Marvel Silver Age Read-Through: Cap goes solo and android overload

Tales of Suspense #59


With this issue, Cap becomes the back-up in Tales of Suspense which Marvel has started calling Iron Man on its letter pages and special announcements.  In the Iron Man lead, Iron Man is attacked by the Black Knight looking to get back at the Avengers for his defeat as part of the original Master of Evil in Avengers #6.  This is standard Iron Man fare for the time and the Black Knight is a threat more by luck than actual ability.  Stan Lee ratchets up the drama this issue by having the chest plate alone not be enough to protect Tony's heart and Pepper and Happy start to distrust an Iron Man who refuses to let them see their boss and whom insists he is fine.
     The Cap feature is much more exciting.  Even the splash page of Cap jumping through a window crackles with energy.  In this story, the Maggia decide to strike the Avengers through their weak link, the "normal" Captain America.  There are plot holes to be sure.  You essentially have the mob do a B&E for the purpose of a hit.  Instead of ski masks and non-descript clothes, they go in open-faced purple body suits.  The bulk of the issue is one big fight, but it is a really dynamic fight, and Cap shines without the bruisers of the Avengers in his way.  This story also introduces Jarvis for the first time.  In fact, Jarvis points at a flaw in the Iron Man feature.  The Black Knight attacks Stark Industries because he knows that will draw out Iron Man which is the only Avenger he knows how to find.  However, the Maggia kidnap Jarvis to find out who is on-duty at Avengers Mansion with Jarvis telling them they could have achieved the same thing with a phone call.  Then why didn't Black Knight just call the mansion to see who answered?

Tales to Astonish #61

In the Giant-Man lead, Giant-Man and Wasp are attacked by an android courtesy of Egghead.  I am a big Hank Pym fan.  He is a seriously underrated character.  At this point, He is probably second only to Reed as a scientist, having invented Pym Particles, the Wasp's stingers, a chemically fueled flying car, and in my mind unstable molecules.  In his first or second appearance as a Ant-Man the Kirby drawn picture of his suit, it states it's made of unstable molecules, before the same is said of the FF.  It's a treat to get a Pym story drawn by Ditko.  The android is almost a proto-Vision with density powers, and I like Hank defeating Egghead by enducing vertigo through the android's senses.

The Hulk story continues from last week with the Hulk continuing to fight an unknown spy in a robot suit.  The spy is eventually dealt with and the Hulk is captured as the cliffhanger for next month.  This story is notable for introducing long-term antagonist Major Glenn Talbot.