The Godlike Genius of The Kosmic King
A Marvellous Adventure
1965 marked the twenty-fifth year of Jack Kirby in
the comic industry.
It
had been twenty-five years during which he and Joe Simon had formed a creative
partnership that had been massively successful and a financial disaster in
equal measure(1). Being forced to work freelance and solo in the first few
years of the Comic Code, he spent a brief time at DC Comics (2) before
returning to Marvel(3) in 1958/59 where he worked as the main artist on their
creature comics for three years at which point he and a man named Stan created
a little thing called the Marvel Universe.
The
years 1962 to 1964 had been an insanely busy and creative period. Not only did
he co-create and create numerous characters(4) he also drew the majority of the
covers and half of the actual comics produced each month. At one point during
the end of 1963 and beginning of 1964 Jack Kirby was drawing four or five
complete comics per month(5), this near dominance of Marvel's output earning
him the title King Kirby.
Yet
while these years had been massively prolific in terms of the sheer amount of
artwork produced it had not been without inspiration. Kirby began to introduce
collage into his work in 1964 although he insisted it had nothing to do with
the pop art movement of the time(6). The artistic style of Kirby also began to
evolve into what became known as Kirby Dynamics, this being an exaggerated
style of drawing which emphasised movement and action over realism.
The
notion of the strange creature from space with abilities unlike our own was not
new in late 1964. Indeed, Superman can be described in this way and alien
invasion stories became quickly over-used in the first few years of the Comic
Code Authority. Marvel were no exception, mixing aliens and creatures before
and after the creation of the Fantastic Four. The first aliens created for the
Superhero line of Marvel were the Skrulls in Fantastic Four #2. These were
followed by the Stone Men of Saturn, the Impossible Man, the Infant Terrible,
Kurrgo from the Planet X, the Toad Men, The Space Phantom and The
Watcher.
The
Watcher made his first appearance in Fantastic Four #13 from January 1963, an
issue where the Fantastic Four fight the Red Ghost and his Super Apes on the
moon(7). I'm trying to find a way to say that The Watcher in this story wasn't
based on the 1951 movie The Day The Earth Stood Still and the short story Arena
by Fredric Brown, but he was so I cannot. The Watcher's appearance however was
unique, and he had a signature speech given whenever he entered the story:
"I am The Watcher! I am sworn never to interfere in the actions of
others...Only to watch and observe!"(8)
1964
had seen the revival and return of Captain America to Marvel. As hard to
believe as it may be Captain America had not been published since a brief
failed revival was cancelled in 1954, this revival following the cancellation
of Captain America Comics in 1949. Captain America, along with the android
Human Torch and Sub Mariner had been the most popular characters Marvel had
published in the 1940's. By mid-1963 a new Human Torch had been created and the
Sub Mariner had returned as an anti-hero. Why shouldn't they bring back Captain
America?
This
would be a totally different Captain America, however. He would have no kid
sidekick(9), he would be "a man out of his time", struggling to come
to terms with the loss of his partner and the modern world he had returned to
after 18 years. Despite concerns from the publisher over the dark aspects of
this characterisation the revival was an uncontested success. Following a
try-out run of the character in Strange Tales #114(10) the real return of Captain
America took place in Avengers #4 from December 1963, with the rest being
history (as the saying goes).
So, 1964 drew to a close, marking the
end of a three-year period of commercial, critical, and commercial success for
Marvel. What would the House of Ideas come up with next for the Marvel Age of
Comics? The answer, of course, was more of the same only different.
Stan
and Jack were emboldened by the success of the Captain America revival, which,
combined with the cult following of Spider-Man amongst College students, led to
them beginning to think of ways to make the comics and their stories more
suitable for an older audience. Stan would do this by being more socially
aware, this had worked with Spider-Man and with the characterisation of Professor
X and Magneto mirroring that of Martin Luthor King and Malcolm X. Stan changed
the concept of the X-Men in mid-1965, turning them from a group of teenagers
with strange powers into the strangest teens of all, fighting to save a world
that hates and fears them!(11)
Jack's
approach was somewhat different. The 1960's was, of course, the decade of the
space race. This had led to an avalanche of books, films, TV shows and comics
about space. Indeed, Marvel had begun its superhero universe by having the
Fantastic Four gaining their powers as a result of cosmic rays(12) during a
failed space flight. The following comics they produced introducing strange
alien races and fantastical technology along with straight-forward super
heroics. This formula of mixing science-fiction, mythology(13) and realism had
been successful so why not expand on the more mythical, philosophical, and
technological aspects of it.
