Featuring: Avengers Release: September 3, 1963 Cover: November 1963 Written by: Stan Lee Drawn by: Jack Kirby Inking: Paul Reinman 22 pages
Cover box of the second issue matches the first. Wasp is still left out. Ant-Man has not yet been updated to Giant-Man.
Now that Ant-Man is Giant-Man, his strength is at least vaguely in the same class as the rest of his male teammates. The giant-formula has not been shared with his partner, the Wasp. And will not be any time soon.
Thor comments on Hulk’s outfit. We saw a similar exchange in Avengers #1½.
Featuring: Tales of Asgard Release: September 3, 1963 Cover: November 1964 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee Drawn by: Jack Kirby Inked by: Don Heck 5 pages
In this same issue, we saw Thor’s lackluster battle against Cobra. There is also a prose story taken from an old issue of Uncanny Tales, and a new Larry Lieber sci/fi tale. And then this. The second installment of the “Tales of Asgard” series.
We get more detail on a battle spoken of in the previous issue. We see Odin’s great war against Ymir and the Ice Giants. A simple enough tale, but told with a bold forcefulness. This is a better use of Kirby’s talents than a lot of what he has been doing of late.
Featuring: Thor Release: September 3, 1963 Cover: November 1963 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee Illustrated by: Don Heck 13 pages
The issue begins with Thor throwing a temper tantrum. “It isn’t fair!” he cries. The narrator notes it may surprise us to see a superhero throw a temper tantrum. No, I’ve been reading Fantastic Four.
Of course I imagine Thor’s voice sounds like Tommy Wiseau as he shouts.
An ex-convict named Klaus is bitten by a radioactive cobra and gains the powers of a cobra. This is pretty well-established as what happens when radioactive creatures bite you.
Featuring: X-Men Release: September 3, 1963 Cover: November 1963 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee Drawn by: Jack Kirby Inked by: Paul Reinman 22 pages
For the second issue in a row, the cover reads, “In the sensational Fantastic Four style”. They are really trying to hype the tenuous similarity to Fantastic Four. The cover box also matches the previous issue, so it seems like the standard one. Odd that they chose an image which only highlights 3 of the X-Men. At least they don’t fit in everybody but the one woman, like the Avengers cover box.
Professor X has warned the X-Men that people will distrust them. But when I look at the last couple issues, evidence of that is lacking. The military seemed very grateful to the X-Men last issue. This issue, a gaggle of girls want to kiss Angel; Jean needs to shove them away. The construction workers seem grateful to Cyclops and Iceman for saving them. Xavier has contacts at the FBI, who are willing to lend him a special jet and seemingly clear the White House lawn to allow the X-Men to tackle this new threat their way. It’s weird.
What is a mutant? There are lots of super-powered beings running around now. I’ve already lost count. Very few have been described as mutants. Just Tad, Merlin, Namor, the X-Men, and Magneto. Xavier suspects the Vanisher is a mutant, but is not sure. It’s obvious that the Vanisher has “X-tra” powers. Professor X adds a bit of clarity to the question. He suggests that mutants are people born with their extra powers. So people who gain their powers from cosmic rays, gamma bombs, or radioactive spider bites would not be mutants.
Featuring: Iron Man Release: August 8, 1863 Cover: November 1963 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee Interpreted by: Steve Ditko Refined by: Don Heck 18 pages
Interesting credits this issue. “Interpreted by”, “Refined by”. But more interesting than the colorful descriptors used is the name of the person doing the interpreting: Steve Ditko. Currently the artist on Marvel’s two best series: Spider-Man and Dr. Strange. Iron Man has not been very good. Can Ditko turn it around?
Short answer: yes. Long answer: Probably not in a single issue. This is probably the best Iron Man story since his first appearance, but the character still hasn’t reached his potential. And he won’t while wearing that clunky costume…
I’ll get that masked menace if it’s the last thing I do!
Six issues in, and we meet Spidey’s fifth iconic villain. We’re only short one because he fought Dr. Doom last issue.
We learn newspapers around the nation are printing stories about the Lizard menacing the Flordia Everglades. I imagine the headlines read something like: “Florida Man sees human lizard in swamp.” Of course, not the Daily Bugle headline. That focuses on Spider-Man.
