Fantastic Four #72
Title: Where soars the Silver Surfer!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Silver Surfer
Regulars: Crystal
Guests: Watcher, General Ross
At the end of the last issue Reed and Sue Richards quit the Fantastic Four, making it the Fantastic Two. Or the Dynamic Duo. Or the Perilous Pair. Whatever you want to call them. Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm are sitting moping in the Baxter Building, when the Watcher comes to warn them that the Silver Surfer is planning to attack the human race.
We know that the Silver Surfer isn't a bad guy. He has noble motives. He sees that the human race is motivated by evil and humans are constantly at war with one another. He thinks that if he attacks the human race they will unite against him as a common foe. When all nations unite he can cease his attack, and man will live together in peace.
The Watcher also stops the train carrying Reed and Sue Richards through California to recruit their help. Reed agrees to return to New York, but he insists that his pregnant wife remain behind in safety.
The Watcher mentions an all-powerful being whose only weapon is love. This sounds like a Christian message. I'm sure Stan Lee meant it as a Christian message, but later post-canon comics have attempted to create a supreme Marvel being who's above all and never gets involved with his creations. Almost never. A recent Deadpool comic has revealed that the one-above-all looks like Jack Kirby.
The only weapon capable of defeating the Silver Surfer hasn't been built by Reed Richards, it's a missile called the Sonic Shark (TM) that belongs to the US army. It causes an explosion that can absorb cosmic energy. General Ross authorises its use against the Silver Surfer. Reed Richards thinks it will kill the Silver Surfer, so he deflects it before it hits him. It still weakens him greatly.
The Silver Surfer comes to his senses and realises that he can't save the human race by attacking it. To paraphrase Ben Parker, "With great power comes great stupidity".
Some reviewers doubt that the unnamed general in this issue is General Ross. They claim he has a doppelganger called General Fredericks. I disagree, but I leave it up to my readers to decide.
Amazing Spider-Man #58
Title: To kill a Spider-Man!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: John Romita
Villain: Ka-Zar, J. Jonah Jameson, Professor Smythe
Regulars: Aunt May, Captain Stacy, Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn, Betty Brant, Ned Leeds, Joe Robertson, John Jameson
Spider-Man seemed to be dead at the end of the last issue, but he's survived. Ka-Zar carries him away to help him revive. He might have grown up in the jungle, but he isn't a killer. When Spider-Man wakes up his memory has returned. He tells Ka-Zar that J. Jonah Jameson's opinion of him can't be trusted, so Ka-Zar releases him.
Professor Smythe, the scientist who built the Spider-Slayer, rings JJJ in his office. Stan Lee thinks that the robot was seen in Amazing Spider-Man #25. He's right this time! The professor has improved his robot, and he wants JJJ to try it out again.
If you think I'm being too flippant by referring to J. Jonah Jameson as JJJ, how would you feel if I called him PPPP? Those are Stan Lee's words, because he's called him a Peerless Paragon of Publishing Pomposity.
The Spider-Slayer attacks Spider-Man under JJJ's control. JJJ only wants to capture Spider-Man, which frustrates Professor Smythe. He takes over the controls and tries to kill him. Spider-Man narrowly defeats the robot.
I'll quote the Crazy Credits in full:
Wow! Try to beat this combo if you can...
Spectacular Script: Smiling Stan Lee
Brilliant Breakdown: Jazzy Johnny Romita
Fabulous Finalizing: Dashing Donny Heck
Exotic Embellishment: Mighty Mickey Demeo
Luscious Lettering: Swinging Sammy Rosen
And, in the immortal words of Irving Forbush... Whew!
The Avengers #50
Title: To tame a Titan!
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: John Buscema
Avengers: Hawkeye, Goliath, Wasp, Hercules
Villain: Typhon
The story starts with Hawkeye yelling at Goliath. In the early days of the Avengers Hawkeye always had a bad temper. It's a shame that this trait is missing from Jeremy Renner in the MCU films.
