Featuring: Thor
Release: June 4, 1963
Cover: August 1963
12 cents
Story plot: Stan Lee
Script: R. Berns
Art: Joe Sinnott
13 pages
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor vol. 1.
In going through the results of a recent poll on favorite Marvel/DC characters, my friend Brian Cronin talked about the idea of a “MARVEL science” degrees for his entry on Beast. He notes that Beast is a MARVEL scientist, and
From Brian:
Marvel Universe science is a lot more diverse than regular science. You see, Hank eventually gained a PhD (done while the rest of the X-Men were vainly trying to complete their GEDs) in biophysics and genetics. However, he achieved these PhDs in MARVEL science, so this made him an expert in engineering, medicine, time travel (yes, time travel), etc. It is like how one of the most highly-developed robots of all time, Ultron, was built by Hank Pym, a biologist. It is because Hank is a MARVEL biologist. Very different than normal biology. It’s like “How would you best describe a cell membrane? Also, how would you build a device that could negate Magneto’s powers?” All in the same class!!!! And MARVEL scientists always have multiple doctorates by the time they’re 22. It’s a rule.
Now, we’ve seen a pretty clear counterexample to that. Dr. Pym turned down a request for help from Wasp’s father because it was outside his area of specialty. He claimed he was only an expert in “molecular cell transition” (i.e. making people shrink) and “cell specialization” (i.e. making people grow wings). As of where we are in our reading, he has not yet built any robots.
Dr. Don Blake is a surgeon and a very good one. Surgery is a hard thing to master. It takes a lot of time to study. It’s a demanding job, always being on call. He’s also always on call as a superhero.
Yet somehow he built an android in his spare time.
The story opens with Thor being summoned to Asgard to end a drought. It’s a 1-page sequence that has nothing to do with the main story. Odin notes the crops are withering. How long has this drought gone on? How bad did things have to get before Odin remembered he had a son with the power to make it rain?
Dr. Blake has Professor Zaxton present his android to allow Thor to be at the demo. But why have Thor at the demo? This seems much more like a time where the Dr. Blake identity was more relevant. Thor does things in the demo. He hits the android with his hammer to show how tough it is. But there are other ways to demonstrate that.
The android does resist Thor’s hammer blows, by the way. Far more effectively than the windows on Musk’s cybertruck.
Dr. Blake went to a lot of trouble to make his android invulnerable. But apparently it could be destroyed by simultaneously twisting its control dials. Maybe he should stick to surgery.
Zaxton has built a machine to duplicate objects but needs Blake’s help to make it able to duplicate humans. Blake agrees to help because Zaxton has kidnapped Jane. I think there were probably better ways to secure her safety than to actually build the machine.
Here is an interesting thing. Modern comic lore has it that you have to be worthy to lift Thor’s hammer. But the comic hasn’t said that yet. Quite the opposite. It simply told us the hammer was so heavy that only Thor could lift it . Strength, not worthiness, seems to be the key. This is evidenced by the fact that evil Thor can lift it. Now, the inscription says, “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” Given the “if” clause regarding the holder of the hammer, that strongly implies an unworthy person might be holding it, but just not gain any power from it. We’ve seen bystanders struggle to lift the hammer, but they just weren’t strong enough. Loki is pretty clear on that point.
So Captain America should probably not be able to lift Thor’s hammer, but Hulk could.
This is what happens here. The duplicate Thor can’t use the hammer’s powers. But he lifts the hammer no problem.
A couple concerns here. One, the duplicate Thor is using the hammer to fly, so he can use some of its powers.
Two, Thor was turned evil in the last issue, but still able to use the hammer’s powers. Why?
The new Professor Zaxton will not be evil… but does he know the things the original Professor knew? Does he know Thor’s secret? This point is too unimportant for the comic to mention either way.
This is the second time one of our heroes’ has had their identity uncovered. In both cases, the discoverer conveniently died before they could tell anybody.
I’m left with a lot of questions. Not only can Zaxton duplicate people, but the duplicates are automatically under his telepathic control? How? And it bothers nobody that this device he just built can duplicate Thor’s hammer, magic and all?
“This is the land my heart calls home.” Wait, what? You’re a human surgeon. You found a magical cane. We’ve seen you visit Asgard a half dozen times at most. Thor is something you remember from high school classes. And you don’t come to earth for adventure. You come because you have a job and a life. You’re Dr. Don Blake. You’re a world-famous surgeon. And you build androids.
Rating: ★½, 28/100
Significance: ★☆☆☆☆
Characters:
- Dr. Don Blake/Thor
- Odin
- Heimdall
- Professor Zaxton
- Green Android
- Duplicate Thor
- Jane foster
- Duplicate Professor Zaxton
Minor characters:
- Professor Vlach
Story notes:
- Thor summoned to Asgard to end drought.
- Professor Zaxton one of world’s foremost theoretical physicists.
- Android has IQ of 375.
- Android has unbreakable skin made from impenetrable plastic tissue, of a design known only to Dr. Blake.
- Android blows up.
- Professor Zaxton has built duplicating machine.
- Zaxton has kidnapped Jane Foster.
- Blake helps Zaxton finish machine.
- Zaxton sees Blake transform into Thor.
- The duplicate Thor has an opposite personality and is under Zaxton’s telepathic control.
- The duplicate can hold the hammer, but not use its powers, because he’s unworthy. Proves you don’t need to be worthy to hold the hammer, just strong.
#87 story in reading order
Next: Tales to Astonish #47
Previous: Tales of Suspense #44