The
first notable result of this new approach was X-Men #11 published in February
1965. The story itself was the usual fare: The X-Men fight Magneto and his Evil
Mutants while being observed by a mysterious being named The Stranger(14). The
cover was especially distinctive showing The Stranger levitating above the
heads of the X-Men. This was almost surrealism!
There
were two comics Jack Kirby worked on in the Sixties that defined the decade,
Thor in Journey Into Mystery (which will receive it's own post), and The
Fantastic Four. The December 1964 issue of Fantastic Four (#36) had seen the
creation of The Frightful Four, a group of three villains from Marvel with one
new character. A woman with hair that would move to her command named Madame
Medusa. The next few months would have the Fantastic Four fight the Frightful
Four, travel to the Skrull home world, face Doctor Doom yet again, and face
betrayal from within from The Thing, all this happening while the team were
preparing for the wedding of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Girl. The wedding
was planned to take place in the Third Annual published in July and it was here
that Stan and Jack would bid farewell to the old Marvel style, it would be
a celebration of everything the partnership had achieved over the previous 4
years and set the scene for a new era for the title(15).
Stan
and Jack had created three storylines showcasing their new style, one in the
X-Men and two in the Fantastic Four. The first two were published in August,
Among Us Stalk...The Sentinels! in X-Men 14 and The Gentleman's Name Is Gorgon!
in Fantastic Four #44.
The
Sentinel storyline in the X-Men (#14-16) is well known, introducing the
mutant-hunting robots that would become so iconic and the notion of the X-Men
being feared. It was almost completely Stan's work (Kirby designed the
Sentinels of course) so I will discuss it, and the X-Men, at a later time.
As mentioned before, Jack had
introduced the character Medusa at the end of 1964. The character was a
mystery, having no memory of her past and was well-received by readers. The
next step was to explain the mystery and this was the basis of what became
known as The Inhumans story (Fantastic Four #44-47).
The
truth over who created what in terms of the Marvel Universe is a thorny and
sensitive subject. Each of the three main architects(16) told their own version
which unsurprisingly didn't agree with the other(17). Regardless, while I have
no desire to become entrenched in this matter it is necessary to analyse what
Stan and Jack contributed to the story in relation to the point of this epic.
In
my opinion, issues #44 and #45 of the story are pure Stan. The events taking
place being more to his style than Jack's, detailing the scenario in which The
Inhumans are introduced: The Human Torch is forced to help Medusa escape from a
strange creature named Gorgon. This eventually leading the Fantastic Four to
discover a strange group of humans (and a giant dog) with uncanny powers, this
group not being the X-Men but of course, The Inhumans(18).
Issues
#46 and #47 however are pure Kirby. #46 is a classic Marvel fight issue and to
my mind was plotted, paced, and drawn by Jack. Issue #47 seems more in the vein
of Kirby's work on Thor(19). The design of the Inhumans are pure Kirby, being
his first attempt at the style of costume he would become famous for, as well
as thematically following Kirby's interests and philosophies in life.
Most
writers and artists would have been content to have just created those two
stories in order to be remembered, to Stan and Jack, however, these were the
mere teasers to the main story; the story that would define the Marvel Style and
set a new standard for comic book story-telling.
The
details of the creation of this story have long been legend. How Stan wanted to
create the ultimate comic super-villain and tell a story relevant to the threat
of nuclear destruction faced by the World in the 60's. How he wrote a story
where the Fantastic Four would encounter strange phenomena that would signal
doomsday, a story where they would be unable to stop the end of the World. How
he and Jack wanted to create a character that combined the Watcher and The
Stranger, an alien that would serve as a mirror to humanity and have abilities
derived from a new concept called the Power Cosmic.
