Fantastic Four 67
“When Opens the Cocoon!”
Published: July 1967
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Artie Simek
Cover: Kirby and Sinnott
Synopsis
Picking up where last issue left off, Fantastic Four 67 begins with Mr. Fantastic building a replica of the wrist-band teleportation device used by the Beehive scientist who abducted Alicia Masters, as the Thing looks on and frets.
Meanwhile, in the caves beneath the Beehive, Alicia approaches the cocoon containing the life form created by the Beehive scientists (later called the Enclave) as Hamilton, one of the scientists, is trapped by tentacles. As she did with the Silver Surfer, Alicia senses the humanity within the creature and is drawn to it even while the other scientists scheme to launch it into space.
Back at the Baxter Building, a haggard Reed has finished his device, and (inexplicably) orders Sue and Crystal to remain behind while he, Ben and Johnny rescue Alicia. The three activate the device and step through the portal it creates. They fight their way through the Beehive, while Alicia and Hamilton confront the cocoon. As Hamilton confesses that he and the others planned to create a new race of human to rule over humanity, the creature in the cocoon lashes out with a burst of energy, killing him. Finally, the three members of the FF scoop up and Alicia and escape through the portal while the creature, later called Him, emerges and confronts the scientists that created him.
What’s going on here?
FF 67 is notable as the first appearance of Him—although he is never called that in the comic, just on the cover—who later is transformed into Adam Warlock by the High Evolutionary. According to Brian Cronin, in CBR, Kirby originally intended the scientists to be virtuous, and killed when their creation turned against them. Apparently it was Lee who made the scientists evil and their creation virtuous.
Since it’s hard to imagine the heroic Adam Warlock starting off as an evil monster, it was probably just as well.
I confess Warlock is a character I have rarely encountered as a reader or collector. By the early 1980s, when I first began reading comics, he had for several years essentially been retired, living inside the “soul gem,” one of the infinity stones. By the time he emerged for the Infinity Gauntlet and other subsequent stories, I had more or less moves on from comics. There’s no doubting, however, that he occupies a major role as one of Marvel’s cosmic heroes—maybe its most cosmic—and he’s expected to play a role in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy 3.
About that cocoon
It’s hard not to notice the similarity between the cocoon in FF 67 and those in the 1985 movie Cocoon.
The sexist sixties
Reed’s behavior here seems particularly egregious. There’s no reason Sue shouldn’t accompany the rest of the team, and there’s even less reason for Crystal to stay behind to look after her.
Clobberin’ time
Ben, worried sick about Alicia, is particularly motivated to clobber.
Stan the Man
Some goofiness from Stan, here:
and with an Irving Forbush reference here:
buried in this splash page image here:.
Five o’clock shadow
Reed is look pretty rough here (although it foreshadows the beard he’ll grow in about 600 issues from now)
Dig that Kirby Krackle
I love this schematic diagram:
and the evil scientists’ secret lair:
This whole page is pretty incredible:
Also on newsstands
In July 1967
Next issue: Fantastic Four Annual 5 and the Psycho-Man!
Percival Henry: The Fantastic Four and more 