Here are the other “Marvel Universe” books published in December, 1962:
“Prisoner of the Reds!”
In a nutshell: When American scientists mysteriously defect, Dr. Blake acts as bait to find out what’s going on. Hypnotized by the Commies, he is brought behind the Iron Curtain, where he finds the other scientists. As Thor, he fights the Commines and returns the scientists to the free world.
What’s Hot: Dr. Blake actually looks attractive in a number of panels. He secretly pines for Jane Foster while she openly swoons for Thor.
“The End of the Fantastic Four!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Art Simek
Wait! What?! What’s this I’m reading on the cover? The END of the Fantastic Four?? But…but…! It’s just the 9th issue! And I was enjoying these stories so much! And now you’re telling me there will be no more? Oh no!! What bad luck!
You know, this sort of thing always happens to me. Back in the 1990’s, I enjoyed a TV show called Moon Over Miami, but it only lasted thirteen episodes. And then I liked a show called Key West, but it suffered the same fate. I started to feel that I must bring some strange curse to the land of entertainment. If I happen to like something, it’s the kiss of death, it’s sure to be cancelled, scrapped. Is that what’s happening with The Fantastic Four comic mag? The END of the Fantastic Four, after only nine issues? Surely you jest!
Well, of course I jest. I know the FF will continue. But this is one big melodramatic ploy to get you to buy the magazine. Did Stan and company really need to resort to such National Enquirer tactics after only nine issues? I don’t think so. But they did, and it makes for a good story.
Rewind. Revise. I’ll come right out and say it: a great story! I enjoyed this one a lot. We have drama, deception, resolution. We have fairy tale-like use of what I call “one two three storytelling” and who can resist all the Sumor? I’m calling it “Sumor”–the Sue and Namor romantic storyline. I know back in the day, people didn’t morph names to describe their favorite “ships,” but it’s not back in the day, and I am a aficionado of Fan Fiction, so…Sumor it is!
But before we get to the Sumor, we must ask…what has brought the Fantastic Four to such a lowly state that “they can’t pay their bills and they have no place to turn”? Why do we see them on the cover, evicted, downtrodden, carrying bags, heads bowed, shielding themselves from the angry fist-shaking mob? “Heroes one minute–BUMS the next!!”
Wow! So much for fan loyalty, right? But that will all be turned around by page 23. The sooner we start, the sooner we’ll get to our happy ending. So let’s do this!
HARD TIMES & DECEPTION
Well, it appears that our heroes have indeed fallen on hard times. Reed has lost all their money in the stock market. Bankrupt and destitute, the FF are selling their possessions, planning to disband, when suddenly…they get an offer for $1M to star in a movie!
So they hitchhike to Hollywood, where they find that Namor is the head of studio. “All the wealth of the sea is mine,” he explains, and besides, his ancestors have passed down tales of where all the hidden treasure is buried.
Of course Namor has no real interest in making movies. He’s just out to destroy the FF! So first, he takes Reed to “Hidden Island” in the Mediterranean for “filming” a fight scene with a “mechanical Cyclops.” Turns out the Cyclops is real, and Reed fights and defeats it.
Next, Namor takes Johnny to the African jungle to “pretend fight” the natives. But these natives are real and have a potion that makes them immune to fire. Johnny figures it out, escapes, and sets off a volcano to destroy the potion.
Finally, Namor meets with Thing on the beach, saying they’re going to film a big fight scene. But it is a real fight, between Namor and Thing! Namor has super strength in the water, so it’s a fair fight, but when a bolt of lightning turns Thing back to “husky, handsome” Ben Grimm, Namor easily knocks him out.
Believing he has disposed of 3/4 of the 4/4, he now goes after the last quarter, Sue, approaching her with an offer of marriage. When Namor brags that he has triumphed over her friends, she recoils and rejects him, but he uses his powers to capture her.
As Namor exclaims, “Your struggles are useless! I LIKE a woman with spirit!” the other three burst in, apparently not triumphed over. The three are fighting mad, but Sue throws cold water on the shenanigans, reminding the boys that “3 against 1” isn’t fair.
She then defuses the situation further by reminding Namor that they lived up to their part of the contract, now he must live up to his. He pouts, but agrees. He is, after all, incredibly noble–especially for a villain.
So poor Namor, spurned and dejected, returns to the sea, “silently, majestically.” The movie is made, the FF are paid their one million dollars, and are back on top again!
