Tales of Suspense #44

August 1963
Writers: Stan Lee and R. Berns
Artist: Don Heck

Last month: the Queen of the Underworld.  This month: the Queen of the Nile.  Tony might have a type...

Our story this month begins with Tony arriving at an excavation site in Egypt.  The site has called for Tony's help with locating King Hatap's tomb; he could save them a year by using his genius to locate the tomb.  Tony tells them that he'll bring on his own expert, Iron Man, who can use his proving devices to quickly find Hatap's resting place.

That evening at a cairo club, Tony suddenly grows very weak and realizes he hasn't charged his chest-plate in far too long.  He is helped to his room (turning down the offers of a doctor) and barely plugs into the wall in time.  Tony once again reflects that he can never have a normal life and settle down.  No one may ever know his terrible secret.

The following day, Iron Man arrives at the excavation site.  In no time at all, they locate the tomb and dig their way in.  They marvel at the treasures in the tomb of the man known as the "Mad Pharaoh".  Later that day, in a tent on the site, Tony is approached by a strange man in ancient garb and wearing strange jewelry.  The man claims to be Hatap himself having walked out of his sarcophagus.  He tells Tony the story of how he faked his death, entering a chemically induced 2000-year coma.  Now he needs Tony's help to return the past and defeat Cleopatra.

(I really can't wrap my head around Hatap's plan.  It's pure crazy)

Stark grabs his briefcase and Hatap grabs a strange object which summons the "Chariot of Time", whisking them 2000 years into the past.  Stark manages to slip away from the Mad Pharaoh and changes into Iron Man.  He flies off and stumbles across a Roman siege.  He picks a side and defeats the Romans.  Afterwards, he is granted audience with the Queen... Cleopatra.  He tells her of Hatap's crazy plan.

Together, Cleopatra's forces and Iron Man find and defeat the Mad Pharaoh - the final blow is delivered with the help of a horizontal Iron Man with wheels on his back, hurtling across the desert. Hatap perishes by falling on his own weapon and Iron Man reclaims the strange time-warping object.  Iron Man says goodbye to the Queen and returns to the present.

Next: Iron Man vs. Jack Frost!

Journey Into Mystery #94

July 1963
Writers: Stan Lee and R. Berns
Artist: Joe Sinnott

"Thor and Loki Attack the Human Race"

Not a hoax!  Not an imaginary tale!  Thor and Loki against humanity???


Our story begins at a large US bomb testing site in the Pacific Ocean.  A test involving a missile carrying a nuclear warhead (!) goes terribly awry when the missile suddenly changes direction and flies off seemingly out of control.  The army calls in the mighty Thor to help with their dilemma.  Heeding their call, Thor flies off... while Loki watches from his chains in Asgard. 

We learn that Loki has hatched a very elaborate plan.  While Thor releases Mjolnir to detonate the nuclear warhead, Loki uses all his power to create an illusion which distracts Thor just long enough for the returning Mjolnir to strike Thor in the head - in a very specific location.  A location which causes Thor to turn evil!  (specifically, the hammer strikes the chromosomatic gland, which apparently determined and changes personality).

Loki contacts the evil Thor mentally, asking him to help free the mischief maker from his bonds in Asgard.  Fighting his way through Asgardians, Thor does just that.  Odin himself confronts the duo.  In his rage, he moves to strangle Loki, but Thor strikes Odin down instead.  Loki reveals his plan to the all-father: he is to take Earth hostage and force Odin to relinquish control of Asgard to Loki.  Thor and Loki fly off to Earth to execute the scheme.

After wreaking havoc all across the Earth (including the misuse of various famous sites - Eiffel tower, Sphinx, etc), the deadly duo meet with a special assembly of the UN.  Seemingly, Odin cares not for the plight of the planet Earth... but suddenly Thor falls through a trap-door, immediately after which his hammer (having been held suspended in the air) crashes down on the back of his head, striking the very same chromosomatic gland.  His personality shifts back and Odin reveals himself.  The two attack and defeat the god of mischief. 

