STRANGE TALES #119
“The Torch Goes Wild!”
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Dick Ayers
Letters: Sam Rosen
IN A NUTSHELL
After an undercover Commie spy, the Rabble Rouser, convinces authorities to ban Torch from using his powers, he kidnaps visiting ally, Prince Nagamo. Torch is powerless to help, until the mayor gives him permission to flame on again. When Torch is weakened in the battle, the Rabble Rouser takes him prisoner as well, but with the help of Prince Nagamo, Johnny gains control of the Mesmerizer Wand. He turns it on the Rabble Rouser, then destroys it. Torch regains the respect of the city, and Doris decides to date him again.
WHAT’S HOT
BEEN THERE, BUDDY. Spider-Man, no stranger to destructive PR, drops by to help Johnny deal with his hardships. These two have had their differences in the past, so it’s nice to see the empathic side of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
APOLOGY…ACCEPTED. Johnny is such a good boy, after his initial outburst defying the new order against his powers, he’s repentant, and takes extreme pains to comply. Here he looks so cute and entirely apologetic for lighting a bystander’s cigarette.
WHAT’S NOT
SELECTION. Why is the Rabble Rouser picking on Torch, and not anyone else?
EXCLUSION. Reed, Sue and Thing take a vacation and don’t invite Johnny, because he has to be in school. This is not the first time they’ve left him out, using school as an excuse. If I were Johnny, I’d also be annoyed.
HYPE. On the splash, the Rabble Rouser is touted as “a really different super-villain.” But with his “powerful voice and a talented tongue” and will-sapping wand, is he really very much different than the Voice (Tales to Astonish #42) or the Hate-Monger (Fantastic Four #21)?
TOGETHER FOREVER? In a desperate attempt for a completely happy ending, Doris gets back together with Johnny, but her explanation is unsettling: “I only dated that other boy to make you JEALOUS! But now that I see what a TEMPER you have, I’ll never do it again!” Okay, I know that kind of thinking may have gone over less like a lead balloon fifty years ago, but it’s still hard to imagine any reasonable person saying something like that.
“Beyond the Purple Veil!”
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
Letters: Art Simek
IN A NUTSHELL
When two petty thieves steal a jewel from Dr. Strange, it transports them to the Purple Dimension. Strange follows and offers himself in exchange for their freedom. Evil ruler Aggamon agrees, but when he and Strange pit mystical forces against each other. In a battle of wills, Aggamon’s demolisher challenges the power of Dr. Strange’s amulet. Aggamon eventually surrenders, allowing Strange to return to his own dimension. The thieves turn themselves in to police and vow to go straight.
WHAT’S HOT
I recently wrote about Journey Into Mystery #102, in which Thor offers himself up to Death in exchange for Sif’s release. Here we see Dr. Strange as the sacrificial hero, who buys freedom for others with his good deed. And the side benefit? Impressed with Dr. Strange’s act of kindness, the criminals are “put upon the right path.” As I mentioned before, a mythic story so compelling, it keeps getting told, over and over again.
WHAT’S NOT
ADT. With all the mystical powers of the dark arts at his command, Dr. Strange can’t conjure up some simple anti-burglary spell on his apartment? Even worse, after he’s burglarized once, he doesn’t bother to take measures to protect himself, even knowing he has a dangerous gem in his possession??
WILD! That Strange is one swingin’ fella! He gives the hired help the night off, so he can do anything he wants…and opts for spending “the rest of the evening in solitude, meditation and studying my ritualistic incantations.”
PURPLE. Was it wrong of me, after learning that Strange was about to travel to the “Purple Dimension,” to expect the following pages to contain scenes that were perhaps, a little more…purple?
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #11
“Turning Point”
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
Letters: Sam Rosen
IN A NUTSHELL
To help her brother, who owes money to jailed gangster “Blackie,” Betty Brant drives Doctor Octopus to Philadelphia when he is released from jail. Blackie promises to forgive the debt when Doc Ock breaks him out of prison, but once released, Blackie kidnaps Betty and her brother. The criminals meet on a boat, and Spider-Man breaks in on the party. Fighting ensues, Betty’s brother is shot, and Octopus escapes. Betty blames Spider-Man for her brother’s death, so Peter ditches his plan to reveal his secret identity to her.
