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HEY, MISTER ISSUE!

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Volume 1, Number 158 April 20225 EDITOR EMERITUS Michael Eury

Comics’ Bronze Age and Beyond!

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Roger Ash PUBLISHER John Morrow DESIGNER Rich J. Fowlks COVER ARTIST Mr. Freeze by Ed McGuinness COVER COLORIST Glenn Whitmore COVER DESIGNER Michael Kronenberg PROOFREADER Kevin Sharp SPECIAL THANKS Mark Arnold Jarrod Buttery Dewey Cassell Gerry Conway Grand Comics Database Heritage Comics Auctions Keith Dallas Michael T. Gilbert Heritage Auctions Kelley Jones Paul Kupperberg Ian Millsted Doug Moench Dean Motter Diana Schutz Philip Schweier Bryan D. Stroud Roy Thomas Steven Thompson John Wells Joshua Winchester

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BACKSEAT DRIVER: Editorial by Roger Ash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: Mr. Freeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 DC Comics’ villain steps into the spotlight WHAT THE-?!: Mr. Natural . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Robert Crumb’s guru for the ages FLASHBACK: Mr. Fantastic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 An examination of the leader of the Fantastic Four FLASHBACK: Mr. A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Steve Ditko’s hero with a twist PRINCE STREET NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Meet The Honorifics FLASHBACK: Mr. Jupiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 The mysterious benefactor of the Teen Titans FLASHBACK: Mr. Weatherbee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 The much maligned principal of Archie and the gang FLASHBACK: Mr. Monster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Celebrate 40 years of the monster hunter FLASHBACK: Mr. X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Discover the enigmatic denizen of Radiant City BACK TALK: Reader Reactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 BACK ISSUE™ issue 158, April 2025 (ISSN 1932-6904) is published monthly (except Jan., March, May, and Nov.) by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344. Periodicals postage paid at Raleigh, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Back Issue, c/o TwoMorrows, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614. Michael Eury, Editor Emeritus. Roger Ash, Editor-In-Chief. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: BACK ISSUE, c/o Roger Ash, Editor, 2715 Birchwood Pass, Apt. 7, Cross Plains, WI 53528. Email: rogerash@hotmail. com. Eight-issue subscriptions: $102 Economy US, $155 International, $39 Digital. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. Cover artwork by Ed McGuinness. Mr. Freeze TM & © DC Comics. All Rights Reserved. All editorial matter © 2025 TwoMorrows and Roger Ash. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING

“Hey, Mister!” Issue • BACK ISSUE • 1

by R

Photo credit: Jesse Chieffo.

This is an interesting issue for me as it’s the first one that I approve before it goes to print. Editor-In-Chief Michael Eury came up with the theme, story ideas, and assigned writers. Glenn Whitmore (colorist) and Michael Kronenberg (designer) did their usual bang-up job on the cover. The writers wrote some excellent articles, which I then proofread. The edited articles and accompanying art were sent to designer Richard Fowlks so he could work his magic. The whole thing was sent to TwoMorrows to put together the magazine you now hold in your hands or read digitally on a screen. It takes a whole crew of us to bring this to you and I wanted to thank them for all they do. I’m also glad that everyone has welcomed me as part of the team. I’m really excited by this issue as it’s the kind of magazine that we hope to bring to you time after time. It includes characters from major publishers, independent publishers, and even an Underground Comix icon. The articles are well-written, informative, and engaging. I also learned things. I honestly had no idea who Mr. Jupiter was until I read the article. I learned things in articles about characters I thought I knew well, like Mr. Fantastic. Another thing that I enjoy about this issue is that the theme surprised me. Who would have thought that there would be enough characters with “Mister” in their name to fill a magazine? Yet, when I sit and think about it, I realize it makes sense. It’s fun to be caught offguard like that. Deciding on a theme and stories to go with it is, at the moment, a part of the job I adore. Sometimes, it starts with looking at my bookshelf and saying, “Hey! BACK ISSUE hasn’t covered that yet. What themes would it fit? What other stories would work with those themes?” I’ll often develop two or three themes that way. Finally, there’s what I call the “time machine factor.” I start reading these articles and I’m transported back to my parents’ house. I’m sitting on the couch or curled up in bed reading the latest Fantastic Four by John Byrne or the newest adventure of Mr. Monster, and absolutely loving them. I hope we’re able to bring all of that to you. Time start up your time machine.

