Featuring: Thor
Release: July 2, 1963
Cover: September 1963
12 cents
Story plot: Stan Lee
Script: R. Berns
Art: Joe Sinnott
13 pages
Merlin, again. Soon, we’ll meet the new Black Knight, and this will lead us to look back on the great Black Knight stories of the 1950s, which prominently feature Merlin. He was a heroic figure in those stories.
In our Marvel Age reading, we first met Merlin in Tales of Suspense #27, there to give a corrupt magician his just rewards. In Incredible Hulk #5, we learn he had once banished the evil Tyrannus beneath the earth. Then, Strange Tales #108 told a tale of King Arthur’s court, where Merlin clashed with Sir Mogard. It is not clear whether any of these are meant to tie together.
I’ve harped on this a few times now, but a lot of these weaker comics really fail to tie all their threads together, as compared with how Ditko tells the Spider-Man stories, where each story has a singular flow that juggles and intertwines its threads. Here, we get 3 pages of Thor rescuing a bus and it leading to drama with Jane. Then we move on completely to the Merlin story, which has nothing to do with any of that. They only have 13 pages to fill, but still seem to need to pad the story. Thor and Merlin finally meet on page 9.
Merlin’s initial plan to conquer earth is to set a rocket off course. The rocket is being fired from Cape D’Or. The only Cape D’Or I’m aware of is in Nova Scotia. I am not aware there was ever a space facility there.
One kind of interesting scene in a pretty terrible comic: Thor notices foul play and suspects Loki is involved. Loki often is, but only in the Thor comics. Lots of super-villain stuff has been happening on earth lately that the other heroes have handled which don’t involve Loki. I like to imagine that whenever something weird happens, Thor investigates by interrogating Loki. Doom shoots the FF headquarters into space? Gargantus builds a wall around a city? Off-panel, maybe Thor flew straight to Asgard each time to get Loki to confess.
We finally meet JFK. Before we’d only seen him mentioned, or maybe seen his brow. Now, we get a full picture of him with Caroline. Merlin is looking for the president, but deduces it cannot be someone so young. The aides may be Pierre Salinger and Kenneth O’Donnell. This comic was published in July of 1963.
Mad Merlin’s plan to go into suspended animation for a few centuries is similar to that of the Mad Pharaoh.
Lots of mutants introduced today, July 2, 1963. We learned Namor self-describes as a mutant; Merlin does as well. As do all the members of a team we are about to meet…
This may be the dumbest ending we have come across. To defeat Merlin, Thor transforms into a human and… I can’t even attempt to explain.
This post was prepared with the assistance of Selina.
Rating: ★½, 20/100 <– Lowest score so far
Significance: ★☆☆☆☆
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor vol.1. It is also available in Thor Epic Collection vol. 1: God of Thunder. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- Dr. Don Blake/Thor
- Jane Foster
- Merlin
- King Arthur
- Loki
- John F Kennedy
- Caroline Kennedy
Story notes:
- Merlin described by professor as “mad wizard of King Arthur’s court”.
- Merlin’s crypt discovered in England; transported to New York.
- Merlin put himself into state of suspended animation for centuries.
- Merlin was a mutant — powers of telepathy, levitation, and teleportation. He decorated his powers with fake potions for show.
- Merlin notes the year is 1963.
- Thor suspects Loki’s involvement.
- Merlin travels to Washington DC police station.
- Merlin battles Thor near the Washington Monument, Pentagon, and Lincoln Memorial.
#97 story in reading order
Next: Journey Into Mystery #96, Story B
Previous: Sgt. Fury #3
