“The Mad Thinker and His Androids of Death!”
Published Dec. 1969
Story: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Script: Lee
Pencils: Kirby
Inks: Frank Giacoia
Letters: Sam Rosen
Cover: Kirby and John Verpooten

Synopsis

The comics opens as many Fantastic Four issues do, with the team in the Baxter Building and the Thing opening a package from the Yancy Street gang (in this case, a book on building muscles). After Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Girl leave to go shopping, Ben is confronted by a peculiar-sounding Human Torch, who turns out to be an android, who has replaced the real Johnny. The android quickly subdues Ben, and it is revealed that they were sent by the Mad Thinker, intends to replace the entire team with his androids.

The androids abduct first Sue, then Reed, but when they all rendezvous at the Baxter Building, the android Reed turns out to be the real Reed, who out-thought the Thinker’s robot. After slugging the Thinker, Reed locates and wakens Ben, and the two of them battle and defeat the androids before discovering the Thinker’s secret lair in the basement. After taking out the Thinker and his henchmen, they find and revive Sue and Johnny.

What’s going on here?

This is a totally serviceable, one-and-done Fantastic Four comic. The stakes never seem particularly high, but there’s good character development and a fun twist when the real Reed reveals himself. As in the last issue, Jack does a great job illustrating the people and street scenes of New York. In some ways, it feels like a throwback to the first few years of the FF in its structure and pacing, particularly with its slow, domestic start and lots of the action crammed into the last two pages. For the second issue in the last three, Frank Giacoia handled the inks instead of Joe Sinnott, giving Jack’s pencils a more delicate look.


All dressed up

As is typical for Kirby, he dresses Reed and Sue in fashions that seem slightly out of step with what people were actually wearing in New York in 1969. I’m skeptical that women were wearing dress gloves and men were wearing fedoras as casual wear, but maybe Reed and Sure are just old-fashioned.

We see Jack’s eye for women’s clothes again when Sue goes shopping:

The sexist 60s

Speaking of shopping …

Tea time

This is a fun exchange between the three members, even if Reed is revealed to be a tea drinker. It’s also the only splash page in the comic.

It’s Clobberin’ Time

It’s been a few issues since Ben said the magic words.

The incredible Mr. Fantastic

The ol’ donut move (there goes that hat).

Feats of Strength

In a handful of early FF issues, Ben would demonstrate his might with some display of strength. This feels like a throwback:

Dig that Kirby Krackle

A few choices images:

Also on newsstands

What else was on sale in December 1969?

Next issue: The creature from the lost lagoon!