Featuring: Fantastic Four Release: March 14, 1967 Cover: June 1967 12 cents Stan (The Man) Lee and Jack (King) Kirby have done it again! And so have… Joe Sinnott, inker Sam Rosen, letterer 20 pages
I did not suspect that almost all Earth beings possessed super-powers of their own!
Where were we? Triton rescued Mr. Fantastic from Sub-Space, also called the Negative Zone. Or the “Negative Zone of Sub-space”. Not to be confused with the Negative Zone which surrounded the Inhumans’ Great Refuge.
But the criminal known as Blastaar followed them through and struck an uneasy alliance with Sandman. And now… they attack!
These Super-Villain team-ups date back to Doom and Namor.
Featuring: Fantastic Four Release: February 14, 1967 Cover: May 1967 12 cents Stan Lee and Jack Kirby Inking: Joe Sinnott Lettering: Sam Rosen 20 pages
There is so much yet to learn… so much to see, and marvel at…! What a pity it must all end so soon… before I have a chance to unravel the myriad mysteries of this strange, uncanny universe! But, there will be others… those who come after me… and they will unlock the secrets of the cosmos… one by one… For, the mind of man is the greatest key in the world… the key which may one day open the door to… immortality!! And each of us, in his own way, does what he can for those who will follow! That is the only true legacy we can leave to those we love… that we have made the world a little better than we found it!
Last issue saw Reed trapped in Sub-Space hurtling toward his imminent death. With none who could save him.
I guess we may as well start preparing ourselves emotionally.
Though the title is “And One Shall Save Him”… so maybe there is one who can save him. Can’t imagine who, though.
Tell her… how much… I loved her… tell her… I’ll.. always lover her…
Featuring: Fantastic Four Release: January 10, 1967 Cover: April 1967 12 cents Extravagantly executed with exbullient erudition by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby Inked by: Joe Sinnott Lettered by: Sam Rosen 20 pages
Ya mean… after lickin’ Galactus… clobberin’ Klaw… an’ whumpin’ Doc Doom… we’re gonna be polished off by a kaboodle of sand?!!
We just finished the epic “Doom Surfer” saga, coming soon after the introduction of Black Panther, coming immediately after the masterful This Man This Monster, coming immediately after the Galactus saga, coming immediately after the Inhumans saga, coming soon after the wedding of Reed and Sue, another excellent battle against Dr. Doom alongside Daredevil, and several encounters with the Frightful Four.
I consider that run of twenty or so issues the height of the series. We’re past that height now. But it’s still going to be excellent.
Recall where we left off. Sandman had broken out of prison, but Wizard’s escape was thwarted. Sandman broke into the Baxter Building to try to steal equipment to free his partner. The FF fought him to a standstill and Sandman got away.
Dr. Doom captured the Silver Surfer, and stole his powers and surfboard. This led to an epic battle, which ended when Dr. Doom tried to fly to space, to learn Galactus had left measures to keep the Silver Surfer trapped on Earth. Those measures took out Doom. Perhaps he’s dead. We’re not sure. We last saw the surfboard flying back to Castle Doom where the Silver Surfer is imprisoned.
Johnny and Wyatt had been searching for the Inhumans with Lockjaw, but left the search to aid in the battle against Doom. Meanwhile, Black Bolt finally spoke, and the power of his voice destroyed the Negative Zone barrier surrounding their city, as well as the entire city. Black Bolt led his royal family and court into the world, while the rest of the Inhumans stayed behind to rebuild their city.
Don’tcha even get a coffee break in this blasted super-heroin’ business?
Featuring: Fantastic Four Release: July 7, 1966 Cover: November 1966 12 cents Produced by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby Delineated by: Joe Sinnot Lettered by: Artie Simek 20 pages
Our biggest problem seems to be keeping the somewhat disoriented Marvel Universe in some semblance of order! But, when you constantly mess around with space/time warps, and continuums, negatives zones, intra-cosmic deviationary fields, and universes beyond the reached of infinity, you’re apt to get a little bit confused! So bear with us, erudite one, for verily thou hast the seeming of a true believer!
Two notes about the credits. The first is that there are two Ts in Sinnott.
The second is that the credits will stop specifying Stan Lee as the writer, when Kirby is doing most of the writing. The compromise is the nebulous “produced by” credit. Ditko had fought for a similar credit in his comics before leaving.
Sue is upset that Reed is always working, and not spending enough time with his wife. Not the first time we’ve seen this complaint.
Reed has all kinds of fancy technology, including a visi-phone which connects to his lab. Wow. A visi-phone. Imagine being able to talk to someone remotely and see them at the same time!
Featuring: Fantastic Four Release: March 10, 1966 Cover: June 1966 12 cents Writer: Stan Lee Penciller: Jack Kirby Inker: Joe Sinnott Letterer: Artie Simek 20 pages
He paid the full price– and, he paid it– like a man!
After introducing the Inhumans, and then introducing the Silver Surfer and Galactus in perhaps the best and most iconic FF story ever immediately after, you’d think Stan and Jack would want a break from the iconic stories that will be remembered for decades to come.
But this is perhaps the most iconic issue of Fantastic Four ever. It’s perhaps the best Fantastic Four comic ever. It might be the best comic Stan and Jack ever made.
It might be the best comic anybody ever made.
The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine indeed.
I won’t ruin this image with my clumsy words. You can just appreciate the opening page for yourself. I just suggest that you take a minute with it.
This picks up from last issue in a couple ways. Alicia and the Silver Surfer grew close during the events, enough to make Thing jealous and wander off morosely. There were even newspaper headlines about Thing being seen wandering the streets feeling sad. We saw a mysterious man reading those headlines. We didn’t learn his name, but we learned he intends to destroy the Fantastic Four.
