Tales to Astonish #67Tales to Astonish #67
Title: "The Mystery of the Hidden Man and his Rays of Doom!”
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Bob Powell
Inker: Chic Stone
A hundred-foot tall Giant-Man hops over a building in pursuit of a car that he has been chasing. Giant-Man says that he isn’t going to get away from him this time.
A few hours ago, Giant-Man was passing by a high tension power connection when he notices that it is loose. He figures that he should just enlarge there and tighten it up himself. He is spotted by a man in a car and bathed in a green ray that starts draining Giant-Man’s strength. From a hidden laboratory, a masked figure watches the car’s activities. He tells the driver Loko that he has found him a rare prize. He tells him to keep the green ray on him, and that he must have all of his power. The masked man says that if he can gain the power of being able to control his own size that, in addition to all the other special talents, that he will be able to “gain mastery of the human race far sooner than I had dared hope”. The masked figure says that something is wrong, and that the power is not being transferred to him. As Giant-Man struggles to remain conscious, Loko discovers that Giant-Man’s will to resist the green ray has caused him to blow a fuse. The ‘Supreme One’ commands Loko to return immediately for repairs and says that Loko will just have to find him again.
Back in the present, Giant-Man traps the car under his hand. He says that he had a feeling that he would be back and asks Loko if he really thought he would let him go again. Loko runs out of the car. Loko thinks to himself how his life would be forfeit if he fails the Supreme One. Loko leaps off the street to a river below. Giant-Man says that it seems the man was afraid, but that the wasn’t afraid of him. Giant-Man says that he figured the man was just a messenger for somebody else. Giant-Man picks up the car and looks inside. He says that the station wagon is some sort of portable electronic lab.
Back at the Supreme One’s lab, Loko says that he escaped and that the giant didn’t learn anything from him. Supreme One says that Loko is a fool, and that he is of no importance to him, but that the car is and that he must have it by now. Loko begs for his life, but Supreme One says that Loko isn’t important enough to kill and that he will live to serve him again. Loko thanks his master. Supreme One says that he must have the giant’s power, and that it is only fitting that the future master of the world be the master of size as well. Loko says that of course Supreme One is right.
Back at his own lab, Hank Pym in trying to investigate the car. He says that some of these circuits are different than any other circuits he has ever seen. He says that it is as if they were based on a different mathematical progression. Wasp tells Hank to forget the “silly old car” because she has a real problem. Hank asks her if she lost an eyebrow pencil. Wasp says that she wants Hank to design a way for her to keep up with him when he is in his Giant-Man form. Hank asks what is wrong with her wings. Wasp says that they are fine for short distances, but that when he is taking fifty-foot strides she gets exhausted trying to keep up with him. Hank tells Wasp to shrink down to wasp size and he will show her a surprise. When they shrink down, Wasp warns Hank to watch out for a bee. Hank says that he is the surprise. He says that he has been training the bee to carry him just as the flying ants do, but that he is much faster and stronger. Wasp asks why he didn’t train a wasp. Hank says that bees are smarter, gentler, and easier to train. Wasp says that she resents that, and says that wasps are much prettier. Hank agrees, but says that another bee might disagree. He tells her to steer the bee with its antennae. Hank thinks to himself that should keep her busy so he can go back to the car.
At his lab, the Supreme One has been listening to everything that Hank and Wasp have been saying through circuits in the car that are still broadcasting to him. Supreme One says that he knows that he can steal Giant-Man’s power through his female partner. Supreme One tells Loko that he must learn everything that there is to know about bees. He says that Loko knows what to do. Loko says that the other car has a new ray already to use.
Minutes later outside the home of the Fenton Farnum, the world’s greatest authority on bees, Loko shoots Fenton with the green ray. Supreme One feels the knowledge of bees filling his brain. Supreme One tells Loko not to stop until he knows everything about bees that Fenton knew. Finally the Supreme One tells Loko that he can stop, and that he now possesses all the knowledge that was once Fenton’s.
