Featuring: Fantastic Four Release: August 11, 1964 Cover: November 1964 12 cents Story by: Stan Lee who has never been more dramatic! Illustrations by: Jack Kirby who has never been more thrilling! Inking by: Chic Stone who has never been more realistic! Lettering by: S. Rosen who has never been more than an hour late! 21 pages
Featuring: Spider-Man Release: September 8, 1964 Cover: December 1965 12 cents Written by: Spidey’s godfather, Stan Lee Illustrated by: Spidey’s big daddy, Steve Ditko Lettered by: S. Rosen (Spidey’s second cousin on his uncle’s side!) 22 pages
The conclusion of the “End of Spider-Man” trilogy sees Spider-Man’s triumphant return.
Recall the story so far. Spider-Man had been in a battle with Green Goblin when he learned Aunt May had been hospitalized; he ran away from the fight, provoking the whole town to talk about what a coward he is. In the next issue, he ran away from a fight with Sandman, fearing injuries to himself would leave nobody to look after Aunt May. A confluence of factors convinced him to retire the Spider-Man persona before Aunt May gave a well-timed speech which inspired him to change his mind. Now, he wants a rematch with the Sandman.
We tried to read Amazing Spider-Man #17-19 together, but Human Torch had at least one Strange Tales adventure in the middle, and Dr. Strange was involved in a two-part story in that same title, so we took a brief detour before wrapping up Spidey’s mini-saga.
That said, all the in-story information tells us is that Human Torch is weary from a battle he just had. That could be anything, one we saw or didn’t. However, if we trust Stan’s editor note, then Johnny is referring to Strange Tales #127. That doesn’t really make much sense, as that battle was in Utah. So why would Human Torch be in New York flying to his own house commenting on how he’s still exhausted from a battle in Utah. Did he not nap on the plane ride home?
Sandman and the Enforcers capture the Human Torch. Montana’s rope seems like a poor weapon against the Torch’s flame, but maybe it’s specially treated. Most likely, Human Torch’s weariness from the battle with that mystery villain in Utah is the only reason he was beaten.
Featuring: Human Torch and Thing Release: August 11, 1964 Cover: November 1964 12 cents Stan Lee is our inspired writer Dick Ayers is our admired penciller Paul Reinman is our desired inker S. Rosen is our tired letterer 13 pages
Mad Thinker and Puppet Master team up to destroy the Fantastic Four; the plan is to use puppets to manipulate Thing and Human Torch into fighting.
I swear we’ve already read this story. Maybe I’m thinking of Strange Tales #116 where Puppet Master used puppets to manipulate Thing and Human Torch into fighting. Or Fantastic Four #28 where the Mad Thinker and Puppet Master teamed up to destroy the Fantastic Four.
Stan refers to the alliance of the Puppet Master and Mad Thinker as the “Deadly Duo”. That’s what Stan called the alliance of Dr. Doom and Namor in Fantastic Four #6. I guess there are so many alliterative appellations for abhorrent alliances.
Featuring: Spider-Man (for the moment) Release: August 11, 1964 Cover: November 1964 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee, author of “The Fantastic Four” Illustrated by: Steve Ditko, illustrator of “Dr. Strange” Lettered by: Sam Rosen, letterer of… “Patsy Walker”??? 22 pages
Check out that cover. Quite the contrast with pretty much every other superhero cover. The superhero is usually portrayed as tough, dramatically standing against the odds. In the worst case, the cover might show the villain winning, but the superhero remains defiant. This one has Spider-Man cowering and hiding from the villain.
In this story, Peter decides to quit being Spider-Man. He’s thought about it before, but he’s about to actually quit for the first time. It won’t be the last time, or even necessarily the most famous time. A similar story will get told and retold across decades of Spider-Man stories and even make its way into Spider-Man 2. (More directly, the film borrowed from Amazing Spider-Man #50, which borrowed from this issue.)
