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"The Red Ghost And His Indescribable Super-Apes!" |
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11 comments
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Editor-in-Chief: |
Stan Lee |
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Cover Artists: |
Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers |
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Writers: |
Stan Lee |
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Pencilers: |
Jack Kirby |
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Inkers: |
Dick Ayers |
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| Colourists: |
Stan Goldberg |
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| Letterers: |
Artie Simek |
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| Editors: |
Stan Lee |
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| Cover Date: |
April 1963 |
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| Release Date: |
January 1963 |
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| Story Arc: |
- |
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| Pages: |
22 |
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| Cover Price: |
$0.12 |
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| Times Read: |
325 |
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| Times Rated: |
169 |
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FULL ORDER
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47: Strange Tales
#108 (v1)
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48: Amazing Spider...
#2 (v1)
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50: Tales to Aston...
#42 (v1)
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51: Tales of Suspe...
#40
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| ISSUE BLURB |
Ivan Kragoff and his three trained primates, are bombarded by cosmic rays while on the way to the moon, gaining special powers. Reed Richards is testing a new rocket fuel and, along with the rest of the Fantastic Four, is also on his way to the moon. The two parties meet a conflict for ownership of the moon begins. Little known to them that there is someone else on the moon, watching them.
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| ISSUE NOTES |
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- Uatu the Watcher and the Red Ghost are introduced in this issue.
- This is also the first time we see the Blue Area of the Moon used in the Marvel Universe.
- The story is split into 4 chapters:
- The Fantastic Four, versus The Red Ghost And His Indescribable Super-Apes!
- Menace on the Moon!
- The Watcher Appears!
- Duel in the Dead City!
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| CHARACTER APPEARANCES |
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| GROUP APPEARANCES |
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| ISSUE REVIEW |
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There is no review of this issue. |
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| ISSUE SYNOPSIS |
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There is not synopsis for this issue. |
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| RECOMMENDING READING |
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- There is no recommended reading for this issue.
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| ISSUE'S LETTERS |
Dear Stan and Jack:
I have sent numerous postcards to you, but now I think I should give you a complete record of
my views. I hope you enjoy reading it as I did writing it. The artwork has improved greatly since issue
#1, but I feel you can do better. Your artwork in #6 was below par. As far as covers go, #10 was
startling, but not as good as others. #1 was terrible, as was #2, and the cover for #1 was too far from
the story. All of your covers are unique, and…well…I guess generally fantastic, to use my favorite
superlative. Stan, your writing cannot be topped although #1 and #2 were, as in the artwork, below par,
far below! Your organization in #3 was just what you needed. Costumes were excellent, not too frilly,
but still good-looking. The skyscraper headquarters was striking, and I loved your diagrams in #3 and #6,
especially #6. I wish you would use the pogo-plane, copter, and missile more often. Now a member
analysis: Invisible Girl is not all-important to the team, but I vote to keep her. You need a woman in the
group. The Thing is striking because he doesn’t resemble anything I have ever seen. Human Torch is of
course your best character. Mr Fantastic is perfect for the leader. Don’t play him down too much
because of the Torch. Also, I hope to see more romantic ties between him and Sue, maybe even
marriage. But don’t let the Sub-Mariner butt in, I beg of you. Doctor Doom is the greatest villain of all
time. I expect to see much more of him. At first I thought Sub-Mariner could be rehabilitated, but what
can you do after having been a villain for three issues?! I hope you get a new Puppet-Master, but not
too soon, maybe in issue #15 or #16. You have got to bring back Moleman, possibly in league with
Doctor Doom. It would be interesting to see how you would handle a villain whom you created in your
first and worst issue. I would like to end with this: Your well-known claim of "The World's Greatest
Comic Magazine" is truly correct and is no idle boast, so good luck, and Auf Wiedersehn!
Frederic Johnson
608 Summit St.
Rockford, Illinois
WHEW! We were better off when you were using postcards! But thanks for the comments, Fred.
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Dear Stan and Jack:
How come Alicia could carve out statues when she is blind; how would she know what they look
like?? Also, is Dr. Doom a robot?
Kenny Glenn
835 9th St.
Douglas, Arizona
ALICIA is gifted with sensitive fingers, just like many famous blind musicians. As for DR. DOOM, no, he is
not a robot. Perhaps we'll be seeing more of him in the future.
