Spécial Strange #1
Spécial Strange #1 (July 1975) marks the debut of Editions Lug's second major Marvel anthology title — a companion to the already-running Strange — and brought a dense anthology format to French newsstand readers at a moment when Marvel's Bronze Age output was at its most inventive. The issue gathered material from three distinct Marvel series under one cover, giving French readers simultaneous access to the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and the nascent Marvel Two-In-One format in one volume, establishing the editorial template that the series would follow for over two decades. It also represents the first French publication of several early-Bronze-Age characters including Namorita, Wundarr, and Iron Fist in stories that had appeared in American print only months before.
"Cataclysme" in Spécial Strange #1 (1975) brings together the childlike alien Wundarr and the ever-gruff Thing in a story that blends cosmic wonder with unexpected empathy. Written by Steve Gerber and illustrated by Gil Kane, with inks by Joe Sinnott and colors by Glynis Wein, the tale unfolds as Wundarr, fleeing his own kind’s deadly robot, finds himself caught between the Thing’s distrust and the calm guidance of Namor and Namorita. The cover by Jean Frisano captures the moment of tension, setting the stage for a clash of worlds where innocence and instinct collide.
In "Les chasseurs d'homme venus des étoiles !", Wundarr, an alien with the mind of a child, crash-lands near Namorita before fleeing from Namor’s wrath. Taken in by the Thing in New York, he soon finds himself hunted by a giant robot sent by his own kind—his only allies now the Fantastic Four, who must protect him from the relentless dakkams. As the stakes rise, the Thing grapples with the weight of shielding a being who’s both innocent and dangerous.
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Editions Lug — named after Lugdunum, the Latin name of the publisher's home city of Lyon — was founded in 1950 by writer Marcel Navarro and publisher Auguste Vistel, and had already proven there was a French appetite for Marvel material through Strange, launched in January 1970. Spécial Strange was conceived as a vehicle to reprint Marvel's new quarterly Giant-Size titles, but when Marvel cancelled that format in 1975, Lug pivoted the launch issue to combine Giant-Size Fantastic Four, Giant-Size Spider-Man, and Marvel Two-In-One into a single thick digest; writers represented in the debut included Len Wein, Gerry Conway, and Steve Gerber, with art by John Buscema, Ross Andru, and Gil Kane. The series launched at a cover price of 3.50 French francs and ran quarterly for its first decade before becoming bimonthly in 1986 and monthly in 1995.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published July 10, 1975 by Editions Lug (Lyon, France); 88 pages, full color, French language.
- Inaugural issue of the Spécial Strange series, which ran continuously until December 1996 under Lug and then its successor Semic — a 21-year run of over 100 issues.
- Three American source series were packaged together: Giant-Size Fantastic Four (featuring Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm, and Medusa/Medusalith Amaquelin Boltagon), Giant-Size Spider-Man (featuring Peter Parker/Spider-Man alongside Johnny Storm and Dracula), and Marvel Two-In-One (featuring Ben Grimm/The Thing alongside early-Bronze-Age co-stars including Namorita Prentiss, Wundarr, and Man-Thing/Ted Sallis).
- Giant-Size Spider-Man #1 ('Ship of Fiends!') reprinted here was scripted by Len Wein with pencils by Ross Andru — a three-way battle among Spider-Man, Dracula, and the Maggia aboard an ocean liner.
- Giant-Size Fantastic Four material in this issue was scripted by Gerry Conway and drawn by John Buscema, featuring the Watcher (Uatu), Willie Lumpkin, and Medusa as a full Fantastic Four member in place of Sue Storm.
- The issue also carried Marvel Two-In-One #2 material (scripted by Steve Gerber), confirmed by the Grand Comics Database as the source of art referenced in later Lug publications — connecting the French edition directly to some of the earliest appearances of characters like Namorita and Wundarr in the French market.
- The series was originally designed to carry Marvel's Giant-Size quarterly format, but when Marvel discontinued that line in 1975, Lug restructured the content mix — making this first issue an artifact of a deliberate editorial pivot.
- Editions Lug regularly had its in-house studio ('l'atelier Lug') make alterations to American artwork for compliance with French youth-publication laws (Loi n° 49.956 du 16 juillet 1949), meaning some panels in this issue may differ from their American originals.
Cast · 21 characters
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Reprints
↩ Reprints Marvel Two-in-One #2 (1974), Giant-Size Fantastic Four #2 (1974), Giant-Size Spider-Man #2 (1974), Strange #67 (1975), Une Aventure des Fantastiques #7 (1975), Spécial Strange #2 (1975)
Reprinted in Strange #66 (1975), Strange #67 (1975), Strange #68 (1975)
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