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Strange Tales #150, Story B

The Conquest of Kaluu!

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: August 9, 1966
Cover: November 1966
12 cents
Gloriously edited by Stan Lee
Graniloquently scripted by Roy Thomas
Gorgeously drawn by Wild Bill Everett
Grudgingly lettered by Artie Simek
10 pages

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Strange Tales #149, Story B	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #81
Strange Tales #150	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #151

It is the Sacred Griffin– the beast appointed by the priests of the Babylonian god Marduk to stand eternal vigil over the mystic text! It has ever been written in the Words of Flame that he who defeats the fearsome sentinel… is the destined possessor of the book!

Dr. Strange gets the cover again. Seems like he and Nick Fury will be trading off who gets featured.

We’re skipping the Nick Fury half of this comic to finish off the Kaluu arc.

O’Neill had been the writer for the last few issues, but Thomas fills in for this one. His scripting is described as “graniloquent”. Looks like Stan will return to the title next issue.

As you can see from the list down the page, Thomas is all in on the invocations.

So far, the Kaluu story has been terrible. Will Thomas turn it around?

Four issues into the battle, and Dr. Strange and Kaluu still haven’t met. So if we get that far, it will be a step up.

We’d heard Ancient One whine for several issues now about how powerful Kaluu is. But now Kaluu seems to fear that he will lose if his foes get any time to plan.

Strange Tales #149, Story B

If Kaluu Should Triumph…

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: July 7, 1966
Cover: October 1966
12 cents
Editing: Stan Lee
Writing: Dennis O’Neil
Art: Bill Everett
Lettering: Sam Rosen
Technical advice: The Forbush Family Ghost
10 pages

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Strange Tales #149	Reading order	Strange Tales #150, Story B
Strange Tales #149	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #150

“I dunno if he’s breaking any laws, but it won’t hurt to question him!”
“Yeah… chances are he’s not exactly a member of the Chamber of Commerce, dressed in those duds!”

On the first page, we learn Kaluu has spent 500 years in a nameless dimension. Last issue, the dimension was named Raggador, sometimes spelled “Raggadorr”.

Meanwhile, we have some very confusing word balloons. Who is speaking in that middle balloon? It seems to connect to both Dr. Strange and Ancient One’s balloons. Are they speaking in unison?

What is up with the Ancient One and the flying carpet. He seems to be passing through it. It seems to be intentional. He’s drawn with only his torso sticking out of the carpet for the rest of the comic, but they don’t explain why.

Strange Tales #149

The End of AIM!

Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD
Release: July 7, 1966
Cover: October 1966
12 cents
Edited by: Stan Lee
Layouts by: Jack Kirby
Script by: Denny O’Neil
Art by: Ogden Whitney
Lettering by: Artie Simek
Ammunition by the Forbush Pyrotechnic Co.
12 pages

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Strange Tales #148, Story B	Reading order	Strange Tales #149, Story B
Strange Tales #148, Story B	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #149, Story B

Hydra can never be killed! Althrough you have captured Hydra’s body, its head is still free… It shall last forever! It has resources you have not dreamed of… resources that will insure its ultimate triumph!

It’s rare that the scripter doesn’t get credited ahead of the artists. When Lee was scripting, his name always came first. Now that Lee is editing, the editor’s name comes first. But then he put Kirby’s layouts ahead of the scripting and art in the credits.

The credits claim this issue’s writer and artist are surprises.

At this point, we know Denny O’Neil. He’s been taking over the scripting duties on Dr. Strange. But the name Ogden Whitney is new to us.

Strange Tales #148, Story B

The Origin of the Ancient One!

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: June 9, 1966
Cover: September 1966
12 cents
Magical editing by Stan Lee
Mystic script by Denny O’Neil
Mysterious art by Bill Everett
Makeshift lettering by Artie Simek
10 pages

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Strange Tales #148	Reading order	Strange Tales #149
Strange Tales #148	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #149

“…he will be punished for whatever dark deeds he has committed! I, Dr. Strange, vow it!”
“Enough! Your babbling is that of a callow schoolboy, Disciple!”

Finally, Dr. Strange is starting to get the cover slot sometimes.

You can see my own copy of the cover has seen better days.

