This is a big month for Marvel, as far as quantity is concerned. Every month is a big month for quality, but this month the most comics were published, because there are four annuals, namely Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2, Fantastic Four Annual #3, Journey Into Mystery Annual #1 and Sgt. Fury Annual #1.
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2
Title: The Wondrous World of Doctor Strange
Writer: Steve Ditko, Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Villain: Xandu
Guests: Doctor Strange
The cover advertises 72 pages, but there's only one original story which is 20 pages long.
On the front cover the word worlds is in the plural, but the title on the splash page has it in the singular.
The sorcerer Xandu sends brainwashed thugs to break into Doctor Strange's mansion to steal the Wand of Watoomb. Spider-Man witnesses the break-in and joins in the battle.
This story is out of sync with the Doctor Strange stories that are printed in Strange Tales. It probably takes place before the 12-part Doctor Strange-Dormammu-Baron Mordo epic began in Strange Tales #130 (March 1965).
Note that Steve Ditko also plotted this story.
Even the annuals have Crazy Credits. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko are highly praised, while Sam Rosen is a mere ghost. Nobody notices him when he walks past in the corridors of the bullpen.
Journey into Mystery Annual #1
Title: When Titans Clash
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Storm Giants
Regulars: Loki
Guests: Zeus, Hercules, Pan
The cover advertises 72 pages, but there's only one original story which is 15 pages long.
Loki and Thor are riding through Jotunheim. They're ambushed by Storm Giants, and then Thor accidentally finds the secret entrance Olympus. He battles with Hercules, both of them motivated by pride. Neither of them has won when Zeus appears and orders them to cease.
Judging by the fact that Thor and Loki are travelling on a mission together, this must be an old story that took place many years before the events of Journey Into Mystery #83. It can be considered a "Tales of Asgard" story.
Mostly lettered by Sam Rosen? What are the Crazy Credits trying to tell us? I'm sure that he did all the lettering!
Fantastic Four #43
Title: Lo! There shall be an ending!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Frightful Four (Wizard, Trapster, Sandman, Medusa), Doctor Doom
This is the third and final part of the battle between the Fantastic Four and the Frightful Four. We see that Susan Storm had already sabotaged the Id machine at the end of the previous issue, so the Human Torch is only pretending to be under the Wizard's control.
We also see Doctor Doom preparing for an attack that will take place in this month's Fantastic Four Annual #3.
Docily? What's that? There's no such word, not even in American English. It's probably a misspelling of docilely? The Crazy Credits aren't infallible.
Amazing Spider-Man #29
Title: Never step on a Scorpion!
Writer: Steve Ditko, Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Villain: Scorpion
Regulars: Aunt May, J. Jonah Jameson, Betty Brant, Frederick Foswell, Ned Leeds
"Never step on a Scorpion" is an abbreviated form of the title. The full title is: "Never step on a Scorpion!" or "You think it's easy to dream up titles like this?"
Only Stan Lee could dream up a title like that.
This is the fifth issue in a row plotted by Steve Ditko.
The Scorpion breaks out of prison after last being seen in Amazing Spider-Man #20. His main goal is to kill J. Jonah Jameson, who he blames for his last defeat. After reading the comic I'm sure that Spider-Man had something to do with it.
Ned Leeds is back from Europe and he's spending time with Betty Brant. Love hurts.
Strange Tales #137
Title: The Prize is Earth!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: John Severin
Villain: Hydra
Regulars: Dum Dum Dugan, Gabriel Jones
SHIELD's top priority is to get inside information about Hydra's new weapon, the Betatron Bomb. (Only Stan Lee can think up names like that). It's a bomb that can be launched into orbit, from where it can be used to blackmail every country on Earth.
Nick Fury is given new clothing that would make James Bond envious.
This is a SHIELD badge. Doesn't it look cool?
Title: When meet the Mystic Minds!
