Issue(s): Amazing Adventures #2, Strange Tales #97, Marvel Tales #134
Cover Date: Jul 61 / June 62 / May 55
Title: "The World Below / When a Planet Dies / The Strange Ones"
Credits:
Stan Lee /Unknown / Unknown - Writer
Jack Kirby / Jack Kirby / Joe Kubert - Penciler
Unknown / Dick Ayers / Unknown - Inker
Review/plot:
The first story says "With special thanks to Byrne, Novak, and Tartag", who probably did touch-up work converting Dr. Droom to Dr. Druid. John Tartaglione did the "face implants" on the previous issue of Weird Wonder Tales. Jim Novak was a letterer; he probably changed the name Droom to Druid. Not sure what Byrne did; nothing looks particularly like John Byrne art. The opening splash panel is new but it's drawn in a very deliberate Kirby style; it could be by Byrne.
Anyway, we've got one actual Dr. Droom story with the name changed to Dr. Druid, one story where Dr. Druid plays a Crypt Keeper style narrator, and one story without Dr. Druid at all.
The first story has Dr. Druid hypnotizing a civilization of mer-creatures that were hijacking ships.
In the second, Dr. Druid tells the story of an earth in the distant future after our sun has died out.
The people of Earth manage to snag a new Sun in its orbit (yes, the astrophysics of that are not exactly sound).
And the third is a rare Joe Kubert story at Marvel (or Timely, or Atlas), wherein it is revealed that the Earth is actually a penal colony for humans from outer space who wanted to get rid of their more violent citizens.
This is the last issue of Weird Wonder Tales.
Quality Rating: C
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A
References: N/A
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? Y - these stories were revised to include Dr. Druid
My Reprint: Weird Wonder Tales #22