Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Jack Kirby
Inker: Dick Ayers
Letterer: Artie Simek
“The End of the Fantastic Four”
September 4, 1962
The cover alone is a prime example of the difference between Marvel and DC Comics. Here we have the Fantastic Four evicted from their home because they become bankrupt and there’s Namor waiting and plotting to take them down. It’s a blend of the fantastic with the more mundane things that every person may deal with in their own lives.
The story opens with Namor getting the news of the Four’s bankruptcy while watching the news in his underwater home. I don’t know why. I’ve seen plenty of underwater characters with electronics in comics and cartoons, but the idea of Namor sitting back in his chair and watching the news from his underwater lair struck me as funny.
One thing I love about the character of Reed Richards is that he is the perfect example of “book smart, but not street smart.” He loses all the team’s money when he invests the money he made on patents of his inventions in the stock market. It even creates a moment of tension between Reed and Ben in which Reed sounds almost ominous as he warns Ben to watch what he says.
The team is saved when a Hollywood offer for the four to appear in a movie for a million dollars comes around. I never realized what a trope superheroes being in movies in the comics was until I read this one. As early as the 40s, Bruce Wayne was keeping an eye on his then-girlfriend, an actress, when the first Clayface was stalking the stars of the movie. In the cartoons, Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends were in a movie with a robotic Hulk until the real Hulk shows up. Even the Penguin makes a movie and tricks Batman into appearing in the 60s TV series.
Upon arriving, we’re treated to a series of cameos of Hollywood stars of the day as the Four look for the head of the studio. Do you recognize any of them?
What follows is the three men falling into a series of traps as Namor dines with Sue. Reed fights the legendary Cyclops. Johnny takes on a tribe of people who are immune to fire. Ben is transformed back to his human self after fighting Namor and being given what would be a lethal shock for a normal human.
The story ends simply enough as Namor reveals he intends to marry Sue, but when she resists, the two battle in his office as the other three arrive. Ben is back to his Thing form, having happened off-screen. Sue, despite his treachery, asks the three to let him go as he plans to release the movie they have made anyway. It’s a strange story with an even stranger ending as Namor simply goes out to sea while the Four attend the movie premiere. The best part of it was the battle between Sue and Namor as she held her own against him for some time. Sue hasn’t fully realized all her powers yet as she could easily defeat him.
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Jack Kirby
Inker: Dick Ayers
Letterer: Artie Simek
“The Monster and the Machine”
September 4, 1962
We’re given two stories in this fourth issue of the first run of The Incredible Hulk. And it’s interesting to note that with the first one, we’re treated to a full-page retelling of the Hulk’s origin through the eyes of Betty Brant. We’re only four issues of the comic and the origin has been told in various forms three times now. Betty works out there is some connection between Rick Jones and the Hulk and Banner.
No duh! I mean, there’s Rick and Banner and then there’s Rick and the Hulk. And yet, she never figures the two are one and the same. She goes to her father where he is testing a new weapon to capture the Hulk that will encase him in ice. It works perfectly on the test model (which I’m sure is exactly like the real McCoy). Ross acts on Betty’s idea and sends soldiers to Rick’s home where he has the Hulk escape by smashing through the roof that none of them seem to hear or notice when they do grab Rick.
While Rick is questioned by Ross, his control of the Hulk is lost, so the creature wanders aimlessly, saving a bus from being run over by a train while wrecking a movie set and demanding food. Rick eventually gets control back and has the Hulk rescue him while he is being transported in an open jeep. (And another interesting bit as the Hulk, who is normally propelled into the air by his massive legs, is able to swoop down, grab Rick, and fly upward like he’s Rocky the Flying Squirrel.)
Rick has him take him back to the cave where he figures out how to work the gamma ray machine to get the Hulk to change back to Bruce. Bruce figures out a way to use the machine to turn him back to the Hulk while still retaining Bruce’s mind. But Rick notes how cruel the Hulk/Bruce sounds. He saves a family in a fire, but their fear of him causes them to run him off.
I liked the second half of this story, but the first half was kind of silly for the reasons I have already pointed out. The second half is interesting though because even though he has Bruce’s brain, the Hulk is still there and his ferocity is coming through.
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Jack Kirby
Inker: Dick Ayers
Letterer: Artie Simek
“The Gladiator from Outer Space”
September 4, 1962
OK, this is another for the books. An alien named Mongu lands on Earth and challenges the mightiest being on the planet to battle. If he loses, he will leave, but if he wins, he plans to conquer Earth. Now, where is Thor? Where is the Thing? No one else shows up to accept the challenge, but the Hulk. And the Hulk now with Banner’s mind is able to charter a jet to take Rick and him to the Grand Canyon for the battle.
Long story, short – Mongu is a robot controlled by a Russian that is simply looking to capture the Hulk. Honestly, after the ridiculous setup, the rest of the story is a letdown as the Hulk takes out the Commies. The only interesting aspect is the Hulk’s continuing aggression, not only with his enemies but with Rick as well. Only two more issues of this run to go. Will be interesting to see how it ends.
Writer: Stan Lee
Scripter: Larry D. Lieber
Penciller: Jack Kirby
Inker: Dick Ayers
Letterer: Artie Simek
“On the Trail of the Tomorrow Man”
September 4, 1962
Three centuries in the future, civilization is at peace, which upsets a man named Zarrko who feels he can take advantage of the peace. He invents a time machine and goes back to the 1960s where he finds Thor helping the government test a new cobalt device, which Zarrko steals with the intention of using in the future.
Thor contacts Odin and is granted permission to travel into the future. There, he finds Zarrko has already taken control. He leads a frontal assault on Zarrko’s complex with a hooded man who turns out to be the real Thor, a distraction that allows him to get close to Zarrko. There is a moment of tension as Zarrko’s robots take Thor’s hammer and the one-minute countdown begins as he struggles to get it back. It’s a simplistic enough story though and Thor returns to the present with the bomb.
