TALES TO ASTONISH #58: The Little Woman That Could

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Chrissy
tta58

Published: August, 1964

“The Coming of Colossus”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Dick Ayers
Inks: Paul Reinman
Letters: Art Simek

So there’s Colossus, this giant monster on a mountaintop in Africa, terrorizing the natives. Giant-Man and Wasp head on over to fight him. Giant-Man gets big, then small, then big again, then small again, and in the end the pea-sized brain of the giant-sized Colossus is swimming so badly, he doesn’t know which end is up, and jumps back in his spaceship. All’s well that ends well.

But that’s not really what this story is about. It’s only the skeleton upon which is hung one particularly impressive development, and its particularly creepy application.

I THINK, THEREFORE I AM
We start in Pym’s lab, where, as usual, he’s working on something new. I guess all those shrinking and enlarging capsules are becoming a bit cumbersome. I mean, how does he keep track of them all? If he’s normal-sized, then shrinks, he needs to take an enlarging capsule. But if he’s giant-sized, how many capsules does he have to take to become ant-sized again? Two…three? What if he takes too many…or not enough? What if he takes the wrong capsule at the wrong time??

Well, we’re past all that now, because in this story, Pym has made modifications to his cybernetic helmet so that all he has to do is THINK about what size he wants to be and …ta dum! He instantly grows or shrinks.

Sure, it’s a time saver and a space saver. However, I can’t help thinking this could be a bit of a story-killer. In the past, we’ve experienced the drama of Pym running out of capsules. We also saw Porcupine steal the capsules and take the wrong one. Oh! The dramatic complications.

All that’s gone now.

And by the way, no mention is made of how what was essentially a pharmaceutical phenomenon now becomes a simple matter of “mind over matter.” Perplexing, no? Probably best not to ask too many questions.

I THINK, THEREFORE YOU ARE
Okay, this is all very well and good for Pym, but my dander got fluffed when I saw this:

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What the holy…???? I mean, really now…we’re stepping way beyond the acceptable limits of superhero camaraderie, aren’t we? In what universe is it okay for one person to control another person? Well, if you’re a SUPER-VILLAIN, yeah, that’s what super-villains do. But superheroes don’t. They just don’t. It’s wrong. On so many levels.

Wasp is a strong character who has proven herself a valuable asset to the team. She has a brain, and generally makes good decisions. She certainly doesn’t NEED Pym making those decisions for her. This is a huge step backwards in the development of these characters and their relationship, to say nothing of the big kick in the pants to the blossoming Women’s Lib movement.

And that’s just scratching the surface. What about the blatant sexual undertones in this new development? Well, really, the strange relationship between the GIANT man and his little woman has always been rife with sexual undertones. I’ve already talked about how Giant-Man didn’t even manifest tta58sizeuntil after Wasp started getting flirty with the hunky Thor. Pym reacts by making sure he’s the biggest guy in the room. Could we be any more obvious? But now, it’s not good enough for him to be the biggest guy in the room, he’s also got to be able to control the little woman by merely thinking about her.

It’s creepy. And I hope this doesn’t last, or it gets modified, or forgotten, or something happens, because I certainly don’t want to read about our sassy Wasp getting blown up and shrunk down at the mere whim of her super-powerful male partner. Yes, I know it’s all for a good cause, but how many ill-begotten ideas have hidden behind that cloak? Let Wasp be Wasp! She’s already proven time and again that she can take care of herself, thank you very much!

THE MAGICIAN AND THE MAIDEN
tta58thumbPlot: Stan Lee
Script: Larry Lieber
Art: Larry Lieber
Letters: Sam Rosen

On a much lighter note, “The Magician and the Maiden” is nowhere near as sexually suggestive as the first story, or even as sexually suggestive as it sounds. When the Magician escapes prison, he seeks revenge on Giant-Man, but gets more than he bargains for when he faces little ol’ Wasp, all by her lonesome.

Here’s another one of those short tales where Wasp takes care of business without Henry’s help, and does just fine. We have some fun in the department store with Wasp driving a toy car and operating a toy robot by remote control. In fact, this is one of the most ridiculous images I’ve yet seen in Marvel comics.

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I guess when I was a kid, my parents took me to the wrong department stores, because I don’t remember any “toy” robots as large or elaborate as this. We had a modestly-sized Lost in Space robot, but I doubt it had the capability of tying up people. And the Magician’s a fairly pathetic villain, if he can be vanquished by a puff of air and an escalator. By the way, is that the widest escalator you’ve ever seen? Again I say: my parents took me to the wrong department stores.

tta58carBut getting back on track, the beauty of this story is that Wasp handles the villain on her own, without the help of Henry Pym, Ant-Man, or even Giant-Man. In the end, when Pym finally shows up, fussing that he was so worried about her, Janet van Dyne uses the moment to steal a hug from her favorite scientist. The girl knows how to get what she wants!

