Author: Chris Coke

Interests include comic books, science fiction, whisky, and mathematics.

PRELUDE: Marvel Comics #1

The Human Torch
Release: August 31, 1939
Cover: October, 1939
Price: $0.10
Credits: Carl Burgos
16 pages

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POSTLUDEMarvels #0
Fantastic Four #1Reading orderFantastic Four #2
Anybody else thirsty?

My main goal is to read the Marvel Universe as a series of comics which began with Fantastic Four #1. But the company had 22 years of comics prior to that, some of which have bearing on the stories. I’ll occasionally peek at those. As we just met the new Human Torch, reading the origin of the original Human Torch seems relevant.

It’s a great cover. Well-remembered for being the first cover of the company that would eventually take on the comic’s name. I like how the melting steel and bullet just radiate heat.

This is a good science fiction tale. Plenty of good plot elements and character here. Professor Horton is a genius; he’s created a near-perfect synthetic man– but the man bursts uncontrollably into flame when exposed to oxygen; hence, the Human Torch. Horton is convinced to seal the Torch away until the condition can be cured. Time passes, and the Torch escapes. A mobster tries to control him for an extortion racket. But the plan backfires and the mobster dies in battle with the Torch. Through exposure to nitrogen, the Torch at last gains control of his flame and straightens things out with the police. He is ready to return to Professor Horton until we learn Horton also just wants to exploit him for profit. The Human Torch goes off to carve out his own destiny.

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Fantastic Four #1

The Fantastic Four!/The Fantastic Four Meet the Mole Man!/The Mole Man’s Secret!
Release: August 8, 1961
Cover: November, 1961
Price: $0.10
Credits: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Inks: George Klein (uncredited)
25 pages

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PRELUDEMarvel Comics #1
Reading orderFantastic Four #2
Fantastic FourFantastic Four #2

And so was born “The Fantastic Four!!” And from that moment on, the world would never again be the same!!

Cover of Fantastic Four #1

I read this in Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 1. The Table of Contents credits the issue to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, whose signatures appear in the issue. It claims the inker is unknown. Online sources cite George Klein as the inker.

Fantastic Four #1. Page 9. Panels 1-3.
What is their mission?

It’s clear to me why modern reboots and films of the FF has always been hard. There is a lot not explained here. Reed built that spaceship. Was it his? The government’s? Why did he steal it? Beating the Commies to space is an outdated motivation for many reasons in 2019. We’ve been to space. Commies no longer a threat. And what was the goal of the mission? They don’t say. Just to get to space? Yuri Gagaran did that in April, 1961. So was there more to their mission? Was Stan just not up on the news? The comic was out-of-date before it was published.

Photo of Yuri Gagarin
Hadn’t the Commies already been to space?
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Why read the Marvel Universe?

In 1989, I was in Walgreens and my mother suggested I pick out a comic book from the newsstand. Thirty years and some 40,000 comics later, she has had time to regret that moment. On that day, I began a hobby which has consumed a large amount of my life’s attention and energy.

The comic was Avengers #309. I think I picked it out because I recognized some of the characters from cartoons I had seen. Thor, Captain America, Sub-Mariner. Perhaps I recognized She-Hulk. The other two characters on the cover were new to me.

The issue begins in the middle of events. Our characters stand atop a giant crater. The top reads, “Stan Lee PRESENTS: The MIGHTY AVENGERS!” Then in bolder letters, “TO FIND OLYMPIA!” Olympia is written is this cool gold font.

The story doesn’t end with this comic any more than it begins. By the final page, Thor is the only Avenger left standing and facing off against Blastaar. We get a little blurb which reads, “Next: The end of the Eternals? The end of the Avengers? You must not miss… Death in Olympia! In 30 days!!” The word ‘Death’ is written in this cool blood-dripping font.

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Resources

Attempting to read every Marvel comic starting with Fantastic Four #1 is no easy task. What comics to include? What order to go in? What should I be looking out for? What to keep track of? What to write about?

I’d be lost without many great websites which paved the way.

An incomplete list of great resources for Marvel comic books and comics in general:

A couple others are doing similar things to what I’m doing here.

And of course you need more than just the factual resources above. You need commentary and discussion. Here’s where I found the best.

And a very special thanks to comics historian and indexer extraordinaire Kurt Mitchell for enlightening discussion and sharing his notes and draft indexes.

And thanks to the gang at Rita’s pub.

The heroic work above has put a whole universe of comics at my fingertips.