Fantastic Four #570-572

Solve Everything
By Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham

It’s a terrible thing for someone not to reach their full potential… I know. As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that I do not have the character to be both good and great at the same time. But you do, Reed… and as such, all my hopes and desires rest in you becoming what I am not. When you grow up, I expect more. Son… I expect better. I want you to be a better friend than I was. Be a better husband. Be a better father… Reed… be a better man.

New Fantastic Four movie out. Fifth attempt. First four were awful. This one was excellent. Between that and Superman, a good time to go to the cinemas and catch a superhero flick.

I wanted to spotlight a great Fantastic Four story to go along with it. But, well, we’ve already read the best Fantastic Four stories. It’s #48-51. Here’s the link to issue 48. And we have some great ones coming up in our Marvel reading. I have a fondness for the Doom Surfer story in FF #57-60. But we’re not there yet. That’s Marvel Universe story #630 and we are only on #592.

And I don’t want to cover Fantastic Four stories from the ’70s or ’80s now, because our normal reading might get there eventually. Maybe.

But here’s a story from 2009. We’re in 1966. I’m confident I’ll be dead long before this blog gets to 2009. It’s not part of our Marvel Universe reading, but I have another section for Reading Great Comics. And I’ve got a 2009 FF story that’s one of my favorite comics.

But… my focus for both sections of the blog has been digging into single issues. And this is a 3-part story. I thought about just highlighting one of the three parts. But it doesn’t work. It’s a 3-part story.

However, I believe two things.

  1. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
  2. Rules were meant to be broken.

So here is Fantastic Four #570-572 from 2009 by Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham. Collectively known as “Solve Everything”.

Continue reading “Fantastic Four #570-572”

Batman and Superman: World’s Finest #7

World’s Finest: Year Seven: A Better World
By Karl Kesel, Peter Doherty, and Robert Campanella

You fight against Joker, against Catwoman, against Two-Face. But this… This is what I fight for.

Let’s start with some background on the relationship between Superman and Batman leading into this issue.

Continue reading “Batman and Superman: World’s Finest #7”

Tales of Suspense #84, Story B

The Super-Adaptoid!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: September 8, 1966
Cover: December 1966
12 cents
A Stan Lee * Jack Kirby powerhouse production
Delineated by: Fearless Frankie Giacoia
Lettered by: Swingin’ Sammy Rosen
10 pages

Previous#591Next
Tales of Suspense #84Reading orderTales to Astonish #84
Tales of Suspense #84Tales of SuspenseTales of Suspense #85

After all these years… all the countless battles… and the scars which will never fade… here I stand… still a loner– a human anachronism. All I’ve ever loved… all I’ve held dear… vanished with the past… while the memories remain to haunt me forever! But, I must be true to my trust! Every man has a purpose… a destiny to fulfill… and, whatever mine may be… I’ll never shirk it!

Captain America calls in the Avengers to deal with the Adaptoid. The Tumbler he just left to the police.

Hawkeye recalls the original Avengers foe the Space Phantom, and suspects a connection. But Cap notes the Adaptoid is a robot, while Space Phantom was an alien. Goliath and Wasp, the only ones present who actually fought the Space Phantom, do not weigh in.

Continue reading “Tales of Suspense #84, Story B”

Tales of Suspense #84

The Other Iron Man!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: September 8, 1966
Cover: December 1966
12 cents
Story: Stan Lee
Art: Gene Colan
Inking: Frank Giacoia
Lettering: Sam Rosen
12 pages

Previous#590Next
Tales of Suspense #83, Story BReading orderTales of Suspense #84, Story B
Tales of Suspense #83, Story BTales of SuspenseTales of Suspense #84, Story B

