This issue concluded the PHANTOM FORCE series published by first Image and then Genesis West in that year. They’d pretty much used up the actual Kirby artwork at this point, so all the art is by Michael Thibodeaux, with Kirby just having a plotting credit. Bit of a light story, with just a big final battle of the Phantom Force against Darkfyre. Seemed mostly anti-climactic, with most of the earlier more interesting plot bits dropped. A few good bits, though. There were some other books planned at the time, with an ad for the 4-issue “Kublak Origin” series advertised for 1995, but those never came out.

Also in this issue is a copy of Kirby’s Hulk piece that appeared in HEROES AND VILLAINS, in pencils in black and white and a colour version inked by Michael Thibodeaux.

Also in this issue, an ad for Phantom Force Pogs!

Published 1994

The old “Dreaded Deadline Doom” caught up with Marvel this month, and they responded by putting in an edited reprint of THOR #159 (1968). I know the feeling. Anyway, this is the story which finally settles the issue of who Don Blake really is, with the revelation of a scheme from Odin that I still don’t understand.

I mean, not to belabour the point, but Odin preaching the importance of humility? That just makes no sense. Still a nice story, with a lot of powerful panels and a great look at a younger Thor with one of the classic Asgardian barroom brawls.

Colletta inks the now 18-page story.

Published 1976

T’Challa continues to get roped into quests on behalf of the Collectors and their desire for the secret of immortality, now with Princess Zanda threatening Wakanda with a missile attack if he doesn’t search for the hidden Samurai City and its mythic Sacred Water-Skin. T’Challa goes on the quest with Abner Little, and of course the first thing they get attacked by a Yeti.

Which looks a lot like someone you’d have seen in a Marvel comic about 20 years earlier. It’s a long, well-drawn battle, ending with the words of wisdom “Sane or not… when all else fails — Throw Rocks!”. Of course that’s just the beginning of their troubles, as they face a swordsman ready for battle.

Mike Royer inks the cover and 17-page story.

Published 1977

As you’d expect after he saved the world from the invasion of Ten-For last issue, this issue starts with Machine Man hauled in front of a Congressional committee, which now has to decide what to do about the federal order to destroy all of the X-Series robots. In the meantime, MM is released in the custody of Dr. Spaulding, and wins over a hostile crowd by stopping a pickpocket. Oh, fickle humanity. Out in the open, Machine Man is attacked by a larger clumsy robot sent by an inventor out for publicity.

Later, Spaulding is kidnapped, and Machine Man surrenders to a waiting helicopter in exchange, ending the issue prisoner of a criminal organization that wants to copy his design. In the meantime, various political maneuvering goes around thanks to his disappearance, with his longtime nemesis Colonel Kragg surprisingly speaking in his defense.

A very nice issue with a lot of plot. Some interesting storytelling bits, including a page with vignettes in odd shaped panels of people reacting to MM vanishing and a very nice sequence of MM leaping into a missile silo.

Mike Royer handles the embellishment on the 17-page story and Terry Austin inks the cover.

Published 1978

I really like the house in the background here. Lots of detail, nice texture, and really a good example of the Kirby/Royer combo. Royer’s display lettering is also interesting. It’s really unique, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone else from that era doing such display lettering in the era.

Another single issue story in a more conventional mode, not referencing the Fourth World background much at all (except a funny brief scene of Barda and some of the Furies). Scott and Oberon are wandering around and see a bunch of monsters capturing another creature, taking him back to “Satan’s Lair”. They follow, coming across an old house run by Madame Evil Eyes. Various death traps are encountered before Scott realizes that the whole “Satan Club” is a cover for a ring of hijackers specializing in high-tech inventions. Not a bad story, but every time I read something from this stretch of Mister Miracle I can’t help but see how far it falls from what Kirby clearly wanted to do with the series just a year earlier.

Mike Royer inks the 23-page story and cover.

