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.
The story ends with a moral not dissimilar from the moral of several of these tales: be careful building weapons that can destroy the world. Paul found no evidence of civilizations more advanced than ours because any civilization that got any further with its weapons destroyed itself.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 50/100
Significance: ★★☆☆☆
The scans are taken from a reprint in Marvel Collectors’ Item Classics #19.
You can find this story through Kindle.
Characters:
- Watcher
- Vince Harding
- Paul Harding
Story notes:
- Vince sells used aero-cars; his jalopies have been selling well.
#156 story in reading order
Next: Journey Into Mystery #101
Previous: Tales of Suspense #51
