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Tales to Astonish #91, Story B

Whosoever Harms the Hulk..!

Featuring: Hulk
Release: February 14, 1967
Cover: May 1967
12 cents
By: Stan (The Man) Lee and Gil (Sugar Lips) Kane
Lettered by: Artie Simek
10 pages

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Tales to Astonish #91	Reading order	X-Men #30
Tales to Astonish #91	Tales to Astonish	Tales to Astonish #92

This is your chance– to finally make everyone know that you’re not really a menace! You can become a hero–!!

The Stranger had taken control of Hulk to use as a weapon to destroy the world. But the Stranger’s control ended as soon as Hulk reverted to Banner. A spy used the Gamma Ray machine to transform himself into a Hulk-like creature that Betty dubbed the Abomination. Banner turned back into Hulk to stop the Abomination, but Hulk was defeated. And the Abomination absconded with Betty.

Now, General Ross thinks he has no choice but to try to save the life of the Hulk.

Tales to Astonish #91

Outside the Gates Waits.. Death!

Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner
Release: February 14, 1967
Cover: May 1967
12 cents
A shocking submersible saga by: Smilin’ Stan Lee and Wild Bill Everett
Inked by Dandy Danny Adkins
Lettered by Swingin’ Sammy Rosen
12 pages

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Tales to Astonish #90, Story B	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #91, Story B
Tales to Astonish #90, Story B	Tales to Astonish	Tales to Astonish #91, Story B

But ’tis no longer any concern of Namor’s! My subjects have forsaken me! Thus, they are deserving of their fate!

Dan Adkins is a mostly new name to us, though we’d seen his work when we checked out the THUNDER Agents. He was new to comics then, and has been Wally Wood’s assistant and artistic partner since. In addition to Tower, the pair has been doing work for Warren, Gold Key, and Harvey. Here’s a sampling of Adkins’ work after just over a year in the industry, all art drawn with Wally Wood in some combination.

THUNDER Agents #3, Tower, 1966
Creepy #9, Warren, 1966
The Munsters #8, Gold Key, 1966

Having defeated Namor in combat, Byrrah is crowned Prince Byrrah, Lord of Atlantis. Krang and Attuma join Byrrah by his side.

Imagine electing a leader who sides with your nation’s enemies so blatantly.

Tales to Astonish #90, Story B

The Abomination!

Featuring: Hulk
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: April 1967
12 cents
An heroic, hulkish handiwork, by: Stan (The Man) Lee and Gil (Sugar Lips) Kane
Lettered by Swingin’ Sammy Rosen
10 pages

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Tales to Astonish #90	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #91
Tales to Astonish #90	Tales to Astonish	Tales to Astonish #91

Only one thing will insure the safety of mankind.. The Hulk must die! Even though it means the death of Bruce Banner, as well!

We did leave off on a bit of a cliffhanger. Hulk is under the mental command of the Stranger and is going to go on a global rampage to weaken Earth enough for Stranger to conquer.

It’s the type of cliffhanger that usually makes me skip ahead to read the next issue promptly.

But I find the resolution here so anticlimactic, that it didn’t feel worth it.

As the situation is resolved by page 2.

Hulk reverts back to Banner. Stranger had taken control of Hulk’s brain. Not Banner’s. So therefore Earth is saved. And we can get on to the issue’s main plot points.

Tales to Astonish #90

To Be Beaten By Byrrah!

Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: April 1967
12 cents
Produced with pageantry– presented with pride– by: Stan Lee and Bill Everett
Lettered by: Sherigail
Water ballets staged by: Irving Forbush
12 pages

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Sub-Mariner #35, Story B	PRELUDE
Tales of Suspense #88	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #90, Story B
Tales to Astonish #89, Story B	Tales to Astonish	Tales to Astonish #90, Story B

For years, Prince Namor has kept Atlantis on the brink of war! His reign has been a series of endless battles– battles against the surface men– against the savage hordes of Attuma, the barbarian– even against Warlord Krang, who had once been our Prince’s most trusted military leader! I say the time is come to put an end to the tyranny of this war monger– this power-mad despot who wears the glorious crown of Atlantis! The reign of Namor has been one of danger– disaster– and never ending despair! We, the free citizens of Atlantis, are weary of Namor, the war-monger!

The rare lettering not from Sam or Artie. We’ve seen the lettering of Sherigail a couple times before, an alias for Morrie Kuramoto, the alias being a concatenation of his wife and daughter’s names.

We had just read the 1950s stories that introduced Byrrah. Now we see his return.

Here, he’s described as Namor’s cousin, and later his “blood-cousin”. Hmm… Byrrah is the Emperor’s stepson and Namor is his grandson, son to the Emperor’s daughter Fen. So maybe Byrrah is Namor’s… step-uncle?

He also gets referred to as Lord Byrrah this issue, when he had been Prince Byrrah before.

It’s honestly never made sense to me that Namor is still Prince Namor. It made sense in the 1950s when the Emperor was still around, but now that he’s the monarch, is “Prince” still the right title?

Tales of Suspense #88

Beyond All Rescue!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: April 1967
12 cents
Stan Lee and Gene Colan
Inked by: Fearless Frank Giacoia
Lettered by: Adorable Artie Simek
12 pages

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	PRELUDE	Sub-Mariner #35
Tales of Suspense #87, Story B	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #90
Tales of Suspense #87, Story B	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #88, Story B

They must never reach the surface!

