This month there are no stories written by Roy Thomas. Did Stan Lee send him back to school?
Fantastic Four #48
Title: The Coming of Galactus!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Maximus, Seeker, Galactus, Silver Surfer
Guests: Watcher, Black Bolt, Medusa, Crystal, Gorgon, Karnak
This is the big one. Many comic fans consider the saga of Galactus and the Silver Surfer to be the greatest story ever told in comics. Even though I prefer the Dormammu-Mordu-Doctor Strange epic in the recent issues of Strange Tales, I admit that this is a fantastic story. It's not just the story itself, it's the structure of the story. Stan Lee uses an experimental way of telling the story. Any other writer would have started a comic with the arrival of the Silver Surfer, continued for a couple of months, then ended a comic with the departure of Galactus. Not Stan Lee. Fantastic Fout #48 begins with the previous story coming to a close, then begins the new saga halfway through the issue; page 7, to be precise. It ends in the middle of Fantastic Four #50, on page 13. This structure is typical for televised soap operas, which always end on a cliffhanger instead of the resolution of a previous story.
This issue begins with the failure of Maximus' Atmo-Gun. It should have destroyed all life on Earth, but all it did was create worldwide tremors that knocked people over. Not put off by this, Maximus reverses the polarity of the Atmo-Gun, and it creates a shield around the Great Refuge which he calls a Negative Zone (not to be confused with other Negative Zones in Marvel). The Fantastic Four barely escape before the zone is closed.
When they get back to New York the city experiences strange phenomena. First there are flames in the sky, then boulders. These are both illusions created by the Watcher to hide the Earth from someone he calls the Silver Surfer.
The way the Silver Surfer uses his surfboard to travel around the universe makes him the coolest character in Marvel. It's a shame this coolness wasn't expressed in the second Fantastic Four film.
The Silver Surfer is described as the herald of a being called Galactus, who needs to consume planets to survive. His exact nature is developed in future years. From this story alone it seems that he needs a planet's minerals to survive. In future comics we find that he needs to eat planets with organic life, so he's also eating the inhabitants of planets. He's called the devourer of worlds.
Never one to remain quiet, the Thing uses his battle cry: It's clobbering time.
This is the arrival of Galactus on Earth, one of the most dramatic moments in comic book history.
In keeping with the dramatic tone of the comic, the Crazy Credits praise the comic's creators in a short rhyme; all except for Artie Simek, who's treated as if he doesn't even belong in the bullpen. I've told Stan Lee before and I'll say it again: without letterers there would be no comics.
Amazing Spider-Man #34
Title: The Thrill of the Hunt!
Writer: Steve Ditko, Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Villain: Kraven
Regulars: Aunt May, J. Jonah Jameson, Betty Brant, Frederick Foswell, Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn
Kraven, who we last say in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1, comes to New York to hunt for Spider-Man. He lures him into the public by disguising himself as Spider-Man and taunting J. Jonah Jameson.
Betty Brant leaves the Daily Bugle and is replaced by a new secretary.
You may have noticed that over the last few months Steve Ditko has been writing the plots for Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. He's the only artist at Marvel who has that much responsibility. This is additional proof for my claim that in the early years of Marvel it wasn't Jack Kirby who was the greatest artist. Many comic fans say that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were equally responsible for building up Marvel in the 1960's, but I'd place Jack Kirby in third place after Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. He might have had an important role in designing the costumes of Stan Lee's new heroes and villains, but Jack Kirby was one of the few Marvel artists who didn't do his own inking, putting him on a lower level than the other artists.
Tales of Suspense #75
Title: The Fury of the Freak!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Gene Colan (as Adam Austin)
Villain: Happy Hogan
Regulars: Pepper Potts
Iron Man continues his battle against Happy Hogan, who has now been transformed into a freak. It seems that Stan Lee is coaxing us to accept that his name is now the Freak with a capital F. Under normal circumstances Iron Man could have defeated the Freak, but he's not prepared for battle. In the last issue he only charged his armour with enough power for 30 minutes operation.
According to the Crazy Credits Stan Lee is titanic, Gene Colan is tremendous (whatever he calls himself) and Gary Michaels is tumultuous, but Sam Rosen is timorous. I'm not surprised. I'd be timorous as well if my boss wrote bad things about me every month.
