Journey Into Mystery #91

Featuring: Thor
Release: February 5, 1963
Cover: April 1963
12 cents
Plot: Stan Lee
Script: Larry Lieber
Art: Joe Sinnott
13 pages

I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor vol. 1.

Joe Sinnott is best known as an inker. We’ve seen him twice so far in that capacity, inking Kirby for the introductions of Thor and Dr. Doom, respectively. This is the first time we see him as the primary artist.

This event was teased already because I chose to read the last Fantastic Four slightly out of chronological order and because I accidentally read the last Strange Tales out of chronological order.

But this is one of three comics released February 5 to sport the spiffy new Marvel logo. The others are Tales to Astonish and Patsy Walker. We are not currently including the Patsy Walker stories in our Marvel reading, not until she becomes more intertwined with the superheroes than she currently is.

There’s a lot going on that will become a feature of Marvel covers for years. The first is that there’s a little box with the picture of the lead character. Now, Journey Into Mystery is still an anthology title. There are two other scifi/fantasy tales within this very issue. But Thor is the star, now. And that little box makes that clear.

Then we get the price, 12 cents. That’s been the price of all the comics since Fantastic Four #3 raised the price from 10 cents. Usually, the price has been in a circle somewhere on the cover. Now it’s in this new logo box.

And then the phrase “Marvel Comics Group”. Previously, there had been the letters “MC” in a little box on the covers.

Here’s how it all looked on the cover of Fantastic Four #1.

The simple version of the story is that the company changed its name from Timely to Atlas to Marvel over the decades. The more complex version is too much for me to unpack. Publisher Martin Goodman liked to save his pennies and take advantage of loopholes with a number of shell companies and other tricks, so there are lots of companies with lots of names.

But it is around this time that this particular publishing company is starting to be known as Marvel, which is certainly how it is known today. This word traces back to their first comic from 1939, Marvel Comics #1.

Where does Thor live? The Fantastic Four originally were based in “Central City”, but then were revealed to be located in Manhattan, without the discrepancy ever being explained. Spider-Man is set very explicitly in New York City. Human Torch’s solo adventures take place in Glenville, most likely in Connecticut. Iron Man has not yet been home. Thor and Ant-Man have been unclear. They refer to “the city” often, but have never named the city they are in. We get the first clue to Thor’s whereabouts here. Sandu attacks New York City, and the narrator says, “Meanwhile in another city…” We thus learn that Thor is not based in New York, though he is in a large-seeming city like New York. (Peeking ahead to the next comic, we actually learn today what city Ant-Man is based out of, and it’s not New York.)

This issue introduces, Sandu. Loki is trapped in Asgard by Odin’s will, so empowers a mortal to fight Thor as his proxy. Loki seeking proxies to fight Thor on his behalf will be an important recurring plot point. Sandu himself is a minor villain depowered by issue’s end. But his powers will show up again in many forms. Mental powers will be an important part of the X-Men stories, including telepaths and telekinetics. Sandu’s powers of “levitation” will often be referred to as “telekinesis”. The villain Graviton and his power over gravity will have a similar effect. Sandu’s powers also include teleportation, which will be a feat performed by many a hero and villain in the years to come.

The issue makes a big deal out of Thor’s Belt of Strength. So far, Thor has worn a belt with a “T” on it. The issue begins with Odin noting he has Thor’s Belt of Strength in safekeeping for when Thor needs it. That day comes against Sandu, so the Valkyries bring Thor his belt, making him even stronger. We don’t get a good look at it. Will it still have that distinctive “T”? The issue treats it like an important power upgrade, but I’m not certain the new belt will ever be mentioned again. In the years to come, Thor will seem pretty strong no matter what he is wearing.

Rating: ★★½, 45/100

Characters:

• Odin
• Dr. Don Blake/Thor
• Loki
• Jane Foster (Nelson)
• Sandu
• Valkyries

Story notes:

• Belt of strength
• Bank floats, then disappears. People inside reappear without memory
• Thor goes to top of mountain to talk to Odin, to ensure Loki is on Asgard.
• Money from race track floats away
• Sandu had slight telepathic powers, but Loki increased their power a thousand-fold.
• Sandu’s mental powers allow him to levitate objects, to teleport objects, remove memories
• Sandu steals train full of gold and paintings from a museum
• Sandu leaves stolen goods on the moon
• Sandu steals a palace
• Sandu threatens to send the UN into space if he’s not made ruler of earth.
• Editor’s note tells us the valkyries are Odin’s attendants, who also hovered over battles and decided the outcomes
• Sandu transports hammer into different dimension
• Sandu tries to use mental powers to lift hammer and short circuits them.
• Sandu’s work is undone when his powers disappear

# 60 story in reading order
Next: Tales to Astonish #43
Previous: Fantastic Four #14