Fantastic Four #26
Title: The Avengers take over
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Hulk
Guests: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Giant-Man, Wasp, Rick Jones
This is the second and concluding part of the battle against the Hulk that began in the last issue. The Avengers arrive to take over the battle. At first the Fantastic Four fight together with the Avengers, but they get in one another's way, so the Avengers are allowed to fight alone.
Amazing Spider-Man #12
Title: Unmasked by Dr. Octopus
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Villain: Doctor Octopus
Regulars: Aunt May, Flash Thompson, Liz Allan, J. Jonah Jameson, Betty Brant
What a great splash page! There's only one Steve Ditko!
This issue has an interesting twist. Peter Parker is suffering from a 24-hour virus which greatly weakens him, effectively taking away his super powers. Doctor Octopus easily defeats him and unmasks him. When Peter Parker is seen everyone assumes he was impersonating Spider-Man to save Betty Brant's life.
Check the sign that Doctor Octopus knocks over. It has the letters LEEDIT.
So what do we learn from this month's Crazy Credits? Stan and Steve are working furiously while Artie Simek takes it easy.
Tales to Astonish #55
Title: On the Trail of the Human Top
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Dick Ayers
Villain: Human Top
The Human Top escapes from prison and attacks Giant-Man after last being seen in Tales To Astonish #51. He steals Giant-Man's enlarging pills and makes himself 12 feet tall. At first this gives him an advantage, but he's unused to his increased weight and makes mistakes.
I can't help wondering why the Wasp is called America's new sweetheart on the cover. Is Stan Lee trying to build her up as an alternative to Millie the Model, whose comic he also wrote? Many people don't know that Stan Lee was also a writer of romance stories in the 1950's and 1960's.
This month's Crazy Credits box isn't an insult to Artie Simek. Maybe he complained to his union. It's interesting because it's part of the picture on the splash page. Dick Ayers has drawn a Giant-Man fan leaning on the box, and his fingers are even casting a shadow.
Title: The Gypsy's Secret
Writer: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber
Artist: Larry Lieber
This issue also contains a short anthology story.
Journey into Mystery #104
Title: Giants walk the Earth
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Loki, Skagg the Storm Giant, Surtur the Fire Demon
Regulars: Odin, Balder, Heimdall, Enchantress, Executioner
I've already praised Steve Ditko's splash page in this month's Amazing Spider-Man comic, but Jack Kirby is also an incredible artist, as the Thor splash page shows,
Loki persuades Odin to go to Earth, also known as Midgard, to visit his son Thor. In his absence Loki frees two powerful enemies of Asgard, Skagg and Surtur, who have enough strength to destroy the Earth. Odin, Thor and Balder unite to fight against them.
This is the first story of many in which Thor is aided by other Asgardians on Earth.
In Journey into Mystery #101 Thor's power was cut in half by Odin. There is no evidence that this is still the case. If Thor had still been weakened, Odin could have removed his weakness to make the battle against Skagg and Surtur easier. Also, Thor was forbidden to enter Asgard in issue #101, but Odin invites him back to Asgard in this story.
Odin shows that his power is unfathomable. He removes the whole human race from the Earth and places them in another dimension.
The Crazy Credits are laid back in the issue. The letterer Sam Rosen is expelled from the main credits box, but at least he has Chic Stone for company.
Title: Heimdall, Guardian of the Rainbow Bridge
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Gods: Odin, Heimdall
This story tells the tale of how Heimdall was selected to guard the Rainbow Bridge.
Tales of Suspense #53
Title: The Black Widow strikes again
Writer: Stan Lee, Don Rico
Artist: Don Heck
Villain: Black Widow
Regulars: Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan
As you can see, from this issue on the comic is called "Tales of Suspense featuring the Power of Iron Man". This title is retained until Tales of Suspense #58, after which it changes to... wait and see!
This issue includes a detail not mentioned in the last story. In Tales of Suspense #52 it seemed like the Black Widow slipped away unnoticed. In this issue we find out that Iron Man watched her run away, but he was too weak to pursue her.
Black Widow's escape in Tales of Suspense #52.
Black Widow's escape in the flashback in Tales of Suspense #53.
Iron Man says he won't let her escape again, but guess what? At the end of this issue he lets her go yet again. The first time he let her go he made the condescending excuse that she was just a woman, but now it's clear that he lusts for her. He might be wearing a powerful iron suit, but he's just a man. Maybe the comic should have been renamed "Tales to Astonish featuring the Weakness of Iron Man".
Title: The way it began
Writer: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber
Artist: Larry Lieber
After the last few Tales of the Watcher featured stories told by the Watcher, the series now features tales about the Watcher.
This issue also contains a short anthology story.
Strange Tales #120
Title: The Torch meets the Iceman
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Dick Ayers
Villain: Barracuda
Regulars: Susan Storm, Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Doris Evans
Guests: Iceman, Professor X, Angel, Marvel Girl
The Human Torch and Iceman meet by chance while taking the same ferry. The criminal Barracuda attempts to rob the passengers.
Iceman tries to chat up Doris Evans on the ferry. What's so special about that girl?
The text in the Crazy Credits box is laid back.
Title: The House of Shadows
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Villain: Alien from another dimension
After initially being called "Doctor Strange, Master of Black Magic" (Strange Tales #110 to #116), then simply "Doctor Strange" (Strange Tales #117 to #119), Steven Strange is now called "Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts", which remains his full title.
This month's Crazy Credits are surprisingly polite.
The Avengers #5
Title: The Invasion of the Lava Men
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Avengers: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Giant-Man, Wasp
Villain: Lava Men, Hulk
Regulars: Rick Jones
Guests: General Ross, Betty Ross, Jane Foster
This story begins immediately after Fantastic Four #26, also published this month. The Lava Men return, who we last saw in Journey into Mystery #97. By chance the Hulk appears and wants to continue his battle with the Avengers, but they trick him into defeating the Lava Men.
I'd forgotten how often Henry Pym becomes Ant-Man, when needed. He didn't completely abandon his previous identity when he became Giant-Man.
In the Crazy Credits box Sam Rosen's skills as letterer are downplayed, but so is Paul Reinman's inking.
X-Men #5
Title: Trapped: One X-Man
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
X-Men: Cyclops, Angel, Beast, Iceman, Marvel Girl
Villain: Magneto, Mastermind, Toad, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch
Regulars: Professor X
The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants returns after being seen in X-Men #4. They manage to capture the Angel. The X-Men have to fight without Professor X's help because he lost his powers in the last story.
Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are the most fascinating members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Apart from being the only ones to be named, they're the only ones who aren't completely evil. They feel loyalty to Magneto because he saved their lives, but they try to stop him when he wants to commit murder.
In this story we see that the headquarters of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants is inside an asteroid orbiting the Earth.
In the Crazy Credits box Sam Rosen is spared once again.
Other comics published this month:
Millie the Model #120 (Stan Lee, Stan Goldberg)
Kid Colt Outlaw #116 (Stan Lee, Jack Keller)
Two Gun Kid #69 (Stan Lee, Dick Ayers)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #7 (Stan Lee, Jack Kirby)
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