Tales to Astonish #60Tales to Astonish #60
Title: "The Beasts of Berlin!”
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Dick Ayers
Inker: Paul Reinman
Editor:
Giant-Man starts yelling at the group of his fans that have gathered. He tells them that he can’t be bothered, and not to come back until he sends for them. Wasp tells them that they had better go, and that she has never seen Giant-Man so angry. She says that she is sure that he didn’t mean the rude things that he said to them. His fans say that it is okay, and that it is their fault for barging in. Wasp goes back to Hank, and asks if he heard how nice they were even after he treated them like that. Hank says that he is in no mood for a lecture, and that he just got some bad news. Hank says that one of his friends, a man named Lee Kearns, has been caught by the reds behind the Iron Curtain. He says that he has accused him of spying on them, and that if he isn’t rescued before Friday that he will be executed. Wasp asks how the Avengers will rescue a man in East Berlin. Hank says that this isn’t a job for the Avengers, and that he will do it alone. Wasp says that if his mind is made up, that she will go with him. Hank says that he doesn’t want Wasp to come because years ago his wife was captured by the reds and killed. Hank says that he can’t let Jan endanger herself the same way. Wasp says that Hank promised to tell her what happened some day. Hank says that he guesses enough time has passed that he can talk about it. He says that his first wife, Maria, had been a Hungarian freedom fighter that came to America and married him. Maria missed her home and family, and so thinking that it was safe they went to Hungary on their honeymoon. The reds recognized Maria and told her that she had to come with them or they would shoot her American husband. Hank says that before he realized what was happening that it was over. Hank says that was the last time he ever saw her. He was told later that she was dead, and that the news nearly drove him insane. Hank says that he lost track of people and time, but that when he recovered that he devoted his life to fighting crime. Wasp asks if Hank is positive that she really died. Hank says that he has proof, but that he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. Wasp turns from Hank with tears in her eyes. She realizes that is the reason Hank seems so unromantic and distant. She knows that he is not yet over the death of his first wife. Wasp agrees to remain behind.
Later, Hank Pym flies a specially designed air force jet. He thinks how he didn’t tell Jan the whole story, and that his friend went behind the curtain because he heard about a powerful secret weapon.
Later behind the Iron Curtain, a neutral correspondent briefs Giant-Man. The man says that Lee Kearns crossed the curtain as a private citizen, and that he was convicted of spying. He says that there is nothing that can be done to help him. Giant-Man says that isn’t his opinion. Hank waits until the man leaves, and then shrinks down to ant-size. Hank uses a suction cup to scale the wall and goes behind the Iron Curtain. Hank then uses his powers to command the ants to fly him to his destination. Hank flies into the East Berlin prison. Hank mentally commands some ants to crawl onto a vopo’s boot. He walks the ants to the cell of Hank’s friend. Hank then uses his antennae to locate where the ants are. Hank sees that a red just entered the cell, and decides that he had better wait.
The red tells Lee Kearns that he has a confession for him to sign before they execute him, which states that the CIA hired him to spy on them. Lee says that they both know that is a lie. He says that they can kill him, but that he won’t help them with a propaganda victory. Suddenly the red feels a sting. Then he notices that his legs are covered in ants that are biting him. The red runs out of the room thinking that the cell must be infested with insects. Giant-Man, still at ant-size, is on Lee’s hand and calls out to him. Hank asks what this new weapon is. Lee says that they must destroy it at all costs. Lee says that the reds accidentally discovered a ray that increases the intelligence of beasts. They have been using it on gorillas, and making them intelligent enough to read and carry out orders. Lee says that they are trying to make an entire army that way. Lee says that they have been trying to duplicate the ray, but that they haven’t succeeded yet. He says that if they smash the one ray that they will defeat their plans. He says that the gorillas themselves are guarding the ray. Hank says that he will grow into Giant-Man and tear this place apart. Lee says that it won’t be that easy, and that the gorillas are stronger than Hank thinks.