Note we’re reading this and the last issue together because they make a strong arc when read together. In terms of continuity, it has been weeks since the conclusion of the last issue, so it’s likely several other heroes’ adventures we’ve read occurred in the interim.
The story begins with everybody reacting to Spider-Man’s retreat: heroes, villains, people on the street… guy can’t run away from a single fight without everybody having an opinion. Ditko is great at people reacting to things.
Wasp notes that wasps and spiders are natural enemies. Always found that a weird thing to say. But she’s said it before and she’ll say it again; it’s an obsession of hers whenever the topic of Spider-man comes up.
This is an excellent comic for helping shape the nature of the relationship between Human Torch and Spider-Man. They’ve had some banter and conflict before, but also teamed up. A friendly rivalry. We saw how friendly last issue when Johnny attended the Spider-Man Fan Club meeting and then was quick to help Spider-Man against the Goblin. Now, he seems uncertain. He witnessed Spider-Man’s cowardice firsthand, but still wants to think better of his friend.
Featuring: Fantastic Four Release: July 9, 1964 Cover: October 1964 Written by: Stan Lee, the man with the talented typewriter! Illustrated by: Jack Kirby, the man with the power-packed pencil! Inked by: Chic Stone, the man with the panoramic paint-brush! Lettered by: S. Rosen, the man with the leaky lettering pen! 21 pages
I’d like to reflect back to Fantastic Four #11. Things were revealed there which are contrary to my general impression of these characters. Some key facts were that Reed and Ben had served in World War II. Prior to the war, they had both finished college. Further, he and Sue were sweethearts prior to the war.
We did a lot of math about what that meant, math I’m sure Stan Lee never did. But he must have had some sense of what he was saying. He had been a sergeant himself in World War II. He must have known that claiming Reed and Ben served in the same war he did made them about his age. He similarly knew that it was quite odd to have a sweetheart for 20 years and still not be married. He must have known these things.
The one thing I suspect he didn’t think about was that Johnny was in high school. This necessarily put a gap of almost twenty years in age between brother and sister. I have a friend whose brother is 30 years older than he, so I know this is possible. But I really don’t think Stan intended it.
Stan certainly gives the impression in the stories that Reed has let Sue stay single too long, but I assume he intends to mean she should have been married by 23 and she’s now like 26 or something. But that’s inconsistent with the World War II facts, which suggests she’s pushing 40 and still unmarried, but with at least two suitors.
Either way, Johnny is in high school. And whether his sister is ten or twenty years older than he, she is definitely much older and seems to be his guardian. There has been no mention of parents.
Featuring: Fantastic Four Release: July 2, 1964 Cover: 1964 25 cents A Stan Lee story spectacular! A Jack Kirby illustrative idyll! A Chic Stone delineation delight! A Sam Rosen lettering landmark! 25 pages
Never will this mass of teeming humanity ever forget that Doctor Doom once walked among them!
It’s interesting that this is the final story in this issue. It almost seems backwards. This is the full-length Fantastic Four story. That would usually go up front. The first story was a 12-page story which didn’t feature the Fantastic Four at all. That would usually be the back-up. But the 12 page story was better. So Stan put it first.
It’s still weird to me that this is the final thing in the comic, after the reprint and all the bonus material. This is the cover feature, after all.
How is it that we saw Dr. Doom alive in the previous story when clearly he was floating somewhere in space? Sure enough, a ship randomly rescued him… again. This time, it was Rama-Tut.
The story at least acknowledges that Fantastic Four #23 should have been the last we saw of Dr. Doom. It shows us what happened immediately afterwards. Dr. Doom was trapped in space, running out of oxygen reserves and falling toward Jupiter when his unlikely rescue occurred.
Rama-Tut notes this can’t have happened by chance. I’m inclined to agree.
