Silver Age Comics Review

[mica]

Open to all (You don't have to follow my format... just review as you wish)

[mica]

Journey into Mystery # 93 June 1963

Front cover by Jack Kirby

Our story starts off with Doctor Donald Blake volunteering to assist

the poor people of India who are being attacked by renegade Chinese Communists.

Relations between the two countries were not good at this time.

During the 1960's China would intimidate India quite often. They would even deal

with India's neighbor Pakistan who routinely fought India.

While Dr. Blake is viewing the border advances of the Red Chinese an attack begins to commence.

He hurriedly taps his walking stick which transforms him into the Mighty Thor.

Thor puts an end to attack very swiftly although he must have lost the wings

that grace his helmet temporarily. Those sneaky Commies

Thus news of the unsuccessful attack travels back to Communist Headquarters in Peking, where finding a way to stop Thor becomes an overnight priority.

We are given access inside a top level meeting with many Chinese scientist.

It's at this point that a Scientist named Chen Lu decides to get himself noticed.

Don't you just hate it when one of your co-workers volunteers your whole department

to work overtime on the Boss's pet project.

These other scientist are probably hacked off at Chen Lu for this blatant brown-nozing

attempt. I know I would be. They may have had plans for later that night, perhaps a date,

but NOOOOO. Chen Lu has to go and ruin everything for the rest of the boys.

[mica]

Chen Lu goes to his converted buddhist temple which is his private lab.

Inside this lab are robot workers that act as his assistants because he trusts no one.

We're tipped off that he's an evil genius when we read his thought balloons and

see that he refers to himself by name.

Chen Lu has been exposing himself to radiation for quite sometime and believes

that he can become a human reservoir of energy and power.

After absorbing enough Radio-Activity to become deadly he tests out his power on his own lab.

Once he arrives in America he confronts Thor and hypnotizes him telling him to get rid of his Hammer.

[mica]

Holy Hypos indeed. Prepare yourself for some great instances of convienience

Number 1: When Thor turns back into Doctor Blake the hypnotism fades away as well.

Number 2: Nobody saw Thor change into Don Blake. Nope. Zilch. Nadda. Not even from a window nearby.

Now we all know that it only takes 60 seconds for Thor to revert back to Don Blake

when he's not making contact with his Hammer. So let's do the Math.

After Thor threw away the Hammer, the Radio-Active Man bawls him out and curses him.

Total time elapsed=ten seconds give or take.

50 seconds later Thor changes and is still standing there. Before Doctor Blake can

even move away from that spot the Radio-Active Man returns. Not exactly a thorough search.

 

And the Radio-Active Man fails to put 2 and 2 together that this guy is standing

right where he left Thor standing.

Doctor Blake says "He went that-a-way" and the Radio-Active Man begins another one of his patented searches.

 

But wait a minute: What are all of these bystanders doing there? I thought everybody had fled in panic as the good Doctor's thought balloon had suggested earlier.

[mica]

Doctor Blake returns to the office and his Nurse didn't notice that his

walking stick is missing. But this is understandable because she was very

excited as she listened to the Radio Reports about the Radio-Active Man.

Of course they probably were in the middle of a commercial break when no one

noticed Thor changing into a regular guy.

Yep it's 1963 and this ordinary family practioner can construct an X-Ray Device

that can monitor any area within ten miles. Let's all think for a minute about

these X-Rays that are zipping around and through the residents of this section

of New York. Now think back to the time of your last Dentist check up and how they took

a tiny X-Ray of your teeth while that Dental assistant stood behind a protective wall.

 

But I digress.

 

Doctor Blake's "X-Ray Type Device" finds the Uru Hammer lying on the bottom of the Hudson River.

He knew to search in that area thanks to all of those eye witness Radio Reports.

Man that X-Ray monitor sure sends back crystal clear images.

In this panel we see that Kirby has given Doctor Blake a sweet looking Rolls

Royce. We also learn that his Hammer is lying in 80 feet of water.

That X-Ray monitor also must have been able to tell Don Blake fantastically detailed coordinates.

He then dives down into the 80 feet of water. Kids don't try this at home.

Doctor Blake has a bad leg but he dives down and gets his hammer like a seasoned pearl diver.

Technically this is possible as some divers go down about 150 feet.

This story wraps up very quickly as Thor gets his hammer; creates a super guided

tornado to send the Radio-Active Man back to a deserted mountainous area of

Red China; where the Commies deduce it is none other than their failed scientist;

and the newspapers have the entire story by that evenings edition; all on the same page.

Wow.

[mica]

After a great Thor epic like that you're probably saying to yourself

"Boy I could really go for a splash page of big burly guys that part their

hair in the middle." Well your wish has been answered.

Meet Caleb Cartwright. A rich selfish guy that wants to secure himself safely

out of reach of any possible Atom Bomb attack. He despises people, and did not

get married, nor did he want any kids. He does love himself however.

Caleb spends a lot of money to dig miles below the earth's surface and sets

himself up with a luxurious house below ground.

But his lonely happiness is short lived as some large subterraneans attack him.

Caleb manages to hide but in the excitement a boulder is now blocking his

path back to the surface. He then regrets his orders to be left alone.

The third and final story in this book is about a guy that reports seeing

a Martian land on earth. And it's drawn by Steve Ditko

In spite of photographic evidence no one will believe that this guy saw a Martian.

The twist at the ending of the story is the guy that was trying to alert the

authorities of a possible invasion is actually a Martian himself.

Once it was determined that any reports of a Martian invasion would not be

taken seriously, the Martians then realize that the chances of success will

be great. In fact they are now on their way as you finish this book

The End.

[osborn_fr]

The cliffhanger ending of the "i saw a martian" story is great !

Thoses humans are so stupid we'll conquer earth in one day

[Aces]

Yep it's 1963 and this ordinary family practioner can construct on X-Ray Device

that can monitor any area within ten miles. Let's all think for a minute about

these X-Rays that are zipping around and through the residents of this section

of New York. Now think back to the time of your last Dentist check up and

how they took a tiny X-Ray of your teeth while that Dental assistant stood

behind a protective wall.

 

But I digress.

 

Doctor Blake's "X-Ray Type Device" finds the Uru Hammer lying on the bottom of the Hudson River.

He knew to search in that area thanks to all of those eye witness Radio Reports.

Man that X-Ray monitor sure sends back crystal clear images.

 

Not only that but isn't the the Uru Hammer suppose to change back into a stick when he goes from Thor to Blake?

[Red Hook]

Man, you are top drawer Mica.....!!!!

 

Before I launch into plaudits, though.....how did you scan the pages without destorying the book? It looks like a pretty nice copy........and I shudder when I think of it on the scanner. Help us out, TekBoy!

 

Brad

[mica]

Man, you are top drawer Mica.....!!!!

 

Before I launch into plaudits, though.....how did you scan the pages without destorying the book? It looks like a pretty nice copy........and I shudder when I think of it on the scanner. Help us out, TekBoy!

 

Brad

I'm usually pretty careful in scanning a book. But here's the secret.

Scan the cover of your nicer copy first. Then scan your VeryGood+ condition book for the panels. It also helps to make sure your family and any pets are all asleep before you start turning pages.

[Red Hook]

[Norrin_Radd]

 

I'll post a review when I get my scanner working again.

[Karma23]

Great review Mica, especially since I'd never read this one before. Great idea for a thread

[Juswuh]

There was another early Thor in which Don Blake's invention of a super-intelligent humanoid android was presented at a scientists' convention. Did anyone ever explain his medical-scientific-military career in Marvel continuity?