At that moment back in Hank Pym’s lab, Hank has received a visitor. The man asks Hank what is wrong. Hank says that he was hoping that he could tell him. Hank explains that he is a biochemist, but that he is struggling with something dealing with physics, and that he was hoping as the foremost expert on physics that the man could help. The man says that he seems to have lost his ability. Jan interrupts for a moment and says that she is going for a ride. Pym starts to show the man his problem when it finally registers what he said. Pym asks him what he means by that. The man says that a few days ago a strange green ray caused him to lose consciousness, and that when he woke up he forgot everything that he ever knew about physics. Hank wonders if it is the same green ray that zapped him. The man says that he isn’t the only one who has been affected and that many scientists have lost their knowledge as well. Pym thanks the man for coming down anyway. As soon as the man leaves, Hank changes into his Giant-Man costume. Hank figures that the ray was trying to steal his knowledge of size changing, but that the ray must not have been strong enough while he was in Giant-Man form. Hank figures that next time he will try with a stronger ray. Hank says that he has to find Jan. Jan buzzes by and says that she has the bee as well trained as a baby. Hank says that he is glad that she likes him, but that they have a job to do. Jan starts whining, but suddenly a green ray zaps the bee and steals Hank’s training from the bee. The bee gets agitated and stings Wasp. Hank flicks the bee off Wasp. He catches her as she has been knocked out. Hank says that he has to remove the barb right away since it may be fatal to Wasp at wasp size. Hank knows that the man with the green ray may be ready to strike again, but he can’t worry about that. He shrinks down and grabs the tweezers that he uses for his stamp collection. The green ray strikes, but Hank manages to keep from blacking out long enough to pull the barb out of Wasp.
Later, Hank wakes up as Jan is sitting next to him. Hank says that he is glad that she recovered. Jan says that thanks to Hank she is fine. She asks what the green ray he kept repeating over and over means. Hank says that it is a ray that drains any special knowledge or power from the person it touches. Wasp says that it hit him, and asks him what that means. Hank puts on his mask and says that he intends to find out. Hank struggles to shrink, but finds that he cannot. Wasp asks who did this to him. Hank says that he doesn’t know, but that he took the power from him because he wanted it for his own. Hank says that there is still one hope. Hank manages to grow to Giant-Man size. Hank says that he suspected as much. He says that the ray struck him while he was small and so the ray only took the ability to get smaller. Wasp points out that if he strikes again while he is large that he could lose that too. Hank says that he will have to risk it.
Back in Supreme One’s hideout he celebrates his gaining the power of shrinking.
Hank inspects the car and discovers that
some of the circuits are still operating. Hank tunes his helmet
to zero in on the Supreme One’s frequency. Hank tells Wasp
to wait and he will signal her if he needs her. 
The signal gets
stronger and stronger as Giant-Man gets closer and closer.
Back at the lab, Jan stands next to Hank’s beehive. She wonders to herself why Hank should have all the fun. She says that if you’re thrown off a horse that you’re supposed to get back on to conquer your fears. She decides that the same thing applies to bees.
Loko starts freaking out as the alarm goes off. Supreme One says that he was expecting the giant, and that he will deal with him in his own way. Supreme One orders Loko to go get into the special vehicle. Supreme One goes out onto the rooftop and watches as Giant-Man concentrates on not stepping on anyone as he walks. Supreme One blasts Giant-Man, but Giant-Man is too large and the blast only stuns him. Supreme One has to recharge for five minutes. Giant-Man has to stabilize himself so he doesn’t fall on anyone. Loko starts charging at Giant-Man in the speeding vehicle. Giant-Man sees that Loko is about to mow down an old man. Giant-Man leaps and manages to push the old man out of the way while smashing the car’s engine. Loko begs Giant-Man not to hurt him. He says that he was only following the Supreme One’s orders. Loko says that Supreme One is too powerful, and that no one can oppose him. Giant-Man says that he will see about that. Giant-Man hands Loko over to a police officer and says that he is going after the boss.