oger Ash

2 • BACK ISSUE • “Hey, Mister!” Issue

Ice water in his veins: The life and crimes of

by B r y a n

D. Stroud

Perhaps unique to this issue’s theme, the character profiled here was a Mr. not once, but twice. The first time the frozen felon appeared was in the pages of Batman #121 (February 1959) in the Dave Wood scripted “The Ice Crimes of Mr. Zero.” Additional credits include a cover by Curt Swan with Stan Kaye inks and Ira Schnapp lettering. Interiors were done by Sheldon Moldoff with Charles Paris inks and all under the editorial supervision of Whitney Ellsworth. Cold themed criminals were nothing new at the time. There were a number of them in the Golden and Silver Ages of National/DC Comics, almost inevitably armed with some sort of ice-emitting weapon. Included in that roster are the Blue Snowman from Sensation Comics #59 (1946), the Icicle in All-American Comics #90 (October 1947), Minister Blizzard in Wonder Woman #29 (1948), Captain Cold from Showcase #8 (June 1957), and, interestingly enough, a story from Blackhawk #117 (October 1957) featuring “The Fantastic Mr. Freeze,” who turned out to be a robot wielding an instant freezing ice machine. Our first glimpse of Mr. Zero inside the issue is of a bald man in a smoking jacket who doesn’t appear all that menacing, but he has entombed the Dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin in blocks of solid ice and his headquarters appears to be something along the lines of a deep freeze. As the story unfolds, Zero is seen in action wearing a reasonable facsimile of a space suit with a bubble helmet and an apparatus strapped to his back. He and his gang are robbing a jewelry exchange, and he uses a one-two punch of a modified blowtorch followed by ice gas to cause the vault to crack, allowing them to steal all the “ice” they can manage. Despite the arrival of Batman and Robin, Zero’s use of his device to turn the street into a skating rink allows him to escape justice. A little later in the story, the villain recounts his origin to a new recruit. He explains he was the victim of an accident while experimenting with his newly invented ice gun. The container holding his freezing solution burst and saturated him, resulting in his being unable to breathe at normal temperatures. “Thus was Mr. Zero born! I perfected an air-conditioned costume to help me commit my crimes… and built this hidden, refrigerated mountain lair!”

THE COMING OF MR. FREEZE

The ominous Mr. Freeze dominates the art from the cover of The New 52’s Batman Annual #1 (2012). (inset) Our first look at Mr. Zero on the cover of Batman #121 TM & © DC Comics.

More ice and cold gimmicks are deployed throughout the story until the final showdown when Mr. Zero is exposed to steam from a broken pipe that appears to have restored him to normal. Based on the sequence of events, it would appear that Mr. Zero was yet another in a long line of throwaway villains for Batman and Robin to tackle. He wasn’t even given an alter ego in this debut tale, but the chilly chilblain would return to vex Batman. First, however, he would undergo a slight transformation on the small “Hey, Mister!” Issue • BACK ISSUE • 3

screen when he became Mr. Freeze on the Batman television series in 1966. Freeze would appear three times, portrayed by three different actors and with the ensuing Batmania that followed the popularity of the series, Mr. Zero was back with a new name and a somewhat modified outfit, this time resembling a stouter diving suit. “Mr. Freeze’s Chilling Deathtrap!” was printed in Detective Comics #373 (March 1968) and was written by Gardner Fox with interiors produced by Chic Stone and Sid Greene under an Irv Novick cover. The splash page fills the reader in as to whom we’re dealing with: “It’s chill-thrill time again as the refrigerated rogue— Mr. Zero—blasts out of his deep-freeze hide-out to taunt Batman and Robin with his tricky temperature tactics! Bolder and colder than ever—and with a new name to match—he zeroes in his prey and the frigid fate he has finalized for them!” As if that intro wasn’t enough to tip readers to the influence of the TV show, a line uttered by Robin later in the story left no doubt: “Mr. Freeze! That sounds like a campy name dreamed up for a villain in a television program!” Ultimately, a new name and suit, along with a Cryothermal gun added to his arsenal, did not help the frozen fiend prevail over the World’s Greatest Detective, and Mr. Freeze went into cold storage following this second and final appearance in the Silver Age. A little over a decade later, Mr. Freeze returned in Batman #308 (February 1979) in a Len Wein story titled “There’ll be a Cold Time in the Old Town Tonight.” After another uniform makeover, Freeze looks vaguely like Captain Cold minus the parka hood and his cold gun resembles Captain Cold’s sidearm, too, unlike the spray assembly he’d been wielding before. Another change is his seeming shift from simple thief to entrepreneur, trading “immortality” in a cryogenic deep freeze to a millionaire in return for part of his fortune. Unfortunately, the process has created an ice zombie instead, and he is once again defeated by Batman. A few years later, Freeze showed up to bedevil both Batman and Superman in the pages of World’s Finest Comics #275 (January 1982), but it bears noting that just a month prior based on sale dates, writer Alan Brennert gave a nod to Mr. Zero in The Brave and the Bold #182 (January 1982) as the Earth 2 Robin uses Mr. Zero’s freeze gun from the artifacts in the Batcave to foil a Batman robot controlled by Professor Hugo Strange.

