Adventures in the Marvelous Zone

Published: May, 1962

Russ has been setting up the comics in the order I should review them, and I see that we are once again looking at The Fantastic Four. And this time, they have a formidable foe…the Sub-Mariner!! (Pardon me for using the double exclamation point, I guess I’ve been reading too many comics lately!!) Since I’ve already read ahead a bit, I’ve met with Sub-Mariner a few times now, and I’ve got to say I really enjoy his character. Now THIS is what a villian should be! (Not like those pitiful Skrulls, whining “We hate being Skrulls…”) But ironically, the thing I most like about Sub-Mariner is that he’so noble, and mostly, his intentions are good. Sure, he’s a powerful being who spends a good deal of time and energy threatening to obliterate humanity, but in some ways, you really can’t blame him. He’s a powerful leader who’s had some bad breaks. Any good king would do the same.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, and this story is a long one, 24 pages, with LOTS going on, so let’s get started. We find the group has been splintered by a disagreement. Johnny and Thing were fighting (as we will see they often do) and Johnny has gone off in a huff, saying he’s through with all of them. I thought it was touching that Sue, his sister, was concerned, hoping he might be hurt or in trouble. Hey! Sis! Your brother is The Human Torch! I don’t really think you need to be worried about his safety.

They decide to look for Torch, and I found it interesting that even though this is only the fourth issue of this title, so they could not have had many adventures yet, still everyone they meet seems to know who they are. Reed stretches out his arm to pick a guy off a motorcycle, and when the guy realizes who he’s talking to, he says “Wait till I tell the gang! Will I be a big man!” Later on, someone else says “Holy smoke! I read about you guys, but I never dreamt you really existed!”

The Fantastic Four are the first superheroes of the Silver Age. There were superheroes back in the 1940’s, during WWII, but since then, apparently, it’s been pretty quiet, and I guess the people in this comic book have gotten used to living in a world that is relatively void of “the fantastic.” But now, things are changing! I guess that kind of explains why while one person is thrilled to meet Mr. Fantastic, another says “I never dreamt you really existed!” For some people, there may be doubt that this could really be happening again, but others are ready to embrace the new world order.

I think it’s also especially important to note the phrase “I read about you guys.” Apparently the exploits of the Fantastic Four are making the newspapers. They are very PUBLIC superheroes. Later, when we get into Spider-Man, X-Men, the Avengers, we will find that every one of them has a SECRET identity, known to only a select few. But the FF are out there for all the world to see. This makes for a different kind of story. It’s pretty interesting to see how they interact with their world.

REHASH

But before we get into this story, Stan rehashes what happened in the previous issue, why Johnny has gone off in a huff. I guess in case some of the readers had not SEEN the previous issue, it would give them a chance to catch up. I’m thinking: here is a new title, only out a few months, word of mouth is just now getting around, the readership is building. I guess Stan had to assume that not everybody would be caught up on current events. Thus, the rehash.

I think that might also be part of the reason for something else that happens, when Thing finally finds Johnny. For no apparent reason, Thing begins to morph back into Ben Grimm. For a few panels we get to see who Thing “really” is. Personally, I think there are three things going on here: 1. When Thing/Ben is temporarily distracted by his morphing, this gives Johnny a chance to get away. 2. This lets the new readers see who Thing really is, that he wasn’t always a rockman, that deep down inside there is a human being, and 3. That this human being is absolutely distressed by having to live life as “A…thing!”

Johnny goes to “the Bowery” where he thinks nobody will be able to find him, and stays in a “Men’s Hotel” which is a sort of YMCA, with lots of derelict guys sleeping on cots. He reads an old beat-up “comic mag” from the 1940’s. It’s about Sub-Mariner. Johnny thinks “I remember Sis talking about him once! He used to be the world’s most unusual character!”

Now that’s all I personally would know about Sub-Mariner at this point, except that I happen to have a wonderful husband who knows lots about comics and is able to fill me in on his background. It seems that in the 1940’s the Sub-Mariner did indeed appear in Marvel Comics, but at that time, he was more of a hero, rather than a villain. He is the King of the underwater Atlanteans, has super-strength, can breathe air as well as water, and can fly. Also, his skin is somewhat impervious to things like bullets and knives. Well, we’ll learn more about him as we go on, but I thought it was most fascinating that originally he was not one of the bad guys. But now he will be. And we’ll see why. But I’m getting a little ahead of myself.

There is a certain derelict guy at the “Men’s Hotel” that the others mention is really strong. They try to engage him, but he just gets annoyed and ends up punching everyone and throwing furniture. Johnny says “Hey wait! Let’s find out what’s going on here!” We see the irate bum lamenting that he has no idea who he is, but when Johnny gives him a shave and a haircut (with his flaming finger—I kid you not), who is revealed but…Sub-Mariner himself!!!