Title: 30 Minutes to Live!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Dick Ayers
Villain: Batroc
Regulars: Agent 13 (unnamed)
At the end of the story in the last issue it looked like Captain America was floating safely back to Earth on a parachute after defeating the Sleepers. Here we see that there's a final explosion, causing him to lose his parachute and fall helplessly into the sea. He's pulled out of the water unconscious by a fisher boat.
Back at Tony Stark's mansion, the headquarters of the Avengers, Captain America thinks about how he's lost everyone he knew before he was frozen, including a woman that he loved. I just have one question: why does he have three guns hanging on his bedroom wall? I thought he didn't use guns. Are they just souvenirs?
When walking through the city he sees a woman who reminds him of his long lost lover. She's an agent of SHIELD, unnamed in this issue. In later comics we find that she's Agent 13, real name Sharon Carter, the younger sister of his wartime lover Peggy Carter. (In the post-canon years it was stated that she was Peggy Carter's niece).
Agent 13 is attacked by a man calling himself Batroc the Leaper. At first Captain America defends her, but when she gets away Batroc convinces him that she intends to blow up the city.
Look at this month's Crazy Credits. Artie Simek is spared ridicule, but Irving Forbush is said to be the bullpen's cheerleader. Who is he? Quite simply, he doesn't exist. It's the name of a non-existent Marvel employee who has been ridiculed at intervals ever since 1955. In coming years he'll become a regular character in Marvel's comedy comic Not Brand Echh. I'm glad that Stan Lee has pulled him out of his desk and used him again. Now he won't have to ridicule the letterers Artie Simek and Sam Rosen.
Strange Tales #142
Title: Who strikes at SHIELD?
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Mentallo, Fixer
SHIELD is attacked by Mentallo and the Fixer. The combination of Mentallo's mind-reading powers and the Fixer's weaponry skill makes them unstoppable. At the end of the story they capture Nick Fury and subject him to a device which will make him turn against SHIELD.
This is interesting information in the Crazy Credits. Stan Lee is Marvel's answer to James Bond. I'm sure he is! Jack Kirby is Marvel's answer to UNCLE. They probably mean the Man from UNCLE, but never mind. Mike Esposito, to give the inker his real name, is the answer to Brand Echh. As all true Marvel fans know, Brand Echh was Marvel's nickname for DC Comics. It's also true. He was probably better than anyone who worked for DC. But what about Artie Simek? He's Marvel's answer to Sam Rosen? I don't get it. Has Sam Rosen turned traitor?
Title: Those who would destroy me!
Writer: Steve Ditko, Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Villain: The Demon, Mordo's henchmen
Regulars: Ancient One
Strictly speaking, the 12-part Dormammu-Mordo-Doctor Strange epic finished last month. However, I like to think of the next five issues as an epilogue, leading up to the final confrontation of Dormammu with Eternity in Strange Tales #146. Baron Mordo might have disappeared, banished by Dormammu, but his servants are still active on Earth. Three of his servants, one of them called Demon while the other two are unnamed, manage to capture Doctor Strange.
Steve Ditko wants to waste no time with a splash page. He jumps straight into the story.
Tales to Astonish #77
Title: To walk amongst men!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Gene Colan
Regulars: Dorma, Vashti
Guests: Henry Pym, Janet Van Dyne
Prince Namor decides to return to the surface world to confront the human race about its nuclear tests that are causing underwater earthquakes. Before getting so far he finds an underwater drill. First he damages the drill to stop its operation. Then he swims to the platform where the scientists are located who are responsible for the drill. Among the scientists are Henry Pym and Janet Van Dyne.
This is the first comic in which Gene Colan is credited with his real name.
Title: Bruce Banner is the Hulk!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: John Romita
Villain: Executioner
Regulars: General Ross, Betty Ross, Major Talbot, Rick Jones
In the 25th Century the Hulk continues to fight against the Executioner. Neither one can defeat the other because they're too evenly matched.