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Dear Stan and Jack:
In issue #10, you made a little boo-boo. On page 6, Doctor Doom is shown destroying an
ashtray with his sub-miniature transistor-powered atomic blast gun which is, in this picture, housed in
his left index finger. On page 23, he is shown shooting the same gun at Mr. Fantastic – and
the caption says that the gun is in his right index finger! Should you omit such small mistakes, 99% of
the critiques written you would be favorable ones. Don’t get me wrong! It's just that little
improvements would make your great magazine even better!
Harold Echtinaw, Jr.
808 E.M.L. Avenue
Kalamazoo, Michigan
We stand corrected, Hal – although why couldn’t there be a TWO-GUN villain??
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Dear Stan and Jack:
I would like to comment on Paul Gambaccini's panning letter which you printed in #9, as I agree
with parts of it. It's obvious that his letter was written in anger and is rather one sided. Although your
letter column is a little (a little? A lot!) stacked in your favor, your replies are not "asinine;" It's just that
your humor (?) takes some getting used to. Artwork is pretty bad but if Mr. Gambaccini
would look at #6 (which was inked by Steve Ditko, I think) he will have to admit Kirby's artwork has some
good points which are heightened by the superb inking. Paul's probably the first guy to criticize the
character conflicts. The characters act like real people would in such situations (for instance,
you'd be grouchy if you looked like the Thing!). The light touch is necessary to keep the
pathos of being changed into a freak from being too depressing. It also makes the story
much more entertaining. The story plots are pretty stupid at times (the "Puppet-Master" story was
really a dud except for the introduction of Alicia). Paul's last sentence ("They are too good to be
realistic.") is puzzling. What does he mean, "good?" If he means "goody-goody," I disagree for obvious
reasons. Most super-heroes are much more "goody-goody," although I see in Reed, a parody of the
typical super-hero. His level-headed, unfailing judgment looks ridiculous when he is surrounded by
more realistic characters. Some comments of my own: I think it was inconsistent with previous stories
to have Sub-Mariner acting like a full villain in #9, and the stories are better when some of the reader's
sympathy is with him. Otherwise, that was a really great story. I really got a kick out of Thing's fight
with Sub-Mariner.
Robert Fordv
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Hey, Bob, speak of the devil – look who our next letter is from!
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Dear Editor:
FANTASTIC FOUR has greatly improved, but that's no reason it shouldn't be improved more.
The cover of #10 is the best yet, and I have a feeling that you used one of those techniques to get it that
way. "Return of Dr. Doom" was very good, but keep him away now! He's gone! He is an AWFUL villain;
nothing special to him at all. I'm glad you're lengthening the letter page. Good for you! However,
this "Dear Stan and Jack" stuff doesn’t seem right: Not respectful enough. I mean, you walk up to
somebody and say, "Hiya, Kirby!" or, "How ya doin', Stan?" when you've never met him before?????!?
Anyway, here are my suggestions: (We've only got room to print some -- S. & J.) 1) Give
HUMAN TORCH his own comic. He's great, no doubt about it. Sure, I know we get him monthly in
STRANGE TALES, but that's not enough. 2) PLEASE eliminate those thick borderlines of the word
balloons. They are hideous! 3) PLEASE ELIMINATE those five-page stories in your comics. Either make
them one tale, or devote the space to THOR, ANT-MAN, etc. You see, I don’t buy JOURNEY INTO
MYSTERY or TALES TO ASTONISH because of these little stories. 4) None of these giant ant-eaters from
Guafa, or insect kings from Zorda. O.K.? 5) Give SUB-MARINER his own magazine. 6) PLEASE eliminate
those pin-up pages and text stories! They waste space! 7) Please don’t print many of those silly "boo-
boo" letters. 8) Let's have more human foes like SUB-MARINER and PASTE-POT-PETE!?!? 9) How about
individual comics for ANT-MAN and THOR? (P.S. From the poses in FF #10, you'd think the faces of Lee
and Kirby are as bad as Doctor Doom's! How about letting us see them, even if it is torture.)
Paul Gambaccini
8 Elizabeth Drive
Westport, Conn.
After the way you pick on our stories, which we think are great, we'd be afraid to show you our faces,
which are probably NOT so great!
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Dear Stan and Jack:
First of all, I would like to compliment you on issue #10. The first three pages, with the
exception of a few panels, were really unnecessary. But it is places such as these that give a certain
touch to your characters. I would like to see more of Dr. Doom. Now to go on to part two of my letter.
