La Comunidad (5 Stars)

"Who cares about everyone else? We're different. We're neighbours".

That's a very loose translation of Spanish dialogue in the film. I paraphrased it to omit the swear words.

I should be ashamed of myself. For years I've been telling people that Alex de la Iglesia is my favourite European director, and yet I've never watched this film. Many consider it to be his best film. Personally, I prefer "800 Bullets", but I still consider it to be a masterpiece. "Masterpiece" is a word I use often in this blog, probably too often, but this time it's well deserved.

"La Comunidad" means "the community", but in the context of this film it's better translated as "neighbours". Different families live in an apartment building in the centre of Madrid. They all know one another, and they're united by one common motivation: greed.

An eccentric old man won 300 million Pesetas in the lottery. Allowing for inflation, that would be about four million dollars today. He didn't trust the banks. so he kept the money in cash in his apartment. The neighbours all knew about it, so they swore a pact to divide the money between themselves after his death. They were all so paranoid about missing out that none of them went on holiday for years while they were waiting for him to die.

Eventually he died. There are two problems. The first problem is that a knew tenant has moved into the building who isn't part of the friendly neighbourly community. She's the first person to enter the man's apartment after his death. She knows nothing about him or his winnings, but she finds bags of money and takes them into her apartment.

The second problem is that Spain has recently changed its currency to the Euro. (This happened on January 1st 1999). It's still the transition period, so she can spend the money, but it won't last long. She needs to exchange it in a bank.

The neighbours soon realise she has the money. First they try to steal the money from her, and when that fails they resort to violence. They might have succeeded if they'd held together, but in their greed they turn against one another

This is an utterly amazing film. It's a masterpiece, in case I didn't say it already. On the one hand it's a social drama about the results of greed. On the other hand there are comic moments that lighten the mood. People die in the most ridiculous ways. The atmosphere is reinforced by filming scenes against the background of famous Madrid landmarks.

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Marvel Years 03.02 - February 1963

Fantastic Four #11

Title: A Visit with the Fantastic Four

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby

Villains: The Skrulls (flashback), Doctor Doom (flashback)

Regulars: Yancy Street Gang, Willie Lumpkin

This comic contains two stories, both 11 pages long. The first story is a non-story. It shows a day in the life of the Fantastic Four. Once more we see that the Fantastic Four live in the same world as the readers, not in a universe numbered 616. They walk through New York to buy the latest issue of the Fantastic Four comic, even though the Thing claims that they already know how the stories end. This follows up the concept first introduced in the previous issue that Reed Richards reports the group's adventures to Stan Lee so that he can write about them.

This story might not contain any fights, but it's famous for two things.

This is the issue in which the Yancy Street Gang is first mentioned. They're never actually seen in the comics -- at least not in the Stan Lee years -- but they're frequently mentioned as a gang that plays practical jokes on the Thing. He always acts like he's furious with them, but we can't help thinking that he likes them really.

This is also the issue in which we first see the Baxter Building's postman, Willie Lumpkin. He was hardly ever shown in Stan Lee's Fantastic Four comics, but he was nevertheless popular with Marvel fans. In later years other writers featured him more often. He appeared in the 2005 Fantastic Four film played by Stan Lee himself. He was turned down as a member of the Fantastic Four, which is a shame. None of the other members can wiggle their ears.

This story also gives us some background information about Reed Richards and Ben Grimm. They met and became best friends when they became room mates at university. They both fought in World War Two, Ben Grimm as a fighter pilot, Reed Richards as an undercover agent helping the resistance fighters against the Japanese.

There's yet another attempt to turn the Thing back into Ben Grimm, which only lasts a few minutes.

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Title: The Impossible Man

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby

Villains: The Impossible Man

This was the only appearance of the Impossible Man in Stan Lee's years as a writer. Roy Thomas brought him back in 1976, and he's appeared sporadically ever since. In later comics it was established that whatever shape he becomes he's always green. Obviously Stan and Jack hadn't agreed on his colour in 1963.

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Tales to Astonish #40

Title: The Day that Ant-Man Failed

Writer: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber
Artist: Jack Kirby

Villain: The Hijacker

The villain is a normal crook without any super powers.

The issue also contains an anthology story.

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Journey into Mystery #89

Title: The Thunder God and the Thug

Writer: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber
Artist: Jack Kirby

Regulars: Jane Foster, Odin

Villain: Thug Thatcher

The villain is a mobster without any super powers.

This issue also contains two short anthology stories.

