“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four 181

20 Sunday Jul 2025

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1977, Annihilus, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 181, Marvel comics, negative Zone, Roy Thomas

Fantastic Four 181
“Side By Side with … Annihilus??”
Published January 1977
Writer: Roy Thomas
Pencils: Ron Wilson
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: George Roussos
Editor: Thomas
Cover: Jack Kirby and Sinnott

Editor’s note: The previous issue, FF 180, was a reprint of FF 101, so this comic picks up the story from issue 179

Synopsis

Mr. Fantastic, exiled to the Negative Zone by his evil doppelgänger, is attacked by Annihilus, who eventually admits he needs Reed’s help in defeating the Mad Thinker, who is attempting to conquer the Negative Zone. The rest of the issue is taken up by various subplots which are either advanced or introduced, and will be discussed below.

What’s going on here

This is very much a place-setting issue, with the main storyline — Reed in the Negative Zone —inching along, and a whole of space is devoted to four other narratives. This issue also happens to be Roy Thomas’s last as writer, and in an editor’s note he almost gleefully announces he is handing over this mess to his successor, Len Wein (and in fact next issue is written by four writers). Thomas, who wrote 32 issues of the title in the 1970s, won’t return to the FF until 1995, when he writes something called Fantastic Four Unlimited.

Thomas finishes his run as the writer with, to date, the second or third longest tenure writing the FF, depending how you want to count Stan Lee’s solo writing efforts. Not counting annuals and the like, here is how it breaks down (occasionally two writers are given credit for the same story):

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby: 102 issues
Thomas: 32 issues
Lee solo: 11 issues
Gerry Conway: 20 issues
Len Wein: 3 issues
Archie Goodwin: 3 issues
Tony Isabella and Bill Mantlo: one each

The art was again handled by Ron Wilson, who does a workman-like job filling for George Perez. It’s unclear if the editor’s note announcing Perez’s absence is meant to be taken seriously.

The cover, by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott, is pretty generic, probably because they used the story-specific one last issue.

What I liked and didn’t like

Instead of my usual likes and dislikes commentary, I’m going to discuss the various plots in this issue in order of my interest in them:

1, The Creepy Evil Reed

This storyline continues to give me the willies, as an evil Reed is sharing a home (and bed) with Sue. At least in this issue she realizes it’s not really her husband, but it’s definitely an icky idea.

2, Reed in the Negative Zone

Despite the absurdity of its various elements (Annihilus just happens to stumble upon Reed floating on a rock in the middle of nowhere), a villain needing Reed’s help is an intriguing concept. The monster animated by the Mad Thinker looks pretty lame though.

3, Agatha and Franklin

This came out of nowhere. While Sue visits Alicia, who is babysitting Franklin, to discuss her suspicions about Reed, Agatha Harkness appears and kidnaps Franklin for reasons unknown. Sue then sets off in pursuit. I suspect this will tie into a Salem’s Seven story coming later, but we’ll see. Either way, it’s unsettling.

4, About that robot …

Much of this issue is devoted to Ben — with the eventual help of Tigra, Thundra and the Impossible Man — retrieving from the ocean the bank-robbing robot he defeated in issue 179. The heroes then fight the military which the claims the robot for their own, then relent when they discover there’s more to the robot than meets the eye. I don’t know where this is going, but at least the robot now has a backstory.

5, Frankie and Johnny

Johnny once again acts like a jerk around women. Maybe it’s because I know how this relationship ends, but it’s not all that interesting to me.

Anything else?

This is the first ad for a movie I recall seeing in the Fantastic Four (also, this comic came out in January, a full year before King Kong would debut). They will appear more often in the years that follow.

Overall

A lot of spinning plates

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 179

13 Sunday Jul 2025

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1976, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 179, Gerry Conway, Marvel comics, negative Zone, Ron Wilson, Roy Thomas

Fantastic Four 179
“A Robinson Crusoe in the Negative Zone!”
Published November 1976
Writers: Roy Thomas/ Gerry Conway
Pencils: Ron Wilson
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: George Roussos
Editor: Thomas
Cover: Al Milgrom and Sinnott

Editor’s note: Apologies for the two week absence. It’s summer vacation season!

