“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 66

26 Sunday Jun 2022

Posted by percivalhenry in The World's Greatest Comic Magazine

Tags

1967, Alicia Masters, Enclave, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 66, jack Kirby, Stan Lee

Fantastic Four 66
“What Lurks Behind the Beehive?”
Published: June 1967
Story: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Script: Lee
Pencils: Kirby
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Artie Simek
Cover: Kirby and Sinnott

Synopsis

Fantastic Four 66 opens with the Thing, Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman in the apartment of Alicia Masters, the girlfriend of the Thing who, unbeknowst to the FF, disappeared with a stranger in the last issue. A paranoid Ben suspects she might be with another man because he is so monstrous, and when Reed tries to console him, Ben lashes out and flees to Central Park, only to be cheered up by adoring fans.

Meanwhile, Alicia has been summoned by a group of scientists in exile (later called the Enclave) whose headquarters resembles a beehive (sort of), giving the issue its title. They ask her to demonstrate her sculpting ability, then explain they been working to perfect humanity and have created a specimen in a “life-cell” tank. Their creation has now reached adulthood, but has escaped his container and now emits blinding light. The scientists want Alicia—who, being blind, is impervious to the light—to capture his image in clay for them.

Back in New York, Reed uses his “heat image tracer” to capture Alicia last movements in her apartment, and its revealed she left with one of the Beehive scientists. The issue ends with Alicia and one of the scientists entering the chamber to confront the creation, while Reed and the rest of the FF vow to track her down.

What’s going on here?

FF 66 is a slightly unusual issue, but an enjoyable one. It’s almost entirely a place-setter for the issue to come, with very little that is resolved in this issue. There’s no real conflict, save the squabble between Reed and Ben, and it violates one of the cardinal rules of superhero comics in that there isn’t at least one fight. Nonetheless, the issue is pretty effective. The Enclave scientists are mysterious, their project is audacious and creepy, and the suspense—what have they created?—is genuine. The story reads like a classic work of adventure science fiction (which it is).

The story also centers Alicia, who shows more agency that normal. She’s still at the mercy of other directing her actions, but here she at least she’s able to demonstrate her sculpting abilities and her blindness doesn’t prevent her from venturing into the vault to confront the creature.

Who are these guys?

Helpfully, the bad guys tell us their names. Then, in the next panel, they do it again!

The Enclave reappear as manipulative villains over the years. A bunch of unimpressive looking white guys, they benefit significantly from the snazzy uniforms Kirby gives them. Here they are again in 1995:

Spider-Man Team-Up 7 (1995, Kurt Busiek, Sal Buscema and Dick Giordano)

The agony of Ben Grimm

It’s been a while since we had Ben in full-on torment over his appearance. As is often the case, it’s his relationship with Alicia that pushes him over the edge.