hotel room she gives him a kiss and their night ends, but as Indy get home he finds Alec waiting outside for him and says that he has a tablet that tells the location of the remaining towers. Indiana Jones ends up leaving Alec at the house when he finds that Victoria has stolen his keys and is now inside the museum robbing it! Indy gets to the museum and finds that Victoria has already stolen many of the artifacts and even has rigged booby traps around to slow down Indy who is on her trail, she also lets him know that she wants the tablets but before he can answer her the cops show up and she has to make her exit by leaping out a window and then getting to an airfield and making an escape via plane. Indy gives chase and finds an old man to fly him after her and he plane walks to get into her plane and once he gets the stolen artifact back Victoria jumps from the plane and onto a ship and makes her get away complete with an old amulet that she also took that was connected to the tablet that Alec has. Once back at the museum Indy and Marcus find Alec and the tablet says that the amulet she stole is very powerful and brings back the evil sorceress and could doom the world, they also find out that Victoria Keith is really hire master thief named Amanda Knight and now Indiana Jones is going after her to get the amulet back as well as get revenge.

In this issue Indiana Jones as well as the whole Museum are played for fools when a master female thief named Amanda Knight is able to rob the museum of two artifacts and whoever has hired her is linked to trying to find the Seven Pillars that are said to house evil sorceress and could bring the end to the world as we all know it. Amanda Knight is truly a skilled thief who uses her good looks and skills in order to trick everyone into trusting her and even poor Indy ends up getting a crush on her and she plays them all for fools as she gets what she has came for and has planned it all out so well. Indiana Jones while played at first is fast thinking when he realizes that she is not the kind history loving person she claimed to be and risks his own life in order to try and stop her to get back the stolen goods, I mean he even wing walks across plane wings in order to get to her. And ugh Alec Sutherland returns in a big way as now he is also working at the museum and is still trying to find proof of the towers and is stalking Indy around talking about research he has found…this character needs to go away and Short Round or Marion Ravenwood need to comeback. Over all this is a pretty fun adventure filled issues and is setting up that Indiana is going to have to find and fight these magical menaces. The cover is fun and has Indy hanging onto the wing of a plane and Steve Ditko returns to doing the interior art that is great like always. Another solid issue in the Marvel Comics Indiana Jones series that proves that they knew how to do Indy comics right!

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 33

Indiana Jones # 33  ***
Released in 1986      Cover Price .65      Marvel Comics     # 33 of 34

Indiana Jones arrives in England and meets Percy And Clyde of Scotland Yard who in their own odd way give him a location to look for Amanda Knight at that happens to be an island, and once at the island he finds that the locals at the pub are not very nice as they don’t like people to go digging around their land and the only friendly one is lighthouse keeper Ian Soames who gives him a bottle of liquor before Indy leaves to rest for the night. Later that night Indy looks out the window and sees many of the folks from the pub heading towards the moors with shovels so he follows. That night he looses sight of the men but meets old Crazy Angus who attacks Indy before running away, Indy catches up with him the next day and the old man tells him of life force underground before once more being spooked away. But Indy instead of following Angus finds on a cliff the plane of Amanda Knight so know he knows he is close to capturing her. Later that night Indy is attacked in his room by towns folk and one even drinks some of the liquor that Ian gave him and dies from it, and because of this Indy is now being called a witch and the people are going to kill him and Angus for being witches! Indy runs to the lighthouse and finds it empty but bolts the door shut in order to hide there for the night, but while inside he his hearing terrible screaming from outside as well as below the building. And after opening a trap door he finds Amanda Knight tied up and once he frees her she runs away telling him to be aware that a evil Magician with powers is behind all the evil on the island and once they are both outside they find the dead bodies of many of the towns people and the Magician is Ian and he wants Amanda dead as well as Indy as you see he is one of the seven sorceress and he has awaken the dead of the Vikings that once walked the land and they are coming to kill Indy and Amanda on this night.

Oh man is Indiana Jones in trouble now as the cliffhanger of this issue has dead Vikings coming out of the ground armed with swords and all wanting to slice and hack him to death all on the orders of Ian who turned out to be a very bad man as he is one of the seven evil wizards who have tormented the world and now he has ultimate power cause he wears the stolen amulet artifact! And Amanda Knight is on the to be killed list as she failed to get Ian the tablet he needs as it holds the key on how to destroy all these evil sorcerers once and for all! Indiana Jones in this issue finds himself on a very hostel island that is filled with townspeople who think people are witches and always seem to be up to something when the sun goes down, and worse of all once more he finds himself as a target for black magic. Amanda Knight who might be a master thief finds herself being taken prisoner and shoved in the basement of an old lighthouse and even when freed she stares death in the eye as she is set to be killed by the one who hired her. Crazy Angus is well crazy and everyone thinks he is a witch, but in his words you can hear some wise thoughts that will help Indy in this one. Ian Soames is an evil sorcerer who is one of the guardians of the ancient evil pillars, and while he has magical powers he also uses poisoned liquor to try and deal death to his enemies. This issue has a great cliffhanger that makes you really look forward to reading the next issue, and sadly the next issue is the last in the series! The cover for this one is pretty cool and reminds me of the Doctor Strange comics of the 80’s and the interior art by Ditko is of course just as great as always. With another great issue read lets see what the final one has in store for us and how Indy will bring down this dark magic that threatens the world.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 34

Indiana Jones # 34  **1/2
Released in 1986      Cover Price .65      Marvel Comics     # 34 of 34

Indiana Jones is being over taken by the skeleton warriors and Amanda Knight is able to grab the amulet from Ian Soames and run off with it and as Ian gives chase Indy is able to break free of the skeletons and as well gives chase of the pair, but runs into Crazy Angus instead and the two rush off to stop this madness. Indy and Angus head to his small shack and find Amanda in there as well hiding and the three come up with a plan to use the amulet as well as the moonlight to burn Ian and stop his mindset of destruction. But they do not get much time as Ian comes busting into the shack with murder in his eyes, as Angus does his best to hold off Ian with his own Earth magic Indy and Amanda rush to town to get Indy’s whip and gun only to find that the townspeople have them and are waiting for the pair also with hate in their eyes. But Indy finds out that the townspeople are not informed on Ian and they only have been acting like jerks because of a hidden treasure that is on the island. But before things can be smoothed out Ian appears and uses winds to cause damage to the town as he does not care about anything now besides getting the amulet back and killing Indy. Indy and Amanda make it to the lighthouse and figure out that its his tower that gives him power and after fighting off more skeleton warriors and using the towers light as well as the amulet against Ian they both managed to survive as Ian dries up and dies. In the end Amanda heads towards her plane to get away from the island and Indiana Jones has what is left of the amulet and is heading back to the museum.

The final issue of Marvel’s Indiana Jones is both great as well as underwhelming as I wish that it would have gotten a more proper ending as this storyline of Alec Sutherland’s obsession of having Indy finish the work of his old professor that involves magical towers and evil wizards is a little bit of a let down as I would have liked to seen Indy on a more epic adventure that was not tied into Alec and Doctor Hecht as this story lasted for way to many issues and Alec got more panel time then Short Round who was the movie character that fans wanted to see in this comic series. Indiana Jones in this issue has to use his luck to really get away from a very pissed off wizard and if not for his quacking thinking and mind he would have ended up dead, and lets be honest all through this series Indy showcases why he was the worlds best adventurer! Plus you have to give Indy credit as well for his skill with fist fighting as well as the use of his gun and whip. Amanda Knight and Crazy Angus are his help in this issue and they serve their purpose, but really don’t add much. In fact I think way too much of this issue is spent of Amanda Knight arguing with the decisions Indy is making and this drags the pace down a bit. Ian Soames is a pretty cool villain as he has magical powers that can raise the dead as well as can create very powerful winds, and in the end he is the one who defeats himself when he uses all his remaining energy to try and take out Indy. The series as a whole is dang near perfect as they are all great reads and took Indiana Jones all over the world and had him finding all types of interesting items as well as crossing the paths with many strange characters…and while at first they did a great job of working in other characters from the film series like Marion Ravenwood and Marcus Brody as the series continued they would introduce ones like Short Round and Sallah only make short cameos and poor Willie Scott never appears and instead we get lame characters like Alec Sutherland appearing multiple times in several issues. I also feel that this comic series did a really good job of staying loyal to the film series in feel as well as the over all nature of the adventures. The cover for this issue is good and yet again reminds me of a cover you would have seen on a Doctor Strange issue. The interior art was done by the icon of comics Steve Ditko again and is great work as his art style is very fitting for this comic. I am not sure why Marvel Comics did not continue their Indiana Jones series I would guess it had to do with either poor sales or the licensing was to expensive, but I really did wish they would have continued as these were great reads back in my youth and are still great reads as an adult. Checkout the artwork below to see some of the styles used in this series.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic Art 1Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic Art 2Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic Art 3

Indiana Jones has always been a big part of my life when growing up and the films, games, toys, TV shows and comics all did their part to entertain me as well as make my imagination run wild with going on my own adventures to look for lost treasures. And I am sure if you are reading this update, you as well are a fan of Indy, and I hope that you like me are very excited to see Indiana Jones 5 in the theaters. I want to thank Harrison Ford for coming back to play Indy one last time for us fans…and let’s hope Disney does not screw this one up. Our next update will be on July 4th and that means it will be about an American Hero that is from some sort of media and this year we are going to Pro Wrestling to find our hero, Corporal Kirchner, the real life military man who worked for the WWF in the 1980’s! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch an Indiana Jones film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update for some grilled burgers, cold drinks, fireworks in the sky and a update event at the Rotten Ink Arena.

Corporal Kirchner Preview Logo

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. For another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update and for this one I will be taking a look at the battle of the worlds two most popular Kaiju those being Godzilla and King Kong and their battle that took place in 2021 in the theaters thanks to Legendary Pictures, and like all good monster movies this film spawned not one but two comic graphic novels to help promote the film and each one showcased the individual monsters before they even meet up on the silver screen. And before we get into this update I want you to think about which of these Giant Monsters is your favorite now and growing up even, as truly here in America these two are the Titans that made the biggest impact in not only movies but culture and they still have massive loyal followings and both have made impacts worldwide. So with that let’s take a look at Godzilla vs. Kong and the two graphic novels this film spawned.

Godzilla vs Kong 1

So to start this off right lets take a look at both Godzilla and King Kong and their styles of battle and killing! And we will start off first with Godzilla who stands at 393 feet tall and weighs over 90,000 tons and is a massive destruction Kaiju who lets nothing stand in his way. He is very aggressive as he wants to be the Alpha Titan and will attack any creature or human base that stands in his way of ruling as if he views you as a threat he will kill. Godzilla is massive in size and can crush people and things under his feet, his massive tail can also kill and destroy people and can be used as a weapon against other Kaiju’s that he comes across. Godzilla’s look also is very scary and this can freeze people in fear and this could lead to their deaths. While Godzilla don’t target humans for the most part those who are in his way learn that he can deal them the death card. Godzila also has super powerful atomic breath that can burn through the Earth, can level buildings and can burn humans to bits as well as can cause serious damage to fellow Giant Monsters that get into his way. Godzilla will also use his teeth and claws to attack and they both as well can cause some big damage to his fellow monsters. He can be fast on land when in a rage, but is always super fast in the water swimming. Godzilla is also smart but one of his weakness is that he is driven by instinct and as well ego as he wants to be the top Alpha among Kaiju and will kill any other creature that gets in his way and opposes his rule. But because of this drive he also heads straight into battle and will not stop until he or the other creature is dead. Godzilla can be hurt as well by atomic blasts, giant battle axes as well as attacks from other Giant Monsters. Godzilla does not have much weakness and this is why many call him King Of The Monsters.

Godzilla vs Kong 2Godzilla vs Kong 3Godzilla vs Kong 4

King Kong while more friendly to mankind still is a Kaiju and can deal death to those that cross him or those he cares about. Kong is super powerful as he can use his strength to overpower his fellow Kaiju as well as can smash human war machines like planes. And do to his size standing 335 feet and weighs around 50,000 tons and this size alone makes him a wrecking machine if he chooses to be. Kong’s look that is a massive gorilla can also strike fear in the hearts of humans as they fear that he could smash them with his feet, hands and his razor sharp teeth is a frightful sight as Kong lets out his massive roar. Kong is super fast and moves much faster then Kaiju like Godzilla, and Kong is also very smart and can use his environment to his advantage. Kong also uses weapons wither it’s something like a tree or his trusty battle-axe that he finds in Middle Earth he is truly a force of nature that can deal death to humans and Kaiju if he chooses. He is an Alpha when it comes to Kaiju and he knows that he really is a King among them. But while Kong is massive he does have some weaknesses like that fact he is caring towards humans he bonds with, he can be hurt via atomic breath, he can be cut by fellow Kaiju’s teeth and claws and because he has normal skin he can be hurt badly by this. Kong also can be sent into a rage as he is a Alpha and that means he does have an ego that can lead him into fights that he might not win if not planned out. Kong also can hold his breath for a while but can be drowned and smothered, as he does need air in his lungs to survive. While Kong has some weakness it’s a matter of luck in order of getting the best of him and he truly is one of the most powerful Kaiju’s due to his smarts, strength and speed.

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As you can see both Godzilla and Kong as super dangerous if they want to be to humans, but to be honest they both in the Legendary Monsterverse series acts as protectors to humans and only kill them when attacked or protecting…and well by accident. But as you can see when it comes to other Kaiju’s they can and will kill them to be the Alpha and to be the protectors that their instincts tell them to be. Well I think its time to take a look at the film that pitted these two against each other from 2021 and as always the films write up will be taken from our pals at IMDB and after that I will write about the films production as well as my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s chat about Godzilla vs. Kong an epic Kaiju film for the ages.

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Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

“Legends collide as Godzilla and Kong, the two most powerful forces of nature, clash on the big screen in a spectacular battle for the ages. As a squadron embarks on a perilous mission into fantastic uncharted terrain, unearthing clues to the Titans’ very origins and mankind’s survival, a conspiracy threatens to wipe the creatures, both good and bad, from the face of the earth forever.”

