Strange Tales #122

(July 1964)

3 Against The Torch! (Table of Contents: 1)

Human Torch / comic story / 14 pages (report information)

Script

Stan Lee (credited) (co-plot, dialogue); Dick Ayers (credited) (co-plot)

Pencils

Dick Ayers (credited)

Inks

George Roussos (credited as Geo. Bell)

Colors

George Roussos ? (sourced)

Letters

Sam Rosen (credited as S. Rosen)

Job Number

X-703

Genre

superhero

Characters

Human Torch [Johnny Storm]; Terrible Trio [Handsome Harry Phillips; Yogi Dakor; Bull Brogin]; Doctor Doom [Victor von Doom] (flashback); Mister Fantastic [Reed Richards] (flashback); Thing [Ben Grimm] (flashback); Invisible Girl [Sue Storm] (cameo)

Synopsis

In flashback we see the how Dr. Doom used "The Terrible Trio" to trap the Fantastic Four, then discarded his underlings by sending them into another dimension! With Doom gone, the three return to Earth, where they're foolish enough to try taking on The Torch again, figuring 3 against 1 would be no contest. WRONG! After, Sue gives Johnny hell for how his "roughneck" friends must have messed up "her" house.

Reprints

• in Marvel Tales (Marvel, 1966 series) #24 (January 1970)
• in I Fantastici Quattro (Editoriale Corno, 1971 series) #23 (8 Febbraio 1972) [as "Tre contro la Torcia", Italian translation]
• 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)

Indexer Notes

Second appearance of The Terrible Trio. They previously appeared in Fantastic Four (Marvel, 1961 series) #23 (February 1964) and appear next in issue #129 (February 1965). Handsome Harry resembles actor Tony Franciosa.

The World Beyond (Table of Contents: 2)

Doctor Strange / comic story / 9 pages (report information)

Script

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

Pencils

Steve Ditko (credited)

Inks

George Roussos (uncredited, see notes)

Colors

George Roussos ? (sourced)

Letters

Artie Simek (credited as Art Simek)

Job Number

X-696

Genre

superhero; fantasy-supernatural

Characters

Doctor Strange [Stephen Strange]; Nightmare; The Gulgol (illusion)

Synopsis

Weary from his struggles against supernatural forces, Strange falls asleep, carelessly forgetting to cast a protective spell over himself and becoming a prisoner of the Nightmare World! Nightmare imprisons Strange, the only human who has ever defeated him, then says he's bored and looks forward to other victims. Strange summons The Gulgol, a creature that never sleeps, and Nightmare begs Strange to stop it. He does so without uttering a spell, for in reality, Strange hypnotized Nightmare into seeing the one thing he feared; it was never there in the first place. Freed, Strange wakes up.

Reprints

• in Sinister Tales (Alan Class, 1964 series) #57
• in Terrific! (IPC, 1967 series) #10 (17 June 1967)
• in Marvel Collectors' Item Classics (Marvel, 1965 series) #13 (February 1968)
which is reprinted
• in Capitaine America (Editions Héritage, 1970 series) #65 ([Janvier 1977])
• in Sinister Tales (Alan Class, 1964 series) #119 ([circa 1972 - 1973])
• in Eclipso (Arédit-Artima, 1968 series) #23 (octobre 1972) [N&B et recadré [B&W and reframed]]
• in Giant-Size Marvel Triple Action (Marvel, 1975 series) #1 (May 1975)
• in Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts (Pocket Books, 1978 series) #[1] (June 1978)
• in Strange Spécial Origines (Editions Lug, 1981 series) #187 (5 juillet 1985)
• 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

This is the third appearance of Nightmare; he last appears in issue #116 (January 1964) and next appears in Doctor Strange (Marvel, 1968 series) #170 (July 1968). Inks credited by Bob Bailey, 2005-01-30 (Per Sandell ed.)

Two More Triumphs for Marvel..! (Table of Contents: 3)

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

Pencils

Steve Ditko; Jack Kirby

Inks

Steve Ditko; Sol Brodsky

Colors

?

Letters

Artie Simek; Sam Rosen

Indexer Notes

promos for Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel, 1963 series) #14 (July 1964) and Fantastic Four (Marvel, 1963 series) #28 (July 1964) include cover repros. Printed between the pages of the Dr. Strange story.

Strange Mission (Table of Contents: 4)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Letters

typeset

Job Number

[K-440]

Genre

science fiction

Characters

Alfred Pook; Harold; Dr. Smith

Synopsis

A man becomes confused over directions to the dentist and as a result accidentally pilots an expedition to claim a new planet.

Reprints

• from Mystery Tales (Marvel, 1952 series) #45 (September 1956) [page 1]

Indexer Notes

Printed after the Dr. Strange story. Continues in next issue.