Mission: MARVEL
MISSION: MARVEL ENTRY #49
Tales To Astonish #43, May 1963, written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, penciled by Don Heck, Larry Lieber (backup) and Steve Ditko (backup)

MISSION: MARVEL ENTRY #49

Tales To Astonish #43, May 1963, written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, penciled by Don Heck, Larry Lieber (backup) and Steve Ditko (backup)

MISSION MARVEL ENTRY #48
Journey Into Mystery #91, April 1963, written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, penciled by Joe Sinnott, Larry Lieber (backup) and Steve Ditko (backup)
1st Appearance:
Sandu, a one-off bad guy who doesn’t appear again until 2011’s Thor: First Thunder #3

MISSION MARVEL ENTRY #48

Journey Into Mystery #91, April 1963, written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, penciled by Joe Sinnott, Larry Lieber (backup) and Steve Ditko (backup)

1st Appearance:

  • Sandu, a one-off bad guy who doesn’t appear again until 2011’s Thor: First Thunder #3
Interior panel from Tales of Suspense #40, by Robert Bernstein, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Do the Iron Man!

Interior panel from Tales of Suspense #40, by Robert Bernstein, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Do the Iron Man!

Interior panel from Tales of Suspense #40, by Robert Bernstein, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
I think the world needs a Mad Men style Iron Man TV show, right?

Interior panel from Tales of Suspense #40, by Robert Bernstein, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

I think the world needs a Mad Men style Iron Man TV show, right?

Interior page from Tales of Suspense #40, by Robert Bernstein, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Interior page from Tales of Suspense #40, by Robert Bernstein, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

MISSION MARVEL ENTRY #47
Tales of Suspense #40, April 1963, written by Robert Bernstein, Stan Lee and Larry Lieber (backup), penciled by Jack Kirby, Don Heck (backup) and Steve Ditko (backup)
1st Appearance:
Iron Man paints his armor gold, so he doesn’t freak people out with his dull gray armor.

MISSION MARVEL ENTRY #47

Tales of Suspense #40, April 1963, written by Robert Bernstein, Stan Lee and Larry Lieber (backup), penciled by Jack Kirby, Don Heck (backup) and Steve Ditko (backup)

1st Appearance:

  • Iron Man paints his armor gold, so he doesn’t freak people out with his dull gray armor.
Interior panel from Strange Tales #107, by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Dick Ayers
Behold! Namor’s finest moment!

Interior panel from Strange Tales #107, by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Dick Ayers

Behold! Namor’s finest moment!

Interior panel from Strange Tales #107, by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Dick Ayers
I can’t wait for Sue to realize that she can mop the floor with any boy on Earth.

Interior panel from Strange Tales #107, by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Dick Ayers

I can’t wait for Sue to realize that she can mop the floor with any boy on Earth.

MISSION: MARVEL ENTRY #46
Strange Tales #107, April 1963, written by Stan Lee, written and penciled by Larry Lieber, penciled by Dick Ayers and Steve Ditko
Since the first big event of the proto-Marvel Universe was a fight between the Sub-Mariner and the original Human Torch, it was really only a matter of time before the resurrected Sub-Mariner fought the new Human Torch. But…whoda thunk it would have played out as a no-stakes brawl for reasons that make Human Torch seem like the arrogant one. All Johnny Storm wants is to beat the crud out of Namor so the rest of the FF will take him seriously and let him go on missions (which is something they only seem to have a problem doing in the weird pocket universe that Strange Tales exists in). So Johnny seeks out Namor, the two fight, neither wins, and the issue is over. It’s nothing spectacular but it IS entertaining and doesn’t really offend my senses. It was easy, borderline pleasant, to read.
Also, Namor has the ability to puff out like a blowfish. Does the rest of the Illuminati know about that power, Namor? Huh? Huh?
My Score: 6.4

MISSION: MARVEL ENTRY #46

Strange Tales #107, April 1963, written by Stan Lee, written and penciled by Larry Lieber, penciled by Dick Ayers and Steve Ditko

Since the first big event of the proto-Marvel Universe was a fight between the Sub-Mariner and the original Human Torch, it was really only a matter of time before the resurrected Sub-Mariner fought the new Human Torch. But…whoda thunk it would have played out as a no-stakes brawl for reasons that make Human Torch seem like the arrogant one. All Johnny Storm wants is to beat the crud out of Namor so the rest of the FF will take him seriously and let him go on missions (which is something they only seem to have a problem doing in the weird pocket universe that Strange Tales exists in). So Johnny seeks out Namor, the two fight, neither wins, and the issue is over. It’s nothing spectacular but it IS entertaining and doesn’t really offend my senses. It was easy, borderline pleasant, to read.

Also, Namor has the ability to puff out like a blowfish. Does the rest of the Illuminati know about that power, Namor? Huh? Huh?

My Score: 6.4

Interior panel from Tales to Astonish #42, by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Don Heck
Basically if Ron Swanson had hypno-voice powers.

Interior panel from Tales to Astonish #42, by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Don Heck

Basically if Ron Swanson had hypno-voice powers.