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The Avengers Battle the Earth-Wrecker
The Avengers. Led by the mighty Captain America, this fabulous band is sworn to guard the world from Evil wherever it may threaten. Alert to danger at an instant's notice, together they form a super juggernaut of brilliant brainpower, bonecrushing strength, and burning dedication. Mankind views them with awe, their enemies view them with terror. But never has this heroic crew faced so deadly and powerful a force as the Earth-Wrecker. Karzz, a monstrous creature come from outer space and the distant future to annihilate the entire planet. Protected by an impregnable shield of electro-force, armed with the most fearsome weapons a superhuman mind can devise, Karzz can play with the Avengers like insects to be killed at will. He can turn one against the other in savage battle. He ccan laugh at the efforts of the Avengers to thewart his design of destruction. For how can even they hope to defeat this invincible Nemesis of all mankind?
122 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
About the author
Otto Binder
369 books15 followersOtto Oscar Binder. Used these alternate names: Eando Binder (together with his brother Earl Binder -E and O Binder-), John Coleridge, Gordon A. Giles, Will Garth, Ian Francis Turek, Ione Frances Turek and Otto O. Binder.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 17, 2015
I remember reading The Avengers Battle the Earth-Wrecker not long after it came out in 1967; I must have been 12 or 13. It was likely the first novel I'd ever seen based on comic book characters.
The one thing I remember clearly about it is that the cover showed a nearly current Avengers line-up: Captain America, Hawkeye, Goliath, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch; but the novel featured Captain America, Hawkeye, Goliath, Iron Man and the Wasp.
I don't know who did the cover, but that was my favorite image of the Scarlet Witch for many years.
The one thing I remember clearly about it is that the cover showed a nearly current Avengers line-up: Captain America, Hawkeye, Goliath, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch; but the novel featured Captain America, Hawkeye, Goliath, Iron Man and the Wasp.
I don't know who did the cover, but that was my favorite image of the Scarlet Witch for many years.
January 31, 2010
This was the first novel written about the Marvel superheroes. I remember wanting it when I saw it when it first appeared, and I always remained aware that it existed, but somehow a copy never came into my possession until recently. I've got to admit that by current standards it's not a very good book (the writing is really abysmal in spots), but as an artifact I'm very fond of it. That eight year old kid in 1967 would've loved it.
February 12, 2016
Totally scored an original printing of the first Marvel novelization (yay Internet!) and it honestly reads like a comic book where the characters voice their thoughts and the narrative sounds like it’s coming directly out of Stan Lee’s mouth (Hey there True Believers!). You have to remind yourself that the Marvel world we have come to know now is not what it used to be—at all. It is a world of corny jokes and gee-willikers moments and characters explaining what action they are about to do before they actually do it. Of course you have the villain describing their plan right before they are about to kill the hero and then they are thwarted but this tactic is still consistently used today (See also Avengers, See also Gotham). So once you accept the silly banter from Hawkeye, the ridiculousness of the specialized weapons they keep making up every page, and a tiny error in time travel, you might find yourself smiling at the beginning of a Universe that is so widely popular today. It really is fun to see how far these novels have come :-)
June 21, 2012
Thanks to the recent blockbuster film, anything related to The Avengers is a hot commodity now. Prior to seeing the movie, I was largely unfamiliar with that crew of superheroes; I'd seen the two Iron Man movies, as well as the most recent Hulk, and I'd read a novel or two about them...but that was it. After experiencing this year's top film, I decided to get my hands on all the Avengers literature I could, and The Avengers Battle the Earth-Wrecker sounded great...but was it? Unfortunately, no. The story was good, but not amazing. The writing varied from so-so to terrible; some parts even seemed to be written by an elementary schooler. Though fans of the film may freak out upon seeing this at a library, yard sale, or thrift store, unless you're a total die-hard superhero fanatic, I'd advise you to save your money for one of the newer Marvel Comics novels, which make Earth-Wrecker look like Hop on Pop.
December 1, 2013
This is the tied for first super-hero novel to be written by a well-known sci-fi novelist (released the same day as Ted White's CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE GREAT GOLD STEAL), and the fourth book overall to have super heroes as protagonists. Nobody should expect much from a super-hero novel, but a super-hero novel by influential the sci-fi writer Otto Binder? Maybe.
This is an extraordinarily badly written book. From the odd story, the shallow characterizations, and the uncompelling scenes, little in it works, plus Binder has an odd style. The cover is striking, though, if I remember correctly, some of the characters inside are different than those on the cover. I'm not sure that the world really needed this book.
I remember one incident that I thought showed some of Binder's old imagination, but only the one. Sad.
This is an extraordinarily badly written book. From the odd story, the shallow characterizations, and the uncompelling scenes, little in it works, plus Binder has an odd style. The cover is striking, though, if I remember correctly, some of the characters inside are different than those on the cover. I'm not sure that the world really needed this book.
I remember one incident that I thought showed some of Binder's old imagination, but only the one. Sad.
May 15, 2013
While this was the first Marvel Comics novel adaptation and was written by a sci-fi legend (and comic book) writer like Otto Binder, it certainly doesn't read like one. This tale would've been dated the day it was published. So much effort seems to have been spent making the Avengers' banter try to be natural and unforced, the rest of the novel suffers (and the banter comes off hackneyed anyway).
Instead of using Kang, the obvious choice, we get Karzz, a similarly high tech tyrant from the future with no real Elam and a predilection for being a polyglot. The mediocre painted cover also shows characters not in the story. This is definitely not worth paying an exorbitant ebay price to obtain; Otto's dead, so find the pdf file that is making the rounds of the net.
