Fantastic Four #19

Cover Date: October 1963

Plot Overview: Reed calls for The Thing and Alicia Masters to come to the Baxter Building. When they arrive, he explains that he had been studying up on ancient Egypt and discovered a tale of a blind ancient Pharaoh. This Pharaoh was cured by a radioactive plant. Reed proposes that they use Doctor Doom's time machine from issue #5 to travel back in time and retrieve this plant for Alicia Masters.

They head to Doom's abandoned castle and teach Alicia to use the machine. She sends them to the past where they are immediately confronted by an ancient Egyptian army. The army is no match for the FF until suddenly their powers are sapped away and they all collapse.

The FF are captured and taken to the Egyptian leader Rama-Tut. He explains that he's a time traveler from the year 3000. He came back in time in the Sphinx to loot history. He crashed and damaged his ship when he arrived and was stranded here. He was also blinded in the crash but still managed to conquer the Egyptians with his special gun. His damaged ship leaked radiation and infected the plants which then healed him. He further explains that his gun can dominate the FF and make them slaves.

Rama-Tut sends Reed, Thing and the Torch off as slaves and decides that Sue will become his bride. Each member of the FF try to fight the rays powers but have no success. Until one day, the hot Egyptian sun turns the Thing back into Ben Grimm. The change removes the effects of the ray gun and he escapes from slavery.

Ben manages to get the gun away from Rama-Tut and releases Sue from it's power before becoming the Thing again. Sue uses the gun to release the Torch and then the Thing. Rama-Tut escapes to his Sphinx ship while the Torch finds Reed and releases him as well.

The FF storm the Sphinx and are briefly caught in a water trap but the Torch manages to defeat the trap. They find Rama-Tut but he escapes in a smaller ship and travels back to the future. They muse about who Rama-Tut might actually be until Sue finds the plant that restored Rama-Tut's vision. The Thing is overjoyed at this news. They head to the present only to discover the vial didn't return with them. Reed explains that a fail safe in the machine probably won't allow radioactive material to travel with them. Everyone is dismayed at this setback as the issue comes to an end.

My Take: Rama-Tut as the villain here is a little silly but I enjoyed this issue. It was a straight forward adventure with nothing too ridiculous. This issue also holds up quick well following the Annual. It didn't feel like a giant letdown after a really good story there.

I really enjoyed the time traveling here. It was a little different of a situation from the more recent issues. It's also nice to get a villain that isn't Dr. Doom or Namor for variety. I also really liked that the ending was a downer. Spider-Man has been doing that a lot but it really feels like a novelty for this time period. It was cool that things weren't wrapped up in a nice little package when everything was all said and done.

The art was good as always when it comes to the Fantastic Four. It's Jack Kirby, what more can you say on the art front? He has the character models down and is pumping out consistent quality on a monthly basis.

This gets *** out of *****.

Notes: This is the first appearance of Rama-Tut. Rama-Tut himself is a fairly minor character but he branches out into more important characters like Kang the Conqueror and Immortus. There are multiple versions of Rama-Tut over the year due to his time traveling. Like I mentioned, Kang is the most important version of Rama-Tut to the MU. Kang himself will appear in Avengers #8 about a year later.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #48

Fantastic Four Annual #1

Cover Date: September 1963

Plot Overview: Namor has found the citizens of Atlantis and take his place as their king. Lady Dorma professes her love for Namor while Warlord Krang professes his love for Dorma. Namor has decided to exact his revenge on the surface world with the armies of Atlantis.

We switch scenes as the Thing and Torch are up to their usual antics around the Baxter Building. Reed breaks things up and says the group needs a vacation. Strange sea creatures have been spotted so he booked them a cruise. While out at sea, Johnny spots a monster. The FF head out to sea in a boat and are captured by Namor. He tells them to warn the U.N. of his coming and then expels them back to the surface.

Reed and a professor tell the U.N. of Namor's origin. How he is the product of a marriage between a surface man and an Atlantis princess. After their discussion, Namor reveals himself, he was disguised as the professor, and Atlantis invades New York. The Torch counterattacks but can only do so much damage by himself.

Meanwhile, Reed has developed a device to fight the Atlantis invasion and sends the Thing out to catch a prisoner. The Thing eagerly follows orders and brings some soldiers back. Reed notices that they can not breath water and knows he can use his machine. Reed's machine works and Atlantis is forced to retreat.

The last half of the issue is a giant brawl between the FF and Namor. He captures Sue at one point and takes her to his main ship. The Lady Dorma gets wind of his affection towards her and tries to drown Sue as a result. Sue is nearly lost until Namor and the other members of the FF put their differences aside briefly to save her. Sue ends up recovering and Namor returns home. Upon his return, the other citizens of Atlantis have left him. He chose the surface over them and they abandoned him for it.

My Take: This was a 37 page story with a ton of action. It really felt like a culmination of the Namor appearances in the Fantastic Four book up until this point. Namor got a lot of screen time here and they really developed him in a big way. He is a much more tragic character and you can see the seeds of him being more of an anti-hero than a villain in this issue.

After that, it feels like they have the Fantastic Four formula down with this Annual. The Torch/Thing antics feel right, the Reed/Sue relationship feels right. The book just feels like the Fantastic Four now.

This was a really great annual. It had bios on most of the villains from the series up to this point and it reprinted the origin of the FF from issue 1 as well. This would've been a fantastic buy for 25 cents when it was initially released.

I left my review a little vague on the details because of the length of the story on this one. The fight was pretty big and long and I didn't want to give away too many of the details on this one. Honestly, if you were to read an early Fantastic Four issue, you should check out the Annual. It was a really good tale.

I give this ****1/2 out of *****

Notes: This book features the first appearance of Warlord Krang. He'll be around as time progresses. I wouldn't call him important by any means. This book also features the re-introduction of Atlanteans, Lady Dorma and many other characters into the Silver Age of Marvel. The Atlanteans will be an important part of the Marvel Universe going forward. Lady Dorma is mostly a side character with a minor role in Marvel history.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #19

X-Men #1

Cover Date: September 1963

Plot Overview: Professor X summons the X-Men to start the issue. Cyclops, Angel, Beast and Iceman answer the call. Xavier tests the members of the team. Angel can fly, Beast has super strength and agility, Iceman has ice powers and Cyclops has eye beams. The team rough houses a bit until Xavier stops them and tells them a new student is coming today. Jean Grey arrives to the delight of the male students. She reveals telekinesis as her powers. Xavier explains that the X-Men exist to protect the world from evil mutants that want to harm mankind.

The scene shifts to a man named Magneto. He proceeds to use his magnetic powers to take over a base at Cape Citadel.

Xavier summons the X-Men and tells them about the attack and tells them this will be their first mission as a team. The team flies to Cape Citadel and the military agrees to let them try to save the day.

Cyclops uses his eye beams to break Magneto's shield around the base. Magneto sends missiles after the X-Men but they manage to disable the missiles with relative ease. Magneto then throws a flaming cart of fuel at the team but Iceman saves the day with an ice shield. The X-Men return and Magneto decides to flee the scene. The military thank the X-Men as the issue comes to a close.

Fun Fact: Professor X named the X-Men with the X standing for Ex-tra power.

My Take: I had read this issue at a much younger age and didn't have many fond memories towards it. I remembered it as being pretty boring and kind of a dry read. This reading of it went better in my head.

There isn't a lot of story to this issue. It's really 23 pages used to explore each character's power with a justification for them to show off. In that regard it works. Everyone on the team has a bit of personality and you have a really good idea of what each member of the team can do power wise. Magneto is kind of a blank slate but they were trying to show what he is capable of as well.

I enjoyed this read quite a bit. The team is likable for the most part. It's interesting to see that Cyclops was a bore from almost day 1. My only complaint with this is Jean Grey is really similar to Sue Storm powerwise and Iceman is essentially an ice version of the Human Torch. But those are really minor issues and I expect that to get better as more issues are released.

The art for this issue was Jack Kirby so you know it was good. The action scenes were good and the team has a very distinct look from anything else in the Marvel Universe at this point.

A little aside to this review. The advertising for this issue was interesting. Marvel revealed the name of the team in several ads but didn't show what the members of the team looked like at all. I thought it was a good way to get people to check out this book.

