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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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?
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.
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.
Featuring: Iron Man Release: January 10, 1967 Cover: April 1967 12 cents Stan Lee and Gene Colan Inked by: Fearless Frank Giacoia Lettered by: Adorable Artie Simek 12 pages
Stark had his factory evacuated for his experiments, so fortunately nobody else was inside when Mole Man sank it beneath the ground. Except maybe some unconscious Commie spies we seem to have forgotten about. And it turns out Pepper had snuck back in because she was worried about Tony.
“You little fool!” says Iron Man. “I’ve now got a female’s safety to worry about!”
“At least your make-up isn’t smudged!” he adds reassuringly.
Featuring: Captain America Release: December 8, 1966 Cover: March 1967 12 cents Editing: Stan Lee Script: Roy Thomas Drawn by: Jack Sparling Inked by: Joe Sinnott Lettered by: Sam Rosen Subway swept by: Honest Irv 10 pages
You may have had hours of practice… but I’ve had years!
That’s quite a surprising line-up of creators. Lee and Kirby have been handling Captain America thus far. Kirby took a couple issues off last year, with fill-ins by Ayers or Romita. And Kirby isn’t done with the book, but it will be a few issues until we see him again, with Gil Kane taking over. Lee is only taking this one issue off.
Thomas is Lee’s standard backup at this point, so his name isn’t that surprising. Joe Sinnott is our favorite inker these days, so it’s good to see him.
But who is Jack Sparling? That’s a new name to us. He’s one of those guys that’s worked in comics since the 1940s, seemingly at every company but Marvel. This is his first Marvel work and he won’t become a regular.
Here’s a sampling of his work.
The Yorktown Younger Set, Calling All Girls #3, Parents’ Magazine Press, 1942
Hap Hopper, Sparkler Comics v2 #10, United Feature Syndicate, 1942
Nyoka the Jungle Girl, Master Comics #50, Fawcett, 1944
Claire Voyant, Keen Teens, M.E., 1945
Lovers Lane #2, Lev-Gleason, 1949
Texas Rangers, Action Comics #140, DC, 1950
Kid Lochinvar, Great Lover Romances #1, Toby, 1951
Warfront #1, Harvey, 1951
Masked Raider #1, Charlton, 1955
The Sword and the Dragon, Four Color #1118, Dell, 1960
Adventures into the Unknown #121, ACG, 1961
Immortal Man, Strange Adventures #177, DC, 1965
He’s at this time a fixture of DC’s horror books, while still drawing romance, war, or other comics for companies like Harvey and Dell.
Featuring: Iron Man Release: December 8, 1966 Cover: March 1967 12 cents A Stan Lee ○ Gene Colan Super-powered spectacular! Inked by: Frank Giacoia Lettered by: Artie Simek 12 pages
