Thor #134

The People-Breeders!

Featuring: Thor
Release: September 1, 1966
Cover: November 1966
12 cents
A Stan Lee * Jack Kirby fantasti-classic!
Inked by: Vince Colletta
Lettered by: Sam Rosen
16 pages

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I am accomplishing… in one brief experiment, what nature would take a million centuries to achieve!

I loved the Galactus saga and the character of Galactus. Fans of the era also loved Galactus. What to do with that? Move on and never see him again? Or recycle the Galactus story again? The former is better than the latter. Best is to use him sparingly when there is a new story to tell about him.

With these ageless characters like Eternity and Galactus, we must remember that years to us may be like moments to them. How many different times should they run into humans in those brief moments? Eternity had noted Dr. Strange was the second mortal to ever stand in his presence. The first must have been a few centuries earlier, like yesterday to Eternity.

Galactus had been devouring planets for eons, but Earth was the first planet he attempted to consume that contained an advanced civilization. So you expect it to be some time before it comes up again. And since he vowed to never consume the Earth and Galactus’ word is “cosmic truth itself”, we expect he’ll never do that again.

So when would we see Galactus? Well, Galactus is the devourer of worlds. Ego is the living planet. Conflict seems almost inevitable.

Why the conflict now, when both are ageless? Perhaps Thor’s battle with Ego attracted Galactus, and it’s not just coincidence.

Either way, Galactus journeying into the Black Galaxy to confront Ego a galaxy away from Earth is a good and sensible use of the character. A character I am excited to see again. As long as they don’t overdo it, and the stories they tell with him are new stories.

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Thor #133

Behold… The Living Planet!

Featuring: Thor
Release: August 2, 1966
Cover: October 1966
12 cents
Star-studded script: Stan Lee
Planet-pounding pencilling: Jack Kirby
Real Rigellian rendering: Vince Colletta
Lots of little lettering: Artie Simek
16 pages

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Every part of this planet upon which we stand is verily a part of Ego! He is everywhere– he is everything! He is a living world!

I’d like to say I own this comic, but really I own some fraction of this comic, as a lot of pages have been ripped out of my copy. I’m sure I didn’t know that when I bought it. I’m not too picky about condition. I look for “readable” copies… but readable includes having all the pages.

Wonder what I paid for it. I have no idea because I have tens of thousands of these things. Not even sure where I bought it. Probably at some comic convention with a couple hundred other comics I thought would help me complete the Marvel Universe so that one day I could read through all of them in order. Presumably it was pretty cheap– that’s what I was always looking for.

I spoke at length about how cool I thought it was when Ditko introduced a being that was also a universe. So of course I also think it’s cool when Kirby introduces a being who is also a planet. Not as cool as being a universe, of course. But still cool.

Thor is also impressed, and you figure this is a guy who’s been around and seen some stuff. He says that the planet developed a face right in front of them and then they heard it speak.

Now, even if a planet could speak, there’s presumably no way it could transmit that voice across space. Unless the substance of this Black Galaxy is really different from our universe. Or unless the planet is broadcasting its speech through some other means than sound, some form of transverse wave.

Reminder of where we are. Tana Nile has conquered Earth via a Space Lock. The Space Lock was controlled from Rigel, so Thor went there to free Earth. The Rigellians agreed to free Earth if Thor dealt with the menace of the Black Galaxy. So here is Thor, accompanied by a Recorder, confronting Ego, the living planet.

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Thor #132

Where Gods May Fear to Tread!

Featuring: Thor
Release: June 30, 1966
Cover: September 1966
12 cents
Astonishing script: Stan Lee
Awesome artwork: Jack Kirby
Artful delineation: Vince Colletta
Amazing lettering: Sam Rosen
Alien translations: Irving Forbush
16 pages

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Already the Stygian darkness looming ahead… blotting out the comforting glow of a thousand stars…!

Where were we. While Thor was fighting Pluto in the Netherworld, Jane’s roommate Tana Nile sent her away with mind control. Tana Nile has since been revealed as a Rigellian and conquered earth via a Space Lock from Rigel. Thor has traveled to Rigel to destroy the Space Lock.

The Rigellians have some pretty advanced technology, and aren’t used to losing. But Thor is Thor.

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