Giant-Man, despite his arm injury from the first blast, starts climbing up the side of the building. He shrinks down to his twelve-foot size because he is at this strongest at this height. When he reaches the top the five minutes of recharging is over and the Supreme One blasts Giant-Man again. At his strongest, Giant-Man doesn’t even seem to feel the blast. Supreme One thinks how Giant-Man’s courage matches his strength, and that he dare not face him. Supreme One shrinks down to ant-size. Giant-Man tries to grab him, but Supreme One shrinks down and jumps down a drainpipe. Giant-Man spots where the Supreme One drops out and grabs him up. Suddenly both Giant-Man and Supreme One are caught in a green light. Giant-Man looks up and says that he hears the hum of unlimited power. A voice comes from behind the green glow. They tell Giant-Man not to try and observe them. They say that their business is not with him, and that he will only experience a brief slumber. Giant-Man falls to the ground. The glow focuses on Supreme One. The voice says that he knows the penalty for trying to conquer primitive planets. It says that his crime in unforgivable, but that they are going to undo all the damage that he has done. Supreme One is pulled towards the voice. Right before Hank falls asleep he figures that it must have been a spaceship.
Later, Wasp finds Hank still asleep. Hank says that the danger is over, but Wasp asks him what danger he is talking about. Hank decides not to bother telling her since he doubts that she would believe him. Hank asks how she found him, and Wasp says that her new bee named Kitten brought her. Wasp says that as long as Hank says that the danger is over then she won’t ask anymore questions. She says that she was afraid he was going to tell her that the green glow was something from outer space or something equally ridiculous. Hank looks over at the Supreme One’s gun lying on the floor. He looks over at the sky and sees a green glow in the distance.
Avengers Files rating: 7 out of 10
What’s odd about this story is that Stan Lee prefaces the story by saying that this might not be the best story, but that it is the “kookiest”. Well as far as I’m concerned this is one of the better Giant-Man stories around. He is opposing a real villain who is an actual threat. He isn’t fighting a cat, spider, or a woman that can make one type of plastic grow and shrink. This Supreme One was an actual threat. I’m not sure if he ever returned to threaten Earth again, but he should have. The art was good again and Powell draws some fun things with the scaled difference.
Title: “Where Strides the Behemoth”
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Steve Ditko
Inker: Frank Ray
Hulk strides towards the on coming tanks.
Hulk says that they killed his friend and that he is going to
make them pay. The reds thinks that this is going to be easier
than they expected because Hulk is charging right towards them.
They can’t get the turret lowered in time to shoot the Hulk
before the Hulk is on them. Hulk pulls the entire turret right
off the tank. The soldiers all run before Hulk smashes the turret
into the body of the tank destroying it. Another tank is heading
up the path. They spot the other tank exploding and say that the
Hulk must have an anti-tank gun. They say that they must destroy
him before he can use it on them. They fire off the first rocket.
Hulk is too close to hit directly, but they figure that the
aftershock will be enough to finish him. Hulk is blown off his
feet, but he gets right back up and says that they must not get
another chance to attack him. Hulk rips up the road that the
tanks are riding on. As the tank fires, Hulk ripples the road
upward and the tanks can’t aim at Hulk. The tanks start to
get back into range, but the Hulk leaps at them. Hulk lands on
one of the tanks and destroys it. 
Hulk rips
another turret and smashes another tank with it. He shouts for
the men to come out and face him. All the other soldiers abandon
their tanks and figure that the others will get him once they are
in range. Hulk smashes the last tank and looks up to find himself
surrounded on all sides by four new tanks. Hulk claps his hands
“together with a force of near-nuclear proportions!”
The men all start running for the hills. Hulk tells them to run
and that the fight is over. Hulk wonders what he is supposed to
do now.
Hulk finally decides that he is in a strange land, and that he must get home. Hulk leaps away. One soldier thinks about taking a shot at Hulk, but the soldier with him says not to and that they might not escape with their lives next time. Hulk leaps along towards Mongolia. Two planes spot Hulk, but they are given orders to let the Hulk get out of the country. Hulk finally stops leaping in the Himalayas and decides that he has to figure out where he is going. Hulk sits down and says that he has no food, friends, or home. Hulk decides that this may just as well be his home because no place is good for him. Suddenly Hulk remembers that he used to hang out with Rick Jones, but that Rick ran away and that he is now alone with no friends and nothing. Hulk thinks that there is nothing for him except fighting as he falls asleep. Hulk changes back into Bruce Banner as he sleeps.