Typhon has banished all of the Olympian Gods to the Land of Shades, assuming that it's the name and not just a description. Now he wants to conquer Earth. Hercules follows him to Earth, and the remaining three Avengers follow him. Together they defeat Typhon, and Hercules forces him to release the Olympian Gods. After this, Hercules returns to Olympus, leaving the Avengers with only three members, the weakest they've ever been.
The Crazy Credits tell us that Sam Rosen's lettering is lithesome. I'm not sure whether this is correct or not. Maybe his lettering's beauty is so subtle that it shines in its unpretentiousness.
Strange Tales #166
Title: If Death be my Destiny!
Writer: Jim Steranko
Artist: Jim Steranko
Villain: Yellow Claw
Regulars: Dum Dum Dugan, Jimmy Woo
At the end of the last issue the Yellow Claw knocked over Nick Fury before escaping. This issue evidently begins a few minutes later, because Nick Fury has donned a High Altitude Wing Kite harness (TM) and is leaping after him in pursuit. He's even had time to grab a cigar. Doesn't he know that smoking will kill him?
The time was short, so another SHIELD agent had to light Nick's cigar for him.
Nick Fury finds the Yellow Claw's lair beneath the water in New York's harbour.
Here's some more amazing artwork from Jim Steranko. Poor Sam Rosen has to do the lettering standing on his head.
The Yellow Claw plans to kill his arch-enemy, Jimmy Woo, but his daughter Suwan begs for his life to be spared. Isn't it a trope of literature and films that the daughters of megalomaniacs always fall in love with the good guy? She manages to free Jimmy while Nick Fury is fighting with her father, but she's killed when she stands in front of the Thermo-Frigid Intensi-Ray Machine (TM) aimed at Jimmy.
Jimmy Woo blames not only the Yellow Claw but also Nick Fury for Suwan's death. He says Nick could have saved her. He swears revenge on both of them.
Look at the comparisons made in the Crazy Credits:
Stan Lee is Marvel's P. T. Barnum. I find that very appropriate.
Jim Steranko is Marvel's Bad Boy Peck. Who's that?
Joe Sinnott is Marvels's Huckleberry Finn. I don't see the connection.
Sam Rosen is Marvel's Little Lord Fauntleroy. I don't think he deserves to be demeaned like this. Let's call him Marvel's George Washington.
Title: Nothing can halt Voltorg!
Writer: Dan Adkins, Jim Lawrence
Artist: Dan Adkins
Villain: Yandroth
Regulars: Victoria Bentley, Ancient One
Dan Adkins has taken over the responsibility for plotting this issue. I'm sorry to say that he doesn't make any improvements. These are still some of the weakest Doctor Strange stories ever. I'd go as far as to say that they're the weakest Marvel stories of the 1960's. Doctor Strange's stories started out brilliant, but they fell apart when Stan Lee quit as writer. Nobody else could live up to him, not even Roy Thomas.
Wasn't the giant robot called Voltorr last issue? I told you to pay attention. This issue he's changed his name to Voltorg. Maybe it was just a little blunder by guest letter Al Kurzrok. The magnificent Artie Simek doesn't slip up. Not often.
Doctor Strange defeats Yandroth's giant robot. Yandroth flees by teleporting himself and Victoria Bentley to another far distant place. Doctor Strange attempts to follow them, but he arrives at Stonehenge, where he meets the bodyless spirit of the Ancient One, who died in Strange Tales #157. I told you he'd be back, didn't I?
Tales of Suspense #99
This is the last issue of Tales Of Suspense. Big things are happening at Marvel. I'll tell you more about it next month.
Title: At the Mercy of the Maggia
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Gene Colan
Villain: Big M, Whiplash, AIM
Guests: Nick Fury, Jasper Sitwell
Iron Man desperately uses his reserve transistor power in a last attack against Whiplash, even though it puts his heart at danger. It isn't enough. He's left too weak to move. Whiplash wants to tear his armour apart and kill him, but Big M says that he wants to examine the armour while it's still intact.
Jasper Sitwell somehow escapes from the crowd of beautiful women and tries to locate Iron Man.
