Strange Tales #142, Story B

Those Who Would Destroy Me!

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: December 12, 1965
Cover: March 1966
12 cents
Extravagantly edited and written by… Stan Lee!
Painstakingly plotted and drawn by… Steve Ditko!
Lovingly lettered and bordered by… Artie Simek!
10 pages

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I was born to battle the forces of evil– and though death be my reward, I would have it no other way!

Ditko’s time on this title draws short, and Lee is starting to hand off more and more of his scripting duties. So this is the final Dr. Strange story to be written by the team of Lee and Ditko. (I use the word “team” a bit loosely, as Ditko is by this point utterly refusing to even speak to Stan Lee.)

Dr. Strange’s adventures had been characterized by stories that fit entirely within 10 pages. Then his first battle with Dormammu lasted two issues and 20 pages, the size of a normal Spider-Man or Fantastic Four comic.

Then Strange Tales #130 ended with a cliffhanger. Dormammu and Mordo had teamed up; they’d seriously injured the Ancient One, and Dr. Strange was on the run. Without a break, Dr. Strange struggled against this duo of foes for a full 12 issues. Then finally it seemed as though Mordo and Dormammu were defeated, and Dr. Strange could rest.

But not quite! The woman from the Dark Dimension who befriended Strange remains a prisoner. Dormammu was humbled by Strange but remains a threat. And Mordo’s servants remain at large, and in fact have planted a bomb in Dr. Strange’s sanctum, and the last issue ended with the bomb about to go off.

We then paused and checked in with the many other Marvel titles. That was 8 months ago our time. Thank you for your patience in learning what’s up with that bomb. We won’t quite see the resolution of all the threads at present, but at least we’ll resolve this bomb question.

It’s actually a clever resolution. This cleverness is important as sometimes it seems Dr. Strange could maybe magic his way out of anything, so it’s good when we understand how. The villains left an ordinary bomb, because he would have sensed a mystical trap. And they erased traces of their presence, so he would not detect they had been there.

But… he sensed no trace of evil presences! And knew Mordo had been there recently, thus realizing someone had used a spell to eliminate traces of evil presences! See, clever. Anyways, this puts him on guard, and he finds the bomb. It was a close one, though.

And while he evades the bomb, he’s caught in the shockwave and captured by the baddies.

Mordo’s servants don’t know what’s happened in the Dark Dimension. They just know they can’t contact Mordo. They are unaware Dormammu had him banished for being a pathetic loser.

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Strange Tales #142

Who Strikes At— SHIELD?

Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD
Release: December 9, 1965
Cover: March 1966
12 cents
Stan Lee, writer! (Our answer to Bond)
Jack Kirby, penciller! (Our answer to UNCLE)
Mike Demeo, inker! (Our answer to Brand echh)
Artie Simek, letterer! (Our answer to Rosen)
12 pages

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We’re a team, blast it! We trained month after month ta live like a team– fight like a team– die like a team!

I’d like to open this post with a happy birthday to the issue’s artist, Jack Kirby. He would be 106 years old today.

The story breaks have become increasingly unclear. Last issue seemed to both end the Hydra saga and begin this Mentallo/Fixer saga we find ourselves embroiled in. We took a pause at the end of the last issue, so let’s recall where we were.

Hydra was finally defeated, the Supreme Hydra murdered by his own agents; Nick allowed his daughter Agent H to escape because he had a soft spot for her. We were then introduced to the “Thinkers”, SHIELD’s ESP division. Mentallo had been a former agent of this division, who had gone rogue. Mentallo decides to form an alliance with a villainous inventor called the Fixer. And Nick Fury realizes Mentallo must be stopped at all costs.

This issue opens with a robot out of control. Lee, as the narrator, lets us know this robot has nothing to do with the main story. Sometimes it feels as though he is offering his commentary on Kirby’s storytelling as we go.

But whatever, Stan. Check out Jack’s awesome robot design!

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Journey Into Mystery #124

The Grandeur and the Glory!

Featuring: Thor
Release: November 4, 1965
Cover: January 1966
12 cents
Story by: Stan (The Man) Lee
Pencilling by: Jack (King) Kirby
Delineation by: Vince (the Prince) Colletta
Lettering by: Artie (Sugar Lips) Simek
16 pages

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“Those arms of his can crush concrete! And yet!–“
“He’s holdin’ that kid as gently as if she was made outta egg-shells.”

Stan has a different nickname for the creators every issue it seems. But this is not the first time he’s referred to himself as “The Man” and to Jack as “King”, and these nicknames are the ones that will stick with them across the decades. Despite its rhyming qualities, “Vince the Prince” will not stick. I have no comment on the prevalence of this nickname for Artie.

The newsstand is selling the latest issue of Strange Tales, emphasizing what I’ve noted before: just how great a month for comics this is, perhaps the best in Marvel’s history.

Thor is reading a newspaper which is reporting on the Demon. As we’ve noted, there are no really clear stopping points in Thor’s saga anymore. Most ongoing threads resolved last issue, except last issue also began this Demon story, which is still just getting started; Thor and the Demon will finally meet in this issue’s final panels. That story involves a Vietnamese Witch Doctor finding a Norn Stone, so ultimately still traces back to the Trial of the Gods from issue 116 and Thor’s battle with the Viet Cong in issue 117. Jane remains in the hospital from smoke inhalation after being kidnapped by Harris Hobbs, as we saw in issue 122. While the Demon saga will resolve itself next issue, this issue, as the cover notes, also introduces Hercules to the mix, and a story which will continue on. The last year of Thor tales have covered a very short span of time.

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Strange Tales #141, Story B

Let There Be Victory!

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: November 11, 1965
Cover: February 1966
12 cents
Dialogue and captions: Stan Lee
Plot and artwork: Steve Ditko
Lettering and more lettering: Artie Simek
10 pages

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…I must destroy him! And destroy him I shall!! For I am truly– the Dread Dormammu!!

Chapter 12. Dr. Strange had defeated and humiliated Mordo, so Dormammu challenged Strange directly to a duel of honor for the fate of Earth. They fought using “pincers of power”. Dr. Strange was on the edge of victory when the treacherous Mordo intervened and struck a cowardly blow, leaving Dr. Strange defeated.

And so we continue the Eternity Saga.

Notice the plotting credit for Ditko. He’s plotted every Dr. Strange story.

Generally these stories have really been 9 pages, with the opening splash page serving as a sort of cover for the issue, since the actual issue covers always go to Nick Fury. However, this time Ditko seems to need all 10 pages, so a lot of plot is covered on the opening splash page.

Dormammu banishes Mordo for daring to presume he needed help. That’s the end of that partnership and Mordo’s last bow for this story.

Then Dormammu gallingly still tries to claim his prize despite clearly cheating.

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Strange Tales #141

Brain Blast!

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

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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.

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Strange Tales #140, Story B

The Pincers of Power!

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: October 12, 1965
Cover: January 1966
12 cents
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
Lettering: S. Rosen
10 pages

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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.

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Strange Tales #140

The End of Hydra!

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

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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.

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Strange Tales #139, Story B

Beware…! Dormammu is Watching!

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: September 9, 1965
Cover: December 1965
12 cents
Script by sterling Stan Lee
Art by stalwart Steve Ditko
Lettering by stoical Artie Simek
10 pages

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Where they employ power, you must employ wisdom– the wisdom of the just, the righteous, the fearless!

Dormammu is plainly the “big bad” of this series. Mordo is the lieutenant. It’s time for the big confrontation with Mordo.

I really appreciate what Ditko is doing with Strange’s fists on that opening page. He does the best things with fingers.

Mordo is supplied by near limitless power. But he lacks the wits and will of Dr. Stephen Strange.

And so the final battle begins.

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Strange Tales #139

The Brave Die Hard!

Featuring: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD
Release: September 9, 1965
Cover: December 1965
12 cents
Sensationally written by: Stan Lee
Spectacularly laid-out by: Jack Kirby
Superbly illustrated by: Joe Sinnott
Silently lettered by: Artie Simek
12 pages

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You know that no insurance company would give a policy to a SHIELD man! There’s only one thing we won’t die of– and that’s old age!

I think you can tell at a glance my copy of this comic has seen better days.

The cover’s an interesting gimmick. It’s mostly just the first page of the issue, but then it has Dr. Strange holding the page. The caption tells us, “Amost everybody reads SHIELD!”

The Dr. Strange figure is drawn by Marie Severin, sister of John Severin, who drew the last couple issues of SHIELD. She’s been doing staff work at Marvel, but will soon enough be chosen to draw Dr. Strange herself.

You kind of get the sense that they didn’t have a cover at all, and this got thrown together by staff. But they get a nice test run for Ms. Severin on the Doctor.

The story opens with Nick Fury in outer space being pursued by…err… that… thing.

Ah, he’s being subjected to some virtual reality thing designed to pry from his mind the secrets of Stark’s new weapon, the, err, braino-saur.

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Strange Tales #138, Story B

If Eternity Should Fail!

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

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I am Eternity!

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.

Start with page 2.

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