Professor H Reads Comics: February 1968

(Continued from January 1968)

Another stretch devoid of reviews, except for 1 issue I indexed at the GCD, and another I came up with an alternate ending for.

STRANGE TALES 165
cover by JIM STERANKO

"BEHOLD THE SAVAGE SKY!"

Synopsis:
As The Claw is about to destroy NYC, the SHIELD Heli-Carrier arrives, and a squad led by Dugan assault The Sky Dragon using grappling hooks like "ancient buccaneers". As a battle commences, Fury breaks loose and clobbers Von Voltzmann, saying "You sure ain't no beauty prize!" Several agents corner The Claw, but he lays them out using "Hyper-Psionic Brain Emanations". His nervous system drained, The Claw unleashes a squad of "Duplikeds"-- replica robots of himself-- to cover his escape. Fury catches up with the real Claw (apparently), using a "Magnetic Pelfrag Shooter" to weigh him down. But the pellets disintegrate-- The Claw now has armor all over, including his face-- and with spiked gloves, clobbers Fury, before making his escape by jet, threatening to return as a conqueror...

Indexer notes:
Part 7 of 9. The use of a 2-page spread on pages 2-3 was later adapted by both Jack Kirby and Mike Grell on a very regular basis in their comics. The Sky Dragon would reappear in MARVEL TWO-IN ONE #51 (May 1979). It's been debated by some fans whether The Claw seen at the beginning of this episode was the same one who beat up Fury & escaped at the end!
(2007)

"THE MYSTIC AND THE MACHINE!"

Synopsis:
Strange continues thru the underground tunnel until he comes to a large set of doors. Upon getting them open, he finds a "Disintegrator" ray is waiting for him. After he takes it out with the "Flames of Faltine", Yandroth realizes his magic is more "potent" than he "calculated", and uses an "Ultra-Spectrum Laser" to incinerate Strange's brain! But as Yandroth gloats to the imprisoned Victoria, he doesn't realize that Strange is not dead, but has mentally left his body. Things soon come down to a running fist-fight, until Yandroth summons "Voltorr"-- a large lightning-wielding robot!

Indexer notes:
Part 19 of 22; part 2 of Yandroth sequence. Robot called "Voltorr" on last page of this episode, but "Voltorg" in next episode. Considering George Tuska (a "Golden Age" artist) pencilled the next episode, it's questionable whether Voltorg was designed by Adkins or Tuska, as it's a rather clunky-looking robot, which not only seems out-of-place in this series, but at Marvel in the 60's in general!
(2007)

FANTASTIC FOUR 71
cover by Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott

"...AND SO IT ENDS..."

This story has come under some heat from certain Kirby fanatics as nothing more than a retread. I disagree. I admit, I have a soft spot for it, if only because FF #71-- the last part of the story-- was only the 2nd FF comic I ever owned. But it goes beyond that.

"Sequels" have gotten a bad rap over the years-- Hollywood (and Marvel Comics) deserve a big part of the blame, for knocking out so many countless INFERIOR ones. But just because a story is a sequel doesn't mean it HAS to be inferior. After all, look at BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, ALIENS, TERMINATOR 2.

Having read so many stories involving The Mad Thinker (and his various assortment of androids and computer banks), I can honestly say, MOST of them kinda suck. This one-- don't. Sure, HE's a returning villain, Reed trying to cure Ben and failing is a retread, having Ben brainwashed into trying to kill his partners is a retread. But I have to say, especially after having re-read so many of the Thinker's early stories now, I would have to rank THIS as possibly his FINEST HOUR! This one ugly-looking, obsessive fanatic with no super-powers of his own and one really bad hairdo, with no gang this time, just a few androids, came closer to beating the FF than anyone outside of Dr. Doom, and he did it in one of the most reprehensible, genuinely EVIL ways imagineable.

Plus, the climax-- part 4-- the entire issue consisting of nothing but the giant android trying to finish the job, and the FF trying to stop it, must rank among the greatest action sequences Jack Kirby ever laid down on paper.

I just have one problem with the ending (and mind, as I write this, I've only gotten up to the end of part 2 so far!). After all this, The Thinker NEVER was as good again. After this, it truly was-- and has been for decades since-- endless, inferior sequels. OY.

So, in the spirit of "WHAT IF?", I now offer my own alternate ending. As "Mitch" in SUDDEN IMPACT said after killing the Chief of Police, "Hey-- it's a FREEBIE!"

The Thinker activated his giant android from his prison cell. It failed. If I'd written this, after what THIS bastard did, I would have done the following... When the android failed, in some way, it caused an electrical feedback that damaged The Thinker's remote-- without his realizing it. When he'd hear on the news that the FF were STILL ALIVE... he'd try again with another android. Only the remote was damaged. This time... it came after HIM. And before anyone realized what was going on, before anyone could stop it, it succeeded in its mission. And KILLED the bastard. It would be a fitting ending for a villain who stepped too far over the line, it would be poetic justice, it would be giving him a grand send-off and prevent any further returns that would inevitably be disappointing (as every single one of them in fact wound up being-- don't ask me to list them all). And this is the kind of thing that happened to 8TH MAN villains all the time-- killed as a result of THEIR OWN actions.

Now, wouldn't that have been much better?
(5-17-2008)

TALES TO ASTONISH 100
cover by Marie Severin & Dan Adkins