Johnny flies him out over the ocean and drops him in, figuring that if he really IS Sub-Mariner, being back in the ocean will return his memory, and return him to his former glory. And that’s exactly what happens. Ahh…but there’s a complication. When Sub-Mariner returns to his undersea kingdom, he discovers that it has been destroyed by “the HUMANS…with their accursed atomic tests!” Now he’s mad. And you don’t want someone like Sub-Mariner mad at you. He vows to take revenge on the entire human race.

I have to pause here for a moment to say…so! Everything that happens from this point on, in this story and in all the other stories where the Sub-Mariner poses a threat to humanity…it’s all Johnny’s fault! Right? He had to go and put him back in the ocean! Of course, he didn’t know when he did it that complications would ensue. But they do. And they will continue to ensue. But it just goes to show you how one innocent act of kindness can be turned on its head to create all sorts of trouble.

So, as Sub-Mariner vows his revenge on the human race, we begin to get a pretty good picture of his personality.

Humility is not one of Namor’s strong points. (Oh, I guess I should mention that Sub-Mariner’s actual name is “Namor.” And by the way, Russ explained to me that in an effort to create a name that sounded as regal as possible, “Namor” was chosen, because it’s actually “Roman,” spelled backwards.)

Anyway, Namor is rather full of himself, overflowing with self-confidence and bravado. He is the antithesis of “wishy-washy.” Everything he does is large and dramatic. He is, after all, a king. With superpowers. No room for “wishy-washy” here.

I guess Johnny figures this out, because he decides to come out of hiding and paints a huge fiery “4” in the sky to alert the others that there is trouble afoot. Stan describes this as “the most dramatic, most exciting secret symbol of all!!” I agree with dramatic and exciting, but I hardly think it’s secret. A huge fiery number in the sky? I think the general population is looking up at this and thinking…”Hmmm… just a stab in the dark here, but … I think SOMETHNG must be up…”

GIGANTOR!

Johnny meets with the others and fills them in on what’s happening. Meanwhile, Namor finds the “trumpet-horn” buried by his ancestors centuries ago which can wake the mighty sleeping Gigantor!! ( I don’t feel compelled to give a description, I think the name says it all.) This creature heads towards New York, and the order is given to evacuate the city, as the army brings their weapons into place.

But it’s not the army that saves the day. It’s…Thing! He gets the idea to strap a nuclear device on to his back, and walks right into the monster’s mouth, like Jonah going into the belly of the whale. (It’s amusing, by the way, that it appears he has strapped the nuclear device to his back with a couple of bed sheets.)

Thing escapes just before Gigantor is destroyed. Now Sub-Mariner is more pissed than ever!

It’s worth noting that this happens to be one of those times when the villain messes things up for himself by spending too much time talking and gloating. Because while he’s extolling the virtues of the horn, invisible Sue is nearby and says “Oh! It is the Horn that does it!! That’s what I was waiting to hear!” And she grabs the horn and begins to run off.

AT LAST, A LITTLE ROMANCE!

That could be the end of our story…but of course it’s not. Namor pursues, and grabs Sue, and she gets visible again. Immediately, Namor is struck by her beauty.

I happen to know, from having read ahead a bit in the Fantastic Four series, that the Sue/Namor issue is not going to live and die in this one issue. We will have many more meetings between these two, and their relationship is one of the things I really enjoy about the FF series. So I want to spend a few moments reviewing what happens here.

After Namor declares that Sue is a prize worth catching, he continues to compliment her, and makes an offer: if she agrees to become his bride, he might show mercy and not destroy the human race. Well, first of all, note that Namor says he MIGHT spare the human race. Even if she marries him, he still might destroy humanity. He’s holding tight to the power, as a King should, which puts Sue in an awful predicament. Decisions, decisions…right? And Sue rightly says, “How can I make such a choice?”

Russ thinks, and rightly so I’m sure, that her hesitation is based on the fact that she’s weighing her own happiness against the survival of the human race. “Well…this is an AWFUL predicament I’m in, but if I don’t agree to marry him, all of humanity will most certainly be destroyed!” Not to be taken lightly. But I think it’s that…AND something more. Remember, earlier, Johnny clued us in that Sue knows a bit about the Sub-Mariner. So she must know that he is a KING, and before he appears in this issue, he’s been a HERO. Not a bad guy, overall. If she’s read about him and talked about him….maybe there’s some attraction there on her part as well.

