Strange Tales 101

In this issue:

Starring… America's Favorite Superhero: The Human Torch
13 pages :: Jack Kirby/Dick Ayers
reprinted in Marvel Tales 3, Human Torch 1

Can you picture the story conference when they came out with this one: It'll be like Archie, only he'll be a superhero! This is the start of the very worst series Marvel published in its early years and they know it too. I think it is the last series reprinted in the “Essentials”.

I'd have to respectfully disagree with you here. I don't think the Torch is any more lame then some of the early Thor, Ant-Man and Iron-Man stories. The reason the Torch was given his own strip was probably due to the success of the FF and the fact that the earlier version of the Torch was one of their most popular characters.

All the early strips were finding their way before becoming successful, although I wouldn't argue that the Torch strip got progressively worse when the Thing was added on and it became more or less a comedy strip.

NOTE: I'll also add that The Human Torch solo series was the featured attraction in Strange Tales for nearly 3 years. Then, only a year after ending it, Marvel began reprinting the Torch in Marvel Tales in the spring of '66, continuing to do so well into the 1970's. Not the behavior of a company that considers this a failure, is it?

But, to be fair, I agree that this series isn't exactly the crown jewel of Marvel's lineup. It's still damn fun to read, though.

I always thought that the Torch stories were really a poor man's Superboy rip-off. Glenville/ Smallville… Marvel was better than that!

Besides, the real gems of these issues are the almost forgotten Ditko 5 pagers!!!

I always liked the ST issues featuring The Human Torch, as I wanted to be like Johnny Storm when I became a teenager. He was a really cool kid, and the human torch super powers were really awesome. I liked him the best out of the 4 FF members, but I must confess as a young kid I had a big crush on Sue Storm, his beautiful sister. She was a foxy lady! I owned this issue of ST as a kid, but the Destroyer was a weak villian. The next issue featuring The Wizard was a lot better. My favorite issue of the series was #109, featuring the Pandora's Box imps. That was a goodl story & the creatures were cool!

Yes, the stories had their moments (no matter what I said 3 years ago). The Sub-Mariner issue in 107, Captain America issue (114), the first Wizard (was it 103) were all outstanding. It is easy to remember the bad ones but that doesn't push aside a lot of highlights of the series.

Yikes! Archie in superhero garb? I hope that I didn't pay too much for that issue of ST 101, then.

this is evident by the 'guest' appearances of other superheroes/villains like Ben Grim, spiderman, the Sandman, etc. Seems the HT couldn't stand on his own, so like a weaker leading boy/man, he needed others to prop 'em up.

Just a few words concerning one of my favorite Marvel superheroes, the HUMAN TORCH. I was first acquainted with Mr. Johnny Storm within the pages of the early FANTASTIC FOUR comic books. I always thought that he was a really cool character, and his super powers were awesome! When he appeared in the STRANGE TALES series, I bought every issue in the 1962-63 era. The stories were juvenile, but I was a 4th grader, so I never had any complaints. I don't remember meeting too many adults that read comic books in those days. My uncle read one of my DC superhero comic books & he told me that he liked it. My great-uncle read comic books in the 1940's & 1950's. He always had a comic book rolled up in his back pocket! I think that young kids & teenagers were the main audience, thus the appeal of a teenager with super-powers like Johnny Storm. I have a few of the early STRANGE TALES books, featuring the HUMAN TORCH, and I can see flaws in the stories & the weakness of some of the characters, but I still think they're good books. I still read comic books for fun, and that's the reason that I read them as a kid. I think the early issues of the FANTASTIC FOUR had better plots & villains than the STRANGE TALES series, but I always thought that the WIZARD was a high-caliber villain, and the IMPS from PANDORA'S BOX were quite sinister, too! In the words of Johnny Storm, FLAME ON!

Actually, Archie has occasionally worn super-tights. As PUREHEART THE POWERFUL! With Jughead as “Capt. Hero,” and Betty as “Super Teen.”

Comment on Strange Tales 101

* Name and email address are required. Don't worry about spam — your email address will not be shared with anyone. Only your name and Web site address will appear with your message.

Comment on Strange Tales 101