Stark had his factory evacuated for his experiments, so fortunately nobody else was inside when Mole Man sank it beneath the ground. Except maybe some unconscious Commie spies we seem to have forgotten about. And it turns out Pepper had snuck back in because she was worried about Tony.

“You little fool!” says Iron Man. “I’ve now got a female’s safety to worry about!”

“At least your make-up isn’t smudged!” he adds reassuringly.

Tales of Suspense #87

Crisis– At Earth’s Core!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: December 8, 1966
Cover: March 1967
12 cents
A Stan Lee ○ Gene Colan Super-powered spectacular!
Inked by: Frank Giacoia
Lettered by: Artie Simek
12 pages

Previous	#653	Next
Avengers #37	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #87, Story B
Tales of Suspense #86, Story B	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #87, Story B

For the first time, man will be able to probe the deepest secrets at the very core of the planet he lives upon!

Tony Stark is experimenting with a dangerous nuclear-powered device that will enable subterranean exploration. It sounds boring.

Some Commie spies want it. They are no match for Iron Man.

Amazing Spider-Man #46

The Sinister Shocker!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: December 8, 1966
Cover: March 1966
12 cents
A Stan Lee John Romita Spideriffic spectacular!
Lettered by: Sam Rosen
20 pages

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Daredevil #25	Reading order	X-Men #29
Amazing Spider-Man #45	Amazing Spider-Man	Amazing Spider-Man #47

I almost made a king-sized jackass out of myself! How could I have thought a teen-aged nobody like Parker could actually be Spider-Man!

Can Romita fill Ditko’s shoes on this title? Ditko created a number of iconic villains. Romita will have to do the same if he wants to compare. He’s already created the Rhino.

Now we meet the most shocking villain yet… the Shocker.

Daredevil #25

Enter: The Leap-Frog!

Featuring: Daredevil
Release: December 8, 1966
Cover: February 1967
12 cents
A Stan Lee * Gene Colan epic extravaganza!
Inked by: Frank Giacoia
Lettered by: Art Simek
20 pages

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Tales to Astonish #89, Story B	Reading order	Amazing Spider-Man #46
Daredevil #24	Daredevil	Daredevil #26

We’re both lawyers, Matt! You know how thin that story sounds!

Where were we? Matt had the weirdest plan yet to protect his secret for Karen. Strong, strong emphasis on the word “yet” there. He thought he would put on a Daredevil costume in front of her and pretend to be pretending to be Daredevil to diffuse a hostage situation. Over the course of events, “Matt in disguise as Daredevil” disappears and the “real Daredevil” appears. And then finds himself transported to Europe and trapped there for a bit.

Fortunately that whole act seemed to basically have Karen fooled. But now Matt has disappeared along with Daredevil. And she opened a letter written to Matt from Spider-Man which said that Spidey knew Matt was Daredevil but would keep his secret.

Not very well, apparently.

Now, Matt is back from Europe and will need to scramble to explain his disappearance and protect his secret. He’ll need a plan even crazier than the last one.

Meanwhile, Leap-Frog is a new menace on par with Dr. Doom.

Tales to Astonish #89, Story B

…Then, There Shall Come a Stranger!

Featuring: Hulk
Release: December 8, 1966
Cover: March 1967
12 cents
Handled with Hulktitude by Stan (The Man) Lee and Gil (Sugar) Kane
Lettered by: Sam Rosen
10 pages

Previous	#646	Next
Tales to Astonish #89	Reading order	Daredevil #25
Tales to Astonish #89	Tales to Astonish	Tales to Astonish #90

For, it is my intention to cleanse the Earth… to purify this tortured planet… in the only way possible… Civilization… as you know it… must be obliterated! The works of man… indeed, man himself, must be all but wiped out! Only then… with the planet scourged clean… scourged of the seeds of evil… can a new day dawn! Then, these humans who have survived the coming holocaust, shall build a better world… under my command! But I sense your thought! You are concerned about the fate of the millions who must perish! That can be of no concern to me! Human life means nothing to the Stranger! If all the solar system must be destroyed to bring peace to the universe, I would not shed a single tear at its passing! For I am the Stranger! I walk ever alone!

Boomerang is dead. Bruce Banner lies unconscious.

The Stranger had previously collected Magneto and Toad for his zoo. Has he come for the Hulk? Not for his zoo, apparently.

Tales to Astonish #89

The Prince and the Power!

Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner
Release: December 8, 1966
Cover: March 1967
12 cents
Story by Smilin’ Stan Lee
Art by Wild Bill Everett
Lettering by Adorable Art Simek
12 pages

Previous	#645	Next
Tales to Astonish #88	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #89, Story B
Tales to Astonish #88, Story B	Tales to Astonish	Tales to Astonish #89, Story B

I? I am Prince of the Realm! I am Atlantis! Thus, here do I stand!

Recall that passing aliens accidentally dropped a robot on Earth, which landed in the ocean. Attuma has taken control and turned it into a weapon against the Sub-Mariner. I think that’s literally all that happened last issue.

This issue Namor actually fights the robot.

My life belongs to the people– to the Realm Eternal! I do what I must– I cannot do less!