Godzilla vs. Kong had seeds planted in 2015 when Legendary Pictures was able to get Universal to let Warner Brothers release the King Kong reboot that they were working on as they had already done Godzilla with WB in 2014 and fans knew that Kong would be joining the planned Monsterverse and finally they announced that yes a Godzilla vs. Kong film would be in the works after a few films would be released based on them both in order to build up the showdown. And this caused Kaiju fans to be cheering so loud for this giant monster showdown, but they were told it would not come out until 2020…so a wait was in store for us all as they confirmed this in late 2015. The next major news came in 2017 when they hired Adam Wingard to direct the film and he was a good choice as he already had films “A Horrible Way To Die (2010)”, “You’re Next (2011)”, “Blair Witch (2016)” and “Death Note (2017)” under his belt and at one point he was even selected by Peter Jackson to be the director of his never made sequel to the 2005 King Kong remake. Next they started working on the script and after many ideas and rewrites it was Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein who got the job based on the stories of Michael Dougherty, Terry Rossio and Zach Sheilds and they all added elements from the past three films in the shared universe. And in 2017 through 2018 they started also casting parts in the film with Millie Bobby Brown and Kyle Chandler coming back in their roles and names like Julian Dennison, Alexander Skarsgard, Rebecca Hall, Eiza Gonzalez and Brian Tyree Henry among others all getting roles in key parts. The film began filming on November 12, 2018 and took place in Hawaii and Australia and was your normal big budget film shoot with reshoots coming later to even add and help to the story. And from there the film had the visual effects added by a massive team-up from companies Moving Pictures Company, Scanline VFX and Weta Digital and this had to be done by so many companies as Warner Brothers really wanted to release the film in 2020 like they first promised. And then the film was scored by Tom Holkenborg who did a fantastic job of adding new sounds to already iconic songs in some pieces and his new songs are fantastic. The film had big promotion around it and posters were shown and Comic Con even got to see a clip and the buzz around the film was at a fever pitch as fans wanted to see it bad, and when pictures of the toys by Playmates based on the film leaked on line it was on as new character where shown and fans started wondering what these new Kaiju were. But sadly Godzilla vs. Kong was not released in 2020 due to the pandemic and movie theaters world wide had to shut down in order to slow down the virus. And the film was pushed to 2021 and even then people thought that it might not even be release until 2022! But the film did make it to the theaters on March 31, 2021 and even with the annoying pandemic still being around it did really well at the Box Office, but on the same day released in theaters Warner Brothers and there parent company AT&T also decided to put the film on their terrible streaming service HBO Max and this was cool for people who was scared to go to theaters due to the virus and was understandable at the time. The film did $467,863,133.00 worldwide via its theater run and was # 2 for the year at the Box Office in America and was released alongside other films like “The Conjuring: Devil Made Me Do It”, “The Suicide Squad”, “Candyman”, “Mortal Kombat”, “Snake Eyes”, “The Green Knight”, “Chaos Walking” and many more. The film was pretty well loved by both critics and fans and was the first big movie for theaters once they were able to open once more. And once on home media I of course bought it and have watched a couple of times sense its release.

Godzilla vs. Kong was one of the films of 2021 that I was most looking forward to as it was one that my gal Juliet and I would talk about all the time as well as many of my friends as we all debated and took sides on who they wanted to win the big fight! And our household was split as Juliet was team Godzilla and I was team Kong and even before the films release I ordered us both shirts that featured the Kaiju we were cheering for, and yes, we wore them when we went and seen the film at a Cinemark Theater. I invited many of my friends as well to watch the film and it was a blast seeing it in the theater and all of us had a great time eating popcorn, snacks and having some drinks all the while watching the monsters battle on the silver screen for our entertainment. And while Kong should have won the fight I enjoyed the heck out of the film and that’s why it ranked #2 on my Matt Goes To The Movies 2021 update in the Horror section. The film made me feel like a kid again in the theater as watching two of cinemas biggest iconic giant monsters fighting on the screen was something very magical and truly was a film that needed to be seen in theaters and not at home via streaming! And it was great as everyone of my friends who came with me to watch the film enjoyed the hell out of it and the best part really being is how split we all were on who should have won, and even in the end when the winner was shown no one was rubbing it in the other sides face. The effects of the film were great and I think that Legendary Pictures has done a great job of showing the age progression of both Titans in each film and have done a fantastic job of also giving them personality and growth over the films that make up the Monsterverse. The thing that really worked in the film is that several times Kong and Godzilla fight and after each battle one of the Titans has the upper hand given fans of each of them something to cheer and feel good about and making neither look weak. I am glad that Legendary Pictures was able to get Toho, Warner Brothers and Universal Pictures to come together and allow this and the other films in the series to be made as they truly are “Event” films that are super enjoyable to watch in the theater and with friends. I hope that this is not the last we see of Godzilla or Kong as both have many more battles to be had in the Monsterverse. To sum it up I really enjoyed Godzilla vs. Kong and while in my opinion the wrong Kaiju won the battle it took the two to really bring down the threat that was a giant tech company and their Mecha monster.

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As you long time readers know, both Godzilla and King Kong are big time favorites here at Rotten Ink as both are characters I grew up watching and will always be covered here and with Legendary Pictures and Legendary Comics making new media about both of them this is great news as they will always be covered here. And I want to thank Amazon for having both of these graphic novels in stock and making this update possible. I want to also remind you readers that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, it’s entertainment value and it’s art and story. So with that, let’s head to the world of Titans and see who has the better graphic novel!

Godzilla Dominion GN

Godzilla: Dominion # 1  **1/2
Released in 2021     Cover Price $16.99    Legendary     # 1 of 1

Godzilla is trying to protect his territory and find a new home and comes across the Titan Scylla who has been driven mad with hunger and has set her sights on a bomb at the bottom of the ocean and Godzilla knows that if the bomb goes off it will hurt the Earth as well as people and fights Scylla and makes her retreat into the ocean. Godzilla next appears to break up a fight between Amhuluk and Behemoth as they two are fighting over territory as well as are both hungry and as Amhuluk takes down Behemoth with plans on eating him Godzilla steps in and breaks up this could be feast and Amhuluk and Behemoth go their separate ways. Godzilla returns to the ocean and lets a strong current carry him as he rests and remembers back to a time long ago before man took over the world, and he then is attacked by meat eating giant fish that he ends up using his atomic breath and fries them. And as he continues his quest to find a new home Godzilla even remembers back to Mothra giving her life for his and that is when he runs into the Titan Na Kika as well as Warships and Helicopters that are attacking him once he surfaces, after defeating the war machines he once more finds a place to rest and recharges. Godzilla then finds his new home and must fight the Titan Tiamat in order to claim it and after a big fight Tiamat bows down and leaves Godzilla deep in his thoughts that is all about his real rival the one known as Kong.

Godzilla Dominion is a fun read and has some cool fights as well as features some other Titans that make up the Monsterverse. The Idea of this basically being a day in the life of Godzilla as he tries to find a new home is kind of a fun concept, but it is also flawed. While I really do want to stress that it’s a fun read and fans of Kaiju or should I say Titans will really enjoy all the monster fights as well as seeing many of the ones we are briefly introduced to in the 2019 film “Godzilla King Of The Monsters”, but the downside is that the comic feels like just scenes put together and at times it feels slightly underwhelming and also disjointed in spots. But while flawed in my opinion the comic still is a fun time if you love monster fights. Godzilla in this graphic novel is very much trying to be a protector to Earth as well as King of the monsters as he is trying to get them to behave as well as understands that their food source and territories are over lapping causing them to be at odds with each other. He also shows that he is a Titan who is always thinking as his past as well as the past of his bloodline is always on his mind and his hatred for Kong and his race is also boiling in his blood. The GN also has many other Titans with the coolest one for me to see being Behemoth the giant wooly mammoth with the long tusks, even though he looses a fight with a fellow Titan and almost becomes a meal, he still is my favorite of the other original Titans shown in this comic. I also like that this really feeds into the hatred that Godzilla has for Kong and it really does have to do with the history of war between the two races. The cover is really cool and has artwork by Art Adams and showcases Godzilla in all his glory. The interior art by Drew Johnson is really good and I love the way he draws all the Titans and also the way he draws battles is pretty interesting and well done. Over all this is a good read if you are a Godzilla fan and I cannot wait to see what the Kong graphic novel has in store for me. Check out the artwork below to see the style of Drew.

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So now that we see what Godzilla has brought to the table in this Graphic Novel showdown lets head to Skull Island and see what Kong has in response.

Kingdom Kong GN

Kingdom Kong # 1  ***
Released in 2021     Cover Price $16.99   Legendary     # 1 of 1

Monarch have called in their top pilots and are sending them to Skull Island on a secret mission as they might have found a new entrance to the Hollow Earth and they need a team to go in and secure the area so that scientist can enter and study the believed birth place to all the Titans. Audrey Burns a woman with a past dealing with Titans is selected to lead the group and they all run drills on Skull Island to get ready for the mission. Meanwhile Kong is around and a little annoyed by the new group of humans but still protects them from the likes of a Spirit Tiger that he ends up breaking the neck of. Worse a massive storm is heading the way of Skull Island and if it reaches the island it could cause death of many of the species that live on the island including the tribe of humans. The scientists also are starting to wonder if Kong is out growing Skull Island as he seems to be growing to large for the land to supply him with enough of a food source among other issues. When the drilling team starts to uncover the cave that could be the vortex to lead to Hollow Earth they soon find out that they have all made a big mistake as the winged Titan Camazotz is what was in the hole and he wants to challenge to make Earth his Kingdom! Meanwhile Captain Audrey and her men have a moment to chat about how Titans have effected all of their lives before they are sent out to check on the drilling crew that has went silent…and to make things worse the massive storm is now at Skull Island! Kong fights off Camazotz as Burns and her team enter the fight to help Kong against the Titan and his smaller minions while other get the drilling team out and safe. After Burns uses her airplane to hit Camazotz with a sonic boom, Kong finishes the beast off with a hit that crushes his skull and kills the evil creature. Once the battle is over Burns takes a leave to visit her best friend who was hurt in a Titan attack, the Skull Island Hollow Earth portal is closed as its unstable, Dr. Ilene Andrews takes over as head scientist watching over Skull Island and Kong and Kong himself gets fired up when he thinks about his bloodline’s past and knows Godzilla is out in the world.

Kingdom Kong feels more like your traditional Kaiju comic and follows humans on a mission as well as the featured giant monster doing what they do best and that’s fight, protect and be a giant scary creature in the eyes of humans. And in this comic Kong is as awesome as ever as he tries to protect life but also has no regrets on taking lives of threats to him or what he views as those in need of his help. The way he snaps the neck of the Spirit Tiger shows that Kong does not mess around, and the fact he fights off another Alpha Titan shows that he is not one to turn away from a fight. The main evil Titan in this issue is the winged terror called Camazotz who hides in the dark and wants to make the planet Earth his kingdom and also feels that by beating Kong he as well will become a Alpha Titan, and while he is a threat to Kong he ends up dead thanks to a crushed skull! The human parts of the story do drag a little mostly in the Scientist stuff, with Captain Burns and her crew being a little more interesting due to their PTSD over Kaiju attacks they faced in the past. The Titan fights are great and while at times in some panels the fights do loose a little of the impact as the art sometimes is mudded up with other elements. It was cool to see characters from the film make appearances like Dr. Ilene Andrews, Jia and we even see Dr. David Lind the brother of Nathan Lind who dies trying to enter the Hollow Earth as spoke about in the film. The cover is great and eye catching as its Art Adams artwork again and his stuff always looks amazing. The interior artwork is done by Zed and is solid stuff and I love the way he drew Kong as he captures the Titan very well. Over all this is a really good comic that captures that magic of Kong and tells a pretty interesting story that leads into the events of the film pretty well and also builds the hatred that Kong has for Godzilla. Check out the artwork below to see the style of Zed used in this comic.

Kingdom Kong Art 1Kingdom Kong Art 2Kingdom Kong Art 3

So as you can see, while Godzilla might have won the battle in the film Kong won the showdown between the two Titans in the world of Graphic Novels as his was just a better read and had a more solid plot that did not have that random scenes thrown together feel like Godzilla’s did. But I do feel that if you are a fan of either or both of these classic giant movie monsters you should give these graphic novels a read for sure as both are entertaining in their own ways and are a great lead in to the epic film and act as a fill in for the gap that takes place between the film series. But with that we have all survived another Kaiju attack here at Rotten Ink and our next update will take us all to a place to relax around a camp fire enjoying a bowl of chili and watching a classic western film released by Alpha Video and the first of our new Wild West Round Up update theme. So until next time read a comic or three, watch a Kaiju film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you on the ranch for a War Of The Range!

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R.I.W: Top 60 Best Luchadores

I have been a fan of Pro Wrestling for as long as I can remember, and alongside Horror Movies, Video Games, Rock Music and Comic Books, it’s still something that I enjoy to this very day…sure WWE’s product has been lacking on the creative front for decades with only hints of great booking in stories like The Fiend and the heel turn of Roman Reigns. Over the years I have seen many wrestling events live from companies like WWE, WCW, ECW, Rockstar Pro and many indie federations. I grew up not only watching the above mentioned on TV but also GWF, AWA, NWA, GCW, Impact, ROH, WCCW, AAA, CMLL, FMW, New Japan, All Japan, XPW and so many more thanks to broadcast as well as home media formats. Who remembers the VHS Wrestling Tape Trades that allowed fans to see matches and wrestlers from all over the world? One style of wrestling that has been my favorite from the first time I saw it is Lucha Libre as the fast paced moves and amazing grapplers with superhero style looks and characters has always been my go to for wrestling. For this update I am going to countdown my personal picks for the top 60 Luchadors aka my personal favorites!

While working on Rotten Ink, I started to think about ways to bring in other subjects that I love as well as fun themed updates that I can bust out from time to time stuff to join the likes of Horror Host Icon, SOV Flashback Classics, Sports Mascots Countdown, Talk Back and a few more. So I decided to create R.I.W. that stands for Rotten Ink Illustrated and is a play off of Pro Wrestling Illustrated (P.W.I) that was my favorite wrestling magazine growing up. And with these R.I.W updates, I am thinking that I will not only be doing Top 60 Countdowns but might also talk about PPV events and break them down and who knows maybe even will cover some live events…as I am not sure really just yet what I want to do for these themed updates.

Keep in mind this list is just my opinion and these rankings are just how I am feeling now. Ask me in a year or two and I am sure it could and would change! The rankings for this are based on me seeing matches of these Luchadors and their character and look.  I am ruling out two icons El Santo and Blue Demon as they are the kings of the ring and while I have seen very little of their matches, I grew up watching their films on Commander USA’s Groovie Movies. Oh and by saying “seen matches” I mean watching on TV, Seen Live, Online Matches and old Tape Trade VHS. So if you are ready, let’s head to Rotten Ink Arena and let’s talk Luchadors…and yeah I added one extra for the fun of it!