What does Sue mean when she says “How can I make such a choice?” is she actually considering marrying Namor? Is she attracted to him? Is she attracted to his power? Or perhaps she’s attracted by the ATTENTION he is showing her, the compliments. Yes, she’s Reed’s fiancée, but does Reed ever compliment her like this? Reed is so very no-nonsense and scientific, and in fact it will come out in future issues that Sue is not really sure how he feels about her. But with Namor there’s no doubt. He’s just told her: you’re gorgeous, I want to marry you and make you my princess!

It’s enough to make a girl think…

But before Sue has a chance to think for very long, the others arrive, saying “Sue, you don’t have to do anything he says!” But this makes Namor even MORE pissed off than before. “You fools! “ he declares. “Now I’ll have the girl AND my revenge!!”

Seeing how serious he is, Sue says “No, Prince Namor, you mustn’t! I’ll do anything—I’ll become your bride!” Namor is, of course, insulted that she agrees to marry him only so that she can save the human race. “Don’t you realize what an honor I offer you?”

Reed says “This has gone FAR ENOUGH!” (I was wondering when he was going to get around to that…) And they all begin to attack Namor. Torch creates a tornado, which sucks up Namor and deposits him in deepest part of the ocean. He loses the magic horn in the process, but vows, a la the Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator… “I’ll be back!”

In the last panel, Stan says…”Yes, perhaps he WILL be back.” And I’m thinking…What??? Perhaps?? Are you kidding me? Do you really expect me to believe for one second that a character as strong and dramatic as Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner, is not going to be back for further adventures? Please…if that would be the case, then somebody has NO IDEA how to run a comic book.

But of course, Stan and crew do have some excellent ideas about how to run a comic book, so Sub-Mariner will be back. But before we go forward to those next adventures, there is one question I must ask: I’m trying to wrap my mind around how Sub-Mariner is both a real being in the real world, AND the topic of a “comic-mag” within that world. In our world, yes, we have fantastic and non-fantastic characters who inhabit our “comic-mags,” but they are just that, “characters,” not “real,” not flesh and blood. In general, we don’t have narrative “stories” about real people, either in comics, novels, movies, etc.

But in the Marvel Universe, it is accepted that Namor is a real being in the real world, and yet there are “comic mags” written about him. And later I believe we’ll find that the exploits of Spider-Man and others will be chronicled in “comic-mags” even as these individuals are roaming the city, fighting crime and pulling off heroic feats that are ALSO mentioned on the front page of the newspaper. That’s what I find so intriguing: this blending of fact and fiction that has less to do with superpowers than it has to do with storytelling!

Yes, in the Marvel Universe, there are flesh and blood individuals who have powers that do not exist in our world. I get that, I don’t have a problem with that. In fact, I’m glad there are fantastical characters, or comic books would be very boring, wouldn’t they? I mean….if we were stuck with stories about characters who had superpowers like mine (“the uncanny aptitude to determine the exact size container for the dinner leftovers”) or Russ’ (“the unerring ability to turn a traffic light from red to green simply by staring at it”) I don’t think those books would sell very well.

I’m just amazed that that Stan and crew have elected to create a world where…no, wait, I take that back. I was about to write “create a world where comics and newspapers have equal importance” but then I thought about it…Nah. I’m not amazed at all. In fact, it makes perfect sense that the writer of comic books would elevate “comic-mags” to such a high position. It makes perfect sense, and what’s more, it’s a ton of fun.

VILLAIN VALUATION

I should go on to compare Namor to the villains I have met so far. I’ve already dismissed The Miracle Man as a mere magician in need of a good pair of sunglasses. But is Sub-mariner more fearsome than Mole Man? You betcha! Sure, they both command the monsters of their particular kingdom, but with the flying and the breathing both air and water, and the super strength, Namor wins this one hands down. And I hate to say it, but he is certainly a lot more attractive than Mole Man. Even with those eyebrows.

Which brings up another point. Namor remind me quite a lot of Spock on Star Trek. Of course Sub-Mariner existed for decades before the thought of Spock ever crossed Gene Roddenberry’s imaginative mind. But I wonder if in some way, Sub-Mariner was a consideration, either consciously or subconsciously, when Spock was dreamed into existence.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now! This has been a long one, but lots of fun. Join me next time when a Comic Novice looks at the origin of another classic Marvel character…The Incredible Hulk!!

Published: March, 1962

Before I start, I must make an observation about this cover. On the first three comics I’ve reviewed, the cost was listed as 10 cents. Now here it is, about six months later, and the price has gone up to 12 cents. Heavens!! But really…it was a 20% increase in price, so even though it might not sound like much to us today, back when a Nestle’s Crunch bar only cost five cents, some young customers may have suffered heavily.

