Category Archives: Ultimately Nullified
Fantastic Four #13 – Versus the Red Ghost and his Incredible Super-Apes!
Issue #13 – Versus the Red Ghost and his Incredible Super-Apes!
Issue #13 of the Fantastic Four is a timeless mind-expanding reading experience that transcends the era in which it was created by kicking such solid ass on many levels. The immediate pleasure comes with the turning of the cover and being greeted by the pairing of Kirby’s pencils and Ditko’s inking. The alchemy between the two staples of Marvel’s art stable is instantly recognizable and excites the pleasure centers of anyone who has an appreciation for comic book art. Prior to this issue, the Thing never looked more menacing than when inked by the master of mystic comic art himself. This issue is perfectly suited for Ditko’s magic with the introduction of both the Blue Side of the Moon, and the Watcher.
The issue packs in many concepts and locations within the Marvel Universe that are still being revisited today. To kick things off, we are introduced to Ivan Kragoff, a brilliant communist scientist who launches not only himself but his three pet apes into space in an attempt to replicate the fateful trip that gave the Fantastic Four their powers. This bold attempt to gain powers sourced from Cosmic Rays would be replicated again in 1980 when the U-Foes would absorb even more Cosmic Rays than expected, transforming them into a formidable super-villain team. However, Kragoff’s experiment would not result in such dramatic changes as seen with both the Fantastic Four and the U-Foes. No, Kragoff and his apes would retain their normal appearance yet gain powers just the same. Kragoff gained the ability to take on a ghostly form and adopted the Red Ghost identity while his apes each gained their own unique power: magnetic powers, shape changing, and super-strength.
Meanwhile, Reed and the crew head for the mysterious “Blue Area of the Moon”. Although this would be the first visit to the Area, it would become an exotic locale for many pivotal milestones within the Marvel Universe. This is where Jean Grey died for her sins in the pivotal X-Men #137, this is where Black Bolt relocated the Inhuman city of Attilan, and more importantly, this is where Uatu the Watcher lives. After a space-race between the two parties, the Blue Area of the Moon is revealed to be the remnants of an ancient civilization and also contains just enough atmosphere to allow humans to breathe within its perimeter.
Touchdown by both parties leads almost immediately to fighting, which draws the attention of The Watcher – strange being from an ancient race sworn to observe all that occurs in this universe (and others), yet sworn never to interfere. The Watcher pits the Fantastic Four against the Red Ghost and his Super-Apes in the “most dangerous game”. As the two sides battle, Reed goes about the task of salvaging ancient technology to create a weapon to win the day, while the Red Ghost sneaks into the Watchers headquarters in search of a weapon of his own. Quickly detected, the Red Ghost is shown the true powers of The Watcher which is almost more than even Kragoff’s genius can comprehend.
In the end, Reed’s dedication wins the day, leaving the Red Ghost and his Super-Apes stranded on the Moon with the apes eventually turning on their master as The Watcher leaves to watch us all from a more distant part of the galaxy.
The Fantastic Four travel back to Earth in time for their next issue, their next adventure. Soon things would return to “normal” with reappearances from Prince Namor, The Pupper Master, and yes, Doctor Doom. But, for this one adventure, the curtain hiding just a few of the wonders of the Marvel Universe were peeled back and the view from the Blue Area of the Moon was glorious.
Issue #12 – The Incredible Hulk
Welcome to “Ultimately Nullified” – where I embark upon the insane endeavor of reading and writing about every issue of the Fantastic Four. Issue #1, #2, #3, #4. #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11
Issue #12 – The Incredible Hulk
Hints that the paths of both the Fantastic Four and Hulk would eventually cross had been given in previous issues. With the Marvel Universe starting to converge in small ways, the worlds were about to collide. Unfortunately, this initial meeting contained none of the gravity you would expect from such a collision, which honestly isn’t so much about The Four meeting the Hulk as much as it is the desire to see The Thing and The Hulk coming to blows in an epic way.
From the perspective of existing in the year 2012, most people know the Hulk’s deal – Bruce Banner saves the reckless youth Rick Jones from a Gamma Bomb test, but absorbs a huge amount of gamma radiation in the process – the effects of which transform the gangly scientist into the Jade Giant whenever the rage of anger overcomes him. However, early on in his existence, the Hulk went through a number of changes before he fit into that description. For example, he was actually grey (not green) in his early appearances, and sometimes the transformation was triggered by a full moon. The nature of the Hulk’s powers were on shaky ground in this initial meeting as well. The proto-Hulk appearing in this comic speaks in complete sentences, requires a blast of manually operated Gamma Rays to transform, and displays tactical problem solving skills. To confuse things further, the diction between The Thing and The Hulk are basically identical.
