Featuring: Avengers Release: October 11, 1966 Cover: December 1966 12 cents Edited (ecstatically) by Stan Lee Scripted (surprisingly) by Roy Thomas Drawn (dynamically) by Don Heck Lettered (legibly) by Sam Rosen 20 pages
To be an Avenger is to surrender a part of one’s life… to be ever at the beck and call of humanity! Still, in these quiet moments, each of the others has another human being to whom he can reach out… only I have no one… no life, except behind the mask of the Red-White-and-Blue Avenger!
This begins a 70-issue run on Avengers by Roy Thomas. Thomas will have his highs and lows over those 70 issues, and it will take him a minute to warm up and get into the groove, but on the whole I think his Avengers will be much better than Stan Lee’s.
We’ll try to note along the way milestones marking an increase in quality. I’ll offer a hint that a new artist is going to help a lot.
The slow move of Stan off scripting duties, and the expanding bullpen of artists… this is a transition into the next era of Marvel Comics. Where it’s not Stan and Jack and Steve making most of the comics.
Featuring: Avengers Release: September 8, 1966 Cover: November 1966 12 cents Spellbinding story: Smilin’ Stan Lee Awe-inspiring artwork: Dashin’ Donnie Heck Lots of little lettering: Adorable Artie Simek 20 pages
This is Stan Lee’s final credited issue of The Avengers. He may have had a hand in next issue. But starting next issue, the official scripting duties will be passed to Roy Thomas.
He leaves without much fanfare. Especially for a man so known for talking to his audience. No goodbye, no notes about it. He wrote 34 issues of one of the most beloved superhero teams of all time, and then just handed off the duties.
And he doesn’t try to go out with a bang, not really. It’s the first part of a two-part story. I wonder if he does that intentionally, thinking it’s easier for a new writer to finish off a story than come up with a new one. His final Spider-Man (comic book) story will have a similar flavor, introducing a new villain and then leaving the second part to the incoming writer.
Last issue’s blurb about this issue, went “Next: Goliath changes!”
I took that to mean he was going to finally change his clothes and wash this outfit. The blurb in the letters page hinted at more, that this would relate to Goliath’s efforts to return to normal size. It also hinted we’d see the return of Bill Foster, and of Wanda and Pietro.
We do get the return of Bill Foster, not seen since, well, last issue. But nothing else along those lines happens in this issue, and we get an editor’s note apologizing and assuring us that a big change is coming for Goliath. I think the pun is intended.
Featuring: Captain America Release: November 10, 1966 Cover: February 1967 12 cents Produced with pandemonium by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby Inking by: Frank Giacoia Lettering by: Artie Simek 10 pages
…you were one of the greatest! Don’t ever forget that!
Before we start, I’d like to note the date. Tomorrow, December 20 2025, marks 85 years since the introduction of Captain America, by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.
December 20, 1940, almost a year before Pearl Harbor, at a time American policy and popular sentiment was still against involvement in the war in Europe, here was Captain America punching Adolf Hitler in the face.
There are those on the internet who claim comics have become too political in recent years. To my mind, they’re not political enough. This cover was a bold political statement, and remains one of the greatest comic covers of all time, a fine introduction to one of Marvel’s greatest superheroes.
Superheroes should stand for what is right, not for what is popular. That’s how they become timeless.
Captain America is on a mission in the Orient, trying to rescue a double agent.
Featuring: Captain America Release: September 8, 1966 Cover: January 1967 12 cents A Stan Lee Jack Kirby premium presentation Inimitable inking by: Frank Giacoia Laborious lettering by: Sam Rosen 10 pages
Indeed, eet shall be for zee last time, mon ami…! For none may strike Batroc in such a manner… wizout paying zee price!
“This must be the place,” thinks Cap, anticipating David Byrne.
In Tales of Suspense #76, Captain America defeated Batroc, but a SHIELD agent on assignment succumbed to poison and was hospitalized. We didn’t learn her name. She reminded Cap of a woman he’d known in World War II, a woman whose name we also didn’t learn.
Dictators! We’ve had enough of them! Atomic power must be used for peace, not war! It must be used to make life better for all people! The coming Atomic Age is not for one man– it is for the common man– for all mankind!
No credits are given. The GCD credits the writing to Batman/Green Lantern co-creator Bill Finger and some of the pencilling to Syd Shores. The Bill Finger credit comes from the writer’s own recollections in the 1960s, related to historian and “father of comic book fandom” Jerry Bails.
