aim – Coke ⊕ Comics

Tales of Suspense #79, Story B

The Red Skull Lives!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: April 12, 1966
Cover: July 1966
12 cents
Script: Smilin’ Stan!
Art: Jolly Jack
Inks: Frantic Frankie
Lettering: Agonized Artie
10 pages

Previous	#568	Next
Tales of Suspense #79	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #80
Tales of Suspense #79	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #80

My oldest enemy! The most dangerous menace to freedom and democracy that the world has ever known!! Then– this must be why fate has spared me so long–?! It’s my destiny to battle him– to stand between the Red Skull and free men everywhere!

Well, that’s a compelling title.

Costumed assassins attack a power plant in the heart of New York.

They seemed to expect Captain America to show up. How do villains set these traps to target a particular superhero in New York. “If I commit a crime in New York I’m bound to attract precisely the superhero I intend!” Green Goblin just had a bank robbery, trusting Spider-Man would show up to foil it. Would Daredevil turning up ruin these plans?

But nobody but Cap saw these villains. Is he going insane?

Strange Tales #146

When the Unliving Strike!

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

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

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.

Tales of Suspense #78, Story B

Them!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: March 10, 1966
Cover: June 1966
12 cents
Wondrous words by: Stan Lee
Awesome art by: Jack Kirby
Incredible inking by: Frank Giacoia
Lop-sided lettering by: Artie Simek
10 pages

Previous	#514	Next
Tales of Suspense #78	Reading order	Fantastic Four #48
Tales of Suspense #78	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #79

…the world will soon tremble before the power of– Them!

In Captain America’s recent battle with Batroc, Batroc was working for some secret cabal. In the pages of Strange Tales, we learned the Fixer was working for some secret cabal called Them. They had some plot involving miniature brains. I don’t know if these two cabals are connected.

Nick Fury confronts Captain America at Avengers HQ. This is their first meeting in the present. Captain America refers to him as “Sarge”, but it’s Colonel Fury now. They reference fighting together, presumably referring to Sgt. Fury #13. That is the only prior meeting we know of.

When Fury notes Cap hasn’t aged much, Cap says Fury seems pretty well-preserved himself. Is this just a compliment? Or a first hint that Fury uses some form of special formula to keep himself young. They last met 20 years ago. Fury could have been in his ’20s then and ’40s now.