I think the FF should be left exactly as they are. Keep Sue Storm, and the others exactly as they are.
Which now brings me to the concluding part of my letter. I see that some fans want some old FF's.
Well, I'm your man. Down here in Portsmouth, there is a back-issue store which sells old comics for 6¢.
Send me your name, address, comic preferences, and a list of the ones you have. Be sure to include
statements such as, "I only like Tales to Astonish after Ant-Man came out." I'll try to get the
comics for you. Cost is only 6¢ and postage.
Paul Weinstein
2714 Gilbert Ave.
Portsmouth, Ohio
Thanks, Paul. Judging by the number of requests for back-numbers which WE receive, we imagine you'll
hear from quite a lot of readers.
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Dear Stan and Jack:
In FF #10, you show Johnny Storm (The Torch) saying "I can concentrate my flame so much that
it burns without heat!" He then burned through the lock. What's wrong with you guys? Don't you
know that it's the heat that does the burning in a flame. Even if it would be possible to produce a flame
without heat, it's useful function would be to produce light. In other words, it's the heat in
a flame that enables it to burn anything. Take away the heat, and you take away its ability to burn
anything. Get the point!
Wayne Orlicki
1942 6th Ave.
San Diego 1, California
Nice try, Wayne, but didja ever hear of INFRARED RAYS? You can burn with them without heat. Much
of the electrical cooking in large restaurants today is done without heat. If this keeps up, they may stop
teaching Boy Scouts how to rub sticks together!
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Dear Stan and Jack:
Well, it looks about time for me to eat crow! About three issues ago, my letter was published,
and in that letter I commented on having Sue Storm "canned," to coin a term. Well, after having read,
A Day With The Fantastic Four, in FF #11, and seeing the part where Sue goes to pieces, I
realize what a mistake I made. I guess my mind slipped back to the days of the old time serials, and the
damsels in distress. You know, it's the same way in life as it is in comics. You tend to think little of
someone because you don’t understand them or what they stand for. In closing, I ask that Lee and Kirby
convey my deepest apologies to Sue…and tell her that from now on, she's a friend of mine.
Sincerely yours,
Marty Ross
2819 Schley Ave.
New York 65, N.Y.
You and a million other guys, Marty! But thanks for the thought!
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Dear Stan and Jack:
FANTASTIC FOUR #9 was by far the best issue of this mag yet! I thought for sure you couldn’t
top the last ish…but you did – and undoubtedly will continue to top yourselves every issue(I hope!). Just
can't get over the 21 stupendous SUB-MARINER vs. THING fight panels. Which reminds
me…I've noticed other companies give out free original art and story scripts for the best letters they
receive…and I think you, who have the best of art and plot should also give us readers
something we can be proud of the rest of our lives. (Besides the next issue of the fabulous quartet.)
How 'bout it? I just got FF #10 and…HOLY COW! DOC DOOM AGAIN!? And you guys in it too!? What
more could a reader ask for 12¢?? One complaint: no face views of L & K. Glad to see you giving credits
to your staff. A couple questions – Who inked FF #5?? The artwork in that issue surpassed anything you
did before or have done yet. Whoever did it brought out sharp details, and brought out the best work
of Jack Kirby's pencils ever done by anyone. You editors cannot make a mistake. You try to
give us readers what we clamor for, and if you fail with one way, you try another. Torch's having a
secret identity was no error…you thought it was what we would like to see…it wasn't. Then you made
amends in STRANGE TALES #106. ONE LAST THING: We fans let you know we liked the realism of your
characters…but beware! Real people do DIE.
Your until Niagara Falls,
Mike Tuohey
16857 Sunderland
Detroit 19, Michigan
We aren't able to give out original scripts or art at this time, but hope to sometime in the future. Ish
#5 was inked by an old friend of ours, Joe Sinnott, who has his own script in JRNY. INTO MYSTERY, #90
MARCH and will be seen more often in our future issues. As for real people dying – that's ONE thing you
can't blame on us!
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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS SECTION:
- Once again we want to thank the hundreds of loyal fans whose interesting letters can't be printed
due to lack of space. Please rest assured that either Stan, or Jack, or both read each and every one
personally, and are tremendously grateful for your interest and support.
- Final result of our "ADD NEW CHARACTERS" poll: The count is three-to-one AGAINST adding any new
members to the FF. But most readers would like to see frequent guest appearances by our other super-
heroes. Will do.
