I didn’t include BV in my list only because Strange Tales at that time was an anthology book, in which BV was but one of a series of short-run lead features after the departure of the Doctor Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD co-headliners. (As you’ll recall, BV’s five issues were followed by three issues starring the Golem, an issue of giant-monster reprint stories, and a run of Adam Warlock.) Thus, BV never really “took control” of Strange Tales in the way that, say, the Panther took over Jungle Action when he arrived with issue #6. But I definitely wouldn’t have any argument with counting BV as another Marvel marquee hero of color in the early ’70s.

Your other point illustrates one of the main reasons why I was much more of a Marvel reader than a DC guy way back when. DC always seemed to be coming to the dance after the party ended, as you cogently describe with your examples. (Even DC’s much acclaimed drug addiction storyline in Green Lantern/Green Arrow was beaten to the spinner racks by Marvel’s “Harry Osborn pops pills” sequence in Amazing Spider-Man, if only by a couple of months.) Marvel’s seat-of-one’s-trousers editorial culture enabled a great deal more responsiveness and flexibility than did DC’s more corporate, conservative regime.

Funny about DC back in the day, they usually dragged their feet whenever it came to exploiting any trend or craze.

Marvel had their sword-and-sorcery titles out like CONAN THE BARBARIAN long before DC limped out stuff like BEOWULF, SWORDS AGAINST SORCERY, and CLAW THE UNCONQUERED. Marvel had MASTER OF KUNG FU and IRON FIST (in Marvel Premiere initially) out on the stands well prior to DC’s KARATE KID and RICHARD DRAGON, KUNG FU FIGHTER.

May be part of the reason why DC’s still number two to this day.