Fantastic Four #46
Title: Those who would destroy us!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Seeker
Guests: Black Bolt, Medusa, Crystal, Gorgon, Karnak, Triton, Lockjaw, Dragon Man
"The world's greatest comic magazine" continues to develop into a super-hero soap opera. It's living up to its title.
In the battle with the Inhumans the Fantastic Four discover that Black Bolt is unbeatable due to his strength, speed and agility. However, this is only temporary. He absorbs his energy through his antenna from the air. When the energy is used up he has to rest.
The Inhumans are hiding from someone they call the Seeker. He wants to capture them and take them back to a place called the Great Refuge. They are members of another race that has always inhabited the Earth but has remained hidden. Through genetic engineering they all have great powers.
Triton is encased in a sack of water because he's incapable of breathing air for more than a few minutes. The sack breaks , so he flees into the sea, where he's captured by the Seeker. The Seeker also captures Dragon Man after incorrectly assuming him to be an Inhuman.
The Crazy Credits praise the comic's creative team, except for Artie Simek. He's only a letterer.
Amazing Spider-Man #32
Title: Man on a Rampage!
Writer: Steve Ditko, Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Villain: Doctor Octopus, gang members
Regulars: Aunt May, J. Jonah Jameson, Betty Brant, Frederick Foswell, Ned Leeds
Guests: Dr. Connors
Peter Parker's Aunt May is still in hospital with an unknown sickness. Now he receives the diagnosis. She has a radioactive particle in her blood stream.
Peter assumes that the particle is a result of donating blood to her. Stan Lee might have forgotten when this was, but I can tell you. It was in Amazing Spider-Man #10.
Are you wondering what the no-prize is that Stan Lee promises? The reasons for awarding it varied over the years, but in its essence it's an intangible prize. Nobody knows a person has it except for Stan Lee and the person himself. Probably not even Stan knew it, because he was forgetful. In retrospect I wish that I'd done something to win a no-prize. I could tell people that I have a no-prize, and nobody would be able to prove it's not true, but I would know I'm lying, and that's all that matters.
Peter Parker turns to Dr. Connors for help, who we last saw as the Lizard in Amazing Spider-Man #6. He suggests an experimental new serum developed on the west coast called ISO-36. This is shipped to New York by express delivery, but it's stolen by men working for the Master Planner.
After going on a rampage, beating up crooks throughout the city to find out the Master Planner's location, he finally tracks him down and discovers that he's none other than Doctor Octopus, who was last seen in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1. After a hard battle Spider-Man is left to drown under a heavy collapsed building.
The Crazy Credits tell us that Artie Simek is a kibitzer. That's a good thing. He should take his work seriously and do a lot more than mere lettering.
Strange Tales #140
Title: The End of Hydra!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Don Heck
Villain: Hydra
Regulars: Dum Dum Dugan, Gabriel Jones
Guests: Tony Stark
When Dum Dum Dugan and Gabriel Jones arrive the battle turns in Nick Fury's favour. In the meantime Tony Stark flies into space in the Brainosaur to defuse the Betatron Bomb.
When he sees that the battle is lost, Hydra's supreme leader decides to detroy Hydra's base with Nick Fury and the other SHIELD agents inside.
The Crazy Credits say that Sam Rosen is responsible for booboo-bulging balloons. If anyone knows what that means, please let me know.
Title: The Pincers of Power!
Writer: Steve Ditko, Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Villain: Dormammu, Baron Mordo
Regulars: Ancient One, Clea (unnamed)
This is the eleventh part of the Doctor Strange-Dormammu-Baron Mordo epic. Dormammu fights in person against Doctor Strange. In his arrogance he doesn't fight with mystic power, a battle he would easily win, he demands a duel with mystic pincers. In this battle it isn't about power, it's all about skill. The winner is promised the mastery of the Earth.
Tales to Astonish #75
Title: The End of the Quest!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Gene Colan (as Adam Austin)
Villain: Krang
Regulars: Dorma, Vashti (unnamed)
As the title says, the quest to find Neptune's trident comes to an end, and Prince Namor is given his prize. He swims back to Atlantis with Lady Dorma, who is still unconscious. Before challenging Krang he brings Dorma to a machine that can cure her.
