marvel universe – Page 26

X-Men #12

The Origin of Professor X!

Featuring: X-Men
Release: May 4, 1965
Cover: July 1965
12 cents
Stupifying story by: Stan Lee
Spectacular layouts by: Jack Kirby
Slam-bang pencilling by: Alex Toth
Sensational inking by: Vince Colletta
The usual lettering by: Sam Rosen
Kibitzing by: the whole blamed bullpen!
20 pages

Previous	#330	Next
X-Men #11	Reading order	X-Men #13
X-Men #11	X-Men	X-Men #13

Happy Labor Day. Thanks to all the workers, past and present, for all they have done to shape this nation by the fruits of their labors.

We just read X-Men #11. And by just, I mean over 2 weeks ago. Sorry, life stuff got in the way of my comic reading priorities. That issue ended with alarms warning the X-Men of what Xavier called the most deadly danger they had ever faced approaching. Seeming to ignore the fact that they’d just faced a godlike alien being.

I’ve left us hanging with that cliffhanger for 2 weeks now. But it’s better than kids in the 60s had it. They had to wait 2 months to meet this new menace, and then perhaps be disappointed to learn we don’t actually glimpse him until the very final panel.

Before we get to the story, we must ask questions about the credits: Why are there so many artists? And who is this Alex Toth? What’s this bullpen?

This is the second time Stan has referred to the “bullpen” in the credits, and the second time he has credited them with kibitzing.

X-Men #11

The Triumph of Magneto!

Featuring: X-Men
Release: March 4, 1965
Cover: May 1965
12 cents
X-traordinary script by: Stan lee
X-travagant art by: Jack Kirby
X-ceptional inking by: Chic Stone
X-emplory lettering by: Artie Simek
20 pages

Previous		Next
Strange Tales #134	Reading order	X-Men #12
X-Men #10	X-Men	X-Men #12

The basic tension of the series is that every mutant that comes along, Magneto wants to recruit them to be evil. And Professor X wants to recruit them to be not evil. General agreement that no third option is acceptable; every mutant must join either the X-Men or Evil Mutants. When Blob tried to do neither, the X-Men attacked him and tried to mindwipe him. The only fine print there is the word “mutant”. Occasionally, someone such as Ka-Zar turns out to not be a mutant, in which case they are not obligated to join either team.

Now we meet a man who describes himself as a Stranger. He is very powerful. Is he a mutant? If so, they must recruit.

Strange Tales #134

The Challenge of… The Watcher!

Featuring: Human Torch and Thing
Release: April 8, 1965
Cover: July 1965
12 cents
Soul-stirring script by: Stan Lee
Breath-taking art by: Bob Powell
Eye-popping inking by: Wallace Wood
Heart-rending lettering by: Artie Simek
12 pages

Previous	#328	Next
Strange Tales #133	Reading order	X-Men #11
Strange Tales #133, Story B	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #134, Story B

All good things must come to an end. And so must this.

Hulk’s series only lasted 6 issues. But then he started showing up all over the place. Avengers, Fantastic Four, Amazing Spider-Man, and finally he got his own series back, this time to last for over 50 years and counting.

The Wasp had a back-up feature in Tales to Astonish behind the main feature she shared with Giant-Man. It started with her narrating science fiction tales, but then she started going on her own adventures. They were short-lived; she was the second character to lose a series.

The Watcher had a back-up feature behind the Iron Man stories in Tales of Suspense. It started with him narrating science fiction tales, but then he started going on his own adventures. They were short-lived; he was the third character to lose a series.

This month, two long-running features get cancelled. We’ll talk about the other in due course. (We’re reading this one a little early to get the Fantastic Four chronology in line.)

For the moment, let’s reflect on the history of Strange Tales…

Strange Tales #133

The Terrible Toys!

Featuring: Human Torch and Thing
Release: March 11, 1965
Cover: June 1965
12 cents
Written in the magnificent Stan Lee tradition!
Illustrated in the majestic Bob Powell manner!
Inked in the magiloquent Mick Demeo style!
Lettered in the mortgaged Sam Rosen home!
12 pages

Previous		Next
Strange Tales #132	Reading order	Strange Tales #134
Strange Tales #132, Story B	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #133, Story B

Due to the tightness of forthcoming FF chronology, we are reading ahead a bit in these Human Torch stories. Since Dr. Strange is still involved in a big saga, we are still holding off on reading Dr. Strange stories.

Dr. Strange at last gets half of the cover, but Kirby’s work here doesn’t quite do justice to the tale Ditko is spinning inside.

Stan notes the story will start in the middle. That is unusual for one of these stories, but it’s a classical storytelling technique, en media res.

This issue promises a surprise twist, an old villain in a new guise. I don’t want to spoil the big surprise.