GENERAL POPULATION
The last panel tells us that “weeks later, all America acclaims a new motion picture hit.” In the background we see the shadow of the crowd, apparently swarming to see the new motion picture hit. Could these be the same people who were shaking their fists on the cover? Fair weather fans? Kick ’em when they’re down, but suck up to see their movie once they become “stars”? I’m very disappointed in the general population. But then I guess I’ve always been somewhat disappointed in the general population; I’ve always felt at odds with the mainstream, never really understanding what makes them tick. After all, if the general population had been a little more in tune with my way of thinking twenty years ago, maybe we’d have more than thirteen episodes of Moon Over Miami!
I’ll never forgive the general population for that one.
But the general population is actually the least interesting thing going on here. Let’s get to the Sumor! In this story we get further developments in the “on again, off again” …I was going to call it a “romance,” but it’s not really a romance, is it? It’s more of an attraction, a crush. Puppy love. But this is a pretty serious case of puppy love, because Namor goes so far as to buy an entire movie studio just so he can knock off the three male members of the FF and get his hands on Sue. He lets us know that money is no object, but to go through all this trouble and commotion for a girl…well, I’d say he’s seriously smitten.
Either that, or he’s simply intrigued by the challenge. As a king, I guess he’s not used to being denied his every whim. So this may not be as much about Sue as it is about a spoiled monarch pouting until he brings every aspect of his world under his complete control. In the confrontation in the studio office, when Sue rejects Namor, he declares, “All right! If it’s a contest you want, I’ll defeat YOU as I’ve defeated the others!” I ask you: are those words of love?
As for Sue however, well frankly, if you ask me, she’s just bored with Reed. I’ve touched on this before. Never mind that her boyfriend is a good-looking super-smart superhero who, in addition to having saved the world numerous times, also regularly visits sick little kids in the hospital. He simply doesn’t show her the same attention that Namor does. Reed is all science and practicality. Namor is all romance. With Reed, Sue can be a super-heroine, but Namor makes her feel like royalty. And what girl doesn’t want to feel like royalty? Today, given the choice, many women would probably choose Super-Heroine over Esteemed Queen, but in the 1960’s, Sue was making the popular choice.
I hope Reed will wake up and pay attention to his girlfriend, because if he doesn’t, he may lose her. Sue marvels that, as the head of a movie studio, Namor is “so masterful–so confident!” that she nearly succumbs to his charms. He wines and dines her at a snazzy Hollywood nightclub, and perhaps she has been softened up just enough…but when he informs her that he has “triumphed over them all!” she is aghast. Aghast, I tell you!
After calling Namor a fool in response to his offer of marriage, though, she goes on to say, “Perhaps, if you hadn’t deceived us—if you had been honest with us, I might have answered you differently!” Really now, Sue? Would you have answered differently? Were you that close to ditching the fabulous Mr. Fantastic for the Monarch of the Sea? I wonder if she means this, or is she just trying to get Reed’s attention?
As Namor chases Sue around the office, he tells her, “I KNOW how you feel about me! You can’t fool your heart!” Is she fooling her heart…or is HE, in fact, the fool? This Sumor stuff gets more delicious every time! I can’t wait for the next installment!
TOO TRUSTING? Now, in other news, I do have to ask one very pointed question: aren’t they all being perhaps a bit too trusting? Shouldn’t they have smelled a rat the moment they saw Namor in the studio office?
They’re surprised all right, but that surprise doesn’t evolve into suspicion, as it should, given their history with the Sub-Mariner.
Well, to be fair, Thing does remark, “this whole thing still smells fishy to me,” but he quickly forgets the fishy smell because he likes the “feel of these greenbacks in my mitt.”
Later, in the jungle, Johnny notes that it’s “kooky” to film with no script, but decides he shouldn’t worry about it.
They all put their instincts on hold, for the promise of cold, hard cash, and perhaps also in response to the lure of Hollywood. Not only do they need Namor’s offer to be on the up-and-up, but they also desperately want it to be legitimate. I guess I can forgive them for this. They are, after all, at the end of their proverbial rope. One minute they’re destitute, evicted, selling their possessions and thinking about dissolving their partnership, and the next, not only have all their financial woes dissolved, but they’re buying pink convertibles and hanging out with the beautiful people on Muscle Beach.
Of course, Thing’s plan for hanging out with the beautiful people leaves much to be desired. He really has no idea how to behave in civilized society, does he? Is Stan making fun of Thing…or perhaps also offering a social commentary on the west coast lifestyle?
