JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #113

“A World Gone Mad!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Thor renounces his immortality and, as Don Blake, reveals his true identity to Jane. Enraged, Odin removes Thor’s powers, so when Don attempts to prove to Jane that he’s Thor, he fails, leading Jane to believe he’s delirious. At that moment, Grey Gargoyle attacks, seeking Thor. He chases Don through the streets, but he turns back into Thor with the aid of Honir, sent by Odin to ensure Thor’s survival. After defeating the Gargoyle, Don realizes he can’t give up being Thor, so he returns to Jane and assures her that the madness has left him.

WHAT’S HOT
PERHAPS TODAY I WILL LEARN A NEW WORD. And perhaps that word will be “mayhap.” I say again, Marvel Comics is a great place for increasing your vocabulary.

FORMALITIES. As Thor decides he will indeed forsake his Asgardian heritage in order to be with the woman he loves, he sets off to find his beloved…whom he refers to as “Jane Foster.” When Blake and Jane see each other again, she calls him “Dr. Blake.” These people have a lot to learn about how romance works. But a few panels later, they let their hair down and are “Don” and “My darling.” And I feel better about this relationship.

FLYING CHICKEN. Okay, this just struck me as funny. When Odin is out of sorts, he casts out his royal chef, throwing all manner of food after him, including a chicken, which appears to be flying. The temper of Odin paired with a flying chicken is what comedy is made of.

SPLIT SCREEN. In this story, we toggle back and forth between Earth and Asgard, making the whole business jam-packed and fast-paced. Do try to keep up!

LOOPHOLE. When Thor’s friends hear of his predicament on Earth, they wisely decide to act quickly, before Odin can instruct them not to. They’re not waiting, and they’re not asking permission. These are true friends.

SNAZZY CAR. As Blake and Jane flee the monstrous Gargoyle, at one point they take flight in Blake’s very snazzy, very sexy red convertible. For a dull doctor, he sure has got the automotive going on!

WHAT’S NOT
STONE WINGS. I just said Blake and Jane “take flight” in a snazzy car, and that’s cool. But when the Gargoyle notes that his stone wings give him the ability to flight, I’m thinking…not cool! Not buying it! In what universe does stone make you lighter than air? Science, please!

30 SECOND RULE. Honir touches Blake’s hand, imparting a magical 30 seconds for Blake to transform to Thor and conquer the Gargoyle. First of all, 30 seconds is not nearly enough time to do that, and the absurdity of it is furthered by the two Asgardians engaging in so much jibber-jabber, wasting precious seconds. Halfway through, Thor notes that he now has only 15 seconds left, and undertakes a series of actions that would clearly need at least five minutes. Why impose the artificial and ridiculous limit of thirty seconds, and then go on to nullify it by page upon page of time-eating story? The suspense is blown to bits by the reader’s incredulity.

LEAVE IT TO THE COPS. At the end, when Gargoyle is melted into an inanimate object, Jane wonders what will happen should he ever break free. Blake’s answer: “The police will handle it.” LMFAO! Really? When Gargoyle first appeared, Blake tells Jane to get a policeman…to summon the Avengers! But before they can arrive, it takes everything Thor has to conquer the Gargoyle on his own. Yet now, somehow, we’re supposed to believe “the police will take care of it.” Unless, by this, Blake is simply saying, “The police will call the Avengers.” Yeah. I think that works better.

“The Boyhood of Loki!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Vince Colletta
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Young Thor and Loki watch a jousting battle, and they enter into a wager on the victor. Thor’s champion is about to win, when Loki casts a spell to help his favorite. The Asgardian warriors are quick to realize skullduggery, and they capture both boys. They accuse Loki of the spell, because they doubt that Thor would ever engage in trickery. Thor insists that they both be punished equally, and overwhelmed by his gallantry, they decide not to punish either youth. Overcome with jealousy over the unequal treatment, Loki vows to work harder than ever to destroy Thor.