(top row) An ice cream truck is the perfect transportation for a cold villain. (2nd row left) Mr. Zero becomes Mr. Freeze on the cover of Detective Comics #373. (2nd row right) Eli Wallach as Mr. Freeze from the Batman TV series. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com). (3rd row) The dialog in Detective Comics #373 shows the influence of the TV show as the Dynamic Duo take on Mr. Freeze. (bottom left) Mr. Freeze, Fashionista? His costume changes yet again in Batman #308. (bottom right) Robin pulls a familiar weapon from cold storage in The Brave and the Bold #182. TM & © DC Comics.

4 • BACK ISSUE • “Hey, Mister!” Issue

A CHAT WITH MR. KUPPERBERG

Back now to World’s Finest and the Paul Kupperberg story “Summer Nights Winter Days!” Illustrated by Rich Buckler and Frank McLaughlin with Len Wein serving as editor, it’s June and Metropolis is suffering a heat wave while Gotham City “…not a dozen miles…” from Metropolis is in a deep freeze. It seems Mr. Freeze is busily creating paul kupperberg an arctic habitat for himself by turning Gotham City into his private winter wonder- © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. land. Freeze has discovered a way to siphon off the heat byproducts to Metropolis and therefore BACK ISSUE: Do you recall any plotting sessions involves both heroes. To no one’s surprise, the with Len? criminal is once again “put on ice,” and things are KUPPERBERG: We must have, even if it was just restored to normal in both locations. “You got any ideas?” This is total guesswork, but Scripter Paul Kupperberg graciously shared his I’m thinking Len must have thrown out Mr. Freeze recollections of this story with BACK ISSUE in a as the villain, because I don’t think he’d have been short Q&A. the kind of character that would be on my radar. Then, once we’d established it would be Freeze, BACK ISSUE: Do you remember how the assignment I began to think of what would work well and came about? decided to pit ice against fire. Back in those days, PAUL KUPPERBERG: Not really. In those days, I thanks to the Atlas of the DC Universe, we knew was one of those guys who was always around that Gotham City and Metropolis were across the office and when somebody needed a fill-in or the bay from each other, so it was easy to link up a story in a hurry, they’d maybe see me walking Superman and Batman. It was one of the few down the hall and go, “Get in here!” Literally, I times I got to write Batman. I had dialogued some picked up half my assignments that way in those issues of Detective or Batman for Gerry Conway, days. I remember it was a cool story. Rich Buckler but I don’t think I ever wrote Batman on his own drew it and Frank McLaughlin inked it. and I think that was the only time, in that story. It was a good enough story for the time, BACK ISSUE: Did you have to do any research into but it was another in a long list of assignments. the character prior to scripting? Motivation in a lot of the early stories tended to be KUPPERBERG: I was pretty well up to date with skimpy, so I tried to do something at least a little all the characters in the DC Universe in those days. different. Because again, I might be called upon at any moment to write any character. They might need a THE DEATH AND ANIMATED LIFE OF fill-in on dialogue for some book or an emergency MR. FREEZE fill-in story. Whatever it is, if I’m walking down Following what amounted to a bit part in the hall and called into an editor’s office, it was Gerry Conway’s “All my Enemies Against Me” in important to be ready. Detective Comics #526 (May 1983), Mr. Freeze I did remember that first Batman appearance also was the featured villain in Doug Moench’s of Mr. Zero, and then in the 1966 Batman series… “The Glacier Under Gotham!” appearing in I think back then he was a C list Batman villain, Batman #375 (September 1984). Then, in and I don’t think anybody bothered to give him 1991, it appeared the frozen felon was done much thought or personality. Kind of one-dimen- for good. Legend has it that Batman editor sional. I think there were references to an origin, Denny O’Neil had so little love for the character, but I can’t even think of it. that he decided to have him killed off by the

(left) Things look bad for Mr. Freeze, but he’s got an ace up his sleeve in World’s Finest Comics #275. (right) Batman and Superman join forces against Mr. Freeze in WFC #275. TM & © DC Comics.

TM & © DC Comics.

