Marvel Immersion Project: The Amazing Spider-Man #36-38, Fantastic Four #31-33 and Annual #2

This week, I wrapped up the Steve Ditko run with Spider-Man, at which point the Comic Book Herald list shifts to the Fantastic Four.  I'm a little sad to leave the Spidey saga just as the Gwen Stacy and Norman Osborn stories are taking off but I know I'll be back.  I have to admit the villain-of-the-week formula gets tiresome but Peter Parker's personal life hardly ever does.

The introduction of The Fantastic Four in 1961 - not Spidey, the Avengers or the X-Men - ushered in a new age for Marvel Comics.  For starters, it marked the beginning of the most important collaboration in American comics, that between writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.  Plus, the FF were different from the superheroes who had populated comic books to that point.  They embraced their own fame, eschewing the idea of secret identities from the get-go.  They also had real personality differences beyond the variations in their superpowers.  Their relationships with each other would serve as important drivers in the narrative.  This, in a nutshell, was the Lee/Kirby gift to the medium.  Marvel has been kicking DC's butt in character development ever since.  The relative success of the two 21st-century movie franchises is not coincidental.

Assuming I stick with the Comic Book Herald list, and I see no reason not to, I'll be with the FF for issues #31-60, plus the second annual.  That should keep me going for a few weeks.

Our heroes...

Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic:

via Marvel Database

Sue Storm, Invisible Girl (now Invisible Woman):

via Marvel Database

Johnny Storm, Human Torch:

via Marvel Database

Ben Grimm, Thing:

via Marvel Database

My Recent Reads

The Amazing Spider-Man #36
Originally Published May 1, 1966
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko

via Marvel Database

• Villain: The Looter

The Amazing Spider-Man #37

Originally Published June 1, 1966

Lee/Ditko

via Wikipedia

• Villain: Robot Master, aka Dr. Mendel Stromm

via Marvel Fanon Wikia

• Important character introduced: Norman Osborn, father of Harry.  He is a sneaky and malevolent operator - rotten dad, too.

The Amazing Spider-Man #38

Originally Published July 1, 1966

Lee/Ditko

• This is the last Spidey comic book for Steve Ditko.  John Romita Sr. takes up the artistic reins for the series in issue #39.  

via Marvel Database

• Villain: Joe Smith, a down-on-his-luck boxer who gains superpowers through an accident on a movie set.  He actually isn't much of a villain as he comes to his senses by the end of the story and is absolved - even gets a movie deal.
• The Norman Osborn story gets more interesting.  He puts out a $20,000 reward for anyone who can take Spider-Man out of the picture.
• Peter Parker runs into Ned Leeds at the Daily Bugle.  Ned doesn't know where Betty is either.  Peter's worried about her.
• Campus protests are referenced.  The late '60s are coming.  Stan and Steve are clearly unimpressed by the protesters.

Fantastic Four Annual #2

Originally Published September 10, 1964

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

• We get two full-length stories plus fun extras.
• Story #1: Dr. Doom's origin and probably my favorite early Marvel tale so far.  
• In between, among other things, a gallery of most famous foes, including:
• The Super-Skrull

via Wikipedia

• Rama-Tut, now known as Kang the Conqueror

via Marvel Database

• The Molecule Man

via Wikipedia

• The Hate Monger

via Wikipedia

• The Infant Terrible, now known as Delinquent

via Marvel Database

• Diablo

via Villains Wiki

• Story #2 begins with a chance encounter between Doom and Rama-Tut in outer space.  Are they related to each other?  Are they actually the same person split in two by a time travel paradox?  Neither is sure.
• Doom is the main villain, returning to Earth to exact revenge upon the Fantastic Four.
• Don't let the presence of Sue Storm on the team fool you?  There's still plenty of 1960s male chauvinism flying around.

Fantastic Four #31
Originally Published October 1, 1964
Lee/Kirby

• Villain: Mole Man

via Marvel Database

• Crossover: The Avengers

via Marvel Database

• New character introduced: Dr. Storm, Sue and Johnny's father.  He escapes from prison, then shows up at the hospital just in time to save Sue's life.

Fantastic Four #32

Originally Published November 1, 1964

Lee/Kirby

• Villain: Super-Skrull
• Appearance by Alicia Masters, The Thing's girlfriend

via Marvel Database

• Dr. Storm dies heroically.  We'd only just met... 

Fantastic Four #33
Originally Published December 1, 1964
Lee/Kirby

• Crossover: Sub-Mariner (Namor) and Lady Dorma

via Marvel Database

via Marvel Database

• Villain: Attuma

via Marvel Database

• I love underwater adventures.  I adore deep sea documentaries.  If I'd had the money and lived closer to the ocean, I'd have followed the Scuba hobby a lot further than I did in my 20s.  As such, I'm a sucker for both Namor and Aquaman.  Any visit to Atlantis is a treat.  I especially enjoyed the following full-page panel on page 8.  Jack Kirby's talents are on full display:

via The Fantasticast