The Maggia's casino ship is rammed by an AIM submarine. They want to capture Iron Man.
Title: The man who lived twice!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Baron Zemo
Regulars: Agent 13
Guests: Black Panther
Captain America and the Black Panther have been brought before Baron Zemo. They try to break free, but they're knocked unconscious by the Hypno-Light Missile (TM). When they wake up in Zemo's control room they're still groggy. Zemo tells them he has an orbiting Death Ray which will fire a laser beam at any country that refuses to submit to him. Captain America and the Black Panther attempt to stop him, but they're so weak that Zemo can knock them out with his fists.
Agent 13 arrives, disguised as the East German spy Irma Kruhl. Zemo orders her to shoot Captain America and the Black Panther to prove her loyalty.
Tales to Astonish #101
This is the last issue of Tales To Astonish.
Title: Where walk the Immortals!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Marie Severin
Villain: Loki
Regulars: Heimdall, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg
After last month's double-sized story, the Hulk returns to his usual 11-page format.
Bruce Banner is lying unconscious on the beach near Miami. Loki transforms him into the Hulk and brings him to the rainbow bridge. Heimdall is unable to stop the Hulk. He enters Asgard and fights briefly with the Warriors Three. They cease when they realise that he bears them no ill will, They say they will take him to see Oldar the Oracle to find out how he's come to Asgard. As the Hulk jumps across a bottomless chasm Loki transforms him back into Bruce Banner, causing him to fall.
This story contains Marie Severin's best artwork so far. Just look at the splash page if you don't believe me.
Title: And evil shall beckon!
Writer: Archie Goodwin
Artist: Gene Colan
Villain: Destiny (unnamed)
Regulars: Dorma, Seth
Prince Namor is being haunted by dreams of someone he thinks he's met somewhere before. He feels drawn to a place in the ocean. On the way he fends off attacks by American fighter planes. He finds a frozen underwater city, guarded by a large creatures that seems to be made of ice. After defeating it he comes face to face with the man he's seen in his dreams.
In the meantime the people of Atlantis are leaving their city, which was destroyed in the battle with the Plunderer.
Thor #150
Title: Even in Death
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Loki, Norn Queen (Karnilla), Wrecker
Regulars: Sif, Balder
Guests: Hela
Thor has been slain by the Wrecker. Almost. There's a last spark of life in him. The Goddess of Death, Hela, comes to escort him to an honorary place in Valhalla. Thor begs to be allowed to remain a short while to protect mankind from the Wrecker. At first he walks through New York as a bodyless spirit, unable to do anything, but he finally manages to enter his body again.
Sif and Balder have been sent back to Asgard, but Loki still wants to kill them while they've been stripped of their godhood. Sif and Balder venture into the Norn Queen's realm while searching for Odin's enchanted globe. The Norn Queen sends Forest Trolls to capture them and bring them to her. She pretends to be a friend and offers Sif a way to rescue Thor. She allows Sif's spirit to possess the Destroyer, who we last saw in Thor Annual #2. Sif easily defeats the Wrecker in the Destroyer's body. Thor awakes and prepares to attack the Destroyer, not knowing he'll be fighting Sif.
The Crazy Credits say that the comic has been lovingly lettered by Sam Rosen. It's always good when a man takes pride in his work.
Title: Triton
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Inhumans: Triton
Triton is the first Inhuman for centuries to leave Attilan and visit the outside world. He sees a sea monster attack a woman and rushes to defend her. It's not a real monster. A horror film is being made. It looks like Triton's appearance gives them the inspiration for "Creature from the Black Lagoon". Triton is shot with a tranquilliser gun and put in a boat headed to America. He could easily escape, but he decides to wait to see what the outside world is like.
X-Men #42
Title: Now strikes the Sub-Human!
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: Don Heck
X-Men: Cyclops, Angel, Beast, Iceman, Marvel Girl
Villain: Grotesk
Regulars: Professor X
Professor X orders Angel and Iceman to stay in the school and let Cyclops and the Beast face Grotesk alone. Only Marvel Girl knows what the reason is.