And here’s the best part: at the same time she’s cuddling Pym, declaring “I love being in your arms! They’re so strong, so capable..and I’ll always need them to protect weak little me!” she’s winking at the audience!

tta58winkShe knows, and we know, that any woman who can trap a magician using only a department store escalator and a puff of air has moved way past the need for big strong arms to protect her. She may want them, but she certainly doesn’t need them. This is what I like to see in Marvel Comics—so much more than the obvious, hokey metaphor for keeping the little woman in her place.

But it’s only 1964, and we’re just now on the cusp of the most socially turbulent time of the 20th century. I’m sure Marvel will have many more hits and more misses over the next several years, as the little Misses of Marvel evolve into bigger and bigger hits with the reading audience.

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Posted in Giant-Man, Tales to Astonish, Wasp | 6 Comments

DAREDEVIL #3: Love is Owl You Need?

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Chrissy
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Published: August, 1964

“The Owl, Ominous Overlord of Crime!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Joe Orlando
Inks: Vince Colletta
Letters: Sam Rosen

I have mixed emotions about this story. There’s so much about it that’s terribly good…but at the same time, there’s so much that’s terribly—well, just terrible. As the title slows down to almost a complete stop, I’m throwing up my hands in frustration, thinking, “I guess Daredevil will have to go on the back burner.” I’m almost ready to exile him to the Marvelous Zone’s wasteland, along with Sgt. Fury and his wartime buddies. I don’t know how much more of this I can take. But at the same time, we have massive soap opera development, which interests me very much.

Oh! What should I do??

I’ll start by ranting about my concerns. Maybe that will make me feel better.

WORDS, WORDS AND MORE WORDS!
I’ve seen some of the more recent Marvel comics, and I’m amazed by how image-intensive they are, with fabulous artwork and a minimum of word balloons and narration. In other words: the complete opposite of what I’m reading now. Of course, I have no objections to words, they certainly help tell a story, but there comes a time when the narrator needs to get out of the way and just let the action happen. There also comes a time when the characters need to get over themselves and stop gloating about how wonderful they are. If they’re wonderful, their actions will prove it.

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Daredevil, I’m looking at you.

I’ll bet if this Daredevil story were presented today, it would be told with less than half the words and more than twice the excitement. The action necessarily slows down every time Daredevil fills half a panel with a word balloon explaining how he’s able to accomplish his amazing feats. (“The sound her breathing, coupled with her heartbeat, tell me where she is just as unerringly as a radar signal guides a pilot in the thickest fog!”)

At one point, Owl says (yes, he actually says) “See how EASY it is…for ME!!” It sounds like Daredevil’s going through the same self-absorbed egotistical contemplations.

dd3spideyDaredevil’s falling into the spider’s web of excessive chattiness, but whereas Parker does it for humorous effect, it doesn’t fly for the super-serious Daredevil. We’ve already established that Daredevil can sense things ordinary people can’t. Stopping for a thirty-second explanation of every two-second deed is not a good use of his time…or ours. Are we reading a treatise on the Handi-Capable, or an action-packed comic book?

Now, having said all that, I do of course realize what’s going on. The title is young, and some readers may be showing up late for the party. Stan’s simply making sure that everybody’s on the same page regarding the virtues of our new superhero—even if it takes ten minutes to read that page!! I hope that in future issues, the chatter will subside, and we’ll have more show than tell.

So, that’s the annoying part, but I recognize there’s hope for improvement. What’s improved already is that the female lead is center stage, as both the Love Interest, AND the Damsel in Distress.

IT’S A GIRL!!
It’s amusing that Matt Murdock, as Daredevil, can determine the distance of a gun and the trajectory of the bullet simply by hearing the click of the trigger, but he hasn’t got a CLUE that Karen Page is interested in him. He can hear her heartbeat speeding up when he’s near, but doesn’t know what it could possibly mean. So he says to himself… “I wonder…” but doesn’t dare to believe it might be so.

dd3soapOh, the soap opera! Right? The “Man Without Fear” willingly undertakes any danger, yet dare not begin to believe that the girl he’s interested in is also interested in him.

I like that Daredevil and Karen have now met, though I’m not exactly sure what Murdock is doing with this new development. Sure, he momentarily forgets himself and cries out her name when the Owl threatens, but that’s a “heat of the moment” reaction that can be forgiven. Here’s what can’t be forgiven: When Karen wonders how Daredevil knows her, he flirts, “Oh, that’s easy! I’ve seen you in my dreams since I can remember!”

Doh!

First, it’s a lie. Second, it’s a tremendously corny pickup line. Next thing we know, he’ll ask if it hurt when she fell from Heaven. Jeez! He beats himself up for shouting her name, and later for neglecting to disguise his voice, so why is he not knocking himself upside the head with a cloudy word balloon of “You idiot! Really?? Is that the best you could come up with?”

Most perplexing, though, is why he decides to encourage Karen’s interest in his masked persona. Daredevil is supposed to be a big secret, right? Surely a smart guy like Murdock knows that no good can possibly come from piquing her interest. By the end of this story, Karen’s already subconsciously suspicious of the eerie similarities between her boss and her hero. I say Murdock’s a smart guy, because his bookwormish childhood, law degree, and ability to deftly handle a needle and thread mean he’s no dummy, but…boy! He sure does act like one when it comes to girls.

