Tales of Suspense #67: Review

Jul 1965

Stan Lee, Don Heck

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Story Name:

Where Walk the Villains!

Review & Comments

Rating:

Tales of Suspense #67 Review by Peter Silvestro (February 15, 2010)

Though the Nazi guards claim they are firing blanks, the guns go click as though they have no bullets at all. Second of a three part story.

Tales of Suspense #67 Review by T Vernon (May 3, 2012)

Review (Iron Man): Here’s the big mystery: Count Nefaria appears in two successive issues (this one and next) and is trying to manipulate Iron Man’s mind in both of them. Yet there is no connection between the two stories—the next issue never refers to the events of this one in any way, and Nefaria looks different. And in this issue Nefaria is more of a mad scientist than the leader of an organized crime cartel, in fact he seems to be retiring permanently from the Maggia to become a super-villain—though still undecided about a name (see comments). This whole issue is an anomaly in the career of the long-running bad guy and I’m wondering if he was the last-minute substitution for another character. The story itself is okay, though it’s based on the urban legend that if a person dies in a dream he will die in reality (I can testify from experience that this is not true—I’ve dreamt that I died and I’m pretty sure I’m not writing this from the afterlife). The punch line is that Iron Man is clueless as to what is actually going on through the entire story! That’s what makes the issue a fun one.

Comments (Iron Man): Tony Stark does not appear out of his armor in this issue. Second appearance of Count Nefaria (the first was in AVENGERS #13). Nefaria is variously called the Dream-Maker, the Master! of Dreams! (yes, two exclamation points), and the Dream-Master; he does not continue with any of these identities. The Unicorn was introduced in TALES OF SUSPENSE #56, the first Crimson Dynamo first appeared in #46 and died in #52, Jack Frost in #45, Gargantus in #40 (though the issue says #42), the Melter in #42, and the Black Knight in #59 (plus several AVENGERS issues).

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Tales of Suspense #67 Synopsis by T Vernon

Pepper Potts is lamenting the resignation of Happy Hogan (last issue) and blames Iron Man for driving him away. Tony Stark realizes the truth behind her accusation and determines to find Happy and bring him back. Meanwhile, Count Nefaria takes on the identity of the Dream-Master and unveils his new machine that can destroy his enemies from any distance; as his first target he selects…Iron Man. Suddenly the Armored Avenger finds himself atop the Brooklyn Bridge, trapped between the Unicorn and the original Crimson Dynamo—who was both Iron Man’s ally and dead. Shellhead easily defeat his two foes, then wakes up in his lab and concludes that he was dreaming. Nefaria, declaring his test a success, now aims to destroy his enemy. Learning from Pepper that Happy has gone to his grandfather’s home in Ireland, Iron Man hitches a ride atop a jet to the Old Country and pays a call on his former employee. He tries to persuade Happy to come home but the hard-headed Hogan declines, citing Pepper’s love for Tony Stark. As he ponder his next move, the hero hears a noise and goes out to investigate; there he is attacked by former enemies the Crimson Dynamo, Jack Frost, Gargantus, the Melter, and the Black Knight. He uses his superior weaponry and agility to confuse and defeat his foes. A frantic Nefaria increases the power on his machine to call up more villains but this causes a short-cicuit in the device and it explodes. Iron Man awakens in the Hogan cottage in time to hear happy taking a phone call from pepper begging him to return to Stark. Iron Man, totally unaware of the manipulation of his dreams by the Maggia boss, concludes this was the easiest errand he ever undertook.

Story #2

Lest Tyranny Triumph!

Writer: Stan Lee. Penciler: Jack Kirby. Inker: Frank Ray. Colorist: ?.

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

By Peter Silvestro

The drugged Captain America is trained with Nazi commandos for the scheme to assassinate the Allied Supreme Commander. Elsewhere in the castle Bucky is led with other prisoners before a firing squad. The Nazis aim and fire…blanks, to terrorize their victims. Bucky, unterrorized, leads the prisoners against their unarmed foes and overpower them. The Red Skull brings the hypnotized Captain America to Der Fuehrer, who panics on seeing his hated foe and orders Cap’s execution as soon as the mission is completed. Bucky overhears the plans for the mission and infiltrates the Nazi commandos in disguise. The enemy parachutes into London and invades the Allied headquarters. Bucky tries to intercept Cap but is delayed by his fight with the commandos. Other soldiers bring Cap into the office of the Allied Commander and confront the General. Cap is ordered to fire his pistol but the drug is wearing off and he can’t, so the Nazis take his hand and squeeze the trigger for him….

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