Synopsis

While Mr. Fantastic is trapped in the Negative Zone, his evil doppleganger infiltrates the Fantastic Four. Tigra—who is hanging around the team along with Thundra and the Impossible Man—has her suspicions, but before she can reveal them to the Thing, the two fight and defeat a giant bank-robbing robot. The comic ends with Reed about to confront Annihilus in the Negative Zone.

What’s going on here?

This is an odd issue, one that interupts the momentum of the recent arc and contains a lot of character development and banter but not much plot. That may be because of the divided authorship, with Gerry Conway returning to plot the comic. The battle with the robot — called Metalloid on the cover but never identified in the issue — seems to serve no real purpose other than to insert an obligatory fight scene, although it may play a larger role in the next few issues. What stands out is the interactions between Johnny, Tigra, Thundra and Ben, and Ben’s obvious discomfort at being an object of attraction. Also of note is the very creepy dynamic between Sue and the imposter Reed.

The credits for this issue are peculiar:

This was Conway’s first FF credit since issue 152. For this month alone, Conway is credited with writing eight (!) comics for two companies: Ms Marvel 2, Ghost Rider 22, Superman 308, Avengers 156, Defenders 44, Iron Man 95 and Spectacular Spider-Man 3, along with this issue of the FF. Why they called on the busiest man in comics to plot this issue doesn’t make much sense, but from the lack of coherent story it’s pretty clear Conway was overstretched.

This issue also marks the Fantastic Four debut of Ron Wilson, who handled the pencils. Wilson would only draw a handful of FF issues, but would have a very long run drawing the Thing in Marvel Two-in-One and the Thing’s subsequent solo book. The cover was drawn by Al Milgrom, using a very Kirby-esque design. Milgrom inked an earlier issue but this is his first FF cover.

What I liked

The scenes of the FF hanging out with their guests are genuinely fun. Johnny flirting with Tigra, Tigra swatting him down, Thundra’s pursuit of Ben, and Ben’s unease with her.

(What’s unclear is who among the writers speaks Yiddish, or if any readers understodd the reference to the “whole magilla.”)

The team then adjourns to watch the Bionic Woman:

This is a great splash page from Wilson:

What I didn’t like:

It’s implied that the imposter Reed sleeps with Sue, which today can only be understood as rape. It’s not exactly swept under the rug here, but the magnitude of the crime isn’t made clear, either. We’ll see if it’s addressed more fully in subsequent issues:

Less seriously, there’s a bit too much fourth-wall breaking by Thomas:

And this reference to Bruce Wayne wasn’t very subtle (or in character for Reed):

Lastly, this is pretty silly. Flint can create a spark, but it’s a stone and doesn’t burn:

Anything else?

Here’s a look at the Marvel masthead, the first time I recall seeing this printed:

Lots of familiar names.

This is a cool looking toy:

Overall

A decidedly mixed bag

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 178

22 Sunday Jun 2025

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1976, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 178, Frightful Four, George Perez, Marvel comics, Roy Thomas

Fantastic Four 178
“Call My Killer — The Brute!”
Published October 1976
Writer: Roy Thomas
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: David Hunt
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Hunt
Editor: Thomas
Cover: John Romita and Joe Sinnott

Synopsis

The Thing is retrieved from the Negative Zone and captured by the Frightful Four alongside the rest of the Fantastic Four, Tigra and Thundra. The villains announce a billion dollar ransom for the team, but the city of New York is unable to deliver and the team faces death when the Impossible Man coincidentally pulls the plug on the Baxter Building’s power, freeing the heroes. They defeat the Frightful Four and the evil Reed Richards of Counter-Earth is apparently exiled to the Negative Zone — but it is revealed that it’s the real Reed, and the evil Reed has secretly infiltrated the Fantastic Four.

What’s going on here?

If last issue was an example of a successfully whimsical issue, this one is a successful return to classic adventure storytelling. There are some gags, but it’s mostly a taut, action-packed issue that delivers on the implicit promise of all Fantastic Four comics. The evil Reed / Brute plot creates suspense and the rest of the Frightful Four are just menacing enough to be compelling villains. Roy Thomas has struggled to stick the ending of his previous multi-part story arcs—which unfortunately tend to end with a whimper, not a bang—but I’m hopeful the payoff of this one will match the buildup.

