Well, at least we can agree that it and the entire Human Torch series is awful.  

I mean, that's the thing, isn't it? In early Marvel, unless Ditko or Kirby were on the book (and not always then, as with early Thor) no one was really invested in the characters and doing more than coming up with a stock plot that would fill the pages.

I think when Stan worked with his brother on writing stories together, he would come up with a plot synopsis which Lieber would then expand into a full script. Also possible is that Stan's plot went to Ayers first and then Lieber just added dialogue.

Mark Evanier has also written on his blog that some of the artists, including Ayers and Don Heck, would sometimes request more detailed plots from Stan than he usually wrote, which he then provided.

Perhaps, but the result is the same as far as Stan's plot involvement.

Possibly, but again, these weren't full scripts. According to Evanier, they were just Marvel style synopsis' that contained more detail than the ones that Kirby or Ditko received. And if they were ghosted by Lieber or someone else, I suspect Evanier would have known and mentioned that, although I can't be certain that he definitely would know. 

I’m going to go ahead and trust Larry Lieber on how he worked over Mark Evanier on how Larry Lieber worked.

Fantastic Four #13 "The Fantastic Four Versus the Red Ghost and His Indescribable Super-Apes!”

Story by Stan Lee
Art by Jack Kirby
Inking by Steve Ditko
Letters by Art Simek



Cover: (Kirby/Heck?)

I think this is one of the better covers during Marvel’s “gray cover” period. The gray works because of the setting on the moon and the FF pop on the cover. Also the ghostly hand is pretty effective. Not fabulous, but better than average.


The Story:

Ben, Sue and Johnny rush to Reed’s lab following a “pulse-stopping” explosion. The Torch is going to rescue him, but has to be rescued himself from “the fumes” by Reed in an asbestos-lined protective stretch suit.



Reed had been experimenting with a new rocket fuel in the penthouse of a skyscraper in the most populous city on the planet…as one does. The energy source will allow them to catch up to the reds in the race to the moon. Reed plans to go alone, but the rest of the gang objects. Ben objecting in a fairly demonstrative manner.



Meanwhile, Ivan Kragoff is training apes to assist him in getting the “Communist Empire” to the Moon first. He has a gorilla, a baboon (not an ape) and an orangutan to do odd jobs on the rocket. We don’t really know why this is more efficient that humans. But I’m sure it is…for reasons.



Serendipitously the FF and Kragoff both leave for the Moon at the same time. However, Kragoff has no shielding on his rocket so that he and his apes will be bathed in cosmic rays and will get super-powers like the FF did. Because apparently the source of their powers is public knowledge. Also, serendipitously, the FF’s rocket comes very close to Kragoff’s rocket, which gives Johnny a chance to try out a “chemical tuxedo” that allows him to flame on in space…as one does.



Kragoff initially thinks that there has been no effect on he and the apes, but quickly discovers that the gorilla has even more increased strength, the orangutan has magnetic powers (special Marvel magnetism) and the baboon can shape-change…including in to complex machinery.



Both rockets land in the Blue Area of the Moon and it’s discovered that not only is there breathable air there, but the ruins of an ancient city. Ben wanders off as they explore and meets Kragoff, who can become invisible and intangible, and gets in a tussle. But it’s interrupted by The Watcher.



The Watcher belongs to an advanced race who have observed life in the universe…but they never interfere. Unless you trespass on their Moon base and then all bets are off. This Watcher has decided he will save them from savagery…by having them fight each other. As one does.



Kargoff and crew get the jump on the faboo foursome. Reed jumps in front of a freeze gun meant for Johnny. The baboon turns in to asbestos, as one does, and subdues Johnny. The gorilla throws Ben for a loop. And Sue…well…sue is just a hostage to the magnetic personality of the orangutan.



Reed is freed and starts cobbling together weapons from the abandoned tech of the Blue Area. Sue frees herself and the apes, who have been left by Kargoff. Johnny, Ben and Sue are able to put Kargoff on the run. In his flight he ends up in The Watcher’s house. This seriously irritates The Watcher (more than he already was) and he shows Kargoff a demonstration of his power.



Reed just happens to be standing right where Kargoff exits The Watcher’s home and zaps him with the ultimate nullifier…wait…that deus ex machina is later. The Watcher declares the FF the winner and then announces that he will have to move because humanity’s destiny is the stars. The FF then just leave Kargoff and the apes to fight each other and head home instead of exploring the advanced science of the Blue Area.




Thoughts…

Ditko inks Kirby on the FF…unusual. Unfortunately, for various reasons I only have access right now to the recolored reprint version of the story. I generally find these significantly distort the artwork so I’m not able to really tell how I feel about it. Sigh.

Seriously, who the hell thinks it’s a good idea to experiment with rocket fuel in a skyscraper in Manhattan. Reed Richards is a menace.

Also…why exactly do they need said rocket fuel or to catch up to the Reds in the race to the Moon. The FF already has an interstellar rocket that they got in issue #7. If it was so important to beat the Reds to the Moon, why didn’t they stop off on the way back from Planet X?

More Cold War paranoia. I mean, I get it. But it does get kind of old.

Baboons aren’t apes. They’re Old World Monkeys. Also, orangutans are the most intelligent of the great apes. So Kragoff either doesn’t know his apes or he got himself a dumb orangutan and should get his money back. Also, also, it doesn’t take brains to repair machines? Sure, Ivan.

So, if both the U.S. and the “Communist Empire” are capable of putting men (and apes…and monkeys) in to space and they know that cosmic rays will give them superpowers, why aren’t they just shuttling loads of people up there to create armies of superhumans?

Magnetism. Sigh. No…magnets don’t work on humans.

I don’t think that The Watcher (no first name yet) quite gets the concept of watching but not interfering.

Kargoff just suddenly has mental control over the apes. Except when he doesn’t. It appears suddenly and then just kind of ends when they revolt against him.

I’m not even going to pretend I can parse how intangible people are supposed to be able to walk, much less climb.



The last six panels of this story are a wholly unsatisfying conclusion.


The plot...There’s a lot to like here. And a lot that is just so very very dumb. There are moments here that promote a sense of wonder. Kirby creates something special in the Blue Area foreshadowing the kind of krazy Kirby machinery we will get to know and love. And the Watcher absolutely foreshadows the cosmic nature of that will come with later FF. But…damn! There are just epic Burroughsian coincidences here. And the Marvel “science” is turned up to 11. There are also just a ton of jingoistic Cold War junk statements that haven’t aged well. For everything I thought was great there was something to make me groan. Grade: C+

The art...As I said, it’s a bit hard to say because of the horrendous recoloring and the poor reproduction in the newer books. I may revisit this when I can get to a copy with the original look. I will say that Kirby started to show what he was going to do, particularly with the machinery in the Blue Area and the segments with the Watcher. Grade: B-

The toll: Explosive and flame damage to the Baxter Building and the machinery in Reed’s lab. Unknown damage to various artifacts in the Blue Area of the Moon.

Grade for historic importance: This is a bit of a tough one. It’s the first appearances of The Watcher, The Red Ghost and The Super-Apes (actually two apes and an old-world monkey). The Ghost and the Apes are decidedly second or third string villains, only making 5 appearances in the Silver Age. But The Watcher is definitely a bigger deal. This also feels a bit like ground zero for “cosmic” Marvel. So…Grade: B