STRANGE TALES 152
cover by BILL EVERETT
Synopsis:
Fury finds a way to signal SHIELD without a radio, delaying disaster. But after Sitwell realizes Fury is the pilot, he still orders the launching of a "Strato-Mine", which could ignite the very atmosphere. Supreme Hydra gets news that Laura Brown-- the daughter of his predecessor, who turned traitor and helped Fury a year before-- has been captured in Egypt. Donning a new disguise as "Emir Ali-Bey", he leaves in his "Hover-Limousine" to reach there by nightfall. As he departs, he thinks that Fury will die without ever learning his true identity. Fury manages to turn the plane around, and, discovering where the Overkill Horn was hidden, dives from the plane, to be picked up by a SHIELD submarine. The plane-- followed by the Strato-Mine-- obliterates Karnopolis, its HYDRA base, and all within. Soon after, Fury & a SHIELD squad rescues Laura from more HYDRA thugs. Tony Stark congratulates Sitwell on a job well done, while Fury worries that the Supreme Hydra is still on the loose.
Indexer notes:
Part 3 of 9. The method Fury used to contact SHIELD without a radio was later used in the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA episode, "The Hand Of God". Laura Brown's previous appearance in STRANGE TALES #141 (February 1966).
JACK KIRBY supplies story & layouts, while JIM STERANKO does pencils & inks (and ye "editor" does dialogue). It's mind-boggling how much story was crammed into just 12 pages here. It's also mind-boggling how the actual writer of this story to this day is not credited for it, and the entire early run of NICK FURY continues to be overlooked in favor of the flashier later part of the run.
"INTO THE DIMENSION OF DEATH!"
Synopsis:
Strange finds himself once more in The Dark Dimension, the home of Dormammu & Clea. After facing several dangers, he senses the power of a woman behind it all. Umar uses a pair of cloudy "spirits" to summon Strange to her presence. She tells him of her imprisonment, and that she wishes to "make amends" for her brother's deeds. She also tells him that Clea has been captured by The Mindless Ones, and that she summoned him as the one Clea hoped would rescue her. Strange doesn't trust Umar, but departs to help Clea, soon confronting The Mindless Ones...
Indexer notes:
Part 6 of 22; Part 2 of Umar sequence. The visuals of the "twin spirits" flying, Strange's capture and his flying from Umar's castle on pages 5, 6 & 10 are strikingly similar to scenes in the 3rd season ROCKET ROBIN HOOD cartoon (and the subsequent 3rd season SPIDER-MAN cartoon remake), "Revolt In The Fifth Dimension". Bill Everett's last Dr. Strange episode. After doing finishes on The Hulk and inks on Sub-Mariner, Everett took over full art & plots on Sub-Mariner this month.
BILL EVERETT does his final work on DR. STRANGE, supplying story & full art, while ye "editor" does dialogue.
(4-3-2014)
FANTASTIC FOUR 58
cover by Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott
Dr. Doom has stolen the cosmic power of The Silver Surfer. The entire world is in peril! JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and JOE SINOTT blows you away with the inks. Part 2 of 4.
(4-3-2014)
TALES TO ASTONISH 87
cover by GIL KANE
The SUB-MARINER makes it back to Atlantis, with Warlord Krang & Lady Dorma in tow. The truth about what really happened comes out, and Namor apologizes for ever thinking badly of his woman. Then, he & Krang have it out, one-on-one. Guess who wins? You know, after this Namor-Krang thing has been going on for so long at this point, isn't it ridiculous for them to change creative teams in the FINAL episode??? BILL EVERETT, who'd done inks on the 2 previous episodes, returns as WRITER & ARTIST for the character he created all the way back in the late 30's. Unfortunately, ye "editor" insists on writing the dialogue, so he can STEAL credit & pay for the whole writing job. I wonder how many Marvel fans have NO IDEA that Everett wrote this story, and the ones that followed? Part 9 of 9.
"THE HUMANOID AND THE HERO!"
Bruce Banner figures out how to stop The Leader's android, and The HULK does the job. At the end, even Ross has to admit he was wrong about both of them. JOHN BUSCEMA supplies story & art, finishing off JACK KIRBY's long-running storyline, while ye "editor" does dialogue and Mike Esposito does inks. Outside of Jack Kirby, this one of the MOST EXCITING episodes of THE HULK ever done, and really brings to a conclusion what's been going for for several years. If they were ever gonna END the series, THIS would have been the perfect point. Instead, we got years and years of mediocrity. Oh well...