This issue again features excellent George Perez pencils, and unusually, he’s inked not by Joe Sinnott but Dave Hunt (who also colored this issue). For better or worse, Sinnott had been inking the FF for more than a decade by this point and no matter the penciler, he brought a uniform, consistent look to the comic. Under Hunt’s inks, Perez’s pencils look lighter and crisper, and it’s a preview of what we will come to see from him on New Teen Titans, where he was inked by Romeo Tanghal.

I’m not that familiar with Hunt, who had a 30-year career as an inker, letterer and colorist. He seems like a classic comic journeyman. Also of note is the return of John Romita as cover artist (inked by Sinnott). He was then serving as Marvel’s art director, and I suspect he came to the rescue as an emergency fill-in.

What I liked

There’s a great fight scene in this comic, brilliantly choreographed by Perez, with the Fantastic Four and Frightful Four trading partners. It’s a lot of fun.

This issue also featured an amusing tour of politicians responding to the Frightful Four’s ransom demands. Often real politicians in comics are only alluded to but here it’s quite explicitly Abe Beame who is the mayor. The others are pretty obvious too. Ford’s comment is a reference to Washington’s refusal to bail out New York in 1975 (“Ford to City: Drop Dead”). Note this issue came out the weeks before the 1976 presidential election.

As mentioned, the business with evil Reed-slash-the Brute is pretty effective. This is a powerful sequence from Perez:

And while the switcheroo at the end was a bit predictable, it lends itself to a nice cliffhanger:

And I really liked this exchange between Ben and Reed, which reveals the family dynamic that’s at the core of the FF:

What I didn’t like

The issue opens with Ben drifting in the Negative Zone, but is instantly transported back to the Baxter Building with no real explanation. It suggests Thomas didn’t really have a plan after last issue and was making it up as he went along.

Anything else?

Some fun ads in this comic:

Overall

An excellent Fantastic Four comic book

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 177

15 Sunday Jun 2025

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1976, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 177, Frightful Four, George Perez, Roy Thomas

Fantastic Four 177
“Look Out For The Frightful Four!”
Published Sept. 1976
Writer: Roy Thomas
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Marie Severin
Editor: Thomas
Cover: Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott

Synopsis

The Fantastic Four confront the Frightful Four (really, just three) in the Baxter Building and are subdued by the Trapster’s booby trap. Imprisoned, they are forced to watch the villains audition a potential fourth member. Among them is Tigra, who initially pretends to be a villain before freeing the Human Torch and the Thing. In the ensuing battle, a villain named the Brute appears and manages to force the Thing into the Negative Zone. The Brute is then revealed to be a transformed version of Reed Richards from Counter Earth.

What’s going on here?

Like last issue, much of this comic is ridiculous and played for laughs. But unlike last issue, which was self-indulgent and tiresome, this comic is a lot of fun. The central conceit — the Frightful Four are auditioning new members and for reasons unexplained, they want the Fantastic Four to watch — makes no sense. But it allows for a procession of characters both new and familiar to troop through the Baxter Building and interact with the pompous Wizard and the hapless Sandman and Trapster. It’s a clever idea and one well executed by Thomas, aided by Perez’s stellar artwork.

While mostly a goof, the story does end in a dramatic showdown and big reveal, with a classically Thomasian call-back to an obscure comic, in this case Warlock 6 and 7, where the Brute was first introduced. I am completely unfamiliar with this character, and had to dredge up the issue to find out on this version of Earth, he alone was transformed by the cosmic rays and during a full moon, transforms into a purple monster. In the Warlock comic, he was manipulated by Man-Beast into battling Adam Warlock. At some point he turned evil and made his way to Earth proper.

Warlock 6 (1972), script by Mike Friedrich, art by Bob Brown and Tom Sutton.

The cover is a return to form for Kirby, and even features some Kirby Krackle. Marie Severin handles colors in this issue, further proof she could do just about anything in comics when given the chance.

