December 1965

(Continued from November 1965)

STRANGE TALES  139
cover by Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott and MARIE SEVERIN

"THE BRAVE DIE HARD"

...and it has nothing to do with Bruce Willis!  NICK FURY, AGENT OF SHIELD fights for his life while a prisoner of Hydra, and Tony Stark risks everything to go into orbit to defuse the bomb threatening all life on Earth.  JACK KIRBY supplies story & layouts, ye "editor" does dialogue, while, replacing the departed John Severin, JOE SINNOTT steps in to do pencils AND inks!  Now, I know it's probably blasphemy to say a thing like this, especially among some art "purists", but I'm afraid I'm LESS-than-impressed with this.  Sinnott's specialties over the years have included science-fiction, sports and religious subjects.  But here, he just doesn't seem to be cutting it.  And I LOVE this series.  Oh well.
Part 5 of 7.

"BEWARE! DORMAMMUM IS WATCHING!"

DR. STRANGE takes on Baron Mordo for the fate of the entire Earth.  Who'd guess the planet would be in such deadly danger from TWO entirely different kinds of menaces at the same time?  STEVE DITKO continues to supply story & full art, while ye "editor" does a better job than usual on the dialogue.
Part 10 of 17.
     (3-3-2014)

"THE BRAVE DIE HARD!"

Synopsis:
Despite their "Image-Inducer", HYDRA is unable to get Fury to pass on info about Stark's "Braino-Saur".  Stark tells SHIELD's directors that the "Braino-Saur" is designed for one purpose-- to disarm HYDRA's Betratron Bomb while in orbit above the Earth!  Agent G goes to see Fury-- then helps him escape, although he refuses to promise not to harm her father, the Supreme Hydra.  Dum Dum, Gabe and a crack SHIELD squad use the captured HYDRA saucer to locate HYDRA HQ.  In the Imperial Industries International board room, chairman Farrington refuses to stop the meeting, despite tremors in the building-- until they get so violent, everyone flees the room.  Below, Supreme Hydra learns his daughter helped Fury escape.  He sends a "Hunter" robot after Fury.  Only when Dugan and his men arrive on the roof and attack does he finally send in the "Tiger" squad (assassins), knowing it will mean his own daughter's death...

Indexer notes:
Part 5 of 7.  The title predates the film DIE HARD (1988) by 23 years!  Name of HYDRA's leader changed from "Imperial Hydra" to "Supreme Hydra" in this episode.
     (8-3-2007)

"BEWARE...! DORMAMMU IS WATCHING!"

Part 10 of 17  /  Synopsis:
Dormammu reveals The Ancient One, who tells Strange he must fight on, and he can only expect token aid.  Dormammu forces Clea to watch Strange's defeat.  Strange and Mordo square off and battle.  After a time, Dormammu grows frustrated at how Mordo has been out-fought, and prepares to strike personally...!
     (8-3-2007)


FANTASTIC FOUR  45
cover by Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott

"AMONG US HIDE... THE INHUMANS!"

The rambling epic kicks into high gear, as the FF narrowly escape getting crushed by a collapsing building, then try to make room for Dragon Man to stay.  As for Johnny, he runs across the most beautiful girl he's ever laid eyes on, and is determined to meet her... although when he finds out about her family, all hell breaks loose!  JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and JOE SINNOTT blows everybody's minds with his fabuous inks.  WOW!!!
     (3-3-2014)


TALES TO ASTONISH  74
cover by Gene Colan & Vince Colletta
and Jack Kirby, Bob Powell & Mike Esposito

"WHEN FAILS THE QUEST!"

Now, you know that title isn't quite accurate, as we're only 5 chapters into this 7-part SUB-MARINER serial about the quest for Neptune's trident.  GENE COLAN supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Vince Colletta continues to do whatever it is a guy like him does.

"THE WISDOM OF THE WATCHER"

The HULK manages to retrieve a machine which can imbue a person with ALL the knowledge in the entire universe (sort of like that "teaching machine" in "SPOCK'S BRAIN"-- I wouldn't make up a thing like this).  It leads to an abrupt, unexpected FINALE to the long, long, long saga of "The Leader".  JACK KIRBY supplies story & layouts, ye "editor" does dialogue, and BOB POWELL does pencils & inks.
     (3-3-2014)


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN  31
cover by STEVE DITKO

Review  (coming soon)


TALES OF SUSPENSE  72
cover by Jack Kirby & Mike Esposito

"HOORAH FOR THE CONQUERING HERO!"

While Happy's life hangs in the balance, IRON MAN has to tackle-- of all people- The Mad Thinker, who he had a run-in with in FF ANNUAL #3.  Sheesh.  DON HECK supplies story & art-- tragically, for the last time here-- while ye "editor" does dialogue, and Mike Esposito, still on the run from DC, has already dropped back to "average" inks at best.

"THE SLEEPER SHALL AWAKE!"

A new story begins!   After hanging out with his team-mates and reminiscing about WW2, CAPTAIN AMERICA, in the present day, finds himself tackling a menace left over from "the big one".  JACK KIRBY supplies story & layouts, ye "editor" does dialogue, and GEORGE TUSKA does pencils & inks.
     (3-3-2014)


JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY  123
cover by Jack Kirby & Vince Colletta (& Wally Wood)

"WHILE A UNIVERSE TREMBLES!"

from the GCD: "Indexer Notes: First appearance of the Demon." (geez, that's it?)

This long-running storyline reaches its EPIC CLIMAX right here!!!  Loki has gone TOO FAR, as he & Crusher Creel actually dare to challenge ODIN directly for the throne of Asgard.  The All-Father tells his loyal son, Thor, to stand back, before he hands the 2 infidels their heads!  With peace & order restored, Thor must then return to Earth to reclaim a mystic talisman that Loki has caused to fall into the hands of a local witch-doctor.  It's not over yet!

JACK KIRBY supplies story & art; ye "editor" does dialogue; Vince "lots-o-lines" Colletta does inks.

"THE JAWS OF THE DRAGON!"

from the GCD: "Indexer Notes: Odinsword Quest Part 6"

JACK KIRBY supplies story & art on this latest installment of "Tales Of Asgard"; ye "editor" does dialogue, and Vince "I'll have it for you by five" Colletta does inks.
     (3-3-2014)


THE AVENGERS  23
cover by Jack Kirby & John Romita

"ONCE AN AVENGER..."

Well, CAP didn't exactly rejoin by the end of the previous issue, but he would by the time this one was over.  KANG, THE CONQUEROR takes on the team for the 3rd time, except, this time, he yanks them to the future, where a rebellion is going on (guess he's not as popular as he thought) and he actually winds up needing their HELP!  Behind a STUNNING Kirby cover, DON HECK supplies story & art, while ye "editor" does dialogue.  And, with Wally Wood having LEFT the company, who should wander in but JOHN ROMITA, who does some of the best inks ever bestowed on Don's pencils yet!  Part 1 of 2.  (Whatever happened to "complete-in-one" stories?)
     (3-3-2014)


SGT. FURY & HIS HOWLING SAVAGES  25
cover by Jack Kirby & John Tartaglione
"EVERY MAN MY ENEMY"

DICK AYERS supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and John Tartaglione, one of those "lesser" inkers I just mentioned above, joins the team.
     (3-3-2014)


DAREDEVIL  11
cover by Bob Powell & Wally Wood

"A TIME TO UNMASK"

