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Tales to Astonish #97

Nov 1967
Stan Lee, Marie Severin

Tales to Astonish #97 cover

Story Name:

The Legions Of Living Lightning


Synopsis

Tales to Astonish #97 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 4 stars
Hulk is leaping and accidentally collides with a low-flying jet. Guilt-stricken, Hulk rescues the pilot, who is a member of the subversive Legion of Living Lightning; on regaining consciousness, the pilot realizes that Hulk would be of use to the Legion and promises him the acceptance he's always craved. 

On arrival at the Legion's secret headquarters, Hulk is attacked and paralyzed by the Living Lightning devices electric power. The Lord of the Lightning orders the Hulk freed and assures him that he and his group are the Hulk's friends. The Lord also states that the Hulk is essential to the success of their plan of taking over the United States and usher in a utopia. 

The group captures an enemy spy who turns out to be Glenn Talbot. Seeing the Hulk in their company, Talbot is now certain that Bruce Banner is a traitor.

On orders from his new master, Hulk sets out to destroy the Army base.

“The Sovereign and the Savages” 4/5
Writer: Roy Thomas. Pencils: Werner Roth. Inks: Dan Adkins. Colors: ? Letters: Gaspar Saladino.

Synopsis: The Plunderer has Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner, captive at his lair on Skull Island. He describes how the X-Men discovered the entrance to the Savage Land and shows off his new and improved Vibra-Guns which, made of Plunderstone, until recently, could only dissolve metal with their rays but now have been adjusted to destroy any material; he demonstrates by crumbling a mountain. He offers Namor the role of second-in-command; Namor refuses….

Meanwhile outside, a band of savage Swamp Men attack Plunderer’s guards and seize a Vibra-Gun; fooling around with it, one of them sends a blast into the stronghouse, surprising Plunderer. The villain calls out his guards, the Swamp Men flee, but Namor is now free; there is a struggle back and forth but when the Plunderer is subdued, the Swamp Man leader on the roof drops a huge block of masonry on Namor, pinning him to the ground. Plunderer blasts the Swamp Man with a Vibra-Gun and rallies his men. They rush to their big submarine, racing against the impending explosion of their weapons cache and the Plunderer promises to lead them on their mission of world conquest….

Inside the burning building, Namor is awakened by water dripping from a broken pipe; he recovers his strength, picks up the fallen Swamp Man, and jumps into the sea just moments before the munitions depot explodes, destroying the island, The Swamp Men throw a celebration for Namor but he can only think of assembling the Atlantean army and pursuing the Plunderer….

Back in Atlantis, Lady Dorma and Lord Vashti, believing that Namor has joined the Plunderer, inform the ruling council. The council declare Namor an enemy of Atlantis and issue an order that he be killed if he should return to the city….

And the Plunderer decides that his first target for conquest shall be…Atlantis….




 

Review / Commentaries


Tales to Astonish #97 Review by (October 16, 2024)

Review: Hulk is once again duped into joining a group of bad guys, this one unable to make up its mind about their name, are they the Living Lightning, the Living Lightning Legion, the Legion of the Living Lightning, the Legions of the Living Lightning, or the Lords of the Living Lightning? Whoever they are, they have electrical powers to conquer the world and the good manners to offer Hulk a cup of coffee. And Glenn Talbot is paranoid enough to think Hulk is a traitor once again. The plane crash sequence and Marie Severin’s art are enough to set this apart from previous variations on the theme. And it gets better.

Ha! Plunderstone! And last issue had the Tracio-Scope! This device misled Dorma and Vashti into thinking Subby had gone bad on them, based on a single poorly cropped image of their Prince. And now this dodgy inference leads them to denounce Namor to the Council of Elders who banish Namor from Atlantis and order his death should he return. But don’t judge them harshly, there are politicians who have enacted more dire policies based on even less evidence. For the most part, this chapter is fast-paced and full of excitement with an idiot dropping a chunk of roofing on our (anti-)hero’s head. The next episode will be even crazier.

Comments: Hulk story: Part one of three parts. First appearance of the Lords of the Living Lightning. Surprising talent: Hulk performs first aid and sets a broken bone while green. Letterer Gaspar Saladino is credited as L.P. Gregory.

Subby story: Part three of five parts. The X-Men visited the Savage Land in X-MEN #10.




> Tales to Astonish comic book info and issue index

Elektra

This comic is in the following collection:
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Collecting INCREDIBLE HULK (1962) #1-6, TALES TO ASTONISH (1959) #100, INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #102, and material from TALES TO ASTONISH (1959) #59-99 and #101.

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Marie Severin
Herb Trimpe
Marie Severin
Marie Severin (Cover Penciler)
Marie Severin (Cover Inker)
Marie Severin (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Gaspar Saladino.

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