Journey Into Mystery #119

The Day of the Destroyer!

Featuring: Thor
Release: June 1, 1965
Cover: August 1965
12 cents
Who but Stan Lee could have written this tale?
Who but Jack Kirby could have drawn it?
Who but Vince Colletta could have inked it?
Who but Artie Simek could be called Artie Simek?
16 pages

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Interesting grid layout for the cover. Haven’t seen too many of those from Kirby. I’m guessing that’s because something went very wrong here. As all four cover panels are just taken from the interior art.

Either Kirby didn’t finish a cover or his cover was rejected. This looks like somebody scrambling at the last minute to get something, anything on the cover before the book got printed.

This is the June issue of Thor. We’ve read almost consecutively since January and are now 3 months ahead of the rest of our reading. We’re going to pause after this issue, despite the inconclusiveness of the ending. We need to check in on our other heroes. Because we’re mostly in March with our reading, I don’t want to worry too much about June things right now. Like, let’s not focus on the fact that “Marvel Comics Group” has apparently become “Marvel Pop Art Productions”. We’ll reflect on that when we reach June properly.

For now, a recap. Loki has helped an evil and unnamed hunter locate the Temple of Darkness, which housed the Destroyer, a mindless being imbued with the power of Odin who would one day defend Earth in its hour of need. The Destroyer took the hunter’s mind, and has awakened too early, and thinks Thor is who it’s meant to destroy.

It’s already destroyed his hammer.

But Thor really just wants to bring his bag of Norn Stones to Odin to prove Loki cheated in the Trial of the Gods. All-wise, all-seeing Odin is not aware of these Stones because he’s currently taking a nap.

Loki likes to torment Thor, but is afraid his latest scheme will result in Thor’s death. He doesn’t mind Thor being dead, but fears the punishment of Odin if he is blamed. He has thus attempted to wake Odin and save Thor, but was thrown in prison for it.

Whew. That’s where we left off.

Oh, and the Destroyer was moments away from killing Thor, and still is.

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Journey Into Mystery #118

To Kill a Thunder God!

Featuring: Thor
Release: May 4, 1965
Cover: July 1965
12 cents
A story steeped in splendor by: Stan Lee
Artwork bathed in beauty by: Jack Kirby
Inking dipped in drama by: Vince Colletta
Lettering couched in clichés by: Artie Simek
16 pages

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We are now 2 months ahead of everything else in our Thor reading because it’s all just flowing together. Thor still hasn’t returned to Asgard with the Norn Stones that will prove Loki cheated in the Trial of the Gods.

He is still flying with Kim, whose entire family was recently killed by her Communist brother.

In the early (generally awful) Thor stories (#83-100), the villains were pretty lame. Loki was the only real stand-out. A couple others, like Radioactive Man, had potential. When Kirby became the primary artist and the stories started to improve, we got some better villains: Executioner, Enchantress, and Grey Gargoyle.

Now that the series is kicking into high gear, we are getting great villains. We recently met Absorbing Man and now get introduced to the Destroyer.

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