Loki is once again imprisoned and all is well.

Next: Thor vs. Thor!?

Tales to Astonish #45

July 1963
Writers: Stan Lee and H.E. Huntley
Artist: Don Heck

"The Terrible Traps of Egghead!"

Stan is joined by H.E. Huntley for scripting purposes this issue and Don Heck continues his run on this title.

Our story this month features the return of the man who is possibly the most notable of Ant-Man's villains: the Egghead.  Egghead's previous (and first) appearance was in issue #38, which ended with his escape.  The beginning of this issue recaps that previous appearance and picks up where we left off.  After his escape, he became a bum, hidden away in a flop-house... until one day he hears of new exploits of the Ant-Man and his partner the Wasp.  The Egghead snaps out of his depression and begins to formulate a new plan.

Weeks later, the plan is set into motion.  Egghead, disguised as 'Professor Carl Striker, Zoologist', manages to land a lecture at the local zoo, specifically for a wasp exhibit (the idea being that our Wasp wouldn't be able to resist attending).  He plans to capture the Wasp and use her to capture Ant-Man and then enact the perfect crime spree.  The last piece of his plan is to employ the use of a device which prevents Ant-Man's ants from communicating with him.  The device is tested when Egghead and his goons rob a local diamond cutter and get away with the goods.

The next day, Janet attends the wasp exhibit and the lecture by Professor Striker.  During the lecture, she spies the stolen jewels and decides that she can catch the thieves all by herself.  She changes into the Wasp and goes after the jewels; she is quickly entrapped.  She sends out a call for help and Ant-Man hurriedly comes to her rescue.

After sparring with a lizard, avoiding a ravenous ant-eater and using the help of poisonous snakes, our heroes defeat the Egghead and his goons.  Unfortunately, much like last time, Egghead makes his escape.  Hank takes the opportunity to lecture Janet, while she reflects that he is blind to her love.  And back in his lair, Egghead vows to build a better ant-trap.

I'm not sure what it is, but it seems like there is still something missing from this series, making it less engaging than the others (Journey Into Mystery and Tales of Suspense).  The stories are perfectly fine, but nothing more.

Next: Ant-Man and Wasp versus a Cyclops!  (no, not that one)

Tales of Suspense #43

July 1963
Writers: Stan Lee and R. Berns
Artist: Jack Kirby
Inker: Don Heck

Our story begins at one of Tony Stark's scientific research laboratories.  Something goes horribly wrong with an experimental wind tunnel.  Stark is quickly informed and Iron Man comes to the rescue.  After disaster is averted, Iron Man disappears and Stark arrives on the scene (quite the coincidence).  During the clean up efforts, one of the workers suddenly turns invisible and seemingly disintegrates.  A second man vanishes in a blast of light.  And finally, Stark himself is surrounded by a crystalline lattice and dragged down through the floor.

Stark and the others find themselves in a strange underground world.  Stark is greeted by Nala, Queen of the Netherworld.  She reveals that the first two abductions were accidents and that Stark was the true target.  Nala demands that Stark help them discover a way to transport their war machines to the surface world so that they may rule the entire planet.  He tries to dissuade her from her course of action by touting the feats of the Earth's very own champion: Iron Man!

However, she is undeterred.  Stark shocks the other men by deciding to help Nala.  All he needs is a laboratory and isolation.  Readers of Tales of Suspense #39 can probably figure out what Stark is going to do.  For the rest of you, Stark uses the lab to secretly build himself new Iron Man armor, which he then dons and uses to attack Nala's henchmen. 

Nala and her men turn their war machines on Iron Man, but one-by-one he defeats and dismantles the equipment.  Playing a hunch, Iron Man grabs Nala and blasts his way upwards to the surface.  Once there, Nala suddenly ages to an old woman, while Iron Man explains that the difference in "atmosphere" on the surface has caused the aging and that this would happen to all of the underworlders if they tried to attack the surface.  Iron Man returns the distraught Nala to her underworld palace (and she regains her youth almost immediately).