They look around the corner and spots one of the gorillas. The gorilla smells them and leaps at them. Hank ducks below the leap and flips the gorilla. Giant-Man then grows mush larger in size and punches the gorilla in the face. Lee is amazed and says that maybe they do stand a chance. Lee says that to destroy the ray they have to go into the lab, and that the ray is guarded by six of the gorillas. Lee says that they must know that he has escaped because the alarm is now going off.
Inside the lab, they are about to transform
more gorillas. Giant-Man knocks in the doors, and asks who is
first to play. Giant-Man finds himself surrounded by six of the
gorillas.
Giant-Man
shrinks down to ant size, and the gorillas charge into each other
and start fighting. Giant-Man then contacts a flying ant to take
him to the ray. The ray starts to move “on it’s
own” as Giant-Man points the ray at the red leaders. Hank
says that he has a theory, and that he hopes he is right or he
and Lee won’t be leaving. Giant-Man fires the ray at them,
and just as Giant-Man theorized, the ray has the opposite effect
on humans and gives them the intelligence of apes.
Lee tries to warn Giant-Man about the apes, but they turn to Lee in response. Lee tells Giant-Man to smash the ray and save himself. Giant-Man says that they’ll smash the ray, but that he isn’t deserting him. Giant-Man flies around the gorillas. He shoot his climbing wire out long enough to surround all the gorillas. Giant-Man realizes that the gorillas seem to be acting like normal gorillas, and that the effects of the ray are not permanent. Giant-Man grows up to giant size and destroys the ray. Lee hears more troops coming. Giant-Man plows through the wall to the outside. The troops fire at them as Lee rides Giant-Man’s back towards the Iron Curtain. Giant-Man plows through the wall to find tanks waiting on the other side to keep the reds behind the curtain.
Lee thanks Giant-Man and within an hour Giant-Man is on his way back to America. Hank thinks to himself that in some small way he avenged Maria’s death. Later Hank tells Wasp that it was no big deal, but Jan says that the late news is talking about a man that almost took down East Berlin. Hank says that he wonders who that could have been.
Avengers Files rating: 8 out of 10
Good story. The insight into Hank’s first wife is a major revelation. The plot works real well, and the story is fun and easy to read. The transformations back and forth between Giant-Man and Ant-Man are cool. The art is much better in this issue. The scenes between Giant-Man and the gorillas in very good, and scale works better in this issue.
Title: There is no title, but there is an announcement that Hulk has finally been awarded his own series
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Steve Ditko
Inker: Geo. Bell
Editor:
Deep within the new Mexico cave the Hulk shouts that he wants to remain as he is, but he transforms back into Bruce Banner. Bruce says that the nightmare has ended, but he wonders how he can tell what is reality. He wonders if he is really Bruce Banner, or if the Hulk is his true self. Bruce puts on his glasses.
At the air force base, Ross is telling Betty that Bruce has disappeared because he knows that this robot that he built is a flop, and that he doesn’t have the backbone to admit that he failed. Betty says that she doesn’t believe that, and that if Bruce said the robot will work that it will work. Ross asks how she can love a weakling when there are so many two-fisted red-blooded men around. Betty says that Bruce is as courageous as any many, and that she knows Bruce will be there soon.
Outside, the guard is about to turn away someone when he realizes that the man is Bruce Banner. A man in the shadows sees no one is allowed to see Banner’s top secret robot. He thinks that this will make his job more difficult.
Inside the room, Ross starts yelling at Bruce and says that he was about to test the robot himself. Bruce says that isn’t necessary, and that he will do it. Betty asks Bruce about his strange disappearances, and that her father is always ready to believe the worst. Bruce says that Betty will just have to trust him, and wait for the day that he can tell her more. Betty says that she does trust Bruce.
