Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: June 6, 1964
Cover: September 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee (A rather nice writer)
Drawn by: Jack Kirby (A quite noteworthy artist)
Inked by: Chic Stone (A somewhat nifty inker)
Lettered by: Art Simek (An occasionally neat letterer)
22 pages
On vacation in Transylvania, the Fantastic Four awaken Diablo, an evil alchemist sealed in his crypt 100 years earlier.
Diablo gives Thing a potion which turns him into a prettier (?) version of himself, which leads to Thing betraying the Fantastic Four to join Diablo. Diablo proceeds to make himself wealthy by selling a variety of miracle potions to the world.
Thing’s behavior is pretty off this issue, to the point where I assumed he was hypnotized for much of the issue, but he seemed not to be. He really joined Diablo because Diablo could cure him. Thing’s desires on this point have been pretty inconsistent. The last time Mr. Fantastic thought he had a cure, Thing knocked it out of his hand and destroyed it, preferring to stay the Thing. So it’s weird that just a few issues later he’s willing to leave the Fantastic Four for a potential cure. On the other hand, Ben has always been temperamental and prone to fits of passion.
A lot of time seems to pass over the course of this issue. Diablo emerges from his crypt after a century of imprisonment, markets his products internationally, amasses great wealth, has local villagers refurbish his castle, arranges to have an entire mercenary army at his command guarding the castle. These things all seem like they would take time to me. Yet, the Fantastic Four remain in Transylvania the entire time, guests of Baron Hugo. Does the Baron not get tired of them sticking around? Do they have no affairs in New York to attend to? Doesn’t Johnny have school?
I’m mostly reading these stories in the order published, and not thinking too hard about where they must fit in terms of Peter and Johnny’s school schedules. It’s pretty clear that Johnny is in his Senior year of high school and has been since his own solo adventures started. The earliest issues of the Fantastic Four take place during his Junior year. The Official Marvel Index to the Fantastic Four does think hard about such matters and notes this trip must take place during Johnny’s spring break. Seems like a rather long spring break to me. But it would explain why the Fantastic Four were on vacation to begin with.
Anyways, it turns out that all Diablo’s miracles were temporary. Immortality was a lie. Foliage dies. Thing reverts to his old form. Diablo gets thrown back into his crypt prison.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 56/100
Significance: ★★★★☆
I read this story in Fantastic Four Epic Collection vol. 2: The Master Plan of Dr. Doom. You can also find this story in Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four vol. 3. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- Thing
- Human Torch
- Invisible Woman
- Mr. Fantastic
- Baron Hugo
- Diablo
Minor characters:
- Featherstone (wealthy man seeking to buy immortality)
Story notes:
- FF on vacation in Transylvania.
- Baron Hugo mayor of territory; warns FF not to enter the castle of Diablo.
- Diablo an evil alchemist sealed in castle 100 years earlier; Diablo found secret of prolonging human life.
- Thing entranced into freeing Diablo.
- Diablo transforms Thing into allegedly prettier version of himself in exchange for one year of service.
- Diablo’s potion makes a flower grow quickly.
- Shah buys potions to make the desert fertile.
- Military tests Diablo’s protecto-dome.
- Diablo becomes wealthiest man on Earth.
- All Diablo’s miracles are temporary.
- Thing reseals Diablo in crypt and accidentally destroys castle.
#233 story in reading order
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