# 61

Mr. Iguana
Started: 2009      Companies: AAA      Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

The super popular Mr. Iguana has made a big name for himself in AAA and is hands down one of the most popular wrestlers with kids in the promotion! Mr. Iguana started in the indies, and after an injury set him back, he quickly made a name for himself upon his return to the ring and got the attention of AAA and was signed to compete in the company. While he is not a main eventer and is a Mid-Card lucha, he is very entertaining to watch in the ring. Mr. Iguana is one that I have seen thanks to AAA’s social media that has allowed me and other US fans to see these guys wrestle. While he is not one of my favorite current Luchadors, I will say he is one that I am going to keep my eye on as I think he could become a very interesting wrestler if given the right feuds and matches.

# 60

El Mosco
Started: 1995      Companies: AAA & WWE     Active: Yes      Seen Live: No

El Mosco, who is now known as X-Fly, was a Luchador I first saw on WWE TV as he was part of their short-lived team up with AAA to help kick off their Lightweight division. He was a big deal in Mexico and ran a faction called “Los Rudos De La Galaxia” up until he left the promotion and his then-name Mosco De La Merced was given to another wrestler. During this time is when the El Mosco character was born, and he went on to work not only for Indie Federations but also at WWE, WCW and ECW many of times wrestling under different names and this started in 1997 and he still takes bookings to this day! And in 2010 he returned to AAA until 2012 and was a part of a major storyline that had him teaming with Halloween and Damian 666. He’s a very skilled Luchador, who I mostly knew from his short WWE run and was one I found myself cheering for. And man, he has had a ton of other in ring names that include Winners II, Pierroth Jr., Johnny and Juan El Mosco to name a few.

# 59

Super Calo
Started: 1990      Companies: AAA & WCW      Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

Super Calo was a Luchador that I first saw on WCW as part of the Mexican superstars that were showing up to help push the cruiserweight division, and while a super skilled wrestler, he failed to capture my attention like many of the others brought in, but keep in mind that I still enjoyed watching him in matches. Super Calo started his in ring career in 1990 working some indie federations before landing at AAA in 1992 where he became a very popular wrestler and a draw with his rapper gimmick.  His run lasted until around 1995 as by 1996 he had been signed to WCW and helped showcase Lucha Libre to American fans. Super Calo would be used as enhancement talent and would stick around WCW for a few years before heading back to Mexico to work for the Indies. In 2007, he returned to AAA for another brief run and would then go back to the Indies as well as opening his own promotion called FSW.  While Super Calo might not have been a main eventer here in America, he is a well respected Lucha in Mexico.

# 58

Sin Cara
Started: 2011     Companies: WWE & AAA     Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

Ok, I know what you readers are saying: why is Sin Cara this high on your list as everyone knows that he was considered a failure in WWE and even had two wrestlers under the mask during his run.  But let me explain.  While he had some very botch filled matches while in WWE and even never really captured a Main Event Spot and was barely a Mid-Carder by the end, he helped paved the way for other masked Luchadors to be signed to WWE and be able to keep their masks on! And I am not going to talk about the history of Mistico or Hunico the two who played the gimmick and will more just talk about Sin Cara in general. In 2011 the WWE held a press conference to talk about the signing of Sin Cara as he was built up to be the next Rey Mysterio Jr. for the company and so much hype and push was placed on him as he was slated to be a main eventer even having him team with the company’s top star John Cena…but sadly his star quickly started to fade as injuries, bad attitude and botches made him fall down the card and with his title wins coming along side fellow Luchador Kalisto when, as the Lucha Dragons, they won the NXT Tag Team belts once. He was let go from the WWE in 2019 and has since made an appearance in AAA and now is going under a new name. While he might not be the best of the WWE Luchadors, he is one I enjoyed seeing on TV and at Live Events.

# 57

Tigre Uno
Started: 1998     Companies: AAA & Impact     Active: Yes  Seen Live: No

This Luchador started his career like so many working the Indies and making a name for himself.  He did so at California’s WWA (World Wrestling Association) promotion and during this time as well he became more of a Hardcore Wrestler using chairs, tables and ladders in his matches. In 2006, he got the call and joined AAA and climbed his way up the card winning not only some championships but also tournaments. And during this time Impact Wrestling ended up signing Tigre Uno in 2013 where he would become an attraction in the X-Division a belt that he would end up winning in 2015! Tigre Uno would stay with Impact until 2016 and after this he once more went to the Indies and has been there since entertaining fans worldwide. Tigre Uno is one of those wrestlers I have seen a little of his Impact matches and would like to see more of his work as well as see him live in person. Over the years Tigre Uno has also wrestled under the names Tyger Mask, Extreme Tiger, Ultimate Tiger and Xtreme Tiger.

# 56

Kalisto
Started: 2006      Companies: AAA & WWE      Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

Kalisto is a wrestler who I was happy to see in NXT and WWE as he was a masked Luchador that they allowed for the most part to wrestling in that style…well that was up until his call up to the main roster. Kalisto started his wrestling career working the Indies by the name of Samuray and making a name for himself that ended up leading him to a job with AAA and going from Samuray to Octagon Jr. as he became the student of one of his biggest inspiration Octagon himself! He was in AAA from 2011 and left in 2013 as he became a very in demand wrestler in the Indie scene all over the world and during this time he returned to the Samuray name and worked for companies like CZW, Dragon Gate and AAW! But later in 2013, WWE came calling and hired him to be part of their NXT brand. This would lead to a move up to the main roster in 2015, and during this time he became the United States Champion as well as the Cruiserweight Champion and has been part of the Tag Team “The Lucha Dragons” with Sin Cara and “The Lucha House Party” with Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado and remained a fun draw for American fans who enjoy the Lucha Libre style of wrestling. He also went under the names Bello Greco Jr., The Son Of Superzan, Jordy Stone and Love Warrior. He was let go from the WWE in 2021.

# 55

Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Started: 1994     Companies: WCW & WWE     Active: Yes   Seen Live: Yes

Chavo was born into one of Mexico’s royal families of wrestling, the Guerrero’s! He started wrestling in the indies and even landed himself matches in New Japan Pro Wrestling mastering his craft and building a name for himself. He would be brought into WCW in 1996 as part of the wave of Luchadors being brought in to build the cruiserweight division and he would be a contender off and on throughout the years for the belt even winning it twice and even capturing WCW Tag Team Gold once with partner Lash LeRoux! He would also have a gimmick in WCW that would see him go crazy and carry a stick horse around he called Pepe.  He would leave WCW in 2001 after the company was closed down and would start working for WWE and was part of The Alliance story angle.  During his WWE run, he was mostly used as a Mid-Carder with his biggest run coming when teaming with his uncle Eddie to win the WWE Tag Team Titles twice! He would also win the ECW Championship once as well as the WWE Cruiserweight Championship four times…he would also have one of the worst gimmicks ever while in the WWE when he changed his name to Kerwin White and denounced his Mexican heritage. Chavo would leave WWE in 2011 and would start working for the Indies like WWC before landing at Impact Wrestling in 2012 and would slink around there until 2013 and would make another appearance for them in 2019. After Impact and still taking Indie bookings, he also worked for Lucha Underground as well as the very short lived Nacion Lucha Libre, a federation he co-created with Alberto Del Rio in 2019 (they closed in 2020). While Chavo is still wrestling, he also has gone on to do other media releases like Acting, Comic Books and Podcasting. While Chavo is a still worker, he just never fully captured my attention and never truly lived up to the Guerrero name. He is currently working for AEW.

# 54

Texano Jr.
Started: 1999     Companies: AAA & CMLL     Active: Yes    Seen Live: No

The bull rope carrying Texano Jr. started his in ring career in the indies under the name Kempo Kid, and it was during his time in the indies during a “bet matches” that Kempo Kid had to unmask and became Texano Jr. as he was the son of Luchador legend El Taxano! Very quickly after unmasking Texano Jr. would go to CMLL.  He started in 2003 and was placed in many big stories as well as feuds and would even have factions like “Perros Del Mal”! But things came to an end for his CMLL run in 2011 when he decided to leave and join Perros del Mal Producciones, an indie promotion created by the iconic Perro Aguayo Jr. and he would leave them the same year and join AAA, where he still is to this day. Texano Jr. has a great look as he reminds me of the cowboy wrestlers of the 80’s and 90’s like Stan Hansen and Outlaw Ron Bass, not to mention he is very skilled in the ring and one I enjoy watching on AAA events.

# 53

Bestia 666
Started: 2009     Companies: AAA & WWA     Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

Bestia 666 is the son of Damien 666 and started his career not only in the indies but also in Perros del Mal Producciones.  This would lead to a small run in AAA that allowed him to team with his father as well as his long tome friend Halloween as a stable, all the while he was still working for Perros del Mal Producciones.  In 2012 he quit them and decided to start his journey of working the indies in Mexico as well as America that would lead him to work such federations as MLW, Lucha Underground, GFW, UWF and EWF and would allow him to get a tryout match in the WWE (he would get two) but sadly he was not signed. Bestia 666 has a great look and is super skilled in the ring, and I for one enjoy watching his matches on YouTube and would like to see more matches as well as would like to see him get signed to one of America’s top four federations WWE, AEW, Impact or ROH. Over his career he has also went under the ring names Leo and Bestia.

# 52

Bengala
Started: 1995     Companies: AAA & CMLL     Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

Not to be confused with the CMLL Luchador named Bengala, I am talking about the one who is working for AAA and has the white tiger look that I discovered thanks to YouTube and AAA’s social media as well as Lucha Underground that has allowed me to see his matches and become a fan! Bengala started like every other wrestler making his mark on the indies and building a name for himself and once his dues were paid, he was signed to CMLL in 1998 and would become a lower card Luchador who would rise to being a popular mid-carder up until he left them in 2003. Because of CMLL he got to work many matches in Japan for Toryumon Japan promotion and even held the NWA World Welterweight Title.  He would wrestle in Japan off and on for many years even when he became signed to Pro Wrestling Noah in 2003 and stayed until 2015 as a featured star for the promotion. He would then come back to Mexico off and on working for AAA from 2007-2008 and again from 2013-2017, and during this time with AAA the Bengala character was born! Starting in 2016 Bengala was played by another Luchador until 2019 when he as well left the company and as of now ended Bengela’s run. While not a household name when coming to Lucha Libre stars, he was an entertaining one that I enjoyed seeing in the matches I watched.

# 51

Abismo Negro
Started: 1987     Companies: AAA & CMLL     Active: No     Seen Live: No

First thing I want to say is R.I.P Abismo Negro, who sadly passed away in 2009 as the world of Lucha Libre lost an amazing talent. Like all wrestlers Abismo Negro began his career in the indie scene and in 1991 he was signed to CMLL and only stayed there until 1992 as he left to join the new promotion AAA and this would be his federation that he would stick with for his career, and during this time he would have name changes landing on Abismo Negro in 1997.  He was part of many factions, held many titles and even represented AAA in a tournament that was being held by Impact Wrestling. Abismo Negro was an amazing Luchador and was an amazing Rudo who would use fire in his entrance and captured the attention of every fan who seen him. Sadly I have only been able to watch his matches online and have not got to see many, as I am sure if I was able to have seen him live or even more matches Abismo Negro would have easily made his way into my Top 10 on this list! Over his career he had also went by the names The Winner, Pequeno Samurai, Furor and Alex Dinamo.

# 50

Espiritu Maya
Started: 2017     Companies: Indies     Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

In my opinion one of the best Luchadors going in the indies here in America is Espiritu Maya, who has been building a name for himself at many promotions and has been growing his fan base and reputation as a Lucha star. Espiritu Maya has captured titles at many of the promotions he has worked for and has even had some matches with wrestlers from Impact as well as legends at these events. Espiritu Maya is an up and coming Luchador that is one that you should all keep an eye on as he could get the call up to NXT or AEW in the future. Espiritu Maya is also a main stay at Rockstar Pro Wrestling the local Dayton, Ohio federation that I work for, and I have had the privilege of watching him wrestle many times.

# 49

Heavy Metal
Started: 1988     Companies: CMLL & AAA     Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

I first saw Heavy Metal in WWE as he was one that took part of the AAA team up that lasted a short time in the 1990’s as he even had a match at the 1995 Royal Rumble! With a brief run in some Mexican indie federations, he truly started in CMLL and would stay there until 1992 when he jumped ship and started to work for the newly formed AAA.  He would became a mainstay and big draw for them even being apart of a talent exchange between AAA and WWE and later Impact. During this time with AAA, he would win many titles like The Mexican National Welterweight Championship two times and AAA Campeon de Campeones Championship once not to even talk about all the Bet Matches he was apart of. Heavy Metal would leave AAA in 2004 and by 2005 he was breifly working for IWRG (International Wrestling Revolution Group) and then went back to CMLL from 2005 to 2010 and was once more a big name for the promotion. But AAA came calling again, and by 2010 he was back with them and would stay around for many more years, until going and working indie shows. While Heavy Metal is not the major star he once was, he is still an icon and legend in Lucha Libre, and still to this day I have his AAA figure from 1994! Over his career he also went by the name Canelo Casas.

# 48

Humberto Carrillo
Started: 2012     Companies: WWE & Indies     Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

Humberto Carrillo started his in ring career in the Indies and he is apart of the Garza Family Tree and proved that he was just as skilled as the rest of his family as he became a main attraction at events and even won many belts and tournaments and would compete for federations like Chilanga Mask, The Crash Lucha Libre, Casanova Pro and Lucha Libre Azteca. Humberto would float around the indies from 2012 through 2018, and in 2018 he got his big break by being signed by WWE and wrestling for NXT until being brought up to the main roaster as apart of the 205 Live brand in 2019 and by the end of 2019 he was brought up to be featured on Raw during a draft and this started his push to become a main star on the roster.  Well that was until the out of touch Vince McMahon lost interest in the superstar and moved onto the next wrestler he could push and crush in a short time. Humberto is a great Mid-Carder who puts on top notch matches in WWE and if given the chance, he could easily becomes a mega star just like Rey Mysterio Jr.! Other names Humberto has used in his career is Ultimo Ninja and Humberto Pidorasio, and I should note that when WWE House Shows and Live Events returns to the Dayton area I hope to see Humberto in action.

