Strange Tales #125

(October 1964)

The Sub-Mariner Must Be Stopped! (Table of Contents: 1)

Human Torch; The Thing / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Script

Stan Lee (credited)

Pencils

Dick Ayers (credited)

Inks

Paul Reinman (credited)

Colors

Stan Goldberg ?

Letters

Sam Rosen (credited as S. Rosen)

Job Number

X-772

Genre

superhero

Characters

Human Torch [Johnny Storm]; Thing [Ben Grimm]; Sub-Mariner [Namor McKenzie]; Invisible Girl [Sue Storm] (cameo); Mister Fantastic [Reed Richards] (cameo)

Synopsis

Ben and Johnny's hi-jinks are interrupted by the arrival of a pair of LIFE Magazine reporters, who are there to interview Reed and Sue. When the news reports Sub-Mariner is heading for NYC, Ben and Johnny figure they can make an impression by tackling him on their own. Taking out the "U-Car," they find Namor, who seems to be expecting them. A fight breaks out, ending when Namor leaves, feeling he's been "lied to." Reed and Sue arrive and Ben and Johnny are chastising for ruining the peace talk Reed spent weeks to set up. A betrayed Namor vows that their next fight will be to the finish.

Reprints

• in Spellbound (L. Miller & Son, 1960 ? series) #47 (1964)
• in Marvel Tales (Marvel, 1966 series) #27 (July 1970)
• in I Fantastici Quattro (Editoriale Corno, 1971 series) #26 (21 Marzo 1972)
• in The Mighty World of Marvel (Marvel UK, 1972 series) #32 (May 12, 1973) [page 4 deleted]
• in Essential Human Torch (Marvel, 2003 series) #1 ([October] 2003) [black & white]
• in Marvel Masterworks: The Human Torch (Marvel, 2006 series) #2 [Regular Edition] ([March] 2009)
• in The Human Torch & The Thing: Strange Tales - The Complete Collection (Marvel, 2018 series) (2018)
• in Namor, the Sub-Mariner Epic Collection (Marvel, 2021 series) #1 - Enter the Sub-Mariner (2021)

Indexer Notes

Sub-Mariner last appears in X-Men #6 (July 1964) and next appears in Fantastic Four #33 (December 1964). Namor's "electric eel" power crops up again, for the last time. The reporters from LIFE suspiciously resemble Jack Kirby and Larry Lieber.

More Triumphs for Marvel..! (Table of Contents: 2) (Expand) /

promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Mordo Must Not Catch Me! (Table of Contents: 3)

Doctor Strange / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script

Stan Lee; Steve Ditko (credited) (co-plot, uncredited)

Pencils

Steve Ditko (credited)

Inks

George Roussos (credited as Geo. Bell)

Colors

Stan Goldberg ?

Letters

Artie Simek (credited as Art Simek)

Job Number

X-773

Genre

superhero; fantasy-supernatural

Characters

Doctor Strange [Stephen Strange]; Baron Mordo [Karl Amadeus Mordo]; Ancient One [Yao]

Synopsis

Three followers of Mordo attack Strange in his sanctum. After dispatching them, he uses the Eye of Agamotto and his amulet to contact his mentor, but to no avail! Mordo appears saying he's captured The Ancient One. In their ectoplasmic forms, a running battle begins that takes them halfway around the world, until Strange locates his mentor in a half-hidden jungle somewhere in Tibet. The battle continues, until the light of Strange's amulet forces Mordo to give in and free The Ancient One. With Mordo apparently beaten "for a long time," Strange heads back to NYC.

Reprints

• in Spellbound (L. Miller & Son, 1960 ? series) #47 (1964)
• in Terrific! (IPC, 1967 series) #13 (8 July 1967) [Black and white]
• in Amazing Stories of Suspense (Alan Class, 1963 series) #64 ([circa 1968])
• in Marvel Collectors' Item Classics (Marvel, 1965 series) #16 (August 1968)
• in Amazing Stories of Suspense (Alan Class, 1963 series) #128 ([circa 1972 - 1973])
• in Eclipso (Arédit-Artima, 1968 series) #24 (novembre 1972) [Noir & Blanc et remonté [Black & White and reframed]]
• in Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts (Pocket Books, 1978 series) #[1] (June 1978)
• in Capitaine America (Editions Héritage, 1970 series) #90/91 ([Mars 1979])
• in Marvel Masterworks (Marvel, 1987 series) #23 ([December] 1992)
• in Essential Dr. Strange (Marvel, 2001 series) #1 (December 2001) [black & white]
• in Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange (Marvel, 2003 series) #1 ([September] 2003)
• in Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange (Marvel, 2010 series) #1 ([December] 2010)
• in Marvel Famous Firsts: 75th Anniversary Masterworks Slipcase Set (Marvel, 2014 series) #5 - Doctor Strange
• in Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange (Marvel, 2003 series) #1 [Third Edition] (2015)
• in Doctor Strange Omnibus (Marvel, 2016 series) #1 (2016)
• in Doctor Strange Epic Collection (Marvel, 2016 series) #1 - Master of the Mystic Arts (2018)
• in Ditko Is... Strange King-Size (Marvel, 2020 series) (2020)
• in Mighty Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange (Marvel, 2021 series) #1 - The World Beyond (2021)

Indexer Notes

Sixth appearance of Baron Mordo; Mordo last appears in issue #121 (June 1964) and next appears in issue #130 (March 1965). Doctor Strange guest-stars in Journey Into Mystery (Marvel, 1952 series) #108 (September 1964), and has a cameo in Amazing Spider-Man Annual (Marvel, 1964 series) #1 (1964) shortly before this story. This episode leads directly into Strange's first encounter with Dormammu in the next issue.

The Message (Table of Contents: 4)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Letters

typeset

Job Number

[H-729]

Genre

adventure

Characters

Bill Benson

Synopsis

An unhappy foundry worker finds a message from a prisoner and rushes to help, finding that the message was merely a test of courage, and that his actions have gained him his dream job.

Reprints

• from Astonishing (Marvel, 1951 series) #47 (March 1956) [page 1]

Indexer Notes

"Continued next issue..." is written at the bottom of the page, but the second page was not reprinted in subsequent issues. Printed between the pages of the Dr. Strange story. This is the last text story page in Strange Tales. The synopsis describes the whole story, but only those characters that appear on this page are listed here.