“Hey, Mister!” Issue • BACK ISSUE • 5

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by S t e v e n

Thompson

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Baba Ram Dass, Maharaj Ji, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh… It seemed like anybody who was anybody back in the late 1960s/early 1970s followed the teachings of one guru or another. Shel Silverstein even parodied the trend in a line he wrote for the Dr. Hook song, “The Cover of the Rolling Stone” – “I got a genuine Indian Guru, who’s teachin’ me a better way.” In the end, many of these revered spiritual leaders turned out to have feet of clay, something R. Crumb predicted way back in 1967, before the Beatles ever even went to India, when he created his own guru character, the “spiritually arrogant” Mr. Natural. Mr. Natural first appeared locally in San Francisco in issues of the counter-culture newspapers Yarrowstalks and Yellow Dog. In 1970, Chicago Daily News columnist John Bell summed up the character succinctly when he wrote, “Perhaps the heaviest of the underground heroes is the mystical Mr. Natural (a creation of top-dog underground cartoonist Robert Crumb), Mr. Natural trucks around in tunic and knee-length white beard, a philosophical scold to the world. Mr. Natural frequently is consulted by such hungup antiheros as Flakey Foont, who confesses his inadequacies and then demands a formula for instant nirvana only to be rebuffed for insisting on the impossible.” Just looking at Mr. Natural, you might easily think him a vintage comic strip character. He dresses in a formless yellow smock like the Yellow Kid, has a long white beard like OG Wattasnozzle, and wears great big shoes like Slap Happy from the Sparky Watts strip. Clearly an old-fashioned character, right? But then you’d never find ********* or ******** in a classic newspaper strip. And certainly, he wouldn’t be **********************!!! Horrors! The Ralph Bakshi movie, Fritz the Cat, made Crumb’s freaky feline more of a household name, but there’s no question that Mr. Natural was really the artist’s major character. Like most of Crumb’s best-known creations, Mr. Natural was a means of spilling the artist’s Id out in public.

“Hey, Mister!” Issue • BACK ISSUE • 17

MR. NATURAL MARCHES ON

In his Introduction to Volume Seven of Fantagraphics’ series, The Complete Crumb Comics (1991), Crumb writes, “1970 – The peak, the high-water mark of the hippy lifestyle as a popular fashion among the youth of America… The counterculture rebellion had penetrated deep into every college campus and every high school. Even the redneck kids were getting in on it. It looked like too much fun to resist… all that loose sex and dope. And underground comix were right in there, an intrinsic part of the scene, and accoutrement of the lifestyle. Kids got high and grooved on their li’l pile of Zap Comix, got their yuks on Mr. Natural, the Checkered Demon and the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. We were heroes, man!” It goes without saying that Mr. Natural appears throughout the 17 volumes of The Complete Crumb Comics, most prominently in Volumes Four and Seven. The former re-presents his earliest appearances, the latter most of his best-known appearances, including the controversial “On the Bum Again” which we can’t even write about here. In 1995, Fantagraphics published The Book of Mr. Natural. While not a complete collection, the volume, subtitled, “Profane Tales of That Old Mystical Madcap,” did compile many of the old fraud’s longer adventures including a number of then-recent ones with Crumb’s later character, Devil Girl. Over the years, there have been Mr. Natural posters, postcards, ads, greeting cards, pinback buttons, and sculpted figurines in the likeness of the (allegedly) great man. Although seemingly unrelated and purely coincidental, in 1974 the pre-disco Bee Gees even produced an album, a tour, and a minor hit recording, all called Mr. Natural. Despite his haphazard history, his controversies, his falling in and out of favor with his creator, and the character’s own self-proclaimed con artist tendencies, one actually can get some enlightenment from reading Mr. Natural strips—mainly: There are no easy answers. We’re all in the same boat. Find something good to enjoy in every day. THINK! And finally, don’t let others take advantage of you. All valid lessons more than ever these days. Thank you, Mr. Natural. Thank you, Mr. Crumb. STEVEN THOMPSON has been writing about comics, movies, TV, and radio since 1988. He has worked in various capacities on more than 150 books and magazines to date. He currently writes a regular column in Comic Book Creator from TwoMorrows and maintains multiple online blogs.

22 • BACK ISSUE • “Hey, Mister!” Issue

It can be argued that, in the Marvel Universe, there are certain people that Get Things Done. As a tactical leader, few can match Steve Rogers. Faced with a supernatural problem, Stephen Strange is usually one’s first port of call. For problems that require a little… extra… Logan is needed front and center. For everything else, there’s Reed Richards. BACK ISSUE’s mandate is a focus on the Bronze Age of Comics—particularly the ’70s and ’80s. However, when considering “the smartest man on Earth,” one cannot ignore…