WHAT’S HOT
DEATH. Betty’s brother actually DIES. He’s not a “bad guy,” just a poor schlub who’s made some bad decisions. By putting this in the “Hot” column, I’m not saying it’s a good thing he died; I’m just saying that’s pretty intense stuff for a twelve-cent comic book. It’s rare for even the most horrible criminals to actually die; they just run away, and live to fight another day. It’s even more rare for an innocent person to die. Ben Parker was the first, and this month, Jack Murdock. Now, here’s another. No more kid gloves! Anything can happen!
A HOUSE DIVIDED. Whenever you get too many criminals together in one place, it’s a sure bet they’ll turn against each other, making it easy for the good guys to triumph. Even with a sprained ankle, and pages upon pages of fighting scenes, the bad guys turning against each other makes it way too easy for Spidey to win in the end.
WHAT’S NOT
CIVICS. As the story begins, Spidey runs to the jail to try to convince the warden not to release Doc Ock. Peter may be a whiz at math and science, but apparently hasn’t been paying attention in social studies. He how no idea how the American justice system works. Or, can we just put this down to being an impetuous, emotional youth?
CONFUSED MUCH? Betty describes her deceased brother as “always so weak…so headstrong!” Aren’t those two different things? Well, she’s distraught–she probably doesn’t know what she’s saying.
FANTASTIC FOUR #25
“The Hulk vs. the Thing”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: George Bell
Letters: Sam Rosen
IN A NUTSHELL
Thing refuses a serum that might permanently revert him back to Ben. Good thing, since he has work to do! When Hulk comes to New York City, seeking revenge on the Avengers. Mr. Fantastic is incapacitated with a virus, and Hulk quickly defuses Torch and the Invisible Girl, so it falls to Thing to fight the mean, green one. A bus is ripped in half, a building topples, and bridge girders are used as rope—unsuccessfully. After half the city is destroyed, Thing admits he’s been beaten, and Hulk hops away, still seeking the Avengers.
WHAT’S HOT
COLOR. I like the purple sky on the cover. And Hulk is looking exceptionally green here. It’s a vibrant and attractive cover.
RECONCILED. When Reed offers Thing a serum to turn him permanently back to Ben, Thing refuses. He doesn’t want to give up being Thing. The love of a good woman has changed his mind and brought him peace.
PANIC. This struck me as funny: “Attention! Attention! This is the Commissioner! Do not panic! Repeat…do not panic! The entire midtown section has been evacuated! The police have the area cordoned off! The Fantastic Four are now being summoned! Do not panic!” Oh really? Judging by the look on this bystander’s face, I’d say it’s time to PANIC.
FREAK. It also struck me as funny when Hulk tells Thing, “Fool!! You are just a muscular FREAK! But I’M the Hulk!” Because “muscular” and “freak” are two words we would never use to describe the Hulk…right?
WHAT’S NOT
THE ULTIMATE ULTIMATE. The splash describes this as “The Battle of the Century.” Okay, if it’s December, 1999. But in 1964, we might want to hold back on the hyperbole.
WHO? Bruce Banner is named as BOB Banner no less than seven times.
I MAY NOT BE A DOCTOR, BUT I PLAY ONE IN MARVEL COMICS… The doctor is useless. He walks in, looks at Reed and says, “There’s nothing I can do for him. He needs rest, here’s a sedative. Pray his fever goes down.” I hope they didn’t have to pay too much for this house call.
TALES OF SUSPENSE #52
“The Crimson Dynamo Strikes Again!”
