Daily Archives: January 8, 2006

Monsters On The Prowl #9 [1971]

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The first issue of this series, taking over the numbering from CHAMBER OF DARKNESS, features two Kirby reprints, both 7-pagers inked by Steve Ditko. Up first is “I Discovered Gorgilla”, from TALES TO ASTONISH #12 (1960).

Monsters On The Prowl #9 [1971]

Giant apes battling dinosaurs, gee, where else have we seen that?

Anyway, this story involves a group of scientists tracking down rumours of the missing link between apes and men in the mountains of Borneo. The succeed beyond all expectations when they find a living example in Gorgilla, but decide to leave him there when he saves them from a dinosaur also on the island, seemingly sensing his distant kinship with the humans. Y’know, the dinosaur would seem to be an even greater find than the missing link, and is just lying there dead for the taking, but I guess these guys specialize and have trouble seeing beyond their field (and I just realized that’s a bit of a flaw in KING KONG. You find an island with a large ape and with dinosaurs, and you make a big fuss about the ape?).

Also this issue, “Kraggoom”, from JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #78 (1962). It seems there’s a sort of shapeless creature waiting out in space, where he was exiled centuries ago by his people after trying to conquer the Earth. He waits for the day that mankind goes out in space and he can possess and control the first astronaut and continue his interrupted conquest. Fortunately for the Earth, the first astronaut turns out to be a spoiled rich guy who buys his way into the astronaut program, faking his test scores, so at the same time he’s possessed by Kraggoom he panics and loses all memory, repressing Kraggoom in the process.

Two pretty decent examples of some of the shorter monster stories that Kirby did, one big and loud and the other a quiet, moodier, more psychological story a clever twist ending. Ditko’s inks look good on both, although they suit the second one more (I always prefer Ayers on the rampaging monster type stories).

The cover is a slightly modified version of the Kirby/Ayers cover to TtA #12.

Published 1971

Strange Tales #139 [1965] – The Brave Die Hard

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As part of the revolving door of art teams for the first year of SHIELD stories, Joe Sinnott takes a turn at finishing Kirby’s layouts for this 12-page story, where we find Nick prisoner of Hydra, who are holding the world hostage to their orbital bomb. Tony Stark has developed a Braino-Saur, which can diffuse the bomb, while Dum Dum and Gabe lead the rescue mission for Nick.

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Of course, Fury isn’t sitting still, and manages to use his explosive shirt and Hydra’s high-tech meals to blow his prison, and escape with the help of the Supreme Hydra’s daughter. Very James Bond of him.

I like Sinnott’s work here, although I’m more glad he didn’t stick with SHIELD and continued inking FF for the next few years.

This issue also has one of the more unusual Marvel covers of the 1960s. They took a stat of the splash page, and the cover has a Doctor Strange figure (I believe by Marie Severin) holding it. I wonder if there was a real cover done that wasn’t used for some reason? I don’t think one has ever shown up in the fanzines.

Published 1965

Captain America #193 [1976] – The Madbomb – Screamer in the Brain

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Kirby’s big return to one of his greatest creations is trumpeted on the cover like very few credits at Marvel ever had been before (“King Kirby is Back — And Greater Than Ever”). This issue starts the “Madbomb” story that would carry the book up to #200, as Cap and the Falcon first find themselves in the middle of a spontaneous riot in the middle of the city, the result of an experimental device, powered by an artificial brain which induces madness, from a secret organization that SHIELD has been tracking, without much luck. A SHIELD agent brings Cap and the Falcon in to help, but not before they’re made to run a “Panic Course” in order to prove their identities.

Passing the course in record time, of course, they’re now cleared to be briefed by Henry Kissinger (yeah, I always thought that was a bit weird), who informs them that after a few trial runs, like the one they witnessed, the enemy is planning an attack with a “Big Daddy” Madbomb the size of a house, powerful enough destroy the US.

I really like this issue, and the whole storyline, just so bold and full of non-stop action and new ideas. I’m glad it was finally reprinted a while back.

Frank Giacoia inks the 18-page story, while John Romita inks the cover.

Published 1976

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