dr. strange – Page 3 – Coke & Comics

Strange Tales #127, Story B

Duel with the Dread Dormammu!

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: September 8, 1964
Cover: December 1964
12 cents
Story by: Stan Lee, master of macabre menace
Art by: Steve Ditko, weaver of wondrous witchraft
Lettered by: S. Rosen, sultan of speedball sorcery
10 pages

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Strange Tales #127	Reading order	Amazing Spider-Man #19
Strange Tales #127	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #128

Last issue saw the build-up to Dr. Strange’s fight with Dormammu. It established pretty clearly that Dormammu is one of the most powerful beings in the universe, on a level we can’t even comprehend. Dr. Strange has no chance against Dormammu. Last issue was quite clear on that, but then cut off just as they were about to battle.

The promised battle does not immediately commence. Dormammu gives Strange a chance to reconsider first, as this would be more slaughter than battle.

The girl from last issue finds Dr. Strange again, this time to show him the moral complexity of the situation. Dormammu poses a threat to Earth; that is why Dr. Strange must stop him. But Dormammu also rules his realm. Early indications are that he’s something of a tyrant, imprisoning people who question him or fail him.

He may be a tyrant; he may be evil; he may be about to destroy our world… but he’s also the only force standing between his subjects and the Mindless Ones. Whatever else he may be, he keeps his people safe. Even if Dr. Strange somehow succeeded in defeating Dormammu, the mystic shields sustained by Dormammu’s will would break, allowing the Mindless Ones to enter the Dark Realm, where they would proceed to kill all the inhabitants. Quite the moral quandary.

Strange Tales #126, Story B

The Domain of the Dread Dormammu!

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: August 11, 1964
Cover: November 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee Prince of Prestidigitators!
Illustrated by: Steve Ditko Lord of Legerdemain!
Lettered by: Art Simek Nabob of Necromancy!
10 pages

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Strange Tales #126	Reading order	Strange Tales #127
Strange Tales #126	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #127

The last few issues of Dr. Strange have essentially been filler. Forgettable stories, with Ditko not even supplying his own finishes on the art. I begged your indulgence, promising they had something good in the works. They did. This is it.

Lee and Ditko’s work on Dr. Strange is recognized as one of the best runs of comic books ever. For the next 20 issues, we’ll see why.

Generally speaking, Ditko does the heavy lifting on this series. But, assuming all the narration is attributable to Stan, he does his share here with some evocative prose.

There is a world half-hidden between the real and the imaginary!

A world in which the impossible is believable, and the incredible is commonplace…

Dr. Strange enters the Realm of Darkness, ruled by the Dread Dormammu. Dormmamu is a powerful sorcerer the Ancient One himself had once fought and been unable to defeat. Now, Dormammu plans to expand his domain and conquer Earth. Only Dr. Strange can stop him.

Strange Tales #125, Story B

Mordo Must Not Catch Me!

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: July 9, 1964
Cover: October 1964
12 cents
How proud we are that Stan Lee wrote this sensational thriller!
How fortunate we are that Steve Ditko drew these magical masterpieces!
How triumphant we are that Geo. Bell inked these priceless panels!
How ecstatic we are that Artie Simek lettered these deathless phrases!
10 pages

This is the actual first page for the comic, found online. The Masterworks version colors the characters white, as though both in their astral form. Marvel Collectors’ Item Classics #16, where most of the scans below come from, colors all the astral forms a weird bluish color, and the front page from that issue follows suit.

The Masterworks also colors Mordo’s disciples white. They are garbed in green in the original and light blue in the scan below.

This is the last of the “filler” issues of the Dr. Strange stories. One more issue until Ditko returns to full art duties and the series kicks into high gear. As these go, this issue’s actually pretty good. Despite the story where Dr. Strange and Mordo battle for the 77th time.

The most egregious coloring error in my reprint is the coloring of Dr. Strange’s cloak. It is quite possibly an intentional error, aimed at consistent marketing to match Dr. Strange’s cloak at the time of the reprint. But, quite obviously, Dr. Strange’s cloak should be blue, as it is in any other reprint of this story.

Journey Into Mystery #108

At the Mercy of Loki, Prince of Evil!

Featuring: Thor
Release: July 2, 1964
Cover: September 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee, the idol of millions!
Illustrated by: Jack Kirby, the toast of the town!
Inked by: Chic Stone, the man of the hour!
Lettered by Art Simek, the people’s choice!
18 pages

Stan Lee grants himself the tagline that will eventually get applied (usually self-applied) frequently to Ben Grimm: “the idol of millions”.

We get an offbeat opening sequence. Maybe it’s cool. I find it stretches credibility, though I confess a difficulty expressing what doesn’t in Thor stories. Thor appears to go mad, striking the ground with his hammer to create an earthquake. This shaking threw a truck off the ground a few blocks away, just high enough to not hit a boy. I find it hard to believe Thor could be that precise, and that nobody else was injured. Thor claims there was only some damaged property, which could be paid for out of the Avengers emergency fund.