Speaking of girls, there’s a funny moment involving an inopportune appearance. You know how much I love a marvelous “announcement,” so when Karen blunders into the office, and the Owl exclaims, “A GIRL!!” that strikes me as hysterical.

dd3girlI don’t think either hero or villain has had much experience with girls. When Owl sees one, he shrieks in surprise, using two exclamation points. And Murdock doesn’t dare trust his otherwise reliable senses, when it appears the girl he likes reciprocates his feelings.

He knows that if he pursues Karen as Matt Murdock, blind attorney, he risks rejection. But as Daredevil, he has no fear. Not because Daredevil is “The Man Without Fear,” but because Daredevil is not in the romance biz. He hides behind a mask and spouts romantic drivel, knowing there’s no hope of a real relationship between a pretty young secretary and a costumed superhero.

If you don’t play, you can’t lose.

IS THAT OWL YOU’VE GOT?
So “not losing” is the name of the game. Murdock goes through some fancy psychological gymnastics to avoid a loss, but his alter-ego has a much easier time. It’s only the third issue, but so far, against whom have we seen Daredevil pit his devilishly superior skills? Some gangsters, thugs, and oh yes…Electro. Electro shows promise for future issues, but if Owl is supposed to be a step up, I’m disappointed.

Owl is not a particularly impressive villain. Sure, he’s ugly, even described as “gross,” but a lot of Marvel villains are ugly and gross. The Owl is simply a mean, bad person who happens to have an aerodynamic coat. The cloak is cool, I’ll give him that—but is it enough to classify him as a “super villain”? No. He’s a gliding creep who happens to look somewhat like a bird.
dd3owlfloat

A Man Without Fear DESERVES a better villain than this, or else where’s the glory in having no fear?

So. Can you understand why I’m disenchanted with the Daredevil title? At this point, if you’re keeping track, more things are going wrong than right. Of course, the thing that’s going right, the soap opera, will keep me hooked, at least for a while. But is it enough for the long run? I’m no Daredevil. I love a good love story as much as the next gal, but I fear without the beneficial buoyancy of a strong villain mojo, I may drown in this sea of TOO MANY WORDS!!

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Posted in Daredevil | 6 Comments

Meanwhile…: July, 1964

Posted on December 25, 2014 by Chrissy

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #14

asm14“The Grotesque Adventure of the Green Goblin!”
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
Letters: Art Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
The Green Goblin convinces a Hollywood producer to make a film with Spider-Man portraying himself. Unbeknownst to the moviemakers, Green Goblin and his henchmen, the Enforcers, are portraying the bad guys. When they lure Spidey into a cave, he realizes who they really are, but in the middle of their fight, Hulk shows up, and the action shifts. Impressed by Hulk’s fighting skills, Spider-Man at last escapes, then tricks Goblin into thinking he’s drowned. Swell guy that he is, Spidey goes back to rescue the Enforcers from Hulk.

WHAT’S HOT
MYSTERIOUS VILLAIN. The Green Goblin is introduced in this tale, but not much is yet known about him. What is his motivation? What are those sparks he emits from his fingertips? How does he invent a flying broom? At the end of the story, we see him switching back into his everyday persona…a man in a green suit. It’s not lost on me that J. Jonah Jameson also wears a green suit. Is the Marvel bullpen trying to insinuate something? If so, it wouldn’t be the first time.

HEROICS. A short time ago, I complained about heroes who are noble to a fault, even going so far as to evoke the name of the great James Tiberius Kirk. Spidey has a little Kirk in him as well, going back to rescue the Enforcers from certain doom at the hands of the Incredible Hulk. The one thing that saves this scene is Spider-Man recognizing that he’s “probably a nit-wit” for risking his life in this way. It’s okay to take heroism to ridiculous heights, as long as you recognize it’s ridiculous.

VS. One of my favorite things about Marvel is speculating on who would win, should two superheroes fight each other. The comics certainly indulge us with these scenarios often enough, and now we have another one: Spider-Man vs. Hulk. Not that the outcome was at all surprising, but it was nice to see Spidey give it the old high school try.

HOLLYWOOD!! This is the not the first time Marvel has poked fun at the film-making industry. We’ve been to Hollywood a few times already, but each visit seems more surreal than the last. First, the Fantastic Four starred in an autobiographical drama (FF 9), and then Thor performs in a Viking picture in order to support his favorite charities (JIM 92). The flamboyant producer’s manic-depressive desire to duplicate the success of “The Nameless Thing From the Black Lagoon in the Murky Swamp” borders on the absurd. I have a feeling Marvel will keep poking fun at Hollywood, with deeper and deeper jabs.