GOIN’ HOLLYWOOD
Well, making fun, or just plain fun, we have a few shots of Hollywood celebrities.
I’m sure these are depictions of Hollywood stars, but the only only I recognized is Bing Crosby, smoking the pipe. Is the fat balding guy W.C. Fields? Or maybe Alfred Hitchcock? If anyone has any ideas, please let me know!
DOES THIS MAKE SENSE?
I have one more thing to say about Namor, then I should wrap this up. In the beginning of the story we see him in his underwater bachelor pad, dreaming up this scheme to “get” the FF, and then we see him as the head of the movie studio. In between, the FF have received his offer of one milllllion dollars to appear in a movie. Namor has made this generous offer, but he does not provide any means of transportation! Because they are destitute, the FF are reduced to hitchhiking.
If you ask me, Namor was taking a big chance. The FF might have said, “Geez! This is a great offer! But we don’t have any way to get there, so we’re just going to have to let this one go.” Or, in the time it takes to hitchhike, they might think it over, become suspicious, and decide not to do it.
Actually, the most likely scenario on this cross-country hitchhiking adventure is that due to lack of money and poor conditions, the FF get so aggravated with each other that they fight, disband, and all go off in different directions. Disagreements have caused temporary splits before. This is Namor’s biggest gamble, a gamble he doesn’t have to take. If he has enough money to purchase an entire movie studio, you’d think he would have a little pocket change left over for four stinkin’ plane tickets!
No, Namor’s best bet would have been to mail their plane tickets, so they could get this show on the road! There’s nothing to be gained by having the FF hitchhike cross country, except the humorous and ridiculous site of four superheroes with their thumbs out.
But then I’m asking the story to make too much sense, aren’t I? Too much sense could be a dangerous thing in the world of comics. “Too much sense” could end up being the equivalent of “not enough fun.” With that in mind, I’m glad there were parts of this story that didn’t make a whole lot of sense, because instead, we get a whole lot of fun, even more fun than usual.
When it comes right down to it, I think the only thing that really needs to make sense, the only thing that really matters, is that though the Fantastic Four may bicker and squabble, like any family, in the end, they will always stick together and do what needs to be done, to overcome the odds and stay together. That’s what I love about the FF, and that’s exactly what I get when they go Hollywood and tangle once again with the formidable Sub-Mariner.
In writing this story, Stan may have been overly mesmerized by the bright lights of Hollywood, because in our next story, he takes the idea of a cameo appearance to a whole new level!
“On the Trail of the Tomorrow Man!”
Plot: Stan Lee
Script: Larry Lieber
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Art Simek
Last time I wandered in the Marvelous Zone, I met up with a double dose of large, green and mean–though he was not as mean as you would expect, just sort of talkative and aggravated. But this time, I’m following Thor, and I’m happy to see this story is a mere 13 pages in the November ’62 issue of Journey into Mystery. Whew! That should make things a little easier! Will I get 3,000 words out of this story? Won’t know till I’m done. So let’s get started.
On the cover of JIM #86 we see Thor in fine form, wielding Mjolnir for all he’s worth, but meeting with a good deal of frustration because his foe, the Tomorrow Man, is apparently a time traveler who “can fade into a different year” before Thor can reach him. With Hulk, it was all about the very realistic threat of the Commies, but this will be a tale with mystical and science fiction elements.
The Plotter outlines the events, and the Scripter writes the narration and dialog from that outline. The Artist, or Penciller, translates the writer’s words into visuals. The penciller determines the layout of the page, and the “camera angles” of each panel. The Inker “finishes” the pencilled art, laying down dark strokes that lend depth and motion. The Letterer “draws” the words as they appear in the narration and dialog. The writers, artists and letterer form a symbiotic unit known as Storytellers.
–Russ
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE
Now here’s something interesting: on the splash, we see that the “Plot” is by Stan Lee, but the “Script” is the product of Larry Lieber. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time we’re making a distinction between plot and script. Also, Jack Kirby once again provides “Art,” but Dick Ayers is given credit for “Inks.”
It’s worth noting at this point that Larry Lieber is Stan Lee’s younger brother, a writer and artist who was extremely involved in all aspects of Marvel Comics from the 1950’s (before Marvel Comics was even known as Marvel Comics), right up to the present day. At one point, Larry remarked, “Stan made up the plot, then he’d give it to me, and I’d write the script.” But he actually did a lot more than that. It’s amazing how much work he did for Marvel, and if you can keep up with the pace of his prolific professional life, you might like to take a side-trip in the Marvelous Zone and read about it here.
