STRANGE TALES 133 (1965)
by Stan Lee & Bob Powell
cover by Jack Kirby
“The Terrible Toys” will be the villains of this terrible story.
Stan Lee declares on the opening page that he’s trying “something different” by beginning the story in the middle rather then, well, the beginning.
While the heroes fight those… things… we cut to Alicia and Doris, who at the time were constantly hanging out together. I don’t think they’ve ever been shown to have been close, or even just friends, in future issues. My guess is that Alicia was just too polite to tell the Torch that she doesn’t really like his girlfriend.
They took their respective boyfriends shopping, and that’s where the Thing mistakes a mannequin for a store employee.
Riveting action, isn’t it?
This bald weirdo turns out to be the store owner, who is mad at Alicia…
…for fingering the mannequin.
Which does sound like a dirty euphemism, but that’s how HE words it!
Was this scheme really necessary if all he wanted to do was lure Alicia to an art exhibit? She goes to those things all the time!
The bald guy should’ve known, since this is actually the Puppet Master’s new look after getting plastic surgery. Which means he CHOSE to look like Fester Addams.
We saw in Strange Tales #126 that his alliance with the Mad Thinker was a complete disaster, but this time the Puppet Master has allied himself with the most evil creature known to man… cats.
So… yeah. The Puppet Master’s quasi-magical radioactive clay never really made much sense, but apparently the cat found the right chemicals that allow it to turn people into living statues that he can control. That seems to be more than a little off-topic for the Puppet Master.
He’s also uncharacteristically hostile towards Alicia, which is even weirder than his new look: pretty much the only consistent part of his characterization tends to be that he cares for her!
He’s also built the mechanical Ice Queen (HOW!?!?), who has the power to freeze the air (HOW!?!?).
Also, “240° below freezing” sounds weird to me. I assume that’s supposed to mean 240°F below water freezing? That’s -218°F, or -138°C for Europeans like me.
That doesn’t sound all that cold against the Human Torch.
Once at the exhibit, while the girls are looking at the statues (well Alicia is busy fingering them), the guys sneak into the basement.
I’m sure the Puppet Master will appreciate that his cover was blown up immediately.
And that’s when we finish the flashback!
The Ice Queen is programmed to shoot the Torch with her freezing rays whenever he moves, so he gets the idea of using the Thing as a shield.
Also: the Thing has been getting progressively stronger, but I feel like even at the time 10 tons should’ve been nothing to him.
For the Torch standards, that was a clever plan.
In comics everyone can come back to life, but I’m not holding my breath for the Ice Queen.
The Thing throws the remains of the trap that was holding him towards the Puppet Master, who randomly gets turned into a mannequin.
So they just abandon him there, without even telling his step-daughter Alicia that the Puppet Master might be dead.
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the last appearance of Dorrie Evans as the Human Torch’s girlfriend: the next issue is the last one, and she doesn’t show up.
Historical significance: 0/10
The Puppet Master will go back to his classic design in the next appearance, with no mention of his plastic surgery or of his new powers.
Silver Age-ness: 10/10
A cat giving Puppet Master brand new powers by accident!!!
Does it stand the test of time? 0/10
This sucked. There are a couple of panels where the Puppet Master looks genuinely creepy and perhaps even a little bit scary, but that’s it. Completely and utterly forgettable.
Interesting letters: as mentioned, the next issue is the last. It’s a shame they never got the chance to try out this idea, because some team-up stories with Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Girl would’ve been interesting.
