Tales to Astonish #92

Title: “It Walks Like A Man!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Penciller: Dan Adkins

Inker: Artie Simek

Dorma sees an undersea ship and wonders what dread danger this may portend. Namor points out to Dorma that the surface men’s ship has dared to invade his realm again, and that this time they have left a metal cylinder. He asks what sinister purpose it serves. Namor says that every time they enter his domain that they sow their seeds of disaster and doom. He says that they won’t escape this time. Dorma asks Namor what if they are innocent. She says that maybe they are just passing by peacefully. She says that a Prince of the Realm doesn’t attack without cause. Namor says that maybe her words have wisdom. He says that he will allow them to leave, but that if any harm comes to his realm that they will answer to him. Dorma says that maybe the cylinder is harmless. Namor says that he will never trust the scheming humans. Namor checks out the barrel and finds that it is full of radioactive waste. He says that if the poison inside were unleashed that it would doom Atlantis. He says that he has to curb his rage until the land is safe.

Namor carries the barrel for thousands of leagues to a gaping fissure. Namor hurls it down into the chasm where he says it will sink beneath the bottomless ooze that lies below in the forbidden caverns of darkness. Namor tosses it and then he and Dorma swim off. Namor says that he will summon the Council of War. Dorma says that it is what he feared and that only disaster can result now. As they swim off, a hand reaches out of the almost undetectable seepage of mysterious radiation. From the sludge and slime emerges a figure whose origin has been lost in the dim forgotten past… a figure whose power is beyond human comprehension. For centuries it slept, but now it lives… and as it lives it hates. Slowly and effortlessly, the figure climbs out of the fissure. It knows no fatigue and with every fiber of its being it lusts to destroy. It emerges from the depths to view the watery world above and lumbers forward knowing that sooner or later it will encounter living victims.

On the water’s surface at a mid-ocean radar warning station, one of the men calls out to another to come and see what he has. He says that the ship on the radar is no ordinary ship and that the new Geiger-ray dial is going wild. He says that whatever he is getting that it is packed with radiation. The second man says that he will give the word to alert all hands. The first man says that the sonar tracker indicates that there are no sounds of engines. The second man says that whatever it is that it is almost on top of them.

The figure approaches the protective mine field around the complex installation. It punches one of the mines and it explodes. The figure is sent flying and the two men above figure that whatever they were reading must be gone now. They see that the blip is now stronger than ever. They realize that mines won’t stop it when suddenly the whole place starts to shake. The station starts to fall as the being below smashes through the pillars below the station. The men escape the station as the being punches through the final pillar and sends the station falling over.

Dorma and Namor return to Atlantis. Dorma tells Namor to remember that war with the surface world might eternally destroy Atlantis’ glory. Namor says that no one wants peace more than he does, but asks how longer they must endure open hostility. He says that as long as he lives that none will threaten the golden realm and none will violate the sovereignty of his realm. Dorma says that she knows how much Namor loves Atlantis and his subjects, but that the surface men haven’t done them any harm yet. Namor asks if he is supposed to wait until their land is ravaged and their people enslaved. Dorma asks what waiting will hurt and that a battle can be fought anytime, but that peace, once abandoned, may elude them until the end of time. Namor says that her words weigh on her conscience. Namor says that he must think and that with his decision may rest the fate of all who live on the planet. Namor says that he must follow the course of honor. He says to summon a squadron of his finest troops. One of the soldiers asks if one squadron is going to wage a war. Namor says that they aren’t waging any war. He says that they will take a message from him to ask the humans to cease their trespass on his domain in the interest of mutual peace. The squadron departs on his mission.

On the outskirts of the realm, the squadron is swimming to the surface world. The lone figure watches them go. It reaches out and grabs one of the troops. The others stop spotting their attacker. They all swarm on their attacker “before the brute can flee”. They realize that the thing has no thought of flight and that he is facing them all. One says that its strength surpasses that of Namor. One says that one of them has to escape and somehow warn Atlantis.

Back at the castle royal, one of the men tells Namor that the squadron has met a grave and deadly fate. Namor asks what happened. The soldier says that a lone and unarmed stranger “put us all to route!” Namor says that he will hear no more. He says that it is a trick of the humans, and that they will learn the folly of toying with him. Dorma tells Namor that they don’t know what air-breathers are responsible. Namor tells her to be silent and that he will hear no more. He says that those that attack his emissaries will feel his wrath. He swims out and says that if there is danger beyond Atlantis gates that he cannot remain within. He says that diplomacy and patience are not his ways. Namor says that his limbs quiver for battle and his heart cries for vengeance. He says that he was born to fight, and that he must be true to his royal heritage.

A heavily-armed prowling submarine follows the trail of radiation left by the station’s destroyer. Their Geiger counter reacts more strongly than ever. They say that they are getting closer to their prey. They stop the engines when the objective is dead ahead. They don’t hear any engines. They figure that it must be a living enemy and then figure that down in the water that it must be the Sub-Mariner. One wonders about the radioactivity, but another says that it is no concern of theirs. They prepare the torpedoes.

Namor arrives and sees the creature before the submarine and figures that he was right about it belonging to the humans. Namor figures that the thing must be a robot to do their fighting. Namor charges into the beast just as the submarine fires its torpedoes.

Prince of the Realm rating: 9 out of 10

I really like this issue. I think that Dorma is being a little too cautious here. Sure war with the surface isn’t the answer, but someone is clearly offending when they dump radioactive waste on Atlantis. I like that the confusion and assumptions Namor and the army made are compounded by both of them finding one another as they track down their true problem. I love this new enemy. It’s got a great look and a mysterious past to delve into. The art is cool and again the look of this new enemy is pretty evil. Good storytelling and some decent imitation of Bill Everett’s Namor… though a little of its own as well.

