Silver Surfer #15
Title: The Flame and the Fury!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: John Buscema
Guests: Fantastic Four (Johnny Storm, Reed Richards, Ben Grimm)
First of all, here's some sad news. We all know about inflation. Prices rise constantly, in the 1970's just as they do today. The 15 cents that Marvel was charging was no longer enough to cover costs. This could be solved by two methods: either increase the price again, or cut the number of pages per issue to make room for more paying advertisers. This is the first comic published by Marvel in the 1970's with only 19 instead of the usual 20 pages, making it the shortest Marvel comic so far. It's a sad day indeed.
The Silver Surfer is flying around his favourite place on Earth, New York City, philosophising about the evil of mankind. It's stories like this that made the Silver Surfer Marvel's best selling comic in 1969 and 1970.
This is a true statement. Will mankind ever change? Somehow I doubt it.
The Silver Surfer turns to his best friends, the Fantastic Four, for advice. While hovering outside the windows of the Baxter Building he overhears a military man asking them to get the Silver Surfer. This angers the Surfer, so he attacks them. He engages in a fight with the Human Torch above the city. He doesn't show mercy until the Human Torch is lying unconscious.
The Human Torch says that the army wanted the Silver Surfer to assist with the space program.
This shows us the other side of the Silver Surfer. He judged mankind, but he's open enough to judge himself. This is powerful story-telling by Stan Lee, the Shakespeare of the 20th Century.
The Avengers #75
Title: The Warlord and the Witch!
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: John Buscema
Avengers: Captain America, Black Panther, Goliath, Vision, Yellowjacket, Wasp, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch
Villain: Arkon
Regulars: Jarvis
Guests: Toad, Bill Foster
Hank Pym (Yellowjacket) and Janet Van Dyne (the Wasp) announce their retirement as masked crime-fighters. Hank wants to go back to his career as a biochemist.
There's a world which exists side by side with our universe. A natural disaster has plunged their world into darkness. This carried on for years, until light suddenly appeared. The detonation of atomic bombs on Earth has brought back light to this parallel universe. The only problem is that the light supply isn't unlimited; the atomic explosions have to be repeated.
Arkon, the other world's ruler, is told that the problem is that the people of Earth make war, but they long for peace. This is the opposite way of arguing to what the Silver Surfer thought this month.
Arkon can observe the Earth, but he can't reach it. The Scarlet Witch is still trying to regain her powers. He influences her – by thought projection? – to find a book with arcane spells which will transport him to Earth. When he arrives on Earth, he captures scientists who will build and detonate atomic bombs for him; but not until he's captured the Scarlet Witch, because he wants her as a wife.
Quicksilver goes to the Avengers to ask for help saving his sister.
And I'm sorry to say, this is another 19-page story.
Fantastic Four #97
Title: The Monster from the Lost Lagoon!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Fantastic Four: Reed Richards, Susan Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm
Villain: Monster from the Lost Lagoon
Regulars: Franklin Richards
The Fantastic Four are taking a family holiday in Florida.
The unnamed monster in this story is based on the creature in the film "The Creature from the Black Lagoon". Visually, at least. In this comic he's an alien visitor from another planet. We learn very little about him before he returns to his home planet
Little Franklin "Frankie" Richards is learning how to say "Flame on" before he can say "Mommy".
In case anyone doubts that this story's monster is based on a film character, the Thing gives us one last clue.
Amazing Spider-Man #83
Title: The Schemer!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: John Romita
Villain: Schemer, Kingpin
Regulars: J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Betty Brant, Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn, Flash Thompson, Captain Stacy
Here's an example of Stan Lee's excellent writing, how he can turn from levity to serious topics faster than the reader can turn the page.
Talk about flirty girls! After being kissed by Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy, poor Flash Thompson can't even walk straight.
But as Flash leaves, Peter sits pondering on the values of the Vietnam War. Stan Lee was never a pacifist, he was a patriotic American who believed in fighting for freedom, but like many other Americans he had doubts that the Vietnam War was justified.
The Schemer, a new crime lord, wants to take over the gangs of New York City from the Kingpin, who last faced Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #70. Peter and Gwen are out walking when the Schemer's men attack one of the Kingpin's trucks. Gwen has to go to hospital. Peter confronts the Schemer as Spider-Man and destroys his headquarters, but the Schemer himself escapes. When Peter visits Gwen in hospital she refuses to talk to him because she's angry about him not staying at her bedside while she was injured.
Thor #175
Title: The Fall of Asgard!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Villain: Loki, Karnilla
Regulars: Odin, Balder, Sif, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg
Odin must yet again sleep the Odinsleep for a whole day in order to remain immortal. Loki uses the opportunity to wage war on Asgard, using an army made up of Mountain Giants, Trolls and others. While Thor and the warriors of Asgard are fighting, Loki sneaks into Odin's chamber and steals the Ring Imperial from Odin's hand. Whoever wears this ring is ruler of Asgard, so everyone, including Thor, has to kneel before him.
Captain America #124
Title: Stop the Cyborg!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Gene Colan
Villain: Modok, Cyborg (Agent A-12), AIM
Regulars: Nick Fury, Dum Dum Dugan, Jasper Sitwell, Sharon Carter
Captain America goes to SHIELD and demands that his lover Sharon Carter be removed from field duty and given a desk job. Typical macho posturing! He thinks that she shouldn't put her life in danger as a woman. Nick Fury only agrees because Captain America threatens to stop working for SHIELD.
