prelude – Coke & Comics

PRELUDE: Space Adventures #33, Story B

Introducing Captain Atom

Featuring: Captain Atom
Release: January 1960
Cover: March 1960
10 cents
9 pages

Previous		Next
	INTERLUDE	Captain Atom #78
Amazing Spider-Man #33	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #72, Story B

Meet Captain Adam… the Air Force career man who knew more about rocketry, missiles, and the universe than any man alive… a specialist of the missle age, a trained, dedicated soldier who was a physics prodigy at eight, a chemist, a ballistics genius! In short, Captain Adam was an invaluable space-age soldier even before that memorable day at Cape Canaveral, Florida, when an Atlas missile was being readied for blast-off… with an atomic warhead inside… and Captain Adam making the final last second adjustments!

GCD credits the story to Joe Gill and the art to Steve Ditko. They say Ditko’s signature appears, but I can’t prove that. Maybe someone has better eyes than I do. UPDATE: My readers do have better eyes than I!

I’m curious what happens to Steve Ditko after he leaves Marvel. And the answer can be found before he even leaves Marvel. About 6 months before his last Spider-Man and Dr. Strange story appear, his work starts showing up from other publishers. The first work to grace newsstands is a return to his character, Captain Atom, published almost concurrently with Amazing Spider-Man #32, part of the story that reads like Ditko’s last Spider-Man story.

I thought it would be good to check out that story, but for context I thought it would be worth first going back to the creation of the character, which came out over 2 years before the first Spider-Man story.

We’ll retroactively place this in the reading order alongside the comics concurrent to Captain Atom’s return.

Before Spider-Man and Dr. Strange, Steve Ditko teamed with writer Joe Gill to create Captain Atom. Let’s check out his first adventure from 1960.

PRELUDE: Weird Science #20

The Loathsome!

Release: March 30, 1953
Cover: July-August 1953
10 cents
Publisher: EC Comics
By: Wood
8 pages

Previous		Next
	POSTLUDE	Marvels #2
Tales of Suspense #72	Reading order	Sgt. Fury #22

To whoever finds this note… I love you.

The Grand Comics Database credits the plot to Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein with a script by Feldstein. The coloring is credited to Marie Severin and the lettering to Jim wroten. The artist is Wally Wood.

Astute observers will notice our latest entry in our Marvel reading is not a Marvel comic. This was published by EC Comics in 1953.

Why are we reading it?

Three reasons. One, Wally Wood is soon finishing up his time at Marvel. I’d alluded before to his astounding science fiction work in the past. We may as well read a story. Two, thematically, this is basically the story of the X-Men in comic form a decade earlier. Three, we are about to read Marvels #2, which explicitly references this comic, drawing the parallels to the X-Men.

The issue features 3 other sci/fi tales and a text story, including an adaptation of a Ray Bradbury story, and the story about cryogenic slumber and space travel the cover is based on (eerily similar to that awful film Passengers, except more self-aware). Another tale is titled “The Reformers”, and non-subtly mocks those who would foment outrage about comics. Great stories, all.

Warning. This is much darker and more intense a story than our normal Marvel reading. EC Comics were famously dark, to the point where they became the center of a nationwide outrage against the comics medium.

This is the story of a mutant girl.

It begins with then-current events. Operation Ivy. The US military conducted a nuclear test on Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands, October 31, 1952, the first successful explosion of a hydrogen bomb.

This comic then speculates on the fate of a soldier exposed to the radiation from the fallout. A soldier who goes home, marries, and sires a child. A child who is born hideously deformed.

PRELUDE: Mystic #39, Story B

The Fury!

Featuring: The Fury
Release: May 26, 1955
Cover: September 1955
10 cents
5 pages

Previous		Next
Venus #5	PRELUDE
Daredevil #9	Reading order	Journey Into Mystery Annual 1

The GCD attributes the art to Werner Roth.

We’re reading this 1950s Marvel tale because we’re looking for the early Marvel appearances of Zeus. This is the earliest appearance I could find. We’ve seen some earlier appearances of Jupiter, who is perhaps the same person.

Zeus has a brief appearance, as the story is really about a Fury, one of the Erinyes, those powerful forces of cosmic justice.

PRELUDE: Venus #5

Her Perilous Quest!/Defeat!/The End of the Quest!

Featuring: Venus
Release: March 14, 1949
Cover: June 1949
10 cents
19 pages

Previous		Next
Young Allies #16, Story B	PRELUDE	Mystic #39, Story C
Daredevil #9	Reading order	Journey Into Mystery Annual 1

Nothing is as important as love.

No credits are given, save that of the editorial consultant to make sure it’s child-friendly.