WHAT’S HOT
HOT ART. I really enjoyed the artistic depictions of Loki in this tale, who believably looks like a downright miserable child. (pic 3.4)

WHAT’S NOT
NOT. This was a totally unnecessary story. We learned nothing we didn’t already know. Except that as children, Thor and Loki were forced to wear tunics displaying their first initial, a la Laverne and Shirley, in case they ever forget who they are, or get their clothes confused with that of the other little young gods in Asgardian kindergarten.

SAY WHAT??? Ultimately, this story raises more questions than it answers, because it once again thrusts into the spotlight that the “gods” of Asgard are born, go through childhood, and eventually age (as we see in Odin). What sort of “gods” are these? I’m not sure I understand. And they are called “Immortal” (as you’ll remember from the previous story, the Gargoyle was after the secret of Thor’s immortality), yet I believe it is possible for them to die. So…not actually immortal? So many questions, I can’t tackle it all here, but look forward to a deeper exploration of these conundrums in a future post.

TALES OF SUSPENSE #62

“The Origin of the Mandarin!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Don Heck
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
The Mandarin relates his origin to the captured Iron Man. Born into nobility, Mandarin lost both parents while an infant. After he reached adulthood, China’s regime confiscated his property. One day, his wanderings led him to an alien spaceship. Inside, he discovered ten rings that granted him immense powers, and with them, he subjugated the outskirts of China. Finishing his tale, Mandarin engages his death trap on Iron Man, but Iron Man escapes and intercepts a rocket. The Mandarin eludes Iron Man, and Iron Man returns home.

WHAT’S HOT
WELL, THAT CERTAINLY EXPLAINS A LOT. Mandarin’s backstory is tailor-made for a super-villain, complete with tragedy and a totally dysfunctional upbringing.

SURPRISE SURPRISE SURPRISE! Extraterrestrial influence is the last element I would have every imagined in the Mandarin’s backstory.

COMEDY TONIGHT. At the bottom of page eight, Iron Man stops in the middle of a world crisis to make a few self-deprecating jokes. (“I’m beginning to sound like some corny mad scientist in a Grad B movie!”) Which naturally leads to my next point…

SPIDEY, IS THAT YOU? During the fight scene with Mandarin, Iron Man is so chatty, I have to wonder if Stan was up late and getting confused and thought he was writing for Amazing Spider-Man.

BAKOOOO! I am a big fan of the onomatopoeic sound effects in Marvel Comics, and here is a new one, in case you were wondering what sound a firing tank gun might make, it’s “BAKOOOO!”

WHAT’S NOT
“KEEP HIM TALKING.” When Mandarin cannot resist the super-villain proclivity for needling his captured prey with a self-serving oration of “How I Did It,” Iron Man wisely deduces this will give him extra time to find a way out of his predicament. Will these super-villains never lean??

SORRY, I GOTTA RUN…Mandarin sets his elaborate death traps, but leaves Iron Man BEFORE he is actually dead. Like any good super-villain, he assumes his diabolical plan will succeed and feels no particular need to stick around and be certain. Clearly Mandarin is not a fan of James Bond movies.

TESTING, 123, TESTING? Mandarin sells a missile to China, but the Chinese don’t know that he has set the missile to reach Formosa (Taiwan). And it appears the Chinese decide to shoot it off without first programming in any particular coordinates! Now, it’s possible the Chinese did indeed enter their own coordinates, and Mandarin’s coordinates overrode those, but…nowhere in the story are we told that!! We’re left believing that the Chinese just fire off missiles willy-nilly with no particular concern for where they might land. Jeez…

DID I SAY THAT PART OUT LOUD? Why in the world does the Mandarin TELL Iron Man that his disintegrator ring takes 20 minutes to recharge? Does that particular strategy of revealing your weaknesses to your opponent really work for you, Mandarin?

“Break-Out in Cell Block 10!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Art Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Cap engages in an exhibition at a prison of how he would battle escaped convicts. Afterwards, the prison guards surround him in the cell block and reveal that they are, in fact, convicts, and they need Cap’s shield to help them open the final gate to the prison. They throw Cap in a prison cell, and unsuccessfully attempt to open the gate. Cap escapes his cell and defeats all the convicts. Later, the freed prison warden reveals that the only way to open the gate is to speak the words “Captain America.”