Plot: Stan Lee
Script: Don Rico
Art: Don Heck
Letters: Sam Rosen
IN A NUTSHELL
Commie defector Professor Vanko works for Stark Industries, perfecting a deadly laser ray gun. The Russians send the alluring spy, Black Widow, and brutishly strong Boris to destroy him. While Black Widow distracts Tony with her beauty, Boris captures Vanko. Boris dons the Crimson Dynamo suit, and uses its powers to incapacitate Iron Man. But Iron Man recharges, escapes, and rescues Vanko. In an all-out battle with Boris, Vanko sacrifices his life to destroy Boris and prove his loyalty to America. Black Widow escapes.
WHAT’S HOT
FIRST APPEARANCE. This story marks the first appearance of Black Widow. I can see how she’s supposed to be beautiful and alluring, but we have a long way to go in developing the persona we find in the Marvel movies.
ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE. How amusing is it that the Russian villains in this story are named Boris and Natasha? The Slavic spies of the Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoon series had been around for four or five years when Marvel introduced their version of Boris and Natasha. Surely these names were not randomly chosen. As if the anti-Commie sentiments of these early Marvel comics were not already inflated enough, let’s name our bad guys after a couple of bumbling cartoon characters.
NOBILITY, PART I. When Vanko urges Iron Man to finish off Boris, Iron Man replies, “Can’t. We don’t play that way.” How American of him! Kind of reminds me of Captain Kirk.
NOBILITY, PART II. Vanko, the reformed Commie, says, “You think no man would give up his life for an ideal, do you? You are WRONG! I would dare anything for this country…which has been so good to me!” And then he puts his money where his mouth is, and gives his life for his new country.
WHAT’S NOT
A HOAX, A DREAM, AN IMAGINARY STORY. I understand that some comic books at this time (Russ informs me that DC was particularly guilty) might on occasion promise something on the cover that the story inside does not actually deliver. I call this “a cheat.” And this story engages in such deception, with a cover that suggests the formerly reformed Commie scientist Professor Vanko has gone back over to the Dark Side. Of course, that’s not it at all. But I wonder how many dimes and pennies were collected from readers who simply couldn’t believe a defector would defect back to mother Russia.
“The Failure!”
Plot: Stan Lee
Script: Larry Lieber
Pencils: Larry Lieber
Inks: Paul Reinman
Letters: Sam Rosen
In the accompanying “Tales of The Watcher,” we’re back to that Star Trek idealism again. Three hundred years into the future (at precisely the same time that the crew of the Enterprise is going where no man has gone before) all the evils on earth have been abolished, and everyone is concerned with taking care of business. One oddball, Kenn Bentley (and you can tell how advanced society has become, because it now takes TWO “n’s” to spell “Ken”) rejects materialism and devotes his life to poetry, art, music, literature. He also visits sick people.
Nobody understands or appreciates Kenn except his girlfriend, Val. Nobody, that is…until a mysterious craft descends from outer space and takes him captive. (In her love for Kenn, Val tags along.) The aliens have used their “scientific screening devices” to select the most perfect ruler from among all the countless beings in the universe, and guess what? It’s Kenn! He and Val go on to rule the greatest empire in the cosmos, and the people back on earth never know how successful this “failure” has become.
This was a cute little story, but it brings up a few points:
FAR-FETCHED? The story begins with the businessmen of 300 years from now boasting about how much overtime they work and how much they help their company. I know this is supposed to be the future, but this dedication to business and industry reminds me of what I hear is currently the norm in Japanese society.
BUSINESS IS BUSINESS. The narrator informs us that “Naturally, students in such a materialistic society all major in business courses.” But I have to wonder: if everyone goes into business, who goes into service, medicine, education, farming, production, science, etc.? Who dispenses medicine when you’re sick? Who grows the food? Who cuts your hair? Wouldn’t a society where everyone engages in “business” eventually topple under its own weight?
FORGETFULNESS. It seems that 300 years into the future, the entire world civilization has completely forgotten the rich history of all the alien races that visited and attacked earth back in the mid 20th century (Skrulls, Stone Men from Saturn, Toad Men, etc.), because they’ve “scrapped…heavy armaments years ago, when we attained world peace,” leaving the entire planet defenseless against alien attack. How is that good for business?