For this issue, O’Neil copies the structure of X-Men #12. That structure didn’t work then and this won’t either.

In the X-Men story, Juggernaut is attacking the X-Men, but rather than prepare, Professor X insists the X-Men must first know his entire life story, instead of just telling them the relevant bits.

Same idea here. Kaluu has just attacked and stolen the Book of the Vishanti. The Ancient One will keep stressing how urgently they must stop him. But first he thinks he needs to tell Dr. Strange his entire life story.

Strange Tales #148

Death Before Dishonor!

Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD!
Release: June 9, 1966
Cover: September 1966
12 cents
Edited (in absentia) by… Stan Lee
Layouts and script by… Jack Kirby
Pencilling and inking by… Don Heck
Lettering by… Sam Rosen
12 pages

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Avengers #33	Reading order	Strange Tales #148, Story B
Strange Tales #147, Story B	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #148, Story B

But Nick Fury… plays every game… his way!

Part of the month when Stan is on vacation. Kirby did the script. Stan still claims to have edited the comic while also claiming to not be in the office. His name still comes first in the credits.

The first script we’ve seen Kirby get credit for in our Marvel reading.

Certainly not the first script Kirby deserved credit for.

The battle against AIM/Them continues. I’d almost gotten in my head that AIM and Them were just different names for the same organization. But then last issue AIM was described as a branch of Them.

Now the narrator tells us AIM is in league with Them.

After a failed attempt to kill Nick Fury, Count Bornag Royale notes that AIM must improve its prestige with Them. That suggests there really is a distinction. My current thinking is that AIM is a branch of Them.

Avengers #33

To Smash a Serpent

Featuring: Avengers
Release: August 9, 1966
Cover: October 1966
12 cents
Stan (The Man) Lee, writer
Dazzlin’ Don Heck, artist
Adorable Art Simek, letterer
Invincible Irving Forbush, snake charmer
20 pages

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Avengers #32	Reading order	Strange Tales #148
Avengers #32	Avengers	Avengers #34

…beware of the man who sets you against your neighbor!

The cover features Scarlet Witch fighting against the Sons of the Serpent. But I think she’s in Europe and missing all the action.

The reprint of the story in Marvel Triple Action #25 corrects the cover, drawing instead Black Widow, who was in the story.

The Sons of the Serpent originally seemed to have the goal of getting all immigrants out of America. But when they attacked a Black American-born man, we saw their goals were a bit broader. Now, they mention creeds. They also are targeting people of different religions.

The net of their bigotry only widens.

Avengers #32

The Sign of the Serpent!

Featuring: Avengers
Release: July 7, 1966
Cover: September 1966
12 cents
Stan Lee, writer and raconteur
Don Heck, artist and bon vivant
Artie Simek, letterer and patron des artes
Irv Forbush, scapegoat, junior grade
20 pages

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Strange Tales #147, Story B	Reading order	Avengers #33
Avengers #31	Avengers	Avengers #33

Freedom belongs to all– or else it isn’t worthy of the name!

Goliath appears to be undressing his enemy on the cover.

The Avengers are caught in their own intruder system, but Hawkeye disables it with ease. Doesn’t seem all that effective.

Strange Tales #147, Story B

From the Nameless Nowhere Comes… Kaluu!

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: May 10, 1966
Cover: August 1966
12 cents
Script: (pgs. 1-5) Stan Lee.. (Our vacationin’ sorcerer)
Script: (pgs. 6-10) Denny O’Neil.. (Our sorcerer’s apprentice)
Art: Billy Everett… (Our peerless prestidigitator)
Lettering: Sam Rosen.. (Our naive necromancer)
Amulet polisher: Irv Forbush.. (Our stowaway)
10 pages

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Strange Tales #147	Reading order	Avengers #32
Strange Tales #147	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #148

“Zowie! He’s the ever-lovin’ gearest! Far as I’m concerned, the mods have had it! That crazy cape really comes on strong!”
“Man! Like there’s a boss bunch’a threads! That dad is gotta be what’s happenin’!”

The first issue of Dr. Strange without Steve Ditko. I think the first Spider-Man stories without Steve Ditko actually went pretty well. That John Romita guy is doing all right. But what even is Dr. Strange without Steve Ditko?

