Strange Tales #102

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Cover Date: November 1962

Plot Overview: The Wizard watches a newsreel of the Human Torch defeating the Destroyer from the previous issue. He decides that he's going to use his powers to defeat the Human Torch. He uses a machine and pretends to be captured and draws the Human Torch out to save him. The Wizard brings the Torch to his house as a thank you.

He shows the Torch many of his inventions and uses one to douse the Torch's flames. The Wizard locks him up and uses a costume to disguise himself as the Torch. Disguised as the Torch he runs amok around the city.

The Torch regains his flames and escapes his prison. He confronts the Wizard and the Wizard challenges him to face him tonight. The Torch says that he'll defeat the Wizard with a phone call. The Torch arrives and the Wizard has a challenge for him. He has photos that prove the Torch's innocence. The Torch has to either kill the Wizard with his flames or flame off and fight him like a man. If the Torch does nothing then the Wizard will throw the pictures into the fire.

The Torch says he has a hidden power, the power to move things. The pictures leave the hands of the Wizard and into the hands of the Torch. The Wizard gives himself up. After the Wizard is taken away, Sue Richards reveals herself. They talk about how smart the Wizard was but he couldn't think of everything.

My Take: This issue was a really fun read. The art was good and the pacing was really fun. This is one of the first of the anthology stories that I've read that really seemed to work. It was 13 pages but it was fast paced and is leaving the character development to the Fantastic Four title. The story was really simple and had a logical conclusion.

This wasn't an all-time classic or anything. This was like that 80s action movie that you really enjoyed and watched 10 times but isn't highly thought of in a critical sense. Some of these issues can be a real chore to get through but this one was a real pleasure. I had my doubt about reading Human Torch stories but this gives me hope that it will be a solid read every month.

I'd give this ***1/4 out of *****

Notes: This is the first appearance of the Wizard. The Wizard becomes a fairly regular antagonist of the Fantastic Four over the decades. He'll eventually become a member of the Frightful Four. This is also one of the first books where the events of the last issue directly impacted the events of this book. The Wizard watched the Human Torch on a newsreel and then decided to challenge him.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #9

Posted in: Human Torch,Strange Tales,Sue Richards,Wizard