Nala tells her people that the planned invasion is planned no longer.  They will continue to live under the surface in the paradise that they have built.

I'm not sure what the moral of this story is, but I feel like there's one somewhere in here...

Next: Iron Man and Cleopatra???

Journey Into Mystery #93

June 1963
Writers: Stan Lee and Robert Bernstein
Artist: Jack Kirby
Inker: Dick Ayers

"The Mysterious Radio-Active Man!"

This issue features the debut of a long-standing Marvel character, Chen Lu the Radioactive Man (not to be confused with the guy on the Simpsons).  His character will grow a lot over the years, but there are some hints of who he eventually becomes.  I also feel that I must mention the color choice that Marvel used in this era to depict people from China; it's an off-putting pale yellow color...

On to the story!

We begin in India, where Dr. Donald Blake is working with an American medical mission to provide assistance to the war-torn region.  When the camp is suddenly attacked, Thor quickly takes charge, pushing back the enemy combatants.  The following morning, word of Thor's exploits has reached the communist headquarters in Peking.  The leaders decide that something must be done to stop Thor.  A Dr. Chen Lu volunteers to head the project.

Later, Dr. Lu muses to himself that Radio-Activity is the best means with which to make a human super-powerful, much more than atomic power.  Dr. Lu has discovered a means with which to subject a human to sufficient radio-activity to change his entire atomic structure.  He decides that he will be the test-subject.  And lo is born the Radio-Active Man.  After his transformation, Dr. Lu destroys his laboratory so that no man can ever reproduce his accomplishment. 

A week later, the Radio-Active Man heads to New York City, whereupon he attacks local police, terrifies a crowd of people, and demands that Thor come forward to meet him in battle.  The challenge is answered!  And Thor is fairly quickly defeated.  Dr. Lu uses his radioactive powers to put him into a hypnotic trance (somehow).  He forces Thor to toss away his hammer (he actually flings it through the air, forcing Dr. Lu to chase after his prize).  After he runs off - about 60 seconds later - Thor changes back into Blake.  Luckily for our hero, Blake is not hypnotized. 

The Radio-Active Man is unable to find the hammer and returns, frustrated, to find Blake and no Thor.  Blake tricks Dr. Lu into thinking that Thor has run off and then immediately Blake sets about to find the hammer.  Once he does, he creates a fantastic tornado, which whisks the Radio-Active Man back to red China.  Upon his landing in China, a fantastic explosion erupts, seemingly killing Dr. Lu and (unknown to Thor) sending a message to the communists.

Next: Loki!

Tales to Astonish #44

June 1963
Writers: Stan Lee and H.E. Huntley
Artist: Jack Kirby
Inker: Don Heck

"The Creature from Kosmos!"

A double-size dose of Kirby and the introduction of the winsome Wasp?  Strap in, True Believer!

We learn something very interesting about the good doctor this issue: he was once married.  The first portion of this issue is dedicated to a flashback tale where we learn the fate of the first Mrs. Pym.  On their honeymoon, the newlyweds unwisely travel to Hungary, the very country in which Maria Pym (nee Travoya) and her father were political prisoners prior to escaping.  Not long after they arrive, they are accosted and Maria is captured.  Not long afterwards, Pym is notified that Maria is dead and her father's lab in America has been destroyed (presumably killing him).  The enraged Pym tries to track down the murderers, but to no avail.  Later, Pym sits in his laboratory and remembers words that Maria had once told him, "go to the ants, thou sluggard!".  Apparently, it is these very words which encouraged Pym to develop his shrinking gas and to fight crime.

Note that this new origin doesn't line up very well with Pym's first couple appearances.  Hello, first retcon.