# 47

Pagano
Started: 2008     Companies: AAA & Impact     Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

Mexico has many wrestling clown Luchadors and one of the biggest and most popular is Pagano, who started his career in 2008 and was a hardcore wrestler who would wrestle in Mexico and America in the indies that included feds like WWA4, FULL and IWRG before getting signed to AAA in 2016 and being flung into a main event spot and being in the group “La Familiar Fonteriza” alongside Damian 666, Halloween and Psychosis that would last for awhile and as well allowed him to get into feuds with Psycho Clown and Pentagon Jr. and o this date Pagano is one of AAA’s big stars featured in many high profile matches. While working for AAA, he has also been featured on Impact Wrestling as well has fought and won a MMA match…and has won many belts and tournaments for AAA that including the AAA World Tag Team Championship with partner El Mesias. Super entertaining to watch and a Lucha that puts on great matches both in skill and in brawls Pagano is surly going to be a legend in Lucha Libre when he retires. Pagano has also wrestled under a mask before settling on his classic face paint look. I have mostly seen his work in AAA thanks to their social media and YouTube.

# 46

Andrade
Started: 2003     Companies: WWE & CMLL     Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

One of the biggest recent wasted talents in WWE is Andrade, who is a super skilled Luchador who went from being a Main Event prospect all the way to being a Mid-Carder that was then barely thought about thanks to Vince.  It was a shame as he has all the makings of being a great world champion who could play the rudo role. Andrade started his career in 2003 working for many of the indie promotions in Mexico and started when he was just a teenager and built up his skills as well as impressed those who watched him in action. By 2007 he was signed to the big leagues in Mexico as he got a contract with CMLL and quickly rose up the ranks and became a main eventer and would be placed in many main featured matches and would capture many belts, win bet matches as well as tournament wins! During his run with CMLL he would also have a small run in New Japan Pro Wrestling and during this time is when he caught the eye of WWE. Andrade would leave both CMLL and New Japan in 2015 as he signed with WWE and would make his debut on NXT and would make it to the main roster on 2018.  In his WWE career, he captured the NXT Championship once and the WWE United States Championship only once until he left the company in 2021.  He now wrestles for AEW.  During his career this far he has also wrestled under such names as Brillante Jr., La Sombra, Rey Azteca and Guerrero Azteca to name a few.

# 45

El Dandy
Started: 1981     Companies: WCW & CMLL     Active: No     Seen Live: Yes

El Dandy is known in America for his run in WCW as part of their Cruiserweight division as well as a member of the stable L.W.O., but for many he is also known for that classic Bret Hart promo that had Bret saying “Who are you to doubt El Dandy?” when he selected him for a match.  I saw El Dandy take on Scott Norton on a WCW Saturday Night taping live here in Dayton, Ohio and a fan behind us was all about cheering El Dandy on during the match. El Dandy, like all pro wrestlers, started his wrestling career in the indie scene starting in 1981 and was quickly respected by fans and fellow workers for his hard work in and out of the ring, and by 1981 he got his big break being signed to CMLL where he was a big star and a numerous champion holding several titles including the CMLL World Middleweight Championship a total of three times! He would be involved with many bet matches as well as was able to take indie bookings as well as work for WWA out of California. But when WCW needed wrestlers for their cruiserweight division El Dandy was called up in 1997 and would be used as an enhancement talent his whole time their losing almost all of his matches with many being squash matches. By 2000 El Dandy was released from WCW along with many of the other Luchadors, and this allowed him to wrestler for not only indies but also a short run in AAA as well as IWRG and he would retire from wrestling in 2014. While he was one of Mexico’s top wrestlers during his run, he sadly never caught on in America and was used as a jobber. El Dandy is awesome and I for one am glad I was able to see him wrestle live a few times before he retired.

# 44

Angel Garza
Started: 2008     Companies: WWE & AAA     Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

Another member of the Garza family and another that shows that Lucha Libre is alive and well in America when allowed to shine in one of the main companies! Starting out in the Indies, Angel Garza got the attention of many federations including Impact and AAA with the latter signing him to a contract in 2015. He would make his mark on the company by putting on great matches as well as being involved in some high profile ones, but by 2017 Angel had left AAA and started working for the Indies again as well as worked with Impact Wrestling and during this time is stock was rising even more as he was able to get the attention of WWE who signed him to a contract in 2019 and placed him on NXT and then 205 Live before making his main roster debut in 2020 when they placed him into a short tag team with Andrade, managed by Zelina Vega. After the team broke up, he has been used on the mid-card with teases of breaking into the main event soon. So far in WWE, he is a one time NXT Cruiserweight Champion. With tons of skill and a legacy family name Angel Garza could become a big star if given the chance. Over his career he has gone by the names El Hijo del Ninja, Garza Jr. and Humberto Garza.

# 43

Laredo Kid
Started: 2003      Companies: AAA & Impact     Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

Laredo Kid is a super popular Luchador who is one of AAA’s top main eventers that puts butts in the seats. Laredo Kid started his career in 2003 and worked the indies until 2005 where he signed with AAA and rose his way to the top of the card with fast paced and impressive matches! During his time in AAA, he was also allowed to make appearances in Impact and AEW as well as even had a tryout match in the WWE! He is the winner of many AAA titles as well as tournaments and bet matches and will surely become one of the company’s futures Hall Of Famers if he stays the path to greatness as he is now. I have mostly seen his matches in AAA as well as a few of his Impact matches thanks to YouTube and I look forward to seeing more of his work in the coming years as he is one to truly watch.

# 42

Taurus
Started: 2005     Companies: AAA & Impact       Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

Taurus is a Luchador that I first discovered on Facebook and quickly watched many of his matches on YouTube and then have seen him on AAA and Impact events via TV and social media. Taurus started out working indies in Mexico before being signed to AAA in 2012 and would work as Machine Rocker as part of the group Los Inferno Rockers and would work as this character until 2015 when he was repackaged as Taurus, but by 2016 he left AAA and worked for Lucha Libre Elite as well as other indie federations, that was until he once more signed with AAA in 2018 and this has also allowed him to work matches in Impact, MLW and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla as well as has made appearances in many American indies. While he is not considered a main eventer in AAA and has not captured any belts yet, with his cool look, skills in the ring and great rudo attitude, it’s only a matter of time before he climbs the card. I also think that if Taurus was around in 1996 he would have been brought into WCW and would have been a great addition to the Cruiserweight division. Over the years Taurus has also went by the names Machine Rocker, Semental, Black Taurus and Black Tauro.

# 41

Lizmark Jr.
Started: 1991     Companies: WCW & CMLL     Active: Yes      Seen Live: Yes

WCW strikes again as his stint in the company is how I became a fan of Lizmark Jr. as well as was able to see him live during a taping of WCW Saturday Night! Lizmark Jr. started his career in 1991 and worked for a few indie promotions in Mexico as well as had a short AAA run before going to WCW in 1997 as apart of their big boom of Luchador talent being signed in order to build their Cruiserweight division. He would stick around in WCW for a while and sadly was mostly used on the lower card and enhancement talent and never won a WCW title. In 2000, he was let go from WCW and Lizmark would return to Mexico and start working for CMLL and would end up turning Rudo and would lose his mask in a bet match in 2007 after being pinned by Blue Panther. Lizmark Jr. would go onto to capture his first belt in a major federation when he won the CMLL World G1 Heavyweight Championship. Lizmark also started working for Lucha Libre USA on MTV2 in 2010 and would capture the LLUSA Heavyweight Championship from them as well! In 2011 he would go back to AAA and have a small run and is now working on the indies all over Mexico and from time to time the USA. I think Lizmark Jr. is a talent that sometimes gets over looked here in America as his run in WCW was less then stellar, but do yourself a favor and watch some of his matches and you will see why I am a fan.

# 40

Chessman
Started: 1996      Companies: AAA       Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

One of the greatest rudo’s in modern Lucha Libre hands down is Chessman and only a few other names come to mind in AAA that can match him in his ruthless behavior! Chessman started his time in the ring in the indies in 1996 and became a Luchador to watch as he was making a major splash with his style and appearance he adopted in 2000 known as Chessman. And with the name and appearance change AAA came calling and signed him in 2001 and his long and awesome career as one of Lucha Libre’s top Luchadors started and would have him see many title wins, many bet matches and have him mix it up with wrestlers from Impact. He would be in many stables and groups like Los Hell Brothers, La Secta and The Black Family to name a few. He has been loyal to AAA over all these years just like The Undertaker has been to WWE and Sting was to WCW showing that Chessman is surely a AAA Hall Of Famer when he retires from in ring action. Like many of the AAA Luchadors, I have seen so many of his matches thanks to the company’s social media accounts. He’s a true amazing Luchador to watch in action and one that deserves his position in the company. Before being Chessman he also wrestled in the indies under the names M-357, Magnum and Quinto Elemento.

# 39

Octagon
Started: 1981      Companies: AAA & CMLL     Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

Octagon is a true legend in the world of Lucha Libre and is a Luchador that I can remember buying grey market Best of VHS tapes of as well as seeing him in the pages of wrestling magazines all through my youth. Octagon started his wrestling career in 1981 and was able to blend his martial arts background into his Lucha Libre style and took the indies by storm.  By 1982 he was working for CMLL, and by 1989 he was a super popular and top star for the promotion being in several high profile matches as well as captured the fans’ attention. When AAA started in 1992, one of the Luchadors to leave CMLL for the new promotion was Octagon who was a major star for the company for many years and was one of the companies main attractions, but by 2014 his place on the card was falling slightly and this caused Octagon to leave AAA and sadly caused a major rift between them over the rights to the name, look and back pay! He would then go onto wrestle for CMLL as well as other Indie feds over the years. While his in ring career has slowed down, he still is active from time to time. He truly is a legend in Lucha Libre, and I wish he and AAA could bury the hatchet and patch things up so that he can have a proper retirement match when he is ready to hang the boots up. Over the years he has also gone under the names Dragon Dorado and La Amenaza Elegante.

# 38

Aero Boy
Started: 2003      Companies: Indies & CZW     Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

Aero Boy is one of the best unsigned Luchadors in the indies going as he can wrestling the classic Lucha Libre style as well as work hardcore matches! He is a true journeyman wrestler as he has wrestled all over the world and has made a name for himself in every nation he has performed in, and he as well as captured many of the belts including the Intergalactic World Championship from Rockstar Pro Wrestling. Aero Boy is a Luchador I have had the pleasure of seeing live many times and if he comes to your town, make sure to see him in action as you will not be sorry! Over his career thus far as well he has faced many names in the business and it’s crazy that he has not been signed to Impact, CMLL or AAA as they don’t know what they are missing with his guy!

# 37

Drago
Started: 1998     Companies: AAA & Impact     Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

Drago is a Luchador who has one of the coolest looks in the business as his mask is fantastic! Drago is one I discovered while watching AAA videos on YouTube and reading their Facebook page, and he quickly became one of my favorites! Like all before him, he started his career on the Indies and would quickly be signed by AAA the same year in 1998 and would be saddled with other masks and names like Jimmy Boy, Alan and Gato Eveready and while they had a following and fans it was in 2011 when he became Drago that his career in AAA really took off and he got the main event push he had been fighting for his whole time with them! And because of this new look, name and push it lead to him representing AAA in federations like Lucha Underground, Impact, Global Force Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and getting more eyes on him across the world. At one point a rumor was going around that even WWE was interesting in signing him to NXT! Drago in AAA has won many belts, bet matches and tournaments and still is a very popular Luchador for them.

# 36

Perro Aguayo
Started: 1968     Companies: AAA & UWA     Active: No    Seen Live: No

One of the biggest draws in Lucha Libre history in Mexico is the rudo everyone loved Perro Aguayo! This Luchador was like none other as he had such a presence in the ring and was such a brawler that set him apart from everyone working in Mexico at the time! Perro is one that I discovered thanks to the grey market VHS tapes that I would see him on as well as later YouTube and DVDs from HighSpots Video. Perro reminds me of a very early version of a Hardcore wrestler who would bleed and brawl all over the ring and would have the fans on the edge of their seats doing so. Perro Aguayo started his career in 1968 working for the indies before being one of the top Rudos in UWA the place he would make the name for himself and would even feud with the likes of El Santo! The crazy thing being while he was a rudo, he was a draw as fans would often cheer him over the tecnico he was facing. He was such a draw that UWA would spotlight him and have him in all types of high profile matches against the companies top stars. During this time as well he would work matches for CMLL and was a major headliner. In 1992 he would leave UWA and help build AAA and would be a big star for them as well and during his time in AAA he would also work for WWE in 1997 as part of the talent trade the companies made. In 2000 he would leave AAA and sign with CMLL and would stay around for awhile and was a draw for them as well, he would loose a retirement match and would remain gone for a while until returning to team with his son for a time before heading back into retirement in 2001. During his time in the ring he would be a main-eventer, a respected rudo, win many belts in AAA, CMLL, UWA and even was the first ever WWE Light Heavyweight Champion (even if WWE does not have it on the records now). Not to even mention he is in the AAA Hall Of Fame and took part in so many Bet Matches. Sadly Perro Aguayo passed away in 2019 at the age of 73 from an infection. While gone his legacy is still very much alive in Mexico and his popularity and drawing power is still stuff of legend.

# 35

El Pantera
Started: 1985      Companies: WWE & CMLL      Active: Yes      Seen Live: No

One of the best things for me during the WWE Attitude Era was the Lightweight division that was sadly overshadowed by Jerry Lawler screaming Puppies and the never ending feud between Stone Cold and Vince McMahon that ate up so much airtime. And what made it so cool was not only seeing the cruiserweights get some time to shine, but was also cool to see some Luchadors on TV again in WWE! One of my favorites was El Pantera who was played as a rudo and always put on great matches. El Pantera started working the indies in Mexico in 1985 and by 1992 he was working fulltime for CMLL and would win a few belts and become a solid Mid-Carder who had his fair share of fans and even had a few high profile matches that helped build his name in Lucha Libre, but by 1996 he left CMLL and after leaving he started to work some dates in Japan as well as for IWRG and this is also when he had a short run for WWE that lasted from 1997 and ended in 1999. While still working for IWRG he would also be sent back to CMLL as the companies had a talent exchange and he would stick around for a short time and even win a title, before setting his sites on only working for IWRG, while not as active as he once was El Pantera is still working the indies from time to time as well as for IWRG. Over the years El Pantera has also gone by other names like El Manaya, Pantera II, America, Triyon and Tanaka.