I'd give this *** out of *****

Notes: This book features the first appearance of the X-Men. Professor X, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Angel and Iceman all go on to be important members of the team to this very day. This would essentially be the X-Men throughout the 60s and the early 70s. This book also features the first appearance of Magneto who is the main antagonist of the X-Men. Magneto would be their most popular nemesis throughout the entire run of the series.

A sidenote here as well. Cyclops is introduced as Slim Summers in this issue.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four Annual #1

Strange Tales #112

Cover Date: September 1963

Plot Overview: The Torch flies over Glenville and realizes the people are annoyed with him. He heads home and Sue shows him a broadcast with a Tom Braddock running him down. The Torch leaves to confront Braddock but only makes things worse for himself.

Meanwhile, the Eel steals a secret project from a local scientist. The Eel plans to sell the device. Unknown to the Eel, it's a mini-nuke and he's failed to turn the device off. He's a Living Bomb. Everyone sets out to find Eel including the Torch.

The Eel has set down the bomb in a remote wooded area and is set to escape. The Torch arrives on the scene and the fight is on. The Eel briefly has the advantage until the Torch melts his gun. The Eel tries to convince the Torch to help him conquer the world but the Torch declines. The police arrive and tell the Torch that the bomb was placed near a Veteran's Hospital.

The Torch springs into action and uses his powers to absorb the bomb blast. He falls to the Earth and is saved by Reed at the last moment. Johnny is dying and the FF rush him to the Baxter Building. Reed tries a radical new treatment to try and save him. The world holds its breath and celebrates when Johnny Storm is saved.

My Take: This was a decent issue. It was a little different from some of the other books I've read in this time frame. I liked how the Eel stumbled into a nuclear device and how he actually tried to place the device where it wouldn't hurt anyone. It was a nice touch for him to not be a super evil guy.

I really liked how the Thing was broken up by the Human Torch potentially dying. It was a really good way to develop his character. Whenever these situations come up, you always see that the Thing really has a giant soft spot for the Torch. I really like the way their character dynamic has developed thus far.

The art was solid for this issue as always.

I'd give this ** out of *****.

Notes: This issue features the first appearance of the Eel. He would hang around as a minor villain throughout the 60s and into the 70s. He'll usually be involved with a team of guys though.

Next Issue: X-Men #1

Journey Into Mystery #96

Cover Date: September 1963

Plot Overview: Thor returns to the office and becomes Dr. Don Blake to start things off. Jane Foster is upset because Blake again disappeared and all of his patients gave up and went home. She thinks that Blake needs to be more responsible while Blake wonders what she would think if she knew he was Thor. There's a brief flashback of Thor saving a bus that had fallen into the river.

We switch scenes as the casket of Merlin has been discovered and brought to New York. Scientists open the casket and leave. Merlin immediately revives as he had used a spell on himself centuries ago. Merlin reflects on his days in Camelot and how his powers came from within himself, not the potions he used. He makes an interesting comment about being a mutant. Extremely interesting since the X-Men make their debut around the same time as this issue. Merlin decides that he will find the ruler in this time and become their adviser as well.

Merlin decides to show off his powers and knocks a rocket off course. Thor springs into action and rights the rocket. Thor suspects Loki to be involved and seeks him out on Asgard. Loki claims innocence and shows Thor that Merlin is the one responsible.

Back on Earth, Merlin entered the White House in search of the President. He passes JFK but assumes he is too young to be the President. Thor confronts Merlin and the battle begins.

Merlin hypnotizes Thor and throws the Washington Monument at him. The spell breaks and Thor rights the Monument with relative ease. Merlin then tries to bury Thor under the Pentagon but Thor escapes as well. Merlin finally tries the Lincoln Memorial but Thor uses his Hammer to defeat that as well. Thor decides to gamble and becomes Don Blake. He claims to be a great magician that can take many forms and threatens to destroy Merlin if he continues. Merlin begs for mercy and Blake has him cast a second spell to go back to sleep.

My Take: This was an okay issue. It was a quick read and had a decent fight. The dialogue was also solid enough. I would classify this issue as mostly average. Nothing great or memorable but it wasn't overtly bad either.

The art was a solid effort yet again but I've said that ever since Joe Sinnott took over the art duties on this book.

Ultimately, nothing of importance happened in this issue. I would call it a total status quo issue. Thor meets a threat and defeats it. This issue was solid, very solid, there's probably just better stuff to read from this time period.

I'd give this **1/2 out of *****

Notes: This is the first appearance of Merlin. I looked him up and he appears a handful of times over the years.

Next Issue: Strange Tales #112

Amazing Spider-Man #4

Cover Date: September 1963

Plot Overview: The issue opens with Spider-Man foiling a couple of crooks about to rob a jewelry store. They claim that they were attacked and that Spider-Man has no proof that they were up to no good. They call for the police and Spider-Man realizes he's made a mistake and leaves the scene. Spider-Man complains that The Daily Bugle articles undermining his work as a super hero.

Later, Spider-Man comes across a police chase and sees a man climbing the building. Spider-Man confronts the man and quickly realizes it's the Sandman. The Sandman demonstrates his ability to become nothing but sand and to become hard as a rock. Spider-Man unsuccessfully until the Sandman knocks him over and Spider-Man's mask tears. He fears being recognized and flees the scene. The Sandman continues on with his plans to rob a bank.

Peter Parker tries to sew his mask up when he sees a special report on the news. The Sandman is Cain Marko and escaped from a prison. During his flight from the police he hid in a nuclear testing facility and was exposed to radiation. The radiation gave him his special powers.

The Sandman flees the cops but needs a place to rest and decides on Parker's school. Sandman enters a room and finds it full of students and the principal. The principal stands up to Sandman and just as things are about to get ugly, Spider-Man makes the save.

Spider-Man still can't do much to hurt the Sandman and tries to keep him distracted long enough for the police to arrive.

The battle continues until Spider-Man finds an industrial vacuum cleaner and uses it to capture the Sandman. Spider-Man turns over the Sandman much to the chagrin of J. Jonah Jameson.

Peter Parker approaches Liz Allen at the end of the issue and almost gets in a fight with Flash Thompson. He backs off at the last second and gets mocked as a coward. Parker leaves dejected and hears the people on the street commenting on Spider-Man. He wonders if he should have his head examined as the issue comes to a close.

My Take: This was a pretty good issue. The fight between Spider-Man and Sandman was really long and fairly detailed. It felt like a hopeless situation for Spider-Man and he found a way to defeat Sandman. The side plots were also really good in this issue. Parker losing out on a date with Liz Allen because of being Spider-Man. Spider-Man leaving webbing in the chair of J. Jonah Jameson. Jameson later sitting in the chair and greeting Parker in his boxers. This had a lot of what makes Spider-Man such a memorable character.

This issue also did a great job of establishing Spider-Man as the underdog. He was against a foe he had no chance of beating. He found a way to win. That's always going to be a common thread with a lot of the Spider-Man fights over the year. He's always going to be the underdog beating bad guys that he has no business beating.

The art was good in this issue. The Sandman had a distinct look and the J. Jonah Jameson look is down pretty well at this point.

I'd give this ***1/2 out of *****

Notes: There were a lot of first appearances in this issue. The biggest first appearance would be the Sandman. He is one of the more well known Spider-Man villains. He switches sides from good guy to bad guy over the years but he stays a pretty consistent player in the Spider-Man books for a really long time.

This issue also features the first appearance of Betty Brant. She will be a love interest for Peter for several years and pops up here and there over the years. She's a big supporting cast member for the first several years of the book.

This one is a retcon but this is also considered to be the first appearance of Jessica Jones now. She's the brunette in the last panel of page 12. She's not mentioned by name and I had to Google where she was in the issue. She's really just a nameless character cheering on Spider-man that was later made more important. Anyways, here's a picture... you decide!

Next Issue: Journey Into Mystery #96

Tales of Suspense #45

Cover Date: September 1963

Plot Overview: Tony Stark enters a race with a car created by his own technology. During the race, his chest plate begins to run out of power and his heart stops beating. Stark crashes the car and is trapped. A man named Happy Hogan comes out of the crowd and saves Stark from the car. Stark has Hogan take him to his hotel so he can recharge his chest plate.

