Fantastic Four 90
“The Skrull Takes a Slave!”
Published June 1969
Story: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Script: Lee
Pencils: Kirby
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Sam Rosen
Cover: Kirby and Sinnott

Synopsis

Fantastic Four 90 opens a few minutes after the last issue concludes with the FF regrouping after their battle with the Mole Man in the suburban house from where he planned to launch his conquest of Earth. The Thing begins destroying the Mole Man’s machinery, and when a device is revealed to be booby trapped, he prepares to torture the bound Mole Man to get answers. Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Girl intervene, and when they release the apparently helpless Mole Man from his ropes, he escapes back to his underground lair.

Ben, disgusted by Reed and Sue’s display of mercy, takes leave, and plans to go into the city to join Alicia.

Meanwhile, the Skrull slaver, last seen in the previous issue, is now on Earth and begins his plans to capture Ben, first disguising his flying saucer, then disguising himself as he looks for Ben in the city. Taking the form of Reed, he lures Ben back to the countryside then immobilizes him with a nerve gun before loading the Thing on to his flying saucer.

What’s going on here?

After an issue in which entirely too much time was devoted to fighting the Mole Man, about half of this issue is devoted to the repercussions of fighting the Mole Man. It’s no more satisfying. There is some character development, particularly in the disagreement between Reed and Ben in how best to deal with their prisoner, and we get another glimpse of Reed and Sue’s yet-to-be-named baby, but most of the issue if devoted to mopping up from last issue or setting the stage for the next one.


Baby talk

Speaking of baby Franklin, this is a cute scene:

Oops

Jack clearly draws Reed in this panel (it’s not just the hair color, but the bandage on his forehead) but Stan scripts him as Johnny. His hair is recolored in the digital version so he looks more like Johnny.

Inflation

The cover price of the Fantastic Four is now 15 cents, up from 12 (this actually happened last issue but I didn’t notice it).

The sexist sixties

Not the most egregious example but still pretty icky.

Topical reference

Midnight Cowboy came out in 1969, so maybe that’s what’s on Ben’s mind.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Joe Sinnott

We get letters

Dominic Cabera is clearly a big Sue fan.

For sale

There’s a big focus on muscle building in comic book ads from this era. It’s almost as if comic fans were spindly geeks and not robust jocks.

Dig that Kirby Krackle

No splash pages (asides from the first page) in the issue, but some smaller gems, like these:

Also on newsstands

What other comics were on sale in June of 1969? (Covers by Adams, Frazetta and Kubert)

Next issue: The Thing is enslaved on a Skrull planet!