# 34

Guerrero Maya Jr.
Started: 2005     Companies: CMLL & Indies     Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

Guerrero Maya Jr. is a Luchador that I have had the pleasure of not only seeing live at a Rockstar Pro Wrestling event, but is also one that I was lucky enough to chat with before and after the event. His match against Zachary Wentz was the best on the card as it was highflying and high impact! Guerrero Maya Jr. started working the indies for a short time in 2005 and by 2007 he was working for CMLL and was wresting under the names Samba and Multifacetico and it was in 2009 that he got the name Guerrero Maya Jr. and that is also when his popularity and position on the card was on the rise. He even was part of the Crocket Cup in 2019 as he represented CMLL alongside Stuka Jr. and sadly they lost. Guerrero Maya Jr. would go on to win titles in CMLL like the Mexican Trios Championship a total of three times with Delta and Atlantis. To me it’s crazy that AEW, Impact nor WWE have not signed Guerrero Maya Jr. yet as he is a great talent and one of my favorite Luchadors I have seen live over the years!

# 33

Hector Garza
Started: 1992     Companies: WCW & AAA     Active: No     Seen Live: Yes

Hector Garza is another member of the Garza Family and is one that I first saw in action thanks to WCW when they brought in many Luchadors for their Cruiserweight division as well as mid-carders. I was lucky to have seen Hector Garza in action at a WCW Saturday Night taping in Dayton, Ohio and he showcased why the Luchadors was why I was a big fan of WCW during that time! Sadly Hector passed away in 2013 and it’s a shame as the world of wrestling lost a super talented Luchador. Hector started working the indies in 1992 and would spend sometime in FILL and his in ring rudo style got the attention of CMLL who signed him in 1994 and this would only last until 1996 when he left and signed with AAA that lead to him also being able to work a few WWE events as part of their talent exchange and even was showcased at the 1995 Royal Rumble and even got a win on T.L Hopper on an episode of Superstars, but in 1997 his time with AAA and WWE came to an end when WCW came calling and he joined them from 1997 to 1999 and while in WCW he became a member of the L.W.O as well as got a clean pin fall victory over Scott Hall in a short lived storyline. Once let go from WCW in 1999 he returned to AAA and worked their as well as a few dates for Impact and had a big feud with Heavy Metal, Latin Lover and Perro Aguayo Jr. for many years. But he once more left AAA to this time return to CMLL in 2005 that allowed him to have his star keep rising in Mexico and also let him wrestle in New Japan! And always a Luchador on the move in 2011 he left CMLL and started working for Perros del Mal Producciones the federation he would stay with until 2012 when he was forced into retirement due to being diagnosed with lung cancer. After his death Hector Garza was inducted into the AAA Hall Of Fame and has left a massive legacy in the world of wrestling. In his time in wrestling he had won multiple titles in many companies like AAA, CMLL, Luca Libre Azteca, Perros del Mal Producciones and many more.

# 32

Villano V
Started: 1976      Companies: WCW & AAA     Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

WCW strikes again as they are how I first saw Villano V as well as his brother and partner Villano IV, and while they both were skilled workers it was Villano V that was my favorite of the team! Before he was named Villano V he was Rokambole and worked the indies as well as being trained by his father and brothers who where known as The Villano’s and he had to earn his number in the family. And by 1983 he had earned the name Villano V and along with his brothers worked for many promotions like CMLL, AAA, UWA and IWRG before he and his brother Villano IV landed jobs with WCW in 1996 were they were used not only in the growing cruiserweight division but as well as the tag team division as they were perfect rudos, but sadly they were used as enhancement talent their whole run.  When Villano IV was injured and out for a time Villano V was used as a jobber but would become a member of the L.W.O! Villano V would leave WCW in 2000 after being let go and would return to Mexico and would work for the likes of CMLL and would even have a retirement event in “2013” that was not truly a retirement match as shortly after the event he was taking bookings and still does to this day. Over his long career he has won many bet matches, belts and tournaments and is one of the best rudos as he is so unlikable and wrestles dirty. While he lacks the flash of so many other Luchadors on this list his pure rudo ways is what made him one of my favorites to watch.

# 31

Ciclope/Halloween
Started: 1990     Companies: WWE & AAA       Active: Yes      Seen Live: Yes

Ok let’s get this out of the way now, Ciclope was the renamed Halloween for when he came to WCW during the Cruiserweight boom of the late 90’s, and his in ring skill and his spooky Horror themed character is what made me a fan…plus seeing him live also helped make me a fan. Halloween started his career in 1990 and worked for the Indies up until 1996 when he was hired by WCW to grow their Cruiserweight division and was called Ciclope and was used on the undercard and booked against the bigger names in the division to help get them over and his lackluster run came to an end in 1999. Working the indies after his WCW run, he would lose his Ciclope mask in a bet match and would quickly go back to his Halloween character and would then lose Halloween mask in a bet match causing him to paint his face like a Jack-O-Lantern. While working the indies for many years and having matches for companies like FCW, XPW and USA Pro Wrestling before landing at CMLL in 2002 teaming with Damian 666, Rey Misterio Sr., Nicho el Millonario and valet Lady Victoria as “La Familia de Tijuana” to become one of the biggest rudo stables at the time and would be off and on with CMLL until around 2009. And by 2010 he was working with AAA and would be apart of a few big matches and by 2012 he left and would end up in IWRG, but Halloween would still do matches for AAA and would stick around for awhile before just going back to the indies. Halloween while not as well known around the world like so many Luchadors before and after him, he is a true icon of the ring and a good worker who should get more respect. Halloween also cannot only work the Lucha Libre style but can also work the Hardcore style. Over the years of wrestling besides the name Ciclope he has went by Rocky Boy, Cyclope and Elvis Gonzalez.

# 30

Dr. Wagner Jr.
Started: 1985     Companies: CMLL & AAA     Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

Dr. Wagner Jr. is a true legend in Lucha Libre and has had so many great feuds and matches over the years with one of my favorites being the one he had with Blue Demon Jr. in 2019 that even lead to Dr. Wagner Jr. losing his mask! I first saw Dr. Wagner Jr. matches on grey market VHS Tapes I would buy off Ebay and at conventions and also over the years have watched his matches in AAA and man I must say he is super entertaining and I would even say at one time he was Lucha Libres best rudo going! Like everyone, after training to become a Luchador he worked the indies in 1985 going under the name El Invasor for a short amount of time before taking the name Dr. Wagner Jr. in 1986 as his father was of course Dr. Wagner! After a terrible accident that left his father in a wheelchair, Dr. Wagner Jr. signed with UWA (Universal Wrestling Association) in 1987 and would be one of their top stars until they had to partner with CMLL in 1993 and this allowed Wagner Jr. to work their and captured belts and even more attention from the fans. Dr. Wagner Jr. was so popular that when facing tecnico’s the fans would cheer him as he was a rudo! This would also lead him to have matches in Japan with New Japan Pro Wrestling and helped build his legacy is wrestling. But in 2009 CMLL and Wagner Jr. split ways and he would end up at their rival AAA and he would become a major player for them until 2013 when he left to travel the Indies for a short time and then would go on to have matches in CMLL and they back on and off with AAA up until 2020 were he retuned to the indies. And who knows when Dr. Wagner Jr. will show back up in CMLL or AAA, but one thing is for sure wherever he goes he will be one of the biggest Luchadors in the federation.

# 29

Atlantis
Started: 1983      Companies: CMLL & New Japan     Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

One of CMLL’s biggest and most iconic Luchadors in modern time is Atlantis who has spent almost his whole career with them as one of their top draws and most respected stars. In 1983, he started working for many indie feds in Mexico, but by 1994 he was signed to CMLL and quickly rose through the roster to became one of the company’s main draws who was placed in many big matches, won so many belts including the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship twice as well as a number of tournaments and bet matches. He would also travel for CMLL and have matches in New Japan Pro Wrestling and Michinoku Pro Wrestling! While spending almost his whole career as a Tecnico, he has turned Rudo before adding more layers to his legacy, and giving fans more passion to see what Atlantis was up to. Like all classic Tecnico Luchadors, Atlantis has also been the main characters in films as well as had action figures made of him, in fact one of his figures is in my living room right now! While his in ring career will be winding down soon, you cannot deny that Atlantis is truly one of Mexico’s most legendary Luchadors of the ring.

# 28

El Solar
Started: 1975     Companies: UWA & AAA     Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

One of the greatest Luchadors who was a great mat wrestler as well as a submission artist is the legendary El Solar who is still wowing fans in his 60’s. El Solar is an amazing Luchador who I have had the honor of watching live in the ring as well as chatting with at a Rockstar Pro Wrestling event, and it was such a great moment for me as well as my friend Jason Young. El Solar started in 1975 and worked the indies as well as for UWA where he would stay up until the promotion closed even winning many titles as well as being apart of groups and high profile matches. In the dying days of UWA, El Solar would also go and work for AAA and oddly they would change his character to El Mariachi and this was a very silly move.  When he left AAA, he would join CMLL and as well become El Solar again and would be a star for them up until around 2000 when he would once more head back to the Indies of Mexico as well as America from time to time and even wrestled for the very short lived MTV2 and Hulu wrestling federation called “Lucha Libre USA” and would be joined by the likes of Lizmark Jr. and Super Crazy. While El Solar is working the indies still to this day he still makes some appearances for AAA and IWRG and locking his place in Lucha Libre history. El Solar is a master of his art and his art in classic Lucha Libre mat wrestling with skillful submission moves. A True legend and one that I feel you should go and see if he is in your city before he retires.

# 27

Silver King
Started: 1985     Companies: WCW & CMLL     Active: No     Seen Live: Yes

Silver King was another of the Luchadors that I was introduced to thanks to WCW and was also able to see live in action because of them and he was pretty damn great in the ring! And when in 2019 I heard of his passing, it was a sad day as he was such a great wrestler and one I also enjoyed watching. Silver King started his career in 1985 working the indies as El Invasor for a short time before becoming Silver King who originally wore a mask and landed working for UWA and during this time he mostly worked the undercard but did have a bet match against El Hijo del Santo where Silver King lost his mask! Once unmasked, the fans got to see that he was in fact one of Dr. Wagner’s sons and that means Dr. Wagner Jr. is in fact his brother! But becoming unmasked helped him rise up the card and with a stable he called Los Cowboys and along with tag partner El Texano they won the UWA Tag Team Champions and well as Tag Champs for WWA and these wins let them be part of the NWA World Tag Team Championship Tag Team tournament that was held at WCW’s Clash Of The Champions XIX, they lost in the first round to the Free Birds. In 1994 he left UWA and ended up working for CMLL as well as had matches in IWA in Japan, but when WCW came calling in 1997 Silver King signed on to help try and build the growing Cruiserweight division, but sadly like many of his fellow Luchadors, he was used at enhancement talent and would stay on the mid-card level with his big claim to fame being a member of the L.W.O. He was let go by WCW in late 2000. Once leaving WCW he would go back to CMLL and would also work New Japan Pro Wrestling under the Black Tiger character he would stay with them until 2006 as by 2007 he quickly had a run in All Japan Pro Wrestling. In 2008 he would go to AAA and have a very big run and would win the AAA World Tag Team Championship once and would find himself in many high profile matches. In 2018 Silver King would leave AAA and start working the indies up until his death in 2019. I also want to alert you readers that Silver King also played Ramses in the 2005 film Nacho Libre that stared Jack Black. During his time as a wrestler Silver King also went by the names Silver King 1, El Bronco, Silver Cain, Dr. Wagner Jr. and a few more.

# 26

Puma King
Started: 2006     Companies: CMLL & AAA     Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

Puma King is a Luchador I have gotten to see live in action at Rockstar Pro Wrestling as well as got to film is promo for the event, and this guy is a great talent! Puma King started his in ring career working the indies as well as for IWRG and got the call from CMLL in 2008 and would team with his older brother Tiger Kid and would mostly be used on the undercard, he would however be involved in many tournaments as well as bet matches. Puma King would leave CMLL in 2018 and would quickly sign with AAA and by doing this he is also able to work for the Indies as well as take matches in such federations as Impact, IWRG, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and MLW to name a few. Thus far in his career he has won some tournament and bet matches and captured gold once in CMLL when he won the Occidente Light Heavyweight Championship! Plus in 2019 he won the Impact World Cup Of Wrestling for Impact Wrestling with his partners Psycho Clown, Aero Star and El Hijo del Vikingo as they defeated the team of Sami Callihan, Fallah Bahh, Eli Drake and Eddie Edwards! Puma King is also the son of Luchador legend El Felino and being only in his early 30’s still has lots of time to climb the ranks of Lucha Libre and capture more gold.

# 25

Lince Dorado
Started: 2007      Companies: WWE & Chikara     Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

Nowadays the WWE show 205 Live is a shell of what it was, but when it started for me it was must see TV as they had so many great and talented workers on the roster and one of my favorites was Lince Dorado! Like all wrestlers and Luchadors starting out, Lince started his in ring career working the indies and would sign with Chikara in mid 2007 and would work for them as well as many other indie promotions over the years like Dragon Gate USA, IGNITE and even had a tryout for Impact. Lince would work for the indies up until 2016 as that year he would be signed to WWE as part of their Cruiserweight Division and help get their new show 205 Live off the ground to showcase the wrestlers who weighted 205 pounds or under. Lince would get title shots for the Cruiserweight title during this time but was mostly booked on undercard matches and was sadly hardly on TV at times. His big break came in 2018 when he joined Kalisto and Gran Metalik and they became the stable known as The Lucha House Party and they would go from 205 Live to being featured more and more on Raw and later Smackdown putting Lince on the main roaster. While he and Gran Metalik are still teaming and they are used as undercard talent, I for one am always a mark to watch them in action. Thus far in WWE he has only won the 24/7 Championship once, but during his career in the indies he has captured may titles as well as tournament wins. A solid working and a skilled Luchador it’s a shame WWE does not know how to book Lince Dorado right.