WHAT’S NOT
ENFORCING…WHAT? The Enforcers? Really? And I thought we were done with these guys! Didn’t we cart them off to jail in the final pages of ASM 10??? Seems Mervel’s infamously lenient code of justice has struck again. Guess the policemen and judges in this universe want to make sure they don’t ever find themselves out of a job, so they keep letting convicted criminals go free, ensuring that no one is ever truly safe and their services will be in constant demand.

BETTY BOO HOO. Oh, poor Betty. I really feel for this girl. Can’t figure her out. Only a few years out of high school (or was it secretarial school?) she’s landed a posh job as the executive secretary to the publisher of a major metropolitan newspaper. Yet, this hasn’t given her enough confidence to pursue a romantic relationship with anyone who doesn’t take a daily ride on a yellow school bus. Sure Peter’s a smart guy, and not bad-looking now that he’s lost the spectacles, but the fact remains…he’s in HIGH SCHOOL. Doesn’t Betty know she can do better than that?

BETTY BOO HOO PART II. And to make matters worse, Betty spends way too much time fretting that her high school boyfriend is going to be lured away by either Liz Allan…or Marilyn Monroe. Okay, Liz could be a real concern, as the blonde high-schooler has obviously seen the light and is now heartily extolling the virtues of Peter Parker over flashy Flash Thompson. But what in the world makes Betty think Hollywood starlets are going to give up Clark Gable and Tony Curtis so they can date a freelancing high school photographer? For someone in the newspaper biz, it would behoove Betty to learn that reality is driven by multiple points of view. Just because you’ve got this strange fetish for schoolboys, honey, doesn’t mean every gal does.

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AVENGERS #6

a6“The Mighty Avengers Meet the Masters of Evil!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
Years ago, Captain America covered evil Zemo with Adhesive X, gluing his hood to his face. Seeking a remedy, and revenge on the resurrected Captain America, Zemo gathers Radioactive Man, Black Knight and the Melter, to fight the Avengers! The Teen Brigade assists, as does an incarcerated Paste Pot Pete, who provides a “super-dissolver.” Obligatory fight scenes abound, but in the end, Zemo escapes–not with the super-dissolver, but with a cannister of tear gas cleverly planted by the Teen Brigade!

WHAT’S HOT
PETE…AND REPETE. When I heard about Adhesive X, I immediately thought this would be a great opportunity for a guest appearance by my favorite funny foe, Paste Pot Pete. And sure enough, Pete makes an appearance, though since he is in jail, he’s not looking his usual flamboyant self. He’s also not acting like himself, since he offers assistance to the good guys! But then, he’s trying to earn Brownie Points with the Warden, in hopes of an early release. Considering the lenient Marvel justice system, this single act of selfish altruism practically guarantees Pete will show up again soon—and this time, with his clown suit and bucket of paste!

BRIGADIERS…UNITE! As if this story didn’t already have enough characters, the Teen Brigade gets into the action as well, switching out the canisters of Adhesive X with Paste Pot Pete’s Super-Dissolver. Favorite Line: “We won’t let you down, Rick! Here’s where all our teamwork really pays off!”

A MAN AND A HORSE. At the end of the story, Thor flies in on Black Knight’s horse, delivering the vanquished villain to the police. I’ve always thought Thor was a powerful enough character on his own, but I must admit, he looks good on a horse. Too bad his overactive sense of right and wrong prevents him from commandeering the horse. I think they could be a good team.

JUSTICE? I SNEER IN THE FACE OF JUSTICE! Zemo notes that the police won’t hold his allies forever, and “sooner or later we’ll rejoin forces.” The lenient ways of the Marvel justice system are so legendary, villains barely even blink in the face of it.

BAD IS BAD. Zemo’s cronies label themselves “The Masters of Evil.” Zemo’s pilot says,”Zemo was right! Those who fight for justice can always be defeated.” Let’s listen to that again: Those who fight for JUSTICE can always be defeated. There’s both a clear understanding of “justice,” and a complete disregard for it. These guys are not noble villains, like Doctor Doom or Sub-Mariner. They’re not even pretending their low road is actually a high road. They revel in their evilness. They seek revenge and mayhem. Now, if they could only get more organized, once they get out of prison, it might be fun to meet up with them again.

WHAT’S NOT
BOY STORY. I’ve gleaned a lot of gems from this story, but in the end, it was mostly just good guys vs. bad guys. There was so much action, it didn’t leave any time for soap opera—unless you want to talk about Cap’s brief melancholic reminiscence of his beloved Bucky. Boys of all ages may enjoy the non-stop battles, but I hope the next story slows down a bit to take us deeper inside the characters.

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TALES OF SUSPENSE #55

tos55“No One Escapes the Mandarin!”
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Don Heck
Letters: Art Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
Iron Man escapes the Mandarin by tricking him into looking for Tony Stark. Once free and recharged, Iron Man discovers Mandarin is using a ray to capture U.S. missiles. Mandarin and Iron Man fight, and Mandarin uses various tricks to confuse and capture his foe, but to no avail. In the end, Iron Man destroys the ray, and Mandarin declares he will devote the rest of his life to finding and destroying Iron Man. Stark returns home and is happy to see Pepper, but Happy is not happy to see Stark and Pepper getting so cozy together.