AIM's leader Modok turns one of his agents into a man-machine hybrid and calls him Cyborg. Isn't that the definition of a man-machine hybrid? Cyborg sets a trap for Captain America. Sharon Carter discovers the trap and rushes to save her lover. She's no match for Cyborg, so Captain America has to save her.
After the battle Captain America is angry with Sharon for not staying at her desk. There's so much I could say about that.
Daredevil #63
Title: The Girl or the Gladiator?
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: Gene Colan
Villain: Gladiator
Regulars: Foggy Nelson, Karen Page
Karen Page hasn't just decided to turn down Matt Murdock's marriage proposal, she's also quit her job as Foggy Nelson's secretary, so that she can get as far away from Matt as possible.
In the meantime Foggy and Matt travel to the island prison where the Gladiator is being held. He was imprisoned after fighting with Iron Man in Iron Man #8, but now he claims that he isn't the Gladiator. He says that he was framed, although it's doubtful how that could have happened. The prison warden says that the prisoner is suffering from amnesia, so he gives him the Gladiator's weapons to jog his memory. What????? That must be the most stupid decision ever! The Gladiator uses the weapons to attempt to escape, and he can only be foiled by Daredevil.
Karen waits at her apartment until the last minute before her plane leaves, hoping that Matt will ring her and beg her to stay. He's busy at the prison, but she interprets it as a sign that he doesn't care.
Here's something embarrassing. The mighty Artie Simek, whom I've tirelessly defended for years, has blundered. He forgot a word in the speech bubble, and it had to be scratched in because it was too late to correct the mistake before it went to the printer.
And it's yet another 19-page story. Sigh.
The Incredible Hulk #126
Title: Where stalks the Night-Crawler!
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: Herb Trimpe
Villain: Undying Ones, Nameless One, Night-Crawler
Regulars: General Ross, Major Talbot, Betty Ross
Guests: Doctor Strange
This is the conclusion of the three-part story of the Undying Ones, that began in Doctor Strange #183 and continued in Sub-Mariner #22. If it hadn't been for the title's abrupt cancellation, all three parts would have been written in Doctor Strange's own comic, possibly with a different plot. We shall never know. All I can say for certain is that the plot as written is over-complex and confused, not up to Roy Thomas' usual standards. This makes me strongly suspect last minute changes.
Bruce Banner was left unconscious after his battle with the Absorbing Man last issue. A group of people carry his body away. They want to send the Hulk to a foreign dimension to battle someone called Night-Crawler, who is blocking the path of the Undying Ones to the Earth. The Hulk defeats Night-Crawler, but Doctor Strange halts the Undying Ones.
Back on Earth, Steven Strange says that he will give up his role as Doctor Strange and live as a normal man.
Sub-Mariner #24
Title: The Lady and the Tiger Shark!
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: John Buscema
Villain: Orka, Krang, Dr. Dorcas, Tiger Shark
Regulars: Dorma, Vashti
After escaping in last month's issue, Dorma, Vashti and the other captives are swimming back to Atlantis. Orka sends killer whales to intercept and kill them. Tiger Shark, last seen in Sub-Mariner #16, finds them and saves Dorma's life. Tiger Shark says he will save Vashti as well if she promises to marry him. She agrees, and they return to Atlantis, where he's immediately made the ruler. I'm not sure why he would qualify as ruler, even if Namor were dead, because he's only the husband-to-be of the previous ruler's wife.
Krang attacks Atlantis, aided by Orka, using Namor as a human shield. Tiger Shark has no respect for Namor and fires on him anyway. Namor escapes and aids in the defence of Atlantis. Tiger Shark and Orka battle until they both fall into an underwater fissure to their deaths. Supposedly.
Iron Man #24
Title: My son, the Minotaur!
Writer: Archie Goodwin
Artist: Johnny Craig
Villain: Minotaur
Regulars: Jasper Sitwell, Madame Masque
Madame Masque swam off into the ocean at the end of Iron Man #19. Now we see her washed up on a small island somewhere in the Aegean Sea. Luckily the island is inhabited by the brilliant plastic surgeon, Dr. Vryolak. He begins work on reconstructing her face.
Or is she so lucky? Dr Vryolak has a son called Miklos. As a child he was close to death, so his father healed him using a cure he found in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. What he didn't realise is that it wasn't a cure, it was a curse, and his son was turned into the form of the legendary Minotaur. Dr. Vryolak is planning to make Madame Masque into a second Minotaur to be his son's mate.
Jasper Sitwell now knows where Madame Masque, formerly known as Whitney Frost, is hiding. He wants to arrest her. Iron Man goes ahead of him to warn her and tell her to escape. Iron Man and Jasper get into a battle with the Minotaur. Jasper is knocked unconscious, and Iron Man lets Madame Masque leave.
This is a beautiful fight scene drawn by Johnny Craig.
Other comics published this month:
Millie the Model #181 (Stan Lee, Stan Goldberg)
Mad About Millie #10 (Stan Lee, Stan Goldberg)
Chili #12 (Stan Lee, Stan Goldberg)
Our Love Story #4 (Stan Lee, Gene Colan)
Rawhide Kid #75 (Larry Lieber, Larry Lieber)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #77 (Bill Everett, Dick Ayers)
Chamber of Darkness #4 (Jack Kirby, Jack Kirby)
No, I didn't make a mistake. Jack Kirby both writes and draws the lead story in this month's Chamber Of Darkness.
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