Featuring: Iron Man Release: April 9, 1964 Cover: July 1964 12 cents Presented by: Stan Lee and Don Heck Lettered by S. Rosen 5 pages
This is pushing the line between what I’d call a story and what I’d call a special feature at the end of a story. It’s long enough and told in a comics format, so I decided to give it its own entry, but I could have included it at the end of the last one.
This feature fits in where the science fiction tale would normally have gone, but those are done now.
The first page shows some of Iron Man’s major villains:
Black Widow
Mysterious Melter
Mandarin
Scarecrow
Mr. Doll
Crimson Dynamo
Gargantus
Jack Frost
It’s not an exhaustive list. I don’t see:
Wong-Chu
Kala and the Netherworlders
Dr. Strange
Red Barbarian
The Actor
The Mad Pharaoh
One villain is unnamed, and I don’t recognize him.
Featuring: Iron Man Release: April 9, 1964 Cover: July 1964 12 cents Written by: Friendly Stan Lee Illustrated by: Faithful Don Heck Lettered by: Fearless Art Simek 13 pages
For the second issue in a row, a comic I own in original form, because it was too hard to find the Watcher story in the back any other way.
The title is, “No one escapes the Mandarin!” Iron Man is currently a prisoner. Willing to bet money someone will escape the Mandarin by issue’s end. (In fact, someone will escape the Mandarin by page 3.)
I need everybody to agree on a couple points. Iron Man is a captive. He is tied up just like he was at the end of last issue. That’s the first point. The second is that he is wearing a different helmet than he was a moment ago. There is a clear lack of bolts down the face. Somebody explain.
Featuring: Watcher Release: March 10, 1964 Cover: June 1964 12 cents Story plot by: Stan Lee Script + Art by: Larry Lieber Inking: Chic Stone Lettering: Art Simek 5 pages
As I mentioned in the last post, this is the first comic in our reading I actually own an original copy of. This story is the reason I have it. I had the Iron Man story already in the Essential Iron Man and Iron Man Omnibus. But at the time, nearly 20 years ago, I couldn’t find the Watcher story anywhere else. So I tracked down the original comic, shelling out several dollars for it, maybe as much as 7 or 8. Definitely more than the 12 cents it should have cost.
The Watcher is unusually passionate at the moment. I think of him as more reserved. Here, he plans to stick to his oath, but it torments him.
That makes me think this tale is set in very ancient times. The modern Watcher is a little more accepting of his role, and this tale takes place in his youth, when he struggled a bit more with his oath.
As I’ve expressed before, the Watcher’s conclusions about morality are wrong. It’s better to act. That said, they fascinate me. Especially stories like this that attempt to explore the morality of his oath.
Featuring: Iron Man Release: March 10, 1964 Cover: June 1964 12 cents Written (in his magic Marvel manner) by: Stan lee Drawn (in his famous flashing fashion) by: Don Heck Lettered (in his smooth subtle style) by: Art Simek 13 pages
We reach a personal milestone for me in this reading. Up to this point, every story I’ve read, I’ve used some form of reprint, often a collection from one of their reprint lines like Marvel Masterworks, sometimes a later comic that happens to reprint the old story.
This comic I own. Cover barely hanging on, brown at the edges, but this is mine. That cover? That’s a scan of my copy. Most of the other covers have been taken from the GCD.
So that’s pretty exciting.
Now for the bad news. The Mandarin returns. Iron Man’s lamest villain yet (despite some stiff competition) is back for round 2.
Iron Man gets a new helmet. The face mask no longer protrudes out, making his head a smoother shape, and there are visible bolts along the mask. I get the bolts along where the facemask meets the helmet, but not sure what the ones down the middle are doing. They won’t be around long. In fact, they’ll disappear mid-story suddenly without any plausible explanation.
It’s a pretty weird look, frankly. It will be better when that middle line of bolts goes away.
Featuring: Watcher Release: February 11, 1964 Cover: May 1964 12 cents Story plot by: Stan Lee Script + art by: Larry Lieber Inking by: Paul Reinman Lettering by: Art Simek 5 pages
I learned this series existed relatively late in my Marvel reading. I’d gotten it into my head that I wanted every Marvel comic some 20 years ago and got to work. But it took time to even develop a good catalogue of what that meant. I had read the old Iron Man and Silver stories in the Essentialvolumes Marvel put out, but didn’t realize at the time about the Watcher backups not reprinted in those volumes.
As the internet took shape, and comic experts put forth their knowledge, I could borrow from that work to get a sense of the complete list. I meticulously studied the UHBMCC and MCP to find every Marvel Universe comic there was, including the oddities, like this short-lived series of Watcher tales.
My enthusiasm went through a bit of a roller coaster ride. I’d always loved the Watcher from his appearances in What If…? and was excited to learn he had solo adventures. Enthusiasm high. Then I learned the solo adventures were just a light wrapper around other stories he would narrate. Enthusiasm waned. Then I learned some of these stories were reprints of older stories with the Watcher parts added in. Further waning. But then I learned there were a few stories (like this one) which did feature the Watcher in his own adventures. Enthusiasm rising. And then I learned that we would learn the origin of the Watchers. Enthusiasm at its height.