Stark offers Hogan money to show his gratitude and Hogan says he would rather have a job than money. Hogan explains that he's a former boxer that didn't have the heart to finish off his opponents. Stark hires Hogan as his new chauffeur. They arrive at Stark's Office where he introduces Hogan to Pepper Potts. They take an immediate disliking to each other as Stark sneaks off to test out his armor.

The alarm goes off and Iron Man catches Professor Shapanka stealing from the vault. Iron Man captures Shapanka. Later, Tony Stark decides to let Shapanka walk but also fires him. Shapanka essentially vows revenge as he leaves.

Shapanka gets the idea from Stark saying cold feet and develops a cold suit to make himself immortal. Shapanka goes on a crime spree before finally approaching Stark for revenge. He freezes the guards plus Potts and Hogan. Hogan almost catches Stark changing into Iron Man just before being frozen. Iron Man tries to catch Shapanka with a trap door but he freezes the gears and manages to climb out. Iron Man can feel his suit freezing during the fight and decides to make a gamble. He creates a heat ray with his suit that melts the ice on Shapanka's suit. Shapanka surrenders and Hogan decides that he should also be Stark's bodyguard as the issue comes to a close.

My Take: This was a really good issue. The addition of consistent supporting characters immediately pays off as the book has more personality and Stark has more characterization. Happy and Pepper have a good dynamic between them and it has made Tony think about his changes into Iron Man a little more.

The expansion to 18 pages for this story was a huge help here. Everything was able to breathe a little bit. The characters got some time to develop and the story seemed to progress naturally. Sure, the Jack Frost stuff was probably 4 pages of an 18 page story but he wasn't important.

I really liked seeing Stark bring Hogan into the fold and meeting his assistant Pepper and how all three characters are going to interact with each other. Honestly, I don't think this issue even needed a super villain to be an enjoyable read. The characters were able to carry the story that will for the first 10 pages.

Jack Frost as a character is a good idea. He's an actual super villain which has been rare so far in the Iron Man books. He has a power that will provide some problems for Iron Man and his bad heart. And he's generally a good second tier villain to throw out there for the hero to beat in a one shot story here and there.

I'd give this **** out of *****

Notes: This is the first appearance of the villain Jack Frost. He eventually becomes Blizzard who is a consistent Iron Man C list villain throughout the 70s and early 80s. He's actually one of my favorite Iron Man villains.

More importantly than the Blizzard, this issue introduces Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan. They will of course become two of Iron Man's main supporting characters through his entire existence.

Next Issue: Amazing Spider-Man #4

Avengers #1

Cover Date: September 1963

Plot Overview: Loki is looking to cause some mischief to draw out Thor for another battle. He comes across the Hulk and tricks him with a mental projection of TNT on a train track. The Hulk smashes the tracks by mistake and has to quickly save an oncoming train. People mistake his actions and think the Hulk was in fact trying to destroy the train.

Rick Jones and the Teen Brigade try to contact the Fantastic Four for help but Loki intercepts their radio transmissions and sends them to a band that Thor listens to. Thor picks up the transmission as well as Ant-Man, the Wasp and Iron Man. They all head to the southwest independently. Meanwhile, the Teen Brigade finally contacts the FF and Reed says they're busy but that he thinks other people should be able to help them.

Just then, Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp all arrive on the scene. Rick Jones explains the situation to them and asks that they help the Hulk if he is indeed innocent. Loki is not amused by the appearance of other heroes and uses his mental powers to trick Thor into leaving the group with an image of the Hulk. Thor realizes it's just a mental projection and that Loki must be behind it.

Thor heads to Asgard as the scene changes to a circus. The Hulk is posing as a robotic act named Mechano. An ant on the scene relays the info to Ant-Man and the remaining heroes head off to face off with the Hulk.

The ants chew up the ground and the Hulk falls into a giant hole. Ant-Man tries to reason with the Hulk but the Hulk just wants to leave. The ants drop a giant steel drum onto the Hulk which enrages him. The Hulk escapes the drum as Ant-Man has the Wasp try to lure him under a net. The Hulk takes out the Wasp with a bellows and captures her. Iron Man arrives on the scene and the Hulk forgets about the Wasp. The Hulk breaks through the net that Ant-Man had used and Iron Man pursues. The Hulk manages to damage Iron Man's power source and he's forced to break off the chase.

Meanwhile on Asgard, Thor has received permission to travel to the Isle of Silence to confront Loki. Thor arrives at the Isle to be greeted by a volcanic eruption created by Loki. The volcano spews these bubbles that can drain a god of his powers so Thor swims for it. Loki greets Thor on land and tricks him into getting attacked by a troll. The troll tries to pull Thor under ground but he blinds it with lightning from his hammer. Loki makes multiple images of himself but Thor blows them away by swinging his hammer. Thor captures Loki and returns to Earth with him.

Back on Earth, Iron Man and the Hulk continue to battle one another. Thor arrives and explains that Loki framed the Hulk. Loki becomes radioactive suddenly and commands Hulk and Iron Man to leave so that he and Thor continue their battle. Just then, a group of ants release a trap door and Loki falls into a lead lined tank. Thor explains that Loki won't be radioactive for very long and then he can return him to Asgard for punishment.

Ant-Man and Wasp stop everyone from leaving. Ant-Man thinks they should continue teaming up due to how powerful they are together. Everyone agrees and the Wasp comes up with the name the Avengers on the spot. The issue ends with them proclaiming that no one will be able to stop the Avengers.

My Take: This book is historic for a lot of reasons. There have been some crossovers before this issue but pretty much the entire Marvel Universe appeared in this issue. Spider-Man was really the only hero that was absent during this book. It feels like the Marvel Universe has suddenly come together in a huge way for this book and it makes a good deal of sense.

The story is kind of a mixed bag here. A lot happens in the 22 pages of story and that's a good thing and a bad thing. I really like how they brought the team together in this issue. There's something very realistic about the Teen Brigade wanting the Fantastic Four and circumstances bringing them a different group of heroes. I also liked the battle between Iron Man and the Hulk in this issue. Loki also made sense as being the first antagonist for the Avengers to face. I don't think say, Namor would've worked as well in this issue. I also really like the team of the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp. I think it's a good mix of personalities and powers and you want to check out the next issue to see how the Hulk is going to work within the confines of a team.

What I didn't like was the Asgard portion of the story. It felt needless and it really secluded Thor from the other heroes in this book. It was really good when they all stormed into the Teen Brigade HQ but the book splits them up almost immediately. I wanted to see them working together, not all wandering off and doing their own thing. It also made the story drag a bit at that point. It just felt like you were reading one book and kind of wandered into a different book.

The art was good in this issue. Everyone looked good. Iron Man wasn't doing any of his weird contortions in his gold armor. It's a Jack Kirby drawn book. So what can you really say bad about it?

This book had it's ups and downs but ultimately I enjoyed it. It was an easy read, I wasn't page counting like I do with some of the weaker books I've read for this. And that's always a sign that I'm into what I'm reading. It has a lot of historical value as well.

I'd give this *** out of *****

Notes: This is the first appearance of the Avengers as a team. The Avengers will be a consistent top team in the Marvel Universe from here on out. A huge number of Marvel super-heroes will have stints with the team over the years. Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp all become the founding members of the Avengers in this issue.

Next Issue: Tales of Suspense #45

Tales to Astonish #47

Cover Date: September 1963

Plot Overview: Ant-Man and the Wasp foil a jewel heist as the issue begins. The open of the diamond is grateful and talks about the master of hypnotism Ghazandi in India before they depart. The Wasp sees a jazz concert and asks Ant-Man if they can attend. Ant-Man refuses at first but the Wasp convinces him to change his mind.

Henry can't wait for the concert to end but Jane really likes one of the musicians Trago. After the show, Targo robs the club manager but Ant-Man and the Wasp stop him. The club manager decides not to press charges and buy Trago a plane ticket to India.