Writer: Steve Ditko, Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Villain: Baron Mordo
Regulars: Ancient One, Hamir (unnamed)
Steve Ditko is once more credited as this story's plotter.
This is the eighth part of the Doctor Strange-Dormammu-Baron Mordo epic. Doctor Strange probes the mind of the Ancient One to find out who or what Eternity is. He has to fight against the Ancient One's mystic defences.
The Crazy Credits greatly praise Stan Lee and Steve Ditko – rightfully so – before going on to say that all Artie Simek has going for him is a ruler and pen. Let me tell you something. Even if I had the world's most beautiful ruler and pen I still wouldn't be able to do the lettering half as well as Artie. Calligraphy should never be underestimated as an art form.
Tales to Astonish #72
Title: A Prince there was!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Gene Colan (as Adam Austin)
Villain: Krang
Regulars: Dorma
Prince Namor continues on his quest to find Namor's trident. Warlord Krang punishes Lady Dorma for refusing to marry him.
According to the Crazy Credits the creators of this comic all excelled in their own ways, apart from Sam Rosen. He merely does his lettering in the suburbs. I don't blame him. If he stays in the bullpen too long he'll be put in a cage like Artie Simek.
Title: Within the monster dwells a man!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Mike Esposito (as Mickey Demeo)
Villain: Leader
Regulars: General Ross, Major Talbot, Rick Jones
The missiles fired by General Ross's army unit can't harm the Hulk, but they destroy Bruce Banner's equipment that was intended to stop him changing back. The Leader asks the Hulk to join him, and the Hulk accepts the offer merely as a means of getting away. After being teleported to Italy the Hulk fights with the Leader's androids.
Everything is exciting in this comic. The Crazy Credits say so! Even Sam Rosen's pen can dazzle us with sound effects. Wham! Smash! Pow!
Tales of Suspense #70
Title: Fight on! For a world is watching!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Don Heck
Villain: Titanium Man
Regulars: Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan
This is the first time that Iron Man hasn't been featured on the cover of Tales of Suspense. This issue the honour goes to Captain America's backup story.
The duel between Iron man and the Titanium Man continues.
Happy Hogan guesses for the first time that Iron Man is really Tony Stark. Shortly afterwards he's badly wounded while delivering an important transistor to Iron Man during the fight's second round.
The Crazy Credits make everyone's work look untidy, but Sam Rosen's lettering is the worst.
Title: If this be treason!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Nazis
Stan Lee proudly announces the return of George Tuska to the bullpen.
Captain America is captured while trying to rescue Bucky from Greymoor Castle.
Journey into Mystery #121
Title: The Power! The Passion! The Pride
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Loki, Absorbing Man
Regulars: Odin, Balder, Jane Foster
Thor battles the Absorbing Man. Once more he's unable to reach a decisive victory.
Everyone else works to create magnificent works of art, while Artie Simek is only in it for the money? That's what the Crazy Credits say. Who cares? Money is a good motivation for many.
Title: Set Sail!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Gods: Thor, Loki, Balder
The quest continues to find the one responsible for damaging the Odinsword.
The Avengers #21
Title: The Bitter Taste of Defeat
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Don Heck
Avengers: Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch
Villain: Enchantress, Power Man (Erik Josten)
One of Zemo's soldiers has been hiding in the jungle ever since Zemo was killed in Avengers #15. He enters the laboratory where Zemo gave Wonder Man his powers in Avengers #9. The Enchantress sees him and puts him under Zemo's machine, giving him the same powers as Wonder Man. She gives him the name Power Man. Just as corny! Together they go to America and carry out a plan to discredit the Avengers by trickery. At the end of the comic the American government demands that the Avengers disband.
According to the Crazy Credits everyone else does marvellous work while Artie Simek makes mistakes. What mistakes? This comic looks perfect to me.
Daredevil #10
Title: While the city sleeps!