The issue kicks off with the US Army mistaking The Thing for The Hulk. Once the mistake is sorted out, General “Thunderbolt” Ross (The Hulk’s main nemesis) woos The Four into helping his cause. We are introduced to a new Fantasti-Car design, and the hunt for The Hulk begins. Using a plot device that was common in the Hulk’s own first appearance, the crimes currently blamed on The Hulk are actually the work of yet another Cold War spy working within the US military. Rick is kidnapped and The Hulk is compelled to save his friend. The Four and The Hulk eventually clash in two brief fight scenes, neither of which do much to establish who is mightier between the two strong men. In the end, Rick is saved, Bruce Banner’s secret persona is still a secret, the Four are honored by the military, and the Hulk looks on from the desert as they return to New York.
Although the distinction between Thing and Hulk would eventually be much clearer than the obvious surface differences, the similarities found in this issue are telling of an interesting subtext – discrimination. Both parties are loudmouth brawlers with a chip on their shoulder, always looking for something to either “smash” or “clobber”. The primary difference is that The Thing, Ben Grimm, belongs to a family of heroes who live in a fairly posh Manhattan high-rise headquarters, while The Hulk managed to wound General “Thunderbolt” Ross’ ego and pays the price by being forever hunted across the globe. Strip away ben Grimm’s association with otherwise “normal” looking heroes, and chances are that he’d be living the same lonely existence that his green counterpart suffers from. During one of his long runs as writer of The Hulk during the 90’s, Peter David provided what may be perhaps the greatest battle between The Thing and The Hulk, and it was purely verbal in nature. In this conversation, The Hulk points out the biggest difference between the two is a matter of how they perceive their individual state of being – The Thing always resented what he’d become while The Hulk embraced his own existence.
The battle royal between the Hulk and the rest of the Marvel Universe was yet to come in the pages of The Fantastic Four, and what a battle it is…
Issue #11 – A Visit with the Fantastic Four/The Impossible Man
Welcome to “Ultimately Nullified” – where I embark upon the insane endeavor of reading and writing about every issue of the Fantastic Four. Issue #1, #2, #3, #4. #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10
Issue #11 – A Visit with the Fantastic Four/The Impossible Man
Issue 11 is split into two tales. The first, A Visit with the Fantastic Four, seeks to do nothing more than to introduce new readers to the series. Well, that, and to introduce Willy Lumpkin –mailman to the Fantastic Four. The story opens with a line of both kids and adults waiting to buy the latest issue of the Fantastic Four. The real FF shows up in time to impress the kids before returning to the Baxter Building. In no time at all, the Yancey Street Gang pulls yet another gag on Ben Grimm, Ben turns into human form again, and we get a retelling of the team’s origin. This time, however, we get a few new details about the team’s back story: Ben and Reed were in fact college roommates (along with Victor Von Doom, as revealed in past issues), Ben came on a football scholarship, Reed’s dad is a millionaire, Ben was a fighter pilot for the marines in World War II, and Reed served the O.S.S in the same war. We also learn that Reed and Sue grew up together as neighbors. Post-flashback, Sue insists she is unwilling to discuss developing her relationship with Reed while Namor still confuses her emotions.
While the team opens their fan mail, Sue becomes upset by one letter suggesting that she contributes little to the team. Breaking the fourth wall, Reed addresses the readers directly, comparing Sue’s role to that of Abraham Lincoln’s mother and recapping her contributions to the team over the last few issues. Consistent with some of the criticisms made in this very blog, the evidence to support Sue’s contributions up to this point are unconvincing.
Ultimately, Ben reverts back into the Thing, and the entire story ends in a surprise birthday cake for Sue (presented to her in the saucer from issue #7’s Planet X adventure, no less!)
Although the story is somewhat silly and seems awfully early in the series for an origin recap (and sadly not anywhere near the last recap issue we’ll see), the story does serve to establish a firm connection between reader feedback and Marvel Comics. The point in which Reed addresses the reader directly seems like the perfectly ideal and surreal way to answer fan mail in a comic book.
The second story in the book introduces one of the more inconsistent and arguably annoying characters in the Fantastic Four cast. The Impossible Man is an alien from the planet Poppop, where the native inhabitants learned to escape their natural predators through an evolutionary development that allows them to change shape at will. If this sounds remotely familiar, that’s because the Skrulls share the exact same origin. The Impossible Man arrives on Earth seeking playmates to end his boredom. Once he learns that no one on Earth can overcome his innate ability to shape change into whatever defensive form works most in his favor, he runs amuck, causing general chaos wherever he goes. Reed, clearly not a father at this point, finally realizes that they can stop this attention seeking alien by simply ignoring him. Somehow, society learns of this tactic and successfully ignores the Impossible Man until he leaves the planet out of boredom.