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Strange Tales #105

Title: The Return of the Wizard

Writer: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber
Artist: Jack Kirby

Villain: The Wizard

Regulars: Susan Storm, Reed Richards, Ben Grimm

This is the first Human Torch solo story in which the rest of the Fantastic Four appear as guests. Only his sister Susan assists him in his battle against the Wizard.

This issue also contains three short anthology stories.

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri (4½ Stars)

This film has been nominated for seven Oscars at the 2017 Academy Awards, including Best Film. Does it have a chance of winning? The odds are stacked against it. It's a black comedy, and the last time a comedy won the Best Film award was 40 years ago. It also faces stiff opposition from "The Shape of Water".

The film takes place in a fictional small town in Missouri. It's seven months since Mildred Hayes' daughter Angela was found dead after being raped just outside of town. After all this time there are no leads. Mildred blames the police, so she rents three billboards to post a message of protest:

1 - RAPED WHILE DYING

2 - AND STILL NO ARRESTS?

3 - HOW COME, CHIEF WILLOUGHBY?

A subject like this might not seem like a suitable topic for a comedy, but if you know the previous films by the director Martin McDonagh, "In Bruges" and "Seven Psychopaths", you already know that he has a twisted sense of humour.

I'm surprised that the film is so popular in America, because it's obvious that McDonagh is making fun of American society. He's a British director, and normally Americans only allow their own countrymen to criticise them. Subjects such as racism and police brutality are presented as something hilarious. The cinema audience couldn't stop laughing.

Nobody in the film can be considered a good person, not even Mildred. Everyone has faults, some more than others. If Ebbing is a microcosm of American society it's a rotten apple full of worms. I don't say that to criticise the film. That's what gives it its appeal.

It's a very good film that I'll definitely buy when it's released on Blu-ray. It's worth watching more than once. I overheard someone in the row behind me saying it was the fourth time he'd seen it in the cinema. It's a film that can fascinate people, and I suspect that it will fascinate me even more after I see it again.

The Disaster Artist (5 Stars)

The best thing about reviewing true stories is that I don't have to worry about spoilers, especially if it's a story that's well known. In the case of this film it's even easier because the plot itself is so simple. Let's get the plot out of the way first:

Tommy Wiseau meets Greg Sestero in acting classes in San Francisco. They move to Los Angeles and make a film called "The Room", which is considered to be the worst film ever made.

That's it. No spoilers.

Tommy Wiseau was, and still is, a mystery. To this day nobody knows how old he is, where he comes from or how he became so rich. In 1998, when he met Greg, he claimed to be 19, but he was probably in his mid 40's. He said he was from New Orleans, but his accent sounded like he came from Eastern Europe. An investigator claims to have evidence that he was born in Poland, but Tommy has never confirmed it. As for the source of his money, it's a complete mystery. He invested six million dollars to make "The Room", and how much money he still has left is a closely guarded secret. Estimates range from $500,000 to $20 million.

Tommy Wiseau had unshakeable confidence in himself and the quality of his film. He thought it was good enough to win Academy Awards, even though it only earned $1800 in its opening weekend. Some people claim that the film has finally become profitable due to its notoriety as a bad film, but that's questionable. The midnight screenings at Arthouse cinemas don't earn much money.

Is it really the worst film ever made? That's a matter of opinion, and it depends on the criteria. I've seen films that I consider worse, such as "Jupiter Ascending". There's a common expression that says a film is "so bad that it's good", but I think that expression is only used by people who don't want to admit that they don't know what they're talking about. A film might have technical errors but still be exciting and enjoyable. Another film might be technically perfect but boring. "Jupiter Ascending" fits into the latter category. The best example of the former category is "Plan 9 from Outer Space", which used to be called the world's worst film.

I've only watched "The Room" once. I can't judge it impartially, and I don't even intend to try. I'll probably watch it again soon, but only in order to put "The Disaster Artist" into context. It's probably impossible to understand "The Disaster Artist" if you've never seen "The Room".

James Franco won the Golden Globe award for Best Actor for his role as Tommy Wiseau. This was well deserved, and I'm surprised he hasn't been nominated for the Academy Awards. The film is hilarious, and the cinema audience was in stitches. They weren't laughing with Tommy, they were laughing at him. Does Tommy care? I doubt it. If he'd made a good film he would have been forgotten by now. By making a bad film he's established himself as a legend.

P.S. If you haven't seen the film yet, make sure you don't miss the after-credits scene in which the real Tommy Wiseau appears.