Instead of using Kang, the obvious choice, we get Karzz, a similarly high tech tyrant from the future with no real Elam and a predilection for being a polyglot. The mediocre painted cover also shows characters not in the story. This is definitely not worth paying an exorbitant ebay price to obtain; Otto's dead, so find the pdf file that is making the rounds of the net.
November 2, 2014
The Binder brothers, Earl and Otto, were SF writers in the pulp era. They wrote together under the pen name Eando Binder. By 1939, Earl had retired and was his brother's literary agent.
THE AVENGERS BATTLE THE EARTH-WRECKER can only be described as pure pulp, the last book Otto had published. It was 1967.
it concerned the Avengers Battle with Karzz The Conqueror, an alien from 5000 years in the future who was out to destroy Earth. Humans in his future had thwarted the alien's armada and he wanted to destroy the planet before they achieved their future supremacy.
Despite the cover, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are described in a TV program at the beginning as former Avengers. It was actually Goliath and the Wasp in the narrative.
THE AVENGERS BATTLE THE EARTH-WRECKER can only be described as pure pulp, the last book Otto had published. It was 1967.
it concerned the Avengers Battle with Karzz The Conqueror, an alien from 5000 years in the future who was out to destroy Earth. Humans in his future had thwarted the alien's armada and he wanted to destroy the planet before they achieved their future supremacy.
Despite the cover, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are described in a TV program at the beginning as former Avengers. It was actually Goliath and the Wasp in the narrative.
June 18, 2017
The stars say it all. It was okay. The story is kinda goofy. (It actually had a death beam gun, called... OH! Gasp! "The Death Beam Gun!!! Cue dramatic music.) It is a slow read where as books twice as long feel like their finished in no time, this one dragged on and on. It may have been better as an actual comic book, but for this book.... Eh. Die hard fans may like it.
August 12, 2017
This was a fun, fast read. It was very much from the 1960s with all kinds of nuclear and atomic powered gizmos. Also, it had the campy, comedic touch of the Batman TV show of the same time.
September 24, 2017
horrible book, reads like a parody of super-hero comic books, and includes all the clichés you can imagine.
August 30, 2022
The first Avengers comic premiered in 1963 and this book came along 4 years later in '67 so not alot of character development has taken place in the vast saga of the Avengers. Also reading this with 21st Century eyes is very different than the authored intended for his late 60's audience. Also this was obviously meant for grade school children trying their first chapter book.
The plot feel very cartoonish and cliched, perhaps not as corny as the 60's Batman but i could definitely see Mr. Binder writing for Super-Friends years later. It wasn't meant for me at my age, but perhaps 8 year old me would have loved it.
The plot feel very cartoonish and cliched, perhaps not as corny as the 60's Batman but i could definitely see Mr. Binder writing for Super-Friends years later. It wasn't meant for me at my age, but perhaps 8 year old me would have loved it.
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November 9, 2019Awful. Like it was written by a 12-year old and edited by an 8-year old
August 11, 2021
Comics (a visual media) are very difficult to recreate in a novel form (non-visual media). This one missed the mark for me. The characters from the comics weren't recreated very well.
February 15, 2008
Certainly one of the earliest (if not THE earliest) novelization of comic book heroes (or superheroes). I can still remember the feeling of absolute euphoria at seeing this on the bookstand. A book...? About my favorite comic book heroes?! It was the perfect way for my parents to see my reading, and for me to be reading something that I really liked.
As I thumb through it today, I see that it fits nicely with the writing of the comics, but doesn't speak down to the reader. It moves along nicely, with plenty of action, but allows us to get inside the heads of some of these classic costumed characters -- moreso than the comics ever did.
If you can find this on some used book shelf, it's worth a read.
As I thumb through it today, I see that it fits nicely with the writing of the comics, but doesn't speak down to the reader. It moves along nicely, with plenty of action, but allows us to get inside the heads of some of these classic costumed characters -- moreso than the comics ever did.
If you can find this on some used book shelf, it's worth a read.
March 13, 2013
A very nostalgic novel, although this is the first time I've read it. The dialogues, descriptions and the characters' world views are that of the late 60's. The pacing is slowed somewhat by going through the characters' back stories, but picks up towards the middle of the book..
A very quick read.
A very quick read.
April 8, 2013
A short novel with all the wit, action, character development and intellectual depth of a late-1960s Marvel comic book. Fun, harmless, not terribly satisfying, but not insultingly stupid. I confess: I bought this because I was in a thrift store with a dollar burning a hole in my pocket, and I thought the cover was neat. Worth every penny!
May 4, 2008
A fun, cheesy book that reads like an issue of the old Avengers comic.
There were very few 'books' about super heroes on the shelf when this came out, so it seemed extra cool at the time.
There were very few 'books' about super heroes on the shelf when this came out, so it seemed extra cool at the time.
April 1, 2013
Yeah. Not so great. Dialogue is extremely corny, action very stilted, and the bad guy (a thinly veiled copy of Kang) just doesn't work very well. I wanted to like this more, but ah well.
August 6, 2016
I wasn't expecting Tolstoy, but this was pretty weak.
May 30, 2015
Interesting experiment in novels about superheroes. I've read surely better novelisations and far better fanfic.
October 19, 2015
Seems real dated today but bear in mind it was written back in 1967 and this is what comic books read like back then
November 15, 2018
probably read some time in spring of 1967
March 26, 2017
I missed this when it first came out and searched thru Used Bookstore shelves and mailing lists for decades. Then when things like Abebooks and Alibris came about, I was able to purchase a copy. This is now the 2nd time reading TABtE-W (it is very short). The verdict after all of this time remains the same. The campi-ness is its charm.
April 24, 2017
The dialogues are way too cheesy. Maybe it is because this book was written in the 70s? In addition, why did the avengers need to do a tv documentary?? As usual, the villain talks way too much...
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews