History of the Marvel Universe: April 1966, part 1

FANTASTIC FOUR #49

The FF’s greatest story continues. Kirby’s hyper-imaginative visuals are once again packed into the issue from cover to cover. The fight against Galactus’ cyborg warrior (known as the Punisher—yes, there was a Punisher before Frank Castle) is magnificent; as is Kirby’s images of what the desiccated Earth would look like after Galactus drains it of water and energy.

Even the few quiet moments—such as Reed stopping for a shave and Ben for a quick bath in-between bouts with the Eater of Worlds—look great.

Anyway, our heroes try to stop Galactus and do manage to delay him a bit. In the meantime, the Watcher sends Johnny off on an inter-dimensional journey to get a super-weapon.

And then there’s what I can’t help thinking of as a minor glitch (the incident that subtracts a tenth of a point from the Bogart/Karloff Coolness rating). The Silver Surfer, belted off the Baxter Building by Ben last issue, just happens to fall through the skylight of Alicia’s apartment. What follows is Alicia’s verbal defense of humanity, which causes the Surfer to undergo an epiphany and switch sides. Even though coincidences like that are common in comic books, both it and the whole Alicia/Surfer scene are just a little bit heavy-handed.

At least in my none-too-humble opinion. Then again, I’m not bothered by the coincidence of Galactus coming to Earth, where he just happens to land atop THE FREAKIN’ BAXTER BUILDING! I’m sincerely not bothered by that at all. Go figure.


SPIDER MAN #35

The Molten Man is out of prison. He’s disguising himself before pulling off robberies, but Spidey manages to track him down regardless. As usual, Ditko choreographs a wonderful fight—this one with an unusual twist for a Spider Man battle. At one point, there’s a page-and-a-half in which the two adversaries trade punches. There’s no dialogue—just sound effects and art work that really manages to convey a sense of power to each blow.

The story is nicely paced, including an emphasis on Peter having to tail Molten Man for several days before getting the evidence needed to prove he’s guilty.

The story ends with Peter finding out that Betty Brant has left town. She’s out of the picture for a few years now. Gwen Stacy will now be the main girl in Peter’s life.

Gwen actually isn’t in this issue (she’ll play a big part in next month’s issue), but it’s interesting to look at her personality so far. She’s basically a drop-dead gorgeous dame who knows she’s drop-dead gorgeous. (Though, as much as I like Ditko’s art, it’s John Romita, Sr. who will really make her gorgeous.) So far, her biggest problem with Peter is that he hasn’t hit on her like every other boy she’s met.

Before too many more issues come and go, Mary Jane Watson will come onto the scene and take over that particular dynamic. Gwen will evolve into the sweet girl-next-door type.


STRANGE TALES #143

The Fixer and Mentallo have taken over SHIELD headquarters and have strapped Nick to an H-bomb. There’s a rare bit of contrived writing at this point when the bad guys take the mental control mask off Nick after they’ve strapped him to the bomb. Why they would give up one of their aces in the hole is not explained.

But the rest of the story is still good. Tony Stark tosses together some new weapons and Nick (who is secretly wearing a “mental transmitter”) sends coded mental instructions to SHIELD’s ESP unit. Agents wearing scramble helmets counter attack, a neutralizer ray disintegrates the H-bomb and the espers bombard Mentallo with painful thought waves. The bad guys are captured.

But things are never quiet at SHIELD. The last few panels show a plane launching from the helicarrier on a secret mission, only to be destroyed by a oddly shaped aircraft. There’s yet another threat to the world out there. Not too surprising, really.

Roy Thomas takes over as writer for Dr. Strange in this issue. He and Steve Ditko give us a really nifty story in which the still-disembodied Dr. Strange gains control of his amulet and levitation cloak to help battle Mordo’s disciples. Ditko’s visuals are once again perfect for portraying magical combat, so Strange continues to look cool while putting the beat down on the bad guys and finally getting his body back.

What with Stan Lee gone as writer (and Ditko around for only a few more issue), this seems like a good point to call it quits for Strange Tales. We will return to the title eventually—I want to cover Jim Steranko’s magnificent run on Nick Fury. But for the time being, we will be leaving both SHIELD and the Sorcerer Supreme behind.

Next week, we’ll see if we can finish up April 1966 in one fell swoop, covering the Avengers, Namor, Hulk, Thor, Iron Man and Captain America. We’ll still be dropping titles, but as I’ve said before, I’ll continue with the FF, Thor and Spidey for some time to come.

History of the Marvel Universe: March 1966, part 2

STRANGE TALES #142

Mentallo and the Fixer team up, then attack SHIELD HQ. Mentallo can predict everything the defending agents will do, plus mentally detect structural weak points and hidden weapons. The Fixer can then whip out a gadget for dealing with each individual situation.

With all this going for them, they kick SHIELD butt and capture Nick. They then place a mask on Nick that’ll alter his brain waves and make him their mental slaves.

This chapter is a straightforward and exciting action tale. Kirby continues to come up with cool looking gadgetry. But, as I said a few issues back, his stuff here doesn’t look quite as cool as it does in the FF or Thor. Just my impression, of course, but I think Jack was putting a little bit less time and effort into Nick Fury to give him more time to concentrate on the other titles.

Since the SHIELD stories are still excellent (visually as well as structurally), then I’m okay with this. Jack Kirby when he was merely good was still leagues ahead of nearly any other artist.

Dr. Strange, meanwhile, detects the bomb hidden in his Sanctum and tosses it away, but the concussion still knocks him out. He’s captured by Mordo’s minions, who have no idea their boss has been banished to a far dimension by Dormammu.

Strange is locked up in a mask that keeps him from seeing or speaking and a pair of mitten-like gloves that keep him from making magical gestures. (Or any other sort of gesture—though Strange has too much class to just flip off the bad guys anyways.)

In a really nifty action sequence, Strange has to use his ectoplasmic form to awkwardly guide his physical body. He manages to knock out a couple of guards and escape the house he was held in, but his physical body is still nearly helpless and the bad guys are closing in on him.

DAREDEVIL #14

After a couple of cool issues, the Ka-Zar story arc winds down a little bit unsatisfactorily. The art is still fine—John Romita pencils this issue. But the story jumps awkwardly between plot points without any real sense of pacing; the Plunderer adapts a supervillain costume that isn’t as cool as the pirate duds he was using; and Ka-Zar spends the whole issue in jail.

I mean, yes, it’s Daredevil’s book, so it makes sense that he gets to do most of the heroic stuff. But Ka-Zar is pretty darn cool in his own right (8.2 on the Bogart/Karloff scale), so it’s a shame to have him in a story and not have him do ANYTHING. Gee whiz.

But in the end, Daredevil helps the army capture the Plunderer and his gang while Ka-Zar is proved innocent of the murder he was accused of last issue. Matt Murdock heads home for New York, where he can once again get into an awkward love triangle with Foggy and Karen.

And that’ll be it for Daredevil. His will be the first book we drop from these reviews.

Daredevil is an important addition to the Marvel Universe, but in those early years he seems to often be odd man out in terms of getting cool stories. There have been a few high points mixed in up till now, but he will pretty much muddle along for years without ever really being exceptional. Eventually, Frank Miller will make him popular by going all dark and gritty with him. I can’t object to this, because taken on their own merits those stories are of good quality. But, in my opinion, I always thought DD went a little too far down the “dark and gritty” path. Heck, the fact that it led to that awful Ben Affleck movie is proof enough of that. And I refuse to talk about what is eventually done to poor Karen Page. That was just wrong.

But for now, we’re going to leave DD behind to muddle his way through the rest of the 1960s and most of the ‘70s with mildly entertaining but unmemorable stories. He will forever be a great character who never quite seems to find the right voice.

X-MEN #18
Along the course of this issue, we discover that Magneto busted out of the Stranger’s museum planet by salvaging an old space ship (and contemptuously kicking poor Toad out of the hatch before taking off).

Now he’s planning on scanning the DNA of Warren’s parents and using that to grow an army of mutant slaves. That actually kinda makes sense in terms of comic book science. The Worthingtons already gave birth to a mutant, so their genetic make up should produce more mutants.

With most of the X-Men floating into airless space inside a balloon, only the injured Iceman (who was still in the hospital last issue) is around to fight the villain. But Bobby does a pretty good job of holding Magneto at bay while the rest of the team think their way out of their death trap. They then gang up on Magneto until Professor X projects an illusion of the Stranger coming back to re-capture the evil mutant. Magneto pretty much runs away screaming like a little girl. Professor X mind-wipes the Worthingtons so they just remember getting a good night’s sleep (Stan Lee STILL hasn’t worked out the ethics of mental powers, it seems) and everything ends happily.

Which makes this a good place to leave off with the X-Men, I think. Stan will script one more issue, then Roy Thomas will take over. The book will remain solidly entertaining, but it never gets to be a really big seller during the 1960s and early 70s. In fact, if I remember correctly, for some years it will simply be reprinting early stories.

But then, in 1975, Len Wein and Dave Cockrum will introduce a new generation of X-Men and suddenly mutants will be the most popular thing in the Marvel Universe. We’ll eventually look at some of those storylines, as the book (done regularly by Chris Claremont and John Byrne) was quite excellent and the new X-Men were vibrant additions to the Marvel Universe. But eventually, their very popularity will hurt the quality of X-Men stories, with too many different X-titles, Wolverine’s healing power amped up to absurd levels (to the point where he wasn’t cool anymore, just silly) and the angst and tragedy taken too far over the top.

But let’s not end on a downer note. In 1966, the X-Men were pretty cool. In 1975, they’d get even cooler and stay that way for a number of years. That’s not a bad record.

So, as we leave Daredevil and the X-Men behind for now, we look forward to our visits next week with Thor, Namor, Hulk, Captain America and Iron Man.

History of the Marvel Universe: February 1966, Part 2

STRANGE TALES #141

It’s a good thing comic book characters don’t usually know they are comic book characters. The good guys, at least, would probably go nuts knowing that no villain or villainous organization is ever eliminated completely.


SHIELD mops up Hydra in this issue, with the Hydra leader getting offed by his own men before he can press the self-destruct button. But Hydra isn’t gone for good. It’ll be back again. And again. And again….


Anyway, Nick also lets the leader’s daughter escape as thanks for her help. Then, without time to take a breath, he plunges into another adventure. On a trip to SHIELD’s new ESP division, he finds out a former agent with Esper abilities has gone rogue. A lot of this issue also involves an intricate jail break by a criminal inventive genius called the Fixer. The Fixer and the rogue esper (who will take the name Mentallo next issue) will be teaming up for the next story line. It’s a neat paring—the technical guy and the psychic guy. Plus, Jack Kirby really seems to have a ball taking us step-by-step through the Fixer’s prison escape using various gadgets he had built from spare parts. (Note to all wardens: For heaven sake, stop letting super-villains work in the prison machine shop!.)


Off in another dimension, Dormammu is ticked off at Mordo for interfering in the big D’s one-on-one fight against Dr. Strange. So Mordo is banished into the Dimension of Demons (which does not sound like a good thing), while Strange recovers and goads Dormammu into continuing the fight.

Playing on the powerful villain’s ego, Dr. Strange manages to outfight him and win the bout. Dormammu is forced to promise never to endanger Earth. He does get some petty revenge by banishing Clea (who is still unnamed—gee whiz, Stan, give the girl a break) to an unknown dimension.

Strange and the now healthy Ancient One return to Earth. But when Strange gets home, he’s unaware that Mordo’s minions have planted a bomb. He’s got the house rigged to detect magical threats, but something more mundane passes unnoticed. Tick, tick, tick…

This pretty much brings an exciting story arc to an end. It is, in my opinion, the best arc Dr. Strange has ever had—culminating in a multi-issue magical wrestling match that showcases Ditko’s unique and often stunning art style. Stan Lee will be writing just one more issue before passing the reins for this book onto others—most notably Roy Thomas. Dr. Strange will always be a cool character and he’ll still be in some strong stories, but we’ve finished up what I believe to be for him the best of the best.

DAREDEVIL #13

Jack Kirby continues to supply the layouts for John Romita’s pencils as this fast-moving story continues. It’s another case where so much happens, it’s difficult to summarize briefly.

But by the end of the issue, Plunder has captured both Ka-Zar and Daredevil and brought them back to his castle in England. Ka-Zar is his long-lost brother and both of them have half of a medallion. This medallion is of a rare metal discovered by their dad that reflects energy and causes surrounding matter to disintegrate.

It’s unnamed here, but this is (I believe) the first appearance of Vibrinium in the Marvel Universe. It’s something that’s destined to become the Macguffin in countless stories.

Well, everyone pretty much has a chance to fight everyone else before the issue is over. Ka-Zar and DD get loose, but they are pursued both by spies who want the medallion and the local cops (Plunder has accused them of murder). The two heroes are being knocked for a loop by a rifle grenade in the last panel.

The art looks great and, as I mentioned last time, Kirby’s return to the book (along with Romita’s skilled pencils) seems to have reinvigorated the title. This is really exciting stuff.

There’s one some continuity error. At the beginning of the issue, Daredevil has lost his powers due to an explosion while Ka-Zar is out looking for healing herbs. Both men are captured before Ka-Zar can give the herbs to Daredevil. Later, when DD’s powers are returning, he mentally credits the herbs—despite Ka-Zar never having had a chance to give them to him.

Oh, well. It’s hardly a story-wrecking error. But it’s fun to take note of it.

X-MEN #17

Iceman, injured in the fight with the Sentinals, is in a coma. The other X-Men are getting minor injuries patched up when the Angel learns his parents are coming to the school for a visit. He flies back there to meet them, only to be captured by an unseen intruder.

Scott and Xavier head back to the school when they don’t hear from Warren—only to get captured.

Jean and Hank head back to the school when they don’t hear from Scott and the professor—only to get captured. All the prisoners are loaded into a big balloon and turned lose to drift to the upper atmosphere.

The captor turns out to be Magneto. His return is nicely times. There had been a danger of overusing him early in the book’s run, but exiling him to deep space six issues back gave us a needed break. His return is appropriately dramatic and well-handled.

Next week, we’ll see Thor enter HIS best story ever. We’ll also visit, as usual, with Namor, Hulk, Iron Man and Captain America.

History of the Marvel Universe: January 1966, part 2

STRANGE TALES #140

Dormammu sticks Strange, the Ancient One and Mordo in a neutral dimension, then summons the rulers of neighboring dimensions to watch him humiliate his arch enemy in single combat. He also forces Clea (who is still actually unnamed at this point) to watch through a dimensional portal.

What follows is the first half of one of the niftiest battles ever seen between the covers of a comic book. Strange and Dormammu each put “pincers of power” on their wrists—devices that extend out in sort of mystical claws. They then go to town in one-on-one combat. Strange uses judo tactics and pure courage to slowly gain the upper hand. So Mordo, in a panic that his evil master might lose, zaps Strange in the back.

The whole issue is a visual delight, setting up this long serial for a satisfying ending next issue.

Back on Earth, Nick manages to hook up with the SHIELD strike force and—despite a counter-attack by Hydra troopers on motorized skate boards—the good guys defeat the bad guys. In the meantime, Tony Stark pilots the Braino-saur into orbit and disarms the orbital nuke.


Hydra is beaten--or is it? The Hydra leader ends the issue intending to press a self-destruct button, taking out Fury, the SHIELD team and his traitorous daughter.


We see the Hydra boss unmasked for the first time. In previous issues, we had been shown a tyrannical corporate CEO who was presumably Hydra’s leader. But it turns out to be his meek secretary. Not really that surprising a twist, since the CEO practical wore a sign around his neck that said “Red Herring.” But the overall storytelling is pretty strong. The SHIELD vs. Hydra gun battle was certainly intense, with both sides taking losses before the end.

DAREDEVIL #12

Jack Kirby’s return to the title combines with getting Matt out of New York and away from his godawful contrived love triangle to really reinvigorate this title. It’s all the more fun after several weak stories in a row.

Matt takes a cruise, but the ship is attacked by a pirate named the Plunderer. This guy (real name: Percival Plunder) dresses and talks like a traditional pirate and sails what appears to be an old-fashioned schooner. But that little ship is rigged with high-tech options (including the ability to transform into a submarine. Holy Cybertron!) and his crew is equipped with ray guns. He’s clearly nuts, but his crew is too scared of him to raise a stink about a little thing like sanity.

Daredevil gives the pirates a run for their money, but he’s forced to surrender when Plunder threatens to force a passenger to walk the plank. Impressed with Daredevil’s fighting skill, Plunder presses him into his crew, then takes his submersible ship through an underwater tunnel to his secret base in the dinosaur-infested Savage Land.

Once there, the pirates are jumped by Ka-Zar and the saber-tooth tiger Zabu (both introduced a few months back in X-Men). Another tussle ensues in which Daredevil is badly injured. Ka-Zar takes him to a cave, then leaves to find some healing herbs. But the issue ends with Ka-Zar about to be eaten by a carnivorous plant while a savage ape-man stalks the unconscious Daredevil.

Pirates and dinosaurs together. That by itself gives this story a 9.2 on the Bogart/Karloff scale. The whole fast-moving story is simply entertaining.

Of course, those of us familiar with Marvel characters will know that Plunder is also Ka-Zar’s real family name, but readers in 1966 didn’t know that. They’d be finding out in the next issue, though, when Ka-Zar’s origin is revealed.

X-MEN #16


The X-Men try an unsuccessful escape from the Sentinels, Professor X figures out how to jam the signal powering most of the big robots and Professor Trask decides to sacrifice his life to blow up Master Mold and prevent more Sentinels from ever being built.

Of course, there will eventually be more Sentinels built—the idea behind them and their cool visual design guarantee that they’ll become a regular part of the Marvel Universe. But for now, the original Sentinel trilogy comes to a satisfying conclusion. The action flows along smoothly while allowing in a few nice character moments—perhaps the most important being Iceman (the youngest of the X-Men) realizing that he has earned the respect of his teammates.

Next week will bring (among other things) more giant robot action as we visit with Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk and Prince Namor.

History of the Marvel Universe: December 1965, part 2

STRANGE TALES #139

With the help of Hydra Leader’s estranged daughter and a shirt with high explosives woven into the fabric, Nick blasts out of the cell he’s locked in. He and the girl, both now armed with submachine guns taken from downed guards, begin blasting it out with Hydra troopers.


In the meantime, Tony Stark is putting the finishing touches on his Braino-saur, which turns out to be a rocket-equipped computer able to disarm the Hydra bomb currently in orbit around the Earth.


While all this is going on, Gabe and Dum Dum figure out where the Hydra base is and lead a strike force to attack. But will they arrive in time to save Nick and the girl?


The 12-page tale does a very good job of jumping back and forth between multiple points-of-view without losing track of the story. And we get to see more Kirby-designed gadgetry, though the “mechanical hunter” that Hydra sends after Nick isn’t as cool looking as most of Jack’s visuals usually are. Not that it’s bad. It just manages to leave the impression that maybe Jack wasn’t spending as much time on this book as he is on FF or Thor. Most Kirby machines rate a 9 or 10 on the Bogart/Karloff Pure Coolness Scale™. This one was maybe a 7.


James Bond influences remain apparent. Hydra Leader keeps a panther on a leash next to him pretty much all the time—that’s a touch that would fit the average Bond villain to a tee. And we got a Q-inspired scene a few issues back, in which Nick is shown how his explosive clothing works, that pays off this issue.


Dr. Strange’s story is a particularly good one—the first of several issues that will feature non-stop magical battling. In this one, Strange and Mordo duel. Mordo’s power is still being amped up by Dormammu, but Strange out-fights him, playing off first Mordo’s overconfidence and then his innate cowardice. Finally, Dormammu gets disgusted with Mordo and—as the issue ends—decides to finally take a personal hand in the battle

Ditko’s art is still perfect for the story—presenting bizarre and fascinating visuals to represent the magic spells the two combatants toss at each other. This issue and the next two (which concludes this long story arc) are, in my opinion, the best in Dr. Strange’s canon.

DAREDEVIL #11

The uninteresting story of the Organizer and his attempt to gain political control of New York City is wrapped up as Daredevil exposes the scheme. There is a nicely choreographed fight scene between DD and the Organizer’s minions, but overall the story was awkwardly constructed and predictable.

The issue ends with Matt taking a leave of absence from the law firm. He’s convinced that Foggy and Karen are in love and doesn’t want to come between them. Ah, whatever. It will take Matt on a cruise ship and into a really cool two-part story arc.

X-MEN #15

This is pretty much an all-action issue, though we do get some information via flashback about Hank McCoy’s early life (made fun of because of his appearance, excelling at school academically and athletically, recruited by Professor X).

The X-Men assault the Sentinel HQ. Beast and Iceman are captured in the first attack, but Cyclops, Jean and Angel blast their way in during a second try. Iceman is busted out of his prison while Beast is being mind-probed. The heroes manage to trash a couple of Sentinels, but all are captured (or re-captured, as the case may be). Master Mold, the prototype Sentinel, then tells Dr. Trask to build an army of Sentinels so they can “serve mankind” by conquering it. Boy, is Trask’s face red as he realizes how badly he’s screwed up, but he’s got no choice but to obey Master Mold.

Good solid action that works well as the middle chapter in the Sentinel trilogy.

That’s it for now. We’ll finish December next week with looks at Thor, Hulk, Sub Mariner, Iron Man and Captain America.

History of the Marvel Universe: November 1965, part 1

FANTASTIC FOUR #44

Gee whiz, Reed’s barely married and Sue’s already making him use his world-changing intellect to FIX THE DISHWASHER!!??!!

It’s no wonder Johnny gets fed up and goes out for a drive. But he gets kidnapped by Medusa, who is on the run from someone.

That someone proves to be Gorgon, a guy who can cause earthquake-like shockwaves by stamping his feet. It sounds silly, but Jack Kirby’s visual design works perfectly and makes it seem appropriate.

Anyway, there’s too much in the way of action and exposition to explain quickly. Suffice to say that even by the end of the issue, the FF isn’t sure if they should be helping Medusa or Gorgon. The Dragon Man has gotten involved and flown off with Sue, while the other three heroes gets trapped in a condemned building knocked over by Gorgon.

This is the beginning of the story arc introducing us to the Inhumans, a fascinating addition to the Marvel Universe.


SPIDER MAN #30

The villain in this one—a clever cat burgler known (not surprisingly) as the Cat—is pretty second string, but the story and action are handled well, with fun bit of Spidey-appropriate irony at the end. The Cat robs Jameson, causing the newspaperman to overcome his stinginess and offer a $1,000 reward. Spider Man wants to collect that reward and rub J.J.J.’s nose in it, but the cops manage to catch the Cat just ahead of him.

Meanwhile, we get some hints that Aunt May is getting sick again. Of course, getting deathly ill from time to time may actually be a super power with Aunt May, but this will lead to a classic Spider Man moment in a couple of issues.

Also, the whole Peter/Betty/Ned triangle comes to a head. I won’t describe it in detail, because it sounds too soap opera-like. But it really is handled nicely and when the various characters act unwisely and mess up their relationships, it comes across as being in character for each of them. The gist of it is that Betty wants a boyfriend who is stable and dependable and not likely to get killed. Peter, obviously, can’t fulfill these requirements, so he breaks things off with her. She’ll be around for a few more issues before disappearing from the book for quite awhile, but a certain blonde who’s doomed to one day get offed by the Green Goblin will be showing up next issue to take over as lead eye candy.

STRANGE TALES #138

That's a cool cover, isn't it?

Anyway, Hydra has their Betatron Bomb in orbit and are demanding the entire world surrender. Tony Stark is whipping up an anti-Hydra weapon called a Braino-saur, but when an assassination squad attacks Stark’s factory, things go awry. Fury is there and puts up a tough fight (helped along by his bullet-proof suit), but he’s overwhelmed and hauled off to Hydra HQ.


Kirby designs a neat looking flying tank that Hydra uses to escape with their prisoner and it’s a lot of fun watching Fury go toe-to-toe with a couple of dozen Hydra agents. It all adds up to another chapter of solid storytelling.


Dr. Strange, in the meantime, finally meets Eternity—an uber-powerful cosmic being who can grant him the power he needs to defeat Mordo and Dormammu. But Eternity mystically scans Strange and tells him he already has the key to winning. He doesn’t explain himself any more than that. Uber-powerful cosmic beings are often cryptic. It seems to be a part of the job description.

A little miffed, Strange returns to Earth and discovers Mordo has found and captured the Ancient One. With no choice remaining, Strange finally heads off to confront his enemies.

That’s it for now. Next week, as usual, we’ll check in with Thor, Iron Man and Cap.

History of the Marvel Universe: 1965 Annuals

FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #3

Like most guys, when I’m forced to attend a wedding, I always end up wishing that I could sneak a book in with me to have something interesting to do while that whole wedding thing is going on. I appreciate a guy and a girl falling in love and committing themselves to one another for the rest of their lives. But, let’s face it. You’re all boring.

But, by golly, Reed and Sue’s wedding is actually interesting! Why? Because Doctor Doom uses an Emotion Charger ray to get pretty much all the villains in the Marvel Universe riled up to attack the Baxter Building just before the ceremony. And I don’t mean just the Fantastic Four’s usual enemies. I mean EVERYBODY. Even the Black Knight and the Human Top show up to cause trouble.

Fortunately, the wedding guests include the X-Men, Doctor Strange, the Avengers and Daredevil. And there are SHIELD agents running security.

A massive free-for-all ensues. There’s really not a lot of plot here—it’s all an excuse for Jack Kirby to show everybody fighting, well, everybody else. And it all looks more fun than a barrel of space monkeys.

Why can’t more wedding be like this? I wouldn’t mind going to one if we get to see Angel in a dogfight with the Black Knight or Ben Grimm stuffing an armful of Moloids back down their hole.

Oh, well. Reed spoils everything when the Watcher gives him a time distortion device that pretty much re-sets everything and makes Dr. Doom forget about his Emotion Charger. The wedding then proceeds normally. It was fun while it lasted, though.

SPIDER MAN ANNUAL #2

An evil magician named Xandu hypnotizes a couple of thugs, turning them into super-strong automaton. He then uses them in a surprise attack against Doctor Strange, stealing a mystic artifact that will make him all powerful.

Spider Man sees the thugs exiting Strange’s home and gets involved. This leads to him getting zapped into another dimension (a situation he accepts with remarkable aplomb—he doesn’t pause in his wisecracking for even a moment). Anyway, Spidey and Doctor Strange end up double-teaming Xandu and getting the artifact back.

Steve Ditko had proven to be the perfect artist for both Spider Man and Dr. Strange, despite the books being very different in their respective ambiances. So seeing him go to town in a story that tosses the two heroes together is quite a treat.

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY ANNUAL #1

The FF annual was an excuse for a massive fight scene. The Thor annual is an excuse for a one-on-one fight scene, but it’s just as cool.

Thor is on patrol outside Asgard and gets into a tussle with a couple of storm giants. He gets knocked into a hidden tunnel that leads to Mount Olympus. He soon meets Hercules, who is crossing a narrow bridge in one direction while Thor is crossing the other way.

So who moves aside for whom? You can see where this is leading—the two gods spend eight or nine pages slugging it out before Zeus shows up and declares it a tie. It no longer matters, by the way, who crosses the bridge first, because the bridge got trashed in the fight.

One of Jack Kirby’s strength as an artist was giving a sense of real power whenever someone threw a punch. When Thor or Herc lets go with a haymaker, Kirby makes it look as if the blow really could tear the top off a mountain. So it’s not surprising that his Thor/Hercules fight is fun to watch. It’s just too bad there wasn’t a wedding going on in Olympus. It would have given all the poor guys attending something interesting to look at.

Anyway, this means we have now covered four full years of Marvel superhero action. At this moment, all the books are at least good and several of them (FF, Thor, Spider Man) are downright brilliant. Weak entries such as Giant Man have been replaced by stronger and more visual striking series such as the Sub-Mariner. Daredevil is probably the weakest book from 1965, but even he has his moments (such as the Daredevil/Namor fight in DD #7).

The Marvel Universe is getting quite large and complex. And it will be expanding even more soon. The FF is about to meet the Inhumans and Spider Man is on the verge of adding several very important supporting characters to his cast. The Galactus storyline in FF will be starting soon, while the God of Thunder is about to be dropped into some of his most cosmically cool adventures ever.

Next week, we’ll start looking at November 1965. The FF begin yet another superb multi-part adventure; Spider Man tracks down a cat burgler; Nick Fury gets captured; Dr. Strange finally meets Eternity; Thor continues to battle Absorbing Man, while Iron Man continues to battle Titanium Man; the Atlantians revolt against Krang; Hulk gets some good news and some bad news; the Avengers try to prove they're not a menace; and the X-Men have their first tussle against a certain type of giant robot.

By the way, starting with December 1965, both the X-Men and Daredevil become monthly books. That means I’ll probably be reorganizing the order in which I look at the books over the course of a month’s issues.

History of the Marvel Universe: October 1965, part 1

FANTASTIC FOUR #43

This story comes to an end with another issue stuffed full of slam-bang action. Reed and Sue manage to get a still mind-controlled Ben back to the Baxter Building, but Reed must then risk his best friend’s life in order to snap him free from that control. When the Frightful Four (with Johnny as a hostage) show up, Ben snaps out of a coma long enough to save the day. Medusa gets away, but the rest of the evil FF are captured.

All four members of the FF get their individual awesome moments and we get yet another moment that shows Reed will willingly give his life for Ben.

There’s a fun gag at the end—Reed calls the cops to have them pick up the captured bad guys, but the cops just dismiss him as a crank caller.

I love this issue—the whole Frightful Four trilogy, in fact, is a wonderful and perfectly balanced combination of action and characterization.