Grotesk escapes, so Cyclops and the Beast refurn to the school. They want to speak to Professor X, but Marvel Girl prevents it. Professor X has been disguising himself as a man called Professor Hunt. Professor X has a machine which is trying to prevent earth tremors, but Grotesk thinks it's causing tremors and tries to destroy it.
In the course of the battle there's an explosion that causes the death of both Grotesk and Professor X.
The cover insists that Professor X's death is "Not a hoax! Not a dream! Not an imaginary tale! This is for real!"
Well... let's say the story is almost for real. Maybe Roy Thomas really intended Professor X to die when he wrote it. Maybe it was the complaints from the readers that made him bring him back. Maybe Stan Lee yelled at him: "Roy! What have you done? You can't kill off one of my favourite characters!"
Unless someone can quote an interview on the subject, we'll never know. But Professor X will be back. Soon.
Title: The End, or the Beginning!
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: Werner Roth
X-Men: Professor X, Cyclops
Villain: Living Diamond
Professor X and Scott Summers fight against the Living Diamond. Professor X is also trying to save him. The new exposure to radiation has made him stronger, but it's also slowed him down, and there's the possibility that he soon won't be able to move at all.
Scott fires a vibration ray at the Living Diamond which immobilises him. Instead of surrendering he fights against it, and his body is shattered.
Scott Summers goes to Professor X's school and is given a costume, making him the first X-Man.
Daredevil #38
Title: The Living Prison!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Gene Colan
Villain: Doctor Doom
Regulars: Foggy Nelson, Karen Page, Debbie Harris
Guests: Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm
Doctor Doom has exchanged bodies with Daredevil. He walks towards the Baxter Building to attack the Fantastic Four.
Daredevil is left trapped in a prison cell. He assumes that Doctor Doom hasn't informed them about his latest plan, so he calls out to his guards and orders them to free him. He radios the Fantastic Four to warn them.
Reed Richards believes Daredevil's story because he thinks that Doctor Doom is capable of body transferal (though shouldn't it be called mind transferal?) This is a strange way for him to react. He should have said, "Doctor Doom has done it before". It was in Fantastic Four #10, to be precise. Did he forget?
Daredevil tricks Doctor Doom. He radios the Latverian council of ministers and orders them to declare war on all of the countries bordering Latveria. This forces Doctor Doom to swap bodies back and countermand the order. Daredevil destroys the mind transferal machine and leaves, thinking it's over. Doctor Doom still has one last trick. He phones the Fantastic Four and tells them that Doctor Doom is still in Daredevil's body and intends to attack them.
Marvel Super-Heroes #13
Title: Where stalks the Sentry!
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: Gene Colan
Villain: Sentry 459
Regulars: Yon-Rogg, Una, Carol Danvers
This is the second Captain Marvel story. Fans had to wait three months for it. Don't worry, it will be printed every two months from now on. Roy Thomas has taken over as writer, which should give Stan Lee more room to breathe.
Captain Mar-Vell is living undercover on Earth. Colonel Yon-Rogg is observing his progress, but he secretly hates Mar-Vell because he wants Una for himself. He accidentally fires a laser ray at Mar-Vell which would have killed him if a small aircraft hadn't flown in the way. The pilot is dead, so Mar-Vell takes his identity as Dr. Walter Lawson, a scientist assigned to the nearby missile base.
Sentry 459, which was seemingly destroyed in Fantastic Four #64, has been found, and it's Dr. Lawson's job to examine it. Yon-Rogg sees this and sends a command to awaken the Sentry. It begins to attack the missile base. When Captain Mar-Vell arrives the Sentry sees him as an enemy.
This comic features the first appearance of Carol Danvers as the base's head of security.
Other comics published this month:
Kid Colt Outlaw #139 (Ron Whyte, Werner Roth)
Two-Gun Kid #92 (Denny O'Neil, Ogden Whitney)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #52 (Gary Friedrich, Dick Ayers)
Captain Savage and his Leatherneck Raiders #2 (Gary Friedrich, Dick Ayers)
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