Strange Tales #132

The Sinister Space Trap!

Featuring: Human Torch and Thing
Release: February 11, 1965
Cover: May 1965
12 cents
Edited with reckless abandon by: Stan Lee
Written with daring bravado by: Larry Ivie
Drawn with brash impetuosity by: Bob Powell
Inked with reckless vigor by: M. Demeo
Lettered with a soggy penpoint by: S. Rosen
12 pages

Previous		Next
Amazing Spider-Man #24	Reading order	Strange Tales #133
Strange Tales #131, Story B	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #132, Story B

Dr. Strange gets a small box on the cover to acknowledge his story.

Yesterday was the 60th anniversary of the publication of Fantastic Four #1. Wish I could have timed my posts to have something better than this Human/Torch Thing story to celebrate with. So it goes. Happy birthday, Foursome!

Art by Alex Ross, inspired by Jack Kirby.

Lots to unpack from the credits page.

We’ve already met Mr. Demeo (Mike Esposito), as he also picked up inking on Iron Man this month.

Larry Ivie is a new name to us. He is an occasional comics writer and artist, and perhaps best known as a comics fan.

The blog, Professor H’s Wayback Machine, recently did a tribute series to Ivie’s work on his self-published fanzine, Heroes & Monsters.

This is the last we’ll see of Ivie for some time, but he’ll do occasional Marvel work here and there over the next couple decades.

Also unusual in the credits is a comic Stan Lee takes no writing credit on. This isn’t the first time, but it’s been a rare occurrence, and will become less rare. Stan still gets his name first in the credits somehow.

What we would today call editing is certainly a contribution that Stan makes to every one of these books, and not one to be taken lightly. The issues arise on the comics where he worked as an editor but credited himself as a writer.

Things are heating up in the Fantastic Four book, and there won’t be much space for solo adventures. So far, with only a few exceptions, Fantastic Four adventures have fit into a single issue, where one could easily imagine these Human Torch stories fitting in between the issues. But, as is the general trend these titles are taking, Fantastic Four stories are going to get more involved, with cliffhanger endings which lead us right into the next issue.

To that end, we’re going to knock out the next few Human Torch/Thing stories presently, getting us a little ahead with them. We’ll eventually revisit all these comics and read the Dr. Strange stories.

Thus subjecting myself and you to three of these in a row.

But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel…

Amazing Spider-Man #24

Spider-Man Goes Mad!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: February 11, 1965
Cover: May 1965
12 cents
Mighty script by: Stan Lee
Powerful art by: Steve Ditko
A lotta lettering by: S. Rosen
20 pages

Previous		Next
Tales of Suspense #65, Story B	Reading order	Strange Tales #132
Amazing Spider-Man #23	Amazing Spider-Man	Amazing Spider-Man #25

I declared last month’s cover the best we’ve yet seen. Two months earlier, I’d declared it that cover. I really don’t want to keep doing that, but man, look at that crazy cover. It brings to mind Ditko’s roots in weird horror tales, and captures some of the madness of his Dr. Strange work.

The comic more than lives up to the cover.

The opening splash is also excellent. It shows Spider-Man haunted by the same ghost images of his villains, but makes it clear that’s a psychiatrist’s office, and it’s Spidey in the chair. And from the look on the doctor’s face, not about to receive a favorable diagnosis regarding his mental stability.

Aunt May is still struggling with the bills, and Peter plans to make more money taking pictures of Spider-Man to help out. Remember the theme of responsibility. Most often, it’s assumed his responsibility is to do good as Spider-Man, but he also has a responsibility to his aunt.

Tales of Suspense #65, Story B

The Red Skull Strikes!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: February 12, 1965
Cover: May 1965
12 cents
By: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Inking: Chic Stone
Lettering: S. Rosen
10 pages

Previous		Next
Tales of Suspense #65	Reading order	Amazing Spider-Man #24
Tales of Suspense #65	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #66

As with the last two issues, this is closely based on a story from Captain America Comics #1. As with the last two issues, Joe Simon is not credited.

We at this point are well versed in the Red Skull stories of the 1940s and 50s. We are now primed to see the modern take on the Red Skull, beginning with this retelling of his first adventure.

There are significant changes, many with the effect to sanitize the story, make it less violent and more kid-friendly. For example, in this version the Red Skull is not a killer. The plot of the original was all about him murdering people.

I’ll note the shared story beats common to the stories.

The story begins with Private Rogers and Mascot Barnes escorting Major Croy. They warn him it’s not safe to be alone, but he dismisses them any way.
The Red Skull attacks Major Croy.
Red Skull’s henchmen loot a bank.
Captain America and Bucky track down the Red Skull, but the Skull escapes them.
Mr. Maxon is observing a test of his new plane. Private Rogers is present. When the plane crashes, likely due to sabotage, Maxon expresses concern, but not for the lives lost, which upsets Rogers.
Red Skull attacks a General, and then is revealed to be Mr. Maxon.