Later, Bruce is working on the robot. He says that the robot will be the most indestructible machine on Earth. He says that a man can go inside it and get close enough to an atomic explosion to study it like never before. Bruce hopes that he can finish it before he becomes the Hulk again. Bruce thinks about all the pressure of worrying about Ross, Betty, and becoming the Hulk. He says that sometimes he thinks that it will drive him mad. Bruce suddenly comes to a realization that it is the stress that causes him to become the Hulk. Bruce says that his exposure to the gamma rays must cause his cells to undergo changes to his atomic structure. Banner decides that the same rule must apply to the Hulk, and that when Hulk gets under tremendous strain that he changes back to Banner. Bruce says that now that he realizes that all he has to do is avoid pressure and worry and he won’t change into the Hulk. As if to put Banner to the test immediately Ross comes by and tells Banner that the testing time for the robot has been moved up. Ross says that the robot has to be ready a 0800 hours. Bruce says that Ross has got to be kidding. Ross says that Bruce may be a civilian, but that as long as he works on his command that he is subject to his orders. Bruce says that he understands and says that he has to remain calm
Bruce is working through the night to try and have the robot ready for the morning. Bruce steps out into the hall and spots a spy running away from him. Bruce chases the spy forgetting that he isn’t supposed to get excited. Bruce tries to fight it, but ultimately submits and changes into the Hulk. Hulk leaps up and away from the base.
At dawn the spy backtracks to the robot and gets inside it. The spy says that Banner was supposed to test this himself, and that nobody will suspect who is really in the suit. Sure enough Ross doesn’t realize that Banner isn’t inside the suit, and is actually pleased that Banner is on time for once. Betty asks if there will be any danger. The soldier says that with Banner at the controls that everything will go smooth as clockwork. Moments later a guard comes by with a man who had been knocked out. The man says that it must have been Banner because he was the only one in the building. The robot walks towards the test explosions. Ross deploys a remote control tank. The spy inside says that Banner built this thing well as a shell bounces off him from the tank. The spy thinks how nice it will be to see to a foreign country. The robot suit smashes the tank with one punch. Ross sends for all able bodied men.
Inside the spy discovers that the force of
the explosion somehow sealed the hatch shut. As the robot suit
walks on the Hulk spots it. Hulk thinks that it looks familiar,
and then remembers that it was built by Banner. Hulk figures that
Bruce built it to defeat him. 
Hulk charges the
robot suit, and says that he will prove that nothing can beat
him. Hulk punches the robot suit, but the suit is unaffected and
Hulk grabs his hand. Because Banner didn’t design the suit
for battle the robot suit’s attack is slow and misses. Hulk
kicks the suit from behind and tips the spy over. Hulk picks up a
giant rock and smashes it into the robot as it rises onto its
knees. After the dust settles, Hulk is astounded to see that the
robot still stands. Hulk freaks and lifts the robot suit over his
head. He throws it into a rock, and then leaps onto it and starts
smashing. The robot suit rises, but Hulk still sits on it
sshoulders pounding away. Hulk heartbeat and pulse-rate have
changed, and suddenly Hulk is unable to stop himself from
transforming back into Banner. Hulk tries to get away so the
robot doesn’t see him change. The robot says that it is his
turn now. He punches Hulk. Hulk rolls with the punch to get away.
Shortly after, as the robot suit walks away in the distance, two soldiers find Banner in tattered clothes. Ross demands to know where the robot is. Bruce says that he doesn’t know where the robot is, and that he wasn’t in it. Ross says that Banner knows that is a lie. He says that he wants to know where Banner hid it. A soldier receives word that the robot suit has been spotted in the desert. Ross orders pursuit. Bruce recalls that the Hulk couldn’t defeat the robot, and that not even an atomic blast could stop it. Bruce says that he has menaced mankind a second time. Bruce tells Ross that the only thing to do is to build another suit to defeat the first. Ross says that he will stop the robot his way, and that Bruce has caused enough trouble. Ross says that he doesn’t trust Bruce, and that he is going to the Pentagon with his concerns. Ross says that he doesn’t care how big a genius he is supposed to be. Betty tries to tell Bruce that her father didn’t mean it, but Bruce says that he meant it and that he might be right. Betty says that Bruce has done many good things, and that in time her father will cool down.
No Excuses rating: 8 out of 10
Ditko does a much better job in Tales to Astonish #60 than he did in Hulk #6- The fight between the Hulk and the robot is probably the best fight Hulk had to this point. Stan Lee is cool. He has Banner designing robot suits to study atomic explosions. Makes you wonder what would have happened if Bruce and Tony Stark got together. Bruce built a suit that couldn’t be destroyed! How was this brushed over?