There must have been a water-cooler discussion after describing all the technical details of the FF headquarters that led to the story in Fantastic Four #9 (Sep 1962). Reed Richards, leader of the Fantastic Four, level 12 intellect, the smartest man on Earth, decided to invest all the profits from his inventions into the stock […]
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In Fantastic Four #6 (June 1962), while we get some light-hearted ribbing of the Thing by Johnny Storm about his Yancy Street Gang hate mail, we also get a nice cross-section view of the finally-named Baxter Building, the Fantastic Four headquarters. This headquarters “cutout” far out-classes the old cross-section view of the Bat-Cave from 1942. […]
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Last ish, our fledgling Fantastic Four foursome had went splitsville as that hot-head Johnny stormed off because The Thing kept picking on him. Johnny hides out with some roadsters working on hot-rod engines and uses his famous “Flame On!” catchphrase for the first time. We get several pages of the other team members looking throughout […]
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The Sub-Mariner makes his last appearance of the 1950s in Sub-Mariner #42 (July 1955), closing out the last of an attempted resurgence of Marvel (Atlas) characters, just as DC is warming up the engines of its full Silver Age. Atlas Comics gave Sub-Mariner two years, but I guess it wasn’t enough to ignite an interest […]
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In Sub-Mariner #38 (Nov 1954), Namor is called into the Emperor’s castle underneath Antarctica. In a quick exposition, we are told that the Sub-Mariner used to have incredible powers: super-strength, flight, invulnerability, but that he has lost them over his extended time interacting with land dwellers: Namor is told that their scientists have discovered how […]
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Psst, Atlas! Your superhero revival attempt seems tinged with DC-envy when you describe Namor as “the original Aquaman”. Yes, Namor was introduced two years before the DC aquatic character. Yes, your anti-hero character is more complex and has a more interesting mythology. Yes, your character actually has a supporting cast. Not only that, your character […]
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Atlas (Marvel) make the unusual move to turn Namor and Namora back into outsiders / antiheroes again in Men’s Adventures #28 (March 1954). After thwarting a commie plot, the red convinces a “yank” that Namor was responsible for the invasion. Namor and Namora plunge into the sea before they can be seized and Namor swears […]
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Oddly, all the Atlas/Marvel superheroes that were revived in 1953 happen to have girlfriends named Betty / Betsy. Someone must have loved that name – Stan Lee perhaps? Betty Wilson was introduced as a minor character for the Human Torch. Betsy Ross (no relation to the Hulk’s Betsy Ross?) used to be Golden Girl, but […]
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Just like the Human Torch and Captain America, that same issue of Young Men #24 (August 1953) brings Namor, the Submariner, out of retirement. And what has Namor been up to for the last several years? Well according to Betty: A few years ago he retired – went back to his home at the South […]
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The final issue of Sub-Mariner Comics #23 also came out in March 1949. Like the Human Torch’s last issue, it features an origin story for the Sub-Mariner that goes much deeper into Namor’s birth, early life, than has ever been seen before. I don’t know if this was just a backup story they had lying […]
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