These early comics came out before the boy who is now my comic-loving husband began collecting them, so unfortunately we don’t have the hard copy of the original books here in the house. If only he or I or our parents had had enough foresight to plunk down ten or twelve cents for one of these beauties and put it immediately in an airtight bag for the next forty or fifty years…sigh…No aunt of mine is likely to die and have a stash of these in a basement closet. Oh well. Life goes on, and we can at least enjoy these stories as scans on our computer.

BOLD STATEMENTS
There are so many important “firsts” in this third issue of The Fantastic Four. Even on the cover, Stan tells us this is a “great, collectors’ item issue” because of the “firsts.” And not only is it a great collectors’ issue, but Stan goes on to assure us, in bold letters in the upper right corner, that this is, in fact, “THE GREATEST COMIC MAGAZINE IN THE WORLD!!” Wow…This is only the third issue, and already he is proclaiming it to be the greatest comic magazine in the world!

But don’t think Stan is going to stop there with declaring the current issue/story/villain/etc. is the best/most exciting/most terrifying/etc. you’ll ever see. No, each issue after this is very likely to declare that it is somehow bigger and better than the one before.

I always get a kick out of this. Stan and crew are in the business of selling comics, and they pull out all the stops in assuring their readers that their product is the best. When I see these bold statements, it makes me nostalgic for back when I was in high school or junior college, working on the newspaper or literary magazine, and having the feeling that we were writing our own rules about how these things should be done. Yes, I know we were supposed to be learning the proper way to produce these publications, but we were so full of ourselves, so bursting with self-confidence, that even if we didn’t actually proclaim “This is the greatest thing ever!” we certainly felt that way. The difference here is that Stan and crew are actually proclaiming it! With double exclamation points!! And they will continue to proclaim it, and those proclamations will get more and more audacious as time goes on, each one attempting to out-do the one before.

So I’m thinking this is so much fun, I’m going to create a feature in my blog called HYPERBOLE HEAVEN. I’m keeping a list! This is the first entry on that list, and as we go, I’ll add others, and see if in fact these affirmations do continue to out-do each other.

Now! Let’s start by opening the book…

We begin this story with our villain, the Miracle Man, who is, as far as I can tell, not much more than a gaudily dressed magician. There’s an audience, and Reed, Sue, Johnny and Thing are watching the show. The Miracle Man points them out as “celebrities in our audience” then goes on to mock them as he demonstrates all his own fantastic powers (turning to gas, becoming a giant, summoning thunder and lightning…)

Thing, of course, becomes irate and somehow gets called up on stage for a competition, which the Miracle Man easily wins (after all, it is his show.) Now Thing is even more irate, but he can’t seem to make a dent in the Miracle Man. As the four heroes travel home, Reed reflects that it’s a good thing the Miracle Man is not a criminal, because his powers are so great, they might not be able to defeat him!

Well, whattaya think? Of course he’s a criminal! He gets the idea to bring a giant monstrous statue to life “to strike fear into the heart of the public” and “make them realize that the human race is powerless against me!”

Meanwhile, back at Fantastic Four headquarters, Sue has designed costumes for them all, saying “if we’re a team, we should look like a team!”

They are trying on their new costumes when they see a TV news report that the statue has been brought to life and is attacking the city! Johnny sees the Miracle Man on TV, and they all jump to the conclusion that he must be behind this. (Of course, it’s a logical conclusion, and it just happens to be right, but it still was a “jump.”)

The Commissioner gets a handwritten note from the Miracle Man (“I, the Miracle Man, declare war on the whole human race!”) and authorizes the FF to do whatever they need to do to stop him. I think it’s interesting that the Commissioner immediately puts the FF to the task. Is there not a police force? Or is it obvious that the police are not equal to this task? As I mentioned before, this is only the third issue, and yet they have already risen to such prominence, command such respect, that when the chips are down, the authorities instantly rely on them.

The Four split up, each setting off in a hovering “chariot” sort of thing, and Reed spots the monster, stretches himself to make a net and captures it. But the Miracle Man knocks him out with a brick and rather rudely calls him a “rubber-limbed freak.”

Next, Torch battles the monster and burns him to ash. Story over? Not so fast. The Miracle Man blasts Torch with chemical foam. Thing steps up, but is unsuccessful in stopping the villain. Now it’s Sue’s turn. The Miracle Man is driving off with an atomic tank he’s stolen from the army, and Sue turns invisible and jumps on the truck.

Just before the others get ready to go out and find Sue and help her, we have another rehash of the origin story. This leads to some fighting between Johnny and Thing, as Thing is despondent over his condition. But Reed gets them all back on track and they head out.

Sue sees that the Miracle Man is hiding the atomic tank in a junkyard. A junkyard dog barks at her, and the Miracle Man figures out she’s there and commands her to become visible and summon the rest of her group. They arrive, they fight, the villain escapes, they pursue, and Johnny does his “Flame on!” thing to such an extent that the Miracle Man is temporarily blinded, and thus devoid of all his powers.

