Strange Tales #148

(September 1966)

Death Before Dishonor! (Table of Contents)

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

Credits

Script:

Jack Kirby

Pencils:

Jack Kirby (layouts); Don Heck

Inks:

Don Heck

Colors:

Stan Goldberg

Letters:

Sam Rosen

Content Information

Genre:

Spy

Characters:

Nick Fury; Dum Dum Dugan; Jasper Sitwell; Count Bornag Royale (A.I.M.); A.I.M. (division of "THEM")

Synopsis:

Dugan is desperate and shattered when he thinks Fury is killed in a fire-bombing attack by A.I.M., only to discover it was a Life Model Decoy that got "killed". But the A.I.M. prisoners he wanted interrogated were killed, which frustrates Fury-- who, along with Dum Dum & Jasper, realize their movements are under video-surveillance by the enemy! Meanwhile, Count Royale and his A.I.M. cohorts are amazed at how advanced & convincing SHIELD's L.M.D.s are, far more advanced than their own chemical androids, and determine to steal one. Fury gets angrier by the minute, and chews out a scientist testing a "tri-di-roentgen hand gun" (capable of making any object transparent), and Jasper, who blew a hole in the ceiling of his cabin trying to find a security gap. Fury realizes he's stepped on a lot of V.I.P.'s toes, but determines he'll play this game his own way. While Fury submits to a "trial", at which Jasper gives the most damning "evidence", a squad of A.I.M. men break into SHIELD's underground base to steal an L.M.D. Just as Royale realizes Fury knew about the surveillance cameras, Fury stuns the crowd by shattering a viewport and leaping thru it to his apparent death! But he parachutes to safety, and is met on the ground by Dugan-- ready to take on A.I.M....

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in SHIELD [Nick Fury and His Agents of SHIELD] (Marvel, 1973 series) #2 (April 1973)
• in Marvel Masterworks: Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Marvel, 2007 series) #1 (October 2007)

Indexer Notes

Part 4 of 5. The pen-radio Fury uses is similar to the one regularly used by agents on THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. tv series.

The Origin of the Ancient One! (Table of Contents)

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

Credits

Script:

Bill Everett (plot); Denny O'Neil (dialogue)

Pencils:

Bill Everett

Inks:

Bill Everett

Colors:

Stan Goldberg

Letters:

Artie Simek

Content Information

Genre:

Occult

Characters:

Dr. Strange; The Ancient One; Kaluu

Synopsis:

The Ancient One tells Strange of events far in the past that took place in Kamar-Taj, "a hidden land high in the Himalayas". Both he & Kaluu were born there, but while Strange's mentor wanted to use magic only for the benfit of the people, Kaluu dreamed of making Kamar-Taj the center of a vast empire. Via magical "psychic hypnosis", Kaluu slowly gained control over his own people, imprisoned his once-friend, and invaded, conquered & enslaved neighboring lands. As conquerors, his own people became lazy, fat & indulgent, with no care for the welfare of others. Finally striking back with magic, The Ancient One inadvertently hurt his own people more than Kaluu, as pestilence & disease overran the country. Kaluu fled to another dimension "beyond the edge of the universe", while The Ancient One, unable to help his own people, left Kamar-Taj, swearing to use his magic to help others. Kaluu vowed to return & wreak vengeance "if it takes a thousand years". And now, after all that time, he approaches...

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Marvel Treasury Edition (Marvel, 1974 series) #6 (1975)
• in Essential Dr. Strange (Marvel, 2001 series) #1 (December 2001)
• in Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange (Marvel, 2003 series) #2

Indexer Notes

Part 2 of 22. Before its corruption, Kamar-Taj was remarkably similar to Shangri-La in the film LOST HORIZON (1937). This is fitting, considering Dr. Strange's resemblance to the film's star, Ronald Colman.

["Dear Stan, You know we Marvel fans aren't ones to complain..."] (Table of Contents)

Strange Mails / letters page / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Steve Ditko

Inks:

Steve Ditko

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Indexer Notes

Letters of comment from John Stewart; William Marshall; Arthur Hayner; and James Hockenhull. Also includes Merry Marvel Marching Society info and coupon, as well as a panel reproduction from a previous issue.