Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD
Release: April 12, 1966
Cover: July 1966
12 cents
Far-fetched script by Stan Lee
Fantastic layouts by Jack Kirby
Fabulous pencilling by Don Heck
Fanciful inking by Mickey Demeo
Freehand lettering by Sam Rosen
12 pages
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|---|---|---|
| Fantastic Four #51 | Reading order | Strange Tales #146, Story B |
| Strange Tales #145, Story B | Strange Tales | Strange Tales #146, Story B |
We’re dealin’ with an outfit that can turn out artificial men to do any kinda job… just like Marvel can grind out comic books!
The word of late has been Them. Them financed the Fixer. Them sent a chemical android to attack Nick Fury and Captain America. Them consists of several brilliant scientists.
Spinning right out of the Captain America adventure, Nick Fury has traced that android to this swampland.
In a bit of bravado, and a wink at the other titles, Fury notes that SHIELD agents aren’t superheroes. They don’t always win.
Meanwhile, we are now learning of an organization called AIM, which stands for Advanced Idea Mechanics. AIM is also composed of brilliant scientists. But AIM is willing to supply weapons to SHIELD, ready to fill the void since Stark got in trouble with the government. AIM’s only request is that Nick Fury be removed. He’s too boorish.
The precise phrase used by Count Bornag Royale is: “coarse unfettered ruffian”.
Some in leadership positions do seem to agree Fury may be a bit “unpolished”.
Nick begins to wonder if maybe these two shadowy organizations composed of brilliant scientists may be connected.
Here’s the month’s Bullpen Bulletins.
The big note is that this very issue marks Steve Ditko’s final Dr. Strange story, while his final Spider-Man story is also on sale this month. Those will be our next two posts. Stan notes Steve is leaving “for personal reasons”. I think the truth is a bit more complicated than that. But Stan pivots quickly to enthusiasm for John Romita taking over on Amazing Spider-Man. But then noting they have no such replacement yet for Dr. Strange. Though they will need someone for next month’s issue. We’ll see who they find.
Stan is also hyping a new character introduced this month in the pages of Fantastic Four. Someone called the Black Panther.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 53/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
Maybe this deserves a 4 in significance because we’re meeting AIM for the first time. But we’ve already met Them. And if Nick is right and AIM is Them…
Characters:
- Col. Nick Fury
- Jasper Sitwell
- Dum Dum Dugan
- Count Bornag Royale
Minor characters:
- Charley (SHIELD escort)
Story notes:
- SHIELD searching swampland for Them in Swamp-buggy.
- SHIELD followed by Amphibian Androids.
- Swamp buggy equipped with Underwater Scanner and Automatic shocker to deter attacks from below.
- Wall Street Journal reference.
- Jet from neutral European nation lands atop SHIELD Orbiting Heli-Carrier.
- Top representative for AIM (Advanced Idea Mechanics) boards Heli-Carrier.
- Electronic x-ray probes reveal suspicious metal object in representative’s courier case. They inspect it over protest to find miniature Q-bomb.
- Lieutenant General orders SHIELD agents to desist.
- Them agent notes they have the IQ of geniuses.
- SHIELD attempts to penetrate Them HQ using a sonic vibrator.
- Agents wedged between twin barriers of deadly electric energy waves.
- Fury planted small fission bomb in Them HQ.
- Hammer-hand androids shaken loose from hydroponic tanks.
- Them agents trampled to death by androids.
- Royale is the ambassador for AIM, a society of advanced intellects seeking to benefit mankind.
- SHIELD notes Stark is in trouble with Washington and unavailable to join SHIELD at the moment.
- AIM has designed ship which harnesses the power of the Q-Bomb to take mankind to the stars.
- AIM unable to serve SHIELD with Col. Fury in command.
- One council member suggests Fury lacks the polish to serve SHIELD; another notes he took out Hydra and the Druids.
- SHIELD discovers android production line.
- Fury recalls Hitler shouting, “Tomorrow the world!”
- AIM established in 1962.
| Previous | #519 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Fantastic Four #51 | Reading order | Strange Tales #146, Story B |
| Strange Tales #145, Story B | Strange Tales | Strange Tales #146, Story B |