What? Yeah. It’s a very simple explanation. Which smarty-pants Reed has figured out and explains to the others. The Miracle Man is a hypnotist! This has all been nothing more than a case of mass hysteria. I’m not exactly sure why being temporarily blinded by Torch’s bright light suddenly nullifies the Miracle Man’s powers, but I guess if we are supposed to believe that a hypnotist could entrance an entire city, including people who are merely watching his shenanigans on television, then it’s not that big of a leap to believe that a bright light could take away those powers.

And now that the villain is devoid of all his powers, Johnny and Thing start squabbling again. Johnny flies off in a huff, saying he’s had it with the Fantastic Four. Basically, he runs away from home.

Which doesn’t strike me as so terribly dramatic, because teenagers are always pitching hissy fits and in most cases they get over it. But in the last panel, Reed wonders “what CAN we do, if…if he should turn against us?”

Turn against us? I didn’t get that from the story. Now, I know we’ve only seen the FF for a few issues at this point, but I haven’t seen anything yet about Johnny to indicate that he might secretly have a “dark side” that is so sinister, he could seriously consider turning to a life of crime and evil. I think if Stan really wanted us to consider that this might be a possibility, he should have laid the groundwork in the previous issues. But I don’t see any groundwork. This big finish moment simply feels like manufactured drama.

But I will say this: I don’t know if I’d feel the same way if it were Thing who was pitching a fit and running off. He’s a volatile character, always getting his ire up over any number of things. He’s so distraught over the hand he’s been dealt, having to live life as a rockman. The others have “cool” powers they can turn on and off and still go about leading relatively normal lives. But Ben can’t live a normal life looking like that! He’s really been handed the short end of the stick, and I almost wouldn’t blame him for being so mad about it that he would turn to evil.

Or maybe… a good deal of Thing’s irritability is simply due to the new “costumes” Sue has put together for the team.

The others look good in solid blue, but poor Thing doesn’t actually have a body for fashion, does he? At first, Sue gives him a blue mask, saying “this even makes you look glamorous!” Sorry, Sue. Nice try, but I don’t agree. And Thing complains “I ain’t gonna wear this fool outfit!” (Russ notes that Thing must have been channeling Mr. T, years before Mr. T ever came on the scene.) Later in this story, when Thing needs to go into action, he rips off the shirt, and in future issues he’ll get down to just shorts and boots, and after that, just shorts. I guess you can’t really keep an all powerful rockman wrapped up in an outfit that not only impedes his movements, but also attempts to hide what it is about him that makes him so totally unique and awesome in the first place! Let those rockman qualities shine! The shorts, I’m sure, are just for modesty’s sake.

Another first: We see the “Fantasticar.” To my eye, this looks like a giant floating gravy boat. Or maybe a bathtub. It’s got very round edges, not sporty looking at all. Sort of like your dad’s station wagon in 1962. But the cool thing about it is that it is “air-powered” and can FLY, and it also breaks apart into four sections, so they can each go off in a different direction, if need be. So, the Fantasticar doesn’t look like much, but it gets the job done.

Okay, I have to admit this up front: I love maps. I always have. To some degree, I think that’s why I’m so fascinated with this “cut-away diagram of the Fantastic Four’s secret headquarters.” It kind of takes you right out of the story when this diagram is presented at the bottom of page 5. I feel there could have been a better way to get this information across, without interrupting the story. But it’s information we need, to discover the extent of how fantastic these four really are.

Look at the things they have in their house! An observatory, a launch pad, a “hidden elevator,” a missile monitoring room, and in addition to the fantasticar, a fantasticoper and a pogo orbit plane (whatever that is!) These guys have all the toys! They are ready for anything!

And this brings up another point. How did they get all this stuff? They didn’t get it because of their super powers. No, it’s got to be because of their super WEALTH. This diagram is the first thing that really gives you a sense of how incredibly wealthy they are. Well, you might get a clue in the panel right before the diagram, when one of them says “and none of the tenants suspect that we own the entire tower of this building!” Yes, it’s great to have superpowers, I’m not denying that. But it’s also incredibly fortuitous that these superheroes also have the financial resources that allow them to have so much hardware at their disposal.

And how did they get all this stuff? I’m assuming it’s all Reed’s doing. Earlier I referred to him as a “smarty-pants.” I didn’t really mean to sound disparaging. (Well, okay…maybe a little.) But as best as I can figure, it’s Reed’s enormous intellect, work ethic, and dedication to success in all he does that has caused him to become this top notch rocket scientist, which in turn has provided all of them with these elaborate possessions and accommodations. Yea, Reed! Sure, you look a little goofy when we see you smoking a pipe…but go ahead, enjoy it! You deserve it!

