No credits are given in the issue. The opening page is by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. The rest of the art is by Al Avison, Syd Shores, and George Klein. Those are the credits given in the Golden Age Captain America Omnibus. The GCD credits the entire story to Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, but I believe they are incorrect.
We just read the beginning of Iron Man’s second battle with Titanium Man in Tales of Suspense #81. We had previously read the conclusion of that issue, which featured Captain America’s epic battle with Red Skull and his Cosmic Cube. Before we get to issue 82, I’d like to peek back at this old Captain America story, which introduces the villain Fang.
Fang is an Asian villain, and thus probably a racist stereotype of a character like most Asian villains in the 1940s. And the 1960s.
We learn Fang is based on San Francisco’s Chinatown. He meets with an agent of an “Asian aggressor nation”. I interpret that Asian aggressor nation to be Japan, particular given the agent’s surname of “Nushima”, though the comic prefers not to specify.
After all, America wasn’t at war with Japan in June 1941 when this comic was released.
Featuring: Iron Man Release: May 3, 1966 Cover: September 1966 12 cents Stan Lee… writer Gene Colan… artist Gary Michaels… inker Sam Rosen… letterer Irving Forbush… armor polisher 12 pages
This feeling of total freedom… of being air-borne under your own power… like some great metal bird… makes all the hardhip, all the danger of the past, utterly meaningless… as inconsequential as some dim, half-forgotten nightmare!
We already read the second half of this issue to finish off Captain America’s battle with Red Skull. We held off on this first half as it starts a new arc for Iron Man with Titanium Man.
Where were we? Senator Byrd has insisted for a while that Tony Stark appear before Congress to reveal Iron Man’s secrets. Stark has been conveniently avoiding this summons by doing things like get kidnapped by the Mandarin. Growing impatient, Byrd had Stark factories closed. But now, after a battle with Sub-Mariner, he’s called Senator Byrd to offer to testify.
At some point, perhaps around the time he made this phone call, Stark also took a call from Hank Pym, and recommended his employee Bill Foster to help Pym’s research.
Featuring: Dr. Strange Release: August 9, 1966 Cover: November 1966 12 cents Gloriously edited by Stan Lee Graniloquently scripted by Roy Thomas Gorgeously drawn by Wild Bill Everett Grudgingly lettered by Artie Simek 10 pages
It is the Sacred Griffin– the beast appointed by the priests of the Babylonian god Marduk to stand eternal vigil over the mystic text! It has ever been written in the Words of Flame that he who defeats the fearsome sentinel… is the destined possessor of the book!
Dr. Strange gets the cover again. Seems like he and Nick Fury will be trading off who gets featured.
We’re skipping the Nick Fury half of this comic to finish off the Kaluu arc.
O’Neill had been the writer for the last few issues, but Thomas fills in for this one. His scripting is described as “graniloquent”. Looks like Stan will return to the title next issue.
As you can see from the list down the page, Thomas is all in on the invocations.
So far, the Kaluu story has been terrible. Will Thomas turn it around?
Four issues into the battle, and Dr. Strange and Kaluu still haven’t met. So if we get that far, it will be a step up.
We’d heard Ancient One whine for several issues now about how powerful Kaluu is. But now Kaluu seems to fear that he will lose if his foes get any time to plan.
Featuring: Dr. Strange Release: July 7, 1966 Cover: October 1966 12 cents Editing: Stan Lee Writing: Dennis O’Neil Art: Bill Everett Lettering: Sam Rosen Technical advice: The Forbush Family Ghost 10 pages
“I dunno if he’s breaking any laws, but it won’t hurt to question him!” “Yeah… chances are he’s not exactly a member of the Chamber of Commerce, dressed in those duds!”
On the first page, we learn Kaluu has spent 500 years in a nameless dimension. Last issue, the dimension was named Raggador, sometimes spelled “Raggadorr”.
Meanwhile, we have some very confusing word balloons. Who is speaking in that middle balloon? It seems to connect to both Dr. Strange and Ancient One’s balloons. Are they speaking in unison?
What is up with the Ancient One and the flying carpet. He seems to be passing through it. It seems to be intentional. He’s drawn with only his torso sticking out of the carpet for the rest of the comic, but they don’t explain why.
Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD Release: July 7, 1966 Cover: October 1966 12 cents Edited by: Stan Lee Layouts by: Jack Kirby Script by: Denny O’Neil Art by: Ogden Whitney Lettering by: Artie Simek Ammunition by the Forbush Pyrotechnic Co. 12 pages
Hydra can never be killed! Althrough you have captured Hydra’s body, its head is still free… It shall last forever! It has resources you have not dreamed of… resources that will insure its ultimate triumph!
It’s rare that the scripter doesn’t get credited ahead of the artists. When Lee was scripting, his name always came first. Now that Lee is editing, the editor’s name comes first. But then he put Kirby’s layouts ahead of the scripting and art in the credits.
The credits claim this issue’s writer and artist are surprises.