Title: “Turning Point!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Penciller: Marie Severin

Inker: Frank Giacoia

The evening news asks the question of where the Hulk is. They say that ever since his triumph over the Abomination that he hasn’t been seen. One reporter tries to ask General Ross about his search, but Ross tells them “no comment” and to stand aside and let him do his job. The news says that the base where the Hulk fought his last battle is still off limits to al but military personnel. The reporter says that everyone is urged to report anything concerning the whereabouts of Bruce Banner or the Hulk. He says that though the Hulk has been aiding them recently that he is still too uncontrollable and unpredictable to roam the streets. He says that all citizens are asked to study the scale model replica of the Hulk, but that if they sight the Hulk not to approach him. He says to call the FBI, the National Guard, or the nearest police precinct. He says that there is also a new priority phone number for instant action.

Betty lays her head on the table and asks what they are doing to her darling Bruce. She asks why they won’t leave him alone. Glen tells Betty to get a hold of herself and that crying won’t help. Betty says that they never stop hounding  him, and that he isn’t a monster. She says that he is the kindest, gentlest, most brilliant man on Earth. Talbot says that she is talking about Bruce Banner and asks if she has forgotten that he is also the Hulk. He shows her a picture of the Hulk and tells her to imagine him going on a rampage. Betty hugs Glen and says that Bruce can’t help being the Hulk. She says that he doesn’t want to be and that it was a ghastly nightmarish accident. Glen says that if only she could forget him. He wonders to himself how long he can remain hopelessly in love with her while her heart belongs to a man who is half-monster.

Rick tries to use the Teen Brigade to find the Hulk, but each member that contacts Rick through the ham radio says that they haven’t seen Hulk, but that they will keep looking.

Bruce Banner, disguised in a fake beard while wearing a hat and long coat, sneaks home with what he prays is the right ingredients. He thinks to himself that his time is running out and that he dare not fail. He says that everything depends on the next few hours. He goes up the stairs to his place and at the bottom of the steps an old man glares at him. Bruce thinks that they watch him wherever he does and wonders if they suspect that he is harboring some awesome secret. He says that it is better that they don’t know, and that their darkest suspicions couldn’t be as frightening as the truth. Bruce locks his door and says that he is safe at last, but then scoffs at the idea of him ever really being safe. He says that at least in the shadows that he is free to take off his accursed disguise. He sits and ponders who could have guessed a few years ago that the world famous atomic expert Bruce Banner would be the object of the greatest man hunt of all… that he would have to share an identity with the most powerful brute alive. Bruce says that he doesn’t have time for self pity now though and that there is too much to do. Bruce takes a piece out and starts to work on a machine. He says that this may be the one thing that will cure him forever. He says that it may allow him to stay Bruce Banner every day, or that it might change him into the Hulk forever. He says that no matter what happens he has to chance it. He says that he can’t go on any longer as half-man, half-monster. Bruce opens the skylight.

Bruce finishes his machine and says that there can be no turning back now. Bruce’s machine harnesses the gamma radiation from the sky. He says that it was a gamma bomb that turned him into the Hulk, and that now all that remains to be seen is if gamma rays can somehow undo the damage. He says that if he succeeds that he will never have to fear taking Betty into his arms again, and that if he succeeds that she can finally forget him. Bruce lies on his machine and feels as though he has touched a thousand live wires. He says that it is like nothing he has ever felt. He screams, but when it is done he says that he knows that he has failed and that he can feel that nothing has changed. He says that he is going to keep turning back and forth into the Hulk. He wishes that the shock had finished him off. He says that he would have been better off and that now he has no hope and no place to turn. He says that he is going to be shunned, hounded, and hated for the rest of his life. He tries to stop himself from getting upset, but he feels the change happening. Bruce fights the transformation and says that he doesn’t want to be a monster. Bruce uses all his will power, but he still changes into the Hulk. Hulk says that nothing that lives can stop him. The old man from downstairs pounds on Bruce’s door and demands to know what all the racket is about. He asks how someone is supposed to get any sleep around there. He says that he has a good mind to bust in there and mop the floor with him. Hulk asks if he made too much noise and then smashes the machine that Bruce Banner had been working on. Hulk leaps through the wall to the outside.

A woman spots Hulk leaping through the air.

Hulk sees all the searchlights go up and knows that they are searching for him. Hulk asks why there is no place for him and why every man that lives is his enemy. He says that if only he could escape from there and go someplace else. Hulk looks up and says that if only he could reach the stars. Hulk sees something in the sky. He knows that it is moving too fast for a plane. He says that it is zooming around and can only be a flying saucer from another world. He wonders if the ones flying it are different than men, and that maybe they won’t hate him. He muses that maybe they would take him with them. Hulk leaps toward the light and says that he has to catch it before it gets away. As Hulk reaches the light he is forced back. He says that something stronger than him is forcing him back. Hulk leaps again and says that nothing that lives can beat him. He grabs hold of something, but it is moving so fast that he can’t even see it. Something hits Hulk and Hulk falls from the sky back to the ground. Hulk gets up and the rage is building in him. Hulk sees that the light is coming right toward him. He says that no one gets away with attacking him, and that no matter who, or what, it is that it will pay for that. The Silver Surfer stands before the Hulk and says that no mere human threats, or earthly power, can affect the destiny, or stay the hand, of the Silver Surfer.

No Excuses rating: 5.5 out of 10

Review and pictures by The Leader

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