We are reading this because it features Jupiter. I’m not actually interested in Jupiter. I’m interested in Zeus. Jupiter is a Roman god; Zeus a Greek god. But Roman mythology borrowed quite heavily from Greek mythology, and many of their stories are just the Greek stories with different names. The Roman Jupiter basically is Zeus with a different name.

I’m interested in the upcoming introduction of Hercules, whose father is Zeus. This is confusing, because Hercules is the name of a Roman demigod, modeled after the Greek demigod, Heracles. Heracles is the son of Zeus; Hercules the son of Jupiter.

In fact, the Hercules we met in Daring Mystery Comics #6 was the son of Jupiter.

This is confusing enough to make me think that in the Marvel Universe, Hercules and Heracles are the same person. So maybe Zeus and Jupiter are as well.

So let’s read this story about Jupiter.

PRELUDE: Young Allies #16, Story B

Battle of the Giants!

Featuring: Tommy Tyme
Release: May 16, 1945
Cover: Summer 1945
10 cents
5 pages

Previous		Next
Daring Mystery Comics #5, Story H	PRELUDE	Venus #5
Daredevil #9	Reading order	Journey Into Mystery Annual 1

Geez! Am I dumb! Here am I wishin’ for sumpin’ right in me mits! Let’s go Clock! I’m gittin’ me a ringside seat!

That loin cloth better hold; this is a children’s comic.

No credits are visible. The GCD credits the art to Charles Nicholas and Al Bellman.

We’ve read two appearances of Marvel’s first characters named Hercules. We then sort of met the “real” Hercules in his reincarnated form as Marvel Boy. But now we meet the actual Hercules of myth.

I admit to trepidation when learning that his introduction was in Young Allies, and I was so relieved to learn I didn’t actually have to read the Young Allies story. Give me Tommy Tyme any day. Tempted to give extra points to this story for not being Young Allies.

This story adapts a famous Hercules legend, the defeat of Antaeus the Giant. In the classic story, Hercules’ labours were in the service of Eurytheus in penance for killing his own wife and children. On his quest to find golden apples, Hercules battled Antaeus. The comic leaves out these details and just shows the battle.

We sort of met Tommy Tyme once before. I’d wanted to see the original Marvel versions of Merlin and the Black Knight, though had been reluctant to bother to read the issue. So we talked about it here.

I’ve apparently since grown less picky about what Marvel stories to read. Little Hercules. Tommy Tyme. It’s all one big soup.

Tommy Tyme stories tend to have a similar structure. His “wonderful Clock of Ages” takes him back to some famous time and place to meet some famous people, like Robin Hood or Benjamin Franklin. Think of the series as a precursor to Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

PRELUDE: USA Comics #7, Story C

Marvel Boy

Featuring: Marvel Boy
Release: December 30, 1942
Cover: February 1943
10 cents
7 pages

Previous		Next
Daring Mystery Comics #6	PRELUDE	Young Allies #16, Story B
Daredevil #9	Reading order	Journey Into Mystery Annual 1

The only wrecks in this subway will be Nazis– not trains!

We read about Marvel’s original Marvel Boy from 1940, and now we jump ahead almost 3 years. Online sources differ as to whether this is the character’s second appearance, or the first appearance of a new character with the same superhero name.

There is textual evidence to support and refute both positions.

I have my own opinion, but let’s read the issue and consider the evidence.

To remind us of the previous Marvel Boy for comparison: Hercules was a master of the Egyptian art of reincarnation and a staunch defender of America and its ideals. When he died, his soul went to Valhalla, which is presided over by Jupiter. When Hercules realized the threat Hitler posed to America, he had himself reincarnated as young Martin Burns. Martin Burns was a very strong baby, and on his 14th birthday, he learned his true identity and purpose, and was given a name and costume to enable him to battle Germany spies and saboteurs: Marvel Boy.

Hypothesis A: These are the same character.
Hypothesis B: These are different characters.

Examine the evidence.

PRELUDE: Daring Mystery Comics #6

Introducing– Marvel Boy

Featuring: Marvel Boy
Release: June 15, 1940
Cover: September 1940
10 cents
10 pages

Previous		Next
Daring Mystery Comics #5, Story H	PRELUDE	USA Comics #7, Story C
Daredevil #9	Reading order	Journey Into Mystery Annual 1

Do not be sad, for I do not really leave you– I shall be back– when America needs me the most–

Well, that’s an unfortunately racist cover from Jack Kirby and Joe Simon.

When we met Marvel Girl in X-Men #1, we took the excuse to meet Marvel Boy from 1950. That was actually not Marvel’s first character named Marvel Boy, and perhaps we should have met the other(s) then. We didn’t.

