In September 1964 the second Fantastic Four annual was released, 14 months after the first. As you see, they weren't released in regular 12-month intervals, just when Stan Lee had time to write. In 1964 Marvel Comics was still a one-man company, as far as the writing was concerned.
Apart from a normal Fantastic Four adventure, the annual has a 12-page story about the origin of Marvel's most popular villain, Doctor Doom. Reed Richards and Ben Grimm appear in the story, but their roles are little more than cameos.
Fantastic Four Annual #2
Title: The Final Victory of Dr. Doom
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Doctor Doom, Rama-Tut
At the end of Fantastic Four #23 we saw Doctor Doom falling into space. In this story he's rescued by Rama-Tut, who left to travel through time at the end of Fantastic Four #19. That's quite a coincidence. Rama-Tut says he travelled from the 25th Century into the past, where he became the pharaoh Rama-Tut. (In Fantastic Four #19 and Avengers #8 he said he was from the 30th Century, so it's a mistake to say he was from the 25th Century. I blame the letterer). Now he's travelling back to the future.
In a staggering moment of male bonding, the two men become convinced they're one and the same person. Rama-Tut thinks that Doctor Doom travelled to the 25th Century and adopted his name. Doctor Doom thinks that Rama-Tut travelled to the 20th Century and became Victor Von Doom. So each of them thinks he's the future self of the other. How could they have forgotten something like that? They must have been smoking the same weed.
Rama-Tut continues to hover in space while Doctor Doom returns to Earth to challenge the Fantastic Four by inviting them to the Latverian embassy. This is the first story in which we read that Doctor Doom is the ruler of Latveria.
Once more the Thing yells his battle cry: It's clobbering time!
I suppose the Crazy Credits are meant to be praising Sam Rosen.
Title: The Fantastic Origin of Doctor Doom
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
In this origin story we see Doctor Doom's development. He was born into a gypsy family in the country of Latveria. In his youth he became a scientific genius, but he was also a con man, faking medical cures in order to make money. At university his face was disfigured in an explosion when he attempted to use scientific devices to bring his dead mother back from Hell. He was expelled from university, so he travelled to Tibet to learn magical arts. Finally he returned to Latveria and became its leader.
We briefly see Reed Richards and Ben Grimm as students, long before they gained their super-powers.
The Crazy Credits don't have much to say about Sam Rosen, except that he's honest. That's something, I suppose.
Fantastic Four #30
Title: The Dreaded Diablo
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Diablo
The Fantastic Four go on holiday to Transylvania. When they go for a hike in the woods it looks like they're expecting problems, because they all have their costumes on. They get lost and find a castle hidden in the woods. In it they find Diablo, an evil alchemist who has been trapped for a hundred years.
The Crazy Credits mock Artie Simek again. He should complain to his union.
Amazing Spider-Man #16
Title: Duel with Daredevil
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Villain: Ringmaster
Regulars: Aunt May, J. Jonah Jameson, Betty Brant
Guests: Daredevil, Foggy Nelson, Karen Page
The Ringmaster returns, who we last saw in Hulk #3. He's putting on a circus show somewhere "in the heart" of New York City. Central Park? Your guess is as good as mine. He wrongly claims in the posters that Spider-Man will appear, in order to get more visitors. Spider-Man sees the posters and interprets them as an invitation. Matt Murdock and his two colleagues from his law office also go to the circus.
After Spider-Man's performance the Ringmaster hypnotises everyone in the audience, including Spider-Man himself. The only person who's immune is Matt Murdock, because of his blindness. He tries to fight with the Ringmaster and his circus troupe, but the Ringmaster orders Spider-Man to defend him.
In the Crazy Credits Sam Rosen is praised, after Artie Simek was mocked in this month's issue of the Fantastic Four. Is there no justice in the world?
Tales to Astonish #59
Title: Enter the Hulk
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Dick Ayers
Villain: Human Top
Guests: Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, General Ross, Betty Ross
The Human Top returns, after last being seen in Tales to Astonish #55, though not in his uniform. He follows Giant-Man and the Wasp to New Mexico on their search for the Hulk. They don't spot him in the plane because he's in his civilian clothes. Once in New Mexico he manipulates first the Hulk, then General Ross into attacking Giant-Man.
This story is significant for being the first comic to show Bruce Banner turning into the Hulk as a result of excitement.
The Crazy Credits claim that Artie Simek is lazy. I doubt it's true. I sincerely hope it's not true.
There's a five-page featurette called "Let's learn about Hank and Jan" which explains the powers of Giant-Man and the Wasp. It's only available in poor quality black and white, so I'm reproducing it here in full.