Here we see Reed looking pretty much like the Reed Richards that we will eventually become familiar with. (Though, regrettably, a far cry from Ioan Gruffudd, the hunky actor who plays him in the movies.) But in a lot of these scenes, Reed doesn’t….quite….look like himself. And Johnny also has moments where you find yourself asking…”Who dat?”

Even Thing, on occasion, looks like he could be another Thing, from another group of superheroes. Which is my way of saying that in this early issue I feel artist Jack Kirby was still searching for the exact representations of these characters. If you’ve ever gone back to the pilot episode of one of your favorite TV shows, you might feel like you’re watching something that comes from an alternate universe. In the original pilot episode of Star Trek, “The Cage,” Spock displays a youthful eagerness, and even shouts his lines. You won’t see that in any of the later episodes, once they had a chance to refine his character. And who remembers The Simpsons, as they originally appeared on The Tracy Ullman Show in 1987? I feel like it won’t be very long, though, before the Fantastic Four characters tell the artist exactly what they look like.

VILLAIN EVALUATION
Now, one more thing, then I must go. In the first Fantastic Four issue, we met the Mole Man. Then we met the Skrulls. And now we meet the Miracle Man. Which is the most worthy opponent? Well, as our story starts out, Reed tries to make us believe that the Miracle Man “might be the one foe we could not defeat!!” but when push comes to shove, a bright light completely incapacitates him. And now that his secret is out (that his “superpower” is merely the power of mass hypnosis), how difficult will it really be to keep him under control?

One would assume that at the end of this story he is being carted off to jail. All they’ve got to do is periodically shine a bright light in his face, and he’ll never bother anybody again.

The Miracle Man is nothing more than an accomplished magician. He doesn’t have any “real” powers, it’s all done with smoke and mirrors. I give him a C as a villain. But then, I only give The Mole Man a B-. And of course the Skrulls are holding firm at the bottom of the list, just above complete failure with a D. I’m still waiting for a villain that will really knock my socks off.

But do not fear! There’s lot more to come from Marvel Comics. So stay tuned!

Published: January, 1962

As I’ve mentioned in my About Me page, I am not actually reading these stories for the first time as I sit down to blog about them. In fact, I had read about 200 or so Marvel comics before finally getting the idea that I should put down my impressions. So on occasion, at least at first, I’m likely to make a comment that will indicate I have more knowledge of the Marvel Universe than I could possibly know from the number of comics I’ve reviewed. This is only my second entry, and already, it’s one of those occasions.

The second Fantastic Four comic is entitled “The Fantastic Four Meet the Skrulls From Outer Space.” On the cover, we read that the Skrulls “had taken a deadly oath to destroy the Fantastic Four!!” So, here’s my question: the FF have only had one adventure thus far (as far as we know), fighting and defeating the Mole Man. How do the Skrulls from outer space even know about this, and why do they feel the FF are such a menace that they have taken a “deadly vow”?

Russ suggests that there may have been other adventures our heroes have engaged in, that have not been chronicled, and that is what has gained them a reputation so fierce that beings from outer space feel compelled to do whatever it takes to eliminate them. To that I say…well, perhaps. But if so…then I feel cheated! I want to know what happened in those hidden adventures! Not fair, Stan, not fair!

BRAVADO
No, I think it’s more likely that what’s happening here is tied into what I was referring to in my first paragraph: knowing more than I should know, if I were actually reading this Skrull story for the first time. And what I know is this: that Stan and crew have such a wonderful sense of…I want to say “self-confidence,” but it’s really so much more than that. There is this terrific self-assuranceness and excitement about what these new heroes can and will accomplish in the future, that Stan has no qualms about right now leading us to believe that villains everywhere are quaking in their boots over the sudden appearance of the FF, before they are barely even out the starting gate. This is not the first time I’ve seen this kind of bravado in Stan’s writing style. Everything he does is “over the top” and this is only one example. In another medium, this audacity would be at the least, suspect, if not just plain downright silly. But in the Marvel Universe, it works. And it works very well.

With that said, let’s get on to our story.

We begin with the horrifying spectacle of each member of the FF using their superpowers to cause destruction and/or commit crimes. What?? Can this really be? No, of course not.

We quickly find out that the Skrulls from outer space are impersonating the FF in an attempt to ruin their reputation. Once they are discredited, the Skrulls reason, their fellow earthlings will hunt them down. But why go through all this trouble? Because, according to the Skrulls, “once the FF are slain, no power on earth can stop the Skrull invasion.”

