tales of suspense – Coke ⊕ Comics

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, Story B

Wanted: Captain America!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: December 8, 1966
Cover: March 1967
12 cents
Editing: Stan Lee
Script: Roy Thomas
Drawn by: Jack Sparling
Inked by: Joe Sinnott
Lettered by: Sam Rosen
Subway swept by: Honest Irv
10 pages

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Tales of Suspense #87	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #88
Tales of Suspense #87	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #88

You may have had hours of practice… but I’ve had years!

That’s quite a surprising line-up of creators. Lee and Kirby have been handling Captain America thus far. Kirby took a couple issues off last year, with fill-ins by Ayers or Romita. And Kirby isn’t done with the book, but it will be a few issues until we see him again, with Gil Kane taking over. Lee is only taking this one issue off.

Thomas is Lee’s standard backup at this point, so his name isn’t that surprising. Joe Sinnott is our favorite inker these days, so it’s good to see him.

But who is Jack Sparling? That’s a new name to us. He’s one of those guys that’s worked in comics since the 1940s, seemingly at every company but Marvel. This is his first Marvel work and he won’t become a regular.

Here’s a sampling of his work.

The Yorktown Younger Set, Calling All Girls #3, Parents’ Magazine Press, 1942
Hap Hopper, Sparkler Comics v2 #10, United Feature Syndicate, 1942
Nyoka the Jungle Girl, Master Comics #50, Fawcett, 1944
Claire Voyant, Keen Teens, M.E., 1945
Lovers Lane #2, Lev-Gleason, 1949
Texas Rangers, Action Comics #140, DC, 1950
Kid Lochinvar, Great Lover Romances #1, Toby, 1951
Warfront #1, Harvey, 1951
Masked Raider #1, Charlton, 1955
The Sword and the Dragon, Four Color #1118, Dell, 1960
Adventures into the Unknown #121, ACG, 1961
Immortal Man, Strange Adventures #177, DC, 1965

He’s at this time a fixture of DC’s horror books, while still drawing romance, war, or other comics for companies like Harvey and Dell.

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

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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.

Tales of Suspense #86, Story B

The Secret!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: November 10, 1966
Cover: February 1967
12 cents
Produced with pandemonium by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Inking by: Frank Giacoia
Lettering by: Artie Simek
10 pages

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Strange Tales #155, Story B	Reading order	Avengers #34
Tales of Suspense #86	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #87

…you were one of the greatest! Don’t ever forget that!

Before we start, I’d like to note the date. Tomorrow, December 20 2025, marks 85 years since the introduction of Captain America, by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

December 20, 1940, almost a year before Pearl Harbor, at a time American policy and popular sentiment was still against involvement in the war in Europe, here was Captain America punching Adolf Hitler in the face.

There are those on the internet who claim comics have become too political in recent years. To my mind, they’re not political enough. This cover was a bold political statement, and remains one of the greatest comic covers of all time, a fine introduction to one of Marvel’s greatest superheroes.

Superheroes should stand for what is right, not for what is popular. That’s how they become timeless.

Captain America is on a mission in the Orient, trying to rescue a double agent.

Tales of Suspense #85, Story B

The Blitzkrieg of Batroc!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: September 8, 1966
Cover: January 1967
12 cents
A Stan Lee Jack Kirby premium presentation
Inimitable inking by: Frank Giacoia
Laborious lettering by: Sam Rosen
10 pages

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Strange Tales #150	Reading order	Strange Tales #151
Tales of Suspense #85	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #86

Indeed, eet shall be for zee last time, mon ami…! For none may strike Batroc in such a manner… wizout paying zee price!

“This must be the place,” thinks Cap, anticipating David Byrne.

In Tales of Suspense #76, Captain America defeated Batroc, but a SHIELD agent on assignment succumbed to poison and was hospitalized. We didn’t learn her name. She reminded Cap of a woman he’d known in World War II, a woman whose name we also didn’t learn.

Tales of Suspense #85

Into the Jaws of Death

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: October 11, 1966
Cover: January 1967
12 cents
Story: Stan Lee
Pencilling: Gene Colan
Inking: Frankie Giacoia
Lettering: Artie Simek
12 pages

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Tales to Astonish #85, Story B	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #86
Tales of Suspense #84, Story B	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #85, Story B

From this moment on, Iron Man is more invincible than ever before!

In a plot greatly echoing a recent Daredevil story, Mandarin now believes Happy to be Iron Man, because Happy had been going around in the suit. In the Daredevil analog, Foggy had put on the Daredevil suit to impress Karen. Here, Happy was a bit more noble. He was trying to help preserve the secret identity, as the press was starting to suspect that Tony Stark was Iron Man. On the basis of the fact that it’s ridiculously obvious to anybody paying attention.

Flash Thompson has also gotten himself into similar trouble by wearing the Spider-Man outfit.

Unfortunately, Tony is still recovering from his recent heart attack. It’s not clear he’s in any shape to help Happy after the Mandarin captures him. And even wearing the armor, Happy is no match for Mandarin. He just doesn’t have the practice with it.

Tales of Suspense #84, Story B

The Super-Adaptoid!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: September 8, 1966
Cover: December 1966
12 cents
A Stan Lee * Jack Kirby powerhouse production
Delineated by: Fearless Frankie Giacoia
Lettered by: Swingin’ Sammy Rosen
10 pages

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Tales of Suspense #84	Reading order	Tales to Astonish #84
Tales of Suspense #84	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #85

After all these years… all the countless battles… and the scars which will never fade… here I stand… still a loner– a human anachronism. All I’ve ever loved… all I’ve held dear… vanished with the past… while the memories remain to haunt me forever! But, I must be true to my trust! Every man has a purpose… a destiny to fulfill… and, whatever mine may be… I’ll never shirk it!

Captain America calls in the Avengers to deal with the Adaptoid. The Tumbler he just left to the police.

Hawkeye recalls the original Avengers foe the Space Phantom, and suspects a connection. But Cap notes the Adaptoid is a robot, while Space Phantom was an alien. Goliath and Wasp, the only ones present who actually fought the Space Phantom, do not weigh in.

Tales of Suspense #84

The Other Iron Man!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: September 8, 1966
Cover: December 1966
12 cents
Story: Stan Lee
Art: Gene Colan
Inking: Frank Giacoia
Lettering: Sam Rosen
12 pages

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Tales of Suspense #83, Story B	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #84, Story B
Tales of Suspense #83, Story B	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #84, Story B

SURVEY SHOWS THAT STARK AND IRON MAN NEVER SEEN AT THE SAME TIME TOGETHER

It’s been a year coming. Back in Tales of Suspense #72, Senator Harrington Byrd planned to summon Tony Stark to Washington to make him reveal Iron Man’s secrets, so the US military could use the technology. The following issue, he tried to confront Stark in his office with the summons, but found only Pepper. The next issue, he got Iron Man on the phone, and says he’ll come to New York with a subpoena unless Stark comes willingly to Washington. In the next issue, he made good on the threat and showed up with the subpoena at Stark offices, only to find Iron Man battling Happy, who had turned into the Freak. Once that resolved, he had police escort Stark to a car, to personally escort him to Washington. Only Tony Stark was transported from that car en route to DC, and found himself in Asia a prisoner of the Mandarin. Then Iron Man had to fight Mandarin and Ultimo. Only to return home and find all his factories shut down because he’d failed to answer the summons to Congress. He needed to recharge, rest, and deal with Namor. But finally he called Senator Byrd and agreed to come to Washington. And he did go to Washington. Only to be attacked by Titanium Man. With Titanium Man defeated, Stark should finally be able to appear before Congress a dozen issues after being summoned.

And here he is.

Ready to reveal the secrets of Iron Man.

Until he has a heart attack before the first question gets asked. How convenient.

Tales of Suspense #83, Story B

Enter… The Tumbler!

Featuring: Captain America
Release: August 9, 1966
Cover: November 1966
12 cents
A Stan Lee Jack Kirby pandemonium-packed production!
Delineated by: Richard Ayers
Lettered by: Samuel Rosen
(Or: How formal can ya be?)
10 pages

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Tales of Suspense #83	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #84
Tales of Suspense #83	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #84

What can be wrong? I’ve adapted everything about Captain America… and yet… there is still a quality lacking!

AIM has fallen, but a dying Count Royale warned SHIELD that their creation the Adaptoid may yet finish their work.

The Adaptoid, a pantograph, infiltrated Avengers headquarters by assuming Jarvis’ form, then drugged Captain America, and assumed his form. He has also stolen Captain America’s shield.

Unfortunately for the Adaptoid, if you look like Captain America, his enemies become yours. The Tumbler has come to challenge Captain America and prove his superiority. So now he’s the Adaptoid’s problem.

Tales of Suspense #83

Victory!

Featuring: Iron Man
Release: August 9, 1966
Cover: November 1966
12 cents
Smilin’ Stan Lee, author
Genial Gene Colan, artist
Gleeful Gary Michaels, inker
Affable Artie Simek, letterer
Ineffable Irving Forbush, referee
12 pages

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Tales of Suspense #82, Story B	Reading order	Tales of Suspense #83, Story B
Tales of Suspense #82, Story B	Tales of Suspense	Tales of Suspense #83, Story B

If only the day would come when force is no longer necessary– when men would reason together instead! But, until such a time, we should be thankful that power such as Iron Man’s exists– and can be used in behalf of freedom!

Titanium Man holds Pepper hostage. The battle continues in DC, delaying Stark’s testimony to Congress.

“…for the sake of freedom everywhere, I dare not lose…” claims Iron Man. That sounds a little overly melodramatic and self-important to me.