Featuring: Giant-Man and Wasp
Release: January 5, 1965
Cover: April 1965
12 cents
Story: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Art: Beamin’ Bobby Powell
Inking: Friendly Frankie Ray
Lettering: Sunny ol’ Sherigail
12 pages
| Previous | #314 (≈ 100 * 𝜋) | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Prelude | Marvel Comics #1, Story F | |
| Tales to Astonish #65 | Reading order | X-Men #10 |
| Tales to Astonish #65, Story B | Tales to Astonish | Tales to Astonish #66, Story B |
The Giant-Man tale is hogging most of the cover real estate.
Wasp doesn’t seem to be recognized as a co-lead for the second issue in a row. This is just described as a Giant-Man story. The covers have long since omitted her name.
Yes, we are falling farther and farther behind in our Hulk reading.
As before, it’s not actually a new Giant-Man. He just has a new hat.
Madam Macabre is an evil analogue to Giant-Man, with the power to make things shrink or grow. Not knowing she is evil, Giant-Man considers partnering with her, until he learns she thinks they can rule the world together.
While Giant-Man’s powers are about living things, Madam Macabre can only make particular inanimate objects shrink or grow, those made of a special material by her assistant Gogo.
Madam Macabre’s origin is tied to the Iron Man villain, the Mandarin, who saved her as a child, and is responsible for her education. The universe is growing smaller.
Wasp is invited to the Central Park Art Gallery for a special event. After closing time. Alone. Ackbar wept.
We almost had a secret identity loss when Wasp was nearly unmasked. But… Wasp didn’t even use to wear a mask. That’s pretty recent. And people referred to her as Jan even when in her Wasp outfit.
It’s January of 1965. 1965 and 1966 are probably the best years for storytelling in the history of Marvel Comics. Among other great choices Marvel will make in 1965, they will finally abandon two of their most worthless series.
Let’s take a stroll around the newsstand and see what other publishers are up to.
Featured comics:
- Archie’s Pals & Gals #32 (Archie)
- Blue Beetle #4 (Charlton)
- Montana Kid #50 (Charlton)
- Barry M. Goldwater #1 (Dell)
- The Flash #151 (DC)
- Our Army at War #152 (DC)
- Alice in Wonderland #1 (Gold Key)
- Wendy, the Good Little Witch #29 (Harvey)
Rating: ★★½, 41/100
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/Henry Pym
- Wasp/Janet Van Dyne
- Madam Macabre
- Gogo
- Kalya
- Mandarin
- Tabby
Story notes:
- Gogo serves Madame Macabre, fashions toys out of an uncanny plastic material. Madam Macabre can make these toys shrink or grow, but she is not satisfied with her limits.
- As a child, the Mandarin saved Macabre’s life and sponsored her education.
- Secret of Macabre’s power: a cybernetic wig.
| Previous | #314 (≈ 100 * 𝜋) | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Prelude | Marvel Comics #1, Story F | |
| Tales to Astonish #65 | Reading order | X-Men #10 |
| Tales to Astonish #65, Story B | Tales to Astonish | Tales to Astonish #66, Story B |