What tragedy at the dawn of time caused this ancient race of immortals to take such a dark vow, to spend eternity observing the events of the cosmos without interference? I was excited to find out.
Then I read it. Enthusiasm has reached equilibrium. It doesn’t help to read so many of these Watcher stories and similar sci/fi tales in close proximity. A very large number of them have the moral that we should end the threat of nuclear war. While I agree, and appreciate that it was on people’s minds a lot back then, it really is overdone in these pages. And then to learn that’s the origin of the Watchers…
We begin with the Watcher making the choice he always makes, to watch a dying patient die and choose not to help, even though he could save the man’s life. He proceeds to explain why.
The Watcher refers to us as “lesser beings”. No offense taken.
His people once shared nuclear secrets with another race, who did with the knowledge what humanity has done and set on a path toward self-destruction.
Featuring: Iron Man Release: February 11, 1964 Cover: May 1964 12 cents Story plot by: Stan Lee Script by: N. Korok Art by: Don Heck 13 pages
Iron Man takes a big step forward. Since his debut, he’s been the lead feature of Tales to Suspense, featured on the cover with his name somewhere prominently, and his visage in the little box up top. This issue, he gets a logo. Large font in a standard position atop the page reads, “The Power of Iron Man”. The comic is still “Tales of Suspense”, as noted at the top; yet, the comic’s title is the subordinate font. In big bold letters, we see clearly this is Iron Man’s comic. Marvel will do the same with Thor next month. For whatever reason, they seem less inclined to advertise Human Torch or Giant-Man so boldly.
While less impressive, it should be noted that The Watcher gets acknowledged on the cover in a text box. No other covers have or will mention his backup features. That coincides with a change in the Watcher tales. He will no longer be narrating other tales but starring in his own adventures.
Black Widow returns, now with black hair (though this time it looks red on the cover). Last issue, her only role was distraction by seduction. Here, she steals a powerful new Stark weapon, but we still don’t see her demonstrating many talents of her own.
Her plan largely hinges on Stark’s stupidity (which worked well for her last time). He shows her his new top secret super weapon, perhaps because he is smitten with her. She then steals the weapon. We learn Stark was not smitten, but pretending to trust her to learn her plans. There was no need for that. The events of last issue provide plenty of evidence she was a Soviet spy and an accomplice in the murder of Professor Vanko. There was no reason to learn her new plan. Just have her arrested.
Featuring: Watcher Release: January 10, 1964 Cover: April 1964 12 cents Story plot: Stan Lee Script + art: L.D. Lieber Inking: P. Reinman Lettering: S. Rosen 5 pages
With this story, we finally finish all the January comics, after some jumping around in time. We’d already ready some February books, but now we have officially reached February in our reading.
The Watcher has another tale for us, concerning the one man on Earth who was seen as a failure because he refused to pursue success in business. He and his lady end up rulers of a galactic empire. The Watcher asks: “Can any of us ever really know who is a failure and who is not?”
Featuring: Iron Man Release: January 10, 1964 Cover: April 1964 12 cents Plot by: Stan Lee Story by: N. Korok Art by: Don Heck Lettering by: S. Rosen 13 pages
N. Korok is an alias for Don Rico. Stan credits Rico with the story and himself with the plot. I would love to know what Stan thinks the difference between “plot” and “story” is. Rico had been working with comics, and Marvel Comics in particular, since 1939, as artist or writer or editor. By this time, he had mostly left comics behind and become a successful novelist– likely why he’s not using his real name on this comic work. Any comics work by Rico from this point forward will be quite uncommon.
Khrushchev decides it’s time to deal with the traitorous Crimson Dynamo. He sends for Russia’s best agents, Boris and Natasha.
Featuring: Watcher Release: December 9, 1963 Cover: March 1964 12 cents Story plot: Stan Lee Script and art: Larry Lieber Inking: G. Bell Lettering: S. Rosen 5 pages
In general, these science fiction tales are a poor fit for the Marvel Universe. They do better as standalone stories. Within the context of the Marvel Universe, a scientist wouldn’t be desperately trying to prove there are advanced alien civilizations out there… we already know that because dozens have invaded Earth.
We know the Watcher is part of the Marvel Universe, and he claims to be telling us a story of the future. But perhaps it is not the future of our Marvel heroes. Perhaps it is another future, maybe even our own. It is set in the far-off 21st century.
Featuring: Iron Man Release: December 9, 1963 Cover: March 1964 12 cents Written by: Stan (When does he sleep?) Lee Illustrated by: Don (When does he eat?) Heck Lettered by: Art (When will he learn to spell?) Simek 13 pages
Stan notes we are probably wondering how a Scarecrow can cause Iron Man any trouble. I was wondering exactly that, Stan. In fact, I often wonder why most of Iron Man’s villains cause him any trouble. This issue will not answer the question. Iron Man strikes me as far more powerful than you make him out to be.
We get a somewhat interesting origin for a super-villain. It begins with Iron Man making a joke that he’s glad the performer is not a criminal, which inspires the performer to be a criminal. All he needs now is to steal a Scarecrow costume from a costume shop and some trained crows from a colleague.
Those who engage in humor know it to be an art form not free from consequence; we maintain that the rewards, though subtle, are worth the risk.
