FANTASTIC FOUR #39 (1965)
by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
This cover is a true classic. Although, considering the Fantastic Four are not supposed to know that Daredevil is blind, he shouldn’t be using his cane.
He doesn’t even need it!
We start with the Fantastic Four being saved by the US Navy.
Why do they need to be rescued? In the last issue they fought the Frightful Four and SURVIVED AN ATOMIC EXPLOSION.
AND they’ve lost their powers.
So… yeah, they probably deserve a break.
We’re then treated to one of Jack Kirby’s experimental pages featuring a photographic montage.
I’m probably in the minority among Kirby fans, but I don’t like it.
SOMETIMES it works, for example when Kirby uses these collages to show off an alien dimension, but here? It’s EXTREMELY jarring: the Fantastic Four simply don’t belong with the background image.
Also, that doesn’t AT ALL like a Reed Richards laboratory. Compare and contrast with the next panel:
The above panel is showing what Reed Richards can come up with “after days of preparation” to give the Fantastic Four artificial super-powers.
It shouldn’t be a problem, right? Fellow super-genius Tony Stark has built his Iron Man suit, and Hank Pym has already been Ant-Man and Giant-Man, AND he’s given superpowers to Wasp.
This should be child’s play for Mister Fantastic. Take it away, Reed!
Okay, an artificial Human Torch. I knew Reed could do it, I mean there was an android Human Torch in the 1940s, this is old tech for them.
It’s not his fault that Johnny can’t get it to work.
His idea to replicate the Thing’s power is to give him a robot. That should be even easier, right? Doctor Doom uses robots all the freakin’ time.
So… nothing’s really working how it should.
At least Susan gets an Electro-Vibra Suit ™ out of it.
I am NOT googling if there’s a product with the same name.
Not only the suit doesn’t make her invisible… it doesn’t work as a force field projector either.
Oh come on Reed, last time you met him Doctor Doom had a force field so powerful it took all of the Torch’s power to shut it down! Pick up some slack!
Speaking of the good doctor, how’s he doing?
Watching a magician. Kind of random and pedestrian for him, isn’t it?
Doom thinks so, especially since he still believes he has defeated the Fantastic Four.
No matter. This random magician can easily restore Doom’s real memories.
How? Why? Silver Age.
As far as I know, we never see this magician ever again.
Doom isn’t impressed with him either.
Doom then leaves Latveria in an aircraft of a truly unique design.
Uniquely awful, that is.
Back to the Fantastic Four, how are they adapting with their new artificial powers?
Like crap. Reed is making Stilt-Man look professional.
The redhead is star lawyer Matt Murdock, secretly the superhero Daredevil.
He’s been the Fantastic Four’s lawyer in previous stories, and they’ve summoned him here for a very important reason.
Sorry, I meant a contrived reason.
Reed is worried that something could happen to the Fantastic Four now that they’ve lost their powers and, by the way he’s talking, he wants Murdock to carry out their last will.
Does that mean that Reed DOESN’T have a will? Didn’t they risk their lives on a daily basis when they had superpowers? It seems out of character for someone like Reed not to have thought about it before.
Anyway, there’s no time to dwell on it because BOMBS!!!
Matt Murdock changes into Daredevil and saves the Fantastic Four.
The Fantastic Four are surprised that he can see in the dark (he can’t but his other super-senses compensate), but does the art convey in any way the idea that it’s pitch dark?
The one behind the explosions is Doctor Doom, who has parked his aircraft on top of the Baxter Building and has taken over the Fantastic Four’s headquarters.
And he’s really into advertising.
Only Doom would include a dramatic pause in a gigantic sign that towers over the city.
He then tries to murder the Fantastic Four with their car.
Which he then escalates to THROWING A TORNADO AT THEM.
What else did you expect from the guy who tried to throw them into the Sun in his second appearance ?
Also… why does Reed Richards have a device that MAKES TORNADOES in his Lab?
Are we SURE that Doom is the bad one between the two?
And yes, Reed confirms that the machine worked as intended. He also comes up with a plan to stop the tornado: throw pressurized gas cylinders at it.
Sounds legit.
This is when Doom finally deduces that the Fantastic Four have lost their powers.
The next Richards invention that he sends against them is… a missile that targets human heartbeats.
Everyone’s always criticizing Tony Stark for having been an arms manufacturer, but 1960s Reed Richards was just as bad!
Amusingly, Doom praises the missile while at the same time criticizes its awful look.
Nice dynamic poses by Kirby on Daredevil.
We’re not explicitly told the next weapon is a Richards design, but since Doom’s been using only his weapons throughout the story, we have to assume that Reed also builds GRENADES.
Daredevil is aware of how much Doom is out of his league, even thinking that this will be great for his reputation… if he survives.
And that’s the end of the issue! Daredevil as target practice for Doctor Doom, and the powerless Fantastic Four approaching the Baxter Building.
Historical significance: 2/10
It’s technically the first time the Fantastic Four lose their powers, but it’s already happened so many times to the Thing that it doesn’t really stand out.
It’s also the first team-up with Daredevil, but since he later appears WAY more often as Matt Murdock it doesn’t look as special.
Doom significance: 5/10
All things considered, a rather average 1960s appereance without much significance.
The only Doom trope it introduces is Doom refusing some food brought by a servant (Latverians are always trying to fatten him up!).
Next issue, on the other hand…
Silver Age-ness: 4/10
Of all the ways to restore Doom’s memory, a random magician? Really?
Also, even this early in Marvel history, Reed’s utter failure to replicate the Fantastic Four’s powers is a bit of a stretch (pun intended).
This is one of those instances where having all major heroes in New York becomes a problem, because nobody else tries anything. We don’t even have the standard reaction panel from people who would definitely try to get involved, like the Avengers or Spider-Man.
Does it stand the test of time? 5/10
There’s a real sense of dread throughout the story… a little too much, in fact. The Fantastic Four are immediately sure that have lost their powers for good and that they are nothing without them.
Compare and contrast with the time Ben Grimm took on an Egyptian army on his own.
It was a Doombot all along
The Doom that recovers his memories has to be the real one. Even future stories that suggest many of the following stories only feature Doombots (such as Walt Simonson’s run) will go out of their way to include this specific storyline as the real Doom.
Destroy the FF!
Quite possibly the most direct example of it.
Crazy tech
Not much on Doom’s part: the only thing is that weird-looking aircraft.
Reed’s inventions, on the other hand… a tornado machine? A missile that aims for the heart!?!?
The doomy land of doom
Latveria is still in the Bavarian Alps.
Superhero count: 11
Adding Daredevil to the heroes who have fought Doom.