AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #15

“Kraven the Hunter!”
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
Letters: Art Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
The Chameleon hires Kraven the Hunter to track down and destroy Spider-Man. At first it seems Kraven is able to get the job done, infecting Peter with a potion that weakens him and causes his hands to shake. But after several meetings with escalating difficulties for our hero, in the end it’s Spidey’s web that captures the Hunter. Kraven and Chameleon are deported, and Peter is about to have a blind date with Mary Jane Watson, but…she has a headache.

She must have gotten it reading this story.

WHAT’S HOT
STEAM-POWERED. Kraven gets his power from a potion he stole from a witch-doctor. He pours it from a bottle that looks like Jeannie’s magic lamp, and steam rises from the top of his cup. It’s a good image. Unfortunately, except for this, and the predictable iciness generated by the Betty/Petey/Liz love triangle, that’s the only good thing I have to say about this story.

WHAT’S NOT
EYE OF THE BEHOLDER. Are we supposed to believe Kraven is handsome, simply because some random person in the crowd says so? If Ditko was trying to draw him “handsome,” he failed miserably. But then, as we’re informed on the splash, this story is illustrated by Steve Ditko, “because Picasso was out of town.” I find the idea of a Picasso-esque villain truly intriguing—in fact, much more intriguing than I find Kraven handsome.

WILL WORK FOR CHOCOLATE. The biggest story of the year (according J. Jonah Jameson) is about to happen, and he wants the high school stringer in attendance with his camera. What? Doesn’t the paper have any professional on-staff photographers? Or is Jameson just too cheap to pay for a full time employee when he can get a teenager to work piecemeal? That must be it, because even when Peter gets the really good photos, Jameson is willing to pay him a bonus…in milk chocolate! Which he keeps in his safe. Jeez. The real money must be buried in his basement, ya think?

ENGLISH MAJOR STRIKES AGAIN. The Chameleon informs Kraven that he has “collected all the data AND information about Spider-Man.” Is it wrong of me to ask the difference between “data” and “information”? Or is the Chameleon embellishing his syntax in a lame attempt to impress Kraven with his investigative abilities and research skills?

I CAN BE ANYTHING YOU WANT ME TO BE. At school, when Flash insults Peter, a groupie girl exclaims, “You tell 'im, Flash!” Then Liz supports Peter, and the girl says, “I agree with Liz!” Either she’s a nitwit who can’t make up her mind, or she’s so desperate to be popular she’ll agree with anything.

MUCH ADO… If Spidey’s web is strong enough to hold Kraven, I wish he would have used it at the beginning of this story and saved us the trouble of reading pages upon pages of back and forth battling. Tiresome.

JUSTICE…OR NOT. Why are Chameleon and Kraven merely deported, not arrested? At the beginning of the story, we learn that the Chameleon was deported after his escapades in ASM #1, which left the door wide open for his return. Not that getting arrested and convicted is that much more efficient in the Marvel Universe, but c’mon now! Deported? It’s like the cops have given up, they’re not even trying anymore.

AVENGERS #7

“Their Darkest Hour!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Art Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Odin banishes the Enchantress and Executioner to earth, where they team up with Zemo. The Enchantress hypnotizes Thor into believing the Avengers are his enemies, and as Thor fights Giant-Man and Iron Man in NYC, Cap confronts Zemo in South America. Zemo escapes, but Cap hitches a ride on his aircraft, back to NYC. Iron Man unhypnotizes Thor, and now it’s good guys against bad guys. As the bad guys attempt an escape, Mjolnir catches their ship in a “space warp,” sending them to an unknown location.

WHAT’S HOT
LEVEL-HEADED WOMAN. When our Asgardian villains arrive in NYC, the Executioner is confused and wants to zap everyone, but the Enchantress maintains her wits and decides they need an ally. Her choice? The evil Zemo. Which absolutely makes sense. If the Executioner were the brains of this operation, there’d be random death and destruction. With the Enchantress’ plan, there’s destruction, though no actual death (we’ll get to that later), but at least we’re following a coherent narrative.

ONE WOMAN’S STONE IS ANOTHER MAN’S STEPPING STONE. When Cap is trapped in a ditch, the Enchantress causes an avalanche, hoping to kill him, but Cap climbs the rocks to escape his imprisonment. One point for good use of natural resources, two points for irony.

OBSESS MUCH? I simply love the Enchantress! Even as she’s standing in Odin’s court, about to be banished, all she can think about is Thor. When she and the Executioner join forces with Zemo, instead of glorying in their evil union, she stews, “Somehow, some way, I’ve got to think of a scheme to make the mighty Thor MINE!” She keeps her buddy the Executioner at a safe distance from the action…fearing “he might harm the handsome Thor!” She barely cares what happens to anyone else, as long as she ends up with Thor!

ACHILLES, THY NAME IS THOR! Thor has a lot of superpowers, but apparently he’s not immune to witchcraft. Or hypnotism. In fact, come to think of it, this is not the first time we’ve seen Thor acting under the mental influence of an enemy. This raises the obvious question: What good is it to be stronger than a thousand oxen, if you can’t control your brain? At the same time, though, this weakness of Thor’s always leads to dramatic storytelling.

