Amazing Spider-Man #21
Title: Where flies the Beetle
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Villain: Beetle
Regulars: Aunt May, Flash Thompson, J. Jonah Jameson, Betty Brant
Guests: Johnny Storm, Doris Evans
In Strange Tales #123 we saw the Beetle defeated by the Human Torch. He's now been released from prison and he wants revenge.
Peter Parker meets Doris Evans in the street and visits her at home, not realising that she's Johnny Storm's girlfriend. When Johnny sees him leaving her house he gets jealous and decides to threaten him as the Human Torch. Peter Parker isn't scared, and he goes back to Doris' house as Spider-Man. This is the moment when the Beetle arrives, and Spider-Man has to fight him, first alone, then with the help of the Human Torch.
Note the poignancy of Spider-Man's inner monologue. The Human Torch is popular while he isn't. This is well written by Stan Lee, and it's also beautiful artwork by Steve Ditko.
The inner monologue continues up to the end of the comic. This is wonderful story-telling.
The Crazy Credits box is fair to everyone, but I especially like that Steve Ditko is said to be illustrating deliriously. That applies to him more than to any other artist at Marvel.
Fantastic Four #35
Title: Calamity on the Campus
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Diablo, Dragon Man
Guests: Professor X, Cyclops, Spider-Man
Reed Richards visits State University to hold a lecture. This is the university where he and Ben Grimm studied. He takes the rest of the Fantastic Four with him.
Peter Parker is also visiting the university since he considers enrolling after finishing high school. Johnny Storm recognises him after meeting him in this month's Spider-Man story and insults him.
By coincidence, Diablo (last seen in Fantastic Four #30) visits the university to animate a creature that a professor has been constructing. This creature is Dragon Man, a creature with great strength and the abilities to fly and breathe flame. He also has limited intelligence and a feeling of who to trust. Initially he obeys Diablo's commands, but he protects Susan Storm when she shows kindness towards him.
This is the closest that Reed Richards has ever got to a proposal. Will they really marry within a year? Let's wait and see.
In a remarkable novelty the Crazy Credits box belittles everyone, including Stan Lee. Maybe Artie Simek wrote it himself?
Tales to Astonish #64
Title: When Attuma Srikes
Writer: Leon Lazarus
Artist: Carl Burgos
Villains: Attuma
After a silly argument in the laboratory Janet Van Dyne (the Wasp) decides to give up her crime-fighting and run away to start a new life. This is easy for her, because previous stories hint that she comes from a wealthy family. By coincidence – and Marvel thrives on coincidences – Attuma, last seem in Fantastic Four #33, kidnaps the airplane she's leaving in. First he wants to study the flying machines of the surface world, but when he sees Janet Van Dyne he wants to examine her as an example of surface women. That's what I would have done as well. She sends a message to Giant-Man to come and rescue her.
This comic is remarkable for being the first story in the Silver Age of Marvel (that began in November 1961) that wasn't written by Stan Lee. There may have been some stories that were plotted by Stan Lee and scripted by his brother Larry Lieber, but for this story Stan Lee's only responsibility was as editor.
It's also remarkable for being the only story written by Leon Lazarus. For decades it was suspected that he didn't exist, that his name was a pseudonym for Larry Lieber. It wasn't until 2005 that he was tracked down and interviewed. He worked for Timely, the previous name of Marvel Comics, from 1947 to 1950. In those days it wasn't usual for comics to name the creators, so it was only possible to say what he had written based on his vague memories at the end of his life. As for this one comic, Leon Lazarus said in an interview with Alter Ego magazine:
"Martin Goodman started pressuring Stan Lee to have other writers do some of the stories. He became concerned that Stan would have too much leverage over him, and he worried about what would happen if Stan ever decided to leave the company. Goodman wanted other writers as a back-up in case he needed them, so he ordered Stan to use other writers. Goodman told Stan to have me write stories. Stan called me and asked if I was willing to come in and work there again. I only did this one story, because I wasn't comfortable with the way Stan wanted writers to work with the artists, though I see now how right he was".
The Crazy Credits box praises everyone this month.
Title: The Horde of Humanoids
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Villain: Leader, Chameleon
Regulars: General Ross, Major Talbot, Rick Jones
The text at the bottom right corner calls this the only super-hero soap opera in all of comicdom. It can be argued that many of Marvel's other comics took on soap opera characteristics in later years, but this was Stan Lee's first major soap opera and probably the most intense. I say "probably" because it's been many years since I read these comics and I need to remind myself of them.
In the last issue Bruce Banner was imprisoned as a traitor. Rick Jones gets a presidential pardon for him by revealing to President Lyndon B. Johnson that Bruce Banner is the Hulk. If you can't trust the president, who can you trust?
There's a horrible spelling mistake on page five. The second "you're" in Major Talbot's speech bubble should be a "your". Artie Simek should be ashamed of himself.
The Crazy Credits explain Artie Simek's mistake. He works with the television set on. Stan Lee should never have allowed distractions like that!
Journey into Mystery #113
Title: A world gone mad
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Loki, Grey Gargoyle
Regulars: Jane Foster, Odin, Heimdall, Balder, Honir
Don Blake finally confesses to Jane Foster that he's really Thor. Odin sees this and reacts by taking away his power. When Don tries to change into Thor to prove who he is, it doesn't work, so Jane doesn't believe him.
At this point the Grey Gargoyle, last seen in Journey Into Mystery #107, attacks Don Blake, because he's the only man who can contact Thor. First Balder attempts to go to Earth to defend Don Blake, but Loki hinders him. Then Honir the Hunter takes his place.
The Crazy Credits tell us that Artie Simek has lettered this comic with glee. He can enjoy his work much more when he turns the television off.
