Berlin Breakout! Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos Release: August 9, 1966 Cover: October 1966 12 cents Edited by Stan Lee Scripted by Roy Thomas Drawn by Dick Ayers Inked by John Tartaglione Lettered by Sam Rosen Picketed by Baron Strucker 20 pages
I am not a traitor to my homeland! I want to save it… to free it from the tyranny of a madman like Adolf Hitler!
The Howlers are in custody in Berlin, set to be executed. Nick Fury intends to rescue them, but he’ll need help.
Part of that help will come from Fury’s good friend, Bull McGiveney. As well as Corporal Rickets Johnson from the Maulers. We learned his name two issues back, but now we get to put a face to it.
The other person is Eric, a German we met in Sgt. Fury #27. He’d been an aide to Goering, but defected to join the Allies. We didn’t get his surname then, but we now learn his full name is Eric Koenig.
Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos Release: July 7, 1966 Cover: September 1966 12 cents The peerless editing of Stan Lee The preciocious scripting of Roy Thomas The power-packed pencilling of Dick Ayers The pulse-pounding inking of John Tartaglione The pussycat lettering of Sam Rosen 20 pages
“I don’t like Hitler’s goose-steppers any more’n you do, but as long as he don’t attack America, it ain’t my war!” “It’s everybody’s war, Mister… I just hope they realize it before it’s too late!”
Recall last issue the Howlers were separated from Nick Fury during a mission in Greece. He is back in England now without them.
With nothing to do but wait for G-2 to bring back word on the fate of the Commandos, Captain Sawyer reflects on how he first met Nick Fury, and the group’s beginnings.
Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos Release: June 9, 1966 Cover: August 1966 12 cents Stan Lee, editor Roy Thomas, writer Dick Ayers, artist John Tartaglione, inker Sam Rosen, letterer Irving Forbush, camp mascot 20 pages
My countrymen, the much-vaunted invincibility of our so-called Aryan conquerors is but a myth! They can be stopped… but only by a united front! Do not let petty jealousies divide you in this time of crisis!
Greece. You get the sense these stories are written by looking at a map of where the Howlers haven’t been yet.
We open with a fight between the Howlers and Maulers. A typical Tuesday.
Besides Sgt. McGiveney, we’ve not learned the names of any of the Maulers; we first met the group in issue 7. We now learn that one of them is named “Rickets” Johnson. It’s not clearly identified which one. Izzy claims he started the fight by slugging Rickets.
Featuring: Dr. Strange Release: August 9, 1966 Cover: November 1966 12 cents Gloriously edited by Stan Lee Graniloquently scripted by Roy Thomas Gorgeously drawn by Wild Bill Everett Grudgingly lettered by Artie Simek 10 pages
It is the Sacred Griffin– the beast appointed by the priests of the Babylonian god Marduk to stand eternal vigil over the mystic text! It has ever been written in the Words of Flame that he who defeats the fearsome sentinel… is the destined possessor of the book!
Dr. Strange gets the cover again. Seems like he and Nick Fury will be trading off who gets featured.
We’re skipping the Nick Fury half of this comic to finish off the Kaluu arc.
O’Neill had been the writer for the last few issues, but Thomas fills in for this one. His scripting is described as “graniloquent”. Looks like Stan will return to the title next issue.
As you can see from the list down the page, Thomas is all in on the invocations.
So far, the Kaluu story has been terrible. Will Thomas turn it around?
Four issues into the battle, and Dr. Strange and Kaluu still haven’t met. So if we get that far, it will be a step up.
We’d heard Ancient One whine for several issues now about how powerful Kaluu is. But now Kaluu seems to fear that he will lose if his foes get any time to plan.
Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner Release: May 3, 1966 Cover: August 1966 12 cents Plotted by Smilin’ Stan (who then went on vacation!) Scripted by Rascally Roy (who wishes he had!) Begun by Gallant Gene (who caught the flu after finishing the first two pages!) Finished by King Kirby (who drew the last ten pages, then asked who Sub-Mariner was!) Inked by Darlin’ Dick (who else?) 12 pages
Never will Prince Namor surrender! Never shall your eyes view the true Sovereign of Atlantis humbled! Not all your vaunted power will give you the final triumph!
Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and my mother, this blog’s most loyal reader, always liked Namor in her youth. So this is for her.
The digital reprints leave off the letterer credit, and I don’t own the original of this comic. And my reprint in Marvel Masterworks has the same misprint as the digital version. But the GCD tells me there should be one more line in the credits, which reads:
Adorable Arthur (Who??)
Where were we? Red Skull is alive and has been working with Them, and AIM and Them may be the same organization. AIM/Them had created the Cosmic Cube, which Red Skull used to make himself a god, but was still defeated by Captain America. AIM is a defense contractor trying to worm its way into SHIELD and convince the government to remove Col. Fury. But Fury suspects what they are up to.
The Secret Empire is after the Orion Missile, and has hired Boomerang to the task. He has kidnapped the General’s daughter, Betty Ross, as the first step in his plan.
To save Namor from the Behemoth, Dorma agreed to marry Krang, and they ran off together. Unaware of her noble intentions, a furious Namor pursued them to the surface.
Returning to America from a battle with Ultimo, Iron Man found that his factories had been closed, and that he was running low on power and friends. Happy, Pepper, the Avengers… none were home when he desperately needed them. Happy and Pepper may have been on a date. The Avengers may have been in a hidden kingdom in South America.