Embrace of the Vampire (4 Stars)

This is a film that appeals to me, even though I can't give it my top rating. It's only two months since I last watched it, but I'm sure I'll watch it again. The film's main faults are in the story. There's no logical reason why the vampire is doomed to die unless he drinks Charlotte's blood on her 18th birthday. What happened to the three vampiresses who made him a vampire 400 years ago? Apart from that, someone needs to tell the director that the drug Ecstasy doesn't cause hallucinations.

The film's strength is in its atmosphere. Martin Kemp is the type of brooding vampire that we know from Anne Rice's novels. He wants to do good, but his overwhelming thirst for blood makes him do evil. The film has a burning eroticism which is only partially a result of the nude scenes.

There's a hint of scandal when Charlotte, the devout Catholic girl, shares a lesbian encounter next to a crucifix. As everyone knows, guilt makes sex more exciting, and religious guilt is the strongest guilt. I'm not a Catholic, but I can still feel the impact of this scene.

I recently heard that the film was remade in 2013. I'm curious to see it, even though I don't understand the point in remaking such a recent film. I sincerely hope the remake is good, but somehow I doubt it.

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After Porn Ends 2 (3 Stars)

"Is there a life after porn films? I don't know" (Chasey Lain).

This is the second documentary I've watched in a single day. I must be getting serious in my old age.

The very title of this documentary identifies it as a sequel. "After Porn Ends" was made five years earlier. The second film has a different selection of porn stars. The first film showed recent porn stars who decided to quit the business for a variety of reasons. The second film shows primarily older porn stars from the 1970's and 1980's who remained in the business until they were no longer wanted. As people who were in the porn business for many years they have different problems to those who only did it for a few years in their youth.

The main problem for older retired porn stars seems to be financial. Pornography itself doesn't pay well enough to provide financial security after retirement. Only the porn stars with enough skills to branch out into other ventures, such as talent agencies or web sites, are able to retire comfortably.

I was quite shocked to hear about the attitudes in the porn industry. Hopefully they were only in the past, but somehow I doubt it. Women who entered the porn industry were advised not to do everything at the start of their career. They should slowly build up. First they should have normal sex. After a few years anal sex. After another few years double penetration. Then finally the most shocking sex of all: interracial sex. One of the porn stars said that she had anal sex after two years, double penetration after four years and interracial sex after 17 years. I fail to see what's so terrible about it. I thought that we were past the days when it's not right to see a black man with a white woman.

Most of the porn stars in the film were unknown to me. The only two names I knew were Lisa Ann and Brittany Andrews. Lisa Ann had her biggest success in her later years due to her similarity with Sarah Palin. That's obviously a big advantage, and it led to a string of politically inspired films.

Sarah Palin and Lisa Ann. Or is it the other way round?

I got to know Brittany Andrews 20 years ago when I downloaded a lot of her videos. I didn't save them, but they're probably still online if I look hard enough. She was advertised as of the Queen of Pain, and there were countless videos in which she tortured men by kicking them in the balls, jumping on their stomachs (wearing high heels, of course) or just suffocating them by sitting on their faces. That's what I call art.

Brittany is now 44 years old. She's retired from porn a few times, but she keeps returning because she says it's so much fun. Once a dominatrix, always a dominatrix.

As a documentary I find "After Porn 2" disappointing. There are a few long interviews with the porn stars and many shorter interviews, but there's no attempt to make a summary. The overall impression left by the documentary is confusion.

P. S. Evan Stone is tagged in this post because he appears briefly in one of the many film clips included. He has nothing to do with the documentary itself. After 1200 films he shows no signs of wanting to retire.

Gaga: Five Foot Two (4 Stars)

This is a fascinating documentary about the pop star Lady Gaga, available on the streaming service Netflix. She's probably the only current pop star who interests me enough to watch a documentary. For years, so long ago that I've forgotten when it started, American pop music has degenerated into rap. Lady Gaga stands out as a young performer who sings songs which are songs, with a catchy rhythm and a chorus. She knows what music is. She's also a talented musician, as proved by her skills at the piano.

The documentary follows Lady Gaga over the course of a year from 2016 to 2017, culminating in her Superbowl half time show in February 2017. I already knew Lady Gaga before watching the documentary, but now I know Stefani Germanotta, the little Italian girl from New York. She might be a little girl, only five foot two, but she's a power house. She's very successful in the music industry, but she doesn't take anything for granted, she fights for everything she wants.