Featuring: Dr. Doom Release: July 2, 1964 Cover: 1964 25 cents Earth-shaking script by: Stan Lee Breath-taking illustration by: Jack Kirby Epoch-making delineation by: Chic Stone No-faking lettering by: S. Rosen 12 pages
We get another 25 cent annual for 72 pages. The Amazing Spider-Man Annual we recently covered was a better deal. That was 72 pages of all new material, which is really quite the bargain for 25 cents. This issue reaches the page count by reprinting Fantastic Four #5. Now, if you’d never read the first appearance of Dr. Doom, and were having trouble finding it, that would make this just as good a deal.
The first page
Confusing opening. It seems to show Dr. Doom in a castle. Yet, we saw Dr. Doom get lost in space in Fantastic Four #23. Of course, he also got lost in space in issue 6 only to be miraculously rescued by the Ovoids. But the odds of something like that happening twice are too improbable to consider. After all, space is big. Perhaps this story is meant to be set before Doom fell into outer space. Because I was sure we’d seen the last of him.
This is the best drawing of Dr. Doom we’ve yet seen. At least, that’s my take. I’d like to see if I can break down what’s leading my instincts to that conclusion.
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!
Featuring: Fantastic Four Release: June 6, 1964 Cover: September 1964 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee (A rather nice writer) Drawn by: Jack Kirby (A quite noteworthy artist) Inked by: Chic Stone (A somewhat nifty inker) Lettered by: Art Simek (An occasionally neat letterer) 22 pages
On vacation in Transylvania, the Fantastic Four awaken Diablo, an evil alchemist sealed in his crypt 100 years earlier.
Diablo gives Thing a potion which turns him into a prettier (?) version of himself, which leads to Thing betraying the Fantastic Four to join Diablo. Diablo proceeds to make himself wealthy by selling a variety of miracle potions to the world.
Featuring: Fantastic Four Release: May 12, 1964 Cover: August 1964 12 cents Written with a dash of greatness by: Stan Lee Drawn with a hint of glory by: Jack Kirby Inked with a touch of drama by: Chic Stone Lettered with a bottle of India ink by: S. Rosen 22 pages
This is pretty easily my favorite cover so far. Years before I’d ever read the issue, I’d been enthralled by the cover. It seems to promise so much potential. What started on Yancy Street? Important enough to attract the attention of the Watcher.
Beyond my fascination with the ominous mood the cover suggests, there really hasn’t been a cover at all like this yet in our reading. First of all, it’s definitely the first Fantastic Four cover without a hint of a villain. The closest other example is Fantastic Four #13, which only shows Red Ghost’s hand. The mood of the characters is entirely different from the norm. Usually they’re mid-battle or primed for battle, with only a couple exceptions, notably FF#13 again. Now, they seem nervous, uncertain, hesitant. Moods that have never made it onto a cover. Reed is holding Sue’s hand. Ben looks uneasy. Johnny is nervously looking around.
Behind them all, the visage of the Watcher lurking ominously with glimpses of the cosmos behind him.
And yet. And yet. While almost everything about the visuals of the cover suggest this serious tone, we must also look to the street sign. Yancy Street. That creates an association which is far from serious. Since we first learned of the Yancy Street Gang back in issue 6, they have been comic relief, existing to knock Thing down a peg, to keep him humble. There is then some irony on the cover. Perhaps the super-serious tone is not meant to be taken quite so seriously.
Will the story live up to the incredible cover? As with most great works of this era, parts of it do and parts of it do not. In particular, the revelation of just what was happening on Yancy Street proves somewhat disappointing.
The first page seems almost a continuation of the cover, the Fantastic Four walking down Yancy Street, uncertain quite what they are looking for. Yet, the ominous tone of the cover is mixed with a certain wackiness as Thing steps in gum and somebody hurls lettuce at Mr. Fantastic. They are indeed on Yancy Street.
The first 5 pages of this comic are a quirky mix of foreboding and humor and relationship drama. The Fantastic Four get attacked by unseen members of the Yancy Street Gang. Reed bewilderingly concludes that a super-villain must be behind the Gang.