Journey into Mystery #108
Title: At the Mercy of Loki, Prince of Evil
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Loki
Regulars: Jane Foster, Odin, Heimdall
Guests: Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Giant-Man, Wasp
Thor meets Doctor Strange, who has been weakened by a battle with Mordo. This is a battle which we don't see in any of Doctor Strange's own stories. Donald Blake has to operate on Doctor Strange to cure him. In the meantime Asgard has to wage war against an unnamed enemy, so Odin has to leave Asgard. Loki takes advantage of Odin's absence to leave Asgard and come to Earth to attack Thor. Thor defeats him with the assistance of Doctor Strange. After Strange Tales #123 this is the second time in two months that Doctor Strange has faced Loki.
The Crazy Credits refrain from mocking Artie Simek in this story.
Title: Trapped by the Trolls
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Gods: Thor
Thor frees Asgardian travellers who have been trapped by the Trolls.
Artie Simek may have been spared in the main story, but in the Crazy Credits for the Tales of Asgard feature he's mocked again. Maybe Jolly Jack Kirby insisted on it.
Tales of Suspense #57
Title: Hawkeye the Marksman
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Don Heck
Villain: Black Widow, Hawkeye
Regulars: Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan
This issue introduces Hawkeye, who later becomes a member of the Avengers. He was a circus performer until he saw Iron Man in action and decided to become a super-hero. The first time he catches a crook the police mistake him for a villain and pursue him. He meets the Black Widow and immediately falls in love with her. Is that love at first sight or lust at first sight? I suspect the latter. In order to please her he assists her in taking revenge on Iron Man.
Once more the Crazy Credits are kind to Sam Rosen.
Tales of the Watcher
Title: The Watcher's Power
Writer: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber
Artist: Larry Lieber
Space pirates attack planets, ignoring the Watcher, because they know he never interferes. They make a mistake when they attack the Watcher's home world. That's the one planet that he's allowed to actively defend.
This issue also contains a short anthology story.
Strange Tales #124
Title: Paste-Pot Pete
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Dick Ayers
Villain: Paste-Pot Pete
Regulars: Doris Evans
Paste-Pot Pete, who last fought against the Human Torch in Strange Tales #110, has been released from prison after assisting the Avengers in Avengers #6. The Thing and the Human Torch face him together and barely manage to defeat him.
The Crazy Credits usually mock Artie Simek, but this time we find out he's adorable. He must be a nice guy to put up with so many insults month after month.
Title: The Lady from Nowhere
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Villain: Zota
Regulars: Ancient One
Doctor Strange meets a mysterious woman who is under the influence of a powerful spell that he can't break. The Ancient One tells him that the spell was cast in the distant past, so he has to go back in time to its source. He travels to ancient Egypt and meets the magician Zota. The woman is Queen Cleopatra. After defeating Zota Doctor Strange sends Cleopatra back to her own time.
At last the Crazy Credits pick on Sam Rosen for a change!.
The Avengers #8
Title: Kang the Conqueror
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Avengers: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Giant-Man, Wasp
Villain: Kang
Regulars: Rick Jones
The Earth is invaded by a warlord from the 40th Century who calls himself Kang. He isn't a new character. He's the man known to the Fantastic Four as Rama-Tut. After meeting Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four Annual #2 he attempted to return to the 30th Century – not the 25th – but he overshot the mark and arrived in the 40th Century, where he easily conquered the Earth. He soon grew bored and decided to go back in time to conquer the 20th Century.
You only have to think about this scenario for a few minutes to imagine all sorts of logical problems. I doubt Stan Lee considered the complications, but ten years later Steve Englehart wrote stories about Kang in which he attempted to resolve them.
I'm not sure what to say about this Crazy Credits box. Dick Ayers is Marvel's answer to automation, while Sam Rosen is Marvel's answer to Artie Simek? My brain hurts. It's easier to think about time-hopping warlords.
X-Men #7
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, Blob
Regulars: Professor X, Zelda
Magneto persuades the Blob, who we last saw in X-Men #3, to join the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
In this comic Professor X says that the X-Men have graduated and no longer need him as their leader. He appoints Scott Summers to be the group's new leader.
We see Cerebro for the first time, a machine that can detect mutants. Professor X says that he doesn't need it. It's only meant to be used by others without his psychic abilities. Cerebro successfully alerts Scott when the Blob regains his memory.
Bobby Drake meets the waitress Zelda in his favourite cafe in Greenwich. In later issues she becomes his girlfriend.
The Crazy Credits mock Artie Simek once again. Artie's colleagues have all the talent, while all he can do is spell correctly. That's better than nothing!
Other comics published this month:
Millie the Model #122 (Stan Lee, Stan Goldberg)
Modeling with Millie #33 (Stan Lee, Stan Goldberg)
Kid Colt Outlaw #118 (Stan Lee, Jack Keller)
Two Gun Kid #71 (Stan Lee, Dick Ayers)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #10 (Stan Lee, Dick Ayers)
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