But I naturally can’t help point out one silly moment. Reed is using an experimental machine to snap Ben’s mind free from control. Ben trashes the machine, which begins to shoot too much energy through him. Reed rushes forward to help. By itself this is a great moment—the point at which we learn how much Reed cares for his best friend.

But when Sue says “Of course! The main power switch!” and saves everyone by just hitting the OFF button—well, I wanted to dope-slap Reed. You’re supposed to be a genius, Reed! Why didn’t YOU think of the darn OFF SWITCH????

Oh, well. The rest of the story is so darn cool it really doesn’t matter. In fact, the last three issues have rated a collective 9.8 on the Bogart/Karloff Coolness Scale. Only the upcoming Galactus story rates higher.

SPIDER MAN #29

Did I just say that Lee and Kirby produced a perfectly balanced combination of action and characterization in the FF? Well, by golly, Lee and Ditko do the same thing here on Spider Man. Scorpion escapes from jail and vows revenge on both Jameson and Spider Man. This leads to a Spidey vs. Scorpion matchup in the Daily Planet newsroom, eventually spilling outside to the rooftops and then the East River. Spidey eventually manages to outthink as well as outfight the villain.

The issue has some great humor, a lot of it centered around Jameson (who is petrified with terror while simultaneously worried about how much all the broken office furniture will cost him).

There’s also a laugh-out-loud moment involving Ned Leeds, who is back from Europe and making time with Betty again. He’s protected Betty as best he can while shouting out advice for Spidey. Spidey more or less thinks “He steals my girl and gives me advice? I’ll show him!” He charges Scorpion. The next panel shows Spidey being slammed into the wall.

Ned: “I told you to watch out for his tail!”

Spidey: “Oh, Shaddup!”

Anyway, I think by this point Stan and Steve must have been planning to have Betty fade out of the picture as they introduce Gwen Stacy. Once again, it’s curious to note how well Stan Lee is handling the romantic sub plots here (and in FF) while they are still so awkward and annoying in Iron Man and Daredevil.

STRANGE TALES #137

The action begins moving along fast and furious. Several SHIELD agents give their lives trying to get a microfilm to SHIELD headquarters, which provides the exact location of the launching site of Hydra’s “Betatron bomb” (powerful enough to allow them to blackmail the world into submission one it’s in orbit).

But Hydra gets the microfilm back and this chapter ends with the bomb being launched.

The whole microfilm sequence, in which SHIELD agents get killed one by one while passing the film off to each other, is very well done. We also learn that two former Howling Commandos—Dum Dum Dugan and Gabe Jones—are working for SHIELD now also. Dum Dum is an especially welcome addition to the cast; he’s always been a particularly likeable big lug.

We also find that there some dysfunctional family relationships involving the masked, as-yet-unidentified leader of Hydra. He wants to conquer the world to give his beautiful daughter “everything,” but all she wants is to be a normal girl. It’s perhaps a bit too corny, but Stan and Jack will do a pretty good job playing it out.

Dr. Strange, meanwhile, attempts to mind probe the Ancient One (who is still in a coma) to find out what the deal is with Eternity. It’s a nifty sequence, with Strange having to penetrate a succession of mind traps the Ancient One has set up to protect himself while not actually fighting back and hurting his mentor. Ditko’s visuals here are particularly effective.

Finally, Strange gets into the A.O.’s head and convinces him of his identity. The old guy tells him where to find Eternity (we poor readers are not yet told why this is important) and Strange ends the issue by traveling through a gateway to yet another strange dimension.

That’s it for this time. Next week, we’ll take a look at the Thunder God, the Armored Avenger and the Shield Slinger.

History of the Marvel Universe: September 1965, part 1

FANTASTIC FOUR #42

Boy-o-boy, this one is action-packed. Reed uses his power in a clever way to get out of a death trap; Sue manages a Crowning Moment of Awesome; Ben is still mind-controlled by the Wizard; Johnny gets mind-controlled as well; Reed gets a second wind and starts using the Wiz's own devices against the Frightful Four (I love the panel in which he uses his stretchable fingers as a slingshot to pop anti-gravity discs at the villains); and the issue ends with the good guys still barely hanging on. It's literally non-stop action, though Stan and Jack manage to keep everyone in character at the same time. Kirby once again provides superb fight choreography.

SPIDER MAN #28

And talking about superb fight choreography, Steve Ditko lays out a knock-down-and-drag-'em-out bout between Spidey and a new addition to his Rogue's Gallery (Molten Man) that's as good as Kirby's stuff in FF this month.

But as good as that is, it's once again the character stuff that stands out in this issue. Peter is finally graduating from high school, getting a science scholarship that'll allow him to attend college. (This is the start of a college career that will last decades in real life time, though only a few years in comic book time.)

Liz Allen leaves the cast in this issue--it'll be a few years before we see her again. Her exit is a very human moment--she's pretty much gotten tired of being considered a dizzy blonde by Peter (which is how she had come to see their friendship) and was using her graduation to cut old ties and start fresh.

We cut some really funny moments as well, centering around J. Jonah Jamison being the speaker at graduation and his attempts to suck up to Peter and Aunt May because he's afraid Peter will begin selling photos to other newspapers.

By the way, we see Molten Man's origin in this issue (he gets an experimental metal alloy spilled on him and becomes invulnerable/super strong), but we don't find out for some time that he's Liz Allen's stepbrother.

Peter starts college in just a few issues, where some important new cast members will be introduced. Flash Thompson, in college on a sports scholarship, will be around for a little while longer, with he and Peter becoming somewhat less hostile to each other. I especially enjoy Flash's overall personal story arc--his gradual maturation from school yard bully to functional adult is believable and very human.

STRANGE TALES #136

We get our first look here at the most famous barber shop in the Marvel Universe—the shop that is actually a front to provide entry into SHIELD’s underground headquarters in New York City.

A couple of Hydra agents tail Nick there, but they’re caught and Nick uses a “hypno-gun” to trick them into leading a Hydra attack squad into an ambush. When the bad guys attack a warehouse they think is SHIELD headquarters, they walk into a series of high-tech booby-traps and get captured enmasse.

It’s not a bad story, though it really just continues to set up the premise of the series and (through a few scenes set in Hydra headquarters) give us an idea of just how ruthless Hydra is. Next issue will really pick up when Stan turns to the same multi-issue, non-stop serial format he’s using so effectively in Hulk, Dr. Strange and other Marvel books.

Dr. Strange, in the meantime, is still just one step ahead of Mordo's minions as he checks in with various other wizards and tries to find out what the heck "Eternity" is. One wizard--who has gone crazy-pants from extreme old age (we're talking centuries here)--inadvertently gets Strange zapped into another dimension and captured by a demonic creature. Strange uses his wits and his powers to escape and get back to Earth. He now plans to take a telepathic trip into the Ancient One's brain to find out about Eternity.

While this is going on, Clea (who is actually still unnamed at this point) gets imprisoned by Dormammu for helping Strange a few issues back.

I've just got more of the same praise I've been piling on to this series for awhile now--Stan Lee has the serial, cliffhanger-heavy style of storytelling down pat and Ditko's bizarre visuals continue to be a perfect match for subject matter.

Next week, we'll drop in on Thor, Iron Man and Captain America.

History of the Marvel Universe: August 1965, part 1

FANTASTIC FOUR #41

The FF continues on a roll of superb stories. Picking up from last issue, Ben is still angry and bitter about being turned back into the Thing. He storms away and—because he’s exhausted from his fight with Doom—is easily captured by the Wizard and the rest of the Frightful Four.

