Titans #5
Titans #5 (November 10, 1976) marks the first issue of Éditions Lug's flagship Marvel anthology to run an entirely Marvel Comics line-up, completing the transition that began at issue #4 — from that point forward, every story in the magazine came from the Marvel catalogue rather than the short-lived Atlas/Seaboard line that had filled the first issues. Crucially, it debuted two of the magazine's most durable serials in France: 'Les Gardiens de la Galaxie' (carrying the reprint of Marvel Super-Heroes #18, the original team's very first appearance) and 'Skull le Prisonnier du Temps,' both of which launched their French runs here and continued through later issues. For a generation of French readers who had no access to American newsstand comics, this single digest-format magazine became the gateway to both the original Guardians of the Galaxy — Vance Astro, Charlie-27, Martinex T'Naga, and Yondu Udonta — and the Champions, bringing a dense mix of superhero, cosmic, pulp-adventure, and mythology storytelling to a mass young audience in a country where the medium operated under strict youth-publication regulations.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Titans launched in March 1976 under Marcel Navarro as editor-in-chief and Claude Vistel as publisher, under the Lug 'Collection Super Héros' brand. The magazine was originally conceived as a vehicle for the newly launched Atlas/Seaboard imprint — founded by Martin Goodman after he left Marvel — but Atlas collapsed almost immediately, running dry by issue #4; Lug pivoted urgently to the Marvel catalogue to fill the pages. By issue #5 that pivot was complete, and all four story slots were filled with Marvel reprints. The magazine ran bimonthly in its early years and eventually published 221 issues before ceasing in 1998, with Lug itself sold to the Semic Group in 1989.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Titans #5 was published on 10 November 1976 by Éditions Lug (Lyon), under the 'Collection Super Héros Lug' brand, edited by Marcel Navarro and Claude Vistel.
- Issue #5 was the first number in which all four story slots were Marvel Comics reprints, completing the switch away from Atlas/Seaboard material that began at issue #4.
- Story slot 1: 'Les Champions' episode 2 — French reprint of The Champions #2 (January 1976), 'Whom the Gods Would Join…', written by Tony Isabella, penciled by Don Heck, inked by John Tartaglione; featuring Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff), Iceman (Bobby Drake), Angel (Warren Worthington III), Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze), Hercules, Venus, Pluto, Zeus, Hippolyta, and Ares (Mars).
- Story slot 2: 'Doc Savage, l'Homme de Bronze' episode 2 — French reprint of Doc Savage #2 (December 1972), 'Master of the Red Death', written by Steve Englehart, penciled by Ross Andru, inked by Ernie Chan.
- Story slot 3: 'Entrée en scène de Skull, le Prisonnier du Temps' — FIRST French appearance of Skull the Slayer, reprinting Skull the Slayer #1 (August 1975), 'The Coming of Skull the Slayer!', written by Marv Wolfman, drawn by Steve Gan; this series would run in Titans through issue #12.
- Story slot 4: 'Les Gardiens de la Galaxie — La Terre triomphera!' — FIRST French appearance of the original Guardians of the Galaxy, reprinting Marvel Super-Heroes #18 (January 1969), written by Arnold Drake and penciled by Gene Colan; the story introduced Major Vance Astro, Charlie-27, Martinex T'Naga, and Yondu Udonta to French readers; the Guardians serial would continue in Titans through issue #15.
- The Champions storyline in this issue involves the team's assault on Olympus to free Hercules and Venus from Pluto's scheme, with Iceman, Angel, Black Widow, and Ghost Rider all featured prominently alongside Greek pantheon figures including Zeus, Ares, Hippolyta, Dionysus (Dionysos), and Mephisto.
- Titans #5 through #6 were later collected and reprinted together in Titans Album #2 (Éditions Lug), published January 1977.
Cast · 29 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Pluton tente de marier Herculer et Venus contre leur volonté. Il fait chanter Zeus pour obtenir son soutien.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).