I’d been debating when to read this. We’ve done some overview read-throughs of Captain America and Sub-Mariner, and are in the middle of one for the Human Torch. The other main characters to appear in this issue are Miss America and the Whizzer, whom we haven’t met yet. And I don’t have a good reason to introduce them anytime soon. The best excuse will probably be their return in Giant-Size Avengers #1 from 1974, but this blog won’t be getting there anytime soon at the rate I’m going.
This would also pair well with the introduction of the Invaders, but that’s not until 1975.
So let’s read this now along with our Human Torch read-through. It’s an important comic in Marvel history. We’ll just try to figure out who Miss America and the Whizzer are as we go. Something something mongoose something.
Roy Thomas described this comic as “a great idea whose time had gone.”
…To Become an Avenger! Featuring: Spider-Man Release: August 2, 1966 Cover: November 1966 25 cents Smilin’ Stan Lee Layouts by Jazzy Johnny Romita Pencilin’ by Dashin’ Donnie Heck Inking’ by Mirthful Mickey Demeo Letterin’ by Adorable Artie Simek 21 pages
I can’t fight it any longer! I’ve got to follow my own destiny– and let the chips fall where they may! I must have been given my spider-power for a reason! Thor was right! I do have an obligation– to mankind!
This is a “King-Size Special”. Which Marvel will sometimes be calling their Annual issues.
It boasts “72 Big Pages”. Let’s do math. The story is actually a pretty normal-sized 21 pages, but they reprint two old Spider-Man stories (issues 11 and 12), which brings the total to 64 pages. What are the other 8 pages? A table of contents, and some ads. When they advertise 72 pages, they are advertising 7 pages of ads.
The first stories I ever read with Spider-Man were Transformers #3 and Avengers #317. In the Avengers saga, Spider-Man was offered membership in the Avengers, but when Spider-Man struggled to keep up on their space adventure, Captain America and Spider-Man both agreed membership wasn’t for him. Avengers was one of the first series I regularly followed, so I read Avengers #329 a year later, in which Spider-Man does officially join the Avengers. No explanation was given for why Cap and Spider-Man changed their mind. Avengers #329 is the first time he officially became an Avenger, but the arc in #314-317 was not the first time he came close. That is here.
The Avengers are an interesting grouping. They began as Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Ant-Man, and the Wasp. All characters who had had solo (or duo) series. Left out of the Avengers were the Fantastic Four, already an established team, as well as Dr. Strange and Spider-Man. Behind the scenes, there seems a clear pattern that Kirby formed the Avengers from characters he had created, but left off the characters Ditko had created. They were soon joined by a revived old character of Kirby’s, Captain America.
When the original team disbanded, they needed replacements. Rather than turn to established loner superheroes like Daredevil, Dr. Strange, or Spider-Man, they sought out old enemies like Namor and Hulk, and accepted applications from reformed villains, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch.
The Avengers know Spider-Man, or at least of him. He teamed up with Giant-Man and Wasp in Tales to Astonish #57; Wasp hated him because wasps and spiders are natural enemies. Spider-Man briefly ran into the individual Avengers in Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1. They fought a Spider-Man robot created by Kang in Avengers #11. And they were all guests at the wedding of Reed and Sue.
For his part, Spider-Man has mostly been a loner, but at the start of his career, he tried to join the Fantastic Four, only to learn they don’t pay a salary. You sometimes find yourself asking if things might have been different. What if Spider-Man had joined the Fantastic Four?
But the Avengers are funded by Tony Stark. Maybe they can afford to pay Spider-Man?
I think this is a really good comic, if we forgive some nonsense in the premise. Which we’ll get to.
It even has great art. Heck is the credited artist, and Romita is just credited with layouts, but a lot of Romita shines through, perhaps due in part to Esposito’s finishes. Layouts have been Heck’s biggest weakness as an artist.
Where does this fit in in Spider-Man’s story. The most important thing to note to me is that Peter Parker has the motorcycle he acquired in Amazing Spider-Man #41, so it’s after that. I think Amazing Spider-Man #41-43 read well as a story, united by arcs for the Rhino, Mary Jane, and John Jameson. So I didn’t care to break that up. Hence we are reading it after #43. This is where a lot of collections place it, including the Essential, Omnibus and Epic Collection. The Masterworks weirdly places it after issue 50. But I think the thinking there was just to put it at the end of one of their volumes and not worry about where it “goes”. The MCP wants it before issue 42, and the CMRO agrees, but that seems unnecessary when there are so many unresolved plot threads from issue 41 to deal with first.