WHAT’S HOT
HAHA? It’s a stretch for the writers to open the story by saying that Iron Man is “smiling,” but how can the Mandarin tell? “Iron Man, are you MAD? You dare smile in the face of death?!!” This is a joke, right?

SURELY YOU JESTER! As an added feature, we have a “Pepper Potts’ Pin-Up Page,” which shows the auburn beauty in a harlequin print one-piece bathing suit. Move over, Sue Storm! You’ve got some competition. (Of course, Pepper is also wearing the obligatory shoes.) As an added bonus, Happy looks hunky in his flying saucer print trunks and straw hat.

WHAT’S NOT
WAIT! I’LL BE RIGHT BACK. The Mandarin commits Classic Villain Mistake #32, when he leaves Iron Man alone to look for Tony Stark. Why not take two seconds to kill Iron Man first, then look for Stark? Methinks he underestimates the power of his enemy. Though, me-alsothinks by the end of the story, underestimating Iron Man is a thing of the past for the Mandarin.

NOW YOU SEE ME…In the 1960’s, the idea of multiple images of the hero’s foe hadn’t yet reached trope status, but looking at this now, I roll my eyes. How many times have we seen this before? Marvel villains aren’t the only ones who enjoy playing with mirrors. But I wonder if they were the first?

I WONDER…
CONTINUING LOVE STORY. This is the second part of a story that began with Stark thinking amorous thoughts about his assistant Pepper Potts. In all the commotion of the run-in with the Mandarin, this plot point was happily not forgotten. When Stark deplanes at JFK, he’s delighted to see Pepper waiting for him, and she “looks more gorgeous than ever!!” When the limo gets a flat, Happy is stuck changing the tire, while Tony and Pepper go off to look at the moonlight. Wow! Looks like we’re really going somewhere with this! Can’t wait to find out what happens next!

However, in the “More Info About Iron Man” featurette, Stan confirms my earlier suspicion that Tony never gets serious with a woman because “he alone knows that he is living on borrowed time!” Looks like Tony (and Stan) are trying to have it both ways! The more interesting mystery may end up being NOT how Stark reconciles his sudden interest in Pepper with the fact that he knows his heart will only continue to beat for as long as his electronic chest device supports it, but rather how Stan will attempt to maintain a brewing romance in which one of the participants feels he can never truly invest his emotions.

tos55thumbThe Sun-Stealer!
Plot: Stan Lee
Script & Art: Larry Lieber
Letters: Art Simek

An alien, planning to steal the sun, lands on the moon and is convinced that the Watcher will do nothing to stop him. The Watcher engages the little green man in a lengthy conversation, and as the alien brags for pages about his planet’s mammoth Magneto-Gravity Machine, his spaceship sinks in a lunar bog.

The sun is safe, but it appears the Watcher is now going to have a long-winded neighbor to keep him company on the bleak, airless moon.

Incidentally, how do you pronounce “Xakku?”

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TALES TO ASTONISH #57

tta57“On the Trail of the Amazing Spider-Man!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Dick Ayers
Inks: Paul Reinman
Letters: Sam Rosen

IN A NUTSHELL
Egghead tricks Giant-Man and Spider-Man into fighting each other. As the police keep an eye on the Giant/Spider battle, Egghead and his underworld minions steal a payroll truck. The two superheroes realize they’ve been duped into providing a diversion, then work together to haul in the criminals.

WHAT’S HOT
NATURAL ENEMIES. Boy meets girl, but it’s not what you think. What an unfortunate first encounter between Spidey and Wasp! They don’t get along, and it has little to do her new compressed air stinger, or him wrapping her up in a web. “Spiders and wasps are natural enemies” is the given explanation, and…well…that sort of makes sense. It’s refreshing to see these two strong, outspoken characters taking jabs at each other. The most we can hope for is that they’ll learn to tolerate each other. Should we ever see them together again, they’ll have to learn to work together for the common good….sort of like Edward and Jacob, when the goal is protecting their beloved Bella.

WHAT’S NOT
I’M NOT UGLY, I’M JUST DRAWN THAT WAY. Not a fan of Dick Ayer’s interpretation of Wasp. She looks like my third grade teacher. And if you were in that class with me, you’d know: not a pretty sight! Black lipstick doesn’t make it any better.

GET THEE BACK TO SUNDAY SCHOOL! Pym may be a smart guy, but he needs to pay more attention in Bible Study. He makes the classic mistake of declaring that “Money is the root of all evil.” Extra points for anyone who knows how the saying really goes.

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tta57thumb“A Voice In the Dark!”
Plot: Stan Lee
Script & Pencils: Larry Lieber
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Sam Rosen

While Jan is hurrying to a dinner date with Hank, she gets sidetracked chasing a jewel thief into the sewer. When all other attempts to stop him fail, she pretends to be the Invisible Girl, and the thought of the Fantastic Four scares the thief so much he turns himself in. When Jan tells Hank what happened, he doesn’t believe her, and is unnecessarily rude.

