This weekend’s escapist and light-hearted superhero post here at Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at the very first encounters the Fantastic Four had with the Inhumans, the Silver Surfer and Galactus.
FANTASTIC FOUR Vol 1 #44 (November 1965)
Title: The Gentleman’s Name is Gorgon
Villains: Gorgon, Medusa and Dragon Man
Synopsis: This story picks up after Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards) and Invisible Girl (Sue Storm-Richards) get back from their honeymoon following Dr. Doom’s attempt to kill them during their wedding ceremony in Fantastic Four Annual Vol 1 #3.
While renovating the Fantastic Four’s Baxter Building headquarters, the umpteenth argument breaks out among the team members, including the Thing (Ben Grimm), and so the Human Torch (Johnny Storm, Sue’s brother) angrily leaves for a while. He takes his latest sports car for a drive to cool off.
Through a comic book coincidence, the Human Torch gets caught in the middle of a fight between the super villainess called Medusa and her fellow Inhuman called Gorgon.
Medusa, a member of the Fantastic Four’s enemies the Frightful Four (The Wizard, Sandman, Trapster and Medusa herself) reveals to the Torch that she and Gorgon are both Inhumans and Gorgon has come to make her return to their race’s hidden city called Attilan. Continue reading
ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #70 (February 1978) 
Those villains are helmeted criminals known by numbers instead of names and led by the mysterious Number 1. Strike Force has over a score of members, and they wield high-tech weaponry and equipment. 
SGT. FURY AND HIS HOWLING COMMANDOS Vol 1 #1 (May 1963) 
ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #64 (February 1977) 
EERIE #57 (June 1974) 
NOTE: Warren Publications are fondly remembered for their horror and sci-fi magazines like Creepy, Eerie, 1984 and Vampirella (at right). As magazines and not comic books, Warren’s output was not limited by the comics code and could therefore delve into adult themes and intense violence. 
ADVENTURE COMICS Vol 1 #431 (February 1974) 
When situations demanding greater than human intervention arose, Jim could become the Spectre, his ghostly form in which he wielded vast powers that he used against earthly villains as well as supernatural menaces. 
Balladeer’s Blog’s month-long look at Halloween continues! In the past, I examined the most Halloweenish covers for Marvel horror figures like 
VAMPIRE TALES Vol 1 #1 (June 1973) 
Synopsis: One night in Los Angeles, Morbius tries to find his lady love Martine Bancroft (Adria Arjona in the movie), whom he was separated from shortly after his transformation into vampire form. He encounters Carolyn, a female member of the Children of Satan cult. 
ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #58 (February 1976)
Synopsis: Dr. Fate, Flash, Hawkman, Robin, Wildcat, Green Lantern and Dr. Mid-Nite are joined by the Justice Society’s newest members – Power Girl, Earth-Two’s equivalent of Supergirl, and 
GIANT-SIZE SUPERVILLAIN TEAM-UP Vol 1 #1 (March 1975) 
KAMANDI Vol 1 #1 (November 1972) 
After some time, the young man gets caught in the middle of a large-scale battle between an army of tiger-men and an army of leopard-men, all wearing the clothing and wielding the weapons of the humans who used to rule the world. 
Balladeer's Blog 