We’ll read about him/them now due to his/their connections to Hercules. (Join me in the next post to see why I seem so confused about singular vs. plural pronouns.)

This Marvel Boy is a creation of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, before the same team created Captain America, and before Jack Kirby and various collaborators would go on to create… a lot of famous superheroes.

I think there is a case to be made this might be Kirby’s first superhero co-creation, which makes Marvel Boy quite notable in itself. Moreso because you can see elements that made their way into Captain America, including the basic mask shape, the boots and gloves, using Hitler as an enemy.

Two notes against that point. Kirby had previously co-created with Martin Burstein the feature “Mercury in the 20th Century”. This was about the classic god Mercury. Not precisely a superhero, but if Thor counts, perhaps he should too. (We’ll probably read that Mercury story in the near future when we are ready to meet Pluto.)

That same issue introduced Jack Kirby’s science fiction hero Comet Pierce. In the Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers mold. Again, not exactly a superhero.

Marvel Boy is Kirby’s first standard superhero co-creation.

Except the second note is I have no idea who created Marvel Boy. Harry Mendryk explains the creation of this issue as follows on the Kirby Museum blog. He credits Joe Simon with the initial 3 pages which introduce the character and lay out his origin, and then Kirby with the rest. It’s thus quite possible that Joe Simon created the character on his own, and then gave the partially completed issue to Kirby to finish.

Often, history doesn’t tell us with much certainty what the division of labor going into an issue was. So I usually find it easiest to credit the writers and artists of a character’s inaugural issue as co-creators. By my normal intentionally naive standards, I would say Marvel Boy was a co-creation of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

But there is probably room for disagreement and assertion this was a Joe Simon creation.

The character only lasts one issue, though there is a sort-of revival 3 years later we will consider in the next post.

I’ve expressed before my opinion that initials are generally the worst logo for a superhero uniform. Imagine that chest with a better logo, like say a star. And imagine he wore pants. Now lose the cape and add some little wings to the cap. You’re getting closer to a good superhero design.

PRELUDE: Daring Mystery Comics #5, Story H

Introducing Little Hercules

Featuring: Little Hercules
Release: April 11, 1940
Cover: June 1940
10 cents
By: SAG
4 pages

Previous		Next
Mystic Comics #2, Story B	PRELUDE	Daring Mystery Comics #6
Daredevil #9	Reading order	Journey Into Mystery Annual 1

Marvel’s second character named Hercules debuted just days after the original, this one known as “Little Hercules”.

The comic is signed SAG, referring to Bud Sagendorf.

It’s a gag comic, not the “serious” adventures we’ve been reading. Little Hercules is only 12, but he’s the smartest and strongest boy on Earth. The comic opens with him being awarded a doctorate in all the sciences.

PRELUDE: Mystic Comics #3, Story B

Hercules

Featuring: Hercules
Release: March 29, 1940
Cover: June 1940
10 cents
7 pages

Previous		Next
Two-Gun Kid #77	INTERLUDE
	PRELUDE	Daring Mystery Comics #5, Story H
Daredevil #9	Reading order	Journey Into Mystery Annual 1

Crime cruelty! Maybe I can stop such things!

In preparation for meeting Marvel’s Hercules, let’s meet Marvel’s first character with that name. Not the Olympian god but a forgettable superhero who bears his name. Recall that 1940s Marvel had more superheroes than anybody can name.

No credits are given. The Marvel Masterworks reprint credits story and art to Arnold Hicks.

PRELUDE: Mystic Comics #6

The Destroyer

Featuring: The Destroyer
Release: July 31, 1941
Cover: October 1941
10 cents
Story by: Stan Lee
By: Jack Binder
15 pages

Previous		Next
Journey Into Mystery #118, Story B	Reading order	Journey Into Mystery #119

We just met the Thor villain, the Destroyer. It seems a good time to look back to Marvel’s original Destroyer, an early Stan Lee co-creation from 1941.

He is introduced in Mystic Comics #6. You may recall we’ve already read the story from Mystic Comics #4 which introduced the original Black Widow.

In our normal 1965 reading, we just saw Thor take his part in the Vietnam War. Marvel was willing to take a clear stand in a conflict. The Vietnam War is a much more controversial one amongst Americans, and Lee’s take in that story was entirely in line with US policy.

This story takes a clear stance against the Nazis, something historically less controversial, but that was not at the time well-aligned with US policy. And US opinion on the war in Europe was far from homogeneous when this was released in July 1941.

Stan describes a war between democracy and dictatorship, and the Destroyer is a hero who will specifically destroy the Nazi hordes.

Germany is then criticized for a lack of press freedom, claiming only German official propaganda is released, and that the truth is being hidden.