Kiss: The Marvel Editions Trivia Quiz

Answer: Howard The Duck

The group first appeared in comic book form at the tail end of 'Howard the Duck' #12, having apparently manifested out of the mind of Winda Wester, Howard's friend, while both were incarcerated at the Sauerbraten County Mental Facility. As Issue #13 opened, Peter Criss was able to whisper in Howard's ear, 'When you meet reality head-on, kiss it smack in the face.' before the group disappeared back into Winda's mind.

Answer: blood

The band had donated the vials of their own blood following a concert at the Nassau Coliseum and added it to the ink at Marvel's Borden Ink Plant in Depew, New York. The issues that were printed bore the proud label, 'Printed in real Kiss blood'.

Answer: Conan

Gene eventually tosses the 'Conan' comic in the trash can, noting that people don't meet barbarians on the streets of New York. This is, of course, seconds before the two walk into Dizzy The Hun.

Answer: He's blind

Even though he can't see, Dizzy the Hun senses the two and shouts, 'Head's up, flaming youth...hither comes thy destiny!'. He then tosses a magic box to them and the two make a hasty exit.

Answer: In a game arcade

Trying to escape a gang of toughies, Gene and Paul run into the arcade, where teenaged versions of Peter and Ace and waiting. Gene tosses the magic box to Peter, as he and Paul duck into a photo booth. When the gang leader spots the duo, they hide in the booth, too.

As they figure out what to do, Ace opens the box and all four are mesmerized by the contents. As the gang closes in, smoke comes from the booth and the teens, now transformed into superheroes, emerge.

Answer: Alter emotions

Facing one kung-fu baddie with a pair of nunchucks, Paul hits him with the starbolt, telling him that Bruce Lee is dead and he's paralyzed with grief. The guy immediately begins sobbing uncontrollably. Gene, meanwhile, finds he can breathe fire, Peter has cat-like agility and strength and Ace seems to have a plethora of cosmic powers.

Answer: Dr. Doom

The long-time nemesis of the Fantastic Four, Dr. Doom wants the new heroes to give him the Box of Khyscz (that's pronounced 'kiss') that holds their powers. Doom explains the box was inherited from his gypsy mother and was later stolen, so, by right, the powers that the group just discovered belong to him.

Answer: The X-Men

Spidey has a two-fold interest, checking out the new guys for himself and catching a few photos for the Daily Bugle. Since Doom was involved, the Fantastic Four also monitored. Across town, the Avengers took a wait-and-see stance at the request of Doctor Strange and the Defenders (joined by Dizzy the Hun), who are monitoring the band's exploits.

Answer: Gestures with both thumbs

Ace learns that by simulating a hitchhiker (wonder if he ever read Douglas Adams), he can transport himself and others to another place...that is, if he uses only one thumb. By using both, he and the rest of the group crossed into a zone between dimensions.

Answer: Mephisto

Mephisto is up to his old tricks, luring the boys from dimensional space to do his bidding. Gene, however, is not content to stay and be ruled when he finally has the power to rule himself. Astounded at his audacity, Mephisto sends them away.

Answer: A space-disco

This is 1977, remember...discos were still the rage in some spots. This dance floor, however, was cluttered with anthropomorphic animals, right down to the white three-piece suits. Peter catches the eye of a girl-cat named Mandu, who is also the girlfriend of Big Leo, a lion in a purple leisure suit.

While Ace keeps Leo's cronies busy, Peter takes care of the big guy and lets Mandu down easy, saying he still has some things to sort out. Ace does the 'hitchhiker' bit again and the two vanish.

Answer: Latveria

They're in the Latverian Alps, just outside of Dr. Doom's castle, where they are met by Dizzy the Hun. After a brief battle with android monks and a giant pair of lips (don't ask) they are shot off again to face Doom in the final showdown, where Dizzy was able to convince him Kiss deserved their chance to realize their potential, just as he did.

Answer: Human emotions

After turning down political rallies (false fervor) and sporting events (too sporadic), Khalis-Wu centers on rock concerts throughout history to give him the sustained energy he needs to take over the world (this, in and of itself, makes no sense, since the only named concert he attends is Woodstock). All this, of course, comes to the attention of Dizzy the Hun.

Answer: Paul

In Kiss #1, the box held three dolls shaped to look like Gene, Peter and Ace, along with a black star for Paul. Now the box holds a dragon (Gene), a lightning bolt (Ace) and a cat (Peter), but Paul's talisman has hardly changed from the black star design.

Answer: Bikers

Specifically, they are flame-headed, chain-wielding, Foster Grant-wearing bikers. For some reason, the heroes takes over nine pages in the comic to finish off the neo-Ghost Riders.

Answer: An elf with a gun

Okay, here's what I know about the elf with a gun...he or they (two names have been dropped, Melf and Relf) originally showed up in the pages of 'The Defenders' blasting innocent people at random. Later on, they were said to be agents of a time-travelling group called the Tribunal. Either way, they were the children of 'Howard the Duck' creator Steve Gerber, as he says, to represent the random nature that is the chaos of the universe.

As Dr. Evil would say, 'Rrrrriiiiiight...'

Answer: Saurian Holmes

Saurian is the only voice of reason in a fortune cookie-counter world. His appearance is supposed to reflect his outmoded form of thinking in this 60s dimension, or, as he says, 'an ugly reminder that the Truth requires a lifetime of diligence and devotion...and, even then, no answers are assured'.

Answer: Professor Maharishi

Obviously, the Professor is a take-off on Sherlock Holmes' constant foil, Moriarty. As the battle commences, the Maharishi's house begins to crumble around them until Holmes and Maharishi are buried under the rubble. The boys find out the Professor has been keeping them there in the dimension, so, with him gone, Ace easily teleports them away.

Answer: Pure hate

As it turns out, the shot of hatred launched by Paul does the Darklord in. As he dissappears, he rages the hatred he has wished on others has finally come back to him. That's karma.

Answer: The Beatles

The Fab Four took issues number 4 ('The Beatles' Story') and number 7 (a retelling of 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)...oh, and there's that run-in with the Human Torch and the Thing of the Fantastic Four in 'Strange Tales' #130. In all, only 41 issues of the Marvel Super Special were ever released, most of them movie adaptations.