Events being what they are, the FF has holed up in a secluded cabin, trying to figure out what to do next. On page six, we have a brief rehash of their origin story, apparently for those kids who did not buy the first FF issue themselves, but heard from their pals that this new comic mag was the latest and greatest!

Now that everybody is up to speed, the army tracks down the FF, arrests them, and puts them in confinement. But each uses their unique power to find a way out.

THE PLAN
It’s a good reminder for readers of the first adventure, and an excellent demonstration for new readers, of exactly what the FF can do. The group assembles in one of their “many secret apartment hideouts” and comes up with this plan:

I have to tell you, I’m not entirely convinced that sabotaging a rocket is actually going to work. You’ll notice that Johnny says “they may think it’s one of THEM, and reveal themselves!” The emphasis is on THEM, but it ought to be on MAY. This is a pretty flimsy plan, if you ask me. But…what else have they got?

Of course Johnny and Thing fight about who’s going to pull off the job, and Sue steps in for some thirty-second psychotherapy, telling Thing, “I understand how bitter you are, and you have every right…but we’ll just destroy ourselves if we keep at each other’s throats this way!” I think it’s extremely diplomatic of her to say “we” when what she really means is “you.”

Johnny does his “Flame on!” thing and attacks the rocket, then is conveniently picked up by a couple of Skrulls impersonating Reed and Sue. They take him back to headquarters, and the leader, who is apparently a bit swifter than the other three, recognizes him as the REAL Torch.

I love Johnny’s confidence on page 13. First he says “You thought what I wanted you to think!” Then he says, “Mister, no matter what planet you’re from, I’m still gonna be too hot for you to handle!” Spoken like a true hero, with not even a hint of fear. Well, I guess if you could burst into flames at a moment’s notice, you’d probably be fairly fearless as well.

It’s also interesting to note that Johnny does not seem in the least disturbed that these guys are from another PLANET. I guess life on other planets is a given in the Marvel Universe? And visits from little green men are…par for the course? I wonder—has anything like this ever happened before?

Johnny shoots his flare gun to signal the other members of the FF, then wraps circles of flame around the three aliens to contain them. However, as he’s doing this, the fourth Skrull shows up, the one who is impersonating the Torch (with “the aid of the chemical cylinder which I have strapped under my shirt”). Torch is forced to flame off, and it looks like it could be the end of the line for Johnny…

But Thing bursts in to rescue him! Reed and Sue follow, and together they put an end to the Skrulls’ shenanigans. But I think it’s important to note that Thing was first on the scene. Even though he and Johnny fight quite a lot, when push comes to shove, they are there to help each other. Russ has told me many times that the model for the FF is a FAMILY. They may squabble and have their difficult moments, but in the end, they always stick together.

Now that the Skrulls are captured, these alien beings must admit the superiority of the FF.

You’ll notice that in this panel, Reed calls the Skrulls “Playmates.” This term is often used in Marvel comics, that always makes me chuckle. Who talks like that in real life? I mean…even in the 1960’s, did real people talk that way? What exactly is meant by “playmates”? Is this meant to ridicule the enemy? As in…“You were so inept as a villain, it was child’s play for me to defeat you!” Actually, that kind of makes sense.

THE SPINELESS SKRULLS
Reed demands to know of the Skrull’s evil plan. The head Skrull boldly proclaims, “No! We will never tell you anything!” Thing says, “Let me at ’em!” He begins to throw a piece of furniture…and they crumble. Like bacon over a hot flame. (“No! No! Keep that monster from us! We’ll tell you anything you want to know!”)

The Skrulls reveal that there is an invasion fleet waiting above the atmosphere, and Reed steps up, revealing why his super-brain is the leader of this group:
So the FF go to the mother ship, (disguised as Skrulls who are disguised as the FF…get it?) and inform the leader that the FF are too mighty, and cannot be beaten. Reed also tells a pack of lies about hidden mines and giant insects, and shows the head Skrull some pictures of monsters from the Strange Tales and Journey into Mystery comic books. Now the real question becomes…who is more ingenious: Reed Richards, for scaring away the Skrulls, or Stan Lee, for weaving some self-promotional material directly into his latest comic mag?

But this is the icing on the cake: the head Skrull says “Quickly! Unmask and join us as we leave this accursed planet forever!” But Reed says no, we will stay behind and remove all traces that our race has ever visited this planet. (“We shall sacrifice ourselves so that you will be safe!”) For this, the head Skrull awards them a medal of bravery. And leaves. Forever. Supposedly.

But we’re not done yet!

PATHOS
As the FF travel back to earth, they must pass through the same radiation belt that gave them their powers in the first place, and Thing is turned back into Ben Grimm. But then he changes right back. I’m guessing this happens to show the new readers who Thing REALLY is. And also to give poor Ben Grimm a glimmer of hope, only to have it immediately dashed, thus providing an ample supply of pathos in our otherwise adventurous tale.

