Issue(s): Tales To Astonish #14, Venus #17
Cover Date: Dec 60 / Dec 51
Title: "Krang!" / "The cartoonist's calamity!"
Credits:
Unknown / Bill Everett - Writer
Jack Kirby / Bill Everett - Penciler
Dick Ayers / Unknown - Inker

Review/plot:
The original title of the story from Tales To Astonish was "I Created Krang", but it's been changed to just "Krang" for this reprint. It is not about the Atlantean Warlord Krang, but a giant, super-intelligent ant created by a scientist that makes Henry Pym look responsible. His idea to to create a growth serum that will cause insects to grow. We are treated with his utopian visions of giant caterpillars and worms managing construction equipment, boats being pulled by huge water beetles, and people being transported around on monstrous house flies.

As usual in these stories, the "Science Institute" simply scoffs at the idea that the scientist could ever make such a growth serum.

No one even considers how one would control these insects once they were enormous, or whether anyone would want to fly around on the back of a fly. Of course, the scientist retreats to a European castle to finish his work, and his corrupt hunchback assistant triggers the experiment too early, creating Krang.

After a brief reign of terror, Krang is defeated by a giant Ant-eater.

The second story features Venus, but there's nothing here to indicate that she's a supernatural being.

We've got a cartoonist whose horrific drawing are coming to life.

Venus shows up and suggests drawing a super-hero to defeat the monsters.

I guess i'd better confess that if i were an artist whose drawings were coming to life, i could think of something better to draw than monsters.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Because of the Venus reprint, I've kept this in the Golden Age. The Tales To Astonish story really belongs in the Monster Age, but who's to say that it couldn't have happened earlier?

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Weird Wonder Tales #18

Did the imaginary superhero in the last scan get a name? Did a Thomas or a Gruenwald try to drop in a later reference to him at some point?

He's just called "hero" but he's imbued with the personality of the artist, Jimmy Rogers, so that may be a good starting point if someone wanted to name him. As far as i know he's never been referenced again.