While in India, Trago meets Ghazandi and learns how to hypnotize people with his trumpet. Targo returns to New York and hypnotizes a crowd at concert. He decides to use his powers to get onto television and then he can hypnotize the entire city. He gets on the air and his music begins to effect Ant-Man and the Wasp in the lab.

They shrink down and call upon Korr, the ant, and the other ants to save them. A snake attacks and Korr is killed before Ant-Man can shrink the snake. With their headgear, they aren't effected by Trago's music. They arrive on the scene and Ant-Man realizes he doesn't have the chemicals to become normal size so he'll have to tackle Trago in his ant size.

The Wasp takes out the henchmen while Ant-Man remembers that Trago might hypnotize himself if he plays the wrong notes. He climbs into Trago's trumpet while the ants attack. I'm not sure what Ant-Man does here though. He lasso's the plunger and suddenly Trago in a panic plays different notes and hypnotizes himself. Trago only remembers having played his first gig and goes back to just being a musician. Henry and Jane mourn the loss of Korr as the issue comes to an end.

My Take: I really didn't care for this issue. It was very predictable. For starters, they meet the guy in the beginning of the issue and he talks about Ghazandi and his ability to hypnotize people, so you know he's going to be responsible for teaching the bad guy how to do it. Then, one of the ants suddenly has a name and it was obvious they did that because he was going to die. So most of the story you saw coming in the first 2 pages of story.

On top of that, the Ant-Man concept really isn't working for me. The writers just don't know what to do with it more often than not and you just end up with some really ridiculous stories out of it. Plus, they haven't developed Henry Pym really well and he's still just kind of a bland protagonist to have carrying the bulk of these stories. Jane has made it a lot better but it's still boring more often than not. I'm really looking forward to the Hulk and Namor taking over this book.

The art was okay as usual for this issue. Don Heck isn't my favorite artist in the Marvel stable at this time but he gets the job done more often than not.

I'd give this * out of *****.

Notes: This is the first and only appearance of Trago and Korr.

Next Issue: Avengers #1

Fantastic Four #18

Cover Date: September 1963

Plot Overview: The Fantastic Four take it easy for once while on another planet the Skrulls are plotting revenge. A Skrull scientist introduces the Super-Skrull who has superior versions of all the FF's powers. The Super-Skrull demonstrates his powers to the approval of the Skrull ruler. The Super-Skrull heads to Earth to conquer the FF.

Meanwhile, the FF have headed to a local department store. The other shoppers recognize them and they hear about a spaceship landing while fleeing the crowds.

The Human Torch is the first on the scene and is surprised when the Super-Skrull uses his powers. The Super-Skrull makes short work of the Torch and Reed takes him on next. Reed tries to trap the Super-Skrull but he uses his superior elasticity to escape. Reed tries to smash the Super-Skrull with his sledgehammer attack but the Super-Skrull quickly grabs a giant rock that stuns Reed when he strikes. The Thing arrives but the Super-Skrull is too strong for him. The Torch recovers and manages to stun the Super-Skrull with a burst of fire and Reed uses that opportunity to call for a retreat.

Reed quickly discovers that there are rays powering the Super-Skrull from space. He develops a jammer that if put on the Super-Skrull will depower him. He determines that Sue is the only person that has a shot at putting the device on him.

The FF send out a challenge to the Super-Skrull to face them on a deserted island for a final showdown. The Super-Skrull arrives and unveils that he has hypnotic eyes. He immobilizes Reed, Torch and the Thing during the course of the fight. Sue takes him by surprise and attaches the device. The Super-Skrull chases Sue but Reed grabs her and the Super-Skrull falls into a big hole. The Human Torch traps the Super-Skrull inside of the hole as the issue comes to an end.

My Take: This was a really good issue. There wasn't any Silver Age ridiculousness, the pace was really good and there was a ton of action in the book. This book to me is what the Fantastic Four is all about. They meet a challenge that they can't conquer alone so Reed finds a way to save the day and they work together to defeat the bad guy. This was very straightforward and very much about the action and the resolution to a problem.

It feels like they've really got the Fantastic Four as a concept down. The characters feel pretty fleshed out and their interactions seem well refined. At this point, I open these issues with certain expectations of how the characters should act and they don't disappoint.

I would say this has been the second best issue of the Fantastic Four to this point. Issue 12 with the Hulk was better but I feel that is the standard that all future FF issues will be judged against for the near future.

If I had one complaint storyline wise, it's that the Super-Skrull really didn't make a lot of use of his invisibility powers. That's not a big complaint with the story though.

The art in this issue was a bit of a mixed bag. The Torch and Super-Skrull flying around in flames could be confusing at times. It wasn't always to tell who was who at first glance in several panels. I also don't like the close ups of the Skrulls, their eyes look like teddy bear eyes and it makes it hard to take them seriously. Other than that, good issue with some good visuals in there.

I'd give this **** out of *****.

Notes: This is the first appearance of the Super-Skrull and Dorrek VII. Dorrek VII wasn't mentioned by name that I saw but he shows up here and there until the late 70s. He's not a major character or anything, he just appeared enough to warrant a mention. The Super-Skrull is a pretty big FF villain throughout the years. He's in that second group that you think of after Dr. Doom, Namor and Galactus. He'll appear pretty regularly throughout the entire Fantastic Four history.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #47

Strange Tales #111

Cover Date: August 1963

Plot Overview: Professor Kasloff is wandering the streets and trying to figure out how to become a successful criminal. He flashes back to his job and how he lacks the basic criminal knowledge to successful commit crimes. He decides that if he defeats the Human Torch that criminals will agree to work with him.

Kasloff develops a much stronger from of asbestos and creates a suit to become the Asbestos Man. AM proceeds to issue several challenges to the Torch until the Torch agrees to face him.

The battle begins and the Torch quickly finds that his flames have no effect on the Asbestos Man. The Torch throws several fireballs at AM and he uses a nitrogen net to throw them back at the Torch and they explode like bombs. The Torch falls into a trap door and into a liquid that puts out his flames. AM tells the Torch that he's defeated and that he can leave the building now.

AM begins to develop relationships with several members of the underworld while Johnny pouts about his loss. Sue points out that he was relying on his flames too much and wasn't thinking. He needs to attack AM indirectly to defeat him. The Torch sees her logic and heads off to fight AM a second time.

The Torch melts AM through the floor and uses his flames to suck up all the oxygen until the Asbestos Man surrenders. The Torch makes a quip at Kasloff as the story comes to an end.

Baron Mordo wishes to become the most powerful mystic in the world and uses his powers to poison the Ancient One with a potion. Dr. Strange arrives later on an unrelated errand to find Mordo there. Note, both men are in their astral forms for this story. They battle until Strange uses his Amulet to help the Ancient One recover. Strange bluffs and says that his Amulet can lead him to Mordo's body.

Mordo flees back to his body and Strange reveals it was a trap to remove his influence from the Ancient One's servant. Dr. Strange has won the day but hasn't see the last of Mordo.

The Ridiculous: The Asbestos Man as a concept is completely ridiculous. He's a total Silver Age concept.

My Take: The Human Torch story was a fun romp this month. The villain was bad but the story built around the villain was pretty good. I felt there was some good character development with Johnny Storm and I liked the interaction he had with his sister Sue in this story. It was nice to see their relationship get some screen time.

The Asbestos Man himself was pretty typical. Arrogant scientist wants to use his inventions for evil. You've seen it hundreds of times in comics but it was executed fairly well here. As you can see in the picture above, he's pretty silly looking. He served his purpose here.

Overall, this was another fun Human Torch solo story. It had action, it had a good pace to it and they even managed to develop some members of the Fantastic Four.

The art was pretty good for this issue. It didn't feel very rushed or anything. Another good solid entry.

I give the Human Torch story ** out of *****

The Dr. Strange tale was another 5 page backup. It was fun while it lasted and established his main nemesis. The art still is off from what Dr. Strange becomes. I believe the next appearance will have him looking more like the Dr. Strange we are familiar with.

