Strange Tales Vol 1 101

Johnny Storm and his sister Sue have taken up residence in Glenville, New York. Sue has publicly revealed her identity but nobody is aware that Johnny is the Human Torch or a member of the Fantastic Four. The town has recently begun construction of a new amusement park which has been the target of sabotage, by somebody who has also been sending threatening letters to the local newspaper, calling himself the Destroyer.

Johnny, as the Human Torch, decides to get to the bottom of things and find out why this is happening. He foils a number of acts of sabotage and saves people from getting hurt. His efforts netted him a challenge being issued by the Destroyer through the newspaper. When the Thing arrives to give the Torch some help thinking that Johnny is in over his head, the Torch refuses.

Going to the meeting place, a cabin in the woods, the Torch has his flame doused with a spray of liquid foam and is easily duped by the Destroyer who manages to escape. Johnny later decides to see why the Destroyer is targeting the amusement park. Upon closer inspection, he finds that there is a Soviet submarine off the coast. With the help of the US military, he captures the spies, and the Torch learns the hideout of the Destroyer.

The Torch easily defeats the Destroyer this time and reveals him to be Charles Stanton, editor of the newspaper company which published the Destroyer's letters. He was working for a newspaper to learn what he could about the goings-on in America to report back to his superiors, and he targeted the amusement park because its construction near the waterway would have made the Soviet sub visible to others.

Appearing in "Sdrawkcab"

Reprint of the 5th story from
Strange Tales #58

Synopsis for "Sdrawkcab"

Reprint of the 5th story from
Strange Tales #58

Synopsis not yet written

Appearing in "The Impossible Spaceship!"

Featured Characters:

Numerous unnamed citizens of the United States

Supporting Characters:

Unidentified Aliens
- Numerous unnamed aliens

Other Characters:

United States Air Force
- Numerous unnamed airmen
United States Army
- Numerous unnamed soldiers

Races and Species:

Humans
Unidentified mechanical aliens

Locations:

Earth-616
- Sol
  - Earth
    - North America
      - United States of America
    - Korea (Mentioned)
- Unidentified Planet

Events:

Korean War (Mentioned)

Synopsis for "The Impossible Spaceship!"

A spacecraft arrives on Earth and after a thorough investigation the humans deem it empty. However, after it returns to its home planet it is revealed that it was the ship itself that was alive.

Appearing in "What Is X-35?"

Featured Characters:

Archie Craig (First appearance; dies)

Supporting Characters:

Unnamed Ticket Seller

Antagonists:

Fate (Mentioned in narration)

Other Characters:

Unidentified Police Department
- Bill
- Unnamed Police Officer

Races and Species:

Humans

Locations:

Earth-616
- Earth
  - United States of America

Vehicles:

S.S. Palace (Ship)
Car (X-35 License Plate)

Synopsis for "What Is X-35?"

A criminal attempts to avoid the police by getting a ticket on a tramp steamer out of port. When he looks at the ticket the seller gives him it reads X-35. He angrily heads back to the ticket seller who apologizes and hands him the ticket which he verifies standing there. When he is back in his hideout, he glances at the ticket again and sees it says X-35. He thinks the ticket seller is playing some sort of gag on him, so he goes down to have it out with him and pulls his gun. The ticket seller is frightened and runs out of the building and across the street pursued by the criminal who is struck and killed by a car with the license plate...X-35.

Notes

Continuity Notes[]

The Human Torch

The editor's note states that Johnny's identity as the Human Torch is secret. It is later identified in Human Torch (Vol. 3) #1 that Johnny initially tried to brag about being the Human Torch and nobody believed him. The "secret identity" business was all to save his bruised ego until people couldn't deny that he was actually the Human Torch. Strange Tales #106 reveals that everyone knew about Johnny's "double identity" and were just humoring him.
Johnny recaps the origins of the Fantastic Four as the tale was originally told in Fantastic Four #1. The purpose of the space flight and the technology used here are not specified but these facts are subject to the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. Originally in Fantastic Four #1 it is stated that the Fantastic Four were trying to beat the Soviets in the space race. In Fantastic Four #2 it is stated the group were trying to reach Mars. The story has been frequently updated since. Particularly in Fantastic Four #197, Fantastic Four #236, Fantastic Four #358. Current versions of the Fantastic Four's origins now state they were attempting to travel beyond the solar system with a prototype star drive.
All Cold War references in this story should be considered topical references per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.

Links and References

Review of the Issue at extremisreviews.com

References