Pym's reverie is broken by the ringing of his door bell.  He answers the door to fine Dr. Vernon Van Dyne, along with Dr. Van Dyne's daughter Janet.  Dr. Van Dyne explains that he is a scientist looking for help on a gamma ray beam designed to search the galaxy for sentient life.  Janet thinks to herself that Pym is attractive, but she prefers the adventurous type.  Hank tells Van Dyne that he would like to help but his area of expertise is microbiology.  Van Dyne thanks Pym and takes his leave.

Later, Van Dyne toils in his lab, pushing his gamma ray into deep space (while his daughter searches for fun on the town), when he does the impossible: he finds life!  To be more precise, life finds him.  Life in the form of an escaped prisoner from Kosmos.  The prisoner followed the beam to Earth.  The alien kills the scientist, destroys the machine and flees the laboratory.  Poor Janet discovers her father later that night.  Knowing not what to do, she contacts Dr. Pym.  Pym assumes she is playing a prank and hangs up on the distraught girl.  Once he realizes his mistake, he decides that this is a job for Ant-Man!

Hank proceeds to don his gear and catapult through the air to land outside Janet's window.  He makes his presence known and promises to help.  Janet vows vengeance and Hank thinks to himself that she is so like his late wife.  Ant-Man gets to work, discussing the strange mist remnants in Van Dyne's lab; the ant's claim think that the alien visitor is in someway kin to them.  Ant-Man sends Janet to the lab of Hank Pym.  She arrives, is greeted by Pym, and then shocked when he reveals to her that he is the astonishing Ant-Man.  Hank talks Janet into becoming his partner: the Wasp.  He implants specialized cells within Janet that cause her to grow wings upon shrinking.  Meanwhile, the alien begins to terrorize the city.

Hank and Janet don their uniforms and head out to confront the alien menace (Janet on her wings and Hank still catapulting through the air).  Our heroes find the US military engaging the alien.  Wasp leaps in without thinking and is duly chastised by Ant-Man.  Hank claims to have discovered a way to defeat the alien and they retreat to his laboratory.  In a baffling, science-free move, Hank develops an 'antidote' for formic acid and loads it into a shotgun.  His army of ants carries the gun to the scene of battle and Hank's tiny arms pull the trigger.

The enemy is defeated.  Our heroes celebrate and Janet thinks to herself that she loves this man and maybe someday he will come to love her, too...

Next: the return of Egghead!

Tales of Suspense #42

June 1963
Writers: Stan Lee and Robert Bernstein
Artist: Don Heck

"Trapped by the Red Barbarian"

Don Heck returns to Tales of Suspense for this story of Iron Man versus communism.  Heck will be the main series artist from the foreseeable future (excepting a Kirby tale next issue and a Ditko issue coming up).  This also continues the stories scripted by Robert Bernstein.  I don't think that I've given enough credit to the scripters that Stan utilized in this era.  In addition to Bernstein on this series, Stan's brother Larry Lieber scripted a lot of Stan's plots at this time.

Our Iron Man story in this issue of Tales of Suspense begins on an East coast dock, where three communist spies are preparing to ship a stolen bomb to the Red Barbarian (a communist general known for brutality).  Iron Man smashes into the warehouse and foils their plans.  Afterwards, Tony packs up his gear and heads back to his lab, which gives me a good opportunity to mention that the Iron Man armor has been designed by Tony to be collapsible.  It breaks down enough that it can fit comfortably into a reasonably sized attache case.

Later, while Stark shows off his newest weapon to the US military (a disintegrator ray), the Red Barbarian displays his anger to his underlings (by throwing a ham hock, no joke).  The Red Barbarian is then approached by a man known as The Actor, a man who can seemingly take on the appearance of anyone.  He displays these abilities by appearing as Stalin, the Red Barbarian himself, and Anthony Stark.  Together, the devise a plan for the Actor to sneak into Stark's laboratory, steal weapon plans and destroy both Stark and Iron Man.