Something that hampers her in her struggles is the broken hip that still causes her pain after three years. She endures it. As she tells her doctor, she feels pain, but she continues. She has a job to do and she does it. This isn't because she has to "make a living" like me and most other people. She has enough money saved to retire. She carries on because she loves what she does, and she's willing to disregard the hip pain to present her music to the world. A true artist creates art because it's what he was born to do.

This is apparent in the making of the album "Joanne" during this year. Stylistically it was different to anything she had recorded before, but she was more interested in presenting something personal than just giving her fans what they expected from her. The album was about her Aunt Joanne, an important person in her life, although it's not clear from the documentary whether she ever knew her. It's possible that she died before she was born.

At the beginning of the film she says out loud that she doesn't need a man to get what she wants. I know that this refers to the recent break up of her engagement, but it's not completely true. While watching the documentary we see the repeated appearance of the most important man in her life, her father Joe Germanotta. She's devoted to him, and he's devoted to her. When they're together we don't see Lady Gaga, we see Stefani as the little girl in his arms. Could she have succeeded without such a loving father supporting her every step of the way? Maybe, but it would have been a lot more difficult. He helped to make her what she is today.

So much of Lady Gaga is about image. She rose to fame as someone who was glamorous, sexy and provocative (though not necessarily in that order). She chose the image herself because it was necessary. In today's world of YouTube videos a musician's appearance is as important as the music itself. She's still strong enough to do her own thing. If she's told she has to look sexy she makes herself sexy, but she adds something to her appearance to ridicule the look. Sometimes she dresses up in ways that aren't sexy at all, and these are her most provocative appearances that are shown in the newspapers.

In the preparation for her Superbowl appearance she told the organisers that she wanted to do the opposite of what her fans expected. That was a good intention, but impossible to achieve. The Superbowl halftime show is a big show, possibly the biggest show of the year, and it's expected to be a dazzling spectacle with dancing and pyrotechnics. Lady Gaga couldn't have sat alone on the edge of the stage strumming an acoustic guitar. That would have been too provocative, the establishment would never have accepted it. She entered the Superbowl arena like a fairy on a string.

Stefani Germanotta is a very likeable person. She doesn't have an attitude that she's way above her fans. The fans love her, and she loves them back. She's not a remote, untouchable celebrity. We see that especially in her meeting with her fan Marlene, who claimed that Lady Gaga's music had saved her life. After the meeting Lady Gaga was in tears. No person of Lady Gaga's fame can find time to meet all her fans personally, but she was able to show her generosity by spending some time with this one special fan.

Does all this make me a fan of Lady Gaga? No. I may have watched most of her music videos on YouTube, but I prefer rock music. However, I have a deep respect for her both musically and as a person. She has a dignity that will help her evolve into an adored popular singer, even a diva,  over the next 30 years. Long live Lady Gaga!

To The Limit (2 Stars)

This is a sequel to "DaVinci's War", which I vaguely remember seeing on television 20 years ago, but it's never been released on DVD.

"To The Limit" was one of the first films I bought on DVD. I didn't intend to watch it again, but after watching the Anna Nicole Smith biopic I thought I would give it another chance. I shouldn't have bothered. It's boring from beginning to end. Crooked CIA agents and the mafia betray one another so often that it's difficult to keep up with who is fighting who. All I can say for certain is that in this film the mafia are the good guys.

The DVD is now out of print, but I've noticed that it's available on Amazon Prime in the USA. My advice is that you fast forward to Anna Nicole Smith's nude scenes. Nothing else in the film is worth watching.

Pope Joan (4½ Stars)

This is the story of Johannes Anglicus who reigned as Pope from 844 to 847 AD. It was only discovered that he was a woman after she had a miscarriage during an Easter procession.

There are doubts whether she ever really existed. Historians are divided on the subject. I researched the subject a few years ago and couldn't come to an opinion. It seems to me that the majority of the historians are biased one way or the other. Catholic historians say that it's ridiculous that a woman could ever have been chosen as Pope, whereas secular historians support the story as a way to undermine the authority of the Catholic Church. All I can say is that in the ninth Century the Church had the sole responsibility for writing history, so if something happened that was unfavourable to the Church it would be denied. Only legends would be passed on by word of mouth, which after a few generations would degenerate into bawdy tavern songs composed to ridicule the Church.

