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Fantastic Four #62

…And One Shall Save Him!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: February 14, 1967
Cover: May 1967
12 cents
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Inking: Joe Sinnott
Lettering: Sam Rosen
20 pages

Previous	#663	Next
Fantastic Four #61	Reading order	Fantastic Four #63
Fantastic Four #61	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #63

There is so much yet to learn… so much to see, and marvel at…! What a pity it must all end so soon… before I have a chance to unravel the myriad mysteries of this strange, uncanny universe! But, there will be others… those who come after me… and they will unlock the secrets of the cosmos… one by one… For, the mind of man is the greatest key in the world… the key which may one day open the door to… immortality!! And each of us, in his own way, does what he can for those who will follow! That is the only true legacy we can leave to those we love… that we have made the world a little better than we found it!

Last issue saw Reed trapped in Sub-Space hurtling toward his imminent death. With none who could save him.

I guess we may as well start preparing ourselves emotionally.

Though the title is “And One Shall Save Him”… so maybe there is one who can save him. Can’t imagine who, though.

Tell her… how much… I loved her… tell her… I’ll.. always lover her…

Fantastic Four #61

Where Stalks the Sandman?

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: April 1967
12 cents
Extravagantly executed with exbullient erudition by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Inked by: Joe Sinnott
Lettered by: Sam Rosen
20 pages

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Sgt. Fury #40	Reading order	Fantastic Four #62
Fantastic Four #60	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #62

Ya mean… after lickin’ Galactus… clobberin’ Klaw… an’ whumpin’ Doc Doom… we’re gonna be polished off by a kaboodle of sand?!!

We just finished the epic “Doom Surfer” saga, coming soon after the introduction of Black Panther, coming immediately after the masterful This Man This Monster, coming immediately after the Galactus saga, coming immediately after the Inhumans saga, coming soon after the wedding of Reed and Sue, another excellent battle against Dr. Doom alongside Daredevil, and several encounters with the Frightful Four.

I consider that run of twenty or so issues the height of the series. We’re past that height now. But it’s still going to be excellent.

Recall where we left off. Sandman had broken out of prison, but Wizard’s escape was thwarted. Sandman broke into the Baxter Building to try to steal equipment to free his partner. The FF fought him to a standstill and Sandman got away.

Dr. Doom captured the Silver Surfer, and stole his powers and surfboard. This led to an epic battle, which ended when Dr. Doom tried to fly to space, to learn Galactus had left measures to keep the Silver Surfer trapped on Earth. Those measures took out Doom. Perhaps he’s dead. We’re not sure. We last saw the surfboard flying back to Castle Doom where the Silver Surfer is imprisoned.

Johnny and Wyatt had been searching for the Inhumans with Lockjaw, but left the search to aid in the battle against Doom. Meanwhile, Black Bolt finally spoke, and the power of his voice destroyed the Negative Zone barrier surrounding their city, as well as the entire city. Black Bolt led his royal family and court into the world, while the rest of the Inhumans stayed behind to rebuild their city.

Don’tcha even get a coffee break in this blasted super-heroin’ business?

Sgt. Fury #40

…That France Might Be Free!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: March 1967
12 cents
Explosive editing by Stan Lee
Scorching scripting by Roy Thomas
Piping-hot plotting and drawing by Dick Ayers
Inflammable Inking by John Tartaglione
Lukewarm lettering by Sam Rosen
20 pages

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X-Men #30	Reading order	Fantastic Four #61
Sgt. Fury #39	Sgt. Fury	Sgt. Fury #41

Perhaps it is not I, Sergeant, so much as what I stand for… A France that one day shall be free again!

D-Day is approaching, but the Allies will need the help of the French Resistance, and an important leader has been captured.

His names is Jacques Dernier. The Commandos know him as Frenchie. The editor’s note lets us know we met him in Sgt. Fury #21.

X-Men #30

The Menace of Merlin!

Featuring: X-Men
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: March 1967
12 cents
Stan Lee, editor
Roy Thomas, scripter
Jack Sparling, designer
John Tartaglione, delineator
Artie Simek, letterer
Irv Forbush, manicurist
20 pages

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Tales to Astonish #91, Story B	Reading order	Sgt. Fury #40
X-Men #29	X-Men	X-Men #31

Because it pleases me, I shall explain my master plan to you…

Last month we saw Jack Sparling drawn a Captain America story.

This is his second Marvel work, and his last one for a very long time.

Sparling is drawing some uniquely structured pages compared to the rest of our Marvel reading.

Tales to Astonish #91, Story B

Whosoever Harms the Hulk..!

Featuring: Hulk
Release: February 14, 1967
Cover: May 1967
12 cents
By: Stan (The Man) Lee and Gil (Sugar Lips) Kane
Lettered by: Artie Simek
10 pages

Previous	#659	Next
Tales to Astonish #91	Reading order	X-Men #30
Tales to Astonish #91	Tales to Astonish	Tales to Astonish #92

This is your chance– to finally make everyone know that you’re not really a menace! You can become a hero–!!

The Stranger had taken control of Hulk to use as a weapon to destroy the world. But the Stranger’s control ended as soon as Hulk reverted to Banner. A spy used the Gamma Ray machine to transform himself into a Hulk-like creature that Betty dubbed the Abomination. Banner turned back into Hulk to stop the Abomination, but Hulk was defeated. And the Abomination absconded with Betty.

Now, General Ross thinks he has no choice but to try to save the life of the Hulk.

Tales to Astonish #91

Outside the Gates Waits.. Death!

Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner
Release: February 14, 1967
Cover: May 1967
12 cents
A shocking submersible saga by: Smilin’ Stan Lee and Wild Bill Everett
Inked by Dandy Danny Adkins
Lettered by Swingin’ Sammy Rosen
12 pages

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Tales to Astonish #90, Story B	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #91, Story B
Tales to Astonish #90, Story B	Tales to Astonish	Tales to Astonish #91, Story B

But ’tis no longer any concern of Namor’s! My subjects have forsaken me! Thus, they are deserving of their fate!

Dan Adkins is a mostly new name to us, though we’d seen his work when we checked out the THUNDER Agents. He was new to comics then, and has been Wally Wood’s assistant and artistic partner since. In addition to Tower, the pair has been doing work for Warren, Gold Key, and Harvey. Here’s a sampling of Adkins’ work after just over a year in the industry, all art drawn with Wally Wood in some combination.

THUNDER Agents #3, Tower, 1966
Creepy #9, Warren, 1966
The Munsters #8, Gold Key, 1966

Having defeated Namor in combat, Byrrah is crowned Prince Byrrah, Lord of Atlantis. Krang and Attuma join Byrrah by his side.

Imagine electing a leader who sides with your nation’s enemies so blatantly.

Tales to Astonish #90, Story B

The Abomination!

Featuring: Hulk
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: April 1967
12 cents
An heroic, hulkish handiwork, by: Stan (The Man) Lee and Gil (Sugar Lips) Kane
Lettered by Swingin’ Sammy Rosen
10 pages

Previous	#657	Next
Tales to Astonish #90	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #91
Tales to Astonish #90	Tales to Astonish	Tales to Astonish #91

Only one thing will insure the safety of mankind.. The Hulk must die! Even though it means the death of Bruce Banner, as well!

We did leave off on a bit of a cliffhanger. Hulk is under the mental command of the Stranger and is going to go on a global rampage to weaken Earth enough for Stranger to conquer.

It’s the type of cliffhanger that usually makes me skip ahead to read the next issue promptly.

But I find the resolution here so anticlimactic, that it didn’t feel worth it.

As the situation is resolved by page 2.

Hulk reverts back to Banner. Stranger had taken control of Hulk’s brain. Not Banner’s. So therefore Earth is saved. And we can get on to the issue’s main plot points.

Tales to Astonish #90

To Be Beaten By Byrrah!

Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: April 1967
12 cents
Produced with pageantry– presented with pride– by: Stan Lee and Bill Everett
Lettered by: Sherigail
Water ballets staged by: Irving Forbush
12 pages

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Sub-Mariner #35, Story B	PRELUDE
Tales of Suspense #88	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #90, Story B
Tales to Astonish #89, Story B	Tales to Astonish	Tales to Astonish #90, Story B

For years, Prince Namor has kept Atlantis on the brink of war! His reign has been a series of endless battles– battles against the surface men– against the savage hordes of Attuma, the barbarian– even against Warlord Krang, who had once been our Prince’s most trusted military leader! I say the time is come to put an end to the tyranny of this war monger– this power-mad despot who wears the glorious crown of Atlantis! The reign of Namor has been one of danger– disaster– and never ending despair! We, the free citizens of Atlantis, are weary of Namor, the war-monger!

The rare lettering not from Sam or Artie. We’ve seen the lettering of Sherigail a couple times before, an alias for Morrie Kuramoto, the alias being a concatenation of his wife and daughter’s names.

We had just read the 1950s stories that introduced Byrrah. Now we see his return.

Here, he’s described as Namor’s cousin, and later his “blood-cousin”. Hmm… Byrrah is the Emperor’s stepson and Namor is his grandson, son to the Emperor’s daughter Fen. So maybe Byrrah is Namor’s… step-uncle?

He also gets referred to as Lord Byrrah this issue, when he had been Prince Byrrah before.

It’s honestly never made sense to me that Namor is still Prince Namor. It made sense in the 1950s when the Emperor was still around, but now that he’s the monarch, is “Prince” still the right title?

PRELUDE: Sub-Mariner #35, Story B

The Dawn of the Sub-Mariner

Featuring: Sub-Mariner
Release: June 2, 1954
Cover: August 1954
10 cents
Bill Everett
3 pages

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Sub-Mariner #35	PRELUDE
Tales of Suspense #88	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #90

It’s because I’m part American! I– and only I– of all the Sub-Mariners, can live indefinitely out of water!!!

The next 3 issues feature stories from Namor’s childhood. This is a short and simple story, but shows us the rivalry between Namor and Byrrah goes back to childhood.

PRELUDE: Sub-Mariner #35

Invasion!

Featuring: Sub-Mariner
Release: June 2, 1954
Cover: August 1954
10 cents
Bill Everett
8 pages

Previous		Next
	PRELUDE	Sub-Mariner #35, Story B
Tales of Suspense #88	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #90

The Sub-Mariner’s loyalty to his own native race, whose home lies beneath the vast ice fields of the South Polar region, is often brought to a severe test when it comes in direct conflict with his almost equal loyalty to the people who inhabit the surface of the Earth! Frequently such conflicts have occurred– but never sone so terrible, nor so heartbreaking, as the incident known and recalled by Prince Namor with bitterness, as the Invasion!

This was during the attemped 1950s superhero revival by Marvel, where they brought back Captain America, Human Torch, and Sub-Mariner. Sub-Mariner had the most successful revival, his revived title lasting 10 issues, Sub-Mariner #33-42, coming out bimonthly over the course of a couple years. In contrast, Captain America and Human Torch lasted 3 issues apiece.

Before he makes his triumphant Marvel Age return, I felt now would be a good time to meet Prince Byrrah.