I give the Dr. Strange story ** out of *****

Notes: This issue featured the first appearances of the Asbestos Man, Baron Mordo and an unnamed Hamir the Hermit. Hamir and the Asbestos Man make a handful of future appearances and are never considered important characters. Baron Mordo on the other hand is probably the main antagonist for Dr. Strange over the years. I would consider Baron Mordo to be a solid B level villain in the Marvel Universe.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #18

Journey Into Mystery #95

Cover Date: August 1963

Plot Overview: The issue opens with Thor using his Hammer to create a storm to end a drought on Asgard. He heads back to Earth to take part in a demonstration of an android that Dr. Don Blake has invented. The demonstration is being led by a Professor
Zaxton. The android is an impressive creation but Zaxton accidently twists too many dials and the android is about to explode. Thor saves the day by removing it from the building.

Thor returns to being Don Blake after showing annoyance with Zaxton's screw up. Zaxton is in his office and reveals his invention, a duplicator. He wants to duplicate humans and wants Blake's help. Blake refuses at first but Zaxton has kidnapped Jane Foster to ensure his cooperation.

Blake helps Zaxton and while Zaxton is testing the improved duplicator he becomes Thor. Zaxton sees the transformation and then duplicates Thor with the machine. He also gives Demon Duplicate Thor a second hammer. The battle is on as Thor and his Duplicate battle it out. Zaxton uses the duplicator to give his Duplicate an advantage. Zaxton manages to trap Thor between a bunch of planes and the Duplicate. The Duplicate throws his Hammers but they have no effect on Thor. He realizes that the Duplicate isn't worthy of the Hammer and had nothing to fear from the start.

Thor easily dispatches the Duplicate and goes to capture Zaxton. Zaxton duplicates himself but falls off an overpass and dies. Thor decides that the Duplicate will be able to serve mankind since it will lack the evil of the original. Thor frees Jane Foster and revisits Asgard as the issue comes to a close.

The Ridiculous: The duplicator created duplicates with the opposite personality of whoever was being duplicated. The duplicates were also under the mental control of Professor Zaxton.

My Take: I really enjoyed this issue. It was a very straight forward story and it had a really good pace. Thor and Blake seemed to also be showing some real personality this time around and I found them to actually be fairly interesting as characters this time around. It feels like they're starting to "get" what they can do with the Thor character.

The Thor character is starting to have a bit of a split personality though. In the early issues, he was just Dr. Don Blake. Now, he says things that seem more like Thor. I wouldn't see the earlier Thor taking about how he loved Asgard so much because it was just Blake's personality. I'm kind of interested to see how they go about phasing out Don Blake as the book continues to progress.

I was a little sad to see Professor Zaxton die at the end of the book. He was mostly a generic mad scientist but he felt like an interesting antagonist for Thor. But these things happen.

I really liked the art on this issue. Joe Sinnott really seems like a great fit for the Thor comic. The characters all have a really good level of detail and it just feels like a Thor comic when he's drawing it. I hope he stays on the book for awhile.

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

Notes: Professor Zaxton makes his first and only appearance in this issue.

Next Issue: Strange Tales #111

Tales of Suspense #44

Cover Date: August 1963

Plot Overview: Tony Stark heads to Egypt to help an old friend on a dig. Tony tells his friend that he needs Iron Man, who just happens to be in Egypt. Stark heads off and returns as IM. He finds the tomb of Hatap and digs it up. Later that night, Tony Stark is confronted by Hatap. Hatap tells Stark about how he took a serum that let him sleep for 2000 years. And now, he's going to use an amulet to take them to the past so that he can steal the throne from Cleopatra.

They head to the past and Tony slips away and becomes Iron Man. Hatap flees at the sight of Iron Man so IM goes looking for Cleopatra. IM comes across a Roman siege and easily destroys the invading forces. Cleopatra sends for IM and he tells her about Hatap and how he will capture him. Iron Man confronts Hatap and makes short work of his forces.

Hatap tries to return to the present but IM sprays his amulet with oil and he drops it. Hatap dives for the amulet but falls on a sword and kills himself. Cleopatra declares her love for Iron Man as he returns to the present. The issue ends with Tony Stark telling the press that you never know, Cleopatra might have fallen in love with him.

The Ridiculous: Iron Man places wheels on himself and propels himself at Hatap and his enemies to win the day.

My Take: This wasn't a bad little romp. I was dreading reading this from the cover as I typically hate these "hero X goes back in time and meets historical figure y" but this one wasn't so bad. I think the use of magic over science made the story a little better. Past that, this was just Iron Man showing off his powers against overmatched opponents.

My biggest complaint is they made a big deal about his chest plate running low on power early in the issue but it wasn't an issue once he was in the past. He made mention that he had limited power but there seemed to be no real sense of worry that he couldn't recharge while in ancient Egypt. I don't think it was a big deal but it was something that bothered me during the story.

I'm really starting to want to see Iron Man vs. some super villains. The mad scientists, rulers, etc. stuff is fun but it really makes me want to see him going toe to toe with a super powered baddie.

The art was rock solid on this issue. I've really grown to like Don Heck's art style through this project.

I'd give this ** out of *****

Notes: This is the first appearance of Hatap and Cleopatra. Cleopatra has another appearance in Strange Tales a few years down the road but that's it as far as these two go.

Next Issue: Journey Into Mystery #95

Tales to Astonish #46

Cover Date: August 1963

Plot Overview: Ant-Man and Wasp come back from another fruitless patrol. Wasp complains that all the crime has dried up because everyone is afraid of them. Henry suggests they take a vacation and an excited Jan says they should go to Greece. Henry and Jan travel to Greece and start hearing rumors of a monster attacking ships at sea. They eventually hire a boat to investigate.

Henry discovers a species of ant with wings and decides it will come in handy. The Cyclops appears and grabs their ship and heads to the islands. Ant-Man and the Wasp lay low to see what's going on. They discovered several captured sailors and an alien race known as the A-Chiltarians. The aliens are on Earth to test the mental power of humans and the Cyclops is actually a robot used to scare people away from the island.

The aliens have decided that humans are inferior and orders the Cyclops to kill the sailors. Ant-Man and the Wasp split up, due to the Wasp making a rash decision to help the sailors. Ant-Man gets inside of the Cyclops and messes with the internal mechanics until he gains control of the Cyclops with his helmet. This was just in the nick of time because the Cyclops was just about to crush the Wasp and the sailors.

Ant-Man uses the Cyclops to chase the aliens off the planet. Ant-Man then sends the Cyclops to sea to never be seen again. Ant-Man and Wasp return home and Jan says that she can't stand the excitement of another vacation.

The Ridiculous: Ant-Man mentions riding a winged ant like a pegasus.

My Take: This was a fun issue. It felt like they broke the formula up and it worked. I liked the interactions between Henry and Jan, they're starting to play off of each other a lot better. They overcame the challenges in this book in a reasonable manner. I didn't feel like anything really came out of left field, it was a well thought out use of their powers.

The story moved at a really good pace. It felt like the story was constantly moving forward and there weren't many moments of the characters just sitting around planning. I liked how it was kind of set up as a mystery at first with the locals being afraid of a monster. It was more of a natural storyline progression instead of a contrived super hero story. Honestly, I think this issue would hold up well as an old 50s B horror movie or sci-fi movie. It would need to be greatly fleshed out but I think the skeleton of the story for this issue works that well.

The art was really good this issue. Don Heck was the artist and he did a great job. It really felt like the art in this issue was a few steps up from other issues at the time. The characters looked really good and the level of detail to the panels was a welcome change of pace. There was barely any standing in front of nothing going on, there seemed to always be something in the background for each panel.

I'd give this *** out of *****

Notes: This is the first appearance of the A-Chiltarians, who never appear in another Marvel book ever. The Cyclops robot also never shows up again.

Next Issue: Tales of Suspense #44

Fantastic Four #17

Cover Date: August 1963

Plot Overview: The FF return from the events of last issue and almost immediately start up a search for the at large Dr. Doom. He is nowhere to be found so the FF head to an unnamed social event. They get mobbed by the crowd and a janitor helps them escape. The janitor reveals himself to be Dr. Doom after the fact and he placed a device on each member of the FF.

Doom unleashes what looks like inflatable balloons and they hone in on the devices. Each member of the FF get harassed by one of the balloons and head back to the Baxter Building. Reed discovers the devices planted on them and the balloons disappear as soon as he removes the devices. Doom has been watching the whole time and reveals that was just phase 1. Phase 2 sees him abduct Alicia Masters and uses her abduction to keep the FF at bay. Doom then demands a spot in the President's cabinet.

