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Tales to Astonish #95

Sep 1967
Stan Lee, Marie Severin

Tales to Astonish #95 cover

Story Name:

A World He Never Made!


Synopsis

Tales to Astonish #95 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 3 stars
The ship carrying the Hulk to Wundagore II is heading into a cosmic storm and the High Evolutionary is unable to send a warning after the Hulk destroys the radio equipment.

Sir Ram, the pilot, awakens and is able to steer the ship through the storm.

But the radiation kills him and causes the Hulk to transform into Bruce Banner.

A confused Banner arrives on Wundagore II only to be captured by the High Evolutionary and used as a subject for his mad experiments in evolution.

“The Power of the Plunderer!” 3.5/5
Writer: Roy Thomas, Raymond Marais. Pencils: Bill Everett. Inks: Vince Colletta. Colors: ? Letters: Art Simek.

Synopsis: Returning from their adventure with Dragorr, Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner, and Lady Dorma encounter a domed underwater city. Resentful of the surface-dwellers who would encroach on his territory, Namor approaches some construction workers, demanding to speak to their master. One points a harpoon gun at Namor, who clobbers them all then plans to return to Atlantis and gather his army. The city’s builder, Dr. Walter Newell, arrives in an underwater saucer and asks to speak with Namor; Dorma begs him to agree. Namor enters the saucer through its Ultra-Polystyrone wall which permits people to pass through it and reseal itself. Newell explains to Namor that the city is to collect food and minerals for the surface world and proposes a trading partnership. Namor orders them to be gone in no uncertain terms…

…then the submarine of the Plunderer attacks the city, demanding their surrender. Newell challenges them, hoping to buy time for his people to defend themselves. The Plunderer fires a force ray at the saucer which ricochets and cracks the city’s dome, admitting water. Dorma begs Namor to help evacuate the city but he remains aloof. When Plunderer begins attacking the refugees’ craft, he relents and assaults the villain’s ship. Plunderer throws a switch that admits Namor and a fight ensues. Plunderer points out on a viewscreen that Dorma is in danger, distracting Namor so that the baddie can blast him with his Vibra-Gun. Walt Newell spots Dorma in trouble and goes to her rescue. Plunderer ejects Namor from his ship. As the sub starts seizing loot from the city, Namor forcibly takes Dorma from Newell. A ship contacted by Dr. Newell arrives to rescue the refugees while Namor vows vengeance against the Plunderer….

 



 

Review / Commentaries


Tales to Astonish #95 Review by (October 1, 2024)

Review: To be honest, I have never understood the phrase, “a world he never made.” It is closely associated with Howard the Duck (trapped in one) and it supplies the title for this Hulk tale. The question is, Who has ever lived in a world he did make?

[Brian Cronin of CBR had a column revealing the quotation’s source in a poem by A.E Houseman, “The Laws of God, the Laws of Man.”  It’s the poet having a hissy fit over not being his own god. There were so many theological and psychological red flags in that poem that it took me a week to finish writing this paragraph.]

Oh, right…the story. So Hulk is on his way to meet the High Evolutionary though he has no idea why or how to work the ship. Then he meets Sir Ram who can fix everything; Ram navigates the storm and dies. Then Hulk Banners out. All of this is witnessed by the High E who shows himself a bit of a drama queen, wanting Hulk, then he’s up (Hulk is coming), he’s down (cosmic storm), he’s up (storm over), he’s down (Hulk changes to Banner), and in the end, he’s up for a cliffhanger (Bruce is his new guinea pig). All while trembling at the thought of his rebellious New Men. Meanwhile, Hulk and Bruce have some confusing bits of their own. Fast paced sci-fi adventure.

And Subby is still in his bad mood. Dr. Walter Newell (the future Stingray) builds an underwater city for various scientific purposes and Namor’s first impulse is to destroy it. That’s his second and third instincts, too. In fact, it takes a major disaster in the form of an enemy attack, cracked dome, and the villain slaughtering refugees to let Namor allow Dorma to persuade him to save lives. The action is rather confusing and it isn’t clear why anyone survived an underwater city being flooded. And the villain pressing a button to let Namor into his sub, squabbling, then pressing another button to eject Namor is rather comical.

Comments: Hulk story: Part two of three parts. First meeting of Bruce Banner and the High Evolutionary.

Subby story: Part one of five parts. First appearance of Dr. Walter Newell, who becomes the hero Stingray in SUB-MARINER #19. The Plunderer is Parnival Plunder, brother to Ka-Zar, introduced in DAREDEVIL #12-14 and 24; this is his next appearance, and his first without either Ka-Zar or Daredevil. Story co-written by Raymond Marais.

The letters page includes one by Jim Dee, who may be the “Comics for Sale” zine pioneer of that name; there is also one signed “Battery Locker "E" Div.




> 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.

Excelsioring your collection:
Statue Hulk (Battle of New York) 1/10 - Infinity Saga - BDS Art Scale - Iron Studios
Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)
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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: Sam Rosen.

Characters

Listed in alphabetical order. All stories.

Bruce Banner
Bruce Banner

(Robert Bruce Banner)
Hulk
Hulk

(Robert Bruce Banner)
Sub-Mariner
Sub-Mariner

(Namor McKenzie)
Plus: Stingray (Walter Newell).

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