THE WAY IT BEGAN

The first illustration on the first page of the first issue of the Marvel Age of Comics is of Dr. Reed Richards. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby—in Fantastic Four #1 (Nov. 1961)—introduce us to a mature, serious, gentleman (Reed), a tough guy (Ben Grimm), a beautiful blonde (Susan Storm), and her younger brother (Johnny Storm). Reed’s title, “Doctor,” immediately suggests a scientific background. We then meet an Invisible Girl, a monstrous “Thing,” and by J a rrod Buttery a Human Torch. As the National Guard fires a missile at the flying Human Torch, an elasticated pair of arms snakes into the sky to grab the missile. We are asked, “Who are all four of these strange and astonishing humans?” Flashback: and we experience one of the all-time great origin stories. Reed Richards seems lost in thought; his hair is greying at the temples; he’s holding a pipe. Ben Grimm shouts, “If you want to fly to the stars, then you pilot the ship! Count me out! You know we haven’t done stan lee enough research into the effect of cosmic rays! Gage Skidmore. They might kill us all out in space!” Sue interjects: “Ben, we’ve got to take that chance… unless we want the commies to beat us to it! I… I never thought that you would be a coward!” She has played her hand well. Ben is adamant that: “Nobody calls me a coward! Get the ship! I’ll fly her no matter what happens!” During the drive to the spaceport on the outskirts of town, Reed states: “Susan, Ben and I know what we’re doing… but you… and Johnny…” Interrupting, Sue again asserts her authority: “Don’t say it, Reed! I’m your fiancée! Where you go, I go!” (And Johnny tells us that he’s tagging along with sis!) It would be rare to find someone (especially someone reading this magazine) who doesn’t know what happens next. Our foursome blast off towards outer space. However, the ship’s shielding is insufficient. They’re bombarded by cosmic rays. As they lose control of the ship, the automatic pilot brings them back to Earth. Emerging from the wrecked spacecraft, Sue discovers she can turn invisible; Ben transforms into a “Thing”; Reed’s entire body becomes elasticated, and—bursting into flame—Johnny is now a Human Torch. They all realize that they’re more than just human. They have more power than any humans have ever possessed, and they must use that power to help mankind. As Reed takes the name Mister Fantastic, “So was born the Fantastic Four—and from that moment on, the world would never again be the same!” While the origin is well-known, readers may not be familiar with the immediate aftermath. In 2006, Joe Casey wrote the six-issue miniseries Fantastic Four: First Family (with gorgeous art by Chris Weston and Gary Erskine). Issue #1 (May 2006) opens with the USAF investigating Reed’s rocket crash. Our Reed Richards is looking truly “Fantastic” in this Jack foursome are transported under quarantine to a classified, Kirby pinup from Fantastic Four Annual #2. government-sponsored containment center. Fortunately, General Walter Montgomery, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of TM & © Marvel Comics. “Hey, Mister!” Issue • BACK ISSUE • 23

(top left) Readers’ first view of Mr. Fantastic, and the rest of the Fantastic Four, from the cover of the first issue. (top right) Fantastic Four: First Family #1 reveals what happened immediately after the original Fantastic Four #1. (bottom) Fantastic Four #8 features Reed’s first attempt to return Ben Grimm to his human form. TM & © Marvel Comics.

Staff, has been a friend of Reed’s for nearly ten years. When a powerful inmate runs rogue, our foursome assist. Montgomery consequently vouches for Reed and his colleagues. Montgomery shares Reed’s idea for the team to be based in Manhattan. The proposal is couched as a “mutually-beneficial relationship which could be of great use in certain emergency situations.” The Joint Chiefs are skeptical—until nuclear bases around the world begin disappearing into the earth. Reed assembles his team, investigates, and informs Montgomery about the Mole Man. Convinced, Montgomery subsequently tells Reed: “About your housing problem… we found a possible location. It’s at 42nd and Madison. Built in the forties by the Leland Baxter Paper Company.” In Fantastic Four #1, we are explicitly told that the current location is Central City. By issue #3, our foursome are living in New York City. Issue #6 specifies the Baxter Building. Alicia Masters is introduced in issue #8, wherein Reed first attempts to transform the Thing back into Ben Grimm. The transformation works—but only for a few minutes—and Ben assumes that Alicia prefers the Thing. Reed’s next cure for Ben—in issue #11 (Feb. 1963)—lasts a few pages longer, as Reed relates how he and Ben first met as roommates at State U: “I was a millionaire’s son and he was from the wrong side of the tracks.” Reed and Ben remember that, almost immediately after graduation, Ben became a fighter pilot over Okinawa and Guadalcanal, and Reed was behind the lines with the Office of Strategic Services, during WWII. Reed also reminisces about, “The girl I had left behind.” The Battle of Guadalcanal was fought between August 1942 and February 1943. If Reed and Ben graduated from university when they were 21, and went straight into the military—twenty years prior—it would now put them around forty. At the time of FF #11, Stan would have been 41 and Jack would have been 46. Be that as it may, in the letters page of issue #11, Stan writes: “Mr. Fantastic and Ben Grimm are both in their late thirties, having graduated college when they were very 24 • BACK ISSUE • “Hey, Mister!” Issue

young. Sue Storm is in her twenties, and Johnny was just seventeen.” But in the issue itself, Reed reminds Sue: “It’s always been you, since we were kids together living next door to each other!”