Not only does D.D. figure out the identity of "The Organizer", but the book's "editor" goes out of his way to MAKE FUN of the book's REAL writer and artist and act as if HE was the one who had to figure out how it all ended.  Suffice to say, this proved to be the end of an unfortunately-short era, as WALLY WOOD, after supplying story, layouts & inks (with ye "editor" wedged in there on dialogue & Bob Powell likewise squeezed in between doing pencils) turned in his resignation and WALKED.  Which is EXACTLY what Matt Murdock does to Foggy Nelson at the end of the book!  Wood had accepted an offer to spearhead an entire new line of comics, and soon was off doing his own thing without Marvel's "editor" to get in his way anymore.  I think it really says something, when you consider what a short time Wood worked for Marvel in the mid-60's, that to the end of his days, he had a BURNING HATRED for Marvel's "editor".
     (3-3-2014)


X-MEN  15
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers

"PRISONERS OF THE MASTER MOLD"

The middle of this 3-part Sentinels story.  JACK KIRBY supplies story & layouts, ye "editor" does dialogue, WERNER ROTH does pencils, and Dick Ayers does inks.  Ayers NEVER liked inking other people's pencils, to him, it was just a job.  Yet I must say, the team of Roth-Ayers looked VERY nice, better than most where Ayers was on inks.  It adds to my feeling that Werner Roth's pencils were somehow "indestructible", as several "lesser" inkers somehow manage to make his work look REALLY nice despite themselves.
     (3-3-2014)


(Continued in January 1966)

All Text (C) Henry R. Kujawa
Artwork (C) Marvel Comics
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa

November 1965

(Continued from October 1965)

STRANGE TALES  138
cover by Jack Kirby & John Severin

"SOMETIMES THE GOOD GUYS LOSE!"

NICK FURY, AGENT OF SHIELD has been captured by Hydra, their Betatron Bomb has been launched into orbit, and things may never have looked so grim for the future of humanity.  JACK KIRBY does story & layouts, ye "editor" does dialogue, and JOHN SEVERIN does pencils & inks.  Part 4 of 7.

"IF ETERNITY SHOULD FAIL"

DR. STRANGE finally discovers who and what "Eternity" is by entering his dimension.  An absolutely eye-popping, mind-blowing episode, courtesy of STEVE DITKO, creator, writer & artist, and, his "editor" doing dialogue (and not screwing things up for once).  Part 9 of 17!!
     (3-2-2014)

"SOMETIMES THE GOOD GUYS LOSE!"

Synopsis:
Aboard SHIELD's IMP (Intercontinental Ballistic Plane), Fury uses its "Televiewer Tube" to locate the Betraton Bomb launch site-- but too late!  They destroy the site so it can't be used again.  Agent G again tries to get her father, Imperial Hydra to "come to his senses".  Instead, he sends HYDRA's "Fox Division" (diplomacy) to deliver his terms to every nation on Earth.  At "Station Space-Watch", Tony Stark prepares to show Fury a weapon constructed under top security-- the "Braino-Saur"-- when HYDRA thugs invade and capture Fury!  Meanwhile, tensions are high at Imperial Industries International, as various board members vie for position, hoping to stage a corporate coup.  Below, Imperial Hydra inspects his new captive, Fury, while in Washington, HYDRA thugs deliver their ultimatum...

Indexer notes:
Part 4 of 7.  The tank which crashes thru a wall and then launches a section of itself as a missile is remarkably similar to the one used by Mr. Freeze in the film BATMAN AND ROBIN (1997).  The board room scene is reminiscent of the film EXECUTIVE SUITE (1954).
     (8-3-2007)

"IF ETERNITY SHOULD FAIL!"

Synopsis:
In another dimension that defies description, Dr. Strange comes face-to-face with Eternity, who learns that Strange is indeed worthy of The Ancient One's trust.  He knows that if Mordo & Dormammu are not stopped, all mankind will be in jeopardy.  But after all Strange has been thru, Eternity tells him he already has the power he needs.  Feeling dejected, Strange returns to the cave to find his master gone.  Mordo's spirits lead him to Mordo, who tells Strange "The game is lost!"

Indexer notes:
Part 9 of 17.
     (8-3-2007)


FANTASTIC FOUR  44
cover by Jack Kirby & Vince Colletta

"THE GENTLEMAN'S NAME IS GORGON!"

The weddngs' over, and a whole NEW ERA for the book, and the Marvel Universe in general starts right here!  Johnny gets tired of watching Reed & Sue make with the lovey-dovey, and goes for a drive... only to find MADAME MEDUSA hiding in his back seat.  That's how it all starts, as we begin a storyline that will run, more or less, for the next YEAR-AND-A-HALF of the book!  JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and JOE SINNOTT, who returned to Marvel recently, and who had earlier inked FF #5 and a few pages of #6, comes aboard as new regular INKER.  WOW!!!!!  Although I love and enjoy a lot of the earlier issues, THIS is the point many people tend to feel the book really "got good".
     (3-2-2014)


TALES TO ASTONISH  73
cover by Jack Kirby & Mike Esposito and Gene Colan & Vince Colletta

"BY FORCE OF ARMS"

Part 4 of 7 as SUB-MARINER's quest for Neptune's trident continues.  GENE COLAN supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Vince Colletta does inks.

"ANOTHER WORLD, ANOTHER FOE"

JACK KIRBY supplies another HULK story & layouts, BOB POWELL does pencils, Mike Esposito does inks, and ye "editor" does dialogue.  The Watcher appears, and kibitzes.
     (3-2-2014)


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN  30
cover by STEVE DITKO

Review  (coming soon)


TALES OF SUSPENSE  71
cover by Jack Kirby & Wally Wood

"WHAT PRICE VICTORY?"

As Happy Hogan lies on the verge of death, IRON MAN goes out of his way to make an EXAMPLE of The Titanium Man.  He doesn't just BEAT the guy, he completely HUMILIATES him!!!  Behind a Kirby-Wood cover (Wood's inks almost completely smothered under Stan Goldberg's coloring), DON HECK supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and WALLY WOOD does the BEST inks this run of the series has ever seen!!!  WOW!!!  Anyone who wonders how I can possibly prefer Don Heck over Gene Colan has obviously never read these stories.  This entire 3-parter must be one of the high points of Heck's entire career. It's just a shame 2/3rds of it had inferior inking.  It's also a tragedy, in my eyes, that his time on the book was coming to an end.

"WHEN YOU LIE DOWN WITH DOGS...!"

This concludes this CAPTAIN AMERICA 3-parter set in a castle during WW2.  JACK KIRBY supplies story & layouts, ye "editor" does dialogue, George Tuska does pencils & JOE SINNOTT does inks.  Not too shabby.
     (3-2-2014)


JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY  122
cover by Jack Kirby & Wally Wood

"WHERE MORTALS FEAR TO TREAD!"

Part 9 of 11.  This rambling EPIC races to a climax.  Loki finally over-steps himself, and together with his new lackie, Crusher Creel The Absorbing Man, actually as the AUDACITY to try taking on ODIN himself!!!

What a A**H***!!!!!!

JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Vince Colletta does inks.  The cover-- inked by WALLY WOOD-- gives us a taste of what might have been not only here, but later at DC as well, if it were not for the ubiquitousness of "Cousin Vinnie".

"THE GRIM SPECTRE OF MUTINY!"

from the GCD: "Indexer Notes: Odinsword Quest, part 5." (That's it. Sheesh.)

JACK KIRBY supplies story & art for this latest installment of "Tales Of Asgard", while ye "editor" does dialogue & Vince Colletta does inks.
     (3-2-2014)


THE AVENGERS  22
cover by Jack Kirby & ??

