Issue(s): Strange Tales #105 (Human Torch story only)
Cover Date: Feb 63
Title: "The return of the Wizard!"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Plot
Larry Lieber - Script
Jack Kirby - Penciler
Dick Ayers - Inker

Review/plot:
The Wizard escapes from jail...

...and the Human Torch goes after him, despite a Fantastic Four policy of not getting into fights for personal pride. The Invisible Girl tags along again, but this time she's not much help.

There's a great scene where Reed is talking to Sue over a video phone (or maybe it's just a regular phone - not sure what those lightning bolts are meant to represent), and the Thing is in the background eating a giant piece of cake and shouting stuff.

It's worth noting that at this time the Wizard is just a very smart guy. No power suit or anything. So once you get past his traps, it doesn't take much to defeat him.

Quality Rating: D

Historical Significance Rating: 3

Chronological Placement Considerations: There's nothing specific here, but the MCP places this between FF #10 and #11 and i'll follow suit.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Human Torch #5

I think the lightning bolts are just meant to indicate an inset panel.

The Wizard seems to have got his beard under control.

I love the Wizard's early appearances. He's so cocky and super villainy in a very old-school mustache-twirling kind of way.

Lightning bolt borders for inset and split panels were an old convention for showing both sides of a phone conversation, often seen in old Archie comics as well as in juvenile fiction books like Tommy and the Telephone by Ellen MacGregor.

I agree with your placement of this story. That is where I have it on my reading order.