Thursday 23 August 2018

Marvel Years 04.04 - April 1964


Daredevil #1

Title: The Origin of Daredevil

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Bill Everett

Villain: The Fixer (a boxing promoter)

Regulars: Foggy Nelson, Karen Page


This is the big comic of the month in April 1964. It's the introduction of Daredevil, the man without fear. The gimmick of this character is that he's blind. Matt Murdock was hit by a barrel of radioactive waste when he saved the life of a blind man crossing the road. As a result his other four senses have been sharpened, and he's been given a radar sense to replace his eyesight. He also has enhanced skills of agility and balance.

This comic finalises the core of the early Marvel super-heroes.

  • Fantastic Four (November 1961)
  • Hulk (May 1962)
  • Spider-Man (August 1962)
  • Thor (August 1962)
  • Ant-Man / Giant-Man (September 1962)
  • Iron Man (March 1963)
  • Doctor Strange (July 1963)
  • X-Men (September 1963)
  • Captain America (March 1964)
  • Daredevil (April 1964)

There might have been other heroes who were created later, but these are the main names connected with Marvel, even now, 50 years later.

With the exception of Captain America, all of these super-heroes were created by Stan Lee. Will there ever be another creative genius like him again? I doubt it.




Fantastic Four #25

Title: The Hulk vs the Thing

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby

Villain: Hulk

Regulars: Alicia Masters

Guests: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Giant-Man, Wasp, Rick Jones


Crossed paths. The Avengers travel to New Mexico to find the Hulk, and the Hulk travels to New York to find the Avengers. When he arrives the Hulk fights briefly with the Human Torch, followed by a lengthy battle with the Thing.

Until Avengers #3 Bruce Banner had changed to the Hulk and back with the help of a gamma ray machine. Now the changes have become sporadic.

Another change is that Bruce Banner is now called Bob Banner. Was this a mistake, or an attempt to change the name of the Hulk's secret identity? Probably the former. After this comic he's called Bruce again.

This story continues in the next issue.

Now it's Sam Rosen's turn to be picked on in the Crazy Credits box.




Amazing Spider-Man #11

Title: Turning Point

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko

Villain: Doctor Octopus

Regulars: Aunt May, Betty Brant


Doctor Octopus is freed from prison at the end of his sentence, and we find out he has a connection with Betty Brant. Betty's brother Bennett is a lawyer, but he's in debt to an imprisoned criminal, Blackie Gaxton. Under pressure from Blackie, Bennett had to pay Doctor Octopus to free Blackie, so Betty had to take out a loan to pay the missing amount.

The Crazy Credits box doesn't actually say anything bad about the letter Sam Rosen, but sometimes saying nothing is just as bad as saying something. It's all about how you don't say it.




Tales to Astonish #54

Title: No place to hide

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Don Heck

Villain: El Toro


A man called El Toro ("The Bull") has won a surprise victory in the Central American kingdom of Santo Rico. The American government asks Giant-Man to go and check if the election results were faked.

There's another Crazy Credits box that's polite to everyone. Sort of.




Title: Conquest

Writer: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber
Artist: Larry Lieber

The Wasp has to babysit for one of her friends, so she tells the son a bedtime story. I wonder if Tommy is old enough to have a crush on his Aunt Jan. He'll probably be begging for her to babysit again every night until he's 18.

I suppose the Crazy Credit box is innocent enough.

This issue also contains a short anthology story.




Journey into Mystery #103

Title: Menaced by the Enchantress and the Executioner

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby

Villain: Loki, Enchantress, Executioner, Zarrko (flashback)

Regulars: Odin, Jane Foster


This story begins immediately after Thor's return from the 23rd Century.

Odin is still searching for a way to stop Thor loving Jane Foster. Loki suggests that Thor be offered a more beautiful woman, namely the Enchantress, the most beautiful woman who has ever lived. Thor resists her, so she asks for the assistance of the Executioner.

Crazy Credits: Sam Rosen's lettering is understated, but so is Chic Stone's inking.




Title: Thor's Mission to Mirmir

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby

Gods: Thor

This is the Norse legend of the creation of man. Thor delivers a piece of Yggdrasil to King Mirmir, out of which he makes the first two humans, Aske and Embala.

Crazy Credits: Artie Simek is praised almost as much as the writer, artist and inker. Almost.

This issue also contains a short anthology story.




Tales of Suspense #52

Title: The Crimson Dynamo strikes again

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Don Rico

Villain: Black Widow (Natasha), Crimson Dynamo (Boris)

Regulars: Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan


The man in the Crimson Dynamo suit isn't Anton Vanko, who we saw in Tales of Suspense #46. It's Boris, a Russian spy who comes to America with Black Widow.



Tales of the Watcher

Title: The Failure

Writer: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber
Artist: Larry Lieber


The story narrated by the Watcher is supposedly based on the life of Steve Ditko. Those who know him can say if it's in any way accurate.

This issue also contains a short anthology story.




Strange Tales #119

Title: The Torch goes wild

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Dick Ayers

Villain: Rabble Rouser

Regulars: Susan Storm, Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Doris Evans

Guests: Spider-Man


I like this splash page a lot. Dick Ayers has excelled himself.

A public speaker has a wand which brainwashes people to believe whatever he says.




Title: Beyond the Purple Veil

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko

Villain: Aggamon

Regulars: Wong

Aggamon is the leader of a kingdom in another dimension. He enslaves everyone who enters his kingdom, whether it's accidental or deliberate.

Crazy Credits: No insult here. On the contrary, it's praiseworthy that Artie Simek works late at night.



Other comics published this month:

Modeling with Millie #30 (Stan Lee, Stan Goldberg)
Patsy Walker #114 (Stan Lee, Stan Goldberg)
Patsy and Hedy #93 (Stan Lee, Al Hartley)
Rawhide Kid #39 (Stan Lee, Dick Ayers)

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