With Stan Lee's famous alliteration the Crazy Credits tell us that Sam Rosen is sagacious. Stan must have been in a good mood. At least he didn't say that Sam is silly or sloppy.
Title: Not all my power can save me!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Mike Esposito (as Mickey Demeo)
Villain: Leader
Regulars: General Ross, Major Talbot, Betty Ross, Rick Jones
Guests: Watcher
After the Leader's death the Hulk puts on the Ultimate Machine. This results in him hearing Rick Jones' voice pleading to be allowed to go to the White House to talk to the president.
General Ross fires a weapon called a T-Gun at the Hulk. Bruce Banner invented it without telling anyone what it does, but the general is foolhardy enough to use it anyway. It sends the Hulk into the distant future.
In this issue we see that the Hulk's intelligence is slowly degrading. He's no longer able to think like Bruce Banner.
The Crazy Credits tell us who does what, and it's the reader's job to enjoy the comic. Wow! That means I have the best job of all.
Tales of Suspense #73
Title: My life for yours!
Writer: Stan Lee, Roy Thomas
Artist: Gene Colan (as Adam Austin)
Villain: Black Knight
Regulars: Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan
Happy Hogan is still recovering in hospital after being injured by the Titanium Man. When Iron Man goes to visit him he finds that he's been kidnapped. A hoof print on the window sill tells him that the Black Knight is responsible. He pursues him to a castle 30 miles outside of Washington D.C. Iron man wins the battle, but he's badly hurt by electric bolts from the Black Knight's lance. At the end of the story he's lying injured, barely able to move.
Roy Thomas wrote the script, based on a plot by Stan Lee. In the next few years other writers joined the Marvel bullpen, but none can be compared with Roy Thomas. His style and imagination is second only to that of Stan Lee himself. His strength is that he imitated Stan Lee. Unless you know who wrote a story, it's difficult to tell the two apart. Their styles were so similar.
Title: Where walks the Sleeper!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Nazis
Captain America fights with the Sleeper, but it escapes. In a nearby town a second Sleeper emerges from the ground, a flying robot with the form of a manta. It combines with the first Sleeper into a single robot.
I don't know why the Crazy Credits say that Artie Simek's lettering is in stereo. That would hurt my eyes. I can guarantee that his excellent lettering is 100% mono.
Journey into Mystery #124
Title: The Grandeur and the Glory!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Demon
Regulars: Odin, Jane Foster
Guests: Zeus, Hercules
Despite the prominence of Hercules on the cover, he hardly appears in the comic itself. We see him briefly in Olympus. Zeus sends him to Earth on an unspecified mission.
We saw Hercules three months ago in Journey Into Mystery Annual #1, but we can assume that the story took place many years ago, maybe even hundreds of years ago.
I've reprinted the comic's splash page to show the detail in Jack Kirby's artwork. There are three Marvel comics on sale at the news stand. If you examine them carefully you'll see that they're Amazing Spider-Man #33, Fantastic Four #47 and Strange Tales #141, all of which will be released next month, February 1966. It was usual for Marvel to design comic book covers in advance, so that they would be available for publicity purposes, if needed. In the 1960's they were drawn a month in advance, but in later years they were drawn three months in advance, before the stories had even been plotted, leading to occasional discrepancies between the cover and the stories.
When Donald Blake visits Jane Foster in hospital she reacts sadly to him, saying that she loves him but accusing him of keeping secrets from her. In response he reveals to her that he's Thor by changing form in front of her. Odin sees this from his vantage point in Asgard and is enraged. He swears that there will be a punishment.
Unaware of Odin's wrath, Thor flies to Asia to challenge the Demon.
The Crazy Credits tell us that Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta are royalty, whereas Artie Simek is merely Sugar Lips. At least his wife is happy, if he can spend enough time at home to kiss her. Stan Lee is a slave driver, only letting Artie out of his cage when the work is done.
Title: Closer comes the Swarm!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Gods: Thor, Loki, Balder, Fandrel, Hogun, Volstagg
The quest continues to find the one responsible for damaging the Odinsword. Queen Ula of Thryheim sends her flying drones to attack Thor's ship.
So what are the Crazy Credits saying about Artie Simek this time? Why has he even been selected to work alongside the greats in the bullpen? If it means anything, I respect him!