SHADES OF THE BORG! When the aliens come to earth and demand Kenn Bentley come with them, the narrator says, “Realizing the futility of resistance…” If that line doesn’t make you think of Star Trek, what will?
TALES TO ASTONISH #54
“No Place to Hide!”
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Don Heck
Letters: Art Simek
IN A NUTSHELL
Suspecting voter fraud in Santo Rico, the U.S. Government sends Henry and Jan to spy on newly elected Commie leader, El Toro. They are immediately accosted by El Toro’s men, and Jan is taken prisoner. Hank gets stuck in his Giant-Man persona, and finds it difficult to hide. He feels the sting of El Toro’s powerful horns at every turn, until finally he finds refuge on top of a tall building and contacts the ants to help him locate Wasp. Once he rescues Jan, the two capture El Toro, uncover the voter fraud in his office, and restore democracy.
WHAT’S HOT
CONFUSION. Jan plays coy female games with Henry and confuses him, so the next time she suggests a vacation, he’ll agree before he knows what he’s doing. Oh, that crafty vixen!
STREETWEAR. Spider-Man wears his costume under his clothes, Iron Man carries his gear in an attaché case. But as Pym takes an enlarging capsule, he “races around a nearby building, dropping his outer clothes as he swallows the potent pill.” Is this the first time we address the issue of Hank’s streetwear? I’ve been so wrapped up in the Hank/Jan romantic drama, I haven’t even thought till now to ask the question about streetwear! Of course, in a world with fabrics made of unstable molecules, I guess I just sort of figured the same sort of thing must be going on here as well.
WHAT’S NOT
“OH, NO!!” Early in the story, we have a comedy bit where Jan encourages one of Giant-Man’s fan clubs to visit him. Upon seeing his gushing young admirers, Giant-Man exclaims, “Oh no!! It’s one of my fan clubs!” ONE of my fan clubs? You mean there are more than one? And why “Oh no!!”?? What kind of message does that send to the fans reading this comic? Does Giant-Man not appreciate his fans?
BIG BROTHER. Why do Washington officials send Henry and Jan to spy on a foreign country? Don’t we have actual spies?
YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ASSUME. The moment Hank and Jan get off the plane, they’re immediately pegged as “suspicious.” When El Toro hears they are Americans, his first impulse is to assume they’re spies and have them arrested. If American tourists aren’t allowed in this country, why did the U.S. government send them there “as tourists”? Oh wait. Maybe when the government decided to forgo normal-sized spies in lieu of Ant-Man and Wasp, they assumed Ant-Man and Wasp would have enough sense to realize they were chosen for this mission precisely because they could shrink and avoid suspicion. It feels like somebody dropped the ball here.
ONE PILL MAKES YOU BIGGER…When our heroes first arrive in Santo Rico, why does Henry tell Jan she needs to hold all their capsules? He says he wouldn’t want them to be found on him…but it’s okay if Jan is discovered with concealed drugs? Is chivalry dead? Or is this simply a plot device, so when Jan has the opportunity to toss ONE pill to Hank, he must remain as Giant-Man during the greater part of the story?
BIG MAN, LITTLE LADY. So, Pym gives Jan all the capsules to hold in her makeup bag. I suddenly found myself asking…if Hank can get small OR big…why can’t Jan? I know the concept of a “Giant-Woman” is not yet marketable, but if the narrative calls for it, why not?
AY, CARAMBA! A surpised Latino exclaims “Carremba!!!” What is this? Is this like ¡Ay, caramba! Only misspelled? Or is this the true Spanish spelling?
THE OBLIVIOUS GIANT. After being chased all over town by El Toro’s men, Giant-Man takes a moment to catch his breath and exclaim, “Whew! I never suspected that being double-sized could be such a HANDICAP!!” Really? How long has he been doing the Giant-Man thing? Brilliant scientific mind that he is, he never until now, thought to suspect that being twelve feet tall might occasionally be a bit…inconvenient?
TRIAL BY…OH, SCREW IT, JUST KILL HER! They’re not kidding around about Commie injustice! “EL Toro says the girl must be a democratic SPY! She is to be executed.” Not only will there be no trial, we don’t even need a certainty that she’s a spy. She “must” be a spy. Therefore, she’s scheduled for execution.
