red skull – Coke ⊕ Comics

Tales of Suspense #81, Story B

The Red Skull Supreme!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: May 3, 1966
Cover: September 1966
12 cents
Script: Stan (The Man) Lee
Art: Jack (King) Kirby
Inking: Frank (Good Guy) Giacoia
Lettering: Artie (Smarty) Simek
Recruiting: Irv (Fall Guy) Forbush
10 pages

Previous	#571	Next
Tales of Suspense #80, Story B	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #82
Tales of Suspense #81	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #82

There is nothing I cannot do! The universe itself must bend to my wishes, so long as I hold the Cosmic Cube! My every wish– my every command– must be instantly obeyed!

At this point, of the many many nicknames we’ve seen in credits, Stan the Man Lee, and Jack King Kirby are by far the most common.

I’m doing a thing I don’t like doing and skipping into the middle of this comic, skipping the Iron Man story at the start.

We had a choice as we have at least two cliffhangers to resolve. See what happens between Namor and Iron Man or between Cap and the Red Skull? I’ve chosen the latter. The fight between Iron Man and Namor continues in Namor’s title, so we have to read that before we get to this Iron Man story. And I was eager to see the resolution of this Captain America story.

Also, this issue’s Iron Man story begins a new saga, one I don’t want to entangle with the web of comics we’re in the middle of.

Red Skull has the Cosmic Cube, giving him godlike power.

He gets in a good villain monologue we use for the pull quote above.

While Cap’s thoughts form a good heroic response.

My life means nothing! The fate of all mankind is at stake! If he isn’t stopped– humanity itself is doomed!

Red Skull creates a creature called the Man-Thing to menace Cap. Won’t be the last Marvel character to use this name.

Tales of Suspense #80, Story B

He Who Holds the Cosmic Cube

Featuring: Captain America
Release: May 10, 1966
Cover: August 1966
12 cents
Stupifying script: Stan Lee
Electifying illustration: Jack Kirby
Dazzling delineation: Don Heck
Luminiferous lettering: Artie Simek
Frantic fund-raising: Irv Forbush
10 pages

Previous	#570	Next
Tales of Suspense #80	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #81, Story B
Tales of Suspense #80	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #81

So long as evil lives– to muster the forces of bigotry, greed, and oppression– the fight goes on! So long as men take liberty for granted– so long as they laugh at brotherhood– sneer at honesty– and turn away from faith– So long will the forces of the Red Skull creep ever closer to the final victory!

Them is an evil organization. AIM is an ordinary defense contractor. But Fury suspects a connection. Captain America remains unaware of this.

Eisenhower did warn us about the military industrial complex.

This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. . . .Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. . . . In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

Tales of Suspense #79, Story B

The Red Skull Lives!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: April 12, 1966
Cover: July 1966
12 cents
Script: Smilin’ Stan!
Art: Jolly Jack
Inks: Frantic Frankie
Lettering: Agonized Artie
10 pages

Previous	#568	Next
Tales of Suspense #79	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #80
Tales of Suspense #79	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #80

My oldest enemy! The most dangerous menace to freedom and democracy that the world has ever known!! Then– this must be why fate has spared me so long–?! It’s my destiny to battle him– to stand between the Red Skull and free men everywhere!

Well, that’s a compelling title.

Costumed assassins attack a power plant in the heart of New York.

They seemed to expect Captain America to show up. How do villains set these traps to target a particular superhero in New York. “If I commit a crime in New York I’m bound to attract precisely the superhero I intend!” Green Goblin just had a bank robbery, trusting Spider-Man would show up to foil it. Would Daredevil turning up ruin these plans?

But nobody but Cap saw these villains. Is he going insane?

Tales of Suspense #72, Story B

The Sleeper Shall Awake!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: September 9, 1965
Cover: December 1966
12 cents
Stan Lee, sultan of script!
Jack Kirby, lord of layout!
George Tuska, archduke of art!
Sam Rosen, tired of lettering!
10 pages

Previous	#450	Next
Captain Atom #78	INTERLUDE
Amazing Spider-Man #33	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #73
Tales of Suspense #72	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #73

You’re too late! You can’t… threaten me… now! There are three sleepers… and… when they awake… the Third Reich will rise again!