With that corresponding outline, there are heavy differences.

Tales of Suspense #65

When Titans Clash!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: February 11, 1965
Cover: May 1965
12 cents
Story by Marvel’s merriest marcher: Stan Lee
Art by Marvel’s most amiable artist: Don Heck
Inking by Marvel’s dizziest delineator: Mickey Demeo
Lettering by Marvel’s persnippiest pen-pusher: Sam Rosen
12 pages

Previous		Next
Young Men #27, Story B	Prelude
Sgt. Fury #16	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #65, Story B
Tales of Suspense #64, Story B	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #65, Story B

We just spent several weeks reading Red Skull stories to prepare for this, and it’s an Iron Man story. What gives.

But I see Red Skull on the cover. Ah, flipping ahead, there are two stories in this comic. The second story is about Captain America and the Red Skull. Maybe we’ll get there tomorrow.

There’s a new name in the credits. Who is Mickey Demeo? Well, his real Name is Mike Esposito. He’s been working in comics since leaving the army in the late 1940s, and is best known for his decades of collaboration with Ross Andru. I know him best as an inker, but he was often the main penciller on his earlier work. He and Ross Andru started small publishers together in the 1950s, including Mikeross Publications, and MR Publications, which published Mr. Universe. Esposito and Ross had a decade-long collaboration on the character of Wonder Woman, which helped give a definitive and iconic look to the character. Together with writer Bob Kanigher, they co-created the original Suicide Squad and the Metal Men. Esposito will become a significant inker on Amazing Spider-Man, for a time in collaboration with Andru.

Why the alias? He probably doesn’t want DC to know he’s doing Marvel work. And it’s not just this title. He’s also inking this month’s Human Torch and Avengers adventures.

Here is a sampling of some early pencil work by Esposito.

Men’s Adventures #6 (Marvel, 1951)
Weird Adventures #3 (PL Publishing, 1951)
Girl Comics #8 (Marvel, 1951)
Blazing Sixguns #15 (Super Comics, 1963)

And here is some of his inking work in collaboration with Ross Andru.

Mr. Universe #2 (MR Publications, 1951)
All-American Men of War #6 (DC, 1953)
Get Lost #1 (Mikeross Publications, 1954)
Wonder Woman #58 (DC, 1958)
Brave and the Bold #25 (DC, 1959)
Showcase #37 (DC, 1962)

On to Iron Man. In this issue, Iron Man fights Iron Man!

Really, the new Iron man fights the old Iron Man.

That is, somebody steals Tony Stark’s new armor. So Tony has to put on his old armor to fight him.

PRELUDE: Young Men #27, Story B

The Return of the Red Skull!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: January 25, 1954
Cover: April 1954
10 cents
7 pages

Previous		Next
Young Men #24, Story B	Prelude
Sgt. Fury #16	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #65

No credits given. The GCD credits Don Rico and John Romita.

With a big sigh of relief, we come to the last Red Skull story from the pre-Marvel era. By my count he made 13 appearances, and we’ve read 11 of them, all to get ready for his triumphant return in 1965. That was more than I meant to read, but there was a particular reason for each choice.

Captain America and Red Skull, now a card-carrying Communist, battle one final time.

PRELUDE: Young Men #24, Story B

Back from the Dead!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: August 19, 1953
Cover: December 1953
10 cents
6 pages

Previous		Next
Captain America’s Weird Tales #74	Prelude	Young Men #27, Story B
Sgt. Fury #16	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #65

No credits are given. The GCD attributes the story to Don Rico and John Romita, except the first panel which it attributes to Mort Lawrence.

It is 1953, 4 years since the final Captain America story, which itself brought and end to the company’s entire line of superhero books, the Human Torch and Sub-Mariner sagas having ended a little sooner.

Marvel’s only nod to the superhero genre in the time since is their science fiction hero, Marvel Boy, whose series lasted 6 issues.

They’re ready to try again. Now generally branded as “Atlas Comics”, the company that had been known as “Timely” and would be best known as “Marvel” offers this superhero revival, bringing back their 3 most successful superheroes of the 40s: Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, and Captain America.

All three return in this very issue. We read the Sub-Mariner story previously. Spinning out of this Young Men series, all three will soon get their own titles as well. Sub-Mariner’s return will last 10 issues, while Human Torch and Captain America each get three issues, before again being consigned to oblivion for another decade.

We read several issues of the Captain America revival to prepare to read Captain America’s lasting return in 1964. Those posts met with the sharpest criticism in the comments section I have yet received. I was called naive, arrogant, ignorant about comics… The internet can be a cruel place sometimes.