WHAT’S HOT
TRICKED! Nice twist right at the start there (when there was hardly anything there to be twisted at all) when it turns out it’s the prisoners impersonating prison officials. Cap may have many super powers, including Observation. (“I know that this job requires really RUGGED guards…but THESE fellas somehow look too…BRUTAL!”) However, Intuition is obviously not one of them.

THANKS BUT NO THANKS. Cap threw away the “magnetic gimmicks” Iron Man installed on his Shield because they ruined its “delicate balance.” Obviously, Cap’s the kind of guy who would rather drive stick shift. And he really doesn’t relish those newfangled push button telephones either!

CURSES! FOILED AGAIN! Cap escapes the jail cell by wedging a folded chewing gum wrapper between the lock and the door. How’s that for good ol’ (Captain) American ingenuity?

WHAT’S NOT
OPEN SESAME. At the end of the story, the warden reveals that the iron door only opens to the phrase “Captain America!” How adorable. Only, it’s not true, or it’s not working, because at least TWICE during the melee, someone clearly says “Captain America” while standing in front of the door! And even if this clever password was working, it’s not really that clever—is it?—in a jail setting, where superheroes are likely to be a frequent topic of conversation. (I suggest, instead, the name of the Warden’s family dog.)

NO WAY OUT. Wait. If the big iron gate is the only way out, how did Cap get in? Perhaps he fell in, through a giant plot hole?

BORED NOW…In the middle of one of the fight scenes, Cap says, “Look boys, I’m getting BORED with all this activity.” Sigh…So am I. Next story, please!

STRANGE TALES #129

“The Terrible Trio!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Dick Ayers
Inks: Frankie Ray
Letters: Art Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Johnny has to cancel his date with Dorrie when the Terrible Trio escape from prison. He searches for the convicts, but when his flame gives out, they capture him. Johnny escapes, but during the melee that follows, he gets stuck in the railroad tracks. He sends off a flare to alert Thing, but when Thing arrives to rescue the collapsed Torch, the Trio swoops in. Thing fends off an oncoming train, then captures the villains. Johnny reawakens, and Ben basks in recounting his victory.

WHAT’S HOT
CONTINUITY. In my recent feature on this month’s Amazing Spider-Man, I wrote at length about Doris Evans, expressing the same dismay Doris is now hurling directly at Johnny: “I don’t know what on earth I see in you!” A reference is even made to the “gentlemanly” Peter Parker whom Doris met in Amazing Spider-Man #21. What fabulous continuity! And by the way, it doesn’t make me change my mind about Doris at all.

COLLABORATION. In Doris’ defense, however, under the artistic direction of penciller Dick Ayers and inker Frankie Ray, she’s looking better than she ever has before. In addition, Handsome Harry actually looks handsome—as does Bull! So, with such good collaboration going on between Ayers and Ray, why, at the end of this issue, are we promised a new artist next time? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

CHALLENGE CHALLENGED. It takes THREE villains of this caliber to face only one member of the Fantastic Four. It may be true that in this story the Trio faces both Torch and Thing, but not at the same time. Thing is absent at first, and Torch is knocked out later, so it’s really three-against-one in each case…and even then, the Terrible Trio can’t get the job done! As super-villains go, not actually so “terrible.”

WHAT’S NOT
DAMSEL IN DISTRESS? Being unconscious and bound to a train track is not a good look for a superhero. On the splash, Stan seems to recognize that the readers may not be on board with this Perils of Pauline rip-off and tries to disassociate himself with it before the story gets started.

HELLO, I CAN HEAR YOU! Handsome Harry has the weakest superpower ever: super-hearing! Of course, that’s only the weakest if you don’t count his being incredibly handsome as one of his “superpowers.” Either way, I maintain that my superpower of correctly being able to guess the correct size container for leftovers far exceeds anything Handsome Harry can bring to the table! (Hey! I’ll take on Sue Storm serving up a Thanksgiving dinner any day of the week!)