The Avengers #24
Title: From the Ashes of Defeat
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Don Heck
Avengers: Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch
Villain: Kang
In the last issue Princess Ravonna rejected Kang's love, because he is only a commoner. It seems like class structures will be alive and thriving in the 40th Century. As a result, Kang sends his armies to attack the kingdom of Ravonna's father, King Carelius. The Avengers help to defend the kingdom, but they're too few to resist the attack of so many soldiers with advanced weapons.
After defeating the kingdom Kang spares Ravonna's life because he loves her. His commanders consider this an act of weakness and rebel against him. They battle against Kang, so he makes a deal with the Avengers. If they help him, he will return them unharmed to the 20th Century. In an amazing turnaround the Avengers fight side-by-side with Kang.
After defeating the rebels Kang honours his promise. As the Avengers are departing Baltag, the rebel leader, attempts to assassinate Kang. Ravonna reveals her love for Kang by leaping in the way to protect him.
Kang sits mourning over Ravonna as she lies dying, but I have to ask why. He's a time traveller. Couldn't he easily go back in time to five minutes ago to protect her? Stan Lee didn't think it all through. I deserve a no-prize if anyone does!
X-Men #16
Title: The Supreme Sacrifice!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Werner Roth (as Jay Gavin)
X-Men: Cyclops, Angel, Beast, Iceman, Marvel Girl
Villain: Sentinels
Regulars: Professor X
In the last issue the X-Men were captured by the Sentinels, but now they escape and continue the fight. It's impossible for them to defeat the Sentinels, because the Sentinels are already intelligent enough to have invented new weapons in the weeks or months since they were first created.
Professor X discovers that the reason one of the Sentinels collapsed in X-Men #14 was the interference in its electronics caused by a giant crystal on a nearby rooftop. He convinces an army unit to fly to the Sentinels' fortress in a helicopter, dangling the crystal beneath it.
One thing I've noticed while re-reading the early 1960's Marvel comics for the first time in years is the quality of Marvel's lesser known artists. For me the 1960's were all about the big two artists, Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby. The only other artist I could have named was Gene Colan. Now I'm discovering other artists, like Bob Powell and Werner Roth. Werner's artwork throughout this issue is so breathtaking that I feel tempted to show it all, but I'll restrict myself to the splash page. The rest is just as good, trust me.
The comic's cover was drawn by Jack Kirby. Compare it with the splash page to see the difference in their styles. Who do you prefer? I like Werner Roth more. He can draw facial expressions much better than Jack Kirby.
Daredevil #12
Title: Sightless in a Savage Land!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: John Romita
Villain: Plunderer (Lord Parnival Plunder), Ka-Zar, Swamp Men
Regulars: Foggy Nelson, Karen Page
John Romita is an artist who worked for Atlas Comics, Marvel's predecessor, from 1951 to 1957. He returned to Marvel after a few years working for DC. His first work after returning to Marvel was the cover of last month's Avenger #23. He's often called John Romita Sr. to distinguish him from his son John, who started work at Marvel in 1977 and became one of Marvel's most important artists.
The issue begins with Matt Murdock embarking on a long cruise and thinking about how he wants to continue his life.
Does he know what he wants? On page 2 he thinks that his first love is law, so he doesn't want to continue life as a super-hero.
And yet he thinks the exact opposite on page 4.
Matt Murdock's cruise ship is attacked by a pirate who calls himself the Plunderer. Daredevil surrenders when the Plunderer threatens the lives of the other passengers. Rather than wanting to harm Daredevil, he respects his fighting skills and offers him a position on his ship.
The ship continues on course to a place called Skull Island, which the Plunderer has recently discovered and claims to be the most unique place on Earth. What he doesn't know is that it's the home of Ka-Zar, who we last saw in X-Men #10. Ka-Zar is currently involved in a fight with the Swamp men.
Here's an example of Stan Lee's humour in the yellow editorial box. I love him!
Other comics published this month:
Millie the Model #134 (Stan Lee, Stan Goldberg)
Kid Colt Outlaw #126 (Steve Skeates, Jack Keller)
Two Gun Kid #79 (Larry Lieber, Dick Ayers)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #26 (Stan Lee, Dick Ayers)
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