RETROACTIVE CONTINUITY

That’s a lot of trivia and several inconsistencies. However, as has often been stated, no one imagined that this cheap, disposable entertainment would be remembered—much less revered—for years. John Byrne, who would write and draw the Fantastic Four in the 1980s, spoke with Jim Salicrup in Comics Interview #25 (1985): “When you look at the Marvel of old, when it was Timely and all that, it used to go away every five years, and I’m firmly convinced that if Stan and Jack had known they were creating something that was going to be here twenty, twenty-five—hopefully thirty, forty years later—they would not have tied those characters into historical events. They would not have said Reed had been in World War II. We reach a point when we have to start fudging around.” And that’s okay. When characters have been around for over 60 years—but they’re still essentially the same age—then adjustments HAVE to be made. In 2004 Marvel launched an additional, in-continuity series under the “Marvel Knights” imprint, simply titled 4. For convenience, it’s often referred to as Marvel Knights: Fantastic Four. Without any hullabaloo, issue #4 (May 2004) casually featured Reed Richards reminiscing about his grandfather— John Richards—who enlisted at age 19 and parachuted into Normandy on June 6, 1944. D-Day. Reed muses: “From pictures, and what I remember about him… there’s a lot of my grandfather in me—in my looks. Years later, after John Richards had left the army— and started a business—and made a fortune—and retired— and became a widower—he still talked about the war. After retiring, my grandfather lived with my parents and me in California. Growing up, I learned most of my life-lessons from him. Lessons in humility… and responsibility. John Richards saw most of his friends die in the war. Then he saw his wife die of cancer. Despite all this, his heart never hardened. He was the most selfless, forgiving man I knew, and he taught me to be the same way.” Beautiful work from writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. From Marvel’s earliest days, Stan was keen to establish a shared universe. The FF meet the Incredible Hulk in issue #12 (Mar. 1963), the Amazing Ant-Man in issue #16 (July 1963), and Colonel Nick Fury (of the CIA) in issue 21 (Dec. 1963). Reed exclaims: “Nick Fury! I haven’t seen you since the end of the war!” and they reminisce about ‘Massacre Mountain’. Three months prior, “Midnight on Massacre Mountain” was published in Sgt. Fury #3 (Sep. 1963). Therein, Sergeant Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos are assigned to Italy where they meet jack kirby Major Richards of the O.S.S. An Editor’s Note tells us that today, Major Richards is better known as Mister Fantastic, leader of the worldfamous Fantastic Four. Byrne explains to Salicrup (in 1985) that the Fantastic Four have only been around for seven years: “Because if we don’t do that, these characters are going to get unmanageably old. And there’s no way to get around that. Reed was, according to Stan, in his late thirties, now he’s forty. So we can see little Reed crawling around on Massacre Mountain there with Sgt Fury, [laughs] ‘Wow, this guy is really smart,

(top) It’s not much of a surprise if it’s on the cover. The FF meet other denizens of the Marvel Universe, including Ant-Man. (bottom) The original art for a Mr. Fantastic feature page by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers from Fantastic Four #16. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © Marvel Comics.

“Hey, Mister!” Issue • BACK ISSUE • 25

(top) Boys!! He is NOT a chew toy!!! Fantastic Four #22 (2024). (bottom) Reed and his family, from the 1969 Marvelmania poster. Art by Jack Kirby. TM & © Marvel Comics.