"THE ROAD BACK"

CAP has quit the group, but before the 2nd half of this 2-parter is over, you KNOW he's gonna be back.  DON HECK supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and WALLY WOOD does his 3rd & final issue on inks.
     (3-2-2014)


SGT. FURY & HIS HOWLING WOMBATS  24
cover by DICK AYERS 
"WHEN THE HOWLERS HIT THE HOME FRONT!"

DICK AYERS supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Frank Giacoia does inks.
     (3-2-2014)


SGT. FURY ANNUAL  1
cover by ??
"COMMISSION IN KOREA!"

The story jumps forward to the Korean War, as the team is re-organized to fight COMMIES.  The same 3 guys do this one, though it's only 15 pages instead of 20.  What a rip-off!  In the back, we get reprints of SF #4 & 5, which are so recent, it's like when the networks started running a week or reruns at Christmastime.
     (3-2-2014)


X-MEN  14
cover by Jack Kirby & Wally Wood

"AMONG US WALK THE SENTINELS"

Following a 2-parter, this marks the beginning of the book's 1st 3-parter.

A completely misguided fanatical scientist creates an army of robots called "Sentinels" to help "save" humanity from the "mutant menace".  Sound like stuff going on around the country THESE DAYS????  I never liked these things, as the only thing worse that people you can't reason with are MACHINES you can't reason with.  JACK KIRBY supplies story & layouts, Werner Roth does pencils, and after only 1 episode, Vince Colletta takes over the inks.  It's remarkable that Roth's low-key art appears to be indestructible, as the result doesn't look nearly as bad as you'd expect.  Oh, yeah, and the "editor" does dialogue.  Ho hum.
     (3-2-2014)


(Continued in December 1965)

All Text (C) Henry R. Kujawa
Artwork (C) Marvel Comics
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa

October 1965

(Continued from September 1965)

FANTASTIC FOUR  43
cover by Jack Kirby & Vince Colletta

"LO! THERE SHALL BE AN ENDING!"

Reed finally turns the tables on The Wizard and his murderous crew.  Part 3 of 3 (also, Part 6 of 6).  JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Vince Colletta murders again.
     (2-28-2014)


FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL  3
cover by Jack Kirby & Mike Esposito

"BEDLAM AT THE BAXTER BUILDING!"

This story serves as the "big climax" and "celebration" for just about everything in the Marvel Universe since FF #1.  REED & SUE get married!  Dr. Doom, whose hands are still hurting after what Ben did to them (a detail the "editor" somehow COMPLETELY missed when he wrote the dialogue), uses a machine to influence the minds of villains from all over the place to gather and ATTACK the Baxter Building ALL AT ONCE!!  It's the company-wide crossover to beat all company-wide crossovers, the blueprint for countless such stories done since, NONE of which, somehow, has EVER managed to be as FUN or as EXCITING as this one!!!  I've read it and re-read it countless times, and it never gets old!!

My favorite moment in the entire story remains when DAREDEVIL-- one of the "weakest" of the heroes-- manages to single-handedly save New York City from not only a bomb explosion, BUT, an INVASION by Attuma and his undersea barbarian legions-- the latter, without even realizing it.  HILARIOUS!

JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, ye "editor" makes with the words, and for once Vince Colletta DOESN'T murder the inks on this series.

My intro to the FF was the 1967 Hanna-Barbera cartoon show, in which Reed & Sue were already married.  THIS was my very 1st Marvel Comic-- what a place to come in!!!-- and I somehow got ahold of it a couple months after the show debuted.  It introduced me to countless characters, many of whom it took me years and years to find out who the heck they were.

It also has reprints in the back from FF #6 and 11. FF #6 was my intro to Prince Namor, The Sub-Mariner, and to this day, I consider it the single best story to feature him in all of the 60's.  You just don't know what to make of him in this one, as he's calmed down from his return, but he's still on the devious side.  And yet, HE's the one who saves the day at the end.  Hard to hate a guy like that.
     (2-28-2014)


STRANGE TALES  137
cover by JOHN SEVERIN (and STEVE DITKO)

"THE PRIZE IS...  EARTH!"

NICK FURY, AGENT OF SHIELD continues to battle Hydra, who plan to blackmail the entire planet into submission with an orbitting bomb.  JACK KIRBY supplies story & layouts for this TENSE THRILLER, while ye "editor" does dialogue, and JOHN SEVERIN continues on pencils & inks.  Part 3 of 7!  (My best friend once complained you never got a complete story when you bought a Marvel Comic-- you can see that trend right here.)
     (2-28-2014)

Synopsis:
Fury looks over the captured HYDRA saucer, pondering how no one has a clue who their top men are.  With a million dollar price on his head, MP's keep a sharp eye on Fury's welfare.  In Weapons Design, Fury's given a gadget-laden outfit, which includes a periscope hat, a self-destructing radio tie, a high-explosive shirt, and a bullet-proof suit made of flexible steel!  Meanwhile, SHIELD agents race to get an important microfilm to HQ.  The chase leads from a train station to a moving train to a speeding car which turns into a submarine, but in the end, the agents self-destruct to prevent falling into HYDRA hands.  HYDRA has a gigantic "Betratron Bomb", with which they can hold the entire world to ransom, and the microfilm would have told SHIELD the location of its launch-site.  Meanwhile, dictatorial Leslie Farrington accepts the chairmanship of Imperial Industries International, and tells his secretary Brown he wants info on every other board member.  But someone on the board is in fact Imperial Hydra!  Below the boardroom, in their secret chambers, their leader is approached by "Agent G", his daughter.  She begs him to give up his mad plan, while he tries to explain that he wants only to give her "the world".  The bomb launches without a hitch... 

Indexer notes:
Part 3 of 7.  1st appearance of the SHIELD Communication Center.  The chase sequence, from train to car-turned-submarine vs. frogmen is strikingly similar to the one in the film THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977).  1st modern appearance of Dum Dum & Gabe (regular cast members in SGT. FURY AND HIS HOLWING COMMANDOS).  The relationship between Imperial Hydra & Agent G pays tribute to that of Doctor Fu Manchu & Fah Lo Suee, or The Yellow Claw and his niece, Suwan.
     (8-3-2007)

"WHEN MEET THE MYSTIC MINDS!"

Synopsis:
Desperate to learn the secret of "Eternity", Dr. Strange probes into the unconscious mind of The Ancient One, meeting one deadly trap after another, until at last, he reaches the mind of his beloved Master, and convinces him of his identity and good intentions.  After recovering, Strange departs, and high atop a Himalayan peak, recites "one of the most potent spells of all time".  When he's finished, his amulet floats into the air, expands in size, and a doorway opens-- thru which Strange steps.  Seconds after the amulet vanishes, Mordo appears, just barely too late to catch up with his mortal enemy.

Indexer notes:
Part 8 of 17.
     (8-3-2007)


TALES TO ASTONISH  72
cover by Gene Colan & Vince Colletta (and Jack Kirby & Mike Esposito)

"A PRINCE THERE WAS"

Part 3 of 7 of SUB-MARINER's quest for the trident of Neptune.  GENE COLAN supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Vince Colletta makes with the lines.

"WITHIN THE MONSTER DWELLS A MAN"

HULK's battle with The Leader continues on and on.  JACK KIRBY supplies story & layouts, MIKE ESPOSITO does pencils and inks, and ye "editor" does dialogue.
     (2-28-2014)


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN  29
cover by STEVE DITKO

Review  (coming soon)


TALES OF SUSPENSE  70
cover by Jack Kirby & Mike Esposito

"FIGHT ON!  FOR A WORLD IS WATCHING!"

