Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos Relase: September 9, 1965 Cover: November 1965 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee, Army Vet! Pencilled by Dick Ayers, Air Force Vet! Inked by Frank Ray, Air Force Vet! Lettered by S. Rosen, Teacher’s Pet! 20 pages
Stan and Dick want to take this opportunity to give a heartfelt thanks and well done to the countless wonderful guys and gals who did so much under the banner of the U.S.O., to keep up the morale of lonely Allied fighting men, both near and far from home! We’ll never forget ’em!
Happy Sam orders the Howlers on a furlough back to the States, including Percy and Hans.
Wally Wood wrote part one of this two-parter just for a lark! But now it’s up to sly ol’ Stan to put all the pieces together and make it come out right in the end! Can he do it? See for yourself!
This really is goodbye for Wally Wood. He was heavily involved with 4 issues of Daredevil, then partially involved with 3 more. Now he’s just on inks, making no claim to having written this story in any part. After this job, he’s out the door.
Bob Powell provides the main art.
The narration box is again important. Stan is speaking in his normal salesman voice, but it barely conceals the behind-the-scenes drama of Wood writing the first half of this tale and then resigning.
I’m guessing Wood left before making a cover, as the cover is just a repurposed interior panel.
Here’s a good rundown from the Marvel in the Silver Age blog about Wally Wood’s career and time with Marvel and on Daredevil.
We’re left with one of those “What If” scenarios. What if Wood and Lee had gotten along better? Then Wood was probably going to be the one to revive Sub-Mariner instead of Colan. We got a taste of Wood’s Sub-Mariner in Daredevil #7.
I want to take a peek at Tower Comics to see what Wood is up to next. We’ll see he’s cocreated the superhero/espionage team the THUNDER Agents. Maybe he could have brought ideas like that to Marvel. Who knows what he and Lee could have come up with if they’d been able to work together.
Featuring: Spider-Man Release: July 8, 1965 Cover: October 1961 12 cents Writing and editing by: Stan Lee Plotting and drawing by: Steve Ditko Lettering and loafing by: Sam Rosen 20 pages
I don’t believe in false modesty! The best thing about being a publisher is you can write what you please about yourself!
Again, notice the plotting credit for Ditko. Ditko has plotted every issue and exclusively plotted the last several issues, but Stan is doing better at giving him credit in an attempt at appeasing Ditko’s concerns. It will prove to be too little, too late.
We’ve remarked repeatedly on just how many iconic villains Ditko came up with in a short period of time. By issue 15, we’d met: Chameleon, Vulture, Tinkerer, Dr. Octopus, Sandman, Lizard, Living Brain, Electro, Big Man and the Enforcers, Mysterio, Green Goblin, and Kraven the Hunter. That’s insane. Since then, Ditko has slowed down some, and Spider-Man has had rematches with foes like Green Goblin, Sandman, and Mysterio, while also borrowing foes from other heroes, like the Circus of Crime or the Beetle. However, we’ve still gotten some good creations in the latter half of this series, including Scorpion, the Spider Slayer, and just last issue, the Molten Man.
Ditko is basically done with creating cool iconic villains for Spider-Man. He’ll create a few more villains, but they won’t fall anywhere near the iconic camp: the Cat, the Looter, Robot Master… Otherwise, he’ll just have Spider-Man fight the villains he already has. Hence, this issue is a rematch with the Scorpion. The series is winding down. Ditko is winding down. He has one great Spider-Man story left in him, and then it’s time to say goodbye.
This issue is treading water. It’s still well told. Ditko’s a good storyteller and can churn out a solid action yarn. But we’re basically biding time.
Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD Release: November 11, 1965 Cover: February 1966 12 cents Rapturously written by: Stan Lee Resplendently drawn by: Jack Kirby Rollickingly inked by: Frank Ray Reluctantly lettered by: Sam Rosen 12 pages
If he’s what ya say, he’s the most dangerous guy in the world!
Jack Kirby returns to full pencils after several issues of laying out the series for various artists, with Frank Giacoia on inks. The difference is noticeable, though I did quite appreciate John Severin’s take on these characters.
They do what is to my mind a very weird thing. The 7-part Hydra Saga is really 6.5 parts. As it’s over by page 7 of this story. They then just begin their next saga mid-issue. It’s a bit obnoxious. I’d like to keep the arcs together to best appreciate them, but Stan seems to want to end everything on cliffhangers now, so the arcs aren’t well-defined.
They’ll head-scratchingly do the same thing next month with Fantastic Four.
We will take a break after this issue. We’ll have started the first few pages of the Mentallo/Fixer Saga, and we’ll return to it one day.
First up, the half-issue Hydra finale. The organization was defeated, but Imperial Hydra, in his true identity as Arnold Brown, is about to destroy the place, killing everybody.
Only for those without faith can there be no hope! The faith of the righteous will never waver!
How does our hero fight a being of unimaginable, godlike power? That’s a hard question for a writer. And the answers don’t always satisfy me. The last time, Dormammu’s sense of honor prevented him from continuing the battle. While this can often be a cop-out, it worked well because Dr. Strange really had suddenly switched to side with Dormammu against the Mindless Ones. He truly won the day through his sense of heroism and righteousness. I liked it.
