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Avengers #5

The Invasion of the Lava Men!

Featuring: Avengers
Release: March 3, 1964
Cover: May 1964
12 cents
An epic tale told with high drama and heroic dignity by: Stan Lee
Illustrated with deep sincerity and dazzling beauty by: Jack Kirby
Inked by: Paul Reinman
Lettered by: S. Rosen
23 pages

Rick Jones gets his name on the cover and on the opening page alongside the book’s actual stars. He i fact is given billing over Giant-Man and Wasp in both places. His placement suggests he comes with Captain America, as though they are partners.

This tale is getting closer to what I feel like a traditional Avengers tale should be. There should be some menace to the world, a threat so great that no single hero can stand against it. Mostly so far, they’ve just fought Hulk over and over again. And he just wants to be left alone.

In this issue, the Lava Men invade Earth. When last we met them, they were referred to as Lava People; not sure how the unneeded gendering crept in.

Almost what I’m looking for. Only two problems. The first is that the Lava Men/People invaded before and Thor stopped them all by himself. So it’s not clear they’re an Avengers-worthy threat. The second is that in addition to fighting the Lava Men, the Avengers also all attack Hulk again. They really should just give the guy a break. This is now their fifth battle with the Hulk, and they all end in a stalemate.

The Avengers #3

Sub-Mariner!

Featuring: Avengers
Release: November 5, 1963
Cover: February 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Illustrated by: Jack Kirby
Inked by: P. Reinman
25 pages

We see a new cover box. Acknowledges that Hank is now Giant-Man and that Wasp exists.

Welcome to a special Mothers Day post. What makes this a Mothers Day post? Well, today is Mothers Day. Also, my mother likes the Sub-Mariner, and this is the issue where the Avengers meet Sub-Mariner.

Sub-Mariner doesn’t show up until page 15, but still gets the issue titled after him. Good for him.

In the first issue, Loki tricked the Avengers into attacking the Hulk.

In the second issue, Space Phantom tricked the Avengers into attacking the Hulk.

This issue, the Avengers just decide to attack the Hulk.

Tales of Suspense #49

The New Iron Man Meets The Angel!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: October 8, 1963
Cover: January 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Illustrated by: Steve Ditko
Inked by: P. Reinman
18 pages

Paul Reinman on inks. It’s not often Ditko gets an inker. He usually does his own finishes. His first Iron Man story had Don Heck doing “refinement”. I think that’s the only other time we’ve seen anybody else finishing Ditko. Paul Reinman has been inking the X-Men comics, so he may be here to help keep their faces on-model.

Once again, that weird note at the beginning; we’ve seen something similar in every crossover. Stan thanks the editors of X-Men for letting the characters appear. You are the editor, Stan. But there may be legal reasons for this. Martin Goodman played all types of crazy games with shell companies and such to save a buck here and there.

The idea is it’s all one continuity, one universe. That’s why we read these comics together. But we don’t know that any character is part of that continuity until they cross over. At first, crossovers were sparse. It was a while before there was any hint Iron Man and Thor might be in this world. Crossovers have become increasingly common. After only two issues of X-Men, we learn they are a part of this world. The main story is a battle between Iron Man and Angel, but all the X-Men and Avengers will also show up.

Incredible Hulk #6

Steve Ditko fills in for Hulk’s final issue.

The Incredible Hulk vs The Metal Master
Featuring: Hulk
Release: January 3, 1963
Cover: March 1963
12 cents
Story: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
24 pages

I read this story in Incredible Hulk Omnibus vol. 1.

All good things must come to an end. Turns out things like this series also come to an end.

The great Steve Ditko takes over for Jack Kirby for the first full-length Hulk story since the second issue, and what is also the final issue of Incredible Hulk. Though no hint of that ending can be found in the cover or the letters pages. There simply isn’t an issue 7.

This Ditko guy draws a pretty good Hulk.

Perhaps it’s for the best. The first issue was one of the best comics we’ve read and showed so much potential. A dark psychological sci-fi drama, with elements of Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. That potential was squandered on constant tweaks to the character, a series that had the feeling of throwing things at the wall until something stuck, then giving up when nothing stuck. It will take Steve Ditko to reshape the character into a more enduring form, but he won’t get a chance to do that now, as the series is being cancelled.

Fantastic Four #12

The Incredible Hulk/Mission: Stop the Hulk!/Who is the Wrecker?/The Hulk at Last!
Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: December 10, 1962
Cover: March 1963
12 cents
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Jack Kirby
Inking: Dick Ayers
23 pages

I read this comic in Fantastic Four Omnibus vol. 1.

Let’s review the key dates so far.

August 8, 1961 — The Fantastic Four debut
March 1, 1962 — The Incredible Hulk
June 5, 1962 — The most important day in Marvel’s history thus far: introducing Spider-Man, Thor, and Ant-Man!