The film deals with the subject very respectfully, in no way insulting the Roman Catholic Church. Johanna was born in Ingelheim, Germany, in 814 AD, only a few years after Christianity had been declared the official religion by Emperor Charlemagne. Her father was the village priest, and she had two older brothers. After the death of the oldest brother the priest wants to send his other son, Johannes, to the cathedral school at Dorestad. The teacher comes to the village to meet Johannes, but when he sees that Johanna is much more intelligent he insists on taking both children to the school, even though it was highly unusual to offer girls education.

At the school she excels, proving herself superior to all the boys. Instead of living in the cathedral she's taken in by Count Gerold, who treats her like one of his daughters. When they're 19 their schooling ends. Johannes is offered a place in a monastery and a husband is chosen for Johanna. Women are expected to marry, educated or not. Shortly before her wedding the Vikings attack, killing many people in the area, including Johannes. Johanna disguises herself as a man and takes on her brother's identity, calling herself Johannes. At the monastery in Fulda, she/he displays great skills as a healer. Johanna lives this simple life for seven years, but then suspicions arise about her, so she leaves to take a pilgrimage to Rome.

She joins a brotherhood and remains in Rome. She is soon known in the city as a healer. After a few years Pope Sergius is taken ill, and she is called to treat him. He becomes healthy again after a week, which many consider a miracle. The young monk Johannes becomes the Pope's closest friend. A year later he dies as a result of poisoning and Johannes is elected the new Pope.

As Pope Johannes she is very popular with the people of Rome, but her private life is her downfall. She appoints Count Gerold as the leader of the Papal Guard, and he becomes her lover.

The film is made in the style of a Biblical epic, with splendid costumes and dazzling sets. The film is a German production, but made entirely in English. Strangely, it has never been released in England or America, but the German Blu-ray contains the original English dialogue. I can recommend the film to all my readers, whether they're religious or not. The theology is in agreement with Catholic doctrine, apart from the matter of a woman teaching. ("I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet"). On the other hand, the theology isn't over-emphasised, so non-religious viewers can regard it as a film about female empowerment.

Marvel Years 03.01 - January 1963

A few days ago someone asked me why I don't write a complete review of each Marvel comic that I read, including a full plot summary. That's a good question that I have difficulty answering. Partly it's laziness. If I wanted to do these brilliant comics justice I would be sitting for hours writing about them every day. Partly it's because I don't think it's necessary. Anyone who wants plot summaries can find them in the Marvel Database. For instance, click here for a plot description of Fantastic Four #10. The database isn't easy to navigate, but the information is all there if you look hard enough.

Apart from statistics about the writers, artists and titles I'll only write about the story itself to point out things that I've noticed. I shan't repeat anything that's already available elsewhere. In my Marvel Years posts you'll only find my own thoughts. I hope that answers the question.

Fantastic Four #10

Title(s): The Return of Doctor Doom
Back from the Dead
The End of Mr. Fantastic
No Place to Turn
The Real Doctor Doom

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby

Villain: Doctor Doom

Regulars: Alicia Masters, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

This is a single story split into five parts that have been given individual titles. What's most amazing about the story is the way Stan Lee breaks the third wall in pages 5 to 8. Or is it the fourth wall? I get confused sometimes. Here's the whole sequence.

This is the first time that Stan Lee features Jack Kirby and himself in a comic. We don't see their faces throughout the story. Notice the subtle ironies in their conversation. In the introductory box Stan says that he and Jack are in the middle of writing a Fantastic Four story, but they were interrupted after the first few pages. Jack is struggling to invent a new fictional villain for the comic, but Stan says that the public expects villains like Doctor Doom, talking about him like a real life character. Jack answers that they "came up with him", so is he fictional after all?

Jack Kirby subtly inserts advertisements for all of the other Marvel heroes into the first picture, Thor, Ant-Man and the Hulk.

In walks Doctor Doom. So he is real after all. Stan wants to know how he returned from space so he can write about it.

Doctor Doom carries on with a carrot and stick approach. He offers Stan and Jack a new story, but he threatens their lives if they don't do as he requests.

Stan has to call Mr. Fantastic to his office to discuss a new story. So Stan invents fictional stories about the real world characters in the Fantastic Four? Mr. Fantastic is already involved with creating stories, as we see in the second panel.

The Thing is already annoyed with Jack Kirby for not making him look more handsome.

Stan and Jack bravely tell Doctor Doom he has no chance against the Fantastic Four. He continues to argue with them.

And Doctor Doom gives them more orders.

By this point Stan and Jack are starting to have doubts whether the Fantastic Four will be victorious. They have no way of knowing. After all, they don't invent the stories, they just report what's happened. Except when the stories aren't true. There's such a mixture of truth and fiction within the virtual reality of the comic that it's difficult to know which is which. Maybe a psychoanalyst can say something about Stan being threatened by his own characters.