IRON MAN's battle against the Titanium Man kicks into high gear.  During a break between rounds, Tony finds Countess Stephanie (an old flame he never liked that much) has stolen the one gadget he needs to beat the Commie badguy, and Happy retrieves it.  But the next round starts before he can deliver it, so he puts his life at risk to run onto the battlefield.  Before it's done, it looks like Happy's a goner... but not before he reveals that he KNOWS Shellhead is really his boss.  OHHHH boy.  DON HECK supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Mike Esposito continues moonlighting from DC.  (Part 2 of 3!!!)

"IF THIS BE TREASON!"

CAP & BUCKY take on Nazis in a castle in Part 2 of this 3-parter.  JACK KIRBY supplies story & layouts, ye "editor" does dialogue & GEORGE TUSKA steps in to do pencils & inks!
     (2-28-2014)


JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY  121
cover by Jack Kirby & Vince Colletta

"THE POWER! THE PASSION! THE PRIDE!"

No GCD sypnopsis again.  In Part 8 of 11, Crusher Creel, The Absorbing Man, comes back for more.  Tsk!

JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Vince "I'm on my coffee break" Colletta does inks.

"MAELSTROM!"

from the GCD: "Indexer Notes: Odinsword Quest Part 4." Geez, aren't there ANY Thor fans at that site?

JACK KIRBY supplies story & art on this latest installment of "Tales Of Asgard", ye "editor" does dialogue & Vince "Has the hooker shown up yet?" Colletta does inks.
     (2-28-2014)


THE AVENGERS  21
cover by Jack Kirby & Wally Wood

"THE BITTER TASTE OF DEFEAT"

Jack Kirby introduces another long-running baddie, in the form of POWER MAN, who, like WONDER MAN, is a normal guy bestowed with super-strength via outside means.  He's recruited by The Enchantress to ruin the team's rep, and by the end, CAP quits and hits the road.  Good grief!  DON HECK supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and WALLY WOOD does inks.  Not too shabby.  Part 1 of 2.
     (2-28-2014)


SGT. FURY & HIS HOWLING G.I.'s  23
cover by DICK AYERS
"THE MAN WHO FAILED!"

DICK AYERS supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Frank Giacoia does inks.
     (2-28-2014)


DAREDEVIL  10
cover by Larry Ivie & Wally Wood

"WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS"

The first 2-parter in the book's run.  WALLY WOOD supplies story, layouts, inks AND DIALOGUE, while BOB POWELL is edged in between doing pencils, because ye "editor" was trying to find him some work (or so he claims).  He also gets VERY snide, sarcastic & insulting about Wood's writing skills, acting as if he was doing the guy a favor to "let" him write this one, while continuing to ignore the fact that Wood WROTE every episode of this book he worked on!!!  Anyone really paying attention can tell, as the story style & structure in these is completely different from anything else being done at Marvel at the time.  Wood introduces the "Ani-Men", a gang of crooks with specialties who all dress up in animal costumes-- Bird-Man, Ape-Man, Frog-Man & Cat-Man, along with "The Organizer", the mysterious brains of the outfit whose identity is a mystery for the entire issue.

As much as I enjoy seeing Wood inks just about anything, I wish he'd done full art on all of these, as, while it seems to me he'd dragging Powell UP, Powell is simultaneously dragging Wood DOWN.  Truthfully, from what I've seen of Bob Powell's art, he would have been much better-served if he could have done FULL ART (pencils & inks)... but that would have required a "real" writer to supply scripts, and Marvel just didn't have any of those around this time!
     (2-28-2014)


CREEPY  5
Cover by FRANK FRAZETTA   (Warren / October 1965)
On-sale Date  /  08-08-1965

Alright, here we go again. I don't have this issue (to this day, I have VERY FEW early Warrens, which believe me is frustrating at times). But, I do have some of the stories as reprints. It took me a bit to compile an index for this purpose, and I have to have my computer turned on to access that index, in order to then re-read the stories involved. So let's see how this goes...

"UNTIMELY TOMB" -- story by Archie Goodwin (story title by Anne Murphy-- anyone know anything about her?) and stunning art by ANGELO TORRES. Okay, folks. I'm now ready to declare Torres the SINGLE BEST artist working for Warren at this point. YES, I said it. It's a very close thing, but I do believe he blows Al Williamson, Gray Morrow, and Reed Crandall out of the water. NO EASY FEAT. This one looks and feels and reads very much like a POE story... but it isn't. I suppose one might say "inspired by". It's enough that, right now, I'm sorely tempted to scan it it and post it as part of my POE blog project, and suggest that it's inspired by "The Premature Burial". A doctor pronounces a woman dead, and she's buried in a family crypt, but the husband hears her faint cries. He and the doctor, who's protesting the whole way, go to check things out, and find that, YES, she was buried alive... but is certainly dead now. The doctor's reputation is ruined, and things spiral out of control from there. He winds up unintentionally killing the husband, but then he hears the man's cries from inside a mausoleum. I have to admit, the ending left certain things up in the air, open to interpretation. Was the doctor hallucinating, or was the husband, like his wife, buried alive, but eventually wind up dead inside the tomb? (I have this in CREEPY #142 / 1982.)

"SAND DOOM" -- Goodwin & Al Wiliamson tell a story of a gun-runner who sold faulty weapons to Arabs, and while escaping across the desert, first abandons his wounded partner, then encounters an underground cavern loaded with treasure... which is guarded by SUPERNATURAL forces. You know this won't turn out well. (I have this in CREEPY #137 / 1982.)

Well, that was easy to look up, and I could have guessed. Murphy was Archie Goodwin's wife. I just ran across an OBIT saying she passed away in 2020.

HERE's the part that bugs me, referring to Archie Goodwin: "former Marvel Comics editor in chief". Archie was Marvel's EIC for, what, 12 months? --before Jim Shooter took over. He was in charge of EPIC Comics a lot longer, if memory serves. And, he was editor at Warren FAR longer than that. I can't really say what if anything Archie did at Marvel that was all that outstanding, as either writer or editor. It's this G** D***** corporate B***S*** about "Marvel, Marvel, Marvel" that is so relentless. F*** Marvel!!! There were and are far-better comics out there.
    (5-18-2021)


(Continued in November 1965)

All Text (C) Henry R. Kujawa
Artwork (C) Marvel Comics
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa

September 1965

(Continued from August 1965)

STRANGE TALES  136
cover by Jack Kirby & Mike Esposito and STEVE DITKO

 

"FIND FURY OR DIE!"

Part 2 of 7.  Having set up the series last time, NICK FURY, AGENT OF SHIELD tackles another plan to assassinate him, while still having no clue as to the identity of Hydra's leader, the location of their base, or the actual plan they intend to use to gain world domination.  JACK KIRBY supplies story & layouts, while JOHN SEVERIN, a veteran of countless war & western comics, comes aboard doing pencils & inks.  I don't really find his rough-hewn, "organic" style a good match for a modern, "hi-tech" series like this, but before too long, he would wind up working on SGT. FURY instead.  Ye "editor" supplies dialogue while stealing credit-- it's maddenning that most people still have no idea Kirby was writing all these stories.

     (2-27-2014)

Synopsis:
HYDRA agents tail Fury walking in NYC, intent on finding SHIELD's HQ, not realizing he knows he's being followed.  Leading the mission is HYDRA Section Leader B, a "Hydra-Hunter", who hands over his hood to the Imperial Hydra so there will be no place to hide should he fail.  Of course, he hopes to become the next Imperial Hydra when he succeeds.  When a few HYDRA agents show up at the barber shop which is secretly the entrance to SHIELD's NYC HQ, they're quickly captured and hypnotized into believing the HQ is located in a warehouse some blocks away.  Using a huge vehicle called a "Hydra-Ram", the warehouse is attacked-- but it's a trap!  His plan failed, his men captured, Section Leader B is soon "replaced", while Fury thinks on the long road ahead.

