(November 1974)

Marvel, 1974 Series
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Volume
1
Price
0.25 USD
Pages
36
Indicia Frequency
bi-monthly
On-sale Date
1974-08-27
Publisher's Age Guidelines
Approved by the Comics Code Authority
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Marvel Comics Group
Brand
Marvel Comics Group [entire top banner]
Editing
Roy Thomas (editor)

Issue Notes

On-sale date from Comic Reader (Street Enterprises, 1973 series) #109, August 1974.

The Human Torch Goes Wild! (Table of Contents)

Human Torch / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Larry Lieber
Inks
John Romita
Colors
?
Letters
Gaspar Saladino

Genre
superhero
Characters
Wizard (disguised as Human Torch)
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Cover pencil credits from Nick Caputo (April 5, 2004). Original pencil credits went to: Gil Kane.

Part 1: "Prisoner of the Wizard" (Table of Contents: 1)

Human Torch / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee (Plot); Larry Lieber (Script)
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Dick Ayers
Colors
?
Letters
Jon D'Agostino
Editing
Stan Lee (Original Editor)

Genre
superhero
Characters
Human Torch [Johnny Storm]; Wizard (Origin, Intro); Invisible Girl [Sue Storm]; Destroyer (cameo)
Synopsis
watching a newsreel about the Torch, The Wizard thinks it would be a great challenge to match his skills against him. The Wizard considers himself the world's greatest brain. He sees beating Johnny as somehow "the ultimate achievement," and tricks Johnny into rescuing him when a digging machine he's trying out appears to go wrong. Showing off his home in gratitude, he suddenly douses Johnny with flame-retarding chemicals.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Part 1 of 2. First appearance (and origin) of The Wizard. Credits added, splash page reformatted and page numbers removed for this reprint.

Part 2: "Wizard's Wiles!" (Table of Contents: 2)

Human Torch / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee (Plot); Larry Lieber (Script)
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Dick Ayers
Colors
?
Letters
Jon D'Agostino
Editing
Stan Lee (Original Editor)

Genre
superhero
Characters
Human Torch [Johnny Storm]; Wizard; Invisible Girl [Sue Storm]
Synopsis
The Wizard makes Johnny a prisoner and with a special suit impersonates him, commits a bank robbery, performs a mass jail-break, extorts money from commuters on a bridge, all to make The Torch appear a criminal, and "prove" he is superior. Later, The Wizard shows Johnny photos that prove he committed the crimes but since Johnny won't kill an unarmed man he'll have no choice but to watch as The Wizard burns the evidence but the photos fly from The Wizard's hands. Johnny calls the police, turning over the pics and the Wizard. We discover he beat the Wizard with help from Sue.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Part 2 of 2. With so much going for him, the only explanation for The Wizard turning to crime is what Johnny suggested-- he's nuts! Next appearance in Strange Tales #105 (February 1963).

"The Hyena Strikes!" (Table of Contents: 3)

Original Human Torch / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script
Bill Woolfolk
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?
Editing
Stan Lee (Original Editor)

Genre
superhero
Characters
Original Human Torch [Jim Hammond]; Toro; Hyena (Intro); Lorraine Miller (owner, Miller Trucking); Mr. Lennox (manager)
Synopsis
A criminal called The Hyena is causing truck crashes, the latest of which resulted in the driver being killed. Although Lennox, the manager, advises Lorraine Miller, the company owner, to sell out, she's determined not to, and accepts help from The Torch and Toro. Following another crash, they capture 2 of the hijackers, and Lorraine figures someone inside the company tipped them to the truck's secret route. The Torch and Toro barely manage to save her life and capture the villains. After, The Torch says of Lorraine, "She's got everything it takes-- plus!"
Reprints

Indexer Notes

The Hyena's next appearance is in The Invaders Annual #1 (1977). The method of using a mirror to make vehicles crash was used in the Lon Chaney film The Monster (1925), and later reused in the 007 film Goldfinger (1964).

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. The Human Torch Goes Wild!
    Human Torch
  2. 1. Part 1: "Prisoner of the Wizard"
    Human Torch
  3. 2. Part 2: "Wizard's Wiles!"
    Human Torch
  4. 3. "The Hyena Strikes!"
    Original Human Torch
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • Ray Bottorff Jr
  • Nick Caputo
  • Steve Coates
  • Robert K. S. Croy, Sr.
  • Henry R. Kujawa
  • James Ludwig
  • Darrel McCann
  • Jim Stangas
  • Jim Van Dore