On page 12 of the story we see the Grey Gargoyle jumping over a sign which says "Join the M.M.M". What's that? Part of the sign isn't shown. The full text is "Join the M.M.M.S". That's the Merry Marvel Marching Society, the Marvel fan club that was launched this month. All the February 1965 comics included the following full page advertisement.
The membership kit cost one dollar in 1965, but if you want it now it will cost you a small fortune. At the time of writing this, three copies of the kit are being sold on Ebay for prices between $900 and $1300. For those who can't afford that much, click here to listen to the recording of the Marvel Bullpen Voices (mentioned in the bottom left).
Title: The Boyhood of Loki
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Gods: Thor, Loki
In this story Thor is ten years old and Loki is probably slightly younger. Loki interferes in a fight between two Asgardian warriors. The others want to punish Loki, but Thor nobly says he should share the blame, so no one is punished.
Tales of Suspense #62
Title: The Origin of the Mandarin
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Don Heck
Villain: Mandarin
This story continues from the previous issue. With the self-confident posturing of a Bond villain the Mandarin takes time to explain to Iron Man how he gained his powers. As a young man he spent all his money training to learn the secrets of science. Then he found a space ship that had crashed in China centuries ago. He found ten rings of immeasurable power.
(In the post-canon years the Mandarin's origin was changed).
According to the Crazy Credits everyone who worked on this story was brimming with self-confidence, except for bashful Sam Rosen. Stan Lee might think otherwise, but in my eyes that makes Sam a great man.
Title: Break-Out in Cell Block 10
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Unnamed convicts
Captain America is invited to a prison. When he arrives he finds that the convicts have taken over.
I feel that Stan Lee is having trouble warming up and finding the right way to continue with Captain America. He needs to find more powerful villains, not just unskilled tough guys.
The Crazy Credits box describes the creative teams with the help of the comics typical sound effect words. All that's left for Artie Simek is Ulp!.
Strange Tales #129
Title: The Terrible Trio
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Dick Ayers
Villain: Terrible Trio (Bull Brogin, Handsome Harry Philips, Yogi Dakor)
Regulars: Doris Evans
Some people are gluttons for punishment. After being easily defeated by the Human Torch in Strange Tales #122 Bull Brogin, Harry Philips and Yogi Dakor think they can defeat the Thing and the Human Torch together. What's changed since then? Not much. They've now adopted the name the Terrible Trio, and they've appointed Harry Philips as their leader. The Thing doesn't even have to yell his battle cry.
Here are the Crazy Credits. Stan Lee fakes false modesty, before telling the world that Artie Simek can only make things worse. He really should make an effort. He can't leave the television running all day.
Title: Beware Tiboro! The Tyrant of the Sixth Dimension!
Writer: Don Rico
Artist: Steve Ditko
Villain: Tiboro
Regulars: Ancient One
A television station has requested Doctor Strange to appear on a television show, "The Twelfth Hour", to speak about black magic. He refuses, which they interpret as a confession that he's a charlatan. That doesn't matter to him, he doesn't need to defend his reputation.
A pagan idol from Peru is presented on the show. The presenters are sucked into it. The television boss, Mr. James, swallows his pride and asks Doctor Strange to investigate. The Ancient One recognises the idol immediately. It's an effigy of Tiboro, a powerful being who used to rule in Peru. He's now considering to the Earth to rule again. Doctor Strange enters Tiboro's world through the effigy to defeat Tiboro and free his prisoners.
This is another story not written by Stan Lee, the second this month. It's also a one-off for Don Rico.
Last month the Crazy Credits told us Artie Simek was melancholy, this month it's Sam Rosen. Maybe that's an attribute all letterers have in common.
The Avengers #13
Title: Trapped in the Castle of Count Nefaria
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Don Heck
Avengers: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Giant-Man, Wasp
Villain: Count Nefaria
Regulars: Rick Jones
The Avengers have been breaking up thefts by a gang called the Maggia. Their leader, Count Nefaria, lives "halfway around the planet", probably in Italy or a nearby country. He says he will come to America to deal with the Avengers himself. He moves his castle to America, stone by stone, and rebuilds it on the New Jersey Palisades. He throws a big party to celebrate the castle's re-opening and invites the Avengers. He hypnotises them and sends them to sleep. He then creates holograms of the Avengers and sends them to the Pentagon to declare war on the United States.
When the Avengers are awakened they're under attack by the American military. They barely survive, but they are eventually able to invade Count Nefaria's castle to find out if he was responsible for what has happened.
The story ends on a cliffhanger. The Wasp is shot and is barely alive.
The Crazy Credits praise Stan Lee, Don Heck and Dick Ayers, but all they have to say is that Artie Simek's lettering is moderately clear. Moderately? That wouldn't be enough. After reading hundreds of the comics that he worked on I can vouch for the fact that his lettering was always crystal clear.
Daredevil #6
Title: Trapped by the Fellowship of Fear
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Wally Wood
Villain: Mr. Fear (Zoltan Drago), Ox, Eel
Regulars: Foggy Nelson, Karen Page
The owner of a wax museum, who also sculpts the exhibits himself, accidentally discovers a potion that fills people with fear. He turns it into gaseous form and fills pellets with them that he can fire from a normal gun. As henchmen he hires Ox (last seen in Amazing Spider-Man #19) and Eel (last seen in Strange Tales #117).
In the Crazy Credits Stan Lee only has good words for Sam Rosen.
Other comics published this month:
Modeling with Millie #37 (Stan Lee, Stan Goldberg)
Patsy Walker #119 (Stan Lee, Sol Brodsky)
Patsy and Hedy #98 (Stan Lee, Al Hartley)
Rawhide Kid #44 (Larry Lieber, Larry Lieber)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #15 (Stan Lee, Dick Ayers)
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