WHAT’S NOT
I’LL BE RIGHT BACK… Pym and Jan leave for England in a “jet copter,” saying “Call us if you need us, and we’ll be right back.” And they are. Cap flies to South America and back again on the hull of Zemo’s aircraft in the same amount of time it takes Thor to become hypnotized and pick a fight with Giant-Man. Things happen so fast, but if you stop and think about it, the logistics can’t possibly make sense.

THE BIGGER THEY ARE…the harder they fall. Right? Not in the Marvel Universe, because when Pym’s jet copter breaks up in the air over NYC, his gut instinct is to become really, really big, so that he will have “the smallest possible distance to fall.” Sure, but now his giant-sized body must endure the impact of an entire six story building. Not only that, but at 40 feet tall, he’s incredibly weakened. I guess there really is no good strategy for having your jet copter blown out of the sky while you’re still in it. Unless you’re the Wasp, and can sprout wings and simply fly away.

HALF-ASSED CONVENIENCE PART I. Why did Odin not take away ALL the Enchantress’ powers? It’s awfully convenient for the storyline that she can still cause so much trouble.

HALF-ASSED CONVENIENCE PART II. The Executioner renders Cap unconscious with a touch of “pressure equal to one hundred times the force of gravity!!” Good start! But why doesn’t he kill him right then and there? We know the real reason—it’s Captain America, he can’t die yet! He’s got lots of good storyline left in him. But how bad does this make the bad guy look? With his enemy lying unconscious before him, his only thought is to beat a hasty retreat.

HALF-ASSED CONVENIENCE PART III. The light of the sun can break a hypnotic spell. Listen to that again: the LIGHT of the SUN can break a hypnotic SPELL. Sigh… Oh, the things you’ll learn when you read Marvel Comics!

STRANGE TALES #123

“The Birth of the Beetle!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Carl Burgos
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
When Johnny and Thing take their gals on a soda shop double date, they’re menaced by the Beetle, who outwits and embarrasses them, then escapes. Torch and Thing pursue the Beetle, but he burrows into the ground to evade capture. The Beetle steals the cash boxes at the New York World’s Fair and this time avoids capture by dropping money into the crowd to create a distraction. But Torch and Thing work together to trap the Beetle in a wheel of flame, then deliver him to the police.

WHAT’S HOT
GO, TEAM! When Torch and Thing confront the Beetle on their own, the villain is able to outmaneuver them. But, in the end, when they team up (Torch locating the Beetle with a ring of fire, Thing exerting his sheer strength to grab him), they are at last victorious!

WORLD’S FAIR! I remember the World’s Fair. I was a kid on Long Island in 1964, and I remember dressing up to go there. I had a new dress just for the occasion, the prettiest lime green shift, dotted in pretty pink little flowers. I remember seeing the “Unisphere,” though I didn’t know it was called that. I called it “the globe.” Funny, though…I don’t remember cash dropping from the sky. Huh. Must have gone to the Fair on the wrong day…

WHAT’S NOT
WAKE UP, OFFICER! The policeman who hauls in the Beetle is convinced he won’t get out of jail until he’s ready for Social Security. Two things wrong with this picture. One: nobody’s seen the Beetle. Who’s to say he’s not ready for Social Security right now? Grandpa got bored and decided to play around as a super strong bug? But even more so: From what precinct did this cop just get transferred? Hasn’t he been paying attention? The Beetle will be back on the streets before Doris has a chance to chastise Johnny for messing up their double date at the soda shop.

LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR. Early in the story, some knuckleheads in the soda shop have a few laughs at Thing’s expense—“There’s a big crime wave going on here! Someone stole a brand new bottle of ketchup!” Thing’s convinced they’re from Yancy Street. On the last page, after seeing Torch and Thing in action, these clowns change their tune and ask for autographs. Johnny “accidentally” sets the autograph book on fire, and Thing “accidentally” busts the fountain pen. Haha, very funny. They got back at those guys, didn’t they? I was disappointed that Torch and Thing weren’t able to rise above this nonsense. But then again, we’re not many issues past the two of them engaging in shenanigans that destroy property and reduce Sue to tears. I guess boys will be boys, and some boys will never grow up.

“The Challenge of Loki!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Steve Ditko
Inks: George Bell
Letters: Art Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Loki tries to convince Dr. Strange that Thor is evil, but Strange sees things for what they are, and they battle…until Thor approaches, and Loki runs away.

WHAT’S HOT
MAGIC VS. MAGIC. I always enjoy a Loki appearance, and it was fun to see him match wits with Dr. Strange. No surprise, though, that Loki would have been victorious, if he hadn’t run off like a scared little bunny rabbit at the first suggestion that Thor might appear. Dr. Strange has human magic; Loki is a god. But Thor trumps them both.