The Human Torch says that he's developed yet another power in this comic. "I can concentrate my flame so much that it burns without heat". That's very dubious science. Even if he means that he can fire a finger of flame so narrow that the heat can barely be felt around it it's still infeasible.

In case you're wondering, this is how Doctor Doom was rescued after being lost in space in Fantastic Four #6. It's another example of dubious science. The "speeding meteor" must have been very fast indeed if it carried him to another planet within a few months. That's even assuming that the "beings from another galaxy" were visiting our galaxy.

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The Incredible Hulk #5

Title: Beauty and the Beast

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby

Villain: Tyrannus

Regulars: General Ross, Betty Ross, Rick Jones

This comic contains two short stories. The first is 11 pages long, the second 13 pages.

As in the last comic, Bruce Banner can only turn into the Hulk and back with the help of a machine. There's no accidental change as a result of being angry. In this comic it's said in the text that the Hulk travels great distances by jumping, but there are pictures that show him flying in curves that couldn't possibly be the result of a jump. I suspect that this was a mistake in Jack Kirby's drawings, or at the very least a lack of communication between Stan and Jack.

This is the comic's splash page. I consider it the first example of Jack Kirby's brilliance since I started reading the comics in November 1961. It's untypical for Marvel art in the 1960's. In DC Comics it was usual for the splash page to be a full page preview of something that happened later in the story. Think of it as a comics version of a film trailer. In Marvel Comics the splash page is simply the first page of the story. This page is a DC style splash page, but it's made even better by the insets, the titles and the overall layout.

Tyrannus is the ruler of an underground kingdom whose inhabitants decided to follow him after he fell into the Earth. Haven't we had that story before? Yes, that's what happened to the Mole Man in Fantastic Four #1. There are differences in the time frames. The Mole Man entered a tunnel that led to the Earth's core relatively recently, probably in the last ten years. Tyrannus is a sorcerer who was banished underground by Merlin more than a thousand years ago.

There's also a difference in the appearance of the inhabitants. Here's a picture of the Mole Man's servants in Fantastic Four #1.

At this time the Mole Man and Tyrannus have never met. They're seen together in future comics.

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Title: The Hordes of General Fang

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby

Villain: General Fang

Regulars: General Ross, Rick Jones

Marvel Comics are set in real locations in America, but locations in foreign countries are often fictional. In this story the Hulk and Rick Jones visit the country Llahsu, which is supposedly adjacent to China. China is a big country, so without further information Llahsu could be anywhere. Possibly Stan Lee is referring to the Chinese occupation of Nepal.

General Fang is a vicious leader who's compared to Genghis Khan. When news is broadcast about his army attacking the peaceful country Llahsu Bruce Banner decides to fly there to defeat him. He can only change to the Hulk in his laboratory in America, so he has to change first and then catch a plane as the Hulk. He relies on a thick coat, a scarf and a hat to hide his green face. Was airport security in the 1960's really so lax that you didn't have to show your face before boarding an international flight?

Here's another new power that the Hulk has. When he exerts himself his body temperature becomes very high, enough to melt ice. Does he still have this power today? I need to ask a fan of recent Marvel comics. I can't remember this happening again in Stan Lee's Marvel Years.

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Tales to Astonish #39

Title: The Vengeance of the Scarlet Beetle

Writer: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber
Artist: Jack Kirby

Villain: The Scarlet Beetle

The Scarlet Beetle is a normal insect that receives great intelligence as a result of atomic tests. He steals Ant-Man's enlarging spray to make himself large enough to attack humanity. This leaves Ant-Man trapped in miniature size. Stan Lee doubtlessly intended the Scarlet Beetle to be a throwaway character who would only appear once, but other writers brought him back several times over the next 50 years.

The issue also contains two short anthology stories.

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Journey into Mystery #88

Title: The Vengeance of Loki

Writer: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber
Artist: Jack Kirby

Regulars: Jane Foster, Odin, Heimdall

Villain: Loki

This issue also contains two short anthology stories.

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Strange Tales #104

Title: The Human Torch meets Paste-Pot Pete

Writer: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber
Artist: Jack Kirby

Villain: Paste-Pot Pete

Here's another DC style splash page drawn by Jack Kirby.

Paste-Pot Pete later changes his name to the Trapster and joins the Frightful Four, frequent enemies of the Fantastic Four.

This issue also contains two short anthology stories.