I offer my apologies to my readers. I promised that my Marvel Years posts would be at least once a week, but I haven't written any since February 27th, six weeks ago. I'll try to keep to my promise from now on. If possible I'll write more often. My Marvel Years posts are slowly growing in size. In November 1961 only one comic was published, this month (June 1963) it's five comics, and in December 1965 it will be ten comics. I believe the peak will be 14 comics in July 1968, but that doesn't take into account the sporadic annuals for some titles. I'm not exactly sure where I shall end, but I'll continue until at least December 1972.
There's one general comment I have to make about the comics released this month. This is the first month that none of the comic stories are split into parts with individual names. That's just as well. I was getting fed up of quoting all the names each month.
Fantastic Four #15
Title: The Mad Thinker and his Awesome Android
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Mad Thinker
Regulars: Alicia Masters, Yancy Street Gang
The Fantastic Four meet a new villain called the Mad Thinker, sometimes just the Thinker, who can predict the exact time of future events scientifically. After this issue he becomes a regular enemy.
In this issue Stan Lee maybe goes over the top. Reed Richards creates new life in the laboratory? That definitely makes him the most intelligent man on Earth. But I have to say that the life form he proudly holds up in a glass looks more than a single cell.
This issue also features the return of Willie Lumpkin, who we first saw in Fantastic Four #11. Even if he wasn't allowed to join the Fantastic Four he can still be useful to the team.
Once more the Baxter Building is attacked by a super villain. That's three times in less than two years. Why would any business want to stay?
Tales to Astonish #44
Title: The Creature from Kosmos
Writer: Stan Lee, Ernie Hart
Artist: Don Heck
Villain: An alien monster
This is a landmark issue for Ant-Man. It introduces Janet Van Dyne, the Wasp. It also gives some additional information about Henry Pym's background. He was inspired to become a crime fighter after his wife Maria, the daughter of a Hungarian scientist who had defected to America, was shot.
I have one naive question: if it was so easy for Henry Pym to give Janet Van Dyne wings, why didn't he do the same for himself? It would have made it easier for him to get around. He wouldn't have had to rely on flying ants.
This is the Wasp's first adventure with Ant-Man. He is catapulted, so he has no control over the direction he's going in. She's flying with ease. Note the superficial portrayal of love that was typical for Stan Lee's stories. Janet falls in love with Henry when she hardly knows him. Henry resists, but everyone already knew they would get together in the end.
Henry calls her a child? How old was she? My guess is that he was in his late 30's at the time and Janet was 18 or 19. Being twice her age she must have seemed like a child to him.
The monster from a distant planet is defeated very quickly. This story was really only about the first meeting of Ant-Man and the Wasp.
This issue also contains a short anthology story.
Journey into Mystery #93
Title: The Mysterious Radio-Active Man
Writer: Stan Lee, Robert Bernstein
Artist: Jack Kirby
Regulars: Jane Foster
Villain: Radio-Active Man
This issue shows Communists as enemies of Thor and the West, as was common in Stan Lee's early super-hero stories, but it's the first time that the Communist menace is linked to the real world. Mao Tse Tung is shown in eight different panels. He isn't named, he's only referred to as the "Great Leader", but it's obvious who it is.
The Radio-Active Man was a villain who appeared repeatedly in later issues of Thor, Iron Man and the Avengers. In the later stories his Communist background is less important.
This issue also contains two short anthology stories.
Tales of Suspense #42
Title: Trapped by the Red Barbarian
Writer: Stan Lee, Robert Bernstein
Artist: Don Heck
Villain: The Actor
Despite the impression given by the cover above, Iron Man's enemy isn't the Red Barbarian, it's a master of impersonation called the Actor. The Red Barbarian is the head of an unnamed Communist country who hires the Actor's services. The Actor dies after this single appearance, but he was rather superfluous. He's a clone of the Chameleon, who we first saw in Spider-Man #1.
This issue also contains two short anthology stories.
Strange Tales #109
Title: The Sorceror and Pandora's Box
Writer: Stan Lee, Robert Bernstein
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: The Sorceror
Regulars: Susan Storm, Reed Richards, Ben Grimm
There might not be any Communists in this story, but they have to be mentioned at least. Reed Richards tells the Human Torch he has to stay at home and do his school homework while the other three will be gone a week "trying to make life a little tougher for the Commies". We never get to read about this adventure of the Fantastic Three. Maybe it was just a boring outing.
We find out yet another of the Human Torch's powers in this story. He can absorb flames, for example by taking the flames out of a burning house.
This issue also contains three short anthology stories.
Other comics published this month:
Modeling with Millie #23 (Stan Lee, Stan Goldberg)
Patsy Walker #107 (Stan Lee, Al Hartley)
Patsy and Hedy #88 (Stan Lee, Al Hartley)
Kathy #23 (Stan Lee, Stan Goldberg)
Rawhide Kid #34 (Stan Lee, Jack Davis)
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