Issue(s): Astonishing #5
Cover Date: Aug 51
Title: "Caves of doom / The deadly decision!"
Credits:
Bill Everett - Writer
Bill Everett - Penciler
Bill Everett - Inker

Review/plot:
The reprint book Marvel Super Action #4 has a good sampling of Marvel Boy stories, reprinting the half of his first appearance that tells his origin (which i cover in full separately from a different reprint), and two stories written and drawn by Bill Everett from Astonishing #5. There's also an opening splash page drawn by Dave Cockrum for the reprint.

The first story here has Marvel Boy fighting a soldier from the Orion belt who is kidnapping atomic scientists.

It's pretty simple & straightforward.

The second story, however, is a real live one. Marvel Boy travels as an envoy to Earth's World Organization of Atomic Research. He is to bring back their secret research about using atomic energy to prolong human life to his super-scientist father. Before leaving, Lilli begs him to take her with him. His response: "Nonsense, Lilli! You are only a child! This is adult business, and you would only be in the way! I'll have no time to play nursemaid to pretty little girls!". Keep in mind that she looks the same age as him, if not a little older (at least she isn't wearing boy shorts).

He travels to Earth, and it turns out that she snuck onto the spaceship with him.

She runs off to have a good time, Marvel Boy gets attacked by thugs, his dad gets captured back on Uranus, Lilli gets captured on Earth by the Uranians. Marvel Boy goes back to Uranus and defeats the Uranians using his flashlight.

Then he tortures the Uranians to find out where they were keeping Lilli: "I simply adapted a few of their own methods of 'persuasion' to induce the chief to radio his henchmen on earth...". Lilli: "Oh, Marvel Boy, you're wonderful!". The End.

Quality Rating: D

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel Super Action #4