It’s now December 10, 1962.

Another hugely important date in Marvel’s history. Four milestones, which we’ll be covering over the next few posts: we’ll see the debut of another iconic superhero; a superhero we haven’t seen in 6 months makes his return in the debut of his solo title; and, most excitingly, the Marvel comics start to coalesce into a universe. On this day, we get not only our first crossover of the Marvel Age, but our first two crossovers! The Fantastic Four will encounter two iconic Marvel characters on this very date.

Incredible Hulk #5, Story B

The Incredible Hulk vs The Hordes of General Fang!
Featuring: Hulk
Release: November 1, 1962
Cover: January 1963
12 cents
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Jack Kirby
Inking: Dick Ayers
11 pages

I read this story in Incredible Hulk Omnibus vol. 1.

There are ways in which Stan and Jack are ahead of their time on social issues, and ways in which they are not. Their depictions of Asian people remain pretty racist. It will take a couple decades before Marvel is able to do much better. General Fang is an awful stereotype, and the story is more cold war propaganda, depicting the forces of Red China as strangely-drawn, yellow-skinned, and cartoonishly evil. Even the Asian people depicted as allies–including the citizens of Llhasa (Lhasa, Tibet) and the soldiers of Formosa (Taiwan)– have cringeworthy depictions.

This is the year after Breakfast at Tiffany’s came out…

Incredible Hulk #4, Story B

The Gladiator from Outer Space!
Featuring: Hulk
Release: September 4, 1962
Cover: November 1962
12 cents
Credits: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Inker: Dick Ayers
10 pages

Hulk and Bruce are listed as two different characters…

I read this story in Incredible Hulk Omnibus vol. 1. I derived the inker from this volume, whereas Lee and Kirby had signed the original. Other comics this month got more complete credits, but not this one.

Is this the 5th alien invasion in recent months? Spoiler… no. It’s a Cold War story. Mongu is a Commie villain, just like Gargoyle, Executioner, Destroyer, or the spies that attacked Ant-Man. The Soviets disguised themselves as space aliens as part of an elaborate trap for the Hulk. It went about as well as you might expect for them.

Hardly a fitting challenge for the Hulk-brawn/Bruce-brain combo

There’s not much worth noting in this story. Its main feature is giving us a chance to see the Professor Hulk status quo introduced in the first half of the issue in action.

Incredible Hulk #4

The Monster and the Machine!
Featuring: Hulk
Release: September 4, 1962
Cover: November 1962
12 cents
Credits: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Inker: Dick Ayers
14 pages

I read this issue in Incredible Hulk Omnibus vol. 1. The volume lists Ayers as the inker.

This is the 4th issue and 3rd status quo for the Hulk. At first, Bruce Banner turned into the evil Hulk at night and human again during the day. Then, he was always Hulk, but under the mental control of Rick Jones so long as Rick was awake. Now, he has the power to transform back and forth between human and Hulk with a machine, and he retains his human brain in Hulk form. A “Professor Hulk” if you will.

Hope the family is appreciative when Hulk saves them…

Incredible Hulk #3

Banished to Outer Space/The Origin of the Hulk!/The Ringmaster
Featuring: Hulk
Release: July 3, 1962
Cover: September 1962
12 cents
Credits: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Inker: Dick Ayers
24 pages

I read this story in Incredible Hulk Omnibus vol. 1, which notes Dick Ayers is the inker. He is uncredited within the issue itself.

There are perhaps three distinct stories here, but we’ll treat them in one entry.

Banished to Outer Space

The first story concerns General Ross’ ‘Plan H’ to banish the Hulk into space in a rocket. This story perhaps inspired a modern story where Hulk was banished into space and landed on what became known as Planet Hulk, by Greg Pak and Carlos Pagulayan. Planet Hulk was adapted into an animated movie, and it partly formed the basis of the film Thor: Ragnarok.

This story picks up right where the previous one left off, the very same night. Hulk is trapped safely away in the underwater cell they built. The decision to let Hulk free requires some stupidity on Rick’s part. He is tricked by General Ross, but his actions are absurd and merely serve the plot.

Incredible Hulk #2

The Terror of the Toad Men
Enter…The Toad Men/
Release: May 1, 1962
Cover: July 1962
12 cents
Credits: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Inks: Steve Ditko (uncredited)
24 pages

I read this comic in Incredible Hulk Omnibus vol. 1. The table of contents credits Steve Ditko with inks.

In truth, lots of aspects of this comic look more like Ditko than Kirby to me. Hulk himself looks very different from the first issue, and I attribute that to Ditko having a heavy influence on this issue.

It’s also attributable to Hulk being green. Pretty sure he was grey last issue. Did something happen to cause him to change color? Well, they recap his origin and when they illustrate him in events which happened last issue, they also color him green.