The Wiz then brainwashes Ben and turns him against the rest of the FF. The issue ends with Ben apparently about to kill a helpless Reed.

There’s a great fight scene set in the deserted mansion the Frightful Four is using as a headquarters, but it’s the characterizations that continue to carry this story along. We really feel for Ben and we really appreciate that his “family” cares for him.

There’s several other nice touches to the story. When Reed, Sue and Johnny leave the Baxter Building to search for Ben, they use one of Johnny’s hot rods. Remember, after all that the Fantasticar was trashed by Doom a few issues back. Events have unfolded non-stop since then, so there’s been no chance to repair it. It’s a nice nod to continuity and a reminder to the readers that our heroes have been constantly on the go without a chance to rest.

We also get a few hints that Medusa isn’t as bad as the other villains. We are, in fact, just a few issues away from learning her origin and meeting the Inhumans.

SPIDER MAN #27

The meat of this issue is an absolutely wonderful fight scene in which Spidey, still chained after having been captured last issue, nonetheless manages to take on a mob of… well, mobsters. A trio of cops show up to help and Spidey finally breaks the chains, but then the cheap knock-off of his costume once again starts to come loose at the gloves and boots at annoying moments.

Despite this, the mobsters are subdued. Green Goblin flies away and the Crime Master ducks down into the sewers. Spidey pursues, but the villain manages to getaway.

Peter is certain that the Crime Master is Frederick Foswell, the ex-con reporter. He even confronts him directly, but it turns out Foswell has actually been investigating the mob and tipping off the cops. When the police manage to catch the Crime Master and are forced to shoot him, he turns out to be a mobster that Peter never even heard of.

It’s a very well-constructed tale with a nice ironic twist at the end. And we get a cool epilogue as well: Peter finally accepts that he has to sew himself a new costume (there’s a great panel showing him trying to thread a needle), but he puts this off to take his Aunt May to the movies after he notices she is feeling a bit lonely. This brings things to an end with a pleasant and very human moment.

STRANGE TALES #135


Nick Fury was first introduced into the Marvel Universe via his World War II book Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos. (By the way, I didn’t include that book in this series only because I don’t have access to inexpensive reprints.) He was cemented in as part of modern continuity when a young Reed Richards guest-starred in the series. His entry into modern-day stories was in Fantastic Four #21, when he popped up as a colonel now working for the CIA, recruiting the FF’s help against an insurgency in a South American country.


Now he appears again, sporting an as-yet unexplained eye patch. (We eventually find out in a Sgt. Fury issue that this is a delayed effect from a wound he suffered in the war.) He’s still a colonel working now for military intelligence, but he’s about to get an interesting job offer.


Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD is obviously a reaction to the success of the James Bond-inspired superspy craze. And it’s a good one. Jack Kirby has fun tossing in a flying car and other high tech gadgets. He dreams up what might be the single most fun vehicle in the history of comics and science fiction—the gigantic helicarrier, which would be SHIELD’s flying headquarters. I’m pretty sure this is also the first appearance of L.M.D.s. (Life Model Decoys—robot doubles of real people that will pop up relatively often in the Marvel Universe.)

The short, fast-moving story also does a good job of defining Nick’s character. He’s told about the evil secret organization called Hydra and offered the job leading the fight against them. But he at first doesn’t think he’s the right man for the job—“I’m just a three-striper (a sergeant) at heart,” he says, uncertain that he can adjust to all this sci-fi stuff. But when someone tries to blow up the helicarrier, he instinctively takes charge and makes sure the saboteur is tracked down. So he ends up in command despite himself.

It’s a nice touch, dropping a front-line brawler into a James Bond world. It does give the series an individuality that separates it from Bond, Man from UNCLE, I Spy and other contemporaneous spy shows.

A note about Fury’s age. In 1965, Nick could have been in his 40s and—if he kept in shape despite his perpetual cigar smoking—then it’s still acceptable for him to be an action hero. But as years go by, an explanation for his relative youth would have to be given. He’s too deeply tied into World War II to alter that. So Nick—we learn in later years—would have once been the subject of a medical experiment that slows his aging process down. Other veterans of the Howlers (Dum Dum Dugan and Gabe Jones) will also join SHIELD and be around for decades. I’m not sure if their agelessness is also explained, but what the heck. They’re fun characters and we wouldn’t want to lose them to the nursing home anyways.

Leaving the super science spy stuff behind for the pure mystical: Dr. Strange goes to England to visit Sir Baskerville, a former disciple of the Ancient One who might know about Eternity. But Baskerville is now working for Mordo.

Strange, though, soon suspects a trap and manages to trick pretty much everybody, escaping from Baskerville’s home without a trace. It’s another well-written chapter, with Strange pulling off several really cool stunts to fool his opponents.

Meanwhile, Dormammu has figured out that Clea (she’s still unnamed at this point, though) was responsible for releasing the Mindless Ones last issue and distracting him from helping Mordo. Things look grim for the extra-dimensional beauty.

That’s it for now. Next week, we turn again to Thor, Iron Man and Captain America.

History of the Marvel Universe: July 1965, part 1

FANTASTIC FOUR #40


The powerless Fantastic Four fights there way into the Baxter Building from the ground floor up, with Reed thinking their way past the various defenses that Doctor Doom has turned against them. It’s a great action scene, not just in terms of choreography, but also in characterization. Reed’s still the smartest guy in the room, whether or not he has a super power. And the others all trust him implicitly.


Meanwhile, Daredevil swings in through a window and confronts Doom man-to-man. He manages to hold his own for a little bit, but he’s pretty much beaten by the time the FF reach the same floor. Just has he was out of his league a few months earlier when he fought Namor. Poor Matt seems to be going through a phase where powerful opponents get to beat the snot out of him.


Anyway, Reed reaches the same Stimulator gun that he used on the Skrull world three issues earlier, giving the four heroes their powers back again.


That begs the question of why he didn’t use the device in the first place. Ben actually asks him about that. Reed explains that he had to wait a few more days for the batteries to recharge. That’s perfectly acceptable, but I have the feeling that Stan and Jack sandwiched that explanation in hastily when they realized it was a noticeable plot hole. That’s just an impression I get from the panel layouts, but I’d bet money on it being true.


It’s not a big deal—the Stimulator is a legit comic book-science invention. But it does mean that Reed kept his friends in a near-panic for several days trying to fake their powers when he could have told them everything would soon be back to normal.


Back to the story—this all leads up to one of Stan and Jack’s finest moments. Reed uses the Stimulator on a reluctant Ben to turn him back into the Thing. “He may hate me forever, but we need his strength at this moment!” Enraged, Ben now goes one-on-one against Doom, charging through Doom’s various attacks through sheer stubbornness and tearing about the villain’s armor. Doom, his pride shattered, whimpers back to Latveria.


Ben, though, is still mad at—well, pretty much everybody. Embittered with being forced back into his monstrous form, he quits the team and storms off. Ben has in many ways become the heart of the team—thus this whole sequence carries a lot of sincere emotional weight.

SPIDER MAN #26


I actually like the Peter Parker stuff in this issue better than the Spider Man stuff. He has a fight with Betty over Mary Jane (Betty met M.J. in the last issue and doesn’t believe Peter has never actually seen her.)


Mad about this, he loses his temper at school when Flash Thompson picks on him. He jumps Flash and his cronies, almost giving away his super powers. He also gets in trouble with the principal.

Here’s the really cool part: After Peter is chewed out by the principal, Flash steps up to admit that the incident was his fault. We've gotten hints of Flash’s hidden decency before—this is the most overt example of it. Eventually, Flash does a hitch in the army and, when he rejoins the cast in later years, he and Peter become friends. He essentially matures out of his “big bully” phase. Bits like this make that transformation believable.