The story’s title is, “The Sleeper Shall Awake!”

Coincidentally the exact thing my cat says to me every morning when she wants breakfast.

While I would prefer to read whole comics at once, we read the first half of the issue a little bit earlier, because the Captain America and Iron Man stories of this issue align differently with the Avengers series.

This marks a turning point in Captain America’s adventures, as we’d spent the last several issues focused on Captain America’s adventures in World War II, which don’t create any editorial headaches regarding continuity with Cap’s appearances in Avengers. But now Stan claims readers have demanded modern Cap stories.

So we jump back to the present and see Cap relating the Greymoor Castle saga of last issue to the Avengers. They even answer some plot questions about the story.

Bewilderingly, Hawkeye did not know Bucky was dead.

And then is quite insensitive about it. “It happened more than 20 years ago!” Two notes. It was less than 20 years. Captain America slept for most of those.

Sgt. Fury #25

Every Man My Enemy!

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: October 12, 1965
Cover: December 1965
12 cents
Written in rage by: Stan Lee
Pencilled in panic by: Dick Ayers
Delineated in despair by: John Tartaglione
Lettered in the office by: Sam Rosen
20 pages

Previous	#441	Next
Avengers #24	Reading order	Avengers #25
Sgt. Fury #24	Sgt. Fury	Sgt. Fury #26

They seek a simple Nazi spy… an impersonator… nothing more! Little do they dream that they have the Fuehrer’s most dangerous agent in their midst! How they would tremble if they knew their foe is actually– the Red Skull!

Evocative cover not in Kirby’s usual mold for Sgt. Fury covers. Brings to mind the war comics covers of Joe Kubert, which this title owes many a debt to.

This is the first time we’ve seen John Tartaglione. He’s worked for Marvel on and off since the 1950s, with most of his work being in the romance genre. He’s going to become Ayers’ regular inker on this title for the next couple years.

Here’s an early example of his inking, over Pierce Rice from Marvel’s Amazing Detective Cases #6 (1951), and a contemporaneous example from Patsy Walker #124 (1965), over Al Hartley’s pencils.

Here are two examples of his pencil art, from Young Men #11 (1951) and True Secrets #13 (1952), both from Marvel.

Recall last issue, the Howlers were on furlough in America when they got urgent orders to return to Europe, with sealed instructions to be opened on the plane. Dum Dum was wounded and so remained in America. And Hans has gone to live with the Ralstons until the war ends.

Tales of Suspense #69, Story B

Midnight in Greymoor Castle!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: June 8, 1965
Cover: September 1965
12 cents
Script by: Friendly Stan Lee
Layouts by: Frolicksome Jack Kirby
Rendering by: Frivolous Dick Ayers
Lettering by: Fearless Artie Simek
10 pages

Previous	#405	Next
Tales of Suspense #69	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #70
Tales of Suspense #69	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #70

Cedric, even if you care nothing for yourself or me– think of your country! You’re betraying us all!

Kirby does the layouts. He’s been doing a lot of that this month as he is over-stretched. Ayers is credited with the rendering. The difference from the previous issues with proper Kirby art really shows.

The plot here is that a scientist has a radiation experiment the Nazis can use to kill Captain America and Bucky. But it will only work if they are first helpless captives. At which point a gun would probably suffice.

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

Previous	#400!	Next
	POSTLUDE	Marvel: Heroes & Legends #1
Journey Into Mystery #123, Story B	Reading order	X-Men #14
Fantastic Four Annual 2, Story C	Fantastic Four Annual	Fantastic 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.

Tales of Suspense #68, Story B

The Sentinel and the Spy!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: May 11, 1965
Cover August 1965
12 cents
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Inker: Frank Ray
Letterer: Sam Rosen
10 pages

Previous	#359	Next
Tales of Suspense #68	Reading order	Amazing Spider-Man #25
Tales of Suspense #68	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #69

The story’s title, “The Sentinel and the Spy”, seems to refer to Captain America’s nickname, “The Sentinel of Liberty”. It’s not clear to me how established that nickname is at this point. It’s been associated with the character since his first appearance in 1941, as the Sentinels of Liberty was the name of his fan club.

At the end of last issue, Cap still seemed to be brainwashed, but he’s snapped out of it by the opening splash page.

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.