For longtime readers of comic books, this issue can be a bit hard to suffer through. On the surface, the book could be considered little more than filler, as evidenced by pulling out almost every reoccurring plot device used so far (save a fight between Ben and Johnny) and putting them into this issue. Throw in an alien who shares a power set and origin that nearly mirrors that of the Skrulls introduced only 9 issues ago. However, when the issue was published in the late 60’s, it may very well have been a revelation. Up to this point in time, had any comic ever bridged the gap between reader and characters in such a direct fashion? It speaks to a degree of self-awareness and connection to the readership that made Marvel Comics the preferred comic line on college campuses during the 70s.
Issue #10 – The Return of Doctor Doom
Welcome to “Ultimately Nullified” – where I embark upon the insane endeavor of reading and writing about every issue of the Fantastic Four. Issue #1, #2, #3, #4. #5, #6, #7, #8, #9
Issue #10 – The Return of Doctor Doom
Although not nearly as surreal and goofy as the previous issue, the tenth installment of this series runs a close second in terms of meta textual mind-bending.
Once we’ve trimmed out all of the obligatory pages dedicated to reminding the reader of the unique powers of the Fantastic Four and a refresher on the various villains they’ve encountered so far (via a cleverly disguised visit to Ben’s new girlfriend, Alicia Masters), we’re left with a familiar plot device – the mind-switch. Although in this day and age most of us have been exposed to the mind-switch plot via movies (Freaky Friday, Vice Versa, etc.), the mind-switching between Doctor Doom and Reed Richards would play itself out numerous times in the team’s history.
When last we saw Doctor Doom, he was adrift in space. We learn that he was later rescued by the alien race of Ovoids – an advanced alien race capable of placing their minds into replacement bodies when physical death claims them. Doctor Doom is returned to Earth where he immediately plots to use this technology against his sworn enemies. How Doom accomplishes his plan to exchange bodies with Reed Richards is where it gets wild.
As alluded to in previous issues, we are given confirmation that avatars of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby do both inhabit the Marvel Universe and meet regularly with the Fantastic Four to discuss future plot lines. Doom is aware of this as well and uses the Marvel offices to lure Reed into the bullpen for additional plot discussions. Reed is abducted and taken to Doom’s castle where the mind-switch is successfully implemented. The rest of the issue plays out as expected, with Doom taking advantage of having inhabited Reed’s body and the access to Fantastic Four technology that comes with it.
Doom’s master plan is to shrink the remaining members into virtual nothingness via the Reducing Ray he’s developed. Without the “real” Reed’s mind around to help the others understand things like science, Doom is able to convince the other three that allowing themselves to be subjected to the Reducing Ray will serve to enhance their powers in the long run. Meanwhile, Reed escapes his prison and heads directly to Alicia’s apartment. “Doom Reed” is taken back to the Baxter Building where a selfless act of heroics confirms his story, and in turn reveals the real Doom’s master plan. Minds are put back to where they belong, but not before Doctor Doom is the accidental victim of his own reducing ray, ultimately shrinking into nothing.
Beyond the revelation of the meta-existence of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby enjoy as comic book creators within the Marvel Universe who co-plot their comic books alongside the characters themselves, the biggest development in this issue is a conversation between Reed and Sue that begins to hint at the unspoken relationship between the two. During the innocent visit to Alicia’s apartment early in the adventure, Ben shows off Alicia’s most recent sculptures of the Fantastic Four’s rogue’s gallery. Included in this array is a statue of Namor, which Sue objects to. Reed uses that as an opening to discuss the nature of their relationship and hints at its romantic nature, but Sue is unable to sort out her feelings and quickly stifles the conversation. As mentioned before, this adventure also represents the first time Reed would inhabit Doctor Doom’s body, but it would not be the last.
Issue #9 – The End of the Fantastic Four
Welcome to “Ultimately Nullified” – where I embark upon the insane endeavor of reading and writing about every issue of the Fantastic Four. Issue #1, #2, #3, #4. #5, #6, #7, #8
Issue #9 – The End of the Fantastic Four
“Bulletin! The world-famous Fantastic Four are bankrupt! They have announced plans to dissolve their partnership and sell all their possessions in order to pay their debts!”