When that is denied, Doom unleashes havoc on the world. Reed reveals that he has a plan to battle Doom. He shows a scouting report of Doom's ship. Doom has disintegrator rays attuned to their atomic structure so Reed devises a formula to turn the Thing to Be Grimm.

Grimm flies up to Doom's ship and breaks in. The FF quickly join him and split up. They each face a deathtrap set up by Doom but each escape quickly. They confront Doom and reveal that what Doom was watching were doubles created by the Human Torch.

Doom flees to try and get to Alicia Masters but he finds that she's been replaced by Sue Storm. Sue gets the better of Doom in hand to hand combat until Doom pulls a gun. Just then the rest of the FF hit the scene and Doom jumps out of the plane and disappears into the clouds. The Thing is thrilled to see Alicia Masters and the Torch wishes he had jumped out of the ship due to all the mushy stuff too. We're promised a villain with the powers of every member of the Fantastic Four for the next issue.

The Ridiculous: Reed creates a radar device that has a specialized search for steel on flesh.

My Take: This issue was really clunky. A lot happened in 22 pages and it really felt like they were trying to do too much with the story. To me, a manhunt for Dr. Doom, followed by the deathtraps, followed by the showdown would've worked better than the couple of pages with the inflatable balloons. The panic that each member went through, minus Reed, kind of bothered me. 17 issues in and the FF seem to be fairly seasoned super heroes. I don't feel like each of them would've acted so irrationally when presented with an enemy they couldn't hurt. I really disliked this part of the story.

The rest of the story was okay though. I liked that this issue picked right up where issue 16 left off. I liked that they finally let Sue cut loose a little bit and get a little physical in a fight. I liked when they got to the deathtrap and showdown parts. I liked a lot of parts of this issue. That first part with the balloons really just took the book in a weird direction.

It really feels like they haven't figured out Dr. Doom yet. He seems kind of like a generic mad scientist type right now. And his tantrum about being ugly and not understanding people felt like a shallow attempt to try and develop him more. Doom without Latveria just doesn't work. He's interesting as a ruler that is evil but wants what's best for his people.

The art was good as always for this book. You can almost never complain about the job that Jack Kirby does on this book every month.

I'd give this *1/2 out of *****

Notes: This issue features a cameo appearance by then President John F. Kennedy. This issue marks the first of many appearances by U.S. Presidents in Marvel Comics.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #46

Strange Tales #110

Cover Date: July 1963

Plot Overview: The story opens with the Torch trying to study and ultimately going over old cases. He remembers his battle with the Wizard and his battle with Paste-Pot Pete and how both men came close to beating him. The scene shifts as Paste-Pot Pete has returned and he's out for revenge against the Human Torch. He's decided to break the Wizard out of prison so that their combined power can defeat their common foe.

They manage to escape prison and things start to go south almost immediately as the Wizard bosses Pete around much to Pete's disgust. The Wizard wants to discredit the Torch before they defeat him and has just the plan. Stories of the Torch committing crimes starts to hit the papers and public sentiment slowly turns against him.

Finally the Torch decides it's time to strike. He poses as a rich man and when the Wizard and Pete show up, he springs the trap. The bad guys flee to their house with the Torch close on their heels. The Wizard was ready and traps the Torch in a house of mirrors. The Torch unsuccessfully tries to escape until the Wizard and Pete appear. The Wizard explains that he's going to flood the area with a liquid that evaporates oxygen. Pete pastes the Torch to the floor and they head off to prepare the Wizard's liquid.

The Torch makes a double of himself and then burns his flames as hot as they'll go and melts through a mirror. The Wizard and Pete flood the chamber and at the last moment realize it's a fake. The Torch reveals himself and traps the two men with his flames. Johnny ends the issue upset that he now has to stay up all night doing homework.

A man is troubled by the same nightmare on a nightly basis and visits Dr. Strange for help. Strange agrees to enter the man's dreams to help him out. Strange enters the dreams and it is revealed to him that the man he is helping has committed crimes. Just then he is confronted by the creature Nightmare. Nightmare threatens to kill Strange. The man wakes up and decides to kill Strange because of what he's learned. Strange reaches out to his Master who hypnotizes the man from afar. This allows Strange to leave the dream and disarm the man. The man admits his crimes as the issue comes to a close.

My Take: The Human Torch part of this issue was absolutely ridiculous. I liked the idea of his former enemies teaming up to take him down but the rest of the stuff was just unnecessary. Why did they need to try and frame him for crimes? It didn't really add anything to the story. It really felt like it was tacked on for the sake of it. This issue would've been a lot better if they had just committed a bunch of crimes and had their face off with the Torch at the end. Honestly, Pete didn't even really play into this issue much. The Wizard could've easily done all of this on his own. Also the liquid that evaporates oxygen? Really? Wouldn't flooding the room with water have gotten you the same result as some special liquid?

I think they overthought this issue and got too cute with the story. A much more simple story would've been more enjoyable. Despite, the gaping huge flaws with the story, it wasn't actually a terrible read. It wasn't boring and it wasn't a tedious read. It was pretty quick and light which I always find to be a good quality with Silver Age books. I hate when you feel like you're just crawling through pages of text instead of enjoying the story.

The art was pretty good for the Human Torch part. I didn't like the look of the Wizard as much in this issue as I did in Strange Tales #102. He just seemed too normal looking here while I remember him being a little more troll like in the previous issue. But that's really a minor complaint. The art was rock solid for this issue.

I'd give the Human Torch story * out of *****

The Dr. Strange story was a 5 page backup in this issue. A lot happened in those 5 pages. It was a fun little tale of magic and a different feel from the other Marvel books. The art was pretty solid, though they quickly change th7e appearance of Strange in the coming issues. This wasn't a bad start for a new character. It was interesting, left a touch of mystery and left you wanting to see more of him.

I'd give this ** out of *****

Notes: This issue has the first appearance of Dr. Strange who really needs no introduction. He carves out his own little niche in the Marvel Universe. He'll be a key member of the Defenders in the 70s and he'll have his own title pretty consistently well into the 90s. This issue also has the first appearance of Wong. Though he only appears in one panel and is not named. When Dr. Strange appears, Wong won't be far behind. This issue also has the first appearance of Nightmare who is a recurring villain over the years but I wouldn't call him an A list guy or anything.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #17

Journey Into Mystery #94

Cover Date: July 1963

Plot Overview: A missile goes off course and the world sends out a call for Thor. Doctor Donald Blake heeds the call and becomes Thor. He throws his Hammer and blows the missile up. Meanwhile, Loki is trapped on Asgard and uses his magic to create an illusion. Thor looks away and the Hammer hits him in the head. Loki plotted this so the Hammer would hit Thor's Chromosomatic Gland and change his personality.

Thor suddenly sees Loki as his friend and flies to Asgard and frees Loki. Loki and Thor exchange threats with Odin and then head to Earth. They use their vast powers to torment the people of Earth until the U.N. approaches them to surrender. They convince Loki and Thor to come to the U.N. Headquarters for their official surrender.

Loki and Thor come to the U.N. and a trap door catches Thor by surprise. Magic takes control of the Hammer and hits Thor on the head, reverting him to normal. Odin and several of the Asgardians reveal themselves. Odin says that they discovered how Loki gained control of Thor and used this ruse to free him from Loki's control. Loki is captured and the issue ends with Odin assuring Thor that a champion will always rise up to defeat evil.

My Take: This issue was absolutely ridiculous. Loki taking control of Thor again and in a really silly manner. The Hammer hitting Thor's Chromosomatic Gland was eye rolling. Thor, for the most part had been invulnerable up until this point. Plus, it's not really been set up that he misses catching his Hammer. The premise was really hard to buy and it went downhill from there.

The bulk of the issue was Loki giving this absolutely ridiculous monologue about what they were going to do. The dialogue was horrible and the conclusion to the story wasn't really fulfilling. Thor got no measure of victory here, he was just kind of a silent passenger to the entire story.