Of course, the Spider Man stuff is still pretty good. A masked man named the Crime Master is trying to organize all the mobs under his command, muscling out the Green Goblin (who has the same plan) along the way. Spider Man suspects Frederick Foswell, the Bugle reporter with a criminal record, of being the Crime Master. The story hints that this might be true, but in such a way that we can’t be sure. It’s a very well-constructed plot.

On top of this, Peter is forced to use a Spidey costume he had bought in a costume shop, holding the ill-fitting costume in place with his webbing. But this proves advantageous when the Goblin manages to capture Spidey—the villain can’t get the webbed-on mask off.

The issue ends with the Crime Master meeting with a small army of mobsters at the waterfront—and the Goblin arriving with an unconscious Spider Man to claim he should be in charge.

STRANGE TALES #134


Johnny and Ben go out on a pretty good note—ending the Human Torch series with a solid little story.


The two are hanging out at the Baxter Building when the Watcher shows up, explaining that he doesn’t usually get involved, but the whole world will be destroyed if he doesn’t step in.


I’m pretty sure this is the first time the Watcher gets actively involved, something he’ll do frequently in subsequent issues of the Fantastic Four. In fact, we’re only eight months away from his most important instance of helping mankind when he warns the FF about Galactus.


For now, he’s warning the FF about Kang, who has gone back in time to the days of King Arthur, imprisoned Merlin and taken over the throne. His intent is to both conquer medieval Earth and change history enough so that all his 20th Century enemies cease to exist.


The Watcher sends Ben and Johnny back to stop him, which involves Ben going at it alone against an army of knights while Johnny springs Merlin from the slammer. Kang is defeated, though he manages to make a getaway in his time ship.


With the world safe, Ben and Johnny are returned to the present, where Reed lectures them for just lounging about doing nothing while he was out.


As I said, a good ending to the series.


This, by the way, is the second Merlin we meet. The first was a powerful mutant that spent centuries in suspended animation and then awoke to battle Thor in modern times. This was in Journey into Mystery #96.


But the Merlin here is the real one. We’d eventually get a retcon (in an issue of X-Men, I believe) that would peg the mutant as an imposter that the real Merlin placed in suspended animation.


Meanwhile, Dr. Strange returns to Earth following last issue’s side adventure. He visits the Ancient One (still in a coma) and learns the old guy is mumbling “You must find… Eternity” every so often.


But before Strange can find Eternity (or even before he can figure out what the heck Eternity means), he’s found and attacked by Mordo once again. They have a running battle across and through the Earth while in ectoplasmic form.

Strange gets some help from Clea (though she is still actually unnamed), who sabotages the barrier that keeps the Mindless Ones out of Dormammu’s dimension. This forces Dormammu to withdraw the power he’s given Mordo to battle the Mindless Ones. This, in turn, allows Strange to drive off Mordo.

The issue ends with Strange determined to figure out what “find Eternity” means so that he can definitively beat Mordo and Dormammu.

Ditko’s art continues to shine with his knack for creating inter-dimensional landscapes, weird creatures and the visual effects of magic spells. Stan Lee continues to shine in his storytelling and pacing—proving once more to be a master of the serial format.

That’s it for now. Next week, we’ll peek in on Thor, Iron Man and Captain America.

History of the Marvel Universe: June 1965, part 1

FANTASTIC FOUR #39


The FF are rescued from the Pacific atoll on which they were stranded last issue when a U.S. Navy sub picks them up. But they soon discover they are definitely without powers. All four immediately realize that this makes them sitting ducks for their enemies.


Back in New York, Reed works himself into near-exhaustion (and severe crankiness—“Ben, listen to me, you clumsy bumbler!”) trying to come up with devices to duplicate their powers.


Well, Dr. Doom (who has snapped out of the hypnotic spell from FF Annual #2 that convinced him he had defeated Reed) attacks and takes over the Baxter Building. He uses various devices of Reed’s to attack the FF, who were practicing with their power-duplicating devises at a nearby warehouse. Fortunately, Reed was also consulting with attorney Matt Murdock, which means Daredevil soon jumps in to help.


Daredevil’s prowess and Reed’s brains combine to help them avoid Doom’s attacks. The issue ends with DD drawing Doom’s fire while the FF approaches the Baxter Building to take on their arch-enemy—powers or no powers.


As usual, great Kirby visuals abound throughout the story. I especially like the sequence in which Doom tries to ram everyone with the remote-controlled Fantasticar, separating it into its individual sections to try to overwhelm them.


Characterizations are also handled well. There’s a real sense that the Four are all scared to death without their powers to depend on, but they press on anyways. Ben, not surprisingly, has the best line here: “It was easy to be a brave loudmouth when I had the Thing’s strength. Now I’ll see how good Ben Grimm is when the chips are down.”

SPIDER MAN #25

This is a great issue. I love the set up. Peter goes to JJJ with some Spider Man photos. Jonah isn’t interested at first, so Peter convinces him that the photos actually make Spidey look bad. This ticks off Betty, who can’t believe that Peter would knock the superhero who once saved his Aunt May from Doctor Octopus.


Peter makes things worse when a scientist shows up claiming to have a robot (The Spider Slayer) that can defeat Spider Man. Both Jonah and Peter figure the guy is a crank, but Peter sees an opportunity to take more newsworthy photos. He talks Jonah into giving the robot a try, which ticks Betty off even more.


It’s all wonderfully done, especially when we see Peter’s chagrin when the robot is tested and actually proves to be formidable!


The robot’s design is undeniably a little bit silly, but it’s effective all the same. The touch of having Jonah’s face projected onto the robot’s TV-screen face when he operates it is brilliant.


Anyway, Peter manages to use his science skills to disable the robot. He basically figures out where the off button is. Along the way, though, he loses his costume. (I’m not going to try to explain how that happens.)


There’s also some funny character stuff involving Betty and Liz being jealous and catty towards each other, while Flash gets increasingly annoyed by Liz’s interest in Peter. We also get another almost-appearance by Mary Jane. We actually see her this time—well, all but here face, which is always conveniently blocked from view. Peter loses a chance to meet her and she’ll continue to be an unseen running gag for another 1 ½ years until he finally does.


The issue ends when Aunt May finds Peter’s spare costume. She buys the story that it’s just a costume he got for a gag, but that leaves Peter with no costume at all. Will that cause problems for him next issue? Well, duh.

STRANGE TALES #133

Johnny and Ben’s next-to-last Strange Tales adventure has them getting captured by the Puppet Master, but thinking their way out of trouble in the nick of time. It’s a short and well-done little adventure story—enhanced by some good banter between the two heroes.


The Puppet Master, by the way, has a new look in this story, having gotten plastic surgery. He still looks creepy as all get-out—just a different sort of creepy. He’ll revert back to his old appearance before long, though.


In the meantime, we discover that Dr. Strange zapped himself into another dimension at the end of the last issue—the only way he could escape Mordo.


He ends up in a random dimension, this one ruled by a despotic sorceress. Not surprisingly, Dr. Strange ends up helping the rightful queen regain the throne. I love the way he manages this: Still exhausted from his fight with Mordo, he’s initially defeated by the sorceress. But he mind-probes a lizard-like pet animal, learning the location of a globe that gives the sorceress her power. With the help of the rightful queen, he destroys the globe. The resultant release of energy tosses him off into yet another dimension.


Ditko really has a chance to go to town with bizarre visuals this time around. That and Stan Lee’s increasing skill at pacing a serial story make this another strong issue.


