Featuring: Human Torch
Release: September 10, 1963
Cover: December 1963
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Drawn by: Dick Ayers
13 pages
Stan really doesn’t know what he has. Strange Tales #115 includes one of Marvel’s all-time greatest stories, yet the cover shows not a hint of that. It focuses entirely on a mediocre Human Torch tale.
We get another villain crossover. We haven’t seen too many yet. Dr. Doom has shown up in the pages of Spider-Man. That’s pretty much the only one unless you want to count Loki showing up in the Avengers.
But now, Spider-Man’s foe Sandman will menace the Human Torch. Spider-Man himself might pop in to say hello. (Actually, he’ll pop in to express that he’s upset Human Torch took on his villain.)
Jerry Siegel had written two issues of Human Torch and introduced the character of Doris Evans, and it seemed as though she and the Torch may be going steady. Prior to that, we’d seen Johnny on a date with a different girl each time, and we rarely learned the girl’s name. Stan Lee took over the scripting duties himself these last two issues. In the last issue, he again included Miss Evans. But this issue, Torch seems to have a date planned with another girl. So perhaps they are not that serious yet.
I should probably have noted last issue that Stan Lee had never actually done the scripting for a Human Torch prior to that issue. It seemed like he might have just taken over the duties as it was a special Captain America issue. But he’ll be the regular scripter for some time, almost until this Human Torch series comes to an end.
Johnny claims Spider-Man is not his friend.
Pun intended?
Was Sandman in an ordinary prison with barred windows? How did they think that would hold him?
A bit of irony here.
Rating: ★★½, 40/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: The Human Torch vol. 1. You can also find it in The Human Torch & The Thing: Strange Tales – The Complete Collection. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- Human Torch
- Mr. Fantastic
- Sandman
- Spider-Man
Story notes:
- Ben and Sue working on detailed report of Molecule Man case. This suggests the story takes place soon after Fantastic Four #20. This makes me inclined to suggest Fantastic Four #20 should be placed after Strange Tales #114.
- Reed working on curing Alicia’s blindness.
- Johnny makes reference to a possible date, presumably with a girl who is not Doris Evans.
- Reed orders Johnny to find Spider-Man to help with Sandman.
- Torch finds Sandman on George Washington Bridge.
- Torch disguises himself as Spider-Man and waits atop the Empire State Building.
- People who have worn a Spider-Man costume: Flash Thompson, Human Torch.
- Sandman vulnerable to water.
- Mr. Fantastic has been giving the Torch judo lessons.
#120 story in reading order
Next: Strange Tales #115, Story B
Previous: Amazing Spider-Man #7