Among many, many excellent writers and stories, this article will highlight two more. Mark Waid wrote a revelatory scene as Reed tells Valeria a bedtime story, in Fantastic Four (Vol. 3) #60 (Oct. 2002): “Once upon a time, there was a very arrogant man who did something very stupid. Without proper preparation or shielding, he took his friends through a wave of radiation that made them all something other than human. His guilt was unbearable… and deserved. These were the people he loved, and he’d destroyed their lives. Thanks to him, they were fated to be freaks… lab specimens or worse… unless he changed that fate somehow. Unless he made the world see them for what they were: three of the best and bravest people anyone could hope to meet. So he refused to let them operate in secret. He gave them a home in a city of eight million. And he gave them costumes. And a flying car. And encouraged them to parade around with some pretty outlandish names. ‘Mr. Fantastic.’ Does that sound like something anyone would really want to call themselves? No. But that’s the kind of thing that made headlines. And t-shirts. And action figures. He knew that would keep people from fearing them. You see, glamour and fame weren’t options. They were necessities. Because maybe by turning his friends into celebrities… he could be forgiven for taking their normal lives away. Someday.” Mentioned above, Jonathan Hickman wrote Fantastic Four from issue #570. In his first arc—“Solve Everything”—Reed is invited to join the Council of Reeds. As the name suggests, it’s a proactive congress of Reeds from across the multiverse. Our Reed agrees to join… until he is told… “The cost of solving everything is everything. The work will consume you. How can we think about little things like our personal lives when the fate of all we know lies in the balance? Susan will stop understanding. Her patience will run out as she’s forced to raise the family all alone... Doesn’t she deserve better? Ben and Johnny will get angry and eventually move on… Your children will resent you because you work too much and love too little… All you will have left is this. It’s the price, Reed. It always gets paid.” And our Reed turns his back. He walks away. Our Reed remembers being a teenager and having a conversation with his father. Nathaniel tells him: “As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that I do not have the character to be both good and great at the same time. But you do, Reed… And as such, all of my hopes and desires rest in you becoming what I am not. When you grow up, I expect more. Son… I expect better. I want you to be a better friend than I was. Be a better husband. Be a better father… Reed… be a better man.” Our Reed Richards may sometimes be a bit oldfashioned, a bit curt, a bit frustrated at a world that moves far too slowly for him; but despite occasional failures, he tries his best. He will do anything for his family. He is the best man he can be. He is... Mister Fantastic. The author would like to express his sincere gratitude to Gerry Conway, Doug Moench, Roy Thomas, and Marv Wolfman for their invaluable help. Jarrod Buttery lives in Western Australia and has penned over two dozen articles for BACK ISSUE. He is looking forward to seeing Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic.

40 • BACK ISSUE • “Hey, Mister!” Issue

by I a

n Millsted

“IF THIS IS THE KIND OF DISCUSSION YOU SCUM WANT…YOU’LL GET IT” – MR. A

There was only one Steve Ditko. In terms of art style, political philosophy, and how he conducted himself in the comics industry, Ditko was his own person in a way to which others might aspire, but few will duplicate. This is best exemplified in the creation and storylines of Mr. A, a costumed hero Ditko created that first saw publication in 1967. Mr. A was a personal project for Ditko, in which he was significantly invested. It was a relatively early example of a creator owned ongoing character and Ditko chose to script the stories himself, which he rarely did with his work for the main commercial publishers. It was also work which he chose to communicate about. It is widely reported that Ditko didn’t give interviews and preferred not to talk about his comics work, but this is not entirely borne out by the facts. Yes, Ditko was cautious about public appearances but where he was able to retain control of the process, he both wrote and spoke for the record. And Mr. A was a subject he was willing to expand on. In the 1989 video (anyone remember VHS?), Masters of Comic Book Art, which was presented by Harlan Ellison, a range of famous comics creators are interviewed. The exception is Steve Ditko, who instead of a traditional, on-camera interview, offers an audioonly commentary on the creation of Mr. A. This is, at the time of writing, fairly easily accessible on YouTube. In this monologue, Ditko states quite clearly that Mr. A is based on two things: Ayn Rand’s theory of justice and Aristotle’s law of identity. The latter, which was an influence on Rand, is the belief that a thing is what it is. Once

“Hey, Mister!” Issue • BACK ISSUE • 41

(left) A 1991 image of Mr. A surrounded by four villains. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com). (right) The cover to the first Mr. A comic, though he had appeared many times before this. Mr. A ©2025 Steve Ditko.

something is named and defined it is just that. The opportunity for Ditko to develop Mr. A This is summed up in the statement A equals A, arose when Wally Wood decided to publish his own from which we can see the direct line to the magazine. witzend is sometimes described as an appellation of Mr. A as a comics character. underground magazine and sometimes as Rand’s theory of justice states that a fanzine; although it had elements of freedom is essential for humans to both, neither is a true description. flourish, and such freedom can be witzend was a brave attempt to impinged on, or limited by, regulapublish a magazine in which talented tion. Therefore, regulation should creators could present their work be avoided in order to maximize and retain ownership thereof, freedom. Mr. A, as we will see, in a manner which was virtually is intended to embody those unknown in the American comics philosophical positions. Ditko was industry (although quite common in also one of the first comics profesUS comic strips and European comics). sionals who had grown up reading Wood invited Ditko to be part of them and observed, approvingly, the initiative and Ditko responded steve ditko that “early comic book heroes with the first appearance of Mr. A were not about life as it is.” He in witzend #3 (1967). was knowingly building a perfect hero in an unThe first Mr. A story is five pages long, untitled realistic setting. “Resentment against the perfect (apart from the series heading Mr. A), and prehero is resentment of A is A,” he declared. sented in black and white. These five pages alone inform the reader of anything they really need to know about the ideas behind Mr. A. It is certainly uncompromising stuff. It starts with a fedora-wearing man speaking dialogue straight to ‘camera’, almost in the manner of a Rod Serling introduction to an episode of The Twilight Zone. The reader is likely to assume, correctly, that this figure is Mr. A. The rest of the page introduces the plot and two of the main characters. Two youths are trying to avoid the police, having broken into, and stolen from, a jewelry store. The store owner has informed the police that one of the youths is Angel, who appears to be known to the officer. When the officer spots Angel, Angel brutally attacks and injures him with a length of pipe. The subsequent police search for Angel, which constitutes the ten panels on the second page, shows a range of views from people who know Angel. Most of these are examples of Ditko’s criticism of what he perceives of as faulty

