dr. bruce andrews – Coke & Comics

Journey Into Mystery #98

Challenged by the Human Cobra!

Featuring: Thor
Release: September 3, 1963
Cover: November 1963
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Illustrated by: Don Heck
13 pages

The issue begins with Thor throwing a temper tantrum. “It isn’t fair!” he cries. The narrator notes it may surprise us to see a superhero throw a temper tantrum. No, I’ve been reading Fantastic Four.

Of course I imagine Thor’s voice sounds like Tommy Wiseau as he shouts.

An ex-convict named Klaus is bitten by a radioactive cobra and gains the powers of a cobra. This is pretty well-established as what happens when radioactive creatures bite you.

Journey Into Mystery #97

The Lava Man

Featuring: Thor
Release: August 1, 1963
Cover: October 1963
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Drawn by: Jack Kirby
Inked by: Don Heck
13 pages

Kirby gets main drawing credit, but the faces (excepting the Lava Man) look more like Heck’s work to my eye. The action is very Kirby though.

Beneath the surface of the Earth, Mole Man rules an army of monsters. The immortal Tyrannus rules a kingdom of underworld natives. The kingdom of Atlantis had once sunk beneath the sea, and continued sinking beneath the world; when Iron Man visited, Kala was the ruler of Atlantis. We’re about to meet our fourth kingdom beneath the surface. Fortunately, the world is big enough for all of them.