DISCO MAGIC. Dr. Strange and Loki approach each other with dramatic poses and wild hand movements, as if preparing to disco battle John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. Oh, wait. That’s thirteen years down the road. Well, I guess they need a lot of practice. Or…perhaps they don’t really need that much practice. For a bit of fun, listen to this as you scroll through the following images—then, tell me if you don’t agree that Loki and Strange have got the moves.

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #107

“When the Grey Gargoyle Strikes!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Art Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
French scientist Paul Duval becomes the Grey Gargoyle when he accidentally creates a serum that turns his hand to stone, and anything his hand touches also turns to stone. But only for one hour. He flies to NYC to steal the power of immortality from Thor’s hammer. After Thor is turned to stone, Don Blake uses a motorcycle and Thor’s holographic image to fool the Gray Gargoyle, luring him into the Hudson River, where he…well…sinks like a stone. Jane Foster is pleased by Blake’s heroic actions.

WHAT’S HOT
KEEPING THE ROMANCE ALIVE. Despondent that Odin will not permit him to marry Jane Foster, Thor has a visit from the lovely nurse, who confesses that she loves Don Blake. Maybe I should have been asking this before, but it suddenly occurred to me: “Hey! THOR is not allowed to marry Jane, but what business is it of Odin’s, if Don Blake marries her?” Isn’t this the loophole he’s been looking for? This whole dual personality bit is so confusing. But I put this in the “Hot” column, because how can you deny Thor’s joy as he flies through the air, exclaiming “She loves me! SHE LOVES ME!” He may be as confused as I am, but at least he’s ecstatic.

SUPERHEROES WORKING WITH THE COPS. When Thor wants to take one of the Grey Gargoyle’s stone figures to Dr. Blake’s office, the cop says, “The Avengers have top federal priority.” It’s good to see everybody working together for the common good.

COPS WORKING WITH THEIR BRAINS. I was also pleased when a squad of police officers decides to use a flame-thrower to stop the gargoyle, reasoning that flame can turn stone to lava. They don’t actually do that much good with their flame-thrower, but at least they didn’t just charge off shooting their guns willy-nilly, hoping something good might come of it.

NOT SO LAME AFTER ALL! I had a problem at first seeing “lame” Dr. Blake riding the motorcycle and tackling a super-villain on his own. Shouldn’t he be more careful? But then I realized that Thor was out of commission, so somebody had to do something, and the spirit of Thor somehow or other lives within Dr. Blake, so who better for the job? Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and all the other Avengers are apparently busy with other cases at the moment—so the task falls to Thor’s alter-ego. Of course, it works to his advantage, because when he’s heralded as a hero for ridding the city of the Gargoyle, Jane is properly impressed.

WHAT’S NOT
THE GREY GARGOYLE. I was not impressed with this villain. My main complaint is that he doesn’t seem very bright. Observe:

1. Duval makes a huge jump in logic when he goes from knowing he can steal “baubles” to thinking he can steal Thor’s power of immortality. First, he’s assuming the power is in the hammer, but furthermore, he’s assuming that possessing the hammer automatically ensures immortality. Although he’s a scientist, he’s not using the Scientific Method.
2. For quite a while, the Grey Gargoyle is easily fooled by what is essentially a holographic image. Stark’s technology is good, but it’s not that good. LOOK at Thor on the bottom of pages 14 and 16. He’s transparent! If we can see that, why can’t the Gargoyle??
3. The Gargoyle’s powers have too many limits, too many conditions. He can only remain stone for one hour. Also, even though he can scale walls “effortlessly, easily, without the slightest hesitation,” he is also “heavier, slower” in a pursuit.
4. Most damning of all, however: in his stone form, he sinks. A fairly large Achilles’ Heel on a planet that is 70% water.
5. Finally, why does the Gargoyle wear a blue mask over his eyes? Does he really think anyone is likely to recognize him?

DOES ANYBODY REALLY KNOW WHAT TIME IS IT?? I think I may have found the secret to “the Eternal Now.” On page 6, the Gargoyle says, “My stone spell lasts for only an hour! Sixty seconds from now you will be normal again.” Not a typo. The Gargoyle thinks an hour has sixty seconds (or at least Stan does, or some lazy copy editor). Later, Blake muses that the Gargoyle’s spell lasts for 24 hours. What? Are we saying that sixty seconds and sixty minutes and 24 hours are all the same? No wonder time barely passes in the Marvel Universe! Or, is Stan trying to keep us off balance by changing the mythology every three or four pages?

OH, THAT’S NOT RIGHT. I dare you not to giggle when Thor says, “You dare profane my beloved hammer with your evil grasp??!!”

TALES OF ASGARD
“Balder Must Die!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Vince Colletta
Letters: Art Simek

Loki forces the Norn Queen to make a dart that will kill Balder, but the dart and the plan backfire when the Norn Queen reveals that she, like all living creatures, took a pledge to protect Balder. “BLAST YOU, female!! You haven’t heard the LAST of this!!” screams Loki. That’s the best line in the five pages it takes to tell this largely forgettable tale. The best image is on the splash, where “the innocent godling” Balder serenades the bunnies and the birdies with a stringed instrument.