At this point, we know Denny O’Neil. He’s been taking over the scripting duties on Dr. Strange. But the name Ogden Whitney is new to us.
Featuring: Dr. Strange Release: June 9, 1966 Cover: September 1966 12 cents Magical editing by Stan Lee Mystic script by Denny O’Neil Mysterious art by Bill Everett Makeshift lettering by Artie Simek 10 pages
“…he will be punished for whatever dark deeds he has committed! I, Dr. Strange, vow it!” “Enough! Your babbling is that of a callow schoolboy, Disciple!”
Finally, Dr. Strange is starting to get the cover slot sometimes.
You can see my own copy of the cover has seen better days.
For this issue, O’Neil copies the structure of X-Men #12. That structure didn’t work then and this won’t either.
In the X-Men story, Juggernaut is attacking the X-Men, but rather than prepare, Professor X insists the X-Men must first know his entire life story, instead of just telling them the relevant bits.
Same idea here. Kaluu has just attacked and stolen the Book of the Vishanti. The Ancient One will keep stressing how urgently they must stop him. But first he thinks he needs to tell Dr. Strange his entire life story.
Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD! Release: June 9, 1966 Cover: September 1966 12 cents Edited (in absentia) by… Stan Lee Layouts and script by… Jack Kirby Pencilling and inking by… Don Heck Lettering by… Sam Rosen 12 pages
Part of the month when Stan is on vacation. Kirby did the script. Stan still claims to have edited the comic while also claiming to not be in the office. His name still comes first in the credits.
The first script we’ve seen Kirby get credit for in our Marvel reading.
Certainly not the first script Kirby deserved credit for.
The battle against AIM/Them continues. I’d almost gotten in my head that AIM and Them were just different names for the same organization. But then last issue AIM was described as a branch of Them.
Now the narrator tells us AIM is in league with Them.
After a failed attempt to kill Nick Fury, Count Bornag Royale notes that AIM must improve its prestige with Them. That suggests there really is a distinction. My current thinking is that AIM is a branch of Them.
Featuring: Avengers Release: August 9, 1966 Cover: October 1966 12 cents Stan (The Man) Lee, writer Dazzlin’ Don Heck, artist Adorable Art Simek, letterer Invincible Irving Forbush, snake charmer 20 pages
…beware of the man who sets you against your neighbor!
The cover features Scarlet Witch fighting against the Sons of the Serpent. But I think she’s in Europe and missing all the action.
The reprint of the story in Marvel Triple Action #25 corrects the cover, drawing instead Black Widow, who was in the story.
The Sons of the Serpent originally seemed to have the goal of getting all immigrants out of America. But when they attacked a Black American-born man, we saw their goals were a bit broader. Now, they mention creeds. They also are targeting people of different religions.
Featuring: Avengers Release: July 7, 1966 Cover: September 1966 12 cents Stan Lee, writer and raconteur Don Heck, artist and bon vivant Artie Simek, letterer and patron des artes Irv Forbush, scapegoat, junior grade 20 pages
“Zowie! He’s the ever-lovin’ gearest! Far as I’m concerned, the mods have had it! That crazy cape really comes on strong!” “Man! Like there’s a boss bunch’a threads! That dad is gotta be what’s happenin’!”
The first issue of Dr. Strange without Steve Ditko. I think the first Spider-Man stories without Steve Ditko actually went pretty well. That John Romita guy is doing all right. But what even is Dr. Strange without Steve Ditko?
Stan Lee never cared about Dr. Strange. He never understood the character. He never understood the character’s appeal. He accepted the character had fans and was fine with that.
You can see this in his treatment of the character. The gap between the early issues, the character rarely being featured on the cover, the story always the back story of each issue, behind Human Torch and then Nick Fury.
He wrote the character for dozens of issues, but almost all the writing really came from Ditko.
On the other hand, Stan Lee loved Spider-Man. And you can tell. There are eternal disagreements over how much of the character and stories come from Lee and how much come from Ditko. But it was a much more collaborative process than Dr. Strange ever was, at least early on. And Stan Lee loved the character of Spider-Man like a son.
So when Ditko left Spider-Man, Lee put everything into making sure the next issue would keep the readership. He found the best artist for the job, told an extraordinarily eventful story, and plainly put his all into assuring readers that Spider-Man would continue to be great after Ditko.
For the first issue of Dr. Strange without Ditko… Lee writes half the script then hands the back pages to his new hire to write, a guy who’s scripted like 5 comics by this point. He just doesn’t care.
This is the second recent comic to refer to Stan Lee as being on vacation. Some reprints of this issue omit that, and change the credits to read “Smilin'” instead of “vacationing'”.
Bill Everett isn’t a bad choice for artist. He created Sub-Mariner and Daredevil. He’s been doing solid work illustrating the Hulk. But Ditko brought something wild and unique to these pages, while Everett is, well, less wild.
Though I’ll give him some credit for this image. He’s certainly taking his best shot at being Ditkoesque.