What I liked

As mentioned, the parade of characters hoping to join the Frightful Four makes this an entertaining comic. There’s the Osprey …

… the Texas Twister, the debut of a character who would pop up here and there over the years (note the painful accent) …

… the return of Thundra (in a great Perez sequence)…

… Captain Ultra, another debut for a D-list character …

… and Tigra, who recently debuted and would become a founding member of the West Coast Avengers.

Sue doesn’t have a lot to do in this issue — and to be fair, the rest of the FF are mostly sidelined too — but she does get to do this:

Lastly, Thomas manages to dispose of the Impossible Man quickly, and he blessedly is mostly absent from this issue:

What I didn’t like

I regret I never started tracking how many times the Fantastic Four have been captured and imprisoned in cells or devices uniquely configured to neutralize their powers. Surely it’s been a dozen instances by now.

Anything else?

I’m curious about this encyclopedia of comics. Has anyone seen one in person?

Overall

Successfully putting the comedy in comic books.

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 176

08 Sunday Jun 2025

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1976, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 176, George Perez, Impossible Man, jack Kirby, Roy Thomas, Stan Lee

Fantastic Four 176
“Improbable As It May Seem — The Impossible Man Is Back In Town!”
Published Aug. 1974
Writer: Roy Thomas
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Michele Wolfman
Editor: Thomas
Cover: Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott

Synopsis

After their confrontation with Galactus, the Fantastic Four return to Earth with the Impossible Man in tow. The alien causes trouble on the streets of New York, then in the offices of Marvel Comics, where he and the FF interact with members of the staff. The team then discovers the Frightful Four have taken over the Baxter Building while the Fantastic Four was off planet, setting up a confrontation in the coming issues.

What’s going on here?

It’s hard for me to write about this issue without sounding like a grump. At this point, my thoughts on the Impossible Man are pretty well documented, so this comic was always going to be a tough sell for me. It’s obviously a light-hearted romp, and it should be read that way. The depiction of the Bullpen — which here includes Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Thomas, Perez, Archie Goodwin, Marv Wolfman, Sal Buscema, Marie Serevin, John Verpoorten and Gerry Conway — was a novelty in 1976, and for die-hard Marvel fans of the era, it must have been a thrill to see their favorite creators. The issue also continues a tradition of fourth wall-breaking stories taking place at Marvel that began with Fantastic Four 10.

And yet … reading it almost 50 years later, it falls flat. Most of the jokes are obvious and ponderous, the Impossible Man’s hijinks are predictably tedious and it all feels like an extended goof that mostly served to amuse its creators. Thomas wrote a lengthy editor’s note that explained the genesis of the issue, which was that he didn’t have a better idea. It shows.

Two art notes: Jack Kirby once again did the cover (inked by Joe Sinnott) and Michele Wolfman colored the issue, her first and only FF credit.

What I liked

This issue marks the return of George Perez, and he delivers great work, even when hampered by a inane storyline. Here’s a great action sequence:

And I loved his crowd scenes in Central Park:

Here’s his version of the Marvel offices, including a very slimming self portrait:

While most of the inside jokes were duds, this one amused me:

What I didn’t like

The story had a lot of filler, like this gag:

FWIW, hailing and riding in a taxi took the FF two full pages.

This exchange between Ben and Reed seemed off. Reed is really comparing Ben’s appearance to Joe DiMaggio’s???

This panel would make no sense unless you read Thomas’s note (it’s Marv Wolfman and Sal Buscema).

Anything else?

Uncanny X-Men Annual 7, a very silly issue featuring (guess who?) the Impossible Man, paid tribute to this comic with an extended scene in the Marvel bullpen.

Overall

If you don’t have something nice to say, better to say nothing at all.