HAIL! THE FUTURE!
We begin three centuries into the future, with the optimistic proclamation that “mankind has abolished war and scrapped its weapons! Peace and contentment prevail…” Hey! Are we sure Gene Roddenberry doesn’t need some kind of credit on the splash? This sounds suspiciously like the Utopia depicted in the Star Trek universe (or perhaps Gene Roddenberry should give a little tip of the hat to Marvel Comics!). And like the Star Trek universe, even though peace and contentment prevail, for some reason everyone is still dressing like it’s the 1960’s.
Of course here, just as in Star Trek, Utopia is disrupted by a single ornery individual who just can’t seem to get with the program. Zarrko has invented a time machine and decides to travel back to the twentieth century in search of weapons.
In the twentieth century, Thor is helping the military test anti-missiles. Zarrko materializes in the middle of the tests, steals the cobalt bomb and gets away before Thor can stop him. From a small piece of unrecognizable metal left behind, the conclusion is drawn that the thief is from the future, and Thor calls on Odin for help. Odin advises him to strap the metal fragment to Mjolnir, since “thy hammer has the power to spin faster than light–to enter the fourth dimension of–time!”
Taking dad’s advice, Thor arrives in the year 2262, where in addition to learning that Zarrko arrived a month earlier with the cobalt bomb and is using it as a threat to establish his dictatorship, we also find that the women of the future still consider Thor quite handsome. (I know that’s probably not germane, but I found it interesting and amusing, thus this quick mention of Thor’s universal appeal.)
Zarrko and Thor face off, but at every turn, Thor outsmarts him. Zarrko flees in a spaceship, reasoning, “If I can’t use the cobalt bomb to enslave the world–then I’ll use it to destroy the world!” Thor thumps Mjolnir to create a storm, and Zarrko’s ship crashes. Thor retrieves the bomb and returns it to 1962.
Zarrko survives the crash, but loses his memory. Amnesia! Yep. And since in the future we are all such peace-loving hippies, it’s a good bet there’s no death penalty, not even for a tyrant who attempts to destroy the entirety of civilization. I predict Zarrko will live long enough to regain his memory (despite the medic’s proclamation that this will never happen) and someday, somehow, we’ll run into him again, up to his old tricks. And once again the handsome, resourceful Thor will have to step in to save the future.
SAVE THE FUTURE?
Now, having said all that, here’s my question: Why? Why do we need to save the future? If something goes wrong in the past, sure, let’s get right on it, let’s put history back in its proper place, or we may wake up tomorrow and find there IS no tomorrow. But if the people of the future have problems, what’s it to us? Why should we meddle?
Well, I guess I’m showing my self-centered nature here. I wouldn’t meddle. But then again, I’m not Thor. I don’t have the heart of a superhero, a demi-god. If I did, I would care about all people in all places at all times. Maybe that’s part of what makes Thor who he is, this overwhelming desire to protect everyone. I hearken back to the Spider-Man sentiment that with great power comes great responsibility. I don’t have the power, so I don’t feel the responsibility. But obviously Thor does, and I’m glad he does, otherwise we wouldn’t have much of a story.
BUILDING THE MYTHOS
Two significant events happen in this story to recommend it as an important moment in Marvel history. First, this tale marks the first appearance of Odin.
Along with this imposing image of Odin, an Editor’s note informs us that “Odin is monarch of the Norse gods! The citadel in which they dwell is called Asgard!” Odin is a god and monarch of the first degree, his speech liberally peppered with “thee’s” and “thou’s.” For the moment, he is merely a fount of important information, but we shall see much more of him in the future.
The information Odin provides is the other significant development. Apparently Thor has the power to transcend time, simply by spinning “faster than light.” Wow! You mean, in addition to everything else, Thor can also travel through time? And he doesn’t even need a time machine? Well, he needs the hammer of course, but then he needs the hammer for everything he does, or else he turns back into Blake. But learning this, I have just gained an increased appreciation for Thor. And I can’t wait to see how this superpower might be utilized in future stories.
Other than that, there’s not a whole lot going on here. Thor uses his powers to save the day, and at the end, Jane Foster laments that Dr. Blake is “colorless” and she wishes she could work for Thor instead.
Really?
