Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: May 10, 1966
Cover: July 1966
12 cents
Exquisitely non-edited by: Stan Lee
Ecstatically scripted by: Roy Thomas
Excitedly drawn by: Dick Ayers
Elatedly inked by: John Tartaglione
Eventually lettered by: Sam Rosen
20 pages
| Previous | #535 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Amazing Spider-Man #40 | Reading order | Thor #131 |
| Sgt. Fury #31 | Sgt. Fury | Sgt. Fury #33 |
“Now lissen, ya blasted goldbricks, and lissen good! This medic’s come all the way from the States to find out what makes us Howlers tick, an’ anybody that gives him trouble will answer to me! The doc’s here to see to it that none’a you jaw-flappin’ hyenas conks out on a mission! Like the sayin’ goes, a chain’s only as good as its weakest link!”
“Ain’t that pretty, Reb?”
“It sho’ nuff is, Gabe! Hey, Sarge… y’all think up that li’l ol’ speech by yoahself?”
“Shuddup!”
Stan has something of a mixed reputation amongst fans today. One of the common complaints against him is that he took more credit than was due, that he accepted the credit and pay of a writer on works where his role was closer to that of an editor.
As he’s been handing off scripting duties to folks like Thomas and O’Neil, he’s stopped taking writing credit. But still gets his name first in the credits, now as an editor. (Interestingly, Roy Thomas is facing a bit of controversy lately for claiming to much creative credit from his later role as an editor.)
Amusingly, the credits admit Stan is now on vacation and wasn’t able to edit this particular book. So he claims credit for not editing the comic.
And still gets his name at the top of the credits!
We’d recently read a Daredevil comic from the same month where O’Neil had to finish the script because Stan took a vacation.
This actually may be the first comic we’ve come across that Stan Lee claims no credit for.
It’s possible this was Stan’s first vacation in five years.
The story opens with the Howlers having to get a medical exam. Part of the process is that they will be test subjects for new formulas. Is that really a good use of your top fighting squad?
It all seemed weird to me. And it was. The doctor is a Nazi spy. He’s singled out one of the Howlers for… something. We’re not sure what or who.
I have a guess, and it’s a fair play guess, as I’d not read this before, and thought this thought before getting further in this issue. My guess turns out to be right, so it’s a bit of a spoiler. So I’ll save it for the moment.
We learn each Howler had a codename from the doctor and the chosen Howler was codenamed Iron.
Hitler has great faith in the plan. He’d devised it himself. He refers to past failures by Baron Strucker and Major Frobrich. Of course we remember Fury’s arch-nemesis Baron Strucker. Major Frobrich showed up last issue when he had captured Captain Sawyer. Colonel Schleicher is the next Nazi to take a shot.
We finally get to the plan. The doctor has hypnotized one of them to be a sleeper agent, who will kill his comrades upon activation. The doctor then committed suicide and made it look like a heart attack.
As is common, I find the plan here overly convoluted. If the goal was to kill the Commandos, then the doctor who was allowed to inject them with whatever could probably have taken care of it. A slow-acting toxin, perhaps? Sure, he’d have been caught, but he seemed ready to die for the Reich anyway.
Here’s a cool image of a crazy Hitler with a globe.
Find a partner who looks at you the way Hitler looks at that globe.
Howlers ordered to Norway to stop Heavy Water production. Dum Dum recognizes they had a similar mission back in issue 2. That type of attention to detail is all Thomas. Stan would never remember that. Remembering relevant minutia of past comics will be Roy’s strong suit.
Remember, there is a traitor among them. Izzy Cohen agrees to the first watch while the rest of the Howlers sleep.
Hint, hint.
Ready for the big reveal? It was Izzy!
But the hypnosis failed. Cohen committed several traitorous acts, but was unable to pull the trigger to kill his teammates, and broke free of the conditioning.
I guessed it was Izzy Cohen because the code word was “Iron”. “I” for “Izzy”, I reasoned. Thomas never makes it clear that was an intentional clue, but I bet it was.
To explain some confusion about names below, we never learn the Nazi spy doctor’s true name. He had captured and impersonated the real Dr. Daneeka. However, it can be clearly seen on the memo on the wall on page 2 that his name is “Dr. W.C. Fred–” at which point it cuts off. This might be short for a name like Fredericks. But otherwise he’s referred to as Dr. Daneeka.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 53/100
Significance: ★★☆☆☆
Characters:
- Bull McGiveney
- Sgt. Nick Fury
- Izzy Cohen
- Dum Dum Dugan
- Dino Manelli
- Gabe Jones
- Private Rebel Ralston
- Percy Pinkerton
- Dr. Daneeka/Dr. W.C. Freder– (W.C. Fredericks?) per memo/true name unknown
- Adolf Hitler
- Colonel Schleicher
- Captain Sawyer
Minor characters:
- Heinrich (German soldier)
Story notes:
- Dugan received letter from his mother-in-law.
- Howling Commandos ordered to report for physical health exam, so Marauders get the next mission.
- Order to take medical exam signed by the General.
- Medical doctor has come from America to examine Howlers.
- Howlers tested individually, and to be test subjects for injections of new formulas.
- Doctor declares Howlers in top shape and fit for strenuous combat.
- Doctor commits suicide by pill that makes it look like heart attack.
- The doctor used a method of hypnosis; one Commando is now a sleeper that can be activated by words or conditions.
- Nazis making Heavy Water–Deuterium– in Norway and the Howlers will stop it. Dum Dum recognizes it as the substance the blew up at Heinemund in issue 2.
- G-2 learned convoy of trucks on way to plant would pass their position in the morning.
- Traitor signals nearby Nazi outpost.
- Colonel Schleicher rockets from Berlin to Norway on twin-engine Messerschmitt 262.
- While Howlers sleep, Cohen is on watch and German Ski-Troopers ambush them. Howlers captured in trap.
- Howlers escape execution with “flapjack” maneuver.
- “Long live the thousand-year Reich!” is the codephrase that activates the sleeper.
- Cohen unable to pull the trigger; breaks free of spell.
- Schleicher surrenders
- Howlers blow up Heavy Water plant.
- Real doctor rescued, but after Howlers left for Norway.
- Sawyer grants Commandos a 3-days pass.
| Previous | #535 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Amazing Spider-Man #40 | Reading order | Thor #131 |
| Sgt. Fury #31 | Sgt. Fury | Sgt. Fury #33 |
