I love writing. And one of my favorite exercises to keep my skills honed is writing a detailed plot summary of some of my favorite comics. In some odd way, I almost feel like the actual author of the original -script, retracing their thought processes and plotting to achieve a truncated version of their orginal -script.

This morning I went to the post office to pick up my copy of Fantastic Four 66, which I bought a few years ago from Midtown Comics Grand Central. I bought it at fair market value and I am happy that the grade has come back a respectable 8.0 with white pages. This magnificent issue features the Origin of Him: he who would later be named Adam Warlock. Him does not actually appear in this issue and doesn't make his first appearance until issue 67.

I can't say enough about the Silver Age Fantastic Four run. It is in my estimation the greatest run of any Marvel title, and quite arguably, the greatest run of any Silver Age comic book period! What the combined genius of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby wrought with the Fantastic Four has changed the very face of the comic book universe forever. Anyway... without further ado... I give you "What Lurks Behind the Beehive?"...At the Manhattan apartment of Alicia Masters (the blind beauty, sculptress, and love of Ben Grimm's life), we discover three fourths members of the Fantastic Four (Reed Richards, Sue Storm, and Ben Grimm), pondering her whereabouts. Ben Grimm, in a state of self-pity and self-loathing, rushes to conclusions over her sudden disappearance... foolishly believing Alicia may be betraying his love with another gentleman suitor. Reed, ever the good friend and rational leader of the group, makes an attempt to reason with Ben, but is knocked unconscious when the unthinking brute swats him like a gnat with a mere backward slap of his mighty hand. Meanwhile, in what is described as: "An incredibly complex structure which looms high above a rocky plateau in what is possibly the remotest spot on Earth!"... We witness Alicia Masters and her escort, Dr. Hamilton, phasing through a teleportation portal into the great and secret technological fortress known as The Citadel of Science (COS). Alicia is welcomed and greeted by COS members: Morlak, Master of Nuclear Physics; Mr. Zota, Expert in the Field of Electronics; and Professor Shinski, The Dean of Biology and Genetics Research. Hamilton: "We are all scientists... scientists who have retreated from the world outside to engage in an awesome Earth-shaking experiment!" Alicia: "I... I've heard of all of you! You're World Famous! But, each of you was supposed to have died... in plane crashes, lab accidents... the world doesn't know you're still alive!"Before the mystery behind the agenda of the COS is revealed, Morlak submits the sightless Alicia through a test of her talents, challenging her to sculpt a bust of his own head... an exact replica from a large block of granite. Alicia lays her hands on Morlak's face, feeling the contours of his countenance, where, coupled with her unique abilities, develops a mental picture and begins to sculpt a bust with the use of an "Electronic Blade": a high-tech cutting tool developed by the COS... as a caption reads, "For long, tense, seemingly endless minutes, the fragile fingers of Alicia Masters move as though possessing a will of their own, until... at last." The finished sculpture is remarkable: a life like bust of Morlak's face... much to the awe and delight of the COS. Back in New York City, in what may be Central Park, a brooding Ben Grimm ponders his love life and his "unfortunate situation as The Thing", only to be reminded by a uniformed Police Officer and several admiring New Yorkers, how lucky he truly is. And needing that message of encouragement and outpouring of love, the "Orange Rockpile's" dour mood does a sudden 180. At the Baxter Building, home and headquarters to the Fantastic Four, Reed Richards tinkers on one of his ingenious inventions: a Heat-Image Tracer. He explains to Sue, Johnny, and Crystal (Johnny's current girlfriend and member of the Inhumans): "...It can project a picture of something which happened in the recent past... by means of tracing the heat images which may still be remaining in the area!"In the Citadel of Science, we find Morlak and his fellow scientist leading Alicia through a walking tour of the massive complex: Morlak: "Though you do not see them, there are dedicated men all about you... each participating in the most amazing experiment of all time!!!" Alicia: "But what is that experiment? ...And why do you need me... a blind sculptress to assist you?" Before that question can be answered, the small group is leveled by an unexpected blast of raw energy! Momentarily stunned, Morlak calls upon his security force to secure Lock 41, the site of where the blast originated... the containment zone of the mysterious being simply known as "Him". Unharmed and given a "Vitra-Broth" to help aid Alicia's recovery from the stunning effects of the blast, Morlak reveals the origin of "Him".Morlak: "But, where shall I begin? I will start with our prime purpose... to abolish war, crime, and illness... by creating a perfect race of human beings! Alicia: "Create human beings?? How??" As told in flashback:Morlak: "That was what we had to learn! We came to this remote land and pledged ourselves to this project! We would never leave... never give up... until we had created one perfect human... who would then be the forerunner of a supreme new race! After years of unceasing experimentation, we finally created one embryonic creature... who lives within a Life-Cell Tank... each day he had been nourished... as we watched him thrive and grow... as we added more and more conditioning chemicals."Shinski: "Our instrumentation shows that he in now reaching the stage of adulthood!"Zota: "At last, Shinksi!! At last!!Morlak: "Do you know what that means, Zota?? He's nearly ready!! In a few more days... we'll be able to remove him!! He'll finally emerge... from the tank!"Zota: "It will be a great day, Morlak... for us all!"Caption: "But then... that night... disaster struck!"At the very sight of the Chamber which houses the Life-Cell Tank, four armed guards are summoned by an alarm:Guard 1: "The alarm!! Something's wrong within the tank."Guard 2: "We've got to break in!! Those are Morlak's orders!"A massive vault-like door is opened and the four guards rush into the Chamber to discover...Guard 1: "Look!! Over there!! It... it's Him!!"Guard 2: "It's impossible!! He... did it... by himself!! He's free!! He got out of the tank!"Guard 3: "Don't shoot!! He mustn't be harmed!! Send for the others!"Guard 4: "The alarm is sounding!! They'll be here in minutes!!"Rushing to the scene, Morlak, Zota and Shinski race through a long corridor leading to the Chamber...Morlak: "Quickly! Quickly!! Nothing must happen... to Him!!"Zota: "Morlak!! What if we've tampered with something.... which is too powerful for us to control?"Morlak: "Don't be a fool, Zota! It can't... wait!! Look at Chamber!! It's been wrecked... and the tank... it's empty!"Shinski: "That means he's broken free!"Zota: "It's the one thing I feared!"Guard 1: "You're too late!! Not even you can stop him now! He's free... free!!"Morlak: "Stand aside you quivering cowards! I'll approach Him... myself!! He's out of the tank... but he's still within the Chamber!! There's his shadow... moving within!Zota: "We were wrong! He wasn't ready to emerge yet! He's still too dangerous!"The scientists encounter a wall composed of sheer energy created by "Him"... Morlak: "He's preparing to attack!! Only one thing will stop Him now...!! The Electro-Shock Tube! Let me have it... quick!!Zota: "Here! But hurry... Hurry!!Aiming the weaponTo see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.