Bruce wakes up as two Mongolians have a gun trained on him. One says that Bruce doesn’t have anything worth stealing. The other says to just shoot him then. Bruce asks who they are. One says that he is Kanga Khan and that he recognizes Bruce as an American. Bruce tells them to take him to the nearest Americans, and that they will be rewarded handsomely. Kanga Khan says that he is no fool, and that Bruce is poor and asks why anyone would pay a reward for him. The other with Kanga Khan reminds him that all Americans are rich beyond their wildest imaginings like it says in the “papers of the people’s government”. Bruce says that the reason that his clothes are tattered is because he has been lost and that bandits have taken his money. Bruce says that he has more money, and that he can get it. Another with Kanga Khan suggest that Bruce might have escaped from the Soviets and that they might pay well for his return. Khan says that the Americans are more generous with their money and would pay more handsomely. Khan tells them to guard Bruce, and that he will notify the Americans and find out what they are willing to pay. Bruce wonders if he is off to notify the reds or the Americans. He wonders how he can prove to Ross that he didn’t defect.
Back in America, Talbot is informed that Bruce Banner is being held captive by Kanga Khan. They tell him that Khan is holding him for ransom. They tell Talbot that he has been on the case since Banner disappeared from Astra Isle, and Talbot agrees. The officer says that Banner is too important to ignore. He says that if Banner did defect that they want him to stand trial, but that if he didn’t that they want him back to continue serving them as an atomic expert. Talbot says that he will take a jet to the Orient right away, but says that he is convinced that Banner is a traitor. The officer says that he didn’t ask Talbot for his opinion.
Talbot meets one of Khan’s men. He asks Talbot if he has the money. Talbot says that he wants to make sure that they really have Bruce Banner first.
Bruce sits worrying about how he hasn’t heard anything yet. As Bruce sits there enemies of Kanga Khan are watching him. They think that if they can capture Bruce that he will bring them much ransom. They leave to go get their men. Kanga Khan says that he knew they would come for the American. Talbot again says that he wants to see Banner before he pays anything. Talbot is lead into a tent where Bruce waits. Talbot says that he has found Banner at last. Bruce says that Talbot isn’t his favorite person, but that right now he is a sight for sore eyes. Banner says that he was almost afraid to hope that someone would be sent. Talbot tells Bruce to skip it, and that he is only there so that Bruce can stand trial for being a traitor. Talbot asks if the commies decided that they were through with him. Bruce asks Talbot if he was born a knothead, or if he had to work at it. Suddenly Kanga Khan’s enemies attack. Kanga Khan says that it is Hakun Gantu and his raiders/ Talbot says that this is there chance to slip out of there. Bruce says that he hopes Talbot knows the way because they are miles from anything. Talbot tells Banner not to get cute and says that no matter what happens that he isn’t letting Bruce get away again. Bruce says that he will stick to Talbot like glue. They start running down a narrow mountain road. Talbot punches out one of the guards, but there are others that start shooting at them. Bruce says that he warned Talbot about running off and says that they know this terrain, but that they don’t. Talbot says that they will just have to find another way to descend. He tells Banner that he is a soldier, and that he is ready to give his life for his country. He starts to say that he doesn’t expect Banner to understand that, but then the cliff they are standing on crumbles and they start falling down the mountain. Bruce says that Talbot must have jinxed them with his speech, and that they are both about to give their lives. Bruce tells Talbot that he just wants to repeat that he isn’t a red spy, and that he is as loyal as Talbot. The two are plummeting towards the ground.
No Excuses rating: 7 out of 10
Not much to this story really. Hulk smashes some things, goes to Mongolia, and has America come for him. Nothing wrong with it, but there just isn’t much too it.(3 for 5) Ditko does a good fight scene between Hulk and the tanks. Clear and entertaining.