Published 1973

Kirby continues writing and drawing the Inhumans story this issue, now sending the lovable outsiders to the Baxter Building, where Maximus has convinced them a nuclear attack against the Great Refuge was launched. Mode of transportation? Lockjaw, of course.

After a brief battle where Ben, Johnny and Crystal are subdued, we find out that Triton’s mission was to see if Maximus was behind the attack. Black Bolt isn’t that easy to fool, it turns out. Getting the message from Triton, Black Bolt calls off the attack against the FF, and Medusa lectures the FF about how humanity should behave in the event of a nuclear attack.

I’m always a bit let down by the Kirby written Inhumans stories in AMAZING ADVENTURES. I suspect he could have done a lot more with them if the series had been launched earlier (it was rumoured in the hype pages for years), but as it is it only happened just as he was getting ready to leave Marvel. Still some great characters, gotta love anything with Lockjaw.

Chic Stone inks the 10-page story.

Published 1970

Thor reprints continue this issue with “The Maddening Menace of the Man-Beast” from THOR #135 [1966]. The battle against the hyper-evolved wolf in Wundagore, the home of the High Evolutionary, continues, with a lot of weird creatures and big battles until Thor finally prevails.

At the end of the story, the High Evolutionary explains his background and leaves the world with his creations. This was one of those characters that I have to assume Kirby had deeper plans for that he never got around to. He’s a nice character design and there’s a lot of unrealized potential in the concept.

One page, a look at what Odin is up to in Asgard, is edited out of the story, bringing it down to 15 pages.

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #121 [1965] is the source for the 5-page “Maelstrom”, continuing the “Tales of Asgard” quest storyline as the ship of Asgardians approaches the Pillars of Utgard. The second page splash is a classic image, the original art was featured in a recent KIRBY COLLECTOR. These back-ups are great showcase pieces for Kirby’s art, with a lot of powerful images coming fast in the five pages he had each month.

Colletta inks both stories and the cover.

Kirby does layouts for the 12-page SHIELD story in this issue, with Howard Purcell providing finished pencils and Mike Esposito inking. Esposito also inks Kirby on the cover.

The story introduces a new menace, the Druid, who uses magical trappings to disguise his high-tech science weapons. One of those weapons is a giant flying egg full of various weapons, which pursues Nick and Dum-Dum. Couple of good scenes during the chase, including the trademark flying SHIELD car with the flipped wheels (which is also on the cover). It also predicts the use of airbags in cars (were those ever used in practice before 1966?).

The end of the story takes us back to the SHIELD barbershop, and introduces new recruit Jasper Sitwell, who would become a major player in future issues.

Published 1966

I kind of wish I could be more enthusiastic about this issue, which features the FF in battle against Daredevil, Thor and Spider-Man, following up on a story that had just appeared in DAREDEVIL where Doctor Doom briefly switched bodies with Daredevil. DD is back in his own body and goes to warn the FF, but they think it’s still Doom. DD recruits Spider-Man and Thor to help hiim, but of course the FF think they’re imposters as well.

It’s pretty much just a lot of fighting, very well drawn fighting, but pretty empty from then on until Sue shows up and clears everything up. This might have made a better middle of an epic story if it had some sort of set-up and resolutioin in the FF book itself, instead of batting clean-up to an issue of DD.

Joe Sinnott inks the cover and 20-page story, with some of the Spidey bits having John Romita’s hand in as well.

Published 1968

Edited reprint of the Cap story from TALES TO ASTONISH #86 [1967] in this issue. Pretty straight forward story, Cap has to enter a secret base of an unnamed foreign government to make contact with an undercover SHIELD agent, who is unfortunately cracking under the strain, although he manages to die a heroic death saving Cap.

Along the way, Cap has to fight a giant robot, a mechanical bloodhound, high-tech flame-throwers, experimental air-cars and crawl through some high-tech duct-work. All lovingly rendered by Kirby.

The cover is also from ToS #86, Frank Giacoia inks both that and the edited to 9-pages of the story.