Featuring: Captain America Release: October 12, 1965 Cover: January 1966 12 cents Spellbinding script by Stan Lee! Spectacular layouts by Jack Kirby! Sensational pencilling and scintillating delineation by George Tuska! Stereophonic lettering by A. Simek! 10 pages
I’ve seen the First Sleeper– and this is the Second! What can the Third be like??
Part 2 of a 3-part saga. 20 years to the day since the death of the Red Skull amidst the fall of Berlin in World War II. Red Skull’s revenge is 3 giant robots that will awaken and destroy the world. Last issue, the first one awoke. This issue… the second.
This one flies! Even though the story’s title is ironically, “Where Walks the Sleeper”.
And the two Sleepers join up to form an even bigger robot!
Featuring: Iron Man Release: October 12, 1965 Cover: January 1966 12 cents Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Adam Austin, Gary Michaels, Sol Brodsky, Flo Steinberg, and Merrie Ol’ Marie Severin! 12 pages
Now look, Avenger– No one takes the law into his own hands– not even you!
Stan seems to be crediting an unusual amount of people, but it’s really people who are always involved. Lee always credits himself, this time presumably in an editing role. Roy Thomas is the scripter, Adam Austin (aka Gene Colan) the penciller, Gary Michaels (aka Jack Abel) the inker. The other names show up less commonly in credits. Sol Brodsky is the production manager, and usually is, though uncredited. Marie Severin is the colorist, and frequently is, though uncredited. (Unfortunately we won’t see any of Severin’s coloring in my images, as I’ve only found the digital version online, which is entirely recolored, and that’s likely Stan Goldberg coloring the cover above.) What’s interesting here is Flo Steinberg, who’s been behind the scenes since the beginning, handling the office work for Marvel. She gets her name here apparently because she assisted Roy with the plot.
Weirdly, for all that crediting, they forgot to mention the letterer. Apparently this time normal letter Artie Simek is joined by Ben Oda.
Speaking of Roy Thomas, that’s the new guy we first met on Modeling with Millie, which was released one week earlier. This is his first superhero work. Wonder if he’ll do any more.
Jack Abel is also new to us in our modern reading, though we read an old Captain America story he’d likely contributed to. He’d worked for Marvel back in the 1950s, often inking Bill Benulis or Bob Forgione, but lately has been focused on DC’s war comics. It’s probably why he uses a pseudonym here, so DC won’t know he’s doing side-work. He’ll eventually move on to DC’s superhero line and become the main inker on Superman stories. Here’s a sampling of his artwork.
Journey Into Mystery #20, Marvel, 1954
Our Fighting Forces #50, DC, 1959
Sea-Devils #14, DC, 1963
And a sampling of his finishing work.
Western Outlaws and Sheriffs #72, Marvel, 1952, pencils by Warren Broderick
Adventures into Terror #11, Marvel, 1952, pencils by Bill Benulis
Combat Casey #11, Marvel, 1953, pencils by Bill Benulis
All-American Men of War #25, DC, 1955, pencils by Bob Forgione
Wyatt Earp #1, Marvel, 1955, pencils by Bob Forgione
Turok, Son of Stone #3, Dell, 1956, pencils by Bob Correa
As a complete aside, the plot of that Adventures into Terror story amused me to no end. Lots of these stories about somebody murdering a partner for ambition. But in this case, they were a two-man horse act, and the guy who played the end of the horse wanted to play the horse’s head. Talk about ambition!
Featuring: Captain America Release: September 9, 1965 Cover: December 1966 12 cents Stan Lee, sultan of script! Jack Kirby, lord of layout! George Tuska, archduke of art! Sam Rosen, tired of lettering! 10 pages
You’re too late! You can’t… threaten me… now! There are three sleepers… and… when they awake… the Third Reich will rise again!
The story’s title is, “The Sleeper Shall Awake!”
Coincidentally the exact thing my cat says to me every morning when she wants breakfast.
While I would prefer to read whole comics at once, we read the first half of the issue a little bit earlier, because the Captain America and Iron Man stories of this issue align differently with the Avengers series.
This marks a turning point in Captain America’s adventures, as we’d spent the last several issues focused on Captain America’s adventures in World War II, which don’t create any editorial headaches regarding continuity with Cap’s appearances in Avengers. But now Stan claims readers have demanded modern Cap stories.
So we jump back to the present and see Cap relating the Greymoor Castle saga of last issue to the Avengers. They even answer some plot questions about the story.
Bewilderingly, Hawkeye did not know Bucky was dead.
And then is quite insensitive about it. “It happened more than 20 years ago!” Two notes. It was less than 20 years. Captain America slept for most of those.
Featuring: Iron Man Release: September 9, 1965 Cover: December 1965 12 cents Writer: Stan Lee Penciller: Don Heck Inker: Mickey Demeo Letterer: Artie Simek 12 pages
The nation asks– no, it demands to know the true identity of one of its greatest heroes! We must learn– Who is Iron Man?
Let’s start with a bit of an apology to Iron Man. His character was introduced in Tales of Suspense #39, released December 10, 1962. So we just passed his 60th birthday and failed to mark the occasion with appropriate fanfare. Happy belated 60th, Iron Man.
Iron Man returns to America and cheering crowds, having triumphed over Titanium Man. But the victory was costly, as Happy now hovers on the edge of death.
Reporters seem eager to get the scoop on Iron Man’s true identity. I don’t really think it’s that hard if you want to do any amount of investigating.