This is the newscast that kicks off one of the craziest issues of the early issues of the Fantastic Four, if not their career. The tale opens with Namor, in his 3rd appearance since he appeared in issue #4, watching the broadcast from his undersea throne room. He’s added a few touches to the place since we last saw it in issue #6, including a fishing net hung on the wall like most hip pads in the 60s and 70s. One thing not missing from issue #6? – his framed picture of Sue Storm. With the announced dissolution of the Fantastic Four, Namor’s latest scheme takes shape.
Meanwhile, back in NYC, we learn that Reed bungled some stock investments he made with the team’s money. The other Four try to show their support by offering to use their powers to raise money, but Reed’s to proud to pimp out their cosmic powers for money.
After literally battling off the debt collectors, Ben’s sense of charity is gone and he storms out of the Baxter Building, but not before giving Reed an earful for losing their money. Ben heads over to Alicia Master’s house, where she unwittingly shames Ben into returning to his friend in his time of need. Ben returns just in time to learn that “S.M. Studios” has offered the Four a starring role in their new movie with a million dollar paycheck in return. With renewed hopes, the Fantastic Four humbly hitchhike (!) from NYC to Hollywood, CA.
After a star-struck encounter with many of the stars of the day, the Four are introduced to their film’s producer – Prince Namor himself! We learn that Atlanteans have been watching pirates bury treasure and looting sunken ships for ages and have amassed a rich fortune as a result. Namor used some of this ancient wealth to acquire a film studio. Sporting a cigarette (with holder), smoking jacket and ascot, Namor sets the shooting schedule for the following Monday, allowing the Four to enjoy the west coast scene. Namor actually manages a romantic dinner with Sue, foreshadowing the seams in his underlying scheme.
When shooting starts, the plan is clear: Namor has staged scenes around the individual members of the Fantastic Four (save Sue) that are in fact clever death traps designed to eliminate all obstacles between he and Sue. Reed is duped into battling an actual giant Cyclops, Johnny is the captive of flame-resistant natives, and Ben is left to fight Namor in beach-side hand-to-hand combat.
With those pesky men out of the way, Namor proposes to Sue for her hand in marriage. A proposal she rejects once she learns of his master plan. Before he can force the matter, the remaining members of the team save the day yet again and begin their campaign to beat the sea out of Namor. Sue intervenes, pointing out that a deal is a deal and Namor has yet to hold up his end. Conceding the point, Namor announces “the movie will be produced – - as promised! You will get your money!” In a tragic ending, the rejected prince walks alone in to the sea, with Sue remarking that what he did, he did for love.
The issue ends weeks later with the Fantastic Four basking in the success of the film and for once again having the funds in which to “carry on their unique life’s work.”
The mind reels at the absurdity of this story, and much has been written about it over time. Fred Hembeck lavishly recreated and deconstructed the tale in his book The Complete Essential Hembeck Archives Omnibus . There’s so much here that flies in the face of the persistent continuity of the Marvel Universe, you’d almost swear you’d just read one of DC Comics infamous “imaginary stories” such as “The Amazing Story of Superman-Red and Superman-Blue”. We find Reed, the smartest man in the Marvel Universe bungling stock market investments, the world’s greatest super team hitchhiking from coast to coast, and Namor agreeing to finish a film that actually becomes a hit. One glaring bit of weirdness we’re treated to again are Namor’s apparent powers “of all the creatures who live beneath the sea” including the ability to absorb and release electricity (last seen in issue #6) and a built-in radar sense. These powers only appear in these first encounters, never to be mentioned again.
Ben and Namor are again the two most interesting characters in the book, both largely in their dealings with the opposite sex. The entire scheme to take out ¾ of the team is designed around winning Sue’s hand in marriage, and the sometimes brutal and always loose-cannon Ben Grimm is guided back to helping his friends through the reappearance of Alicia Masters from last issue. The brutal fist fight between Namor and Ben marks the most dramatic point in an otherwise goofy issue, and even contains yet another reversion for Ben from “Thing” form to human due to a random lightning bolt striking at the exact wrong time.
When reading this issue, it is easy to get caught up in the goofy details that are simply nothing more than a silly issue written in 1963 by two creators making up the rules as they go along. For example, the reader is privy to only three scenes from the movie that will go on to be a hit. These include a fight with a Cyclops, a run in with natives, and a fight between The Thing and the producer of the film. If Ray Dennis Steckler had been given a large-scale budget, I imagine this sort of a tale. However, another interpretation is suggested – perhaps this story itself IS the movie as well. In a meta-contextual twist of surreal inspiration, Namor built the film around the rags-to-riches tale of a super-team down on their luck (due to the incompetency of his rival), complete with major movie stars in cameo appearances, fight-scenes galore, and the heartbreak of love lost between Sue and Namor.