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four Annual No. 11

01 Sunday Jun 2025

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1976, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four Annual 11, Invaders, John Buscema, Marvel comics, Namor, Roy Thomas

Fantastic Four Annual 11
“And ~~Now~~ Then the Invaders!”
Published March 1976
Writer: Roy Thomas
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: Sam Grainger
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Phil Rachelson
Editor: Thomas
Cover: Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott

Editor’s note: As I mentioned a while back, I am tackling this annual out of order, since it appeared after issue 170 and the end of the Power Man story arc. It’s basically a standalone story so it’s

Synopsis

After a training exercise in the Baxter Building, the Fantastic Four discovers they accidentally triggered Dr. Doom’s time machine, and sent back a sample of vibranium to 1942 Germany. As a result, the Nazis were able to build more accurate rockets and conquer the world. The FF travel back in time and joins the WW II super hero team The Invaders to storm Baron Zemo’s castle and thwart his plan to launch the souped up missiles at London. After recovering the vibranium and restoring history, the team returns but the Thing realizes not all the vibranium made it back.

What’s going on here?

This is a fun but uneven comic with a lot to unpack. Notably, it’s the first FF annual with new content since the great Fantastic Four Annual 6 way back in 1968 (there were some Giant-Size FF’s that served the purpose of annuals, although they appeared quarterly).

It’s also the first time the FF encounters the Invaders, a team invented by Roy Thomas that ret-conned a number of World War II-era heroes into a super team. (He may have based his idea on the All-Winners Squad, a Golden-Age comic with some of the same members, but that was released in 1946, after the war). The Invaders debuted in its own comic in 1975 and given all the times the FF comic was used goose the sales of other Marvel titles, it’s probably not too surprising Thomas engineered a cross-over between the two titles.

Thomas had a decades-long fascination with World War II super heroes. Along with the Invaders, he created the Liberty Legion, a sort of B-team led by Bucky that appeared in Marvel Premier. Later, at DC in 1981, he created the All-Star Squadron, a massive team that spun out of the Justice Society and contained just about every Golden Age DC character. Also at DC he created Young All-Stars, a post-crisis version of the All-Star Squadron (which theoretically no longer existed).

In typical Thomas-ian form, Fantastic Four Annual 11 is more convoluted than it needs to be, with lots of exposition and obscure call backs. But it’s also a rollicking read, with clever nods to the paradoxes of time travel and to the novelty of the FF reuniting with characters like Namor and the original Human torch.

In a twist, the story ends on a bit of cliff-hanger, when Ben learns that he has to go back to World War II, a story which takes place in Marvel Two-In-One Annual 1 and features the Liberty Legion.

Fantastic Four Annual 11 is also the first and only work on the FF by inker Sam Grainger, over John Buscema’s pencils. Grainger, who had a two-decade career on titles from Charlton, Marvel, DC and First comics, does serviceable work here. The cover is by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott.

What I liked

As a concept, the story works well. While the details are a little hard to swallow — the FF just happens to knock a tube of vibranium onto the time machine and they just happen to accidentally trigger it and send the tube back to 1942 where it just happens tp fall into the hands of Nazi scientists— the premise is fun. The idea that all Germany needed was more precise rockets with which to defeat Britain, and that vibranium was the one missing ingredient, is an intriguing one and nuanced enough to make the story more effective. It’s another entry in the long line of “What if Hitler won?” future histories covered by authors ranging from Len Deighton to Phillip K. Dick. The panels of the swastikas hanging in New York and London are chilling:

The story also reunites Sue and Namor, leading to some uncomfortable moments for Reed:

I also liked this sequence of Namor going all-out against the Nazis:

There is a lot of banter in this comic, some better than others. I liked this exchange between Ben and Reed, and Ben’s comments are poignant, given what we know is to come (note how different Reed looks when he isn’t inked by Joe Sinnott). “Alley Oop” was a newspaper comic strip.

This climactic sequence was ridiculous but fun.

This is a nice series of panels from Big John Buscema:

What I didn’t like:

There is a lot of heavy-handed explanation in this comic. This sequence is an example:

This was weird and awkward:

As I mention, not all banter is successful. Does Reed really watch Chico and the Man?

Anything else?

There are a few instances where Thomas seems to be poking fun. Here, Ben expresses what we all think about the Watcher, who seems to break his vow of non-interference more often than he upholds it:

And here, alongside a totally inane comment from Sue, Namor seems to echo a line made famous by Tony Curtis, “Yondah lies the castle of my faddah” (although that appears to be an urban myth – Curtis never said that line).