That’s it for now. Next week, we’ll visit with Thor, Iron Man and Captain America.


IMPORTANT MESSAGE: I'm having a ball doing the History of the Marvel Universe & I will continue on at least into the late 1960s (when we'll get to a point where I don't own reprints to a number of Marvel comics and would have to start leaving gaps). I'm thinking, though, of occasionally taking a break from this and using one Wednesday a month to analyze a multi-part story or specific issue from DC, Gold Key, Dell or EC. Once again, I am aware that I have a very small readership, but if any of you have an opinion on this, please let me know. Would you like to see these sorts of quick reviews expanded out into other comics--or should I concentrate just on my chronological Marvel reviews?

History of the Marvel Universe: May 1965, Part 1

FANTASTIC FOUR #38

The Frightful Four is back, kidnapping Sue to lure the rest of the FF to a remote Pacific atoll, where a “Q-bomb” (an ultra-powerful nuke) has been placed.


The issue begins with a playful moment that reminds us of the family dynamic at work among the Fantastic Four, and a few pages reminding us who makes up the Frightful Four (Paste-Pot Pete, by the way, finally changes his name to the Trapster in this issue.)


Then the story takes off like a bullet, moving quickly from New York to the atoll. Jack Kirby has especial fun with visuals involving Reed Richards. The most notable is when the villains are trying to escape the atoll in their spherical aircraft. Reed stretches his body into a large spring and launches Ben up and through the craft’s hull.


Sue spends much of the issue a prisoner, groggy from being hit by sleep gas. But she still gets her moment, using her force field in a clever way to get loose from her bonds.


But in the end, the bad guys get away from the atoll and set off the bomb. Sue’s force field seems to have saved their lives, but the last panel shows Ben turning human again and includes an ominous warning that all four have been affected. This will lead directly into a wonderful two-part story that will take up the next couple of issues.


SPIDER MAN #24

A psychiatrist publically announces that Spider Man must be nuts and on the verge of cracking up completely. Soon after, Spidey begins to have hallucinations that he’s being attacked by various arch-enemies. Convinced he is going nuts, he visits the psychiatrist.


Well, it’s a trap, of course. The head doctor is really Mysterio, out for revenge by convincing Spidey to spill his secret identity. In this regard, the story is a little weak. It’s a fun idea to have Peter doubt his sanity and it’s handled well, but he really should have at least suspected a trap from the start. Mysterio had played similar tricks with him before.


But the rest of the issue is fun. There’s lots of good stuff with Jameson, Betty, Liz and Flash, much of it centering around Liz’s increasing interest in Peter and Peter’s continued jealousy that Betty is still writing Ned Leeds.


It all sounds very “soap opera” when baldly described, but that’s okay. The characters involved are all likeable and young enough to make their insecurities and bad decisions understandably. Heaping “Real Life” problems on Peter along with the superhero stuff continues to be the book’s main strength.



STRANGE TALES #132

The Torch/Thing tale isn’t a bad little story. Johnnie’s recruited to help on security on a space program. The head scientist turns out to be a villain, planning on gaining control of all of the U.S.’s satellites.


Eventually, Johnny ends up in orbit, in a space capsule rigged to come apart upon re-entry, while Ben is on the ground caught in a giant magnet. Both escape their respective death traps and come to get the bad guy from different directions—while each is convinced the other is dead. They manage to collide with each other, but catch the bad guy anyways.


Meanwhile, Dr. Strange manages to get back to New York and defeat one of Mordo’s minions guarding his home by—well, pretty much by sucker-punching the guy. Mordo, his power still amped up by Dormammu, attacks Strange personally.


In the end, Mordo seems to have defeated Strange when the Sorcerer Supreme is apparently zapped out of existence.


We also get a glimpse of Clea (still unnamed at this point) to remind us that Strange has a potential ally in Dormammu’s dimension.


Lee and Ditko still do a bang-up job with serial storytelling, keeping tensions high and the action non-stop. This entire story arc really is one of the best Dr. Strange stories ever.


Next week, we’ll continue with May 1965 with a look at Thor, Iron Man and Captain America.

History of the Marvel Universe: April 1965, part 1

FANTASTIC FOUR #37


Sue has been thinking about her late dad—killed a few issues earlier by the Skrulls. She wants whomever is responsible for the murder brought to justice.


Well, when your boyfriend is Reed Richards, catching a killer who is on another planet just might be possible. Reed borrows a rocket from NASA and rigs it with warp drive. Soon, the FF is on their way to the Skrull home world.


But once there, they abruptly discover that the atmosphere reduces their super powers to virtually nothing. Reed has to pretend to sell out mankind in order to build a power amplifier to give them their powers back. In the meantime, there’s some political intrigue going on between the Skrull Emperor and an ambitious warlord (who’s also the guy who got Sue’s dad killed). In the end, the warlord is killed, but Sue saves the Emperor’s daughter and earns the FF a Get Off the Skrull Home World Free card.


It’s strong, straightforward storytelling with some good characterizations and a lot of Kirby-designed alien creatures, weapons and vehicles. I especially like a line of dialogue that gives us some insight into Ben. During the trip through space, Ben is (as usual) joking about Reed’s explanation of the warp drive and acting like he doesn’t understand. Reed replies “Ben, you old phoney, as an ex-test pilot, you probably know more about all this than any of us do!”

SPIDER MAN #23

A couple of great Spidey character moments pop up in this issue. At one point, he loses a chance to follow a suspicious person because he’s not wearing his costume under his clothes. It was still wet from his having washed it the night before.


Also, later on, he’s fighting a room full of mobsters. He jumps into an adjoining room and webs the door shut. While the mobsters are breaking the door down, Peter takes a moment to phone Aunt May and let her know he’ll be home late.


Anyway, the main plot involves the Green Goblin trying to take over a local mob and set himself up as crime boss of New York. Spider Man ends up getting involved. That leads first to that fight with mobsters. Then there’s a fight with the Goblin. As usual, Ditko’s handles the action superbly. There’s a neat twist at the end involving Goblin’s plans to get the mob leader arrested so he can take over.


There’s also some Peter/Betty stuff, in which Peter suspects she still has a thing for Ned Leeds. And Frederick Foswell—a Bugle reporter who had run a crime syndicate back in issue #10—gets paroled. Jameson hires him back to get good publicity, but Spidey suspects he may still be involved in the mob shenanigans. This is a plot thread that will play out over the next couple of issues.

STRANGE TALES #131

The Mad Thinker, out for revenge, builds a super strong bouncing ball (about the size of a bowling ball) that flies and shoots out jets of frigid air (to put out Johnny’s flames).


It attacks Ben and Johnny while they’re at the dedication for a new dam. So the two heroes must save the dam after it is damaged as well as defeat the ball. An interesting twist (though not an uncommon one for Marvel Comics from this era) arises when the designer of the dam risks his life to help. Stan Lee did that from time to time—having an regular guy act heroically when the chips are down.


Dr. Strange, in the meantime, is still on the run from Baron Mordo and his minions. Trapped in Hong Kong, he uses both magic and his fists to fight past some thugs. Getting aboard a plane, he has an invisible fight with another of Mordo’s minions right over the head of the other unsuspecting passengers. It ends with Strange escaping Mordo for the moment, but he still doesn’t know his arch enemy is getting extra power from Dormammu. As with the Hulk, Stan Lee is demonstrating a real skill for serial storytelling. (In fact, extended plot threads and multi-part stories are starting to pop up in Fantastic Four and Spider Man as well.)


That’s it for now. Next week, we’ll visit with Thor, Iron Man and Captain America.