AGUA-GATE? El Toro keeps the evidence of his crimes in an unlocked drawer in his office. Either he’s incredibly confident no one will dare cross him, or he’s incredibly stupid. In his defense, Watergate is still eight years away, so he may not yet be fully aware of the value of a shredder. And even if he is…does Office Depot deliver to Santo Rico?
“Conquest!”
Plot: Stan Lee
Script: Larry Lieber
Pencils: Larry Lieber
Inks: Sol Brodsky
Letters: Art Simek
King Shann conquers a defenseless planet, hoping to gain the respect of his subjects, but when his people must work harder to rebuild the vanquished planet, they turn against him.
And the moral of this story is:
If it ain’t broke, don’t break it. Then you won’t have to fix it.
JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #103
“The Enchantress and the Executioner!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Sam Rosen
IN A NUTSHELL
Loki convinces Odin that the Enchantress can make Thor forget Jane Foster. When Blake rejects the Enchantress’ advances, she enlists the Executioner, who sends Jane to Limbo. To release Jane, Thor agrees to give the Executioner his hammer. Of course the Executioner can’t lift Mjolnir, and the Enchantress turns him into a tree. Thor retrieves the hammer, then sends the villains back to Asgard. Jane, mad at Blake because she saw him in a compromising position with the Enchantress, tells him she is “waiting for Thor.”
WHAT’S HOT
SOAPY, SUDSY! There’s so much soap opera in this tale, it was such a delight to read! Everyone has their own motives based on a desire for love or power, and each action taken by each character influences another character to make yet another move, which affects yet another character! We could go on like this indefinitely! And why not?
ENCHANTING. This story introduces the beautiful Enchantress, with an uncanny power over the attention spans of both Asgardian and mortal men. Is she called the Enchantress because she is able to use the powers of sorcery to get what she wants, or because she is alluring, beautiful and…well, let’s just say it…enchanting?
SPLIT PERSONALITY? It’s interesting that while Blake and Thor are two completely separate entities, and each thinks of the other as a different person, they share not only memories, but also emotions. And despite the fact that Donald Blake is not an Asgardian superhero, the Enchantress notes that he shares the same “strength of character.”
WHAT’S NOT
OH! IF ONLY… Once again, we see that Jane has some strange notions about relationships. When Blake arrives back in his office, exhausted from time traveling as Thor, Jane puts him to bed and tucks him in, mooning, “If only I could do this for him ALWAYS!” immediately followed by the thought that although she is sure he loves her, for some strange reason, he never suggests marriage.
How Jane gets from tucking-in to marriage all in one word balloon makes me realize she’s still living in an idealized fantasy world. Previously, she daydreamed about ironing Thor’s cape, cutting his hair, polishing his hammer. Now, she longs to mother her poor, dear Don. It’s a good thing Blake isn’t suggesting marriage, because poor, dear Jane is obviously not ready for it.
“Thor’s Mission to Mirmir!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Art Simek
Thor battles mythical creatures to bring a branch from the tree of life to the kingdom of Mirmir, so the mystic waters can be stirred up and rained upon two trees, which then come to life as, essentially, Adam and Eve.
I was going to start this entry by making a sly quip about the easiest way to create a name for an imaginary place: When you’re out of ideas, simply find a syllable and repeat it (Mirmir). But as I continued reading the story and ran into these names—
Sindri
Skipbladner
Skord
Gullin
Yggdrasill
Midgard
Aske
Embla
—I knew that Stan was NOT out of ideas…or, he was simply repeating an oft-told tale. And sure enough, in the last panel, an Editor’s Note informs us that this story is part of the Norse legends regarding the birth of mankind.
Cool. Real Norse legends, with real Norse names. But cooler still: the Norse have a legend that is so similar to our Judeo-Christian story of Adam and Eve. So similar, in fact, that the names of the first two human beings begin with the letters A and E.
Coincidence…or by design?
