Strange Tales #102
Marvel Comics
United States
!["Who Needs You"? [panel 1] / "Secret of the Hidden Planet"? [panel 2] / "Prisoner of the Wizard"! [panel 3]](/image/6113/page-1-strange-tales-marvel-1951-series-102-who-needs-you-panel-1-s.jpg "\"Who Needs You\"? [panel 1] / \"Secret of the Hidden Planet\"? [panel 2] / \"Prisoner of the Wizard\"! [panel 3]")
- Published
- November 1962
- Page count
- 36
- Cover price
- 0.12 USD
- Colour
- Colour
- Format
- Comic series
- GCD
- www.comics.org/issue/17269
Credits
- Editing
- Stan Lee
Issue contents
Cover
"Who Needs You"? [panel 1] / "Secret of the Hidden Planet"? [panel 2] / "Prisoner of the Wizard"! [panel 3]
(Sci-fi stories (panels 1 and 2); Human Torch [Johnny Storm] (panel 3))
Cover, 1 page
Featuring
- Feature
- Sci-fi stories (panels 1 and 2); Human Torch [Johnny Storm] (panel 3)
- Genre
- Superhero
- Characters
- Human Torch [Johnny Storm]; Wizard
Credits
- Script
- Stan Lee
- Pencils
- Jack Kirby
- Inks
- Dick Ayers
- Colours
- Stan Goldberg
- Editing
- Stan Lee
Reprint history
- Printed in
- in Marvel Tales (Marvel, 1966 series) #4 (September 1966) [0.20 page]
in Essential Human Torch (Marvel, 2003 series) #1 (2003) [black & white]
in Marvel Masterworks: The Human Torch (Marvel, 2006 series) #1
Notes
Cover divided into 3 panels. Sequence order and some data provided by Steven Grant via the GCD Error List (27 February 2007).
1Featuring
- Feature
- Human Torch [Johnny Storm]
- Genre
- Superhero
- Characters
- Human Torch [Johnny Storm]; Wizard (Origin, Intro); Invisible Girl [Sue Storm]; Destroyer (cameo)
Credits
- Script
- Stan Lee (Plot)
Larry Lieber (Script) - Pencils
- Jack Kirby
- Inks
- Dick Ayers
- Colours
- Stan Goldberg
- Letters
- Art Simek
Reprint history
- Also printed
-
The Human Torch (Marvel, 1974 series) #2 (November 1974) — Part 1: "Prisoner of the Wizard"
-
The Human Torch (Marvel, 1974 series) #2 (November 1974) — Part 2: "Wizard's Wiles!"
-
Marvel Tales (Yaffa/Page, 1977? series) #3 ([February 1982?]) — Prisoner of the Wizard Part 1
Synopsis
As a crowd of theatre-goers watch a newsreel about Johnny (showing his adventure against The Destroyer), one in the crowd, The Wizard, thinks it would be a great challenge to match his skills against The Torch. The Wizard considers himself the world's greatest brain. He's designed an ultra-modern home, created inventions that have brought him fame and fortune, solved "impossible" puzzles, beaten chess champions & calculating robots, and even been a master escape artist. He sees beating Johnny as somehow "the ultimate achievement", and tricks Johnny into rescuing him when a digging machine he's trying out appeares to go wrong. Showing off his home in gratitude, he suddenly douses Johnny with flame-retarding chemicals!
Notes
Part 1 of 2. 1st appearance (and origin) of The Wizard.
2Featuring
- Feature
- Human Torch [Johnny Storm]
- Genre
- Superhero
- Characters
- Human Torch [Johnny Storm]; Wizard; Invisible Girl [Sue Storm]
Credits
- Script
- Stan Lee (Plot)
Larry Lieber (Script) - Pencils
- Jack Kirby
- Inks
- Dick Ayers
- Colours
- Stan Goldberg
- Letters
- Art Simek
Reprint history
Synopsis
The Wizard makes Johnny a prisoner, and with a special suit, impersonates him, commits a bank robbery, performs a mass jail-break, extorts money from commuters on a bridge, all to make The Torch appear a criminal, and "prove" that he is superior to him. "You must have flipped your cork!" says Johnny. (I'll say!) Later, The Wizard shows Johnny photos that prove he committed the crimes Johnny appears guilty of, but as Johnny won't kill an unarmed man, he'll have no choice but to watch as The Wizard burns the evidence. But the photos fly from The Wizard's hands on their own, and Johnny calls the police, turning over the pics and the Wizard. After they leave, we find he beat the Wizard with help-- from his sister!
Notes
Part 2 of 2. With so much going for him, the only explanation for The Wizard turning to crime is what Johnny suggested-- he's nuts! Next appearance in Strange Tales #105 (February 1963).
3Featuring
- Genre
- Science fiction
Credits
- Author
- Letters
- Typeset
4
5Featuring
- Genre
- Science fiction
Credits
- Script
- Stan Lee
- Art
- Steve Ditko
- Colours
- Stan Goldberg
Notes
Writer credit by Barry Pearl; originally listed Lee (plot) and Lieber (script).
Notes
Cover divided into 3 panels. Sequence order and some data provided by Steven Grant via the GCD Error List (27 February 2007).
Indicia
The indicia for this issue is not recorded. The identified publisher might be an associated or parent company, rather than the specific listed publisher.