First, I’ve got to say I was pleased to see the little woman get a story all her own. She does the best she can under the circumstances, and when super “powers” fail her, she resorts to super smarts, which gets the job done. It’s a relief, as well, to see Wasp actually doing something in the “B”-side story, other than entertaining orphans and veterans with tales of alien civilizations.

But one thing confuses me. Why is Jan so convinced that Henry will be “about as calm as a raging tiger” because she’s late for their dinner date? I’ve never seen anything about Hank Pym that suggests an angry temperament. Do things go on behind the scenes between Hank and Jan that we don’t know about, or is Jan simply trying to convince herself that Hank loves her so much that he is driven into a frenzy when she’s not there? Maybe our little Wasp is acting more like a bee than a wasp—a drama queen bee, that is!

However, at the end of the story, when Jan finally shows up for their date, Hank’s pretty heavy with the sarcasm. (“It wasn’t ME you had a date with…it was really Mr. Fantastic, pretending to be me!”) I understand it’s all for laughs, but scenes like this open the door for questions about what goes on with these two, when we’re not looking.

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JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #106

jim106“The Thunder God Strikes Back!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Art Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
With Mjolnir stuck inside a machine, Thor causes a commotion so he can transform to Blake. Blake promises to deliver Thor to Hyde and Cobra, if they will first retrieve his antique cane. With his cane, Blake hides in the crowd, and reverts to Thor. Thor fights both villains until the police come, but Hyde hides, and transforms back to Calvin Zabo. Zabo follows Thor to a deserted spot, then reverts to Hyde. They fight again. Thor delivers Hyde to the police, and Blake returns to Jane, who is angry at him for betraying Thor.

Once again, I can’t decide if these observations are “hot” or not,” so I’m merely offering them up for your entertainment:

STUPID CRIMINALS, PART….AW, FORGET IT. JUST STUPID CRIMINALS. When Thor reverts to Blake and can’t be found, brainiac Hyde deduces, “Thor MUST still be here! All the doors are bolted! He can’t have escaped!!” As if bolted doors could stop the mighty THOR. I think Mr. Hyde underestimates his opponent.

STUPID CRIMINALS…ANOTHER PART. Blake promises Hyde and Cobra he will reveal the secret of finding Thor, but only if they first retrieve his antique cane from the innards of some complicated machine. After this, both criminals spend a good deal of time attempting to retrieve the cane, instead of simply saying “Look, buddy! What good is an antique cane going to do you if you’re DEAD?? Tell us where Thor is or we’ll KILL you!”

AND AGAIN…Why are Cobra and Hyde not wondering about the coincidence of Blake’s cane ending up in the same machine as Thor’s hammer? Why are they not yet realizing that both the cane and the hammer are present every time they deal with Blake and Thor…but are never seen at the same time? Well, Cobra is no scientist, and may not be an even marginally smart person, but Zabo has invented a Time Reversal Ray and concocted a Jekyll/Hyde potion, so he should be pretty high up there with the IQ points. Yet, it seems he has a missing screw when it comes to logical intuitive thinking.

HOUSE DIVIDED. As always, when super-villains team up, we have that inevitable moment when one member of the team feels he’s being slighted by the other. Cobra whines, “So far Hyde has tried to run the whole show! It’s time I show what I can do!” Later, when Thor captures Cobra, his taunt of “You were merely his Cat’s Paw” is certainly more hurtful to the beta villain than any amount of POW and BAM!

TEST OF STRENGTH? Wait. Hyde, with the strength of 12 men is able to tear the machine apart…but Thor is not able to do the same? I mean…he didn’t even try!

jim106bombWHERE’S WALDO? Decades before the advent of the “photo bomb,” Asgardian Thor practices the art here on earth, circa 1964. Is he a man ahead of his time? Is this where the concept came from? Or do we earthlings have something else for which to thank Asgardian culture?

TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME! Thor uses his alter-identity as Blake to hide himself several times in this story…but Hyde comes right back with the same trick, drinking a potion to revert to mild-mannered scientist Calvin Zabo, just before the police arrive. It’s amazing that neither Thor nor Hyde ever suspect their opponent might have abilities similar to their own.

WHAT THE WELL-DRESSED SUPER VILLAIN IS WEARING THIS SEASON. When Zabo turns into Hyde, he wears his jacket inside out and the transformation is complete. Generally, wearing clothes inside out looks mighty peculiar, but this fashion faux pas is the least objectionable element of Mr. Hyde’s appearance.

COMPARISONS. Thor believes Hyde is more evil than Loki. Now…that’s saying something! However, I would have to disagree with Thor.

