Featuring: Giant-Man and Wasp
Release: December 2, 1963
Cover: March 1964
12 cents
Story by: Daring Stan Lee
Art by: Dazzling Dick Ayers
Lettering by: Dynamic S. Rosen
18 pages
Porcupine is only Dr. Pym’s second recurring villain. Egghead was the first.
Giant-Man’s costume seems to be undergoing frequent slight alterations. I’m not sure what’s going on with the black suspenders. They may be adjustable. Whatever is going on, this issue they seem to form an “x” on his back.
We see the Giant-Man Fan Club again. The narrator calls it the more inclusive “Giant-Man/Wasp Fan Club”, but signs still call it the Giant-Man Fan Club. They cosplay as their favorite Giant-Man villains. I see Black Knight, Human Top, Egghead, and Dr. Doom. I think I even see Trago in the background.
Naming the characters is quite the test. I think the one in the reddish outfit in the center is the Eraser. The color scheme isn’t right, but coloring is often wonky and varies across reprints. I’m stuck on the blonde wig and purple jumpsuit. Any help? Again, it might be best to ignore the coloring. If I were to throw out a guess, I’d say that eye contraption is meant to indicate he has one eye like the Cyclops. But just a guess.
Interestingly, Giant-Man has not actually fought Dr. Doom, unless you count the 1998 postlude story we read, Avengers #1½. Roger Stern is a pretty slick continuity scholar, but this seems pretty obscure for even him to have had in mind. However, telling the story of an unknown battle against Dr. Doom makes the cosplayer’s costume a perfect fit with the theme.
I like the note about how a fan can be any age. Stan Lee seemed to know who his audience included and may have winkingly aimed the dialogue at them. Even 39-year olds can like superheroes.
For some reason, they let Giant-Man narrate the flashback to what happened to Wasp. How would he know? The writer does his best to let us know Giant-Man is guessing what happened. But it’s still weird. Why not let Jan narrate it? Or the narrator?
Porcupine really wants to know Giant-Man’s true identity. Wasp’s mask doesn’t cover her face, and she doesn’t seem to keep her identity a secret. Is it that hard…
We learn here the problem with your superpowers coming in pills you keep on your belt. It’s easy for your foes to steal your powers. Unfortunately for Porcupine, he didn’t read the instructions closely and shrunk into nothingness when he intended to grow. Guess that’s the last we’ll see of him.
Though Dr. Doom seemed to shrink to nothingness once and he ended up in some type of micro-world. So maybe Porcupine will go there.
Chronology notes:
- Giant-Man in costume with black suspenders and “x” on back.
- Giant-Man fractures his ankle. It will take some time to heal. Though never explicitly stated, it’s possible this injury delayed the Avengers in resuming their search for Namor and Hulk.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆, 35/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: Ant-Man/Giant-Man vol. 2.
You can find the story in Ant-Man/Giant-Man Epic Collection vol. 1: The Man in the Ant Hill. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- Giant-Man/Ant-Man/Dr. Henry Pym
- Wasp/Janet (Jan) Van Dyne
- Porcupine/Alex Gentry
Minor characters:
- Charlie (fan club member)
Story notes:
- Giant-Man and Wasp giving demonstration for orphanage.
- Giant-Man weighs 360 pounds.
- Giant-Man fractures ankle. He can’t change size until the bone sets.
- Flashback recounts last Porcupine adventure.
- Giant-Man has downtown full-floor loft he rents as gym and lab. We also see his house is in New Jersey.
- Porcupine’s car emits DDT.
- Porcupine lets Wasp escape and uses tracer quill to find Giant-Man’s New Jersey house. Presumably he can now deduce Giant-Man’s identity?
#149 story in reading order
Next: Tales to Astonish #53, Story B
Previous: Tales of Suspense #50, Story C