SURVEY SHOWS THAT STARK AND IRON MAN NEVER SEEN AT THE SAME TIME TOGETHER

It’s been a year coming. Back in Tales of Suspense #72, Senator Harrington Byrd planned to summon Tony Stark to Washington to make him reveal Iron Man’s secrets, so the US military could use the technology. The following issue, he tried to confront Stark in his office with the summons, but found only Pepper. The next issue, he got Iron Man on the phone, and says he’ll come to New York with a subpoena unless Stark comes willingly to Washington. In the next issue, he made good on the threat and showed up with the subpoena at Stark offices, only to find Iron Man battling Happy, who had turned into the Freak. Once that resolved, he had police escort Stark to a car, to personally escort him to Washington. Only Tony Stark was transported from that car en route to DC, and found himself in Asia a prisoner of the Mandarin. Then Iron Man had to fight Mandarin and Ultimo. Only to return home and find all his factories shut down because he’d failed to answer the summons to Congress. He needed to recharge, rest, and deal with Namor. But finally he called Senator Byrd and agreed to come to Washington. And he did go to Washington. Only to be attacked by Titanium Man. With Titanium Man defeated, Stark should finally be able to appear before Congress a dozen issues after being summoned.

And here he is.

Ready to reveal the secrets of Iron Man.

Until he has a heart attack before the first question gets asked. How convenient.

Continue reading “Tales of Suspense #84”

Tales of Suspense #83, Story B

Enter… The Tumbler!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: August 9, 1966
Cover: November 1966
12 cents
A Stan Lee Jack Kirby pandemonium-packed production!
Delineated by: Richard Ayers
Lettered by: Samuel Rosen
(Or: How formal can ya be?)
10 pages

Previous#589Next
Tales of Suspense #83Reading orderTales of Suspense #84
Tales of Suspense #83Tales of SuspenseTales of Suspense #84

What can be wrong? I’ve adapted everything about Captain America… and yet… there is still a quality lacking!

AIM has fallen, but a dying Count Royale warned SHIELD that their creation the Adaptoid may yet finish their work.

The Adaptoid, a pantograph, infiltrated Avengers headquarters by assuming Jarvis’ form, then drugged Captain America, and assumed his form. He has also stolen Captain America’s shield.

Unfortunately for the Adaptoid, if you look like Captain America, his enemies become yours. The Tumbler has come to challenge Captain America and prove his superiority. So now he’s the Adaptoid’s problem.

Continue reading “Tales of Suspense #83, Story B”

Tales of Suspense #83

Victory!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: August 9, 1966
Cover: November 1966
12 cents
Smilin’ Stan Lee, author
Genial Gene Colan, artist
Gleeful Gary Michaels, inker
Affable Artie Simek, letterer
Ineffable Irving Forbush, referee
12 pages

Previous#588Next
Tales of Suspense #82, Story BReading orderTales of Suspense #83, Story B
Tales of Suspense #82, Story BTales of SuspenseTales of Suspense #83, Story B

If only the day would come when force is no longer necessary– when men would reason together instead! But, until such a time, we should be thankful that power such as Iron Man’s exists– and can be used in behalf of freedom!

Titanium Man holds Pepper hostage. The battle continues in DC, delaying Stark’s testimony to Congress.

“…for the sake of freedom everywhere, I dare not lose…” claims Iron Man. That sounds a little overly melodramatic and self-important to me.

Continue reading “Tales of Suspense #83”

Tales of Suspense #82, Story B

The Maddening Mystery of the Inconceivable Adaptoid!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: July 7, 1966
Cover: October 1966
12 cents
Stan Lee authored the script
Jack Kirby pencilled the story
Frank Giacoia inked the drawings
Artie Simek lettered the panels
Irving Forbush sharpened the pencils
10 pages

Previous#587Next
Tales of Suspense #82Reading orderTales of Suspense #83
Tales of Suspense #82Tales of SuspenseTales of Suspense #83

I consider it a rare privilege to serve the mighty Avengers, sir!

Bucky was Captain America’s partner in World War II, killed by Zemo, who was working for the Red Skull.

But he seems to be back somehow?

No, it’s just a photograph.

Jarvis is the butler to the Avengers. He’d previously worked for Tony Stark, but Stark has been loaning his mansion to the Avengers for some time, and has lent Jarvis with it.

We don’t yet know much about Jarvis. He was introduced to us in Tales of Suspense #59, but presumably had been serving the Avengers since early on. He probably had second thoughts about the job when Hawkeye tried to prove his merits to join the team by attacking their butler.

This issue is the most lines he’s had yet. He notes it’s a privilege to serve the Avengers.

He offers to draw a bath for Cap, but Captain America can shower by himself. He’s a big boy.

