STRANGE TALES 128 (1965)
by Stan Lee & Dick Ayers
cover by Jack Kirby
Having the Thing co-star in the Torch’s series didn’t really improve it much, so maybe switching the bad guys with the X-Men will be an improvement.
At the time both Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch were part of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. He wants them to leave the team for good, but Scarlet is the one who doesn’t want to because “honor has always meant everything to our family”.
Apparently they have realized JUST NOW that the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants is, well, EVIL.
They are willing to go to any superhero to ask for help, and they settle on the Fantastic Four because they have a public address.
Which… fine, that explains why they don’t go to the X-Men, but the Avengers also had a public address from the start!
Also: is the Scarlet Witch’s headgear the most uncomfortable costume accessory ever?
Here’s something you could only do in 1965: the X-Men have revealed to the public the faces of the Brotherhood of Evil. Which… yeah, the original Brotherhood WAS a terrorist organization in pretty much every definition, but this still makes me cringe.
As the Torch and the Thing discuss about the couple of times they’ve met the X-Men, Quicksilver and Scarlet Wich sneak into the Baxter Building wearing color-coordinated disguises.
I know we’re used to decades of Scarlet Witch being one of the good guys, but she can definitely pull off being scary.
Even though using her magical powers to command a fire extinguisher to stop the guards is a bit silly, especially since at the time she didn’t REALLY had magic.
Try not to be shocked, but a fight breaks out because both Quicksilver and the Human Torch act impulsively. Who could’ve anticipated that?
The cover promised a fight with Quicksilver AND the Scarlat Witch, but she’s knocked out immediately!!!
So…big dumb fight.
It’s pretty entertaining, with Quicksilver being able to fight both heroes simultaneously.
Quicksilver is kind of an idiot for going to the FF to ask for help and then immediately getting into a fight without actually asking for help.
Not that the Torch and the Thing are much better, mind you, but they have the excuse that Quicksilver IS a wanted terrorist at this point.
Besides, I can’t stay mad at the Thing if he brings up his “asbestos monkey suit”.
All this fire, however, revives the Scarlet Witch…
…who can apparently control the weather!? WTF!?
Once the learn that the siblings don’t want to fight, the Fantastic Half Four let them go.
And that’s how it ends!!!
Ironically enough, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch don’t actually retire from supervillainy right now: they decide to go back to working for Magneto in X-Men #11… which is the same issue where Magneto gets exiled into space (!!!), and only after THAT the siblings decide to go to the Avengers.
Historical significance: 0/10
Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch’s first serious attempt to leave Magneto SHOULD be relevant… but it’s completely forgotten. I’ll bet that even most hardcore Scarlet Witch fans have no idea whatsoever this story exists.
Silver Age-ness: 9/10
Scarlet Witch’s powers have always been nebulously defined, but this story is REALLY stretching it.
Does it stand the test of time? 6/10
I appreciate the twist of the villains learning the wrong lesson and the heroes being completely oblivious to what actually happened… but the Torch and the Thing are WAY too oblivious!
At least we get a decent action scene out of it, unusual for Ayers.
Cancer count: 25
The Thing’s “Asbestos monkey suit”.