Work for Thor? What would she do? Type his letters? Answer his phones? Does Thor really need an assistant? And how does she think he’s going to pay her, anyway? Not a very realistic daydream. That Jane, she’s one crazy romantic, isn’t she?
GENERAL ROSS?
Now, since Russ is the administrator of the Marvel Chronology Project and he has begun calling on me to help him determine matters of Marvel Comics chronology (as if he would ever really need my help with that!), I should mention one thing that jumped out at me. On the bottom of page 3, several military officials at the missile testing site are singing the praises of Thor.
Mustachioed gentleman on the right…is that General Ross? Foe of the Incredible Hulk? And if it is, what is he doing in a Thor story? Well, testing missiles, of course! But if so… When? Before or after the last Hulk story? And more importantly… Why? Why is he using Thor to help test missiles?
We’re told that Thor is assisting so the scientists can observe “a human’s physiological reaction” to the cobalt bomb explosion. We’re told they’re using Thor because he is one of few people in the world who could potentially survive such an explosion. Yes, well, but…if “an ordinary man would be killed, standing that close to a cobalt bomb explosion,” but Thor will not be killed–because he is not, in fact, an ordinary man–then what good are the results of this test?
The only valuable information they will get from this test is whether or not a being with SUPERPOWERS can survive the blast of a cobalt bomb. And if that’s the case and Thor does survive, then General Ross will no doubt roar, “Fiddlesticks!” (though he would probably use a word more emphatic than “Fiddlesticks!”). He would exclaim, “$#!+! If Thor can survive the cobalt bomb, what the £>¢|< good will it be against HULK?”
I’m being facetious, of course, but the logic here defies reason, so a little facetiousness is not beyond reason. I don’t know if there’s anything else in the Marvel mythology to support my thesis that Ross is using Thor to perfect weapons to use against Hulk, but think about it: What is Ross’ one defining characteristic? He’s hell-bent on destroying the Hulk! Would he go to any lengths to achieve that goal? Would he even go so far as to endanger the life of the always good-natured and helpful demi-god Thor? If so, General Ross demands a cold hard look, and possible inclusion on my Villain Valuation chart.
But I digress. We don’t know any of this for certain about Ross, and besides, I’m here to talk about Thor and the Tomorrow Man. The moniker “Tomorrow Man” does indeed sound fantastic and supernatural, and frankly I was a bit disappointed when he turned out to be nothing more than a power-hungry creep from the future who just happens to have a time machine. Sure, he gives Thor a bit of trouble with his hidden room of magnetic mirrors, Delta-Electron gun and army of giant robots, but Thor handily defeats Zarrko at every turn. Thor even uses a decoy when first approaching Zarrko, proving he is not only strong, but also clever. Thor is a hero of many talents, and the Tomorrow Man is no match.
SHADOWED FIGURES There are two shadowed figures in this story. One is the decoy I just alluded to, and is quickly unveiled as such. But the other, much more mysterious, appears on the missile testing site, thinking, “We are certainly lucky to have the services of the mighty Thor!”
Who is this shadowy figure? Why does he merely think his gratitude to Thor, and not express it aloud? Is this someone who may appear in a later tale, fully revealed, but for the moment must remain hidden? Does General Ross, in his all-consuming plan to make mincemeat of Hulk, perhaps have a secret ally? Oh, how I wish I had never seen Ross in this story! Now I am looking for danger and conspiracy where, most probably, none exists. Once upon a time I considered Marvel Comics mere entertainment for children, but now I feel like I’m watching The X-Files and the Smoking Man is just behind the door, about to throw the plot into even further turmoil and confusion.
Russ has explained to me there’s a very good chance this figure is in shadow simply because Jack Kirby decided he’d done enough work for one day, and it was a lot easier to draw shadows than to flesh out the details. Yes, yes. That’s probably it. He probably needed to catch the train and get home to his wife’s meatloaf dinner, or if he was late again, there would be hell to pay.
Okay. That’s my story, and I’m sticking with it. But if at any time in the future, I run into a mysterious shadowed figure in the background, I’m going to remember this, and see if I can make these puzzle pieces fit.
Next time we wander through the Marvelous Zone, it’s a Riches to Rags, then Rags to Riches story. Lights! Camera! Action! and lots of it when we travel to the “stars”!
“Prisoner of the Reds!”
“The End of the Fantastic Four!”