# 24

Alberto Del Rio
Started: 2000     Companies: WWE & CMLL      Active: No     Seen Live: Yes

Alberto Del Rio was a Luchador that could have been the guy who in the 2010’s that could have brought American mainstream a big star from Mexico and could have been the next Rey Mysterio or Eddie Guerrero if only his backstage attitude did not stink so bad! I was a fan of Alberto’s when he started working in NXT and was brought up to the main roster of WWE as he had a great Million Dollar Man meets JBL gimmick with a Latin flare! Alberto started his Lucha Libre career in 2000 fast track working for AAA and while there he was also making appearances in Japanese promotions all the while gaining in ring skills he worked for the likes of All Japan and Pro Wrestling Zero1 and for all promotions at this time he was going by Dos Caras Jr, but in 2002 he left AAA and in 2004 he left the Japanese promotions. He also in 2003 would try his hand in big time MMA and would have a few fights in Pride, both he would lose. In 2005 he would sign with CMLL and would become a major star for the company and would win the companies World Heavyweight Championship as well would win the 2006 La Copa Junior tournament. But he would leave CMLL in 2009 when he got a contact with WWE who would send him to FCW for matches before also having him wrestle on the main roster shows Raw and Smackdown in Dark Matches and House Shows. And at first they allowed him to wear his mask but quickly they unmasked him and Alberto Del Rio was born who was a rich Mexican aristocrat who would drive expensive cars to the ring and had his own ring announcer for a time named Ricardo Rodriguez and quickly climbed the ladder and became a main eventer and even would win the WWE Champion, the World Heavyweight Championship as well as big matches like the Royal Rumble and the Money In The Bank ladder match. But a bad attitude and a physical altercation with an employee after a bad racist joke lead to his firing. He would then head back to Mexico and sign with AAA in 2014 and would become a main eventer off the bat and even would win the AAA Mega Champion! But AAA was not the only promotion he started working for in 2014/2015 as he also worked for World Wrestling Council, Wrestle-1, Ring Of Honor, World Wrestling League, Lucha Underground and all these federations pushed him as a main star…but all those companies would be left behind in 2015 when he resigned to work for WWE again and on his first night back he would win the United States Championship from John Cena at the Hell In A Cell PPV, and this would also lead to him to be apart of a group called The League Of Nations along with Sheamus, Rusev and Wade Barrett…but this run would end almost as soon as it started as he would quit in 2016. He would end up working for Impact Wrestling in 2017-2018 and was booked as a main event and even won the GFW Global Championship while there, he was fired from Impact when he no showed a big event. And after this Alberto worked the indies up until 2020 when a legal issue halted his in ring career. While Alberto seems like a very terrible person, his in ring work was always something I enjoyed when watching WWE, and that’s all I have to say as his out of wrestling life would give him a negative rating on here. During his time in the ring he also went by some of these names El Patron, El Dorado and El Hijo de Dos Caras to name a few. Again need to stress it sucks that his out of control life is overshadowing his work in the ring.

# 23

Psycho Clown
Started: 2000     Companies: AAA & CMLL     Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

For me the best Luchador having the clown look is Psycho Clown, and I feel also that he is one of the biggest draws for AAA right now as he is super popular with the youngsters as well as the adult Lucha Libre fans. Psycho Clown started his Lucha Libre career working for the Indies up until 2003 when he signed with CMLL and this only lasted a short time as he was used on the lower card and was still very green and needed more training. By 2006 he had left CMLL and by this time as well he had already had two in rings names Brazo de Plata Jr. and Kronos and joined AAA who by 2007 rebranded him Psycho Clown and had him join a new stable they were creating called “Los Psycho Circus” that would over the years have such members as Monster Clown and Murder Clown and this was a big break for Psycho Clown as this stable became a draw and placed him in many big matches! And in 2015 this also allowed Psycho Clown to become a main draw wrestling single and would lead to many bet, tournament and title wins in AAA as well as their partner companies like Impact Wrestling. Hands down Psycho Clown is one of AAA’s most popular Luchadors and it would be great to see him wrestle in AEW or even WWE (as long as they leave his character and mask alone) and he surly will be in AAA’s Hall Of Fame once he retires. Check out his matches as many can be found on YouTube.

# 22

Super Crazy
Started: 1988      Companies: ECW & WWE       Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

Any one who grew up watching ECW knows the name Super Crazy and also WWE fans should know him as he was on the roster for years! I am a Super Crazy fan as he can wrestle the Lucha style as well as can do hardcore matches and his matches with Tajiri in ECW were legendary! Super Crazy started his wrestling career at the age of 14 in 1988 and worked for many indie federations like UWA and would sign with AAA in 1996 and was a mid-carder that would also get a few WWE matches per the talent trade the company had, Super Crazy would leave AAA in 1997 and would start working for Promo Azteca and would also still make some appearances on WWE TV as apart of their Light Heavyweight Championship tournament. In 1998 Super Crazy signed with ECW and quickly became a fan favorite and was placed in many great matches with names like Tajiri and Little Guido and became a mainstay and star for them up until 2001 when ECW went out of business. So starting in 2001 Super Crazy floated around the Indies as he would wrestle for companies like CZW, XPW, IWA, ROH, New Japan, Impact and even did a few matches in AAA! Finally in 2005 WWE signed him to a contract and had him appear on their ECW One Night Stand PPV and then placed him in a stable with Psicosis and Juventud Guerrero called The Mexicools and once the team was broken up in 2006 Super Crazy started a singles run on the mid-card. Super Crazy would leave WWE in 2008 and would make his return to the Indies and would became a draw and even would go and have matches again for AAA, Pro Wrestling Noah, All Japan Pro Wrestling and NXL. Super Crazy over the years also performed under the names Histeria, El Locco, Super Virus and Super Loco.

# 21

Espectro Jr.
Started: 1974      Companies: Indies      Active: No     Seen Live: No

Ok this is a hard one as several Luchadors have played the gimmick of Espectro Jr. over the decades as hell there are several working the Indies in Mexico and America going right now! But I could not leave him off my list as over the years I have found myself watching matches of this Luchador from all generations on YouTube. And while AAA owner Antonio Pena played Espectro Jr. it’s Jose Elias Pinceno version that has always got my attention. And this one is super hard to track down his history as its seems at times they all get mixed together so its almost impossible for me to due his write up justice, so what I am going to do here is talk a little about why Espectro Jr. has captured my attention all these years. First off he has a Horror gimmick as he is like a spirit and at times would even come from coffins at the start of his matches, he had a classic Lucha Libre style and when wrestling Rudo he was great as fans hated him. His green and black mask for some reason reminds me of the Halloween season and the masks grinning smile is perfect for this type of character. Espectro Jr. also has a legacy as I have said before so many other wrestlers have taken the name or some sort of variation of it. One part of history I would like to share is that in 2007 Espectro Jr. lost his mask in a bet match to Blue Demon Jr. and that Jose Elias Pinceno is now unmasked, and that he is also the Nephew of the original Espectro. Also look up Espectro Jr. matches on YouTube as they have many of his matches on there from all the Luchadors using the name.

# 20

Pierroth
Started: 1984     Companies: CMLL & AAA       Active: No     Seen Live: No

I first learned about Pierroth via WWE when he was an entrant in the 1997 Royal Rumble and for some reason my brother for years always talked about pin fall victories he had over random wrestlers (ones he never did) and would do so in the voice of Gorilla Monsoon. But because of this over the years I have seen many of his matches on grey market VHS tapes as well as now on sites like YouTube. And I have to say Pierroth is a legend in Lucha Libre and one that helped a younger me really become a fan of Luchadors. Like all who start out in the biz Pierroth would work the indies for a short time starting in 1984, but by 1985 and while at the start he was on the lower card and only working from time to time he rose to the top of the card pretty fast and also started his path of capturing titles for the company. By 1995 Pierroth left CMLL and signed with AAA and was a star from the start and of course would capture titles and be put into high card feuds. While working for AAA they had a talent exchange with WWE and this allowed him to wrestle for them on Monday Night Raw as well as make an appearance at the Royal Rumble, but by mid 1997 he would leave AAA and would do a short stint on the Indies before going to IWRG and would be their first Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship and would also start wrestling for WWC in Puerto Rico that was run by Carlos Colon and he would stay working these two federations until 1999. Pierroth would then sign back with CMLL and would stay with them until 2008 and was of course was a main eventer and was in big feuds. Sadly Pierroth suffered a stroke in 2008 and forced him to retire from the ring. It’s shocking that AAA has not placed Pierroth in their Hall Of Fame yet as he deserves it for all the years of hard work he has done in the world of Lucha Libre not to even all the titles he has held. A true legend Pierroth is and one that I owe lots to when it comes to making me a fan of Lucha Libre. During his time in the ring Pierroth also went by the names Pierroth Jr. and Comandante Pierroth.

# 19

Gran Metalik
Started: 2005     Companies: WWE & CMLL       Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

Gran Metalik is in my opinion one of the best Luchadors under contract to WWE and is a superstar I am looking forward to seeing live at an event when they come around. I first became aware of Gran Metalik when he was part of the WWE Cruiserweight Classic Tournament and quickly became a fan. Gran Metalik started his Lucha career in 2005 and worked very shortly for the indies before becoming apart of CMLL’s roster and quickly made his way up the card and became a main-eventer and was given big profile matches as well as many title belts! Gran Metalik was a mainstay at CMLL and was one of the companies big stars for many years that was until he left them in 2016 to join the WWE as apart of their new rebirth of the Cruiserweight division. But before he was a WWE Superstar while working for CMLL he was also working for New Japan Pro Wrestling off and on for many years and was making a name in Japan for himself as well, he would work for them from 2010-2016. When first in WWE he was pushed as one of the best Cruiserweights and Luchadors in the world and was called “The King of The Ropes” by the announcers, but as time went on he was shown less and less on TV as well as was losing matches to less skilled workers on the roster. Just like Lince Dorado when he became a member of the group Lucha House Party in 2018 he received a short-term push before becoming an undercard member of the roaster once more. WWE bookers have zero clue how to use Luchadors and it’s a shame as they have so many talented workers on their roster that are being misused and not used at all. Gran Metalik thus far has used the following names as well Plata II, Metalik and Mascara Dorada.

# 18

Konnan
Started: 1987      Companies: AAA & WCW       Active: No     Seen Live: Yes

Konnan is another of the Luchadors that I knew about thanks to WCW who showcased him for many years in the company even making him member of such groups as The Dungeon Of Doom and nWo Wolfpack! And one thing you have to give Konnan lots of credit for is the fact he is the one over the years that has gotten his fellow Luchadors work in companies like WCW and ECW. Konnan started his career in 1987 and got his first major indie gig with UWA and quickly he would be in many high profile main event matches that would lead him to working for CMLL as well as a few matches for WCW in 1990 and while also working dates in Japan he got a call from the WWE who wanted to sign him on to play a costumed character called Max Moon, and after a few tryout matches and was apart of the WWE. In 1991 while also still working for CMLL Konnan would loose his mask in a bet match against Perro Aguayo, he would also be the first ever CMLL World Heavyweight Champion as the company was originally called EMLL. In 1992 Konnan left CMLL to join AAA and would also leave WWE as many in the company did not like his bad attitude and when he started no showing events that was the final straw, but his time in AAA was during a big boom in Lucha Libre and he became super popular and was a major draw in Mexico. In 1995 he started working for ECW for a short time and even helped co-promote an event that had both AAA and ECW wrestlers together. But in 1996 WCW came calling and he would be booked strong at first winning the United States Championship before loosing it and being forced in the silly Dungeon Of Doom stable for a short time, but when in 1997 they put him the nWo and his popularity and WCW run would kick into full gear and during his WCW run he would win some titles as well as join the group “Filthy Animals” and team with rapper Master P! But in 2001 WCW went out of business and Konnan would head to work for the indies and even wrestled for XPW, World Wrestling All-Stars and this would lead to him working for Impact Wrestling in 2003. While working for Impact he would also sign back with AAA in 2004 and was a featured wrestler in both being involved in the main event spotlight and in Impact even fourmed the LAX group. And these two federations were he would stay working now as a manager and taking a back stage role. During his time in the ring he has also went by the names Conan The Barbarian, K-Dogg, El Centurion, Latin Fury, Max Moon and Konnan The Great to name a few. While I am not a super mega fan of Konnan I do respect his hard work in and out of the ring, I mean at one time he was called the Hulk Hogan of Mexico!

# 17

El Canek
Started: 1972      Companies: AAA & CMLL       Active: No     Seen Live: No

When you think of legendary names in the history of Lucha Libre, one of the names has to be El Canek as he is on my list at least and should be on yours! I first heard of El Canek thanks to WWE when he was apart of the AAA talent exchange and he wrestled a few matches for them including a three-man tag at the 1997 WWE Royal Rumble as he teamed with Hector Garza and Perro Aguayo, and later I went on to buy a Grey Market VHS tape off Ebay that had many of his matches on it as I was a fan of his from seeing him in action. Also its awesome to see a bodybuilder from that time be a Luchador! El Canek started his career in 1972 and worked for the indies for a year before wrestling for CMLL and started his build to be a main-eventer in Lucha Libre as he would be featured in many high profile matches. By 1975 El Canek would leave CMLL and would join Universal Wrestling Association and this is were he would become the legend as he was in many big feuds, won many titles, got the attention of the NWA was sent to New Japan Pro Wrestling and would even win the UWA World Heavyweight Championship a total of 15 times and would even defend the title after the company went out of business in 1995! While working for UWA he was also sent to CMLL for another run in a talent exchange and would become a staple at their events as well placed in major matches with big time feuds, this would last until 1994. But in 1995 he would start working for AAA and during this time as well he would make appearances at WWE events due to a talent exchange, and during his time in AAA he as well was a main event star and was in many high profile matches and would even win the “Rey de Reyes” tournament. El Canek would leave AAA in 2003 and would then find himself at IWRG and even CMLL again off and one for years and would even have a small return to AAA in 2013 and worked for some indie federations over the years! During his career he has also gone under the names El Universitario, Kanek and Principe Azul. Make sure to go to YouTube and watch some El Canek matches.

# 16

Cibernetico
Started: 1992     Companies: AAA & WWE       Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

WWE strikes again as thanks to them and the 1997 Royal Rumble is how I first discovered the Luchador known as Cibernetico who had a crazy neon and black mask and almost a 80’s Metal vibe to him, and over the years I have always kept up on his career. Cibernetico started his Lucha Libre career in 1992 working for UWA as he was a student in their training gym, and his bodybuilder background helped him stand out at the events he was featured at. While in UWA he started out as a tecnico but by the companies closing he was a rudo and was being built to be one the companies top! When UWA closed down for good in 1995 he found himself going to AAA and would have a very long a successful run with them finding himself the winner of many titles and was featured as a main event star! He would also work a few matches for WWE during this time starting in 1996 through 1997 as apart of AAA’s talent exchange adding more to his growing fan base. In 2004 Cibernetico would lose his mask in a bet match against La Parka! Cibernetico would stay in AAA until 2008 when he would leave for a year and start working for the indies in Mexico before landing back in AAA and having another long run and big matches and feuds before leaving again in 2015. That same year he would start a short run working for Lucha Libre Elite and would become the companies inaugural Heavyweight Champion, he would leave them in 2017. His last major run was in 2018 when he returned to CMLL for a quick time. Cibernetico is awesome and not only is a popular Luchador but has also appeared in his own comic book as well as was featured in a Mexico Burger King ad! I should also note that it stinks they took the mask off him in 2004 as his mask was very cool.