Indexer notes:
Part 2 of 7.  1st appearance of the SHIELD barber shop, a tribute to the tailor shop secret entrance to UNCLE HQ in the TV show THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.  1st appearance of the "Hydra-Ram", a flying saucer-type vehicle.  Nick Fury, SHIELD & HYDRA turn up at Reed & Sue's wedding in FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #3 (November 1965).
     (8-3-2007)

"WHAT LURKS BENEATH THE MASK?"
Synopsis:
Dormammu imprisons Clea, and tells her she will witness DR. STRANGE's defeat.  Mordo tells Dormammu that Strange is searching for "Eternity", and cannot understand why this upsets the dark lord so.  Strange continues his search, going from one practitioner of the arts to another without result, until The Aged Ghenghis tells him only he and The Ancient One know the secret.  He gives him a scroll, which leads Strange to a being imprisoned in another dimension.  But it turns out to be a trap, which he barely escapes.  Back in Tibet, Strange tells his master's servant the only option left is to enter the mind of his master...

Indexer notes:
Part 7 of 17.
     (8-3-2007)


FANTASTIC FOUR  42
cover by Jack Kirby & Sol Brodsky

"TO SAVE YOU, WHY MUST I KILL YOU?"

Part 2 of 3 (or is it Part 5 of 6??) in which The Thing is still brainwashed and hell-bent on murdering Reed.  The evil F.F. continue to gloat.  JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Vince Colletta does inks just about as HORRIBLE as the ones from DAREDEVIL #2, 3 & 4.
     (2-27-2014)


TALES TO ASTONISH  71
cover by Gene Colan & Vince Colletta

"ESCAPE... TO NOWHERE!"

GENE COLAN supplies the latest SUB-MARINER story & art for Part 2 of 7 of Namor's quest to find Neptune's trident, and therefore "prove" he is really worthy to continue being the ruler of Atlantis.  Ye "editor" does dialogue, and that Colletta guy does inks.  Is he EVERYWHERE these days?

"LIKE A BEAST AT BAY"

JACK KIRBY supplies another HULK story & layouts, while MIKE ESPOSITO (still trying to hide the fact he was working for Marvel from his DC overlords) doing both pencils & inks, and ye "editor" does dialogue.  This storyline with "The Leader" just goes on and on and on.  "Soap-opera" format had really taken hold here, no doubt about it.
     (2-27-2014)


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN  28
cover by STEVE DITKO

Review  (coming soon)


TALES OF SUSPENSE  69
cover by Jack Kirby, Don Heck & Mike Esposito

"IF I MUST DIE, LET IT BE WITH HONOR!"

IRON MAN tackles one of the toughest battles of his entire career, when he faces Russia's latest follow-up to The Crimson Dynamo-- THE TITANIUM MAN!!!  Jack Kirby once more supplies the world with a memorable, long-running baddie, while DON HECK supplies story & art in what is truly one of the best things he ever did in his career doing superheroes.  After all these 1 or 2-episode stories, at last we have a 3-parter, and the tension is built up for all its worth.  Ye "editor" does dialogue, and the by-now UBIQUITOUS Vince Colletta nearly manages to murder the entire project with his inks.

"MIDNIGHT AT GREYMOOR CASTLE"

JACK KIRBY supplies another CAPTAIN AMERICA story, but is cut back to only doing layouts.  Rumor had it his "editor" was trying to find other people to take over some of the series, and wanted Kirby to "teach" them how to do things HIS way, but in the long run this has proven to be UTTER B***S***.  What was REALLY going on was, said "editor" had figured out a way to get MORE STORIES out of Kirby-- as always, uncredited, UNPAID.  In this case, the first pinch-hitting artist is the ever-faithful, ever-dependable DICK AYERS, who does pencils AND inks over Kirby's layouts.  Ayers, of course, had been doing SGT. FURY for quite some time now, and was apparently felt to be a good fit for World War Two-era stories.  Ye "editor" does dialogue as usual, while continuing to STEAL credit & pay for the stories.
     (2-27-2014)


JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY  120
cover by Jack Kirby & Vince Colletta

"WITH MY HAMMER IN HAND...!"

This is pathetic-- still no GCD sypnopses??  Ah well.  THOR's hammer was damaged in his last battle, and he has to return to the one who made it in the first place-- A TROLL-- to have it repaired.  I know how traumatic that can be, having just recently had MAJOR work done to my 23-year-old car.

JACK KIRBY does story & art, while ye "editor" does dialogue & Vince Colletta does inks.

Part 7 of 11.

"SET SAIL!"
from the GCD: "Indexer Notes: Odinsword Quest Part 3, first appearance of Volstagg's wife."

JACK KIRBY does story & art on this latest installment of "Tales Of Asgard".  Ye "editor" does dialogue & Vince Colletta does inks.
     (2-27-2014)


JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY ANNUAL  1
cover by Jack Kirby & Sol Brodsky

"WHEN TITANS CLASH!"

from the GCD: "Synopsis: Thor and Loki come across a pair of storm giants attacking the gateway from Asgard to Olympus; During the ensuing battle, Thor is accidentally transported to the fabled land and finds himself in combat with the mighty Hercules with neither party willing to back down; After a titanic battle, Zeus stops the conflict and proclaims them both worthy allies and friends; Thor is sent back to Asgard and Zeus closes the passage forever."

Indexer Notes: "This story introduced the Marvel Universe version of Olympus and the Greek gods."

Although NOT mentioned, this is actually a special 15-page installment of "Tales Of Asgard", as it takes place not in the present day, but in the dim, distant past ("...in fact so long ago that it's damn nearly, in the year one...").

JACK KIRBY had, of course, dealt with Greek or Roman pantheons before, going back at least as far as CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #1, with the introduction of "Mercury", who was soon after renamed "Hurricane".

Traditionally, HERCULES tends to be portrayed as noble but flawed, while THOR tends to be a big blowhard.  But, since Kirby's version of THOR is a selfless, noble hero, naturally, HERCULES is a self-centered egotistical, careless A**H***.

As always, JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue & Vince Colletta does inks.

This being an ANNUAL, with a sorry tradition of mixing one new story and a bunch of reprints, said reprints this time out are from JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #85, 93, 95 & 97.
     (2-27-2014)


THE AVENGERS  20
cover by Jack Kirby & Wally Wood

"VENGEANCE IS OURS!"

Although it looks like The Swordaman pushed a helpless CAP off the top of a building-in-progress, CAP actually JUMPED, trusting his TEAM would be able to wqork together to save his life.  (Amazingly... he was right!)  Next thing, Swordsman is teleported to the lair of THE MANDARIN, who's decided to expand his field of opponents.  I guess getting beaten by IRON MAN isn't enough for him anymore, he wants to take on 4 heroes at once and REALLY be humiliated.  Under a fabulous Kirby-Wood cover, DON HECK supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue & WALLY WOOD does his usual STELLAR job in the inks.  WOW!  I wish I had an original printing of this...  I'm sure it would look better than the Masterworks reprint I have.
     (2-27-2014)


SGT. FURY & HIS HOWLING CURMUDGEONS  22
cover by DICK AYERS
"DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON BULL McGIVENEY!"