In the 20th Century Rick Jones is interrogated about Bruce Banner. Everyone including Rick is convinced that he was killed by the T-Gun, so Rick confesses to Major Talbot that Bruce Banner was the Hulk.
Here's another Stan Lee joke. He tells us that the third O in "Fooom" is silent. Thanks for the information, Stan. I always thought the first O was silent.
Thor #126
Title: Whom the Gods would destroy!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Hercules, Seidring
Regulars: Odin, Heimdall, Balder, Jane Foster
This month the comic Journey Into Mystery is renamed Thor. That's appropriate. Before too long (June 1968) all of the former anthology comics will either be discontinued or renamed to carry the names of super-heroes.
Thor battles Hercules, and the two are equally matched in their strength. Thor's hammer gives him a small advantage. In the middle of the fight Odin punishes Thor for revealing his secret identity to Jane Foster in Journey Into Mystery #124. Thor loses half of his strength, so Hercules can easily defeat him.
Stan Lee might have forgotten when Odin took away half of Thor's powers, but I haven't. It was Journey Into Mystery #101, way back in February 1964.
If anyone knows what the Crazy Credits are trying to say about Artie Simek, please explain it to me.
Title: The Summons!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Gods: Odin, Thor, Loki, Balder, Fandrel, Hogun, Volstagg
The quest continues to find the one responsible for damaging the Odinsword. Thor goes to Queen Ula of Thryheim to demand the release of his brother Loki. The confrontation is interrupted by Odin. He says that the quest has to be abandoned, because the one responsible is in Asgard.
The Avengers #26
Title: The Voice of the Wasp!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Don Heck
Avengers: Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Wasp, Giant-Man
Villain: Attuma
Guests: Sub-Mariner (cameo)
This comic is slightly out of sync with this month's other comics. It takes place after Tales To Astonish #78, which won't be published until next month. I assume that some comics were finished sooner than others, depending on who the artists were. Stan Lee, as the writer of almost every comic, was behind everything and knew what would happen in each comic.
After meeting with Sub-Mariner in Tales To Astonish #78 Janet Van Dyne changes into the Wasp to fly to the American coast to warn the authorities about him. On the way she's captured by Attuma, who we last saw in Fantastic Four Annual #3. She sends a message to the Avengers. Only three of the Avengers come to her aid because Hawkeye is in the city partying.
In Strange Tales #138 the Crazy Credits told us that Sam Rosen's lettering was indelible. Now it's Artie Simek's turn. All good letterers should produce indelible lettering if they're worth the money they're paid.
X-Men #18
Title: If Iceman should fail!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Werner Roth (as Jay Gavin)
X-Men: Cyclops, Angel, Beast, Iceman, Marvel Girl
Villain: Magneto, Toad (flashback)
Regulars: Professor X
Guests: Stranger
All of the X-Men are imprisoned in a hot air balloon that's floating ever higher until it reaches a height where there's not enough air to breathe. All except for Iceman, who's still in hospital. Professor X sends a mental message telling him to get up and challenge Magneto while the other five try to escape.
By the way, don't you think that's a beautiful cover drawn by Werner Roth?
If I hadn't read this month's Crazy Credits myself I wouldn't have believed it. Stan Lee downplays the talent of the writer, the artist and the inker before going on to say that Artie Simek is the world's greatest letterer. He must have been over the moon! On the other hand, praising Artie Simek once a year is cheaper than buying him a birthday cake. Artie was born on January 6th 1916, so it was his 50th birthday.
Daredevil #14
Title: If this be Justice!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: John Romita
Villain: Plunderer
Regulars: Foggy Nelson, Karen Page
Guests: Ka-Zar
The Plunderer now has both halves of the medallion which were divided between himself and his brother. With it he opens a vault that contains more of the vibrating metal. He forms a gun which makes him able to destroy any metal weapons used against him.
The police arrest Ka-Zar, who was wrongly accused of murder by his brother. Foggy Nelson and Karen Page fly to England to defend him.
Other comics published this month:
Kid Colt Outlaw #127 (Steve Skeates, Jack Keller)
Two Gun Kid #80 (Larry Lieber, Dick Ayers)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #28 (Stan Lee, Dick Ayers)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Tick the box "Notify me" to receive notification of replies.