Amazing Spider-Man #25
Title: Captured by J. Jonah Jameson
Writer: Steve Ditko, Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Villain: J. Jonah Jameson
Regulars: Aunt May, Betty Brant, Flash Thompson, Liz Allan, Mary Jane Watson
This is a unique comic in Marvel's history. It's the first time that Stan Lee wrote the script for a story plotted by someone else. Usually Stan Lee did everything, but if there was ever any teamwork he wrote the plot and let someone else, typically his brother Larry Lieber, write the script. Who was better to write the plot than Steve Ditko himself, Spider-Man's regular artist?
This month's villain, if you can call him that, is J. Jonah Jameson himself. An inventor called Dr. Smythe has designed a robot with special spider-detection abilities to find and defeat Spider-Man. It has an automatic mode, but J. Jonah Jameson prefers to operate it manually.
As exciting as the battle with the robot might be, the big events in the comic are about Peter Parker's love life. Betty Brant is Peter's girlfriend, while Liz Allan is trying to take him away from her. When Liz decides to visit Peter at home Betty insists on accompanying her.
Peter isn't at home, but who's waiting to see him? It's Mary Jane Watson, the niece of Aunt May's best friend, Mrs. Watson.
Steve Ditko doesn't allow us to see her face. He's keeping us in suspense. Or maybe he still hasn't decided what she should look like.
Even when she leaves a few pages later we don't see her face. Even Flash Thompson has to turn and look. Okay, she's attractive, as we'll see when her face is finally shown in Amazing Spider-Man #42, but is she really that special? If I were Peter Parker and had to choose between the girls fighting over me I would have picked Betty Brant. That's the sort of girl I dated when I was a teenager.
At the end of the story Aunt May confiscates Peter Parker's Spider-Man costume when she finds it hidden behind his bookcase. Uh oh... is that the end of his crime-fighting career?
The Crazy Credits tell us that Sam Rosen is loquacious. That's a silly thing to say. He only writes the letters that Stan Lee gives him.
This extra box confirms that the story was plotted by Steve Ditko.
Daredevil #8
Title: The Stiltman Cometh
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Wally Wood
Villain: Stiltman (Wilbur Day)
Regulars: Foggy Nelson, Karen Page
A jealous employee, Wilbur Day, steals a hydraulics system invented by his boss. He uses this to become a villain called Stiltman.
I don't think anyone but Wally Wood could have drawn the Stiltman so effectively. There's a dynamic to his artwork that the other artists at Marvel didn't have. When you look at Wally Wood's drawings you get an impression of how tall the Stiltman is.
The Crazy Credits praise the brilliance of Stan Lee and Wally Wood while only mentioning Sam Rosen's scratchy pen. If the sound annoys them so much they should let him work the night shift.
Fantastic Four #39
Title: A Blind Man shall lead them
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Doctor Doom
Guests: Daredevil
The Q-Bomb explosion in the previous issue has left the Fantastic Four without any powers. Even Ben Grimm looks normal again, which is what he's always wanted.
In Fantastic Four Annual #2 Doctor Doom was hypnotised into believing he had defeated the Fantastic Four. Now the hypnosis is lifted and he finds out it's a lie, so he attacks them again. Daredevil has to protect them.
Latveria is said to be "a tiny kingdom nestled deep within the Bavarian alps". That would make it an island inside Germany. I believe this is a mistake. Stan Lee has already proved in other comics that he gets mixed up between Bavaria and the Balkans. Latveria is more likely to be a Balkan state, somewhere between Hungary and Romania.
There's an MMMS advertisement on the cover. That's what people call product placement.
So Sam Rosen is loquacious, but Artie Simek is laconic? Don't believe everything the Crazy Credits tell you. Both letterers only write what they're told to, nothing more, nothing less.
The Avengers #17
Title: Four against the Minotaur
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Don Heck
Avengers: Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch
Villain: Mole Man
Regulars: Rick Jones
Since the Avengers are now a weaker team after the membership changes they decide to search for the Hulk to invite him back into the group. The Mole Man lures them into a trap by giving them false information about the Hulk's whereabouts.
The Mole Man (sometimes spelt Moleman) was last seen in Avengers #12.
The Minotaur on the cover is a subterranean monster that serves the Mole Man.
There are several panels in the story explaining what the Hulk is doing while the Avengers are searching for him. These panels are exact copies of Jack Kirby's artwork from Tales To Astonish #69. Stan says it's the current issue, but it isn't. The current issue is Tales To Astonish #68. These panels are a preview of what we can read next month.
Tales to Astonish #68
Title: Peril from the Long-Dead Past
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Bob Powell
Villain: Human Top
Giant-Man has preferred to be 12 foot tall until now, because it's the size at which he has the maximum strength. After experimenting he's found that he can be even stronger at 35 feet.
Due to the effects of the green ray in last month's issue he can no longer shrink in size. It will take him more than two years until he regains this ability.
The Human Top, who we last saw in Tales To Astonish #59, returns to challenge Giant-Man. By making his costume more aerodynamic he can now fly.
The Crazy Credits tells us that Sam Rosen is schizophrenic. Is that a medical professional's opinion, or is it just Stan Lee being nasty again?