Overall

A surpisingly satisfying comic

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 175

26 Monday May 2025

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1976, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 175, galactus, jack Kirby, John Buscema, Marvel comics, Roy Thomas

Fantastic Four 175
“When Giants Walk the Sky!”
Published July 1976
Writer: Roy Thomas
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: Buscema
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Jan Cohen
Editor: Thomas
Cover: Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott

Synopsis

The High Evolutionary, with the help of the Fantastic Four, attempt to stop Galactus from devouring Counter Earth. At the last moment, the Invisible Girl seemingly appears and offers Galactus a new world, one she has just returned from. Galactus agrees, but after consuming it, becomes incapacitated and the High Evolutionary de-volves him to a state of pure energy. The Invisible Girl is revealed to the the Impossible Man, who offered his own planet Poppup to Galactus because his people’s shared consciousness means they had no need for a planet. The real Invisible Girl returns and lastly, Ben Grimm reverts to his Thing form, a result of Galactus zapping him with cosmic energy.

What’s going on here

This issue is very much a mixed bag. There’s some clever ideas here and the long-awaited confrontation between the High Evolutionary and Galactus begins on a strong note, but like many of Roy Thomas’s arcs, it fizzles out anti-climactically. The Impossible Man reveal feels too deus ex machina (although it’s totally in keeping with Thomas’s love of obscure call-backs) and the idea his people would sacrifice their planet makes little sense. Unlike the stories of the Lee / Kirby era, where Reed would whip up some solution to save the day, Thomas delivers another storyline where the FF are reduced to spectators as events swirl around them.

One note on the art: John Buscema handles both pencils and inks, filling in for Joe Sinnott. As a result, his characters look a bit more Busecma-esque (in fact, in some places they look as if they were drawn by Sal Buscema, John’s younger brother). Check out the close up of Reed below.

I was surprised to learn this was only the second appearance of the Impossible Man, a character so annoying it feels like he’s always showing up. Marvel’s version of Mr. Mxyptlk — another insufferable character — he first appeared way back in FF 11, and will hang around for the next several issues. I will try to keep an open mind but I am dreading these stories.

Kirby and Joe Sinnott return for the cover, which is stronger than their last few.

What I liked

Ben’s reversion back to his Thing form at the hands of Galactus was well done. Ben wasn’t going to remain in the exoskeleton forever, and if Thomas needed a mechanism to change him back, the wrath of Galactus feels like a good choice.

I also liked the posturing and pompous boasting between the High Evolutionary and Galactus. This was the clash this arc promised, but besides a few panels, didn’t really deliver.

What I didn’t like

I’ve detailed my bigger complaints with this issue above, but here are few other nits to pick:

As I’ve mentioned, I hate it when writers force Galactus into physical fights with lesser foes. He should be above such things.

The devolution of Galactus was also peculiar. It’s an interesting way to remove him from the board (although of course it won’t be permanent) but I’m not sure it’s very successful.

Anything else?

Here’s a Bullpen Bulletin notice that Archie Goodwin is taking over as editor, the fifth in four years in an era that led to lots of instability in the comics. This run of editors reminds me of late Rome, where emperors were crowned and deposed every few months.

Goodwin would last two years before he was replaced by Jim Shooter, who will hold the job for a decade and put his own stamp, for better or worse, on Marvel and comics in general.

Overall

A disappointing conclusion to a fun arc.

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 174

10 Saturday May 2025

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1976, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 174, galactus, High evolutionary, jack Kirby, John Buscema, Roy Thomas, Skrulls

Fantastic Four 174
“Starquest!”
Published June 1976
Writer: Roy Thomas
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Janice Cohen
Editor: Thomas
Cover: Jack Kirby and Frank Giacoia

Editor’s note: This may be the last blog update for a few weeks. I will be traveling and it’s unlikely I’ll have time for blogging while I’m on the road. Hang tight, we will wrap up this arc when I get back!