A few days later, the plan is put into place.  The Actor steals the plans for the disintegrator.  While he makes his way back behind the iron curtain, his henchmen accost Tony Stark, not knowing that he is wearing armor under his suit.  Stark makes quick work of the henchmen and learns of the Actor's plans.  Iron Man decides he must beat the Actor to the Red Barbarian's headquarters.  He does so by riding a rocket and jettisoning at just the right time.  He ambushes the Actor and sets his own plan into motion by appearing before the Red Barbarian, pretending to be the Actor disguised as Iron Man.  His subterfuge tricks the Red Barbarian, Stark makes his leave with the plans, and releases the Actor.  The Actor, confused, goes to speak with the communist general, and is promptly shot to death.

The communists lose again.

Next: Iron Man versus Kala, Queen of the Netherworld!

Journey Into Mystery #92

May 1963
Writers: Stan Lee and Robert Bernstein
Artist: Joe Sinnott

"The Day Loki Stole Thor's Magic Hammer"

Stan's scripter on Tales of Suspense joins him for this issue of Journey Into Mystery, as Thor's most common foe returns once again.  I'll be honest in that I didn't notice the scripting change until I jotted down the credits.

Our tale begins high up in Asgard, where Loki is bound by chains to a large rock.  The mischief-maker plots and plans, vowing vengeance upon Thor and all of Asgard.  Meanwhile, on planet Earth, Dr. Donald Blake sends nurse Foster on a quick errand.  The moment she leaves, Blake is accosted by three mobsters; they demand that he use his skills to save their fellow who caught a few bullets (not the first time that this has happened to Blake).  Blake agrees to help and then tricks the men into believing that Thor is in the other room.  While the men are distracted, Blake quickly changes into Thor and soundly defeats the mobsters.  (He actually binds the men to the same gurney as the injured man and then hurtles the gurney through the air whereupon it lands at the police station, in what may be one of my favorite sequences in these early issues).

A week later, at a Norwegian sea port, Thor is assisting a film crew in the production of a movie.  The movie features Thor fighting a mystical sea creature in the thrall of Loki. Loki watches Thor while he 'acts', at first angry at the indignity, until he devises a plan (naturally) to use the script against Thor.  In one scene, in which Thor flings his hammer, Loki somehow diverts the hammer up into Asgard to free Loki from his chains.

Loki retains the hammer in Asgard (kinda, it lays with the fallen chains), while Thor is distraught at the disappearance of his hammer down on Earth.  As he is wont to do in this era, Thor calls to the allfather Odin for help.  Thor returns to Asgard with his father (note that while in Asgard the sixty-second lapse between Thor and his hammer does not cause him to revert to Blake).  Odin tells Thor that he must search all of Asgard until he finds his hammer. Thor proceeds to do so.  Eventually, Thor comes upon what appears to be enchanted woods.  He battles the trees and mysterious creatures, even fashioning a new hammer out of stone. During the battle, Thor comes to the realization that Loki must have magicked his hammer into releasing the villain.  Thor finds the fallen chains and his hammer laying amongst them.

Defeated, Loki is once again bound and Thor returns to Earth.

Next: Thor battles a new villain, the Radioactive Man!

Tales of Suspense #41

May 1963
Writers: Stan Lee and Robert Bernstein
Artist: Jack Kirby

"The Stronghold of Dr. Strange"

Yes, the villain of this piece is a man named Dr. Strange.  No, it's not the Dr. Strange of modern Marvel comics.

Jack is inked by Dick Ayers on this issue.  As a result, it looks like much more traditional Kirby art than last issue.  And I loved it.

This issue begins with Anthony Stark on a date.  While on the date, Stark reflects on the recent adventures of Iron Man, which gives us the readers a nice montage.  Scenes include: stopping safe-crackers, stopping a communist plane, halting two steamliners from crashing, scaring off aliens, and finally charging his chest-plate (via wall outlet).

The following day, Iron Man appears at a national orphanage and gives the kids a show by juggling automobiles and catching a cannonball shot at him from close range.  Meanwhile, in a prison radio repair lab, a convict listens to Iron Man's exploits at the orphanage.  This man is known as Dr. Strange.  He devises a plan to have Iron Man bust him out of prison...

