Fantastic Four Annual 3

Bedlam at the Baxter Building!

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: July 1, 1965
Cover: 1965
25 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Drawn by: Jack Kirby
Inked by: Vince Colletta
Lettered by: Artie Simek
23 pages

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Fantastic Four Annual 2, Story CFantastic Four AnnualFantastic Four Annual 4

I now pronounce you man and wife! You may kiss your bride!

It’s the wedding of the century. Today’s the day. Half the Marvels have been invited! And the rest of them are turning up anyway!

This issue represents by far the largest gathering of heroes and villains yet, forever binding these disparate characters into a universe.

This issue represents the idea that there is no status quo, that these characters are at their best when they change and grow. Forward momentum is an essential ingredient to storytelling. Genuine, non-illusionary, change.

This is the most significant moment in the early Marvel Universe.

I think I’d have come up with a better title than “Bedlam at the Baxter Building”.

I wish Chic Stone or Joe Sinnott had been the inker. A few months too late to have Stone and one month too early to have Sinnott. Also, Colletta is uniquely suited to a long special issue with many characters because he’s famously expedient.

I appreciate that the headline takes for granted the public knows who Reed and Sue are without the need for surnames or superhero identities. The cover does the same for its audience.

Pretty cool this worked out to be the 400th story in our reading order. Currently on track to also have the 500th story be a particularly special issue of Fantastic Four as well. When we read Avengers #1, it was the 100th story, but then I went and retroactively mucked with the ordering.

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Sgt. Fury Annual 1

Commission in Korea!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: July 1, 1965
Cover: 1965
25 cents
Story: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Art: Darlin’ Dick Ayers
Inking: Frisky Frankie Ray
Lettering: Artful Artie Simek
15 pages

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They have been shown, in the only way they understand, that free men can always strike back!

We check in with Sgt. Fury during the Korean War. The Commandos are sent on a secret mission across the 38th Parallel. Based on a cursory knowledge of the war, the massive American presence combined with a reticence to cross the 38th Parallel would place this story in July-August 1950.

The remaining Commandos all survived WWII and re-enlisted when the Korean War broke out. All of them have attained at least the rank of Sergeant, but they still seem to be in the same formation with the same personnel from 1943.

The narrator reminds us that the US are the good guys, who play by the agreed-upon rules of war. Unlike those Reds.

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Sgt. Fury #21

To Free a Hostage!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: June 8, 1965
Cover: August 1965
12 cents
Story by: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Pencilling by: Darlin’ Dick Ayers
Inking by: Cheerful Carl Hubbell
Lettering by: Adorable Artie Simek
20 pages

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I’m sorry kid. I know what it’s like– to lose someone!

The Howlers seem to have been betrayed by their Czechoslovakian bomb maker, Dr. Zenish.

They deduce that it’s because his family is being used as hostages against him.

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Sgt. Fury #20

The Blitz Squad Strikes!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos
Release: May 11, 1965
Cover: July 1965
12 cents
Smashing script: Stan Lee
Awesome art: Dick Ayers
Inspired inking: Frank Ray
Luscious lettering: Artie Simek
20 pages

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Sgt. Fury #19Sgt. FurySgt. Fury #21

Mister, when it comes to being tough, us Commandos invented the word!! And we don’t need a ravin’ Fuehrer to remind us how good we are!! All we gotta do is pick up a history book!! Mebbe we don’t push our weight around like you Nazis do! But, mebbe it’s because we know we don’t haveta! We got all the muscle we need– when we need it! And the dictator don’t live who can push us around!! Waddaya think of us “inferior races” now? Answer me, ya creep!! And then answer all the innocent people, all over the world, that ya been tramplin’ on–!!

We just saw an eye-patched Colonel Fury take over the international spy agency, SHIELD in the 1960s. Let’s head back to the 1940s to see the adventures of Sgt. Fury with two good eyes.

The credits on these Sgt. Fury books have usually emphasized the creators’ status as former military. “Ex-Sgt. Stan Lee”, “Ex-Corp. Dick Ayers”, “Ex-Corp. Frank Ray”. In fact, I think they’ve done that in every one of the first 19 issues of this series, but seem to be done with the practice now. I wonder why. They’re not phasing it out; they’ll just never mention the military service of the creators again.

We see the return of Baron Strucker’s Blitzkrieg Squad, introduced in issue 14, the Nazi counterparts to the Howling Commandos.

That truck seems to have a target on it.

Unless somebody has a better explanation, I’m going to suggest the logo is the RAF roundel, simply miscolored here, and not indicative of the Target corporation. The Turkish Air Force roundels look like the Target logo, but no British ones that I can find.

A bit of poking fun at themselves here. Fury’s rival Bull McGiveney claims all Fury knows how to do is rip up shirts.

A torn chest-revealing shirt is basically Fury’s uniform.

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