Synopsis

Frustrated that the High Evolutionary won’t act to rescue the rest of the Fantastic Four, the Invisible Girl uses his machinery to teleport herself to them, only she sends herself to the wrong planet where she risks running out of air. Meanwhile, on the planet Mekka, the Thing and Mr. Fantastic escape from Torgo and and subdue his world of robots, only to free them rather than have them consumed by Galactus. Torgo, in turn, gives them permission to leave. And on the medieval planet, where the Human Torch and Gorr the gorilla were captured, it is soon revealed the inhabitants were Skrulls play-acting as knights of the round table. With no planet available to serve up to Galactus, the High Evolutionary prepares to battle him.

What’s going on here?

This is the fourth installment in an arc that will reach five issues, making it one of the longest since the end of the Lee / Kirby era. This comic didn’t have the same energy as the previous issue, but it’s still a satisfying story and a solid prelude to the fifth and final issue. The Skrull reveal is a fun twist, and there’s nice pieces of character development throughout.

John Buscema returns as a fill-in artist, with mixed results (more about that later). Jack Kirby turns in another lackluster cover (inked by Frank Giacoia) and colorist Janice Cohen makes her Fantastic Four debut.

What I liked

The resolution with Torgo was well handled. After engaging in a fight neither side really wanted, the parties reach an understanding based in mutual respect.

Torgo hangs around as a peripheral Marvel character for decades, appearing in a comic as recently as 2019.

The entire sequence with Reed and Ben on Mekka was nicely done, starting with Ben’s escape from his ex-skeleton, which creates an odd visual.

The banter between Ben and Reed continues with Reed’s admission that his powers no longer work properly, while Ben disguises his concern with another wisecrack where Reed plays along.

What I didn’t like

After being left out of the action in the last issue, Sue takes the initiative, only to end up stranded. Once again her powers and abilities are squandered.

While the Johnny / Gorr arc was quirky and amusing, it’s resolution was crammed into six panels that revealed the RenFaire people were Skrulls, that the dragons were intelligent vegetarians, that there was only one left and it was just killed, that the damsel in distress was a robot, and the Skrulls were leaving. Whew!

Buscema’s art seems rushed in this comic, and there’s two examples of mistakes I doubt he would normally make. First, in the panel of Ben punching up, he has five fingers, not his normal four:

And here, Reed stretches with his left arm, but it’s his right hand that pulls the switch:

We all have bad days. Most of us are lucky that we don’t have bozos blogging about them 50 years later.

Anything else?

I liked this ad for Spalding baseball gloves on the back cover. Art by Jack Davis, best known for his work in MAD Magazine.

Overall

Another solid comic book

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine! Fantastic Four No. 173

04 Sunday May 2025

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1976, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 173, galactus, John Buscema, Roy Thomas

Fantastic Four 173
“Counter Earth Must Die — At The Hands of Galactus!”
Published May 1976
Writer: Roy Thomas
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Phil Rachelson
Editor: Thomas
Cover: Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott

Synopsis

After Ben unsuccessfully attacks Galactus (while wearing his Thing exoskeleton), the FF, Gorr the Gorilla and the High Evolutionary try to stave off Galactus’s plans to devour Counter Earth. Galactus agrees to consume another suitable world without advanced life if they can find one, and the team splits up to scout two of three planets identified by the High Evolutionary. On the first, Ben and Reed find a city of robots led by Torgo, whom Ben previously battled against and alongside on a Skrull planet in issues 90-93. Torgo apprehends them lest they reveal the planet’s existence to Galactus. On the second, the Human Torch and Gorr find themselves in a medieval-type world, where they too are captured.

What’s going on here?

After a slow start, this story arc is picking up steam, and this is by far the best of the three thus far. There’s a lot of action, some fun and interesting plot twists, a bit of character development, and solid art by penciller John Buscema (Big John will handle this and the next two issues before George Perez returns).

Whenever I see Galactus used as a villain I become worried, since he should be written as god-like and above the fray. When he ends up physically scrapping with the FF, as he did in issue 122, it diminishes the character. Here, even though Ben attacks him (futilely), most of the action is directed elsewhere, as the FF and their allies struggle to prevent the destruction of Counter Earth. Galactus becomes less an antagonist and more of a force of nature that must be defended against.