I like the answer that Stan and Jack have come up with so far when they introduced beings like the Watcher and the Stranger. When the Watcher captured the FF, what can they do? Nothing. Just go along with it. What can the X-Men do against the Stranger? Nothing. Let him do as he wills. Fortunately, what these beings willed was agreeable to our heroes. Not so with Dormammu.
Another answer is for the godlike being to agree to a duel of honor, where he doesn’t use his powers. That’s the answer they go with here. I find it unsatisfying.
Fortunately, this will not be the final battle with Dormammu. And we’ll soon see other heroes face a similar godlike power. In these battles, we’ll see other answers to the question.
That said, once I accept that Dormammu has agreed to this no-powers duel, I find a pretty cool duel. These pincers they use as weapons make for awesome visuals, befitting this series.
Also, in an interesting twist, Dr. Strange still loses the duel.
Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD Release: October 12, 1965 Cover: January 1966 12 pages Senses-shattering story by: Stan Lee Power-packed presentation by: Jack Kirby Drama-drenched drawing by: Don Heck Dreamy-designed delineation by: Joe Sinnott Booboo-bulging balloons by: Sam Rosen 12 pages
Mankind cannot live in fear of Hydra! In the name of SHIELD… in the name of universal freedom… I cannot fail!
Kirby. Heck. Sinnott. That’s a lot of artists to draw 12 pages of comic. (A heck of a lot.)
“Booboo-bulging balloons” took a bit of deciphering. I think Stan’s claiming the letterer makes a lot of mistakes. The word balloons are bulging fit to burst with mistakes.
Hydra could have served as a looming background threat for some time to come. But they decided it was time to settle it up. This is part 6 of the “Hydra Saga”. SHIELD agents are swarming Hydra’s headquarters for the final battle.
Featuring: Dr. Strange Release: August 10, 1965 Cover: November 1965 12 cents Written and edited by incredible: Stan Lee Plotted and illustrated by invincible: Steve Ditko Lettered and bordered by indelible: Sam Rosen 10 pages
This is part 9 of a 17-part saga. We’re halfway there. This midpoint issue is also the turning point issue. Dr. Strange has spent most of the saga on the run, and then on the run while also searching for Eternity.
The reason this saga is one of my favorite Marvel stories largely comes down to this being one of my favorite Marvel comics. And that mostly comes down to two great pages. Let’s give them some attention.
Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD Release: August 10, 1965 Cover: November 1965 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee, sultan of script! Laid out by: Jack Kirby, master of melodrama! Drawn by: Johnny Severin, archduke of art! Lettered by: S. Rosen, prince of penmanship! 12 pages
And knock off that “Colonel” jazz, Mister! I keep thinkin’ ya mean someone else!
Nick Fury gets the cover again, even though the Dr. Strange story is one of the single greatest issues of all time.
Last issue, we watched three SHIELD agents sacrifice their lives in an attempt to find Hydra’s Betatron Bomb. Nick reflects on that as he realizes they are just moments too late to prevent the launch. And Hydra can now hold the world hostage.
Even Hydra has an org chart in every presentation.
Tony Stark has a secret invention which can help, but before he shows it to Fury, Hydra attacks the Stark plant. Tony is able to save himself, but not Fury, who is captured by Hydra.
Featuring: Dr. Strange Release: May 4, 1965 Cover: August 1965 12 cents Written and edited by Marvel’s mystical madman: Stan Lee Plotted and illustrated by fandom’s favorite fiend: Steve Ditko Lettered and bordered by comicdom’s cuddlesome conjurer: Sam Rosen 10 pages
By the Seven Rings of Raggadorr… By Cyttorak’s Crimson Bands! I send thee through the unseen door… go thou where my spell commands!
This is a big issue for Strange Tales, as Nick Fury takes over the lead feature. This was the issue that introduced SHIELD and Hydra. But in the backup feature, Dr. Strange’s saga is still barreling along. Anybody picking up the title for the first time to check out the new Nick Fury stories will find themselves smack in the middle of a long Dr. Strange story.
Notice Ditko gets credited with the plotting. He’s plotted every Dr. Strange story, but now he’s getting credit. Proper credit is at the heart of his conflicts with Stan Lee.
We enter into a new status quo for the story. Mordo continues his pursuit of Strange, but Strange is no longer just on the run. He has a goal now, to find Eternity.
He seeks out a former disciple of the Ancient One, Sir Baskerville.
Featuring: Dr. Strange Release: March 11, 1965 Cover: June 1965 12 cents Strange is this script by: Stan Lee! Awesome is this art by: Steve Ditko! Lilting is this lettering by: S. Rosen! 10 pages
For I have truly gained the greatest power of all… that which is the fountainhead of all other power… I have gained the gift of knowledge!
Dormammu and Mordo have teamed up. The Ancient One is comatose. He keeps ominously referring to Eternity. Last issue ended with Dormammu possessing Mordo to destroy Dr. Strange, and Dr. Strange died.
I expect this to be a short issue.
Wait. Maybe I should read the first panel better. Dormammu claims Dr. Strange still lives. Strange summoned all his remaining power to transport himself to another dimension.
I’ve claimed repeatedly this is a great story arc. I think there’s some excellent melodrama throughout and some cool ideas coming, but it’s also a perfect showcase for what Ditko’s Dr. Strange is best known for: these bizarre almost formless dimensions that defy description or visualization, yet somehow rendered on our page.
More than that, what Ditko seems to be depicting in these first three panels is the transition from one strange dimension to another.
