dick ayers – Coke ⊕ Comics

Tales to Astonish #81

When a Monarch Goes Mad!

When a Monarch Goes Mad!
Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner
Release: April 5, 1966
Cover: July 1966
12 cents
Amazing story: Stan Lee
Astonishing art: Gene Colan
Astounding inking: Dick Ayers
Agonizing lettering: Sam Rosen
12 pages

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Tales to Astonish #80, Story B	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #81, Story B
Tales to Astonish #80, Story B	Tales to Astonish	Tales to Astonish #81, Story B

The color of one’s skin is but a chance accident of fate! It alters nothing else about the person!

Namor was fighting a Behemoth last issue, and Krang convinced Lady Dorma that Namor’s only chance for survival was for him to relinquish his control on the Behemoth, which he would only do if Dorma agreed to wed him.

This issue picks up right where that left off. Dorma had told Vashti she was to wed Krang, but not why. And Vashti has just delivered the news to Namor.

Namor declares the mention of Dorma’s to name to be treason. Rational. Namor claims he has the fury of youth. He had been a youth 25 years earlier when introduced in 1939. Not sure how long he can use that excuse. Vashti notes Namor had been the gentlest and noblest of monarchs. I am not sure that is true.

Daredevil #21

The Trap is Sprung

The Trap is Sprung
Featuring: Daredevil
Release: August 2, 1966
Cover: October 1966
12 cents
Spellbinding script: Stan Lee
Phenominal pencilling; Gene Colan
Dynamic delineation: Fearless Frank * Darlin’ Dick * Wild Bill
Laudatory lettering: Artie Simek
Bombastic bird-watching: Irving Forbush
20 pages

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Daredevil #20	Reading order	Amazing Spider-Man #41
Daredevil #20	Daredevil	Daredevil #22

“Daredevil!! B-but how–??”
“Would you believe– blind luck??”

The credited inkers are Frank, Dick, and Bill. I presume that means… Frank Giacoia, Dick Ayers, and Bill Everett.

Is Colan the regular artist now? It suggested last issue was a fill-in. But he’s now drawn 2 issues in a row and is set to draw the next 80 or so.

On a personal note, this is the earliest issue of Daredevil that I own.

X-Men #24

The Plague of… The Locust!

Featuring: X-Men
Release: June 30, 1966
Cover: September 1966
12 cents
Editing by: Stan (Busy Bee) Lee
Script by: Roy (Bookworm) Thomas
Art by: Werner (Worker-ant) Roth
Inking by: Dick (Doodlebug) Ayers
Lettering by: Sam (Pussycat) Rosen
20 pages

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Fantastic Four #54	Reading order	Thor Annual 2
X-Men #23	X-Men	X-Men #25

“Grow! Grow! Grow! Let not one X-Man survive!”
“Now, how does a rational person argue with sentiments like those?”

As we learned last issue, Jean is leaving the X-Men to go to college. She’ll be at Metro College, the same college as Johnny Storm. We just saw that Johnny Storm was on school break with Wyatt Wingfoot, and using that break to travel to the Great Refuge to try to free the Inhumans.

The Narrator notes Johnny and Wyatt are in the Himalayas. Last we saw them, they were traveling from Wakanda in Africa and on their way to the Great Refuge, which had been in the Andes, not the Himalayas. Perhaps they got lost.

Sgt. Fury Annual 2

A Day of Thunder!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: June 9, 1966
Cover: 1966
25 cents
Stan Lee, editor extaordinary
Roy Thomas, scripter superlative
Dick Ayers, penciler pre-eminent
John Tartaglione, inker infallible
Sam Rosen, letterer lamentable
24 pages

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Daredevil #19	Reading order	Fantastic Four #54
Sgt. Fury Annual 1	Sgt. Fury Annual	Sgt. Fury Annual 3

Countless ships… squadrons of high-flying B-17’s, and medium-range bombers…170,000 American and British troops– all part of the mightiest armada ever assembled by man! All dedicated to the overthrow of the most unholy empire ever conceived by man… or demon!

We’ve been hanging out in 1943-44 for this whole series. It’s been pointedly pre-D-Day. The Howlers are based in England because there is no major Allied presence in Europe. They keep sneaking into Europe for their adventures.

These annuals aren’t necessarily set with the monthly comics, so there may be several pre-D-Day comics yet to come. For example, the first annual showed the Howlers reunite in Korea, and the next one will take us to Viet Nam. And we have several more pre-D-Day stories to come in the main title.

June 5. 1944. Normandy. Hitler believes his wall around Europe to be impenetrable. The Howlers once again sneak into France on their most important mission.

Sgt. Fury #32

A Traitor in Our Midsts!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: May 10, 1966
Cover: July 1966
12 cents
Exquisitely non-edited by: Stan Lee
Ecstatically scripted by: Roy Thomas
Excitedly drawn by: Dick Ayers
Elatedly inked by: John Tartaglione
Eventually lettered by: Sam Rosen
20 pages

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Amazing Spider-Man #40	Reading order	Thor #131
Sgt. Fury #31	Sgt. Fury	Sgt. Fury #33

“Now lissen, ya blasted goldbricks, and lissen good! This medic’s come all the way from the States to find out what makes us Howlers tick, an’ anybody that gives him trouble will answer to me! The doc’s here to see to it that none’a you jaw-flappin’ hyenas conks out on a mission! Like the sayin’ goes, a chain’s only as good as its weakest link!”
“Ain’t that pretty, Reb?”
“It sho’ nuff is, Gabe! Hey, Sarge… y’all think up that li’l ol’ speech by yoahself?”
“Shuddup!”