Next, Namor takes Johnny to the African jungle to “pretend fight” the natives. But these natives are real and have a potion that makes them immune to fire. Johnny figures it out, escapes, and sets off a volcano to destroy the potion.
As Namor exclaims, “Your struggles are useless! I LIKE a woman with spirit!” the other three burst in, apparently not triumphed over. The three are fighting mad, but Sue throws cold water on the shenanigans, reminding the boys that “3 against 1” isn’t fair. 
I’ve always been somewhat disappointed in the general population; I’ve always felt at odds with the mainstream, never really understanding what makes them tick. After all, if the general population had been a little more in tune with my way of thinking twenty years ago, maybe we’d have more than thirteen episodes of Moon Over Miami! 
Either that, or he’s simply intrigued by the challenge. As a king, I guess he’s not used to being denied his every whim. So this may not be as much about Sue as it is about a spoiled monarch pouting until he brings every aspect of his world under his complete control. In the confrontation in the studio office, when Sue rejects Namor, he declares, “All right! If it’s a contest you want, I’ll defeat YOU as I’ve defeated the others!” I ask you: are those words of love?
I hope Reed will wake up and pay attention to his girlfriend, because if he doesn’t, he may lose her. Sue marvels that, as the head of a movie studio, Namor is “so masterful–so confident!” that she nearly succumbs to his charms. He wines and dines her at a snazzy Hollywood nightclub, and perhaps she has been softened up just enough…but when he informs her that he has “triumphed over them all!” she is aghast. Aghast, I tell you! 
Now, in other news, I do have to ask one very pointed question: aren’t they all being perhaps a bit too trusting? Shouldn’t they have smelled a rat the moment they saw Namor in the studio office?
If you ask me, Namor was taking a big chance. The FF might have said, “Geez! This is a great offer! But we don’t have any way to get there, so we’re just going to have to let this one go.” Or, in the time it takes to hitchhike, they might think it over, become suspicious, and decide not to do it.
up being the equivalent of “not enough fun.” With that in mind, I’m glad there were parts of this story that didn’t make a whole lot of sense, because instead, we get a whole lot of fun, even more fun than usual. 
In writing this story, Stan may have been overly mesmerized by the bright lights of Hollywood, because in our next story, he takes the idea of a cameo appearance to a whole new level!
The Plotter outlines the events, and the Scripter writes the narration and dialog from that outline. The Artist, or Penciller, translates the writer’s words into visuals. The penciller determines the layout of the page, and the “camera angles” of each panel. The Inker “finishes” the pencilled art, laying down dark strokes that lend depth and motion. The Letterer “draws” the words as they appear in the narration and dialog. The writers, artists and letterer form a symbiotic unit known as Storytellers.
Of course here, just as in Star Trek, Utopia is disrupted by a single ornery individual who just can’t seem to get with the program. Zarrko has invented a time machine and decides to travel back to the twentieth century in search of weapons. 
Zarrko and Thor face off, but at every turn, Thor outsmarts him. Zarrko flees in a spaceship, reasoning, “If I can’t use the cobalt bomb to enslave the world–then I’ll use it to destroy the world!” Thor thumps Mjolnir to create a storm, and Zarrko’s ship crashes. Thor retrieves the bomb and returns it to 1962.
Along with this imposing image of Odin, an Editor’s note informs us that “Odin is monarch of the Norse gods! The citadel in which they dwell is called Asgard!” Odin is a god and monarch of the first degree, his speech liberally peppered with “thee’s” and “thou’s.” For the moment, he is merely a fount of important information, but we shall see much more of him in the future.
Other than that, there’s not a whole lot going on here. Thor uses his powers to save the day, and at the end, Jane Foster laments that Dr. Blake is “colorless” and she wishes she could work for Thor instead.
Mustachioed gentleman on the right…is that General Ross? Foe of the Incredible Hulk? And if it is, what is he doing in a Thor story? Well, testing missiles, of course! But if so… When? Before or after the last Hulk story? And more importantly… Why? Why is he using Thor to help test missiles? 
There are two shadowed figures in this story. One is the decoy I just alluded to, and is quickly unveiled as such. But the other, much more mysterious, appears on the missile testing site, thinking, “We are certainly lucky to have the services of the mighty Thor!” 
just behind the door, about to throw the plot into even further turmoil and confusion.
Next time we wander through the Marvelous Zone, it’s a Riches to Rags, then Rags to Riches story. Lights! Camera! Action! and lots of it when we travel to the “stars”!