# 15

Fenix
Started: 2007     Companies: AAA & AEW       Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

Fenix is a Luchador that I had not only the pleasure of seeing wrestle live at Rockstar Pro Wrestling but also was able to film with for a un-finished episode of the Horror Host show I do called Baron Von Porkchop’s Terrifying Tales Of The Macabre. He is a super talented Luchador and a super nice person and if you ever have the chance to see him wrestle, go and do it! Fenix started working the indies in 2007 and was quickly signed to AAA in 2011 and was quickly put into big matches as well as feuds as the fans seemed to really be behind Fenix, and while working for AAA he was also working dates in Japan in federations like Pro Wrestling Noah. AAA would also lead him to work for Lucha Underground starting in 2014. But things would end for his AAA run in 2016 and this would allow Fenix to work the indies in Mexico and America as well as a few in Japan. Fenix was building a huge name for himself around the world and was being said that he is one of the best Luchadors going today! In 2018 Fenix would find himself signed to many major wrestling federations and working them all around the same time as he would work for Impact Wrestling, MLW, CMLL and would return to AAA and once more was a main eventer and a big attraction for each showing just how popular he is. In 2019 he was signed to AEW and is currently working for both AAA and AEW and is a major star in both. Fenix this far has captured gold in many of the places he has worked as he has held belts for AAA, Impact, Lucha Underground, MLW, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Pro Wrestling Revolver to name a few. He also has used the names Rey Fenix, The King, King Phoenix, Fenix el Rey and Mascara Oriental.

# 14

Essa Rios
Started: 1994     Companies: WWE & AAA       Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

Essa Rios is a Luchador that I became a fan of in 1997 when he was brought into the WWE as apart of there Light Heavyweight division going under the name Aguila and later in 1999 he would go under the name Essa Rios.  He was a high flyer in the world of giants, plus he was the man to introduce the WWE Universe to Lita as she was his manager! Essa Rios started wrestling in 1994 and worked the indies in Mexico before getting a contract with WWE in 1996, wrestling under a mask and called Aguila he was a featured highflyer in the growing Light Heavyweight division. By 1999 the repackaged Aguila and unmasked him and started calling him Essa Rios and partnered him with a female valet named Lita. Essa would capture Light Heavyweight title, and sadly after losing the title he would find himself falling down the card and being used as enhancement talent and by 2001 he was no longer working for WWE. But while gone form WWE he quickly found work in AAA working for them from 2001 to 2008 and was a semi main-eventer who also got to work a few matches for Impact due to a talent exchange starting in 2004 and this would only be for a year. Essa would leave AAA in 2008 and would take a little time off as well as working a few Indie dates, but in 2010 he would sign with CMLL and would an upper card roster member used in some great storylines and put in some bigger matches. He would stay with CMLL until 2017 as he would return to AAA that same year and stay for a bit, before heading back to the indies. During his run in wrestling Essa Rios has also went under the names Aguila, Mr. Agulla and Papi Chulo. While he might not be a household name, he still is a great worker who has captured many belts and has entertained for many years in the ring.

# 13

Damien 666
Started: 1985     Companies: WCW & AAA       Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

Once more I have to pay respects to WCW for introducing me to Damien 666 as he was you guessed it apart of the Cruiserweight division boom of 1996! And because of WCW, I was also able to see him live at a Saturday Night tapping and have followed him in the indies. Damien started in 1985 and was working the indies as well as places like WWA and in 1991 he was signed to FMW in Japan and learned the Hardcore wrestling ways and would be a mid-carder and a favorite for fans to watch, during this time he as well would work a few matches for AAA. His run in FMW would end in 1996 and Damien 666 would find himself in America and doing a very short run for ECW, and in 1996 is also when WCW came calling and Damien 666 was added to the Cruiserweight division and was used on the undercard as well as an enhancement talent, he would never hold any belts in WCW but did become a member of the LWO. Damien’s WCW run would come to an end in 1999 and along with Halloween they become the tag team “Mexico’s Most Wanted” and work the indies as the team and would even be featured on XPW and would win the federations Tag Team titles. In 2002 Damien would sign with CMLL alongside Halloween and they would be in major programs and would became draws, Damien 666 would leave CMLL in 2008 and would then find himself in AAA and once more was pushed up the card and became a rudo star for them, he would also work a few matches for IWRG at this time. Damien 666 would capture the AAA World Trios Championship before leaving AAA in 2012 and would wrestle for IWRG for awhile and then would return to the indies were he is at currently. Damien 666 in his career has also went under the names Caballero 2000, Ultraman 2000, Ultraman II, Amigo Ultra, Damien and Galaxy. When Damien retires from the ring he should be remembered not just for his Hardcore Wrestling but also his Lucha Libre style.

# 12

El Felino
Started: 1987     Companies: CMLL & AAA      Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

El Felino is a Luchador that I knew about thanks to wrestling magazines as well as grey market VHS tapes, in fact the first Arena figure I ever bought was El Felino that I got for the Horror convention Cinema Wasteland. El Felino is awesome in the ring and when masked his look was fantastic and very eye catching. El Felino started in 1987 and worked the indies as well as UWA and in 1989 he got the call to go to CMLL and became one of the companies biggest stars and was placed in many major matches and feuds and would capture many belts during his run, and he was truly one of the most loved tecnico’s for CMLL! Shockingly El Felino left CMLL in 1999 and signed with AAA for a very short run in the main event scene teaming with his brother Heavy Metal. Less than a year away El Felino signed back with CMLL and once more was pushed as a big star and would go from tecnico to rudo and back again and would even loose his mask in 2004 in a bet match he lost to La Sombra and who is known now as Andrade in WWE. El Felino continues to work for CMLL and still to this day is a main draw! I also would like to say for a short while he also used the name Babe Casas. If you are a fan of Lucha Libre, I am sure you know who El Felino is and I am sure you know just how iconic and great he is, and if you don’t look up some of his matches and give them a watch.

# 11

Mil Mascaras
Started: 1963      Companies: WWE & WCW       Active: Semi     Seen Live: No

One of the biggest names in Lucha Libre history is Mil Mascaras, the Luchador that is know by the nickname Man Of 1000 Masks who is a true journeyman in the sport. At a very young age I knew who Mil Mascaras was due to his film career as well as his classic matches in WWE as well as his work in WCW. I would always cheer for Mil in his matches as he was a true superstar of the ring and is an icon and WWE Hall Of Fame member. Mil started his career in 1963 and worked all over the world as he would have stints in All Japan Pro Wrestling, WWE, International Wrestling Association, World Wrestling Council, WCW, WWA, Legacy Wrestling Enterprises among so many others and he was a trail blazer and brought the Lucha Libre highflying style to American fans and lead the way for all those that followed in his foot steps. The thing about Mil is that he never stayed in a federation long enough for him to become stale, and this made him stand out and really feel like a big attraction when he is on a card in the main event. Over the years Mil has also has his fair share of critics has he has been legendary hard to deal with for promoters and fellow wrestlers alike, but while this may be true you can never take away just how great Mil is in the ring and all the barriers he broke in American wrestling.

# 10

El Hijo del Santo
Started: 1982      Companies: CMLL & AAA       Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

El Santo is hands down the biggest name in Lucha Libre history, and his son El Hijo del Santo is on the path to be just as iconic and respected as his father. El Hijo del Santo is a Luchador I learned about via wrestling magazines, grey market VHS tapes as well as his comic books and movies. El Hijo del Santo started his in ring career in 1982 working for the indies of Mexico and would spend much of his very early career working for WWA and UWA and by 1983 he started working some matches for CMLL and during this time he was quickly a draw and main eventer, and not just cause who his dad was but because he had great in ring skills. Through the 80’s he had many big feuds against the likes of Espanto Jr. and Negro Casas. In 1997 El Hijo del Santo made his first tour of Japan working for Universal Lucha Libre making a name for himself outside of Mexico and in 1992 he started working for AAA and had some amazing matches with the likes of Octagon, Eddie Guerrero and Art Barr. In 1995 after having some creative issues with AAA, he would go to CMLL and during his run for the first time El Hijo del Santo would turn rudo and would even have bloody matches against El Dandy.  The rudo turn helped CMLL draw big money and over time El Hijo del Santo would turn tecnico and become one of the company’s top stars up until he left in 2004. In 1998 El Hijo del Santo also had a small run working for WWE as apart of their very short-lived Super Astros program that features Lucha Libre and WWE Cruiserweight stars. El Hijo del Santo then started working for the indies and would even start booking his own shows in Mexico as well as even England and his fame was at an all time high! And still to this day he wrestles all over and is a true icon of Lucha Libra. Lucha Libre has so many amazing talents and El Hijo del Santo is one of them, and to be honest I would love to see his own son who is wrestling under the name Santo Jr. to work for the WWE and have some great matches with their current NXT talent. I should also note that El Hijo del Santo has also wrestled under the name El Korak when he first started.

# 9

Vampiro
Started: 1984      Companies: CMLL & AAA       Active: Semi      Seen Live: Yes

I first learned about Vampiro via a CMLL action figure that was at a dollar store in Sugercreek, Ohio back in the early 90’s and then read more about him in the pages of wrestling magazines and then became a huge fan of his when I got to see him wrestle in WCW both on TV and once live! Vampiro is one of those Luchadors who has been all over and everywhere and started working in 1984 for International Wrestling out of Canada as an enhancement talent and would stick around the indies for a while. In 1991 he would head to Mexico and started working for CMLL who originally hired him to be a silly character, but his looks and limited move set for some reason got over with the fans and he found himself climbing up the card very fast. He would find himself in many bet matches as well as would be in tournaments as well as getting title shots! While working for CMLL he has would be working some dates for UWA as well as working matches in Japan. In 1996 he would leave CMLL and work dates for AAA, IWRG and Promo Azteca but would return in 1998 to CMLL before getting his big break in America. You see Vampiro got the call to come to WCW in 1998 and was used as a mid-carder who would have feuds with some of the companies big stars like Sting, Steve “Dr. Death” Williams and would even be in teams with the likes of Raven, The Great Muta and musicians The Misfits and ICP. When WCW went out of business in 2001 and was purchased by WWE his contract was not picked up and he found himself heading back to Mexico and working for CMLL as well as taking matches in other federations like World Wrestling Council, All Japan Pro Wrestling, Impact Wrestling, Xtreme Pro Wrestling and would continue to work some of theme even after leaving CMLL in 2005. From there Vampiro would sign with AAA and work on and off for them until 2020 and while from their he would also work for Lucha Underground, Wrestling Society X, CMLL and Juggalo Championship Wrestling and every place he has gone Vampiro is a star! It’s crazy that WWE never signed him as I would have loved to have seen him feud with the likes of The Undertaker, Kane and even Mankind. While not what you would think of as a Luchador to me Vampiro is a great one who has been one of my favorites sense I was a teen. Vampiro has also went by the in ring names Vampiro Canadiense, Casanova, Gene Anderson, Ian Richards, Vampiro Casanova and a few more.

# 8

Eddie Guerrero
Started: 1986      Companies: WWE & WCW       Active: No     Seen Live: Yes

For many when you ask the question “Who Is The Best Luchador Ever” they will quickly say Eddie Guerrero and to be fair they are not wrong as he really was one of the best. I first knew of Eddie thanks to WCW and even ECW and followed him all the way up until his death as he was hands down one of the best minds and workers to step foot into the ring. I mean who else could make lying, cheating and stealing look so cool? Eddie started in 1986 working for the indies but was quickly picked up by CMLL in 1987 and was a popular Luchador to watch and would even work a few WCW matches as part of a talent exchange, but in 1992 when AAA was created he left CMLL to join them. While working for AAA he was a big star and would also work a few dates for New Japan Pro Wrestling and would be placed in many big matches for AAA. But in 1995 he would head to America and wrestle for ECW and would have some of the companies best technical and fast paced matches against the likes of Dean Malenko and 2 Cold Scorpio. But that same year WCW came calling and signed Eddie to a contract that would see him become a mid-card attraction and would win some titles as well as be apart of groups like LWO and the Filthy Animals. But after years of being misused and held back by aging wrestlers worried about their spots on the card Eddie would leave WCW and sign with WWE in 2000 and would appear with other wrestlers who left WCW for the same reason and those wrestlers were Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn and they became known as The Radicalz! Eddie would become injured at the start of his WWE run but would came back fast and become a future wrestler feuding with the likes of The New Age Outlaws, Chris Jericho and X-Pac and would have an angle that he was in love with Chyna. But in 2001 he was fired from WWE when he was battling addiction and was arrested for drinking and driving. Eddie would start working Indie dates in 2001 and worked for ROH, WWA and New Japan Pro Wrestling and was proving that he was still as talented as ever and was getting himself clean. Eddie would get a second chance in WWE as they resigned him to a contract in 2002 and he would be put into a team and later a feud with his nephew Chavo Guerrero as they were called Los Guerreros. After this Eddie became a contender for the belts and would end up winning the WWE Champion in 2004 by beating Brock Lesnar! And even after losing the belt he stayed a contender and a main event draw up until his death in 2005. While Eddie is gone he will never be forgotten, as he truly is one of the best Luchadors and Wrestlers to ever walk the Earth. Eddie in his career also used the names Black Tiger, Mascara Magica, El Caliente, Gory Guerrero Jr. and Eddy Guerrero.

# 7

Pentagone Jr.
Started: 2007      Companies: AAA & AEW       Active: Yes     Seen Live: No 

Pentagone Jr. for me is the best modern day Luchador working in Mexico and America today as he can wrestle the rough Lucha Libre style as well as a very bloody hardcore style his hardcore matches with Sami Callihan and OVE in Impact Wrestling was some of the best things in wrestling at the time. Plus whenever Pentagone Jr. is in a match, it’s must watch TV for me as you know you’re in for one hell of a good match. Pentagone Jr. started in 2007 working the indies in Mexico and would get his first big break in 2010 when he signed with AAA and started out as a mid-card attraction and with hard work and sky rocketed up the card winning big matches and would win some belts as well as worked for Lucha Underground, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and worked the Indies building his name and showing the world how good he really is. Pentagone Jr. would leave AAA in 2017 as they two sides clashed over creative ideas and freedoms. After leaving AAA he would still work a year for Lucha Underground and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla as well as would work for other federations like MLW and Impact Wrestling with the later him really making a name for himself in America with. In 2018 he would return to AAA and once more was booked as a main draw and would also still work the indies as well as would sign with AEW and he is still working to this day in AAA and AEW and continues to wow fans with his style. In his career he has also wrestled under the names Zaius, Dark Dragon, Pentagon Dark, El Hijo del Cuchillo and Penta El Zero M to name a few. If he keeps it up Pentagone Jr. will surely be in many Hall Of Fames when he retires from the ring as his hard work is building a massive fan base.