42 • BACK ISSUE • “Hey, Mister!” Issue

thinking – people who fail to accept that A equals A. Angel’s mother accuses the police of lying, saying Angel is a good boy. His father calls the police cowards for seeking to arrest kids instead of “grown-up criminals.” At the local welfare center, what looks like a minister of religion says it is all the fault of the environment, while an attractive woman says that Angel is “sensitive” and “good at heart.” The negative portrayal of the minister sets a trend, in line with the atheist viewpoint of Ayn Rand. A third person at the welfare center, a slim man in suit and tie, takes a different view. “Baloney,” he says, “It’s not what a person sees that determines his character … it’s the thinking he does, or fails to do, about what he sees!” This character is not named at this point. Next, we see the police talking to a suspected local fence, Morg, who, naturally, denies everything. The police depart and a lackey arrives with a calling card he has been given. The card is divided into two halves, one solid white and the other solid black. It is the calling card of Mr. A, who is clearly already known to the criminal fraternity. The reader will discern that this is not going to be an origin story (or ‘legend’ as Ditko termed them). In the final panel of page two, Mr. A enters fully formed. He looks like a 1950s American male, dressed in a twopiece suit and a fedora hat. There is a face, but it is somewhat plain in visage, suggestive of a mask. In this story he doesn’t wear a tie. On the third page he asks a presumed hoodlum for the whereabouts of Angel. At the first negative

So what is the root of all evil? (left) Mr. A holds court in the splash page to a story from witzend #4. (top right) A single page Mr. A image which appeared in Comic Crusader #4. (bottom right) He’s at it again in another one-page story from Eon #3. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com). Mr. A ©2025 Steve Ditko.

“Hey, Mister!” Issue • BACK ISSUE • 43

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From their first appearance in The Brave and the Bold #54 in 1964, it seemed as if writer Bob Haney wasn’t sure what to do with the team of superhero sidekicks called the Teen Titans. The initial roster included Robin, Kid Flash, and Speedy, later joined by Wonder Girl and Aqualad. The premise had merit, and subsequent appearances in The Brave and the Bold #60 and Showcase #59 were sufficiently well received to earn them their own title, but the adversaries they faced in Teen Titans ran the gamut from a killer robot to the Mad Mod to a caveman, not to mention a number of stories that leaned heavily into the supernatural. In fact, at times it seemed as if they fought amongst themselves almost as often as they faced a villain of any note. The artwork by Nick Cardy was exceptional, but the hip dialogue intended to resonate with a youthful audience frequently seemed forced. So, after four years, DC Comics decided to try a different tack. It began in issue #25, when the Teen Titans go out in civilian garb for a night on the town and bob haney meet Lilith, an attractive dancer at a club. She exhibits extra sensory perception (ESP), revealing that she knows who they are and wants to join the Titans. When they turn her down, she makes an ominous premonition about them “opening the door for death.” Later that evening, the Titans, joined by Hawk and Dove, fail to stop the shooting of a Nobel Peace Prize winner who is speaking at a rally. Although none of them pulled the trigger, the implication is that the aggressive use of their powers escalated the situation. When the victim later dies in the hospital, the young heroes are confronted by the Justice League, who condemn their actions and demand the Titans discipline themselves or they will do so. As they despondently wander the streets, they run into Lilith again, along with a man described as “a friend of Bruce Wayne” and “the richest man in the world,” Mr. Loren Jupiter. He offers all of them, including Lilith, an opportunity to join a secret government project to prepare teenagers to “cope with the world they will inherit.” They accept with the self-imposed condition that they will not use their powers or wear their uniforms. The only holdout is Robin, who tells Mr. Jupiter and his teammates that he has decided to go to college. (It is worth noting that Robin was not present at the shooting, having left to alert the police to the volatile situation.) And so begins an odd chapter in the history of the Teen Titans.

OK, Mr. Jupiter wasn’t really on the cover of Time, but maybe he should have been. Art from Teen Titans #38. TM & © DC Comics.

“Hey, Mister!” Issue • BACK ISSUE • 53

Back Issue #158