Alone in his cell later, Dr. Strange reflects on his recent past, in which he was struck by lightning which increased the "electrical energy" of his mind.  Dr. Strange turns on a small device which emits ultra-frequency waves which hit our hero, Iron Man.  These waves affect the electricity of Stark's brain and cause him to fall under hypnosis (somehow).  The hypnotized Iron Man breaks into the prison, grabs Dr. Strange, and quickly escapes with the convict in tow.  Hours later, Iron Man regains his senses, with no idea how he came to be on a country road outside of the city.  The state police fill him in on what happened at the prison. 

Weeks pass by with no sign of our villain.  We readers are granted a view of the mad Dr. Strange on a private island base with his accomplices (powerful men from around the world).  The man is now wearing an outfit eerily similar to that worn by the modern-day Dr. Strange.  The villain reveals his plan to rule the world.  He delivers an ultimatum to the nations of the planet, demanding surrender within 24 hours or he will destroy the Earth.  Following his broadcasted ultimatum, the location of his base is no longer a secret.  While bombs are dropped on the base from above, Iron Man digs underground/underwater and appears within the stronghold.  Iron Man promptly begins to destroy electrical equipment and various devices, much to the woe of Dr. Strange.  Finally, with an assist from Dr. Strange's daughter (who did not agree with his world-ruling plans), Iron Man defeats the would-be despot.  Unfortunately, he makes his escape.


Next issue: it's Iron Man's turn to fight communism!

Tales to Astonish #43

May 1963
Writers: Stan Lee and Larry Lieber
Artist: Don Heck

"The Mad Master of Time"

Our story this month begins with a letter carrier delivering a telegram to a Professor Elias Weems.  The letter is from his beloved grandson Tommy.  Tommy writes of how he is excited to come visit his grandfather the following month.  Weems recalls to himself how proud his grandson is of Weems scientific prowess and his profession.  However, the following week, Weems is suddenly let go from his job at a research laboratory.  He is flat out told by the boss that modern research needs young, alert minds and that "old-timers no longer fit the bill".

On his way home, Weems grows more and more furious at the situation.  He decides to invent a machine that will make others too old: a machine to age all living creatures!  He toils day and night to create his fantastic machine.  After completing the machine, he tests it on a sapling, an elephant, and finally a human (the latter two he quickly restores to their proper age, another function of his invention).

The following week, a threatening letter is delivered to the local precinct, in which the "Time-Master" (as Weems now calls himself) demands that the city be turned over to his control, otherwise he will age people before their time.  Ant-Mans army of ants overhears this threat and relays it to our hero.  Hank Pym quickly changes into his costume, hurls himself through the air courtesy of his catapult and lands on a soft, cushiony pile of ants. After speaking with the police, Ant-Man visits all of the various labs in the city, "playing a hunch".  Fairly quickly, he figures out that Weems is our Time-Master.

Ant-Man confronts Weems at his house, telling him that he can't go through with it.  Weems disagrees and promptly ages the tiny Ant-Man.  He is placed into a flower pot, from which he can't escape (he's apparently too old to scale the walls).  Undeterred, he uses his growth gas to become normal size, though still rather old.  He heads out into the city and finds the Time-Master, who is in the process of aging a whole crowd of people... including, quite by accident, his grandson Tommy.  Weems suddenly regrets his actions, but inadvertently drops his aging gun off the edge of building.  Luckily, Ant-Man has a large group of ants create a cushion to safely catch the gun.  With the switch flipped, the gun changes the people of the crowd back to normal age.

The crowd turns on old man Weems once the realize he is the culprit.  He is arrested and tried.  However, Weems old boss shows up at the hearing and takes some of the blame.  Somehow, the judge agrees to not charge Weems and he gets his old job back. Our story finishes with Professor Weems showing his laboratory to his proud grandson.

Despite some of the silliness of the issue, I found myself enjoying this story.  I don't have much else to say about it, though.

Next:  Meet the Wasp!