Thursday 1 March 2012

March 1962. Fifty Years Ago Today.

Fantastic Four #3, first costumes, first fantasti-car, Miracle Man
It's March 1962 and, with Henry Pym currently swearing off the size-changing serum, Marvel's roster of super-doers still consists of just one comic; The Fantastic Four.

Fortunately there's plenty going on in that comic as, bowing to reader demand, Lee and Kirby give the FF costumes, just like proper super-heroes.

Not only that but they also get their very own answer to the Batmobile, in the Fantasti-Car, a vehicle Reed Richards seems to have concocted from an old tin bathtub.

On top of that, the Baxter Building reveals its hi-tech secrets.

Phew! Could Stan and Jack possibly throw any more excitement at us?

Too right they can! Because we also get the debut of that menacing master of mesmerism the Miracle Man.

It may be true that, for most people, the Miracle Man hasn't exactly gone down in the annals of the legendary but I've always liked him and was glad to see him finally make his return many years later - this time with genuine super-powers.

4 comments:

Kid said...

Did you know that Kirby drew some pages with the FF wearing masks (little domino-type ones), which were deleted before publication? I've seen the 'before' and 'after' pics.

Steve W. said...

I didn't know that but I'm glad they were got rid of.

Bear Boy said...

Ben Grimm as a Domino is as mad as Oliver Queen's delicate little eye-piece granting anonymity. And how would the effect work for Johnny Storm when he 'flames on'?

Boston Bill said...

I always liked the FF's outfits as they seemed much more like uniforms than costumes. And (as Fred Hembeck pointed out), Ben Grimm said right away, "I'm not wearing this fool outfit", and indeed, after tearing it off for the fight, he never wore it again!