# 6

La Parka
Started: 1982      Companies: AAA & WCW      Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

La Parka is a Luchador that I discovered thanks to WCW and their big boom of hiring Cruiserweights for their budding division. And La Parka was one that became a favorite of mine due to his awesome mask and fun loving yet hard hitting style and even got to see him wrestle live a few times in WCW. La Parka started his in ring career in 1982 wrestling and would wrestle under his real name as well as the names El Gringo, El Asesino de Tepito, Principe Island and Invasor del Norte and would travel the indies up until 1992. AAA started in 1992 and it’s here that La Parka was born and quickly became one of the company’s biggest draws even though he was a Rudo! He would also have many big matches during this time and was even apart of the WCW and AAA event called “When Worlds Collide” in 1994. He would also capture gold winning the Mexican National Light Heavyweight title and holding it for over 200 days! La Parka would also appear on ECW while still working for AAA as apart of a talent exchange. La Parka would leave AAA in 1996 and would sign with WCW and would become a mid-card attraction for the booming cruiserweight division, and would later be called the Chairman of WCW as he would bring a chair to the ring and play it like a guitar and even dance around it! He also became a member of the LWO and was treated as a comedy character in the late 90’s. La Parka would leave WCW in 2000 and was let go by the company alongside many of the other Luchador talent. La Parka would start working the indies after being let go and still does to this day working for the likes of X-LAW, MLW and many more. In 2003 LA Parka now under the name L.A. ParK signed with CMLL as he had to change his name as AAA would claim the trademark in Mexico for the character’s look and name and would be a draw from them as well as he was involved in high profile matches as well as held many titles. La Parka would leave CMLL in 2008, ending a good run that helped build his legacy. In 2010 he would have another run in AAA and would feud with the company’s La Parka on who was the real deal that lead to a match to see who would be known as La Parka…they both ended up able to use the name in the end but him still using the L.A. Park name for AAA. He would leave AAA in 2013 and by 2014 would be back in CMLL for a very short appearance run and was let go by CMLL in 2015 for violating their rules of crowd treatment. L.A. Park would stick working for the indies until 2018 when he once more started working for AAA and he is still with them as of this update as well as still working the indies. L.A. Park or the original La Parka if you will is an icon of Lucha Libre and will surely be placed in a Wrestling Hall Of Fame in Mexico as well as America when retired from the ring.

# 5

Blue Panther
Started: 1978      Companies: CMLL & AAA       Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

Blue Panther is a legendary Luchador who is a true journeyman who has wrestled all over Mexico and America and is one that I discovered thanks to the grey market tapes that I got off Ebay when I was a teenager and he became one of my favorites of classic Luchadors. Blue Panther started his in ring career in 1978 working the indies and made a name for himself very quickly and by 1981 UWA came calling and worked his way up the card as a Rudo and by 1984 won his first title with the company, and he would become a major draw for them up until left in 1990. In 1991 he would have a very short run for CMLL and was one of the company’s top rudos and would capture some gold as well was the one who unmasked The Love Machine in a bet match, and the world seen Art Barr was the man under the mask. By 1992 Blue Panther left CMLL for AAA and this would have him turn tecnico and he as well was a draw for AAA as fans and his fellow Luchadors respected his skill in the ring, and he of course would win titles, be involved in big matches and even feuded with Art Barr once again when he jumped companies. He would be with AAA up until 1997 and then would go back to CMLL and work for them still do this day along with his son Blue Panther Jr. and would become a true legend with them as he would win titles and compete in bet matches and sadly lost his mask in 2008 when he lost a match to Villano V! Even during this time Blue Panther was taking some indie bookings and even would go on to open his own wrestling school in the 1990’s and has been responsible for many great Luchadors like Texano Jr., Ephesto and Cynthia Moreno to name a few. Blue Panther is awesome and if you get a chance make sure to watch a few of his matches and see his classic style, hands done one of my favorites.

# 4

Juventud Guerrera
Started: 1992      Companies: WCW & AAA       Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

Juventud is a Luchador that I first saw in ECW but became a fan of when seeing him in WCW as he was one the of top Cruiserweight stars and had a super fast and highflying Lucha Libre style! In fact while at a WCW Saturday Night taping at Hara Arena is Dayton, Ohio while waiting in line for a drink Juventud came out of a door and cut in front of me in line to grab a drink! Even cutting me off in line Juventud thanked me and for the cut and went back through the door, it was funny and awesome. He is the son of Lucha Libre legend Fuerza Guerrera and sadly he had a falling out with his father many years back. Juventud started his wrestling career in 1992 working very briefly the indies but was really a star for AAA right off the bat and he was pushed to the stars and was in a very epic feud with Rey Mysterio Jr. for the AAA Welterweight Title as they would pass it back and fourth. While wrestling for AAA he would also appear in early 1996 at ECW events and by mid 1996 he left AAA and signed with WCW as apart of their blooming Cruiserweight division. Juventud was pushed as one of the breakout stars by WCW and even would win the Cruiserweight title for the first time in 1998 beating Ultimo Dragon and he would hold it off and on a few times as well as always be a contender. In 1998 he would also loose a bet match in WCW to Chris Jericho causing him to lose his mask! Juventud would go on to join groups like LWO and The Filthy Animals and would even be in the film “Ready To Rumble” showing that he was one of the Luchadors they were pushing. In 2000 Juventud was let go from WCW due to an incident at an overseas tour that involved drugs. Once gone from WCW Juventud decided to do a small world tour and took matches in companies like XPW, AAA, Impact, FWA, CMLL and Pro Wrestling Noah building he name value even more and allowing fans from many federations to see him in action. But in 2005 the tour ended as he would sign with WWE and was teamed with Super Crazy and Psicosis to become the team known as The Mexicools and they would go for the Tag Titles as well as The Cruiserweight Championship. But in 2006 Juventud was let go from WWE for not listening and doing banned moves in a match. After his WWE run he would return to work the indies were he is still working to this day as well as had a number of short burst runs in AAA and remains one of Lucha Libres most popular Luchadors and a draw for indie promotions. It’s crazy that Juventud is not in the WWE Hall Of Fame and who knows once he retires from the ring maybe they will put him in as he deserves to be. Juventud over his career also wrestled under the names El Hijo de Fuerza Guerrera, Fighting Youth and Fuerza Grimm.

# 3

Blue Demon Jr.
Started: 1985      Companies: NWA & AAA       Active: Yes     Seen Live: No

Blue Demon Jr. is one of the most iconic Luchadors who is still active today and is a draw for any company that brings him in as he is a true journeyman as well who has wrestled all over the world. Blue Demon Jr. is one that I first discovered on grey marker VHS tapes that I got off Ebay when I was a youngster and became a major fan of, and give that fact I was a fan of his father Blue Demon it was a no brainer that Jr. would become one of my favorites. I even got to meet Blue Demon Jr. once at a Monster Bash Convention and while we had a language barrier, he was a super nice Luchador. Blue Demon Jr. started his Lucha career in 1985 working for the indies and building his own legacy that would go alongside his father’s, be was a draw almost right off the bat and would even have a few matches off and on for major Mexican promotions just bringing fans into the matches. In 1996 he would sign with AAA and would be a major draw and would have some big high profile matches. He would stick around AAA until 2001 and then he returned to the indies and being a journeyman and not until 2008 did he sign with NWA and became the companies first Mexican and Masked wrestler to hold the NWA Heavyweaight Championship as well as was running his own company called NWA Mexico. He would stay around in the NWA until 2010 and then would go to Pro Wrestling Revolution and would win their Heavyweight Title and would even team with his biggest rival El Hijo del Santo to win the Tag Titles! He would stick around until 2013 with Pro Wrestling Revolution and by that same year he signed back with AAA and has become a major draw for them in many high profile matches including an amazing feud with Dr. Wagner Jr. that set the world of wrestling on fire. In 2014 while still working for AAA he also started working for Lucha Underground and was there for a year and was one of the main focuses of that season. Blue Demon Jr. is still active as of this posts upload and his working for AAA as well as takes Indie bookings. A true legend of the ring and really is one of my favorite Luchadors ever to step into the ring.

# 2

Psicosis
Started: 1989     Companies: WCW & AAA       Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

Psicosis is a Lucha that I first discovered in the pages of wrestling magazines and finally seen him in action thanks to WCW who brought him in during the massive Cruiserweight boom. Once I seen him in matches I became a mega fan and would watch his old matches in Mexico and in ECW thanks to the tape trade market. I have also been very lucky to have seen Psicosis wrestle live both in WCW as well as in WWE and he is one of the best Luchadors I have ever seen live! Plus his mask is so awesome and he was one of the wrestlers I always played as in WCW/NOW Revenge on the N64. Psicosis started his career in 1988 under the name El Salvaje and worked the indies and by 1989 he would go under the name Psicosis and he was a rudo draw as he would have matches with some of the top upcoming stars like Rey Mysterio Jr. and Juventud Guerrera as well as legends like El Hijo del Santo and by this time as well he was signed and working matches in AAA even showcasing his style at the 1994 pay-per-view “When Worlds Collide” given American fans their first look at him, and this lead to him making appearances in 1995 for ECW. In 1996 Psicosis would start working for WCW and would become one of the featured Cruiserweights and would be come the champion as well as would be a member of the L.W.O. and would even lost his mask in a bet match against Billy Kidman, though Psicosis had lost his mask in Mexico to Rey Mysterio Jr. before this but his face was not seen in WCW it was and he would wrestle unmasked for the remainder of his time there. In 2000 Psicosis was let go from WCW and would return very briefly to ECW and from their would wrestle for many federations like XPW, All Japan, World Wrestling All-Stars, Impact, CMLL as well as NWA. Psicosis who had to start wrestling under the name Nicho El Millonario due to AAA and him having rights issues over the name as they had given the name to another known as Psicosis II and in 2005 he returned briefly to AAA in order to battle for the name and even Super Crazy got involved in the feud for the name. But he would leave AAA that same year and would sign to WWE and would be teamed with Super Crazy and Juventud Guerrera and became a group called The Mexicools, but his run would be short lived as he was fired in 2006 due to legal issues. But he would not be out of work for long as he would have a year run in CMLL before signing back with AAA in 2007 and would once more be a featured rudo in many big matches. During this run he would also put the mask back on and wrestle as Psicosis again in Mexico, but by 2014 he was once more released from AAA. He would return to the indies and is still working for them to this day, but did have a very small run once again in AAA starting in 2016 and by 2017 he was gone again. Really if you are a younger fan of Pro Wrestling and Lucha Libre, make sure to watch some of Psicosis matches and make sure it’s the original as you will see why he is one of my all time favorite Luchadors.

# 1

Rey Mysterio Jr.
Started: 1989     Companies: WCW & AAA       Active: Yes     Seen Live: Yes

Ok I had to pick Rey Mysterio Jr. as my # 1 spot cause well he is Rey and a true legend of Lucha Libre as well as brought the Mexican style to a mainstream pro wrestling fan her in America. Rey Mysterio I saw first thanks to WCW and I have seen him live several times not only during his WCW run but also in his WWE one. He is one wrestler that I have always cheered for and even the short time unmasked I was still a fan, but I will say thank goodness for WWE being smart and putting the mask back on him…and shame on WCW for unmasking him. Rey Musterio Jr. started in 1989 working the indies of Mexico and by 1992 was signed to AAA and was becoming one of the biggest rising stars in Lucha Libre, he would even have matches in ECW while with AAA and Americans would get their first look at Rey in action. In 1996 Rey would sign with WCW as part of their growing Cruiserweight division that was bring together some of the worlds best in that weight class. Rey would be one of the biggest breakout stars in that division and would hold many titles from the Cruiserweight Title to the Tag Titles, would be in such groups as the L.W.O., Filthy Animals and the No Limit Soldiers, he would also be unmasked by Kevin Nash and would be one of the company’s biggest mid-card attractions. Rey would stay with WCW until it closed in 2001 and then would work for CMLL as well as the indies until 2002 when WWE came calling and Rey signed with America’s biggest wrestling promotion. Rey Mysterio Jr. from the start was a big deal in WWE as he had a major fan base and he would be in main event matches as well as win titles like WWE Championship, World Heavyweight Championship, Cruiserweight Championship, Intercontinental Championship, United States Championship as well as Tag Team Champion with such partners as Eddie Guerrero and Rob Van Dam. He would also win the Royal Rumble and would have big matches with the likes of Kurt Angle, Matt Hardy, Eddie Guerrero, Shawn Michaels, JBL and so many more. Rey would leave WWE in 2015 and would take indie bookings as well as would return to AAA for sometime as well as took matches in Lucha Underground, New Japan Pro Wrestling. In 2018 Rey Mysterio Jr. would return to WWE and is still there as of this update and is working alongside his son Dominik and is a true WWE Legend and for sure will be in the Hall Of Fame when he retires. Rey Mysterio Jr. is an amazing Luchador and even after years of injuries as well as age he still can out wrestle almost all the youngsters in WWE today. Get the WWE Network and watch many of Rey’s older matches and see why he is my # 1. Rey Mysterio Jr. has also wrestled under the names El Nino, Colibri, Super Nino and Rey Misterio II.

This list was way harder to compile then I ever would have thought as many times while writing it and even getting it ready to post I changed the order of many of them. And it was tough to choose was going to be my number one as it went to Rey Mysterio but it also was so close going to go to Psicosis and even Blue Demon Jr. was considered for that spot! And to be honest I could have done a Top 100 as there is many other Luchadors that I am a fan of that didn’t make the list with the likes of El Zorro, Electroshock, Charly Manson and Dark Ozz to name a few and they could and should off if I had more slots on this countdown. Well for our next update we will be leaving Lucha Libre behind and will be once more taking a look at the world of Horror Hosting and will be talking about The Moon and Narrator who first hosted TNT Monstervision! So until next time, watch a Lucha Libre match or three, read a comic or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next time for some MonsterVision!