Stan has something of a mixed reputation amongst fans today. One of the common complaints against him is that he took more credit than was due, that he accepted the credit and pay of a writer on works where his role was closer to that of an editor.

As he’s been handing off scripting duties to folks like Thomas and O’Neil, he’s stopped taking writing credit. But still gets his name first in the credits, now as an editor. (Interestingly, Roy Thomas is facing a bit of controversy lately for claiming to much creative credit from his later role as an editor.)

Amusingly, the credits admit Stan is now on vacation and wasn’t able to edit this particular book. So he claims credit for not editing the comic.

And still gets his name at the top of the credits!

We’d recently read a Daredevil comic from the same month where O’Neil had to finish the script because Stan took a vacation.

This actually may be the first comic we’ve come across that Stan Lee claims no credit for.

It’s possible this was Stan’s first vacation in five years.

X-Men #23

To Save a City

Featuring: X-Men
Release: June 2, 1966
Cover: August 1966
12 cents
Edited in ecstacy by Stan Lee
Written in rapture by Roy Thomas
Drawn in delight by Werner Roth
Delineated in depth by Dick Ayers
Lettered in a lawn-chair by Artie Simek
20 pages

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	POSTLUDE	Marvels #3
X-Men #22	Reading order	Daredevil #18
X-Men #22	X-Men	X-Men #24

It is only in this form, in which I have no solid substance, that I can know anything like the thrill of walking again!

Werner Roth had been referring to himself as “Jay Gavin” these last several issues. But now he’s ready to use his real name in the credits.

We pick up where last issue left off, with the X-Men prisoners of Count Nefaria and the new Maggia, with lieutenants picked from an assortment of titles.

Now Nefaria executes his plan, holding Washington DC hostage, blackmailing America, and framing the X-Men.

X-Men #22

Divided– We Fall!

Featuring: X-Men
Release: May 3, 1966
Cover: July 1966
12 cents
Editor emeritus: Stan Lee
Script by: Roy Thomas
Art by: Jay Gavin
Inking by: Dick Ayers
Lettering by: Artie Simek
Colosso by: Irving Forbush Robotics, Inc.
20 pages

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Sgt. Fury #31	Reading order	X-Men #23
X-Men #21	X-Men	X-Men #23

And, we did it as a team! No one of us could have done it alone!

The cover shows quite the assemblage of super-villains, with the X-Men reduced to floating heads.

As noted before (such as in the last X-Men arc), I find it interesting when super-villains treated as major threats upon their debut get relegated to henchman status. This starts to get them categorized as miscellaneous villains, but at least keeps them from being forgotten.

The story begins in the Danger Room, the most common place for an X-Men story to begin, then as now. Professor X has created a robot named Colosso for the X-Men to fight. And the robot was created to teach a very particular lesson. He can counter all the powers of the individual X-Men, but they can beat him as a team.

Sgt. Fury #31

Into the Jaws of… Death!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandoes
Release: April 12, 1966
Cover: June 1966
12 cents
Written by: Roy Thomas
Illustrated by: Dick Ayers
Inked by: J. Tartaglione
Lettered by: Sam Rosen
20 pages

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X-Men #21	Reading order	X-Men #22
Sgt. Fury #30	Sgt. Fury	Sgt. Fury #32

I guess these big bad nazis plain scared me so much I couldn’t remember a thing!

This is an above-average Sgt. Fury story. It’s got a more intricate plot than usual with some clear stakes. Captain Sawyer gets a larger role, allowing his character to be fleshed out some. And it’s notable for introducing us finally to General Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander. I like that guy.

We saw in last issue’s text box that D-Day was approaching. We see the Howlers training underwater for that mission, dubbed Operation Overlord.

X-Men #21

From Whence Comes… Dominus?

Featuring: X-Men
Release: April 5, 1966
Cover: June 1966
12 cents
Exemplary editing by: Stan Lee
Extraordinary writing by: Roy Thomas
Exceptional art by: Jay Gavin
Exhilarating inking by: Dick Ayers
Exasperating lettering by: Artie Simek
20 pages

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X-Men #20	Reading order	Sgt. Fury #31
X-Men #20	X-Men	X-Men #22

We are now preparing to engage the enemy in his own lair– and it is always there that he is most dangerous!

Porter Mack runs the local dude ranch and thinks there may be a reward if his men capture the X-Men.

They are outmatched.

This is an example of the anti-mutant sentiment, which would make a better focus for these stories than alien invasions.

X-Men #20

I, Lucifer

Featuring: X-Men
Release: March 3, 1966
Cover: May 1966
12 cents
Expertly edited by: Stan Lee
Skillfully scripted by: Roy Thomas
Perfectly penciled by: Jay Gavin
Ideally inked by: Dick Ayers
Laxly lettered by: Artie Simek
20 pages

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Sgt. Fury #30	Reading order	X-Men #21
X-Men #19	X-Men	X-Men #21

As usual, a mob seldom makes the right decision!

With this issue, Roy Thomas takes over as regular writer on The X-Men, a position he will hold for the next two years. Some sources suggest Stan gave a writing assist on this and the next issue, but Stan is only credited as Editor. (Of course, even as editor, Stan’s credit goes first.)

It begins with fake X-Men, villains seeking to ruin their reputation.

As Mark had previously noted in comments, you can spot the villains by the smoking of cigarettes.

Heroes smoke pipes.