Tag: espers

Strange Tales #143

To Free a Brain Slave

Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD
Release: January 11, 1966
Cover: April 1966
12 cents
Story: Stan Lee
Art: Jack Kirby
with an assist by: Howard Purcell
Inking: M. Demeo
Lettering: A. Simek
12 pages

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Howard Purcell is a new name to us, but he’s been in the business since 1940, mostly doing work for the companies that would become DC. He’s not going to be a regular Marvel artist. It’s not even clear what he did this issue. Some form of finishing Kirby’s pencil art before handing it off to Mike Esposito to finish in ink.

Here’s a sampling of his work for DC.

  • Adventure Comics #53, featuring Mark Lansing of Mikishawm, 1940
  • World’s Finest Comics #2, feat. Lando Man of Magic, 1941
  • All American Comics #25, 1941
  • All American Comics #26, feat. Sargon the Sorcerer, 1941
  • Sensation Comics #1, feat. The Gay Ghost, 1942
  • Comic Cavalcade #15, feat. Johnny Peril’s Surprise Story, 1946
  • Green Lantern #26, 1947
  • Mr. District Attorney #6, 1948
  • Mystery in Space #1, 1951
  • My Greatest Adventure #29, 1959
  • The Brave and the Bold #51, 1964
  • Sea Devils #16, 1964
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Strange Tales #142

Who Strikes At— SHIELD?

Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD
Release: December 9, 1965
Cover: March 1966
12 cents
Stan Lee, writer! (Our answer to Bond)
Jack Kirby, penciller! (Our answer to UNCLE)
Mike Demeo, inker! (Our answer to Brand echh)
Artie Simek, letterer! (Our answer to Rosen)
12 pages

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We’re a team, blast it! We trained month after month ta live like a team– fight like a team– die like a team!

I’d like to open this post with a happy birthday to the issue’s artist, Jack Kirby. He would be 106 years old today.

The story breaks have become increasingly unclear. Last issue seemed to both end the Hydra saga and begin this Mentallo/Fixer saga we find ourselves embroiled in. We took a pause at the end of the last issue, so let’s recall where we were.

Hydra was finally defeated, the Supreme Hydra murdered by his own agents; Nick allowed his daughter Agent H to escape because he had a soft spot for her. We were then introduced to the “Thinkers”, SHIELD’s ESP division. Mentallo had been a former agent of this division, who had gone rogue. Mentallo decides to form an alliance with a villainous inventor called the Fixer. And Nick Fury realizes Mentallo must be stopped at all costs.

This issue opens with a robot out of control. Lee, as the narrator, lets us know this robot has nothing to do with the main story. Sometimes it feels as though he is offering his commentary on Kirby’s storytelling as we go.

But whatever, Stan. Check out Jack’s awesome robot design!

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