Strange Tales #143

(April 1966)

To Free a Brain Slave (Table of Contents)

Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jack Kirby (plot); Stan Lee (dialogue)

Pencils:

Jack Kirby (layouts); Howard Purcell

Inks:

Mike Esposito [as M. Demeo]

Colors:

Stan Goldberg

Letters:

Artie Simek

Content Information

Genre:

Spy

Characters:

Dum Dum Dugan; Mentallo; Nick Fury; The Fixer; Gabe Jones; Tony Stark; ESP Division

Synopsis:

While SHIELD HQ is in the hands of Mentallo & The Fixer, and Fury a helpless prisoner, Dum Dum & his men prepare to strike back! Tony Stark takes command as the technos prepare his "Neutralizer". The ESP Division are unable to pick up any trace of Fury's thoughts, but the Doctor in charge of suspects Stark has a heart condition. The baddies attach a miniature H-Bomb to Fury's wrists, then remove the mind-control mask. Big mistake-- as Fury immediately begins thinking of an old war song, which acts as the "go" signal. After a burning chemical forces the baddies to remove their protective helmets, they come under attack by the ESP Division. While Fury holds out, Stark's Neutralizer disolves the H-Bomb! Mentallo & The Fixer fight to escape, but are quickly captured, with the help of SHIELD's "Metronome Unit". It's revealed that the ESP attack has destroyed Mentallos' powers, and that Fury was wearing a "Mental Transmitter" to contact them. But elsewhere, a jet takes off from The Heli-Carrier-- but is quickly shot down by a flying golden egg...

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD (Marvel, 1968 series) #18 (March 1971)
• in Marvel Masterworks: Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Marvel, 2007 series) #1 (October 2007)

Indexer Notes

Part 3 of 3. Fixer mentions the H-Bomb was supplied by "THEM". Without their helmets, The Fixer & Mentallo bear a striking resemblance to DC's Lex Luthor & Brainiac!

With None Beside Me! (Table of Contents)

Dr. Strange / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Steve Ditko (plot); Roy Thomas (dialogue)

Pencils:

Steve Ditko

Inks:

Steve Ditko

Colors:

Stan Goldberg

Letters:

Artie Simek

Editing:

Stan Lee

Content Information

Genre:

Occult

Characters:

Dr. Strange; The Demon [Demonicus] (unnamed); The Witch [Adria] (unnamed); Kaecilius (unnamed)

Synopsis:

Strange hides his bound body in a rooftop water tank, as The Demon & his men search for him. At their HQ, Strange retrieves his Cloak Of Levitation, and uses it to capture one of Mordo's men. But his body has been found by the witch. The complex cat-and-mouse game continues until Strange finally regains control of his body and Amulet, and he hypnotizes Mordo's minions into forgetting all they know of black magic. Now he is free again to focus on the remaining threat of Dormammu, and the missing Clea...

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts (Pocket Books, 1978 series) #2 (July 1979)
• in Essential Dr. Strange (Marvel, 2001 series) #1 (December 2001)
• in Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange (Marvel, 2003 series) #2

Indexer Notes

Part 14 of 17. 1st early DR. STRANGE story never reprinted until 1978.

[Strange Mails] (Table of Contents)

Strange Mails / letters page / 0.5 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Steve Ditko

Inks:

Steve Ditko

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Indexer Notes

Letters from Dan O'Leary, Jeff Weiselberg, and Robert Krug with an accompanying illustration.

Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation (Table of Contents)

statement of ownership / 0.5 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

John F. Hayes

Letters:

typeset

Indexer Notes

Total copies printed (average in last 12 months): 380992. Total copies printed (issue nearest to filing date): 455625. Total paid circulation (average in last 12 months): 230285. Total paid circulation (issue nearest to filing date): 299425. Total distribution (average in last 12 months): 230345. Total distribution (issue nearest to filing date): 299485. Office use, left-over, unaccounted, spoiled after printing (average in last 12 months): 150647. Office use, left-over, unaccounted, spoiled after printing (issue nearest to filing date): 156140. Filing Date: October 1, 1965.