- "You and the boy are my friends! But he is my enemy -- and I choose to let him die!"
- ―The Frankenstein Monster
| "Death of the Monster!" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The Monster of Frankenstein | |
| Title: | "Death of the Monster!" |
| Volume: | 1 |
| Number: | 4 |
| Cover price: | .20 |
| Cover date: | July, 1973 |
| Publisher: | Marvel Comics |
| Credits | |
| Chief: | Roy Thomas |
| Writers: | Gary Friedrich |
| Pencilers: | Mike Ploog |
| Inkers: | John Verpoorten |
| Cover artists: | Mike Ploog |
| Cover inker: | Mike Ploog |
| Cover letterer: | Gaspar Saladino |
| Colorists: | Glynis Wein |
| Letterers: | Artie Simek |
| Editors: | Roy Thomas |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | The Monster of Frankenstein #3 |
| Next: | The Monster of Frankenstein #5 |
"Death of the Monster!" is the fourth issue of the Monster of Frankenstein ongoing comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The story was written by Gary Friedrich with artwork by Mike Ploog and inks by John Verpoorten. It was colored by Glynis Wein and lettered by Artie Simek. The story was edited by Roy Thomas. This issue shipped with a July, 1973 cover date and carries a cover price of .20 cents per copy.
Synopsis[]
Robert Walton's ship is trapped within an ice flow. Both his cabin boy Sean and he are gravely injured, and Canute, the Eskimo travel guide is dead. The Frankenstein Monster tries to drag Sean and Walton to safety. At this time, he decides to tell them how he came to be frozen in the ice.
Flashback to 1799
- After discovering that his creator, Victor Frankenstein had perished on Walton's ship, the monster decides that he no longer wishes to live. He begins walking across the frozen plains in search of a good place to build himself a funeral pyre. As he journeys, he enters warmer climates and discovers a small tribal camp. A community of brute Neanderthal men find him and attack him. None of them however, can overcome the monster's strength and he batters them back. The tribe's chieftain recognizes the creature's great strength and orders his warriors to stand down. He is invited to stay with the Neanderthal and becomes an honorary member of their tribe. They even teach him how to hunt.
- Some days later, a nomadic tribe of rival barbarians stumbles upon the community and raids the camp. The monster joins forces with his Neanderthal friends and fights back, but most of them die in the battle. The barbarians try their level best to destroy the creature, but find that they cannot. The Neanderthal chieftain is mortally injured during the raid. The monster takes the dying man and travels far away with him so that he can die in the tradition of his people. The monster erects a funeral pyre for the Chieftain and burns his body after the old man passes on.
- Suddenly, a quake erupts beneath him, and the monster falls off of the icy precipice he had been standing upon. His body lands into the frigid waters below where he will eventually freeze and become trapped in the ice for the next hundred years.
After telling his tale, the creature notices that Sean the cabin boy has died in his sleep. Robert Walton is not long for this world either. With his dying breath, he begs the monster to find peace and assuage his violent temper. He tells the monster that the last descendant of Victor Frankenstein is still alive. After Walton dies, the Frankenstein monster frees his ship from the ice flow and begins sailing south.
"Death of the Monster!"[]
Featured characters
Supporting characters
- Robert Walton, IV (Final appearance; dies)
- Sean Farrell (Final appearance; dies)
Villains
- Canute (Final appearance; dies)
Minor characters
- Elizabeth Lavenza-Frankenstein (In flashback only)
- Robert Walton (In flashback only)
- Victor Frankenstein (In flashback only)
Organizations
Races & Animals
Locations
- North Pole
- Switzerland (In flashback only)
Items
Vehicles
Powers
Miscellaneous
Notes & Trivia[]
- Frankenstein, and all related characters, are based on concepts developed by English author Mary Shelley's as presented in her 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus. The Frankenstein story has since been adapted and expanded upon in numerous films, novels, comic books and television projects.
- The trade dressing of this issue identifies it as The Monster of Frankenstein #4, though the title will ultimately change to Frankenstein Monster with issue #6. "Monster of Frankenstein 4" redirects to this page.
- This issue is reprinted in black and white in the Essential Frankenstein, Volume 1 trade paperback collection in 2004 and in color in Book of the Dead #4 in 1994 and in the Monster of Frankenstein trade paperback collection in September, 2015.
- A more faithful adaptation of the Frankenstein story is provided in Marvel Classics Comics #20.
- This issue establishes that the final chapters in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus take place in the year 1799. Journal entries from the novel establish that Walton's letters are written in the 18th century, but an exact year is never given.