Featuring: Avengers Release: April 12, 1966 Cover: June 1966 12 cents Savage script by: Stan Lee! Powerful pencilling by: Don Heck! Explosive embellishment by: Frank Giacoia! Lethargic lettering by: Sam Rosen! 20 pages
No matter what else… he’ll always be an Avenger! Just as he’ll always be… the man I love!
Frank Giacoia going by his real name for perhaps the first time. He’s usually been under the pen name Frankie Ray or similar.
Dr. Henry Pym. Ant-Man. Giant-Man. Goliath. He who can’t choose a name.
Or a status quo. His latest shtick is that he can only turn exactly 25 feet tall and only for a period of exactly 15 minutes. What happens if he exceeds 15 minutes? We’re about to find out. He did so last issue, then collapsed while shrinking, having gotten down to about 10 feet.
I think it’s cute how quickly all the Avengers have taken to calling him Goliath. There’s probably a lesson for people today to take from this.
Goliath! I like the sound of that! That’s what I’ll call myself from now on– Goliath!!
Today… Hank Pym will be infamous for having taken on too many superhero identities… but this isn’t new. This was a pretty early feature of the character. In under 5 years, he’s on 3, and sort of 4, identities.
When we met him, he wasn’t a superhero at all, just a scientist named Dr. Henry Pym. A year or so later he jumped on the superhero bandwagon as Ant-Man. Another year down and Lee decided the public wanted more powerful superheroes, so Ant-Man became Giant-Man. Those changes all somewhat made sense. But now… he’s no longer Giant-Man… he’s Goliath. That change seems gratutitous.
With the new name comes a new status quo. But he’s had a lot of status quos already. We attempted to recount in the final issue of his ongoing series, Tales to Astonish #69. The rules just keep changing. He drinks a liquid or takes a pill or uses his mind. And he can only chage size every so often or hold the new size for so often or…
Anyways, now he can grow to 25 feet and only 25 feet and remain that way for exactly 15 minutes, no more, no less.
We’ve met one other Goliath, the biblical one, in Avengers #10.
How does he get the new name anyway? It’s a bit weird. We basically learn it’s happening from the cover and title.
We are getting ahead of ourselves. The story begins with Hank Pym contacting the Avengers to help him find the Wasp. We’d last seen her attempting to escape from Attuma. Of course, they don’t know who Dr. Pym is. Because of secret identites.
Now, as secret identities go… Wasp’s costume often didn’t cover her face… she often called Giant-Man Henry or Hank in the presence of others… Giant-Man’s lab was a well known location where his fan club hung out… the kids Jan read sci/stories to knew she was the Wasp… Hank sometimes did experiments in his own house and one day he accidentally turned giant and came bursting out of his house…
Featuring: Avengers Release: February 10, 1966 Cover: April 1966 12 cents Mad, mixed-up story by Stan Lee Ickie, insane illustrations by Don Heck Daffy, dizzy delineation by Frankie Ray Loony, lampoony lettering by Artie Simek 20 pages
Only a fool– or a liar– says he’s never afraid, Wanda!
A lot of plot threads to pick up on from last issue. Namor headed to New York (though we’ve already seen how that plays out in the pages of Tales to Astonish). Dr. Pym busy with research on ship. Other Avengers captured in attempt to rescue Wasp. Attuma engaging them in trial combat to impress men, as the sea poured in. Hawkeye in a coma attempting to remember his password. A mysterious figure in the shadows. Wasp has escaped Atttuma but her fate is unknown.
The password thing is quite funny. People forget their passwords at work and need to call IT support to get it reset. No such backup here. Hawkeye must hook himself up to a fancy memory-jogging machine.
But the number he couldn’t remember was 1313. How hard is that? It’s not like the password was something actually secure like _b9<Jgu_X^TZDS.
Featuring: Avengers Release: January 11, 1966 Cover: March 1966 12 cents Incredible script by: Stan Lee Inconceivable art by: Don Heck Indescribable inking by: Frank Ray Indelible lettering by: Artie Simek 20 pages
He endures so much– to hold the Avengers together! And yet– none can help him! He walks– alone!
