STRANGE TALES 129 (1965)
by Stan Lee & Dick Ayers
cover by Jack Kirby
These guys again!? Jeez, you work for Doctor Doom once and you’re set for life!
I never though I’d ever see the Human Torch golfing. To be fair, he hates it.
If golfing involved more fire it would probably be far more popular.
The Torch gets a call from the Thing warning him that the Three Losers have escaped. Because I guess he can’t handle them on his own.
If these are among your “most menacing foes”, Torch, you probably have a lame rogues gallery.
This is just embarrassing. At the time the Torch couldn’t keep his flame indefinitely so he’s technically de-powered when they ambush him, but still…
Asbestos rope? *yawn* It’s been done before.
Do you ever get the felling this series is kinda silly?
Uh-oh. Asbestos doesn’t work like Kryptonite anymore, so his this should be over in a couple of panels right?
Right?
Only for 2 out of the 3 losers, because the Torch loses his flame AGAIN.
I never thought about the sound that the Fantastic Four’s flare makes, but apparently it’s “WHAP!”.
I skipped a few panels, but I swear I didn’t skip the Torch being knocked out by the Three Losers to the point of the Thing thinking he’s dead!!!
The Thing being immobilized by snakes is silly, but this happening OFF-PANEL is just unforgivable. WTF!?
The Thing breaks free so fast that we don’t even get one panel of him being troubled by the snakes, yes, but COME ON.
If I was the Thing I’d sue Stan Lee right about now.
EVERYBODY ON THAT TRAIN SHOULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW.
The Three Losers are so bland that they get their asses kicked OFF PANEL.
Couldn’t you spare us the rest of the story too?
Historical significance: 0/10
Can we please, PLEASE let these losers just go away!?
Silver Age-ness: 10/10
On the Marvel scale. I can’t believe the Human Torch got to play the damsel in distress in the most stereotypical way imaginable.
Does it stand the test of time? 0/10
This is the worst Strange Tales story I’ve covered so far. It’s not even close: this one has absolutely no redeeming factor. Excluding the cover, which is admittedly nice.
Cancer count: 26
Adding asbestos rope. Again.