- IRON-MAN, now appearing monthly in TALES OF SUSPENSE, is another star in our growing line of off-
beat super-heroes. Treat yourself to a copy. Also, have you seen the new AMAZING SPIDER-MAN yet?
We have a hunch you'll like him.
- Finally, the next ish of FF features – SUB-MARINER! If you don’t reserve your copy at your dealer's
NOW, don’t say we didn’t warn you!
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| COMMENTS |
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thomassp74 Says: |
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2011-11-20 10:42:14 |
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"I recently explored an American meteor crater in Arizona, to satisfy myself!" Reed, you dirty boy. haha
Okay, on page 16 the Red Ghost freezes Torch and Torch comes to save him? If I wasn't too lazy and fifty years too late I'd try for a No-Prize. haha
For the love of god, will somebody please tell Stan that people are not magnetic?
Why would Red Ghost brag about being more powerful then the FF and then a couple panels later grab Sue and run away from them?
Whoa!! You can make a jet engine from a tube and fire? I've got a project now.
This Red Scare shtick is getting to be too much...
Reed: "Ben, nobody is strong enough to defeat a free people! Don't ever forget that!"
Sue: "I would take my chances with them, rather than the Red Ghost, for they are like the communist masses, innocently enslaved by their evil leaders!"
Okay, enough already.
Way to steal Neal Armstrong's thunder, FF. haha |
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Safis Says: |
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2012-02-06 19:39:03 |
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This plot feels like it was pulled directly from the old 60's Star Trek, except for the fact that it preceded Star Trek by a few years. In particular, the episode called "The Arena" comes to mind, where Capt. Kirk fights the Gorn, pulled down to the alien planet's surface to duke it out on behalf of their races, being watched by a mysterious and advanced cosmic life-form with unthinkable powers... hmm, sound familiar?
Oh, and people are still magnetic. I wonder how long it'll take before these guys realize this doesn't work! |
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Webslinger Says: |
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2012-04-01 14:34:07 |
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Oh Space Race!!
Oh, the contrast: the americans are the most fantastic foursome, that won't let their partner take the risk alone, the soviets are slaved space-monkeys geared by an monkey looking human, well, I can say Stan gave to Marvel his share on propaganda!
Speaking of it, do you like comics? Have you tried "Is this tomorrow: America under communism"? |
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Dark_Knight93 Says: |
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2012-06-30 17:57:46 |
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It's interesting how they know how all the technology works within minutes of finding it. And I'm sick of the anti-communist propaganda, which was mostly unseen in the Fantastic Four magazine until this and the previous issue. Enough already, we have Lieber for cheesy communist stories, we don't need you too Stan. |
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Agrippina Says: |
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2012-07-11 23:19:42 |
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This was a fairly ordinary instalment, but it gets an extra star simply for making me laugh with "Comrade Gorilla" and "Comrade Baboon". Classic. |
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DirtyMarco Says: |
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2012-07-14 20:57:35 |
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Fighting Commies on the moon. Classic. |
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jfpj1991 Says: |
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2012-07-23 19:17:12 |
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I wish we could forget this villain, but Marvel insists on bringing him back later. |
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specialque Says: |
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2012-09-14 09:09:05 |
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Oh man is that old space race stuff hilarious. "We've gotta get there first to beat the reds!!!" And...why exactly, aside from juvenile pecker waving and being able to say "neener neener, we got there first"? Anyhow, I love, love, LOVE the Space Apes, and the ending was pretty good, but the Red Ghost was a weak villain and the story itself wasn't that great. I liked the introduction to the Watcher, and since I know nothing about this character, I have to wonder what the point is of a character who just sits and observes all the time, doing nothing. He's basically a couch potato but with better channels than mortal men. |
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Phantasmagoria Says: |
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2012-10-23 10:35:01 |
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Another issue that I quite enjoy. The Super Apes are good fun, and I'm very interested in Hath The Watcher already. |
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Spider-Borg Says: |
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2013-01-13 15:31:28 |
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I've never been a fan of the old "put a monkey in it and it will sell!" scheme. I don't think i've ever seen an instance of a story being more interesting simply because there is a monkey in it (not counting Planet of the Apes lol) |
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minicheddaz Says: |
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2013-03-03 17:15:02 |
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i've not enjoyed ff since the team up with doom and subby. at least we get the watcher. |
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