Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: October 12, 1965
Cover: December 1965
12 cents
Written in rage by: Stan Lee
Pencilled in panic by: Dick Ayers
Delineated in despair by: John Tartaglione
Lettered in the office by: Sam Rosen
20 pages
| Previous | #441 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Avengers #24 | Reading order | Avengers #25 |
| Sgt. Fury #24 | Sgt. Fury | Sgt. Fury #26 |
They seek a simple Nazi spy… an impersonator… nothing more! Little do they dream that they have the Fuehrer’s most dangerous agent in their midst! How they would tremble if they knew their foe is actually– the Red Skull!
Evocative cover not in Kirby’s usual mold for Sgt. Fury covers. Brings to mind the war comics covers of Joe Kubert, which this title owes many a debt to.
This is the first time we’ve seen John Tartaglione. He’s worked for Marvel on and off since the 1950s, with most of his work being in the romance genre. He’s going to become Ayers’ regular inker on this title for the next couple years.
Here’s an early example of his inking, over Pierce Rice from Marvel’s Amazing Detective Cases #6 (1951), and a contemporaneous example from Patsy Walker #124 (1965), over Al Hartley’s pencils.
Here are two examples of his pencil art, from Young Men #11 (1951) and True Secrets #13 (1952), both from Marvel.
Recall last issue, the Howlers were on furlough in America when they got urgent orders to return to Europe, with sealed instructions to be opened on the plane. Dum Dum was wounded and so remained in America. And Hans has gone to live with the Ralstons until the war ends.
They have to find a spy on the base who’s a master of disguise. The spy turns out to be the Red Skull himself.
Or so he tells us. Since we never see his skull mask, we have only the dialogue to go off. I hypothesize that the story Ayers drew involved a nameless spy, who Stan then decided to call the Red Skull in post-production. There’s just so little connection between this guy and the Red Skull.
We have seen the Red Skull use disguises, true, but beneath the false mask is always his skull mask. Except here.
McGiveney may be fooled by the “Skull’s” disguise, but the Howlers are not. Any more than Fury is fooled by his actually-German French contacts.
I’ll note the Marvel Chronology Project is happy to claim that’s the real Red Skull and that this takes place before his appearance in Captain America Comics #16. Sure, whatever.
Rating: ★★½, 45/100
Significance: ★☆☆☆☆
The story is on the interesting side as these stories go, but I think it’s dumb they tried to call that guy the Red Skull. So 3 stars for Dick’s story, 2 stars for Stan’s.
The 1 star significance means the Marvel Universe is better without reading this issue. It only confuses the saga of the Red Skull, which needs no help being confusing.
Scans are taken from a reprint from Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #127 (1975).
The reprint cuts out several panels to make the story 18 instead of 20 pages, and rearranges the remaining panels accordingly.
On page 5, 3 panels were removed to shorten the fight between Bull and the fake Fury. On page 7, 5 panels were removed, including Bull bragging about his fight and two panels of Fury fighting the Nazis on the boat. Page 13 removes 3 panels, one of “Red Skull” changing, two of Fury. Page 15 removes 2 panels, the two in which Fury knocks the “Skull” out of his boat. Does nobody wonder why he’s in the boat in one panel and not in the next? Page 16 removes 3 panels of Fury and the “Skull” fighting. The reprint also omits the final two panels in favor of the statement of ownership, and thus readers of the reprint won’t learn what became of Dum Dum. Here is the original next to the reprint for comparison.
Notice the statement of ownership isn’t as tall as the removed panels, so the top 2 panels were extended to compensate.
Characters:
- Percy Pinkerton
- Rebel Ralston
- Dino Manelli
- Sgt. Nick Fury
- Izzy Cohen
- Gabe Jones
- Bull McGiveney
- Red Skull
- Happy Sam Sawyer
Story notes:
- G2 has learned a German spy has infiltrated their base, a master of disguise with orders to blow up the base.
- Anybody could be the spy, except the Howlers as they were away. They are ordered to stick together and find the spy. Fury given separate orders to deliver a packet to the French Underground.
- Spy turns out to be Red Skull, disguised as Happy Sam and then as Fury.
- Fury suspects his “French” contacts aren’t on the level.
- McGiveney gives the Skull a beating, thinking he’s Fury.
- Skull can’t fool Manelli with his Fury disguise.
- Germans can’t fool Fury.
- Fury arrested by guards, framed by Skull, but he identifies himself to Reb by knowing about their poker hand.
- Sawyer rescued; Skull captured but escapes
- McGiveney doesn’t find the real Fury so easy in a fight.
- Letter from Dum Dum indicates he’s out of the hospital and on detached service as an aerial gunner with the Ferry Command.
| Previous | #441 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Avengers #24 | Reading order | Avengers #25 |
| Sgt. Fury #24 | Sgt. Fury | Sgt. Fury #26 |
