Wednesday 6 May 2015

May 1965 - Marvel Comics, Fifty Years Ago Today.

There may be an election tomorrow but the Steve Does Comics focus is on far more important matters, as I take a look at what our favourite Marvel heroes were up to in this very month of fifty years ago.

Are they delivering an almighty great blow to the ballot box?

Or are they just getting a kick in the marginals?

Avengers #16, Captain America

Hooray! The new cabinet's confirmed, as our new prime minister unveils the bright young team who're going to lead us into the future.
Fantastic Four #38, Frightful Four

It's one of my fave FF tales, as the Frightful Four go slightly overboard in their desire to defeat our heroes - and nuke them.

I'd love to know how the Frightfuls are managing to fit into that tiny ship without having first had the lower halves of their bodies amputated.

Journey Into Mystery #38, Thor vs Loki

Odin once more shows what a total dolt he is, as he makes Thor and Loki battle it out to prove which of them is the more worthy.

Because that's such a difficult thing to decide otherwise.

Bearing in mind the man banging the gong behind them, I'd say it's Rank stupidity but that'd be stealing a joke from Carry On Cleo, which would be naughty as I've vowed to only steal jokes from Carry On Cowboy this week.

Amazing Spider-Man #24

I think this was the first time Spider-Man had cause to doubt his sanity - but it certainly wan't the last.

Strange Tales #132, Thing and the Human Torch

The Torch and the Thing, still defying all odds by clinging on to their own strip.

Tales of Suspense #65, Captain America and Iron Man

A lowdown crook gets his hands on Iron Man's armour, and Starky has to revert to using his original suit.

For some reason, this Iron Man tale was one of my favourite Shellhead tales when I was a sprog.

Tales to Astonish #67, Hulk and Giant-Man

I used to have that Hulk image as a pin-up, mounted on cardboard, on my bedside table, facing my Magic Roundabout wallpaper.

I got it from The Mighty World of Marvel.

I believe the wallpaper came from the local shops.

X-Men #11, The Stranger

The Stranger makes his cosmos-shaking debut.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Other then Spidey, aren't they all Kirby covers?

DW

Steve W. said...

I do believe you're right, DW. Kirby really did have a mind-boggling work-rate at Marvel.

Anonymous said...

On that X-Men cover, it looks like Earth is getting invaded by Cesar Romero.
M.P.

Steve W. said...

MP, I have been trying to work out who he reminds me of on that cover. Romero does seem to be a good candidate.

TC said...

For a god who was supposed to be the all-wise All-Father, Odin was easily duped by Loki over and over. He never heard of, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me"? And choosing between Thor and the god of mischief should have been a no-brainer.

Avengers #16 began the Kooky Quartet era. They probably offered more possibilities for internal conflict than the original Avengers, who usually got on well. (Except the Hulk, and he left in #2.) I found their bickering tiresome, though, and preferred the original Avengers and the Justice League.

Also, the Quartet did not have their own solo strips elsewhere, so Stan no longer had to deal with questions like, "How can Iron Man be in New York with the Avengers fighting Zemo when, in Tales of Suspense, he's in Asia fighting the Mandarin?"

I remember ads for that Hulk poster, with the image from Astonish #67. IIRC, there were also pin-up posters with Thor, Dr. Strange, and Spider-Man.

John Pitt said...

49 years ago (-ish, - they took a while to sail over here) I was on my knees. - In front of the spinner rack in my local village shop, choosing the Avengers, TOS and TTA.
Like TC, I didn't care much for the quartet at first, but it was the bickering, etc. which made them interesting. And it was heartwarming to see Clint gradually slowly maturing.