Writer: Wally Wood
Artist: Wally Wood
Villain: Organizer, Cat Man, Ape Man (Monk Keefer), Frog Man (Frog Le Blanc), Bird Man (Henry Hawk)
Regulars: Foggy Nelson, Karen Page, Debbie Harris
A criminal mastermind called the Organizer frees four convicts from prison and gives them costumes which enhance their natural abilities.
Debbie Harris was Foggy Nelson's high school sweetheart, but she now works for the Organizer.
The Crazy Credits tell us that while the other creators excel in quality Artie Simek excels in quantity. Maybe that's true, but I can assure you that Artie Simek only writes the letters that he's given.
Fantastic Four Annual #3
Title: Bedlam at the Baxter Building!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Doctor Doom, Puppet Master, Red Ghost, Mole Man, Mandarin, Black Knight, Kang, Grey Gargoyle, Super-Skrull, Cobra, Executioner, Enchantress, Mr. Hyde, Electro, Melter, Unicorn, Beetle, Mad Thinker, Human Top, Diablo, Eel, Porcupine, Attuma
Regulars: Alicia Masters
Guests: X-Men (Cyclops, Angel, Beast, Iceman, Marvel Girl), Professor X, Avengers (Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver), Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Thor, Daredevil, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Nick Fury, Gabe Jones, Dum Dum Dugan, Foggy Nelson, Karen Page, Patsy Walker, Hedy Wolfe, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Watcher
This comic is just an excuse to get all the Marvel characters into one story. Almost all of them, at least. Sub-Mariner and the Hulk are missing, and the reasons given are their difficulties in their current stories. Using this argument, Doctor Strange ought to have been missing as well, because he's involved in an epic 12-part adventure battling Dormammu and Baron Mordo. Scarlet Witch is missing for no apparent reason. Giant-Man and the Wasp are missing.
Nevertheless, the missing heroes are on the annual's cover anyway. Consider it artistic license.
Quite a lot of villains are missing. The obvious ones are the Frightful Four, the Absorbing Man, the Stiltman and Doctor Octopus. I'll leave it up to my readers to tell me who I've forgotten.
The story's plot is that Doctor Doom has developed an emotion charger to attract every villain on Earth to attack the Baxter Building, whether or not they've fought the Fantastic Four in the past. That's ridiculous. I remember that the first time I read this story I laughed out loud. I just couldn't take it seriously. The emotion charger is so powerful that it also makes Kang travel back from the 30th Century to come to the wedding. As I said, it's ridiculous.
At least the Thing has a chance to yell his battle cry: It's clobbering time!
The Watcher invites Reed Richards to his arsenal and says that he can take any weapon he wants to defend against the attack of the super-villains. The Watcher doesn't make any suggestions, Reed can take whatever he wants.
That's the one! Just what Reed needs! But what is it?
Reed Richards is a genius, so he knew what it was as soon as he laid eyes on it. It's a sub-atronic time displacer! Perfect! It transports living beings back into the immediate past while erasing their memories. Except for Kang, of course. It transports Kang 1000 years into the future. The ray is so advanced that it only affects the evil people at the Baxter Building. None of the invited guests who accidentally get in the way are sent back in time.
So it's a happy wedding ceremony after all.
Don't weddings always make you cry?
The weddings security has been supplied by SHIELD. It makes a change from having to stop Hydra taking over the world.
And the gatecrashers are none other than Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. What went wrong? They should have been on the guest list.
Other comics published this month:
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos Annual #1 (Stan Lee, Dick Ayers)
Millie the Model #131 (Stan Lee, Stan Goldberg)
Modelling with Millie #42 (Sol Brodsky, Stan Goldberg)
Patsy Walker #123 (Al Hartley, Al Hartley)
Patsy and Hedy #102 (Al Hartley, Al Hartley)
Rawhide Kid #48 (Larry Lieber, Larry Lieber)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #23 (Stan Lee, Dick Ayers)
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