Monthly Archives: September 2005

A Kirby/Ayers reprint from STRANGE TALES #102 (1962) in this issue, the second solo Torch story, where we meet the Wizard, a brilliant inventor who for some reason decides that defeating the Human Torch will be his greatest triumph. Just because he’s a genius, doesn’t mean he’s not stupid…

He fakes an accident that only the Torch can rescue him from, and then lures the Torch to his futuristic home and douses the Torch’s flame (this is during that brief period when Johnny had a secret identity, so the flames on his head conveniently stay).

The Wizard then duplicates the Torch’s powers and goes on a crime spree to frame our hero. Fortunately Johnny gets free and then does what he does best, goes running to his big sister for help (and it’s just sad when you get a solo feature and have to go to your sister for help on the second story).

One interesting thing in this story is the depiction of the Wizard’s escape artist routine, which could be dropped in panel-for-panel in a Mister Miracle story from a decade later.

Dick Ayers inks the 13-page story.

Published 1974

An undercover Global Peace Agency investigator reveals the fruits of his investigation to OMAC, a criminal organization that has stolen a machine that can switch minds, and plans to sell the technology to rich old people who want young bodies. Of course, that’s as far as the GPA can go, since they can’t use violence. But they can ask OMAC to use violence all they want, apparently. OMAC and the GPA agent get attacked, giving us the excuse for the Brother Eye wizardry of the issue, protecting them and faking the scene so it looks like they were killed.

OMAC then traces the criminal organization, bringing in the GPA to mop up after he’s done.

I’m finding I like these OMAC stories more every time I read them. While a fairly minor Kirby creation in the grand scheme, there’s a lot of energetic fun and clever ideas in every issue.

Inks by D. Bruce Berry on the cover and 20-page story.

Published 1974