(4-3-2014)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 44
cover by JOHN ROMITA
TALES OF SUSPENSE 85
cover by Gene Colan & Frank Giacoia
The Mandarin has captured Happy Hogan, mistakenly believing he's the real IRON MAN. Tony Stark, against doctor's orders, flees the hospital, high-tails it back to his factor, charges up his latest armor, and head to China to save his friend. GENE COLAN supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Frank Giacoia does inks. Part 2 of 3.
"THE BLITZKREIG OF BATROC!"
Hydra has hired Batroc Ze Lepair to kidnap Agent 13, knowing it will lure CAPTAIN AMERICA into a trap. Result? One really long fight scene! At the end, Batroc sees he's on ze wrong side, and leads Cap to rescue ze girl. JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Frank Giacoia does inks. A stand-alone side-line to the current Hydra epic running in STRANGE TALES.
(4-3-2014)
THOR 136
cover by Jack Kirby & Vince Colletta
from the GCD: "Synopsis: Jane fails Odin's test for immortality and is sent back to Earth with no memory of Thor or Asgard. Thor encounters the goddess Sif, Heimdall's sister, after many years."
This can easily be seen as the end of an era. After countless trials and trevails, Thor takes Jane Foster to ASGARD, wherein she is required to pass a "test" to see if she be worthy to actually become an immortal, in order to marry Thor. She blows it, big-time. Mayhap Odin didst see this coming all along? In sympathy, he sends he back to Midgard (Earth) with her memory of Thor blanked out, to start a new life working for some other doctor... who, if memory serves, looks a bit like Don Blake.
And meanwhile, this can also be seen as the start of a new era. For no sooner is Thor bereft of Jane, the woman he loves more than anything in the universe, the woman he has risked his life and standing with his father so many times to save, the woman he wanted more than anything to spend the rest of eternity with... he meets Sif, who he did know in ages past, when she was but a young girl. And suddenly... excuse me, WHO was he just thinking about a moment before? Oh well, can't be that important...
Some fans think this was heartless, some fans think this was contrived, some fans think this was totally unbelievable. I can attest, however... this kind of thing DOES happen. I KNOW.
JACK KIRBY doth supplyeth story & art to stagger the senses, and sooth the heart. Ye "editor" does filleth the word balloons, most voluminously. Vince "Where are all the BROADS?" Colletta doth maketh with the ink lines. Miss it not, oh seekers of great visual pageantry and righteous storytelling!
"THERE SHALL COME A MIRACLE!"
from the GCD: "Synopsis: Thor and companions defeat Fafnir and return life to the land of Nastrond."
JACK KIRBY supplieth story & art for this latest installment of "Tales Of Agard". Ye sneaky "editor" doth writeth dialogue whilst stealing credit & pay for the story entire. And Vince "Hey, there's no broads in this story!" Colletta doth ink the multitude of fine lines. Part 3 of 3.
Be not missing the next issue... for new and even-more-glorious chronicles doth await ye therein!
(4-3-2014)
THE AVENGERS 36
cover by DON HECK
Some robots from another planet (if memory serves) menace mandkind, and our heroes set out to stop them. Roy Thomas really picks up the ball here, supplying story & dialogue, and along the way, I would swear, does the entire book in a fashion that manages to pay tribute to Gardner Fox's work on JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA. Don Heck no doubt helps flesh out the story, while doing full art. Oh, if only they'd had Wally Wood, or John Romita, or Frank Giacoia, or someone EVEN BETTER doing the inks. Don was never this bad on IRON MAN... was he?
(4-3-2014)
SGT. FURY & HIS HOWLING STEREOTYPES 38
cover by DICK AYERS
"THIS ONE'S FOR DINO!"
Dick Ayers supplies story & art, Roy Thomas does dialogue, and John Tartaglione does inks. If nothing else, the creative line-up on this book must be one of the most stable from this period.
(4-3-2014)
DAREDEVIL 24
cover by Gene Colan & Frank Giacoia
Hornhead finds himself back in England, seeking to help KA-ZAR, who's been accused of murder. GENE COLAN supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and Frank Giacoia does inks.
(4-3-2014)
X-MEN 28
cover by Werner Roth & Dick Ayers
A new mutant bad guy is on the scene. Roy Thomas supplies story & dialogue, Werner Roth does pencils & Dick Ayers does inks. Some people actually complain about this run of the book, but I know it could be a lot worse. And often, was.
(4-3-2014)
(Continued in February 1967)
All Text (C) Henry R. Kujawa
Artwork (C) Marvel Comics
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa
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