The notable event in this issue is the first meeting of Thor and Dr. Strange. Dr. Strange had just barely defeated Baron Mordo and was left weakened by the battle. Strange fights Mordo pretty often. The last battle we saw was a few months ago and didn’t seem to leave Strange this weakened. There is likely some untold battle between Strange and Mordo that precedes this story.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1

The Sinister Six!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: June 11, 1964
Cover: 1964
25 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Drawn by: Steve Ditko
Lettered by: S. Rosen
41 pages

It’s 1964. You’re young. You don’t have a lot of money. But you know some math. Most comics cost 12 cents. This one costs 25. You could get two comics for that price! But wait… those two comics between them would only net you 42-46 story pages. This one promises 72 pages! 72 big pages, at that.

Indeed, this first story is 41 pages, enough to give you your money’s worth. But there’re over 30 pages of bonus features as well!

Plus, most of those comics will give you one super-villain, two at most. This cover promises a sinister six villains for your hard-earned quarter.

If you’re not yet sold to drop two bits, the first page should do it. Aunt May and Betty Brant have been captured by the Sinister Six, and Spider-Man has lost his powers! Now that’s a story!

Strange Tales #124, Story B

The Lady from Nowhere!

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: June 9, 1964
Cover: September 1964
12 cents
Written inside a haunted house by: Stan Lee
Illustrated inside a gypsy’s tent by: Steve Ditko
Inked inside a hidden cave by: Geo. Bell
Lettered inside… because it was raining outside by: S. Rosen
9 pages

Dr. Strange gets more than his usual amount of cover real estate. Some 15% of the page devoted to his story. Enough to actually depict the story within. The second time that’s happened. Strange’s day will come.

For the second of three issues, we have to put up with George Roussos finishing Ditko’s art. There’s a payoff that makes it all worth it, though. When Ditko resumes the full art duties in two issues, he’ll give us 20 of the best comics ever made.

The first page asks, “Can you guess the identity of the Lady from Nowhere??” This puts me in a bind I’ve been in before. The issue reveals her identity on the final page. I’m not a fan of spoilers and don’t want to spoil things for you. That said, this comic is over 55 years old, so it’s not like you haven’t had ample time to read it.

Even if I don’t spoil the ending in my write-up, I do like to give a listing of all the characters in this issue afterward, which would reveal who the Lady is. Tell you what. I’ll give you some hints and see if you can guess before we reach the character listing below. This is her second Marvel Age appearance, after the Iron Man story in Tales of Suspense #44. (Clicking the link will probably give away the answer.)

We’d actually already met her in one of our PRELUDE posts, when we read Venus #1. It’s not absolutely clear how or if these three versions of the character are related.

Strange Tales #123, Story B

The Challenge of Loki!

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: May 12, 1964
Cover: August 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan (Miracle Man) Lee
Illustrated by: Steve (Marvel Man) Ditko
Inked by: George (Mystical Man) Bell
Lettered by: Art (Magical Man) Simek
9 pages

This is the most cover real estate Dr. Strange has yet gotten. A full vertical half of the page. Really moving up in the world.

Stan’s “clever credits” aren’t entirely original this time. He refers to himself as Miracle Man… but that was already a name he himself gave to a Fantastic Four villain. Marvelman is the British superhero who is not actionably copied from Captain Marvel.

For the entirety of the series, as well as of Amazing Spider-Man, Ditko has done all his own art. For the best. For the next three issues, George Roussos will be inking Ditko on Dr. Strange. It is a sad sight to see.

Stan the narrator often speaks directly to the audience, and he often apologizes to them. I haven’t taken note of any apologies prior to this, but it almost seems like he’s trying to apologize that Thor looks different from normal. Because Ditko’s style isn’t Kirby’s.

Strange Tales #122, Story B

The World Beyond

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: April 9, 1964
Cover: July 1964
12 cents
Written, with a touch of sorcery by: Stan Lee
Drawn, with a dash of necromancy by: Steve Ditko
Lettered, with a number 6 pen point by: Art Simek
9 pages

We finish up Strange Tales #122. A couple things to recall from last time. I actually own this comic. And Dr. Strange is now a corner box star.

Dr. Strange, exhausted from recent battles against supernatural evil, falls asleep without proper protective chants, which leaves him vulnerable to Nightmare. This is Dr. Strange’s third battle with Nightmare.

Fantastic Four #27

The Search for Sub-Mariner!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: March 10, 1964
Cover: June 1964
12 cents
Author and illustrator extraordinary: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Inked by: Geo. Bell
Lettered by: S. Rosen
23 pages

The opening of this story is somewhat different from the norm. A little… sexier.

To make the opening image more amusing, we learn it’s not an actual projection of Sue, but rather a projection of what happens to be on Reed’s mind at the moment. Sexy Sue, apparently.

We then get the issue’s big news. Reed is planning to go buy a ring in order to ask Sue to marry him. Giant-Man recently bought a ring for the same reason, but chickened out. Let’s see if Reed can do any better.

Strange Tales #121, Story B

Witchcraft in the Wax Museum!

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: March 10, 1964
Cover: June 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee, King of Suspense
Drawn by: Steve Ditko, Master of the Macabre
Lettered by: Art Simek, Prince of the Lettering Pen
9 pages

I’ll include the cover with this post, as this is the first time the Dr. Strange story is given a significant piece of cover real estate.

I confess to a little bit of Mordo-fatigue. A full half of the Dr. Strange stories have pitted him against Mordo. As I start the story, I do a bit of a “Mordo again” sigh/eye-roll. But it’s actually a pretty good comic, as they tend to be.