Title: Back from the Dead
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Leader
Regulars: General Ross, Major Talbot, Betty Ross
The Hulk returns from Mongolia to the military base in New Mexico, finding the way by instinct rather than intelligence. He goes to sleep in Bruce Banner's quarters.
He reverts to human form while asleep. This is a change from previous issues in which he only turned back while he was excited. When Bruce Banner is discovered he's arrested as a traitor.
Major Talbot is invited to the White House by President Johnson, who tells him to free Bruce Banner. In Tales To Astonish #64 we saw that the president knows the Hulk's secret identity.
Journey into Mystery #117
Title: Into the Blaze of Battle
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Loki, Enchantress, Executioner, Communists
Regulars: Odin, Balder, Jane Foster
Loki has won the Trial of the Gods by returning from Skornheim to Asgard first. Thor tells Odin that Loki has cheated by using norn stones, but he can't prove it because Loki has hidden them on Earth. Odin allows Thor 24 hours to find the stones.
Naturally, Thor doesn't begin the search immediately. First he travels to New York to help Balder free Jane Foster from the Enchantress and the Executioner. Then he begins his search, which leads him to Vietnam. He has to fight with Vietnamese Communists before he can retrieve the norn stones.
This speech bubble thought by the Executioner annoys me. The correct word is "ensure", not "insure". I've read that "insure" is frequently used in American English, but I don't care. It's still wrong.
I insure my car against theft and accidents.
I ensure that nobody steals or damages my car.
That's good English. Anything else is wrong, even if 325 million Americans say otherwise.
This is the second time in three comics that Jane Foster has been granted the gift of forgetfulness. The first time it was granted by Thor in Journey Into Mystery #115. Now it's Balder's turn. Is this a magical power that all Asgardians have?
Stan Lee is regal, Jack Kirby is dazzling and Vince Coletta is invincible. What about Artie Simek? The Crazy Credits tell us he's lonesome. Maybe he doesn't have any friends because people believe what Stan Lee says about him.
Title: The Sword in the Scabbard
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Gods: Odin, Thor, Loki
This is the beginning of a multi-part saga. It's a long time since I read it, so I've forgotten how long it lasts.
Cracks are appearing in the Odinsword, Asgard's mightiest weapon and one of the most powerful weapons in all of existence. Odin sends his sons Thor and Loki to search for the enemy who is damaging the sword.
Tales of Suspense #66
Title: If I fail, a world is lost
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Don Heck
Villain: Attuma
Regulars: Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan
Iron Man has to demonstrate Anthony Stark's new one-man submarine for an American senator. While underwater he's attacked by Attuma, who was last seen battling Giant-Man in Tales To Astonish #64.
The Crazy Credits tell us that everyone who created this comic adhered to the noble Marvel traditions, while Sam Rosen works in the cosiest corner of the room. Maybe he deserves it? It's good that he doesn't have to sit in a cage like Artie Simek.
Title: The Origin of the Red Skull
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Red Skull
After the last three issues retold old stories of Captain America from the 1940's, this is the first original story.
The story starts with a bang. Captain America has already been captured by the Red Skull. Like a James Bond villain he's in no hurry to kill Captain America. First he tells the story of how he became who he is. He used to be a weak young man, but he received personal training from Adolf Hitler which has made him the embodiment of evil.
Strange Tales #133
Title: The Terrible Toys
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Bob Powell
Villain: Puppet Master
Regulars: Alicia Masters, Doris Evans
The Puppet Master, last seen in Strange Tales #126, attempts to overcome the Human Torch and the Thing while they're shopping with their girlfriends. He has a new weapon, a ray gun that can turn people into living mannequins.
The Thing yells his battle cry: It's clobbering time!
While all the other comic book creators receive high praise, the Crazy Credits tell us that Sam Rosen's home is mortgaged. He deserves a raise.
Title: A Nameless Land, a Timeless Time
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Villain: Dormammu, Baron Mordo, Shazana
Regulars: Ancient One, Hamir (unnamed), Clea (unnamed)
This is the fourth part of the Doctor Strange-Dormammu-Baron Mordo epic. In the last issue Doctor Strange seemed to have been destroyed, but we see that he's fled into a far distant mystical dimension. While there he helps to overthrow the evil Queen Shazana.
It's a pleasant enough praise for the Crazy Credits to tell Sam Rosen his letters are lilting, but is that really necessary? Printed letters don't need to be artistically creative, they just have to be simple and legible.
Other comics published this month:
Modeling with Millie #39 (Stan Lee, Stan Goldberg)
Patsy Walker #121 (Al Hartley, Sol Brodsky)
Patsy and Hedy #100 (Stan Lee, Al Hartley)
Rawhide Kid #46 (Larry Lieber, Larry Lieber)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #19 (Stan Lee, Dick Ayers)
Last month it was promised that the names and addresses of all Merry Marvel Marching Societies would be printed in the comics. As you can imagine, that would be too many. Now we have more details. Only 25 names will be printed each month, and it will be a different list in each comic. Assuming a list will appear in ten comics, that's 250 names per month. Because the lists are different in each comic, MMMS members have to buy all ten comics to look for their names. That's fiendish!
The full addresses aren't given. It's just the name and the town of each member, not including the street or house number.
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