Notice that Spider-Man is also lowering the payment with his web.
The Lizard is a great villain. His character has a lot in common with the Hulk, except it’s much better. They both draw from the Jekyll/Hyde trope. Unlike the Hulk, which never settled on anything in the comic, the Lizard as a character is very clear. Dr. Connors is a good guy. When he first transforms into the Lizard, he has his own mind, but feels it slipping fast. Soon, the Lizard personality is entirely in control. The Lizard has plans to lead an army of reptiles to conquer the earth and destroy all humans. Once cured, he is back to being a decent man.
Featuring: Dr. Strange Release: August 8, 1963 Cover: November 1963 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee Drawn by: Steve Ditko 5 pages
After a 2-issue hiatus, we see the return of Dr. Strange, Master of Black Magic! A note explains he returned because of enthusiastic fan response in the letters.
A thing that bothered me the last time I read through Dr. Strange stories is that, in contrast to the Spider-Man stories, less villains are being introduced. In his third appearance, he is fighting Mordo for the second time. In a couple issues, he’ll again fight Nightmare. In contrast, Spider-Man comics are introducing great villains in each issue.
I have come to terms with this, though. It gives the series a less episodic feel than the Spider-Man comics. Dr. Strange really does have a couple of key adversaries most of the series will be dedicated to, and thus feels like a more cohesive saga.
Featuring: Human Torch Release: August 8, 1963 Cover: November 1963 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee Drawn by: Jack Kirby Inked by: Dick Ayers 18 pages
Why did we choose now to review the origin of Captain America? Because Captain America is returning. “From out of the Golden Age of Comics”, the cover says. Not sure if we’ve yet seen that term in our reading. The era we are reading has been dubbed the Marvel Age.
Weird that he’d choose the Antique Auto Show of Glenville, Long Island to make his return after a decade-long absence.
Captain America and Human Torch get into a fight. Superheroes often do that when they meet.
Featuring: Fantastic Four Release: August 8, 1963 Cover: November 1963 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee Drawn by: Jack Kirby Inked by: Dick Ayers 22 pages
“This proves that some form of life must exist in outer space!”
Reed.
You’ve fought the Skrulls twice. You’ve traveled to Planet X, and transported its population to another planet. You’ve met the Impossible Man and the Watcher. You’re about to meet the Watcher again this issue. You’ve seen the ruins of a lost civilization on the moon.
Plus, if you’ve been paying attention, you would have noted earth has been recently invaded by several other alien races, from the Toad Men to the Stone Men from Saturn.
Of course there’s some form of life in outer space!
Maybe I’m misinterpreting. Perhaps he’s not speaking of other worlds or moons or even spaceships, but within space itself.
Featuring: Ant-Man and the Wasp Release: August 1, 1963 Cover: November 1963 12 cents Written by: Stan Lee Drawn by: Jack Kirby Inking: Don Heck 18 pages
Ant-Man gets a new identity, and there’s a new little corner box to go with it.
The story is this. Ant-Man and Wasp joined a superhero team. Their teammates are Hulk, Iron Man, and Thor. All extremely powerful. Ant-Man is very small and controls ants. Perhaps this situation would have been tenable if Wasp didn’t keep commenting on how handsome Thor was. But she did. And Dr. Pym’s ego could not take this feeling of inferiority anymore. He needed to measure up.
So he thought and thought. He had a gas which shrunk him to ant-size. And a gas which allowed him to grow back to normal size. He had a routine. Reduce to ant-size. Grow to normal size. Now remember, he’s a genius. And it finally occurred to him: what if he skips a step in that cycle? What if he takes the growing gas when already normal-sized?
It worked! If he simply doesn’t take the reducing gas, he is no longer Ant-Man: he is now Giant-Man. And has strength that is at least closer to par with his Avengers teammates.
I have a science question about that, though. When he shrinks to ant-size, he retains human strength. They are very clear on that point. So he is the size of an ant but can punch as hard as an ordinary human. So why does his strength increase when he grows if it doesn’t decrease when it shrinks? Ah, never mind. I’m sure it would make sense if I knew science better.