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FANTASTIC FOUR #28

ff28“We Have to Fight the X-Men!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Art Simek

I’ve got nothing to say about this. The X-Men are duped into fighting the Fantastic Four, and it’s completely predictable. We expect Sue and Marvel Girl to compliment each other’s looks, and they do. We expect things to be put right at the end, and it’s no surprise that Reed praises the teenagers for being “valliant.” I was a little surprised, however, when Thing calls Marvel Girl a “tigress” and wants to give her a spanking, but that never goes anywhere, and it’s a good thing too, because this is family entertainment. I’ll be quiet now.

sgtf8

Posted in Avengers, Fantastic Four, Giant-Man, Iron Man, Meanwhile, Sgt. Fury, Spider-Man, Tales of Suspense, Tales to Astonish, Thor, Wasp | 2 Comments

X-MEN #6: Cooks, Magnets, Fancy Underpants And Other Things

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Chrissy
Published: July, 1964

Published: July, 1964

“Sub-Mariner! Joins the Evil Mutants”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Sam Rosen

As I read this story, I kept stopping to jot down notes. So, I’m going to try something new. This post will consist of my notes, followed by elaboration. These are the things that go through my mind, as I read a Marvel comic.

THEY HAVE A COOK?
On the splash, we see the X-Men sitting down to enjoy a nice family meal together, and Professor X thanks Jean for preparing the food on the cook’s day off. This blew my mind. They have a cook? Suddenly, I’m thinking…Whoa! Why didn’t I think of this before? What do we have here—a group of teenagers (mostly boys) and a guy in a wheelchair. How do they eat? Which of them has the Culinary Superpower? None, that I know of. They MUST have outside help, just to keep the place up and running. Cook, housemaid, gardener…maybe even a butler? Am I hearing the theme song for Upstairs, Downstairs? These superheroes have enough studying and saving the world to do on their own; they really can’t be bothered to stop and clean a toilet or boil the potatoes. It makes sense that there would be a domestic staff.

ux6jeanmaidNow, this opens a whole can of worms. Who’s on this staff, and how much do they know about what really goes on in Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters? Are these average homo sapiens who think they’re simply tending a bunch of smart kids? What goes through their mind when they see the students walking around in those crazy yellow and blue uniforms? Have they ever seen Angel’s wings? Beast’s feet?

Here’s a possibility: if they are homo sapiens, maybe Professor X bathes their minds in some light hypnosis to prevent them from asking too many questions. But wouldn’t that tax him unnecessarily? Here’s another thought: perhaps the staff is “in on it,” fully aware of the students’ special “gifts.” If so, they would be human beings the aliceProfessor felt he could trust implicitly. Maybe “the cook” is the same cook who cut little Charlie’s peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when he was a wee one, growing up in the Xavier mansion.

Okay, one more: the hired staff are ALSO homo superiors (man, it just never feels right saying that…) but their particular superpowers are not so useful against fighting evil, leaning more in the direction of Samantha Stevens’ nose-twitching or Jeannie’s head-bobbing, to get mundane tasks done in a hurry. If that’s the case, there might be one tremendously talented “cook” who runs the whole “Downstairs” operation of Professor Xavier’s School for the Gifted, and still has plenty of time left to type up the students’ term papers at a whopping 300 wpm.

It boggles the mind, once you start thinking about it. One thing for sure—whatever the answer to this mystery, I want to know more. If Stan and company don’t address the issue, at the very least, it deserves a Fan Fiction!

ux6missionTHEY’VE GOT A MISSION
Over a steaming hot cup of coffee (apparently prepared by Jean, on the “cook’s” day off), Professor X announces that their mission is to locate unattached mutants before the evil mutants can find them. This is news to me. If I’m remembering correctly, to this point, the “mission” has been to train and train and train so that they will be ready to fight for truth, justice and the American way, whenever that need might arise. But I guess the recent emergence of Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants has upped the ante. Good. I like this. It gives more substance to their reason for being. Training is good, but you’ve got to be training for something. I like that the mission has been defined. Now we’re going somewhere.

WHEN HE SEES MY FANCY UNDERPANTS, HOW CAN HE RESIST?
Magneto cracks me up. He’s so full of himself. And he’s completely clueless about what’s going on in the rest of the superhero community. He sets his sights on Namor, the Sub-Mariner, and declares, “He shall obey Magneto!” Obviously Magneto’s been so busy trying to manage his unruly band of misfits that he hasn’t had time to keep up with his comic book reading. If he had, he’d know that the King of the Sea is not going to bow down in submission to anyone, least of all a surface man who wears purple underpants over his tights.

ux6pointsux6magneto_zbMagneto’s living in a dreamworld, where both his minions and his enemies quake and cower at the mere mention of his name. The funny part is that early in the story Magneto has to admit that X-Men have foiled him at every turn. The X-Men. A bunch of teenagers. How sad is that? Magneto is the neighborhood curmudgeon, plotting his revenge against the adolescent hooligans who keep running across his lawn. When he decides he needs Sub-Mariner to help him defeat the X-Men, that’s the saddest moment of all. Basically, he’s admitting, “I can’t handle these kids on my own, I need help.”

I hope we see brighter days for Magneto. Meeting him in the X-Men movies, I’ve always considered him such a powerful villain, but this version seems so pathetic in comparison.

ux6hmmmIS THERE NO END TO THESE SUPERPOWERS?
Apparently Magneto has the ability to send out an illusory figure of himself, somewhat like Dr. Strange’s ectoplasmic self. Professor X can do the same, but he calls it a “mental image,” or “a projection of his mind.” Well, it doesn’t much matter what you call it, it’s an awfully convenient skill.