How Jack designed this alien into a silver-skinned
being who "surfed the cosmic skyways" as a Herald in service of his
master, the Devourer of Worlds. How this Devourer would represent humanity
facing God in person and embody Jack's notions of religion and philosophy.This
was something vastly different from the Fantastic Four facing The Mole Man,
from the creature stories Jack had drawn of the late 50's and his work with Joe
Simon. This wasn't Googam or Zog, or the Fighting American, Captain 3-D,
Stuntman, The Guardian, or Captain America. This was "The Coming of
Galactus!" and nothing would ever be the same again.
The
Galactus storyline was published in Fantastic Four #48-#50 (December
1965-February 1966) and instantly became a critical and commercial success.
Stan and Jack were proclaimed the greatest comic partnership ever in its
admittedly brief history. It led to comic art being viewed as a serious
addition to modern art, while comics were no longer limited to simple adventure
and superhero storylines.
As
regards the actual story itself, it was the culmination of everything Stan and
Jack had worked towards over four and a half years. It was a masterpiece of
plotting and the highpoint of Kirby's artwork spanning 25 years (and he was
only getting started). It was the greatest story ever told in the World's
Greatest Comic Magazine.
It was the beginning of the end.
The Boring Footnote Explanation Section
(1)
The Simon & Kirby partnership will get an issue of its own sometime, just
not now.
(2)
Kirby's most notable work for DC at this time being The Challengers of the
Unknown.
(3)
Joe Kirby's comic book career started at Marvel, a period when it was named
Timely during which time he and Joe Simon created Captain America. When he
returned to the company it was named Atlas, the company changing its name a
third time to Marvel around June 1961.
(4)
The Fantastic Four, The Mole Man, The Skrulls, Doctor Doom, The Hulk, Thor,
Ant-Man, Iron Man, The Red Ghost, The Wasp, Sgt. Fury, The Super-Skrull, The
Molecule Man, The X-Men, Magneto, The Avengers, Baron Zemo, The Crimson Dynamo,
The Mandarin, The Grey Gargoyle, Diablo, Kang The Conqueror, Immortus and The
Watcher. To name a few.
(5)
The Fantastic Four, The Mighty Thor in Journey Into Mystery, Sgt. Fury, The
X-Men and The Avengers. He would also work on the Human Torch in Strange Tales
(which was shared with Doctor Strange) as well as the occasional fill-in story
in Tales of Suspense and Tales to Astonish.
(6)
Despite Marvel's attempts to categorise itself as pop art it never really bore
any similarity to the art movement of the time. Comic book art is comic book
art. Which is to say that it has its own rules and traditions that
differentiate it from advertising art, photography, and music culture, these
three subjects being the basis for the majority of Pop Art.
(7)
That's the Silver Age for you.
(8)
At which point he would tell The Fantastic Four and the reader about whatever
evil needed to be stopped in that issue.
(9)
Stan famously despised the notion of the main hero having a kid sidekick.
(10)
This was an imposter; Kirby even drew the costume slightly wrong as a hint.
(11)
Could be popular, I guess.
(12)
Yeah, I know that's not how radiation works but they have to get their powers
somehow.
(13)
Kirby's use of myth in comics will be detailed when I get around to writing it.
(14)
Who was an alien from a race fascinated with mutation, observing humanity
(sounds like The Watcher, I know, but it isn't).
(15) The
cast of characters for this issue: Thor, Captain America, Iron Man,
Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, The Wasp, Cyclops, Jean Grey, The Angel,
The Beast, Iceman, Daredevil, The Hulk, Nick Fury, Spider-Man, The
Beetle, Crimson Dynamo, Doctor Doom, Executioner, Enchantress, Grey
Gargoyle, Kang, The Leader, Loki, The Mandarin, Medusa, The Mole Man, The Red
Ghost, The Red Skull, The Sub-Mariner, The Super-Skrull, The Thinker, The
Unicorn, The Wizard, The Puppet Master, Doctor Strange, The Watcher
and many more.
(16)
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby & Steve Ditko.
(17)
Seeing as all three have passed away the possibility of ever knowing the exact
truth is impossible. This of course allows the matter to be debated amongst
comic fans and commentators on blogs ad nauseum.
(18)
To my mind The X-Men are pure Stan. I'm convinced of this by virtue of Jack
only drawing the team once after he stopped working on the title.
(19)
I'm being vague as I don't want to spoil the story, but it's rightly recognised
as a classic. I mean, it's a comic from the Silver Age so it's not Tolstoy or
anything, but a classic nonetheless.