Stan Lee never cared about Dr. Strange. He never understood the character. He never understood the character’s appeal. He accepted the character had fans and was fine with that.

You can see this in his treatment of the character. The gap between the early issues, the character rarely being featured on the cover, the story always the back story of each issue, behind Human Torch and then Nick Fury.

He wrote the character for dozens of issues, but almost all the writing really came from Ditko.

On the other hand, Stan Lee loved Spider-Man. And you can tell. There are eternal disagreements over how much of the character and stories come from Lee and how much come from Ditko. But it was a much more collaborative process than Dr. Strange ever was, at least early on. And Stan Lee loved the character of Spider-Man like a son.

So when Ditko left Spider-Man, Lee put everything into making sure the next issue would keep the readership. He found the best artist for the job, told an extraordinarily eventful story, and plainly put his all into assuring readers that Spider-Man would continue to be great after Ditko.

For the first issue of Dr. Strange without Ditko… Lee writes half the script then hands the back pages to his new hire to write, a guy who’s scripted like 5 comics by this point. He just doesn’t care.

This is the second recent comic to refer to Stan Lee as being on vacation. Some reprints of this issue omit that, and change the credits to read “Smilin'” instead of “vacationing'”.

Bill Everett isn’t a bad choice for artist. He created Sub-Mariner and Daredevil. He’s been doing solid work illustrating the Hulk. But Ditko brought something wild and unique to these pages, while Everett is, well, less wild.

Though I’ll give him some credit for this image. He’s certainly taking his best shot at being Ditkoesque.

Strange Tales #147

The Enemy Within!

Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD
Release: May 10, 1966
Cover: August 1966
12 cents
Script: Stan Lee
Layouts: Jack Kirby
Pencils: Don Heck
Inks: Mickey Demeo
Lettering: Sam Rosen
Weapons: Forbush Novelty Co.
12 pages

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Tales to Astonish #83, Story B	Reading order	Strange Tales #147, Story B
Strange Tales #146, Story B	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #147, Story B

…we of AIM feel we simply cannot deal with such an unlettered oaf! We find his very appearance offensive! The idea of America’s highest-priority counter-espionage leader going around in his shirtsleeves… unshaven, unkempt, and making a mockery of your own language– shocking!

Shadowy organizations. These secret power-hungry cabals. Hydra had been the big one, but they fell to SHIELD in Strange Tales #141. The Secret Empire seemed to collapse from within in Tales to Astonish #83. An unnamed shadowy cabal was behind Batroc in Tales of Suspense #75. Not sure if they are connected to one of these others, or their own thing.

Most relevant is the organization called Them. We learned they had employed the Fixer in Strange Tales #145. In Tales of Suspense #78, Fury warns Captain America that Them is a group of scientists looking to overthrow the government. We see they have beekeeper-like uniforms and work for someone called the Imperator. They send a Chemical Android after Captain America.

AIM (Advanced Idea Mechanics) is a defense contractor looking to supply the US government weapons to make up for the shutdown of Stark Industries. Count Bornag Royale is their representative, and has claimed SHIELD needs someone more sophisticated than Nick Fury at its helm.

AIM and Them seem to be the same organization, with AIM the public-facing front. In Tales of Suspense #79, we see Them/AIM is responsible for the return of the Red Skull and the creation of the Cosmic Cube. Fortunately, Captain America dealt with both threats. Seemingly for good.

We open with Fury returning from having led a successful mission against a swamp headquarters for Them.

Tales to Astonish #83, Story B

Less than Monster, More than Man!

Featuring: Hulk
Release: June 2, 1966
Cover: September 1966
12 cents
Script: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Layouts: Jolly Jack Kirby
Art: Wild Bill Everett
Lettering: Whammy Sammy Rosen
Applause: Honest Irving Forbush
10 pages

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Tales to Astonish #83	Reading order	Strange Tales #147
Tales to Astonish #83	Tales to Astonish	Tales to Astonish #84

If the man I love really is behind that grotesque face… does this mean I’ve lost him… forever?

“Less than Monster, More than Man!” A good title. Very Hulk.

These interactions between Betty and the Hulk give very significant insights into his character and their relationship.