Oh yeah! And later, when Magneto approaches one of Namor’s lower level managers, he can “sense the greed and envy in this man’s heart.” Is that an actual superpower, or just sort of like women’s intuition? Wow! In this story, Magneto’s got so many convenient superpowers I never knew he had. Now, if he would just take some Interpersonal Skills & Management Training courses, he might have something going here.

ux6angrynamorTIMING IS EVERYTHING
How quickly after FF 27 does this story take place? Because Sub-Mariner is STILL in a rage over what happened in that book. It appears that story just wrapped up and this one begins, moments later. It’s good timing, because an angry Namor is a formidable Namor.

TO MUTANT…OR NOT TO MUTANT? THAT IS THE QUESTION…
Namor is a king, the Monarch of the great undersea civilization. As we learned in Fantastic Four Annual #1, his parentage is mixed – human father, Atlantean mother. With this in mind, I’ve never thought of him as a “mutant,” and I’m flabbergasted that he would even consider the possibility.

Now, I haven’t been around the Marvel universe very long, but neither had anyone else at this time. Maybe there’s more to “mutants” than I currently know, but the way I understand it, a mutant is someone who has experienced some kind of mutation, which makes him different from the norm. When a lion and a tiger make a baby together, and out pops a Liger, that’s not a mutation, is it? It’s the natural result of combining two different species.

Wouldn’t a mutation be more like, two tigers have a cub together, and that cub has a mane? Unusual. Out of the ordinary. A…mutation.

I’m no Carl Sagan, or even remotely qualified to speak about evolution, but I don’t see how Namor could be considered a mutant.

THE THIRTY SECOND PERSUASION
Not only does Namor consider the idea that he might be a mutant, but he latches on to this surprisingly quickly. Observe the progression

On page 9, he’s just introduced to the idea:
ux6mutant1
In the very next panel, he considers the possibility:
ux6mutant2
And only one panel later:
ux6mutant3
In half a page, Namor goes from “I’ve never even considered that I might be a mutant!” to “I must see this FELLOW mutant for myself!” No Madison Avenue ad campaign ever worked quicker to persuade its target audience to line up and buy such a bunch of hooey. I thought Namor would be smarter than this, but perhaps he is so desperately seeking an explanation for his unique position in the universe.

THAT’S ONE MIGHTY STRONG MAGNET THERE, FELLA
ux6magnetThe X-Men sail in a wooden ship, yet Magneto’s magnet is able to tear it to shreds. Well, it IS “the largest magnet on earth.” Does that explain its incredible power?

YOU CAN’T TREAT A LADY THAT WAY!
Oh, this is rich! Namor’s been hanging around, waiting to see how things will play out, then makes his irrefutable decision when he hears Magneto talking roughly and inconsiderately to Scarlet Witch. Namor’s gallantry regarding the treatment of women sends him straight over to the right side. It’s not anything about ruling the world or subduing the surface people that ultimately convinces him. His honor is offended when he sees the way Magneto mistreats… a female.

I’LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN
As Sub-Mariner returns to the sea, he ponders the beauty of the Scarlet Witch, but decides he can never again love another surface woman. They’re just too much trouble. Is this simply an idle thought…or might we go somewhere with a Namor/Wanda romance? And wouldn’t that be just the thing to knock Sue Storm out of his system for good? Oh, there could be great changes in store for the epic FF Love Triangle!ux6suesad

And if Sub-Mariner no longer pines for Ms. Storm, how would she feel about that? A bit disappointed, I’m sure.

SIGH…
As we near the end of this story, Magneto’s Band of Evil Mutants is down to three: himself, a toad, and a jealous illusionist. Things are not looking up for Evil these days, are they?

ux6escapeBut then, in the penultimate panel, Magneto takes back Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch by means of a mental command. So disappointed! I was really hoping this story would be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. These two so clearly do not belong with the Evil League of Evil. Their alliance is first of all to each other, and then to “What Is Right.”

As for Magneto, sure he gets them back, but I wonder why he wants them. He should be smart enough to realize that they’ll eventurally turn against him. The longer they’re with him, the more insider intel they can gather, and that intel will ultimately prove dangerous to him when the Witch and her brother make their final move over to the the side of “What is Right.”

Any normal, intelligent person would see this handwriting on the wall, but though Magneto is smart, there’s one thing bigger than his intellect: his ego. He’s so full of himself, he can’t even consider the possibility that anyone would want to leave his presence.

It seems inevitable that his enormous ego will one day be his undoing.

FINAL THOUGHTS
This was a fun story. Well, it’s always fun when Namor shows his pointy ears and arched eyebrows, and the juxtaposition of so many strong personalities among the combatants provides lots of good soap opera. Can’t wait to see what happens next!

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Posted in X-Men | 8 Comments