STUCK ON YOU. How is it that the Trio doesn’t fall off the precariously tilted Fantasticar? Are we witnessing one of their previously undisclosed superpowers? Or did Torch and Thing inexplicably get an assist from Paste Pot Pete?

“Beware Tiboro!”
Script: Don Rico
Art: Steve Ditko
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
The scientists of the tv show The Twelfth Hour hold a Peruvian idol up to ridicule, but when the lights go out, then come back on, the hosts have disappeared. Alerted to the supernatural events, Strange arrives and deduces that they’ve been captured by Tiboro. Strange teleports to the sixth dimension, and battles Tiboro. Tiboro eventually admits defeat, but vows to return if earth’s civilization decays further. The rescued scientists offer to devote future episodes to Strange, but he casts a spell of forgetfulness over them.

WHAT’S HOT
NO EGO. I’m so impressed by how much of an ego Dr. Strange doesn’t have. Challenged by the scientists to defend the mystical arts, he quietly declines because he fervently believes the public is not ready. Later, after the scientists ridicule him on TV, Strange is called in to rescue them, and does so with expediency. When the scientists become believers in the mystic arts, they want to broadcast their newfound knowledge to the world—but Strange, true to his convictions, wipes their memories clean to prevent that from happening. For Strange, it’s not about him, it’s simply about doing what is RIGHT. Hey! I have an idea! Dr. Strange for President??

ZOOM. When Strange is stumped by the icon, he conducts a supernatural Zoom meeting with the Ancient One to glean more information. LOL, way too topical these days!

WHAT’S NOT
FAIR FIGHT? In the interest of “fair play,” Strange takes off his cloak after he supernaturally convinces Tiboro to put down his wand? But can fair play ever really be anticipated when tangling with a super-villain? Especially one who describes himself as “the spirit of decay”? It always frustrates me when the Hero’s Code goes too far.

CONSEQUENCES? And continuing my previous thought, when all is said and done, Strange simply lets Tiboro GO FREE with a stern warning to never do that again. Yeah, right, like that’s gonna happen…

FANTASTIC FOUR #35

“Calamity on the Campus!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
While touring State U, the FF encounter Professor Gilbert, who is attempting to construct a super-powered being. Later, while Reed gives a lecture, Thing discovers that Diablo has returned, and has used a potion to instill life in Gilbert’s creation, whom he has christened Dragon Man. Diablo orders Dragon Man to protect him, and battle ensues. Sue ends the fight when she learns that Dragon Man responds to kindness. When Diablo attacks, Dragon Man saves them, and both Diablo & Dragon Man apparently drown in a frozen lake.

WHAT’S HOT
BE OUR GUEST! As the story at State U is beginning to settle in, we are treated to a guest appearance not only by Professor Xavier and Scott Summers, but also Peter Parker, who is scoping out his post-high school prospects. Extra points for the continuity of Johnny remembering Peter as “the guy Dorrie tried to get friendly with till I put the kibosh oh him!”

FILL IN THE BLANK. As the FF prepares to leave campus, someone mentions that they haven’t had this much excitement since they invited Jayne Mansfield to lecture on philosophy. Hmmm…wonder how that one turned out?

CLIFFHANGER. At the very end, we get a hint that Reed and Sue are perhaps soon to be engaged! Good news! Except…we’ve been here before, haven’t we? So I’ll hold off checking out their gift registry, at least until I see what happens in the next ish.

WHAT’S NOT
“SO! WE MEET AGAIN!” Yes, Diablo actually says this when he first sees Thing. He also tells poor little Dr. Gilbert, “I will show you wonders beyond your wildest dreams!” (Which naturally conjured up memories of Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite) Where does Diablo get these gems? From his pocket edition of “The Super-Villain’s Guide to Hackneyed Retorts”? They must have been listed right after, “MMMWaahHaaHaaHaaHaa!!!”

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST? Shortly after Sue defers to her “woman’s intuition” (mentioned so often, one has to wonder if Stan actually counts it among the list of Sue’s “superpowers”), she decides to try a little tenderness with the monster…and it almost works! Ultimately, I was disappointed that the day wasn’t won by Sue lulling the Dragon Man to sleep with a gentle lullaby.