The art, on the other hand, was really good. I believe a new artist took over with this issue and I really liked the change. I like the way Joe Sinnott draws Loki and I like that Thor looks more like he's wearing armor than just a superhero uniform. I hope he stays on consistently because I like the way he approaches things.

I'd give this 1/2* out of *****

Notes: There was nothing of note to this issue. The gods of Asgard were more than bit players for the first time since appearing. Odin in particular had a huge role in this comic.

Next Issue: Strange Tales #110

Amazing Spider-Man #3

Cover Date: July 1963

Plot Overview: Spider-Man captures some thugs as the issue opens. He wishes that for once he'd face a real challenge. The scene shifts to a Dr. Octavius who has developed a special rig with four arms to aid in his nuclear research. There's an explosion and he's gravely injured. The doctors explain that he has suffered some form of brain damage and that the arm rig is fused to his body in some fashion. Dr. Octopus awakes and has been warped by the explosion. He proceeds to take over the hospital.

We shift scenes and J.J.J. has hired Peter Parker to get pictures of Dr. Octopus for the Daily Bugle. Peter changes into Spider-Man and stumbles upon the situation at the hospital. Spider-Man swings into action but Dr. Octopus proves to be very formidable and defeats Spider-Man easily.

Peter Parker thinks it might be the end of his superhero career while at the same time Dr. Octopus takes over a local nuclear power plant. Peter spends the next day sulking over his defeat when he hears that the Human Torch is speaking at a school assembly. The Torch talks about how the Fantastic Four never give up, even when they suffer defeat. His speech changes Peter's attitude and he realizes that he has to go back and fight Dr. Octopus again.

Spider-Man sneaks into the plant and avoids several traps left by Dr. Octopus. He sneaks into a lab and creates a chemical that he ties to cables. He confronts Dr. Octopus and the battle is on. He uses the chemicals to fuse two of Doc's arms together. Doc gets Spider-Man tangled up pretty good and Spider-Man webs his face. Spider-Man out of desperation punches Dr. Octopus as hard as possible and knocks him out. Spider-Man notes that a punch to the jaw was what brought down the most dangerous foe he's ever faced.

Spider-Man pays a brief visit to the Torch and thanks him for all his help with capturing Dr. Octopus. Spider-Man swings away as a confused Human Torch wonders what he did.

My Take: I have to admit a personal bias right away with this issue. This is perhaps one of my favorite Spider-Man stories ever. Doctor Octopus is one of my favorite villains and this issue really establishes the never say die attitude of Spider-Man. When you look at the character today, this issue is a key part of developing who he is.

For the time, this issue was just a different animal. The good guy had to dig deep and fight against the odds and somehow managed to come out on top. Spider-Man didn't outsmart the bad guy, he wasn't better. He lashed out in desperation and luckily it was enough to win. You leave this issue wondering if Spider-Man could beat Doctor Octopus in a rematch and honestly, you want to see him come back.

It's really amazing to see just how quickly the Spider-Man mythos was established. We're only 4 issues into Spider-Man comics and most of his supporting cast are in place, his character is well developed and two of his long term villains have been introduced. This title has consistently been the best book put out by Marvel to this point. It's just well written with great art in it. This early, it's easy to see why Spider-Man becomes the unofficial mascot for Marvel as a company.

I give this **** out of *****.

Notes: This issue is the first appearance for Doctor Octopus. I think it goes without saying that Doctor Octopus goes on to be one of the most iconic Spider-Man villains of all time. He is the antagonist to some of the classic Spider-Man stories. He starred in Spider-Man 2 and he's been in just about every Spider-Man game that you can think of.

Next Issue: Journey Into Mystery #94

Tales of Suspense #43

Cover Date: July 1963

Plot Overview: An experimental fan goes haywire at Stark Industries and Iron Man saves the day. Tony Stark later arrives to check on things. Random men start disappearing until Stark himself becomes enclosed and sinks to the center of the Earth. He's greeted by Kala, Ruler of the Netherworld. She announces her intentions to invade the surface world with the superior technology of the Netherworld. But she needs energy to do that and that's why she kidnapped Tony Stark.

Stark agrees to the dismay of his co-workers. He gives Kala a list of the supplies he'll need and gets to work. Stark talks with Baxu, who disagrees with the invasion. Stark works secretly and creates a new suit of Iron Man armor.

Iron Man attacks and makes short work of Baxu and then goes after Kala. Kala uses many weapons of the Netherworld but Iron Man successfully defeats each weapon. IM drags Kala to the surface where she grows old. Her invasion would never work because her army would grow old and weak when they got to the surface. Kala can't stand the idea of being old and ugly and begs IM to take her back to the Netherworld.

Kala's beauty is restored in the Netherworld and she vows never to invade the surface. IM suggests that Kala and Baxu get married for the good of the Netherworld before returning to the surface.

My Take: I have a bit of a soft spot for this particular book. I remember in my early comic book days that this was one of the wall comics at Comic Town for my early visits. For that reason this cover always catches my attention.

I enjoyed this story quite a bit. It was a well paced read compared to the Tales to Astonish issue I read right before. There wasn't too much text, the story moved pretty well and the villains had goo motivation for a Silver Age story.

I like how Iron Man wasn't so gimmicky as a hero. He used a few gadgets but it felt like he mostly won the day with his brains and his strength. Some of the other issues feel like the 60s Batman show where he was a device for everything. It's also noteworthy to mention that his heart condition didn't come up once in this issue. I felt like this was overall a good change of pace from the previous Tales of Suspense issues.

The art was good for this issue. The Netherworld looked interesting and the people living there were colorful. The Iron Man suit also didn't do the weird unnatural bending like it had in previous issues.

I really like how Tales of Suspense is shaping up as a book. They seem to have developed the Iron Man character really well in a short period of time. I look forward to seeing some of his regular villains showing up and meeting some of his supporting cast.

I give this *** out of *****

Notes: This is the first appearance of Kala. She becomes a minor annoyance to several Marvel characters throughout the years. She's what I would call a D list villain. I'm pretty sure she hasn't appeared in a Marvel title in a really long time. But she'll be back and obviously up to no good. You just can't trust those Netherworld people I tell you.

Next Issue: Amazing Spider-Man #3

Tales to Astonish #45

Cover Date: July 1963

Plot Overview: We catch up with Egghead who has taken refuge in a flop house since his last battle with the Ant-Man. We get a brief recap of Tales to Astonish #38. Egghead overhears two thugs who were foiled recently by Ant-Man. Egghead recruits them so that he can plot his revenge against Ant-Man.

Egghead decides that the easiest way to lure out Ant-Man is to trap the Wasp. To do this he takes on the identity of Professor Carl Striker. He designs a zoo exhibit for wasps to lure the Wasp in. They then steal a valuable gem so and place it so that the Wasp will decide to investigate.

Janet Van Dyne visits the exhibit and sees the gem. She decides to go it alone so that she can prove herself to Ant-Man. She returns as the Wasp and is caught in Egghead's trap. She sends a signal to Ant-Man who arrives on the scene shortly afterwards.

Egghead traps Ant-Man in a glass case and has him battle an iguana. Ant-Man makes short work of the reptile and asks the cage. Egghead then releases an ant-eater. Ant-Man uses his steel rope and tosses the ant-eater into Egghead and his men. Egghead and his men try to use gas on Ant-Man but the Wasp uses a long nail as a stinger and disarms all the men. The day is won but Egghead has managed to escape. Henry Pym scolds Janet about going off on her own. He says that they're a team and they need to work as a team. Janet of course thinks to herself about how in love with Henry she is. Egghead vows revenge as the story comes to a close.

My Take: This might be the best splash page of all time but sadly the promise of ant-eater mayhem was only a few panels worth of this comic. Really, this whole issue was kind of a plodding affair. This book was just stuffed full of text and it really felt more like reading a novel at times than it does reading a comic.

Granted, I love the Silver Age logic at work in this issue. Janet Van Dyne has the identity of the Wasp so she would obviously be interested in everything Wasp. I just love how that somehow makes sense to people in the Marvel Universe at the time.

Other than that bit of cheese the rest of the story was pretty boring. I was looking forward to Henry Pym being developed more with Janet around but they were barely in this issue. On top of that, Egghead is kind of a boring villain. His plot was kind of ridiculous but what can you really do with a superhero that shrinks as his power.