“We’ve studied that photo of Spider-Man long enough” says Cap. How much was there to study in one photo? Detail-oriented heroes, I guess.
In the funniest line of any of these comics we’ve read, Hawkeye describes Spider-Man as “a real swinger”.
Captain America, famous for his tact, notes Hawkeye identifies with Spider-Man because they’ve both been outlaws.
The question before them is: Should Spider-Man be offered membership in the Avengers.
Featuring: Captain America Release: September 8, 1966 Cover: December 1966 12 cents A Stan Lee * Jack Kirby powerhouse production Delineated by: Fearless Frankie Giacoia Lettered by: Swingin’ Sammy Rosen 10 pages
After all these years… all the countless battles… and the scars which will never fade… here I stand… still a loner– a human anachronism. All I’ve ever loved… all I’ve held dear… vanished with the past… while the memories remain to haunt me forever! But, I must be true to my trust! Every man has a purpose… a destiny to fulfill… and, whatever mine may be… I’ll never shirk it!
Captain America calls in the Avengers to deal with the Adaptoid. The Tumbler he just left to the police.
Hawkeye recalls the original Avengers foe the Space Phantom, and suspects a connection. But Cap notes the Adaptoid is a robot, while Space Phantom was an alien. Goliath and Wasp, the only ones present who actually fought the Space Phantom, do not weigh in.
Featuring: Captain America Release: August 9, 1966 Cover: November 1966 12 cents A Stan Lee Jack Kirby pandemonium-packed production! Delineated by: Richard Ayers Lettered by: Samuel Rosen (Or: How formal can ya be?) 10 pages
What can be wrong? I’ve adapted everything about Captain America… and yet… there is still a quality lacking!
AIM has fallen, but a dying Count Royale warned SHIELD that their creation the Adaptoid may yet finish their work.
The Adaptoid, a pantograph, infiltrated Avengers headquarters by assuming Jarvis’ form, then drugged Captain America, and assumed his form. He has also stolen Captain America’s shield.
Unfortunately for the Adaptoid, if you look like Captain America, his enemies become yours. The Tumbler has come to challenge Captain America and prove his superiority. So now he’s the Adaptoid’s problem.
The Maddening Mystery of the Inconceivable Adaptoid!
Featuring: Captain America Release: July 7, 1966 Cover: October 1966 12 cents Stan Lee authored the script Jack Kirby pencilled the story Frank Giacoia inked the drawings Artie Simek lettered the panels Irving Forbush sharpened the pencils 10 pages
I consider it a rare privilege to serve the mighty Avengers, sir!
Bucky was Captain America’s partner in World War II, killed by Zemo, who was working for the Red Skull.
But he seems to be back somehow?
No, it’s just a photograph.
Jarvis is the butler to the Avengers. He’d previously worked for Tony Stark, but Stark has been loaning his mansion to the Avengers for some time, and has lent Jarvis with it.
We don’t yet know much about Jarvis. He was introduced to us in Tales of Suspense #59, but presumably had been serving the Avengers since early on. He probably had second thoughts about the job when Hawkeye tried to prove his merits to join the team by attacking their butler.
This issue is the most lines he’s had yet. He notes it’s a privilege to serve the Avengers.
He offers to draw a bath for Cap, but Captain America can shower by himself. He’s a big boy.
No credits are given in the issue. The opening page is by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. The rest of the art is by Al Avison, Syd Shores, and George Klein. Those are the credits given in the Golden Age Captain America Omnibus. The GCD credits the entire story to Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, but I believe they are incorrect.
We just read the beginning of Iron Man’s second battle with Titanium Man in Tales of Suspense #81. We had previously read the conclusion of that issue, which featured Captain America’s epic battle with Red Skull and his Cosmic Cube. Before we get to issue 82, I’d like to peek back at this old Captain America story, which introduces the villain Fang.
Fang is an Asian villain, and thus probably a racist stereotype of a character like most Asian villains in the 1940s. And the 1960s.
We learn Fang is based on San Francisco’s Chinatown. He meets with an agent of an “Asian aggressor nation”. I interpret that Asian aggressor nation to be Japan, particular given the agent’s surname of “Nushima”, though the comic prefers not to specify.
After all, America wasn’t at war with Japan in June 1941 when this comic was released.