DICK AYERS supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Carl Hubbell does inks.
     (2-27-2014)


X-MEN  13
cover by Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott

"WHERE WALKS THE JUGGERNAUT!"

In part 2 of 2, JACK KIRBY introduces yet another long-running villain, while doing story & layouts.  Coming onboard this issue for a long haul is romance artist WERNER ROTH.  I always thought Roth did very pretty artwork, especially his people, even while his storytelling wasn't all that dynamic.  Teamed with Kirby's storytelling, it's not bad-- it's sort of the equivalent of having Curt Swan pencil over Jim Shooter layouts (sort of).  JOE SINNOTT returns to Marvel to do inks.  WOW!!  I have to admit, though, I've seen really misterable inkers work over Roth, and his stuff seems INKER-PROOF.  Ye "editor" does dialogue, of course.
     (2-27-2014)


(Continued in October 1965)

All Text (C) Henry R. Kujawa
Artwork (C) Marvel Comics
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa

August 1965

(Continued from July 1965)...

STRANGE TALES  135
cover by Jack Kirby & Frank Giacoia

"THE MAN FOR THE JOB"

One of the most important debuts in the history of all of 60's Marvel-- NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D.!!!  C.I.A. Colonel Fury is recruited by the internationally-sponsored (ALLEGED) "spy" outfit, which is really a worldwide ANTI-TERRORIST organization set up to fight NEO-NAZIS out to finish the job they started with World War Two.

Even many years before I found out the extent of what was really going on at Marvel in the 60's, I could sense that the "NICK FURY" series, more than any other at the time, was clearly, unquestionably ENTIRELY the work of JACK KIRBY, creator, writer & visual storyteller.  Which makes it all the more tragic (if not downright CRIMINAL) that many people to this day have NO IDEA that for the entire STRANGE TALES run, there were really only TWO writers guiding the book-- and the first one and his run has long been overshadowed by the flashy glitz of the second.

This was one of only 3 episodes in Kirby's run where he did full pencils.  Ye "editor" does dialogue, while Dick Ayers-- the "go to" guy to help Kirby start most series in the early 60's, does inks.
     (2-26-2014)

I did extensive GCD indexes for the entire NICK FURY series.  I'm gonna be including those here.

Synopsis:
Ordered to report to the Pentagon for an "LMD", Fury is baffled by all the technos.  He watches in amazement as several "Life Model Decoys" which look exactly himself all go their separate ways, and are each brutally "murdered".  On the road, the Porsche 904 he's in is attacked by napalm fire bombs from an aircraft; the car proves not only fireproof, it fires sidewinder missles (destroying the attacking plane), and even more amazing, converts to flying mode with mach-pressure fans built into the wheels!  Fury learns about SHIELD, an international organization whose job is to stop HYDRA, a "group of fanatics" bent on world domination, who are responsible for the attacks on him.  In a hidden HQ, the agent in charge of Fury's "capture" is punished for his failure with death.  Elsewhere, Fury meets Tony Stark-- playboy arms inventor who is also in charge of SHIELD's Special Weaponry section.  Stark tells Fury they want him to lead SHIELD, saying "Your entire life qualifies you for this job."  When a hidden bomb almost goes off, Fury saves everyone in the room, and discovers he's aboard The Heli-Carrier, SHIELD's mobile command center, thousands of feet above the Earth.  As he instinctively begins snapping orders, he realizes Stark is right-- and just how grave the danger facing the entire free world really is.  He takes the job.

Indexer notes:
Part 1 of 7.  Fury's previous chronological appearance in FANTASTIC FOUR #21 (December 1963).  1st appearance of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division), LMDs, Fury's Porsche 904, HYDRA, Imperial Hydra, Laura Brown, The SHIELD Heli-Carrier.  Story retold in NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. #4 (September 1968).  Background info on the creation of SHIELD not revealed until FURY #1 (May 1994).
     (8-3-2007)

"ETERNITY BECKONS!"
Part 6 of 17  /  Synopsis:
In London, still seeking info on "Eternity", DR. STRANGE goes to the secluded home of Sir Baskerville, a former desciple of Mordo's, who greets him as an old friend.  Meanwhile, Dormammu discovers that Clea is the one who unleashed The Mindless Ones, and swears she shall pay for her betrayal.  Baskerville contacts Mordo, who sends an emissary to trap Strange.  But it backfires, allowing Strange to discover that Dormammu is the one behind Mordo's attacks and his increased power.  Strange hypnotizes Mordo's spirits into believing he's fled to the Netherworld, and by the time Mordo arrives, Strange has fled once more...
     (8-3-2007)


FANTASTIC FOUR  41
cover by Jack Kirby & Frank Giacoia

"THE BRUTAL BETRAYAL OF BEN GRIMM!"

Remember that the evil F.F. escaped?  Well, they come back here wanting more.  The Wizard zaps Ben's brain and convinces him Reed is his deadly enemy who needs to be KILLED-- and nothing can stop the guy!  It's been suggested that the Wizard's brain-machine MAY have been used on Madame Medusa to get her to join the Frightful Four in the first place.  Which I find makes perfect sense, given her later personality.  But you know Marvel's "editor"... not only WASN'T he actually writing the stories he took credit AND PAY for, he wasn't even bothering to READ them, or pay attention, when he was filling in the word balloons.

This entire sequence was adapted for the early-90's F.F. cartoon series.  I saw those episodes, thanks to my best friend sending me a tape of them.  I hated the designs, the costumes, the animation, the voices, the music... but, oddly enough, with only a SMALL bit of fine-tuning, they actually FIXED the plot-holes.  Which is something Marvel's "editor" had spectacularly FAILED to do.

JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Vince "let's see how fast I can do this" Colletta butchers the results.  I've seen Colletta do some GREAT work from time to time.  Suffice to say... this AINT one of those.
     (2-26-2014)


TALES TO ASTONISH  70
cover by Jack Kirby & Mike Esposito

"THE START OF THE QUEST!"

After many years, and right on the heels of D.D. #7, Prince Namor, The SUB-MARINER, gets his own series again.  Behind a Kirby-Esposito cover, GENE COLAN supplies story & art (bet a LOT of you never knew Gene WROTE stories!!!) while ye "editor" does dialogue in which Namor evolves into the most pompous, overblown, egotistical blowhard in all of Marveldom (to match the excessive muscles Gene draws him with), while Vince Colletta does inks.

"TO LIVE AGAIN"

More HULK goodness from JACK KIRBY (story & art), ye "editor" (dialogue) & Mike Esposito (undercover inks).
     (2-26-2014)



AMAZING SPIDER-MAN  27
cover by STEVE DITKO

Review  (coming soon!)


TALES OF SUSPENSE  68
cover by Jack Kirby, Frank Giacoia & Joe Giella

"IF A MAN BE MAD!"

Tony Stark, IRON MAN, is having hallucinations... seems his "black sheep" cousin is in debt up to his ears to one Count Nefaria, who supplies him with a gadget that can help cause Stark problems.  I.M. finds a space ship, but when the cops arrive, no ship.  I.M. goes to investigate again... and finds there's a REAL space ship with invading aliens!  After running them off, suddenly, I.M. looks good, Stark's cousin is still in trouble, and Nefaria isn't in a forgiving mood.

Strangely enough, I believe there's NO reference to Nefaria's (ALLEGED!) previous appearance, which only adds to the suspicion that it wasn't supposed to be him in the first place, except the guy filling in the word balloons messed up.

Behind a Jack Kirby cover (and he probably came up with the story idea), DON HECK supplies story & art, while, filling in, AL HARTLEY does dialogue!  And guess what?  He's MUCH FUNNIER than his "editor"!  I wish Hartley had done more of these.