Nobody ever seems concerned how casually Iron Man walks into Stark’s office and makes himself at home.
Featuring: Captain America Release: August 10, 1965 Cover: November 1965 12 cents Written with the passion of Stan Lee Laid-out with the power of Jack Kirby Pencilled with the punch of George Tuska Inked with the prowess of Joe Sinnott Lettered with the penpoint of Sam Rosen 10 pages
In a war, Bucky, many people suffer! It isn’t necessary to be in the armed forces.. to be a casualty!
Because this Greymoor Castle story is a 3-part saga, we’ve gotten a little ahead in Cap reading. This comic premieres the same day as Fantastic Four #44. They share an inker, Joe Sinnott. This is an important development, and I have a lot to say about Joe Sinnott. But I’m going to save it for when we get to FF#44. Stay tuned.
The FF comic will feature Sinnott properly inking Kirby. While Kirby did the layouts for this issue, the art is really Tuska/Sinnott.
It’s time now for the conclusion of this tale. Dr. Rawlings has betrayed his country to the Nazis. His sister Celia is opposed to this.
When the Nazis try to kill Celia, Rawlings at last turns against them.
Featuring: Iron Man Release: August 10, 1965 Cover: November 1965 12 cents A study in splendor by Stan Lee, writer! A muse of majesty by Don Heck, artist! A glimmer of glory by Wally Wood, inker! A nice lettering job by Art Simek, bon vivant! 12 pages
Featuring: Captain America Release: July 8, 1965 Cover: October 1965 12 cents Story by Stan Lee Layouts by Jack Kirby Lettering by S. Rosen Art by George Tuska 10 pages
My own nation has refused to recognize my talents! But the Nazis are willing to pay me handsomely for my help!
We get a new artist, George Tuska. “One of the giants from the golden age of comics”, says Lee. As with most new artists, Lee still needs Kirby to lay out the story for them.
Tuska has worked in the industry since 1939, and became well known in the 1950s for his stellar work on crime comics. His first work with Marvel was in 1949. Lately, he’s been focused on newspaper strips, having taken over Buck Rogers in 1959. Here’s a sampling of his earlier work.
Zanzibar the Magician, Mystery Men Comics #1, Fox, 1939
Tom Barry of the Royal Mounted, Wonderworld Comics #4, Fox, 1939
Featuring: Iron Man Release: July 8, 1965 Cover: October 1965 12 cents Story: Scribbled and scrawled by: Stan Lee Illustration: Doodled and dawdled by: Don Heck Delineation: Battered and blotted by: Mickey Demeo Lettering: Mumbled and jumbled by: Sam Rosen 12 pages
Featuring: Captain America Release: June 8, 1965 Cover: September 1965 12 cents Script by: Friendly Stan Lee Layouts by: Frolicksome Jack Kirby Rendering by: Frivolous Dick Ayers Lettering by: Fearless Artie Simek 10 pages
Cedric, even if you care nothing for yourself or me– think of your country! You’re betraying us all!
Kirby does the layouts. He’s been doing a lot of that this month as he is over-stretched. Ayers is credited with the rendering. The difference from the previous issues with proper Kirby art really shows.
The plot here is that a scientist has a radiation experiment the Nazis can use to kill Captain America and Bucky. But it will only work if they are first helpless captives. At which point a gun would probably suffice.
Featuring: Iron Man Release: June 8, 1965 Cover: September 1965 12 cents Story by: Stan Lee, the idol of Millions! Art by: Don Heck, the toast of two continents! Inking by: V. Colletta, the pride of the bullpen! Lettering by: Sam Rosen, the last angry letterer! 12 pages
But, Iron Man must accept the challenge! It’s a matter of national pride… of prestige!
There are many stories I consider iconic. And, usually, who knows how this impression forms. Decades of reading comics and talking about comics has given me a sense of some stories that stand out.
I think of this as an iconic story and I know exactly why I think that. Very early in my Marvel reading, I also collected Marvel cards. The 1990 set had a set of famous battles. This was one of the chosen battles.
We’ve seen one famous battle (per that card deck) before, the Hulk/Thing fight from Fantastic Four #25–26. And are currently in the middle of another, the “Nick Fury vs. Hydra” battle begun in Strange Tales #135.
Of course, Titanium Man has one other claim to fame. Paul McCartney selected him alongside Magneto as villains to write a song about. (He also references Crimson Dynamo.)
The MCP wants Iron Man to attend the wedding in the middle of the events of this issue. I don’t see why it can’t just be before this issue. Maybe I’m missing some subtlety. As the issue opens, he’s spent weeks working on this sub-miniature reverser. He could have taken a brief break to attend a wedding.
Continuity does get complicated here though. Avengers #20 is concurrent to Tales of Suspense #70. Avengers #19 takes place in the middle of the Hydra Saga, yet Tony Stark’s life gets complicated starting now, so issue 69 or before is the best chance for his appearances in Strange Tales, including his appearances after the Hydra saga. And of course Iron Man shares a comic with Cap. As Nick Fury does with Dr. Strange, the latter of which we are months behind on reading.
For a reading order, we’ll read the Iron Man/Cap stories, then the Avengers stories, then the Dr. Strange/Nick Fury stories. But we’ll talk about what must be concurrent and what must fit where as we go.
Titanium Man is the Soviet answer to Iron Man. He issues a public challenge to prove Soviet superiority. Titanium is more powerful than Iron, so his armor is more powerful, but also slower and bulkier.