Really, this is the only title that's not working right now. The concept just doesn't work on a month to month basis. I do like Henry Pym and Janet Van Dyne as characters a lot but I like them in the Avengers but as characters carrying their own book. This book just feels tedious most of the time.

I give this *1/2 out of *****

Notes: There was nothing to note about this issue. Though the super-hero stories have started expanding to 13 page stories instead of 10 page stories.

Next Issue: Tales of Suspense #43

Fantastic Four #16

Cover Date: July 1963

Plot Overview: The Human Torch returns to the Baxter Building during a blackout and finds that his teammates have been shrunk and are being sucked into a vent. The Torch acts quickly and welds the vent shut. The others return to their normal size. Each member admits that they've randomly shrunk in size previously and were ashamed to admit it to their teammates. They each relate their story and decide to call upon Ant-Man.

Ant-Man hear about their problems and travels to the Baxter Building. He gives Reed a sample of his formula in the hopes it might slow the process down next time they shrink.

Time passes and one day the various members hear a woman warning them of Dr. Doom. They gather together and suddenly shrink into the Microverse. They're immediately confronted by Dr. Doom who has become the ruler of this world. The Thing tries to attack Doom but he shrinks them to an even smaller size. The FF try to put up a fight but Doom and his minions manage to capture them.

The FF are sent to a prison in a pool of acid. They meet the king and Princess Pearla. She mentions that Dr. Doom is planning to sell all of them to an alien race called the Tok. Reed tries to think of ways to escape. Meanwhile, the Ant-Man comes searching for the FF and realizes they've been shrunk and follows them to the Microverse. Ant-Man fights the guards of Doom but gets taken out and captured.

Meanwhile, in the prison. Reed figures out that the Walls can block the acid. They manage to pull parts of the walls off and make a capsule to escape. They float to the surface and enlarge themselves upon leaving the capsule. Sue helps Ant-Man escape and then steals the gun of Dr. Doom as the heroes win the day. Doom flees and heads back to the normal sized world. The FF and Ant-Man follow him back. The FF plan to hunt down Doom as the issue comes to an end.

My Take: This was a really fun issue from start to finish. The characters have really been fleshed out now and you're getting good interaction every issue. You can really see how Marvel had become a different entity with characterization and heroes that were easier to relate to by this point.

The art was really good for this issue. Probably one of the strongest issues of Fantastic Four from an art perspective so far. Doom has been tweaked and looks more like the Doom you see in the books today.

I was getting kind of tired of Namor and Doom trading off as the bad guys but they gave him a break for several issues so he seemed fresh here. I liked how Dr. Doom was in the same situation he was left at the last time we saw him. That was a nice bit of continuity. Ant-Man also was a fun guest in this issue. He made sense and added to the story.

Dr. Doom trying to sell them to aliens was kind of ridiculous sub-plot though. It seemed to be tacked on and mostly filler to flesh out the 22 pages of comic here. It wasn't bad, it just felt like an unneeded layer of story. I don't feel like Dr. Doom needed that for motivation. Just capturing the Fantastic Four and having them as prisoners would seem to be enough for him. The story was a fun read but I think this part was kind of a big flaw to it.

I'd give this **1/2 out of *****.

Notes: This is the first appearance of the Microverse. It's a fairly minor part of the Marvel Universe but versions of it will pop up over the years. The last several months have also seen the characters starting to appear in each other's books more. The Marvel Universe is feeling more like a working single universe instead of just titles loosely existing in the same space.

Next Issue: Tales to Astonish #45

Strange Tales #109

Cover Date: June 1963

Plot Overview: The Human Torch runs across a man known as the Sorcerer running kids off of his property with dogs. The Torch uses his flames to stop the Sorcerer and he vows revenge for the Torch's interference. The Sorcerer reveals that he has the legendary Pandora's Box. He has learned how to use it and he's going to use it to gain revenge against the Torch.

Later, the Sorcerer enters a bank and uses the Imps of Hatred and Forgetfulness to rob the bank of $120,000. The Torch later arrives on the scene and figures out who the culprit really was. The Torch confronts the Sorcerer and has his flames washed away when the Sorcerer calls forth a flood. Johnny asks if he may choose his own death and the Sorcerer agrees. Johnny picks fire and then uses the Imp to recharge his powers. The Sorcerer goes to call for Fear but the Torch grabs the box and welds it shut for all time. The Sorcerer was permanently affected by the Fear Imp and the Torch says he'll never bother anyone again.

My Take: What to say about this story. It was throwaway filler for the most part. Nothing really important happened. I read through it and a month from now, I would probably have to reference this post to tell you what happened in this issue.

With that said, it was a decent read. It was paced well, the villain had a good enough gimmick and I didn't find myself bored by any of it. The art was pretty solid as well.

My biggest beef with this was the fact that the Torch was essentially tormenting the bad guy in the early parts. Sure, he was chasing the kids with dogs but they were trespassing to begin with. The Sorcerer was wrong but the Torch was kind of wrong too and he was being a bit of a bully. I know that Golden and Silver Age heroes tend to be that way but it really struck me more with this issue than with others. I think it was because the Sorcerer was really introduces as more of an eccentric than a bad guy at first. I'm probably putting too much thought into a one off villain though.

To go back to my thoughts on this issue. Nothing important happened but it was a fun little read for the time period.

I'll give this ** out of *****

Notes: There was nothing noteworthy about this issue.

Next Issue: Fantastic Four #16

Journey Into Mystery #93

Cover Date: June 1963

Plot Overview: The issue starts with Thor thwarting a Chinese attack on a group of Hindu people. The Chinese plot how they can defeat Thor and crush the morale of the West. A man named Chen Lu boasts that all of the Chinese scientists won't rest until they find a way to defeat Thor.

Chen Lu has discovered that if he blasts someone with enough radiation that they will gain superpowers. He doesn't see the need to give such power to another so he tests it on himself. Chen Lu becomes the Radioactive Man and shows his powers to the Chinese government. They send him to America to destroy Thor.

The Radioactive Man arrives in New York and issues his challenge to Thor. Thor arrives shortly afterwards and the battle begins. Thor quickly finds that none of his powers work on the Radioactive Man. RM takes the advantage and hypnotizes Thor. RM has Thor throw his hammer and to his dismay Thor throws it further than he expected. RM leaves the scene and Thor changes back to Don Blake. RM can't find the hammer and confronts Blake about where Thor went. Blake sends him on a wild goose chase.

Blake arrives at his lab and develops a machine to find the hammer. Blake then retrieves the hammer and reappears as Thor. He creates a giant cyclone and tosses the Radioactive Man back to China. The Radioactive Man explodes on impact as the issue comes to a close.

My Take: This issue was okay. I like the concept of the Radioactive Man but giving Thor a weakness to radiation is a little silly. It just felt really cliche to have the typical "hero has a weakness and is totally helpless" deal in this book.

The pacing was also really bad. They build up was really great and you wanted to see Thor and the Radioactive Man square off and then you literally got 2 pages of action. I was really hoping for an all out brawl and just got skirmishes. It was frustrating and disappointing.

I do like the idea of Radioactive Man though. He's a cool villain that has powers that writers can get creative with and he's easy to make a threat. I think he's been one of the better villains that Marvel has come up with by this point in it's publishing history.

This month has been pretty Communist heavy as Iron Man was involved with the Communists in the last thing I read. I really don't like it for Thor. Thor battling Communists just seems to not fit the character and the concept at all. Thor should be fighting cosmic threats and super-villains. Iron Man, on the other hand, works better with the Communist threat considering Tony Stark's roll in the world.

The art was pretty good here. Some of these early Thor's have looked absolutely awful but this one was a solid effort. Not that a big green guy is hard to draw or anything.

I'd give this ** out of *****

Notes: This issue features the first appearance of the Radioactive Man. That name is probably best known for the superhero comic that Bart Simpson reads on the Simpson. RM becomes essentially a B villain in the Marvel Universe. He joins the Masters of Evil at one point and gets involved with the Thunderbolts years later.

Next Issue: Strange Tales #109