I have called out Roy Thomas’s tics as a writer several times, including his propensity to call-up obscure characters and events from Marvel’s past. That can often lead to convoluted stories, but in this issue, the reappearance of Torgo is both surprising and well played by Thomas. Ben’s ordeal in the Skrull arena is one of the best stories from the latter years of the Lee / Kirby run, and it’s fun to see Ben reunited with his former sparring partner slash brother-in arms. Even when they end up fighting it’s clear neither’s heart is in it.

The cover is again by Jack Kirby, although it lacks his trademark energy. A bit of a dud from the master.

What I liked

It’s generally fun when the team gets split up and goes on separate missions. Here, the Human Torch and Gorr have an adventure that features a gorilla’s critique of Johnny’s clichés.

I liked this meet-up between Reed and the High Evolutionary, two big brains who clearly have much to discuss.

And this is a nice panel by Buscema evoking some Kirby-esque cosmic grandeur.

I also liked this panel of Ben in his exo-skeleton.

What I didn’t like

As mentioned before, I think it’s silly for the FF to try to physically assault Galactus. This sequence felt like a waste of time.

Sue is again shunted off to the side. At least here Reed comes up with an excuse, even if Sue is skeptical.

Overall

A solid issue. The Fantastic Four as it ought to be.

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 172

27 Sunday Apr 2025

Posted by percivalhenry in The World's Greatest Comic Magazine

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1976, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 172, galactus, George Perez, jack Kirby, Roy Thomas

Fantastic Four 172
“Cry, The Bedeviled Planet!”
Published April 1976
Writer: Roy Thomas and Bill Mantlo
Pencils: George Perez
Inker: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Petra Goldberg
Editor: Thomas
Cover: Jack Kirby and Sinnott

Synopsis

Gorr, the golden alien gorilla the Fantastic Four captured last issue, explains that he was mutated by the High Evolutionary, whose Counter-Earth is now threatened by Galactus. Gorr escapes and lures the FF to his spaceship, which he crashed in Central Park as a ruse. Once in his ship, Gorr abducts the FF and heads to the moon of Counter-Earth where the Destroyer, Galactus’s latest herald, is in the High Evolutionary’s stasis field. The Thing battles the Destroyer until the arrival of Galactus.

What’s going on here?

The highlight of this issue is probably the great Jack Kirby cover, which looks like it could have been drawn in the late 1960s, complete with Kirby Krackle. The powers-that-be even adjusted the logo (and removed its floating heads) to make it work.

The rest of the issue is fine, not great. Perez and Sinnott do their normal stellar job. There is a lot of complicated backstory, as is typical of a Roy Thomas comic, with references at least three different, non-FF comics: Marvel Premier 1, Incredible Hulk 178 and Thor 228. For serious Marvel fans, this set of elaborate intertwining of stories can be really satisfying (I know, I used to be one), since it rewards all their obsessive collecting. For more causal fans, it’s a bit bewildering. At least Perez jazzes up all the exposition with a cool double-page spread.

This issue also is the Fantastic Four debut of Bill Mantlo, who provides the script over Thomas’s plot. Mantlo, a prolific writer who actually had a letter to the editor printed just a few issues ago, would fill-in on the FF over the years but never had a run of his own.

What I liked

It’s fun to see the FF back in space again and the High Evolutionary is a very worthy antagonist for the FF, although he doesn’t confront them in this comic. This arc has been rocky through the first two issues; we’ll see if Thomas can deliver a solid conclusion

This was a fun sequence:

And this is a great image of the team by Perez:

What I didn’t like

The comic felt sluggish throughout. It’s not just all the space devoted to explanation, but the fight with Gorr in the first few pages felt repetitive. There’s also the problem with Ben’s fight with the Destroyer; which feels very pro forma, particularly as Galactus was on his way. And lastly, it’s unclear why Galactus shouldn’t consume Counter-Earth. It’s an artificial construct – does anyone live there? We don’t know. It’s hard to get too upset about his arrival when the stakes seem pretty low.

This sequence with Sue was a bit of a let down. I was prepared for her to knock Gorr upside his head, and the opposite happened. It may have been a miscommunication between Mantlo and Perez.