Krang attacked Iron Man, then escaped. Namor blamed Iron Man for the escape, and decided to stop pursuing Krang and battle Iron Man instead.
This is the direct continuation of the story from Tales of Suspense #80.
Featuring: X-Men Release: June 30, 1966 Cover: September 1966 12 cents Editing by: Stan (Busy Bee) Lee Script by: Roy (Bookworm) Thomas Art by: Werner (Worker-ant) Roth Inking by: Dick (Doodlebug) Ayers Lettering by: Sam (Pussycat) Rosen 20 pages
“Grow! Grow! Grow! Let not one X-Man survive!” “Now, how does a rational person argue with sentiments like those?”
As we learned last issue, Jean is leaving the X-Men to go to college. She’ll be at Metro College, the same college as Johnny Storm. We just saw that Johnny Storm was on school break with Wyatt Wingfoot, and using that break to travel to the Great Refuge to try to free the Inhumans.
The Narrator notes Johnny and Wyatt are in the Himalayas. Last we saw them, they were traveling from Wakanda in Africa and on their way to the Great Refuge, which had been in the Andes, not the Himalayas. Perhaps they got lost.
Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos Release: June 9, 1966 Cover: 1966 25 cents Stan Lee, editor extaordinary Roy Thomas, scripter superlative Dick Ayers, penciler pre-eminent John Tartaglione, inker infallible Sam Rosen, letterer lamentable 24 pages
Countless ships… squadrons of high-flying B-17’s, and medium-range bombers…170,000 American and British troops– all part of the mightiest armada ever assembled by man! All dedicated to the overthrow of the most unholy empire ever conceived by man… or demon!
We’ve been hanging out in 1943-44 for this whole series. It’s been pointedly pre-D-Day. The Howlers are based in England because there is no major Allied presence in Europe. They keep sneaking into Europe for their adventures.
These annuals aren’t necessarily set with the monthly comics, so there may be several pre-D-Day comics yet to come. For example, the first annual showed the Howlers reunite in Korea, and the next one will take us to Viet Nam. And we have several more pre-D-Day stories to come in the main title.
June 5. 1944. Normandy. Hitler believes his wall around Europe to be impenetrable. The Howlers once again sneak into France on their most important mission.
Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos Release: May 10, 1966 Cover: July 1966 12 cents Exquisitely non-edited by: Stan Lee Ecstatically scripted by: Roy Thomas Excitedly drawn by: Dick Ayers Elatedly inked by: John Tartaglione Eventually lettered by: Sam Rosen 20 pages
“Now lissen, ya blasted goldbricks, and lissen good! This medic’s come all the way from the States to find out what makes us Howlers tick, an’ anybody that gives him trouble will answer to me! The doc’s here to see to it that none’a you jaw-flappin’ hyenas conks out on a mission! Like the sayin’ goes, a chain’s only as good as its weakest link!” “Ain’t that pretty, Reb?” “It sho’ nuff is, Gabe! Hey, Sarge… y’all think up that li’l ol’ speech by yoahself?” “Shuddup!”
Stan has something of a mixed reputation amongst fans today. One of the common complaints against him is that he took more credit than was due, that he accepted the credit and pay of a writer on works where his role was closer to that of an editor.
As he’s been handing off scripting duties to folks like Thomas and O’Neil, he’s stopped taking writing credit. But still gets his name first in the credits, now as an editor. (Interestingly, Roy Thomas is facing a bit of controversy lately for claiming to much creative credit from his later role as an editor.)
Amusingly, the credits admit Stan is now on vacation and wasn’t able to edit this particular book. So he claims credit for not editing the comic.
And still gets his name at the top of the credits!
We’d recently read a Daredevil comic from the same month where O’Neil had to finish the script because Stan took a vacation.
This actually may be the first comic we’ve come across that Stan Lee claims no credit for.
It’s possible this was Stan’s first vacation in five years.
Featuring: X-Men Release: June 2, 1966 Cover: August 1966 12 cents Edited in ecstacy by Stan Lee Written in rapture by Roy Thomas Drawn in delight by Werner Roth Delineated in depth by Dick Ayers Lettered in a lawn-chair by Artie Simek 20 pages
It is only in this form, in which I have no solid substance, that I can know anything like the thrill of walking again!
Werner Roth had been referring to himself as “Jay Gavin” these last several issues. But now he’s ready to use his real name in the credits.
We pick up where last issue left off, with the X-Men prisoners of Count Nefaria and the new Maggia, with lieutenants picked from an assortment of titles.
Now Nefaria executes his plan, holding Washington DC hostage, blackmailing America, and framing the X-Men.
Featuring: X-Men Release: May 3, 1966 Cover: July 1966 12 cents Editor emeritus: Stan Lee Script by: Roy Thomas Art by: Jay Gavin Inking by: Dick Ayers Lettering by: Artie Simek Colosso by: Irving Forbush Robotics, Inc. 20 pages
And, we did it as a team! No one of us could have done it alone!
The cover shows quite the assemblage of super-villains, with the X-Men reduced to floating heads.
As noted before (such as in the last X-Men arc), I find it interesting when super-villains treated as major threats upon their debut get relegated to henchman status. This starts to get them categorized as miscellaneous villains, but at least keeps them from being forgotten.
The story begins in the Danger Room, the most common place for an X-Men story to begin, then as now. Professor X has created a robot named Colosso for the X-Men to fight. And the robot was created to teach a very particular lesson. He can counter all the powers of the individual X-Men, but they can beat him as a team.
