Fantastic Four #26

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: February 11, 1964
Cover: May 1964
12 cents
Unforgettably written in the grand manner by: Stan Lee
Powerfully drawn in the heroic manner by: Jack Kirby
Inked by: George Bell
Lettered by: Art Simek
23 pages

Thing stands alone no longer.

The Avengers and Fantastic Four team up to battle the Hulk. If there’s a better issue that serves as a microcosm for what the Marvel Universe is all about, I don’t know what it is.

I think this is perhaps the best comic cover we have yet come across. It’s very atypical of the Kirby covers in a number of ways. Likely stemming from having to cram an atypical number of characters in. But we see the full figure of each character, each taking up a small amount of cover real estate. He usually likes characters on his covers to be bigger. He also shows less concern about perspective than usual, since we see neither the floor nor any overlapping characters. He allows the action to be basically 2-dimensional and each character to be small, while overlapping none of the characters. He wants us to be able to see each character and their pose clearly. I’m reminded more than anything of posing action figures.

The whole of the scene with its 11 characters still fills a small amount of the cover. Kirby gives a lot of top real estate to word balloons. He could have zoomed in more if he wanted to. He didn’t. He wanted what is probably the widest cover shot we’ve seen yet.

This concludes a two-part Fantastic Four story, the best Fantastic Four story yet, but it’s also part of a bigger saga. It’s been building since Hulk quit the Avengers in Avengers #2, carried over into the Avengers’ battles with Hulk and Namor in Avengers #3 and #4 and will have an epilogue in Avengers #5, where the Avengers have one last encounter with Hulk, at least for now.

Still, it doesn’t really end there. Events at the end of Avengers #5 lead directly into issue 6, which itself ties in with Sgt. Fury #8. And the Hulk’s story continues, with the toll these events have taken on him leading indirectly to his upcoming battles with Spider-Man and Giant-Man. These two issues are at the center of a giant interconnected web of stories, which revolve around Hulk being (justifiably) upset with how the world’s been treating him.

It’s all part of the long build-up to Hulk finally getting his solo adventures again. He was the first superhero of the new Marvel Age to have his title cancelled and will be the first to be revived.

We have what I think to be a significant moment. Hulk does a “force clap”. That’s where he claps his hands so hard, that the shockwaves knock people down. It’s a pretty trademark Hulk move and I don’t think we’ve seen him do it before. This time he actually slams together two concrete blocks for the concussive force. In the future, his palms will be sufficient.

We get the most disappointing scene in the issue, likely stemming from a Lee/Kirby disagreement of some type. Look to the end of this page for some tense artwork clearly foreshadowing some awesomeness on the next page.

Then look at how the next page actually begins. All that tension just evaporates. Fizzles. I’ll point you to some commentary on the scene from Kirby Without Words, a blog which does a great job focusing on the tension between Lee and Kirby often visible in the printed page.

This is the first time we see two major superhero teams join forces. They mostly just get in each other’s way.

This issue is mostly nonstop action. Everybody gets their chance. It’s Hulk against everybody. I’ll pick out this scene as an exemplar. Captain America holding his own against Hulk. This is Cap’s first real chance to show what he’s made of since his return. Hulk is obviously much more powerful. But he’s Captain America.

“Get him on the stretcher.” Get it? Stretcher.

I have questions. Johnny seems to be wearing a hospital gown. It doesn’t appear to be made of unstable molecules as we see it burst into flame. But then… what exactly is he wearing beneath all that flame? Gives new meaning to the word “streaking”. Fortunately, he stays flamed on the entire battle. Even though his flame usually burns out after a few minutes of battle.

Rick has an emergency gamma-ray treated capsule to feed to Hulk that will turn him back into Banner. This is new. It’s not clear how long Rick has had this or when they had a chance to test it out. Normally, Hulk needs to go to the lab and use the machine to get a gamma ray treatment and change back to Banner. Lately, the changes have been occurring at odd times, beyond anybody’s ability to control.

Ultimately, this is how Hulk is beaten. The pill changes him back to Banner, and he swims away. In the end, after several issues of hassle, Hulk escapes again. I think it may be time for the Avengers to admit when they’re beat and go find a new enemy to harass.

“You used to have a sidekick named Bucky, didn’t ya?” Too soon, Thing. Too soon.

Rating: ★★★★½, 81/100
Significance: ★★★★★

I read this story in Fantastic Four Epic Collection vol. 2: The Master Plan of Dr. Doom.

Except for the first page and feature image, the scans are taken from a reprint in Fantastic Four Annual 4 (1966).

You can also find this story in Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four vol. 3. Or on Kindle.

Characters:

• Hulk/Dr. Banner
• Thing
• Mr. Fantastic
• Invisible Girl
• Human Torch
• Giant-Man
• Wasp
• Iron Man
• Captain America
• Rick Jones
• Thor

Story notes:

• Sue’s force field described as “invisible energy-weapon”; too weak to cope with Hulk.
• At beginning, Reed still sick and Johnny still in hospital. Eventually, FF healed enough to get into fight.
• Hulk referred to as “Target H” in communication with police.
• Battle occurs at East 63rd Street.
• Hulk is mad at Rick for teaming up with Captain America after he entrusted Rick with his secrets.
• Thor notes Captain America has taken Rick under his wing because Rick reminds him of Bucky.

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