A recap. Giant-Man and the Wasp left the Avengers in Avengers #16. Then in Tales to Astonish #69, they agreed it was time to retire from superheroing and work on their relationship. And presumably on Pym’s scientific interests as well. Flash forward to Tales to Astonish #77 and Hank’s experiments involve drilling into the ocean to learn the secrets of life. These experiments are wreaking havoc on Namor’s domain. This leads to conflict. Namor breaks their equipment and then decides to head to New York. In a nonsensical plot decision, Jan decides to become the Wasp once more to race Namor across the ocean to New York. But she’s the size of a wasp, and can presumably fly at about the speed of a wasp. She obviously can’t cross an ocean. But she tries anyway.
Unsurprisingly, we haven’t heard from her since. Surprisingly, we will hear from her again.
I’d like to start thinking about something as we read the next several Avengers comics. At some point very soon, the Fantastic Four are going to fight a massive global threat, one the Avengers probably should have helped them with. The Avengers do not show up to help, which implies the Avengers are busy. So let’s be on the lookout for where the Avengers might be at the time that they don’t notice a very noticeable world-ending threat.
Featuring: Captain America Release: January 11, 1966 Cover: April 1966 12 cents Script: Smilin’ Stan Lee Art: Jazzy Johnny Romita Lettering: Adorable Artie Simek 10 pages
Is this my destiny? To have been given a second chance at life– only to lose everything I ever held dear? First, it was Bucky, the greatest sidekick a man ever had! Then, those many years ago, I can still remember her– promising to wait– no matter how long it might be-! Now– when I thought I had found her reborn– I’ve lost her again! And perhaps this time– it will be– forever!
For a story that’s introducing a pretty woman to Cap’s world, the late John Romita seems like the perfect artist. Though the woman is barely in this comic.
In fact, we’ve seen John Romita’s work on Captain America before way back in the 1950s, in his early days as an artist.
Romita won’t be returning to Cap regularly. He’s just filling in for Kirby here. He’s already the regular artist on Daredevil and may be taking over another title soon.
Recall where we left off. This Agent of SHIELD may be the younger sister of Cap’s WWII sweetheart. We don’t know her name. She has Inferno 42 and is protecting it from Batroc, but doesn’t realize it’s cracked and set to destroy New York within half hour. Cap and Batroc have teamed up to save the city.
Featuring: Captain America Release: December 9, 1965 Cover: March 1966 12 cents Stan Lee, script Jack Kirby, layout Dick Ayers, pencil J. Tartaglione, inks Artie Simek, lettering Irving Forbush, cheerleader 10 pages
But, there was one other! Our lives touched for only a short time– but I’ve never forgotten her! I can still remember our final date– when she whispered to me thru trembling lips… “I’ll wait till you return, Steve! No matter how long– no matter what happens– I’ll wait for you, my darling…!”
We read this issue’s Iron Man story a little while ago, in which Happy had turned into a Freak. We saved this story to make sure it tied into to the issue of Strange Tales that referenced it.
It was a tricky call for reading order, as I don’t like to separate issues, so I’d prefer to have read this story with the Iron Man story, and continuity-wise, the issue of Strange Tales we’re tying into doesn’t fit in where we left off with the Iron Man story. But I just couldn’t find a good way to juggle all the things I’m juggling to assemble a reading order.
This is a good comic with lots going on to talk about. I had to make a checklist for myself to ensure I covered the 10 most important points.
Though we’d taken a pause in reading Cap’s story, there is no break between the beginning of this story and the end of the last. As we open, Cap is hurtling toward the sea after the defeat of the Sleepers.
Except last seen, he had a working parachute. Sometime between the issues, his parachute seems to have failed, so we get a dramatic opening.
We cut to some shadowy figures observing a test of Inferno 42. Nick Fury was aware of this item and had sent an agent to retrieve it. We learned this in Strange Tales #142. Also in that story, Fixer referred to a mysterious organization that was his benefactor, known as Them. Is that who these shadowy figures are?
Back to Cap, we get a great moment. The sailors are in awe of him. One had idolized him as a child.
I have a notion in my head of who these characters are, formed from reading decades of comics beyond these. Cap inspiring awe in those around him is part of my basic image of Cap. But it’s not necessarily something we’ve seen a lot of in these early comics. We did see examples in Cap’s return in Avengers #4. But it’s not yet that common, so every such example is notable, as together they will form the basis for that aspect of Cap’s character.
Featuring: Captain America Release: November 11, 1965 Cover: February 1966 12 cents Blazing story: Stan Lee Burning layouts: Jack Kirby Blistering artwork: George Tuska Burnt-out lettering: Artie Simek 10 pages
Nazism, and all the evil it stood for, are dead! They must never live again!
Solid cover design.
This arc opened pretty strong. Red Skull vowed that his revenge would come 20 years after the day of his death on “Der Tag” when the Sleepers awakened. And the Sleepers turned out to be giant robots that combined together to make an even bigger robot. Solid premise. But hasn’t done much with it. We met one robot, then another. In the finale, we meet the third.
Featuring: Captain America Release: October 12, 1965 Cover: January 1966 12 cents Spellbinding script by Stan Lee! Spectacular layouts by Jack Kirby! Sensational pencilling and scintillating delineation by George Tuska! Stereophonic lettering by A. Simek! 10 pages
I’ve seen the First Sleeper– and this is the Second! What can the Third be like??
Part 2 of a 3-part saga. 20 years to the day since the death of the Red Skull amidst the fall of Berlin in World War II. Red Skull’s revenge is 3 giant robots that will awaken and destroy the world. Last issue, the first one awoke. This issue… the second.
This one flies! Even though the story’s title is ironically, “Where Walks the Sleeper”.
And the two Sleepers join up to form an even bigger robot!
Featuring: Captain America Release: September 9, 1965 Cover: December 1966 12 cents Stan Lee, sultan of script! Jack Kirby, lord of layout! George Tuska, archduke of art! Sam Rosen, tired of lettering! 10 pages
You’re too late! You can’t… threaten me… now! There are three sleepers… and… when they awake… the Third Reich will rise again!
The story’s title is, “The Sleeper Shall Awake!”
Coincidentally the exact thing my cat says to me every morning when she wants breakfast.
While I would prefer to read whole comics at once, we read the first half of the issue a little bit earlier, because the Captain America and Iron Man stories of this issue align differently with the Avengers series.
This marks a turning point in Captain America’s adventures, as we’d spent the last several issues focused on Captain America’s adventures in World War II, which don’t create any editorial headaches regarding continuity with Cap’s appearances in Avengers. But now Stan claims readers have demanded modern Cap stories.
So we jump back to the present and see Cap relating the Greymoor Castle saga of last issue to the Avengers. They even answer some plot questions about the story.
Bewilderingly, Hawkeye did not know Bucky was dead.
And then is quite insensitive about it. “It happened more than 20 years ago!” Two notes. It was less than 20 years. Captain America slept for most of those.
Featuring: Avengers Release: December 9, 1965 Cover: February 1966 12 cents Writer: Stan Lee Penciller: Don Heck Inker: Dick Ayers Letterer: Sam Rosen 20 pages
The blind fools! They do not realize that Doom cares nothing for them! He merely plays a role for purposes of his own! Truly, he is evil incarnate! If only the simple peasants could see it!
The Avengers fight Dr. Doom!
For maybe the first time, unless you count Avengers #1½–published in 1999 but set before Avengers #2–as canon: the untold first meeting of the Avengers and Dr. Doom.
Either way, it’s the first time any of these Avengers have met Dr. Doom.
Dr. Doom decides to trap the Avengers. Basically just because. His motivation shifts slightly over the course of the issue. At first, it’s because humiliating the Avengers will inspire fear in the Fantastic Four. Then it’s to take them prisoner and use them as bait for the Fantastic Four.
