Just released, to tie in with the membership of some new Marvel team book, MARVEL MILESTONES SPECIAL: BLOODSTONE, X-51 & CAPTAIN MARVEL II, with a reprint of the first issue of MACHINE MAN from 1978 among other things. Not his first appearance, of course, but that’ll require re-acquiring some rights.
Here’s a good Kirby/Ayers cover from around the middle of Kirby’s run as cover artist on the book. The convicts in the foreground look really good, I think, nice scruffy effect on their beards and hair. And how nice of the guards to let the Kid keep his colourful outfit in the big house.
Published 1961
One 6-page S&K reprint in this issue, “Girl Who Walked on Water” from BLACK MAGIC #11[v2n5] (1952). Two guys in a mail order firm discover a young girl who is able to walk on water or up walls, simply because she doesn’t believe there’s any reason she shouldn’t be able to.
![Black Magic #6 [1974]](http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/kirby/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2006/01/Black-Magic-6-1974.jpg)
They see the money-making possibilities in this immediately, but unfortunately before they’re able to arrange a demonstration for the press a young neighbour of the girl sees her walking down a wall and attempts the same thing, getting badly injured. This shakes her confidence so the next time she tried water-walking she has, for the first time, the idea in her mind that she might sink, and so of course does.
A clever little story, with a lot of nice visual touches, including a really great panel where one of the men has to rescue the drowning girl at the end, plus the little details in the girl’s cramped little apartment. Some funny captions, as well, like “my thoughts ran wild and merged and frothed and hissed like soapsuds lurching from one side to the other of my reeling brain”.
Published 1974
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]](http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/kirby/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2006/01/Monsters-On-The-Prowl-9-1971.jpg)
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
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.
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
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
An aside, I just checked my hitcounter and saw I passed 100,000 sometime in the past week, since I added the counter about a year ago. Pretty modest by some weblog standards, but 250-300 hits a day is more than I ever expected. Thanks to everyone who dropped by and everyone who linked to this place, it’s always appreciated.
![Marvel's Greatest Comics #66 [1976]a](http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/kirby/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2006/01/Marvels-Greatest-Comics-66-1976a.jpg)
Heh, Doom cracks me up in this issue. Although I’m never clear if he’s supposed to be delusional or intentionally ironic in these kinds of scenes.
Anyway, returning from their adventure with the Inhumans, the FF (with Crystal subbing for new mother Sue) are intercepted by Nick Fury and recruited for a mission to find out about a rumoured robot army being amassed somewhere in Europe. That naturally takes them to Latveria, where they’re captured by Doom’s robots, hypnotized to prevent the use of their powers and placed in a seemingly peaceful village, where Doom plans to toy with them.
![Marvel's Greatest Comics #66 [1976]](http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/kirby/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2006/01/Marvels-Greatest-Comics-66-1976.jpg)
Doom really makes this issue, there are a lot of great scenes with him, showing off his arrogant royal bearing, and it’s always good to see that outdated but still charming version of Old Europe that Kirby drew.
Joe Sinnott inks the story, which thanks to some creative editing of the early scenes now clocks in at 18 pages, as well as the reprint cover, which is among my favourite FF covers.
Published 1976
Boy, how does Fury get himself in these situations. Grabbing onto a WWI bi-plane in a fight against nazis? No wonder SHIELD recruited him. Love that Dum Dum figure in the corner.
Inking credit on this one is unknown. The Kirby Checklist has Chic Stone, which definitely seems wrong. The GCD has Carl Hubbell (who inked a few interior FURY stories around this time as well) listed with a question mark, replacing their earlier Stone credit.
Published 1965
Cap, the Torch and Namor battle nazis on the high seas in this early INVADERS cover. My favourite bit is the flipped over nazi that Cap has just decked. Frank Giacoia inks the image.
The art for this cover is currently being auctioned at Heritage Comics, already out of most people’s price range, I’m sure. Check their site for a large scan (registration required), which is missing the cover blurb so you get some more details on U-Man’s leg.
Published 1976
“Not just another giant gorilla story”, that’s a classic bit of comics hype there. I especially love the texture around Gorr’s fingers and toes.
Joe Sinnott inks, with some modifications by John Romita.
Published 1976