As the FF land, they are arrested once again, and Reed tries to explain the situation, but the General is extremely skeptical (making some cynical remarks about Santa Claus…which, by the way, isn’t it possible a good portion of the original audience for this story were believers in Santa Claus? Wasn’t that playing kind of fast and loose with the Santa Claus reference?)

However, Reed convinces the General to take them to his apartment where they run into a trio of monsters, which they fight, only to discover that these monsters are actually Skrulls, thus convincing the General that Reed’s story is true.

Okay. Problem solved. Right? Except for one thing. What to do with the remaining Skrulls? Well, just as we saw earlier, they show remarkably little backbone:
So Reed hypnotizes them into forgetting their former identities, and they become cows. Really. Cows, grazing in a field.

That is the end of our story. But not the end of the Skrulls, as once again, I will mention that I’ve read ahead, and happen to know that there will be more Skrull adventures. But that’s another story, for another day.

HOW MANY SKRULLS?
But before we leave this tale, one very important issue needs to be considered. I didn’t catch it at first, but later on Russ pointed out to me that there were originally FOUR Skrulls (impersonating the four members of the FF), but at the end of the story, there are only THREE Skrulls who have been captured and turned into cows. At one point Reed tells the General that the fourth Skrull is “on his way to another galaxy, with the rest of his invasion fleet.” The only problem is…we never see that happen. And as far as Russ and I can figure, there is no moment in the story when the fourth Skrull could have escaped. So what actually happened to him?

I say that I’ve read ahead a little. But not as far as Russ, and he tells me that at some point in the future, maybe fifteen years down the road, some writer in the Marvel Universe is going to address this issue of the missing Skrull.

I can’t wait to get there.

VILLAINOUS SKRULLS
For right now, though, I should rate the Skrulls as villains. And I think you know what I’m going to say. In fact, I’ve already said it. No backbone. Crumble like bacon. And also, incredibly gullible, to be fooled by some monster pictures from a comic book! It’s fairly amazing, I think, that this race has perfected interplanetary travel. For the moment, they will have to be placed at Number 2 on my list, but this high ranking comes only because I’ve only been able to review two villains thus far. At the moment, #2 is the bottom of my villain list. And I have a feeling the Skrulls will remain at the bottom of my list for a long, long time.

So, we did not actually have a formidable foe in this second FF tale, but we did have a good opportunity to learn more about our heroes, see what they can do, and how they interact with each other. And because of the rehashing of the origin story, I think anyone who may have arrived late to the party, missing out on issue #1, will not really be that far behind at this point. We see each of the heroes doing what they do best, and coming to each other’s aid when need be.

WORKING TOGETHER
I guess you could say that I have “arrived late to the party” when it comes to superheroes. Growing up, of course I knew about Superman and Batman, and had even heard a bit about Spider-Man. I also clearly remember Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman on TV. But my first glimpse of the FF was in 2005 when the movie came out. At that time, I had no idea this group of heroes was an existing property. In fact, I probably had no idea what was meant by “existing property.” But most significantly, this whole idea that there could actually be a group of superheroes that WORK TOGETHER was a totally new concept to me.

I think that was part of what fascinated me about the FF movie, and made me want to go see it. Well that…and Ioan Griffuth. I admit, I’m a fan. So, that actor may have pushed me into the movie theater…but it was the interaction between the characters that so captivated me once I was there.

And it’s the interaction of these characters that continues to fascinate me, whether it’s in the movies, or the original comic book stories. The whole idea that superheroes don’t necessarily have to exist as strong, individualist pillars of strength. That they can have equals, co-workers, not just sidekicks. Yes, Batman has Robin, but (at least in my experience) he’s mainly there for comic relief, and is probably more of a nuisance than an asset. But the members of the FF are all there to help each other.

When I started reading the FF, it struck me that it must be significant that there are four of them. Four corners of the earth, four seasons…and Russ pointed out to me that each has a power that corresponds to one of the four elements. Johnny…fire. Sue…air. Thing…earth. And I guess you could say Reed is like water, the way he can move and undulate. So together their powers so perfectly complement each other. Together, they can do anything, they can do it all.

And that’s part of what I like about the FF — not so much that they CAN help each other, but that they DO help each other. Like a family. Each is an important part of a whole, and none of them is as strong alone as they are when they are all together.

I mentioned earlier that, as I write this, I’ve already read about 200 Marvel comics. A lot of them have been FF, but also many other titles, many other superheroes. In this time, I’ve developed my favorites, and those that are…not so favorite. And I don’t think you’ll find it any surprise that I consider The Fantastic Four to be among my very favorite superheroes.