Continue reading “Tales of Suspense #82, Story B”

Tales of Suspense #82

By Force of Arms!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: July 7, 1966
Cover: October 1966
12 cents
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Gene Colan
Inks: Frank Giacoia
Lettering: Artie Simek
Emergency first aid: Irving Forbush
12 pages

Previous#586Next
Captain America Comics #6, Story BPRELUDE
Tales of Suspense #81Reading orderTales of Suspense #82, Story B
Tales of Suspense #81, Story BTales of SuspenseTales of Suspense #82, Story B

And now, you loud-mouthed, thick-skinned, empty-headed Volga Boatman–

Tony Stark’s testimony to Congress is delayed yet again when Titanium Man attacks.

We get an all-out battle between the armored foes.

Continue reading “Tales of Suspense #82”

PRELUDE: Captain America Comics #6, Story B

Meet the Fang, Arch-Fiend of the Orient

Featuring: Captain America
Release: June 25, 1941
Cover: September 1941
10 cents
9 pages

PreviousNext
Tales of Suspense #81Reading orderTales of Suspense #82

So long, Cap. I did my best. Long live liberty!

No credits are given in the issue. The opening page is by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. The rest of the art is by Al Avison, Syd Shores, and George Klein. Those are the credits given in the Golden Age Captain America Omnibus. The GCD credits the entire story to Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, but I believe they are incorrect.

We just read the beginning of Iron Man’s second battle with Titanium Man in Tales of Suspense #81. We had previously read the conclusion of that issue, which featured Captain America’s epic battle with Red Skull and his Cosmic Cube. Before we get to issue 82, I’d like to peek back at this old Captain America story, which introduces the villain Fang.

Fang is an Asian villain, and thus probably a racist stereotype of a character like most Asian villains in the 1940s. And the 1960s.

We learn Fang is based on San Francisco’s Chinatown. He meets with an agent of an “Asian aggressor nation”. I interpret that Asian aggressor nation to be Japan, particular given the agent’s surname of “Nushima”, though the comic prefers not to specify.

After all, America wasn’t at war with Japan in June 1941 when this comic was released.

Continue reading “PRELUDE: Captain America Comics #6, Story B”

Tales of Suspense #81

The Return of the Titanium Man!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: May 3, 1966
Cover: September 1966
12 cents
Stan Lee… writer
Gene Colan… artist
Gary Michaels… inker
Sam Rosen… letterer
Irving Forbush… armor polisher
12 pages

Previous#585Next
PRELUDECaptain America Comics #6, Story B
Strange Tales #150, Story BReading orderTales of Suspense #82
Tales of Suspense #80, Story BTales of SuspenseTales of Suspense #81, Story B

This feeling of total freedom… of being air-borne under your own power… like some great metal bird… makes all the hardhip, all the danger of the past, utterly meaningless… as inconsequential as some dim, half-forgotten nightmare!

We already read the second half of this issue to finish off Captain America’s battle with Red Skull. We held off on this first half as it starts a new arc for Iron Man with Titanium Man.

Where were we? Senator Byrd has insisted for a while that Tony Stark appear before Congress to reveal Iron Man’s secrets. Stark has been conveniently avoiding this summons by doing things like get kidnapped by the Mandarin. Growing impatient, Byrd had Stark factories closed. But now, after a battle with Sub-Mariner, he’s called Senator Byrd to offer to testify.

At some point, perhaps around the time he made this phone call, Stark also took a call from Hank Pym, and recommended his employee Bill Foster to help Pym’s research.

Earlier, an Iron Man in need of help had sought out the Avengers and found them not at home. An editor’s note suggested they were across town fighting Power Man and Swordsman, but I prefer to think they were in a hidden South American kingdom.

Elsewhere in the Marvel Universe, SHIELD has just defeated AIM and the Secret Empire, and deduced both were branches of Hydra returned. Dr. Strange has defeated Kaluu. Thor has won the Troll War. The Avengers have defeated the Sons of the Serpent. Daredevil has escaped the Owl’s island. Peter Parker has met a hot redhead. Sub-Mariner remains a pawn of Number One from the Secret Empire, on a mission to destroy Hulk. And Hulk just wants to be left alone.

Continue reading “Tales of Suspense #81”