"THE SENTINEL AND THE SPY"

CAP snaps out of his trance, and saves Eisenhower's life.  But then Steve Rogers & Bucky are assigned prisoner transfer duty, as punishment for going AWOL again.  By luck, they stumble into another Red Skull plot to steal an experimental  Ally weapon-- "Project Vanish".

JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Frank Giacoia does inks (aided, I strongly believe, by his good pal Joe Giella-- Frank & Joe did a lot of work together, and the funny thing is, their styles look NOTHING alike-- so a lot of their pages tend to look schizophrenic).
     (2-26-2014)

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY  119
cover by Jack Kirby & Vince Colletta

"THE DAY OF THE DESTROYER!"

from the GCD: "Indexer Notes: The first appearance of Ularic (Odin's royal warlock)."

No GCD sypnopsis?  Boy, somebody over there must really be getting sloppy.  I think, going by the cover (remember, it's been about 5 years since I've re-read this) that this is pretty much an all-action episode.

Part 6 of 11.

JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue and Vince Colletta does inks.

"GATHER, WARRIORS!"

from the GCD: "Indexer Notes: Odinsword Quest Part 2, first appearances of Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg (the Warriors Three) and Kroda and Magrat."

JACK KIRBY supplies story & art for this latest installment of "Tales Of Asgard".  Ye "editor" does dialogue and Vince Colletta does inks.

The "usual" CLASSIC!
     (2-26-2014)



THE AVENGERS  19
cover by Jack Kirby & Frank Giacoia and Don Heck & Dick Ayers

"THE COMING OF... THE SWORDSMAN!"

This one took me ages to track down-- in fact, I never read it until I got ahold of the Masterworks reprint.  We meet Hawkeye's former mentor, who turned crooked, yet now claims he wants to go straight.. or does he?  Jack Kirby creates YET ANOTHER character he never got proper credit for, while DON HECK does story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue and WALLY WOOD does inks so good he positively makes Heck's art GLEAM!!!
     (2-26-2014)



SGT. FURY & HIS HOWLING MANIACS  21
cover by Jack Kirby & Frank Giacoia
"TO FREE A HOSTAGE"

DICK AYERS supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Carl Hubbell does inks.
     (2-26-2014)


DAREDEVIL  9
cover by WALLY WOOD

"THAT HE MAY SEE!"

Matt Murdock stumble into a virtually "medieval" situation while visiting Europe to see a doctor about the possibility of having his sight restored.  Turns out the story was going to be called "Knightmare" before the "editor" changed it at the dialogue point.  It seems WALLY WOOD decided to follow Steve Ditko's example by demanding credit & pay for writing, and his "editor" balked at losing more ill-gotten money.  So instead, and under the guise of doing BOB POWELL a favor, this issue was the first of 3 in which WOOD did story & layouts, AND inks, but POWELL did the pencils in between, while ye "editor" continued to do dialogue while claiming far more.  Suffice to say, Wood was PISSED at doing nearly the same amount of work, but now getting paid EVEN LESS.
     (2-26-2014)


CREEPY  4
Cover by FRANK FRAZETTA   (Warren  /  [August] 1965)
On-sale Date  /  06-08-1965

This starts out with another of Frank Frazetta's classic covers, for "Curse Of The Full Moon". Inside Al Williamson does this issue's installment of "Creepy's Loathesome Lore", focusing on people coming back from the dead.

"MONSTER RALLY" is another absolute stunner from Archie Goodwin & Angelo Torres. I swear, it continues to blow my mind how a guy I most associate with MAD magazine's TV parodies keeps blowing all these other great artists out of the water. The mad scientist in here is a clear tribute to Vincent Price (from "The Haunted Palace") and there was a painted cover of this story that appeared on a Spanish Warren reprint. (Was that done new for Europe, or was it done here, but left unused in favor of Frazetta's?) The story, allegedly, involves the origin of Uncle Creepy... which is possibly the only part of it I'm not too thrilled with.

"BLOOD AND ORCHIDS" -- Goodwin & Alden McWilliams tell a story where it looks like a vampire's on the loose, but that's not exactly the case here.

"THE DAMNED THING" is the magazine's 3rd-ever "classic" adaptation, a story from Ambrose Bierce. I was just hearing on The History Channel how he was a Civil War veteran who wound up mysteriously disappearing and was never seen again. Goodwin & Gray Morrow do the honors. This story was later adapted in Brazil in ALBUM CLASSICOS DE TERROR #4 (Editora Taika / 1967) by M.C. Poyares & Carlos Edgard Herrero.

"MOON CITY" is a science-fiction story by Larry Englehart (are we sure that's not a psudonyum for Larry Ivie ?? --it feels and reads like one of his) and Al McWilliams. Gorgeous to look at, if a little on the dull side. I believe McWilliams was mostly known for sci-fi work, and did a newspaper strip titled "TWIN EARTHS", as well as a run of "SPACE CONQUERORS!", and one-third of the 1979 "BUCK ROGERS" pilot movie adaptation.

"CURSE OF THE FULL MOON!" -- Goodwin & Reed Crandall tell of a man who deliberately goes hunting to kill a werewolf, but runs into unexpected twists.

"THE TRIAL OF ADAM LINK" -- Otto Binder & Joe Orlando present the 2nd chapter in this telling of the classic pulp magazine story. The original story appeared in the July 1939 issue of AMAZING STORIES by Earl & Otto Binder (how often do you get to see a writer adapting his own story into a comic-book?). And, it had previously been adapted in EC's WEIRD SCIENCE-FANTASY #28 (Mar-Apr'55), also by Binder, Orlando & Al Feldstein doing the dialogue (how often do you see an artist drawing the same story twice?). By my count, the 4th "classic" adaptation in CREEPY. A year earlier, the story has also been adapted as a 2nd-season episode of "THE OUTER LIMITS", which featured Leonard Nimoy as the newspaper reporter who was sympathetic to the robot's story.

It remains jaw-dropping just how good these early Warren horror comics were!
    (5-4-2021)


(Continued in September 1965)

All Text (C) Henry R. Kujawa
Artwork (C) Marvel Comics
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa

July 1965

(Continued from June 1965)

STRANGE TALES  134
cover by Jack Kirby & Frank Giacoia

"THE CHALLENGE OF THE WATCHER"

THE HUMAN TORCH & THE EVER-LOVIN' THING's series comes to an end.  Behind a Jack Kirby cover, BOB POWELL supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and WALLY WOOD does inks.  This must have given ye "editor" ideas, as Wood & Powell were teamed up for the next 3 issues of DAREDEVIL as well.
     (2-25-2014)

"THE CHALLENGE OF... THE WATCHER!"

Synopsis:
Though he is not permitted to interfere, The Watcher tells Ben & Johnny of how Kang time-travelled to the days of King Arthur, imprisoned Merlin, and took over the country.  In order for the timestream to remain intact, The Watcher sends the pair back in time to defeat Kang.  After a hard battle, they send Kang packing, and The Watcher returns them to the present.  Later, relaxing after a hard day's fighting, Reed & Sue accuse them of being "loafers."