GET TO THE POINT. On the very busy splash, Stan tells us they can’t waste any more time on introductions since “we’ve got a lot of story to tell!” This is immediately followed by five or six pages of mostly nonsense, including Reed and Thing playing football, signing autographs, superhero cameos, and a running joke about high school Johnny pouting because the college co-eds aren’t interested in him. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love all that color, but please don’t preface it by saying “we’ve got a lot of story to tell!”

DAREDEVIL #6

“Trapped by the Fellowship of Fear!”
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Wally Wood
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
Aided by henchmen Ox and the Eel, new villain Mr. Fear shoots Daredevil with a fear pellet, causing DD to panic and run away. The next night Daredevil tracks down the villains and battles them, but in the course of the fight, Foggy is injured. Later, while Karen watches over Foggy in the hospital, Daredevil waits outside. When the villains arrive to kill Foggy, Daredevil attacks, chasing them back to the museum. Daredevil uses a fan to blow the fear gas away, and defeats the villains. Back at the hospital, Foggy recovers, while Karen scolds Matt for not looking after his partner.

WHAT’S HOT
WELCOME TO THE FUTURE! Murdock has a tiny television on his office desk. For 1965, that is either very high tech, or very high class!

IS THAT AN ARRHYTHMIA IN YOUR CHEST OR ARE YOU JUST GLAD TO SEE ME? Murdock is such a romantic (or such a chauvinist?) that the only reason he can find for the quickening of a woman’s pulse is that she is near someone she loves. It never occurs to him that she may have just been running to catch a bus, or had one too many cups of coffee that morning. But then, with all his superpowers, he would probably smell sweat or coffee, and from there, deduce correctly. But in the absence of sweat or coffee, it can only mean one thing: love! (I wonder what he deduces when a man’s pulse rate is high and he hasn’t been running or drinking coffee, or trying to stave off turning into the Incredible Hulk?)

PSA. Foggy’s doctor makes a point of saying that he has a very good chance of survival, since there is “no excessive trace of alcohol or tobacco in his blood.” Obviously, Foggy’s policy is to JUST SAY NO. Still, I’m confused by the word “excessive.” Are the Marvel writers advising their young readers that a little drinking and smoking is okay?

SLIMY SOUND EFFECTS. When Daredevil finally gets his chance to wallop the oily Eel, the sound effects are appropriately askew: Klop! Skak! Wup! Thwip! I’m guessing we won’t see these made-up words again…until the next time someone has to tangle with the slippery Eel!

WHAT’S NOT
MEN COMMUNICATING BADLY. On the middle of page nine, both Foggy and Matt are secretly making plans to return that evening to ferret out the criminals, but they don’t share their plans with each other. Matt obviously cannot tell Foggy he is Daredevil, and Foggy probably feels it would be too dangerous to invite his blind buddy to tag along. So, I know there are actually very good reasons for the two of them not communicating with each other, but the image of their nearly identical thought bubbles right next to each other smacks not only of irony, but also the well-known cliché that men are not master communicators.

WAIT, LET ME GRAB MY PURSE! When Karen hears that Foggy is in the hospital, she rushes right over there, in only ten minutes. I surmise she must live extremely close to Municipal Hospital, because within those ten minutes she had time to completely change her outfit, grab a fancy purse, don high heels, and even put on gloves! Who bothers to put on gloves when rushing to the hospital?

YOU HAD ONE JOB…When the Fellowship of Fear breaks in to kill Foggy, it turns out Mr. Fear has forgotten to bring along his Fear Gun. Without it, he’s not Mr. Fear, he’s just a mad scientist with no test tubes. What good is he?

MY NAME IS “FEAR” BUT YOU CAN CALL ME “MR.” Why does Zolton Drago call his costumed alter-ego MR. Fear? Why not Dr. Fear, or Captain Fear, or Commander Fear? Mr. Fear just sounds so…not fearful.

I WONDER
When Daredevil first hears “Mr. Fear,” his thought bubble reads, “Mr. FEAR??” but we don’t see his expression, so there are no clues what he is thinking at that moment. It appears he says it just before Mr. Fear fires the pellet at him, so I’m discounting that he is already under the influence of the fear gas. My guesses are that he’s thinking, “I’ve never heard of this guy! Who could he be?” or “What a stupid name!” or “What a GREAT name! Wish I had thought of that!”

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? So. There is a Fear Potion in the Marvel Universe. What a powerful weapon in the right or wrong hands! Or…are we simply going to forget it exists?

AVENGERS #13

“The Castle of Count Nefaria!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Don Heck
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Artie Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Count Nefaria, leader of the Maggia crime cartel, is angered by disruptions caused by the Avengers, so he arranges a trap. While they stay at his castle as guests, Nefaria captures the teen brigade, then sends duplicates of the Avengers to declare war on America. When the real Avengers depart the castle, the military attacks them. The Avengers deduce that Nefaria is up to something nefarious, and return to the castle to defeat him. However, during the melee, Wasp is gravely injured by a bullet.

WHAT’S HOT
HECK YEAH! On the splash I discover that the “Somewhat Distinctive Art” is done by Don Heck, and right away, I’m thinking, Heck yeah! One of my favorite artists so far. At least the women will not look hideous.

TECHNOLOGY MARCHES ON. Nefaria has a holographic zoom meeting with the American crime lord, then later uses his 3D printer to make lifelike images of the Avengers. All this, and it’s still only 1965!

DUNGEON MASTER. You know Nefaria is a super-villain, not only because of his nefarious name, but also because his castle contains so many dungeons they are labeled A through at least K. This guy is not kidding around.

WHAT’S NOT
BEDPAN DUTY. As the story opens, our mighty warrior superheroes, are catching fur thieves. Really? Where are the police? Or, at the very least…Spider-Man should be taking care of this!

MAGGIA. The world-wide crime cartel is MAGGIA, apparently a takeoff on the MAFIA. But nowadays, I’m thinking…just remove that extra G and I in the middle and what do you have? Just saying…

CHRONOLOGY ISSUES. How much time passes during this story? Right in the middle, we have to stop for Count Nefaria to disassemble his European castle, load it on to a fleet of cargo ships so it can make a transatlantic trip before being rebuilt on the other side. At one point “a matter of weeks” is mentioned, but surely an enterprise this complicated would be more time-consuming than that! And the real question: while all this castle-moving is going on, what else is happening? I don’t imagine the Avengers sitting around twiddling their thumbs as they wait for the Count to set up his new domicile.

CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR. Wasp is excited to meet Count Nefaria because he is rumored to be “positively fascinating.” This girl seriously needs to upgrade her standards!

WHEN SOMEONE TELLS YOU WHO THEY ARE, BELIEVE THEM. Before Wasp got herself all in a tizzy, she should have taken a hint from the Count’s unfortunate moniker: Count Nefaria. Does she not know what “nefarious” means? Apparently Thor does, since in this very story he uses the phrase “nefarious purposes.” Does no one even suspect that someone named “Count Nefaria” might not be such a great guy?

LOOSE THREADS. Nefaria thinks he’s pretty clever, and in fact his plan is not half bad, but… why didn’t he have a better strategy for dealing with the meddling Teen Brigade? Throw them in the dungeon! Really? Is that all you got, Nefaria? Sure, call them “dumb American kids.” So what? Seems those dumb American kids will be the end of you! So! Take that!!

WOMEN’S INTUITION. Iron Man says he thinks the Count has something to do with their recent trouble. Wasp says, “Call it Women’s Intuition if you want, but I feel the same way.” Sweetheart, no one is going to call it Women’s Intuition when Iron Man said it first.

ARTIFICIAL CLIFFHANGER. In the last panel we discover Wasp has been hit by a stray bullet and is now unconscious, clinging to life. Not only did this action take place off-screen, but it’s also described as “a one-in-a-million chance.” Stan’s not playing fair with his readers, as he tries too hard to make this a two-part story.