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1960-01-04 00:00:42
Previous:
Journey Into Mystery #68
Up:
Main

Box 1 / Monster Age

Next:
Amazing Adult Fantasy #11
Strange Tales #67
Tales Of Suspense #15

Strange Tales #79
Uncanny Tales #11
Marvel Tales #114
Mystery Tales #15

Strange Tales #79 - Dec 60
     "I was in the clutches of the living shadow" - Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers (writer not given; GCD says it may be a Stan Lee plot and Larry Lieber script)

Uncanny Tales #11 - Aug 53
     "The mental case" - no credits given; UHBMCC & GCD says art may be by Sid Greene

Marvel Tales #114 - May 54
     "Fifty-Fifty!" - no credits given; GCD says art may be by Cal Massey

Mystery Tales #15 - Sep 53
     "Johnny's last jump!" - no credits given; UHBMCC says art may be by Manny Stallman

Review/plot:
Ufologist Phillip Lawson can't convince anyone that flying saucers are real.

So when he sees a flying saucer, he grabs his camera and runs for it.

He finds that the aliens, including their leader, Warlord Kaa, are living shadows.

My first thought on seeing that "other side of the sun" line was that they were, like, the shadows that Earthlings cast across the solar system or something. But they are actually alien shapeshifters.

The aliens reveal all their secrets to Lawson, and then imprison him in a cave which ends in a cliff.

So Lawson grabs a guard and makes a jump for it.

He then goes and warns society about the aliens. By turning off the lights and showing that that the shadows remain, he proves that they exist.

But if they turn off all the lights, how can they see... oh never mind.

The sad part is that despite definitive proof that aliens exist, Phillip Lawson never warns his cousin Walter in time to prevent him from getting replaced by a Kree.

It's worth noting that this story was reprinted in Where Monsters Dwell in Oct 1974 and then Warlord Kaa appeared in Hulk #184 in Feb 1975 (both dates are cover dates). It seems to be part of a trend to have monsters (Xemnu the Titan/Hulk, It the Living Colossus, Fin Fang Foom) and other characters (Dr. Droom/Druid, the Headmen) appear in regular Marvel comics after getting reprinted in these monster reprint issues. Kaa will also later appear in Champions.

Also in this reprint, a man has a demon in his head, but transfers it to his psychiatrist.

A beleaguered husband fulfills the conditions of his divorce by chopping his stepson in half.

And the boss of a pair of Arsenic and Old Lace style criminals jumps to his death onto an icy river.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 2 - first Warlord Kaa

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Where Monsters Dwell #31

Inbound References (2): show

  • Champions #11-13
  • Hulk #184-186

Characters Appearing: Kaa

Previous:
Journey Into Mystery #68
Up:
Main

Box 1 / Monster Age

Next:
Amazing Adult Fantasy #11
Strange Tales #67
Tales Of Suspense #15

Comments

That's a good twist ending to that last one.

Posted by: Luke Blanchard | October 12, 2016 5:30 AM




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