Issue(s): Tales To Astonish #60 (Giant-Man/Wasp story only)
Cover Date: Oct 64
Title: "The Beasts of Berlin!"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Writer
Dick Ayers - Penciler
Paul Reinman - Inker

Review/plot:
Communists have generally been relatively bland comic book villains, especially when compared to the antics that comic book Nazis got up to during the Golden Age. But this issue does a fair job of making up the gap by delivering us some Commie Gorillas.

This issue starts with Giant-Man throwing a fit in front of his fan club.

He does have good reason, though. His good friend Lee Kearns of the FBI (now ex-FBI) has been snooping around in East Berlin investigating the Commie Gorilla threat and got himself kidnapped.

When the Wasp declares that she'd like to come along, Pym finally opens up about his first wife. "since the years have passed, it isn't as painful now!". He recaps the story and we learn this time that the country in question was Hungary. Pym leaves out the part where Janet looks exactly like his dead wife, however. Jan focuses on what's important: "Are you positive that she really died? Do you have absolute proof?". Because that's the sort of thing that can complicate a marriage license! Pym says that he does.

But honestly, back to the gorillas.

The gorilla-enhancing ray, when turned on human Commies, gives them ape-like behavior.

Lee Kearns, like the Magician, had no idea that Ant-Man was also Giant-Man.

Giant-Man in no way causes an international incident by rampaging through East Berlin and breaking down a section of the wall.

Like many of Henry Pym's one-shot villains from this series, the Beasts of Berlin return during Englehart's West Coast Avengers run. Not sure if it's literally the same gorillas or newly enhanced ones. I will say that it's not really fair that the Beasts get lumped in with losers like the Voice and El Toro. Scarlet Beetle, sure.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 2 - Beasts of Berlin!

Chronological Placement Considerations: The MCP places this between Avengers #8-9.

References:

• Lee Kearns was last heard from in Tales To Astonish #44. That's also the issue that covered the death of Henry Pym's first wife.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Essential Ant-Man vol. 1

The annoying thing about the WCA arc was that Englehart couldn't keep the effects of the ray straight- he had a character claim that the ray also made humans smarter.

The Red Ghost's Super Apes, the Beasts of Berlin...boy, the Commies really had a fun time making super-simians, didn't they?

Pym is so obnoxious I was rooting for the gorillas.

I like the source of the name. During WWI, the Kaiser was often called the Beast of Berlin by the British press.

Hey, the Beasts of Berlin aren't listed as characters ! :) (Nor are they in West Coast Avengers #33-36, for that matter)