Indexer notes:
Kang's previous appearance in THE AVENGERS #11 (December 1964); next app. in THE AVENGERS #23 (December 1965).  The Watcher's own series, where he sometimes acted merely as narrator, ran in TALES OF SUSPENSE #49-58 (January-October 1964); previous appearance apart from that in FANTASTIC FOUR #29 (August 1964); next app. in FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #3 (November 1965).  Last episode of the series.  Next issue, "The Human Torch & The Ever-Lovin' Thing" would be replaced with "Nick Fury, Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D.".  Torch's next "solo" series (or sorts) would be in MARVEL TEAM-UP #1 (March 1972), though he would be confined to occasional issues.  The Thing, however, would fare better, getting his own (team-up) series in MARVEL FEATURE #11-12 (September-November 1973), then MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #1 (January 1974).  Eventually, Ben would get a "solo" series in THE THING #1 (July 1983).
     (2007)

"EARTH BE MY BATTLEGROUND"

Synopsis:
Strange returns to our plane, in NYC, takes a room in a cheap motel & then uses his ectoplasmic form to check up on The Ancient One in Tibet.  He then goes to his master's home to look thru the library, but forgets to drop the spell of visibility that allowed the hermit to see him-- and so Mordo's spirits are after him again!  To distract Dormammu (who's feeding Mordo endless power), Clea uses a device that weakens the barrier holding back The Mindless Ones, and they attack, causing Dormammu to leave Mordo as he battles them.  Strange flies into space and straight into the sun, the spirits fleeing and Mordo worried that it might spell his doom.  Strange returns to The Ancient One, who in his weakened, delirious condition, speaks of "Eternity".  Dormammu secures his domain, but wonders if someone has betrayed him.  Clea fears she may be found out.  Strange begins to search for "Eternity"...

Indexer notes:
Part 5 of 17.  1st mention of Eternity.  Strange would finally find it in STRANGE TALES #138 (November 1965).  This episode (and the next one) inexplicably NOT reprinted in 1970.
     (2007)


FANTASTIC FOUR  40
cover by Jack Kirby & Frank Giacoia

"THE BATTLE OF THE BAXTER BUILDING!"

DR. DOOM invades the FF's HQ, Reed manages to restore their powers, DD helps out, and Ben CRUSHES Doom's dainty little fingers.  OOH, dat's gotta hoit!  JACK KIRBY supplies story & art; ye "editor" does dialogue, and after ONE month, Frank Giacoia drops off the book and is replaced by Vince "made man" Colletta on inks (JUST like on THOR!!).  Which is tragic, as visually the book hits a new LOW it hasn't seen since the period when "George Bell" was mutilating the pages.
     (2-25-2014)


TALES TO ASTONISH  69
cover by Jack Kirby & Frank Giacoia

"OH WASP, WHERE IS THEY STING?"

That A**H***, The Human Top, returns to take on GIANT-MAN & THE WASP yet again.  Both are marginalized on this month's cover, as this turns out to be the end of the line for their series.  Jack Kirby apparently supplies story & layouts, while BOB POWELL did pencils,  Al Hartley filled in on dialogue (while ye "editor" still managed to steal pay & credit for the story anyway), and John Giunta does inks.  I have no idea who he is, what can I tell you?

"TRAPPED IN THE LAIR OF THE LEADER"

This is an instance where the fact that several books were one month "off" as far as their cover dates go becomes obvious, as THIS is the story that took place at the SAME time as "last month's" AVENGERS.  JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Mike Esposito does inks.  You know, it's downright criminal that JACK KIRBY wrote so many of these stories UNCREDITED and UNPAID, and in the case of more and more books over the next year, he got paid EVEN LESS, as his "editor" cut him back to only doing layouts for others to follow, to he wasn't even getting to do full pencils (or get paid for them either).  A really sneaky, conniving way to squeeze more work out of his BEST writer.  There oughta be a law...
     (2-25-2014)


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN  26
cover by STEVE DITKO

Review (coming soon!)


TALES OF SUSPENSE  67
cover by Jack Kirby & Carl Hubbell

"WHERE WALK THE VILLAINS"

This is another weird one.  The villain is "The Dream-Maker"-- but, purely in the dialogue stage, he's also referred to as "Count Nefaria", EVEN THOUGH he doesn't look anything like him, and his M.O. is completely different!  What the hell was Marvel's "editor" ON at the time, anyway??  Behind a Kirby cover (that even Nick Caputo isn't sure who inked), DON HECK supplies story & art, and, possibly, this month's VILLAIN as well (as he doesn't appear on the cover), while ye "editor" does dialogue and Mike Esposito (undercover) does inks.

"LEST TYRANNY TRIUMPH!"

CAPTAIN AMERICA is drugged by The Red Skull into leading a team to assassinate GENERAL EISENHOWER!!!  Bucky, a prisoner, leads a prison break, blowing up some Nazis in the process (ya gotta love this guy).  JACK KIRBY supplies story & art for the 2nd part of this 3-parter, while ye "editor" does dialogue and Frank Giacoia returns on inks.  (I guess he missed last month's CAP episode because he was doing both FF and THOR-- neither of which he did this month).
     (2-25-2014)


JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY  118
cover by Jack Kirby & Frank Giacoia

"TO KILL A THUNDER GOD!"

from the GCD: "Indexer Notes: First appearance of the Destroyer and the Odinsleep."

Part 5 of 11.

JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, while creating another INCREDIBLE, long-running "villain" (or sorts) in the form of "The Destroyer".  Gee, Marvel sure does like re-using names every chance they get.  There's been AT LEAST 4 different characters with this name...

1- The 1940's hero
2- The JOHNNY STORM villain
3- The THOR robot
4- The Jim Starlin character, "Drax The Destroyer"

Ye "editor" does dialogue while continuing to RIP OFF his best talent, and Vince Colletta makes with the scratchy lines.

"THE CRIMSON HAND"

from the GCD: "Indexer Notes: Odinsword Quest Part 1, first appearances of Braggi and Morduk."

JACK KIRBY spins another wondrous "Tales Of Asgard" installment, supplying story & art, while ye "editor" fillis in word balloons while grabbing pay & credit for far more, and Vince "I'm in the Mafia" Colletta (or one of his boys) makes with the "illuminated manuscript" work.
    (2-25-2014)

I can just picture that editorial meeting...

"'Eyy-- Carmine. You know the deal. Me-- or one of my BOYS-- gets to INK-- every one o' Kirby's new books. And nobody gets hurt."

"Sh-sh-- SHURE, Vince! Whatever you say."
     (2-25-2014)


THE AVENGERS  18
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers

"WHEN THE COMMISSAR COMMANDS!"

Cap, Hawkeye, Quicksilver & his gorgeous sister, The Scarlet Witch, take on a Commie baddie, who's big enough to clobber all 4 of them.  Or, is he?  Behind a Kirby-Ayers cover, DON HECK supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Ayers continues on inks.  An overlooked gem, if you ask me!
     (2-25-2014)


SGT. FURY & HIS HOWLING SQUADRON  20
cover by Jack Kirby & Frank Giacoia
"THE BLITZ SQUAD STRIKES!"

DICK AYERS supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Frank Giacoia does inks.  Looks like somebody thought Frank was right for "World War Two" stuff, HMM?
     (2-25-2014)


X-MEN  12
cover by Jack Kirby & Frank Giacoia

"THE ORIGIN OF PROFESSOR X"

This is not only one of the most terrible, convoluted excuses for an "origin" story I've ever seen, it's also one of the worst-looking comics from this period.  JACK KIRBY supplies story & layouts only, while the legendary ALEX TOTH steps in to do pencils-- which Vince Colletta totally murders at the inking stage.  GOOD GOD!  What is the POINT of hiring a guy like Alex Toth if he's not gonna be able to do his own layouts, or his own inks?  This entire issue is one horrible hatchet-job from start to finish.
     (2-25-2014)


(Continued in August 1965)

All Text (C) Henry R. Kujawa
Artwork (C) Marvel Comics
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa