Fantastic Four
# 11-20


Fantastic Four # 11: "The Impossible Man" 
Writer: Stan Lee 
Penciller: Jack Kirby 
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating:
JJJJ
Synopsis:
The Impossible Man visits the Earth and makes a general nuisance of himself. The FF are called in to help but can't stop him. Instead they decide to ignore him and the Impossible Man quickly gets bored and leaves the Earth.

Jay's Notes:

  • Backup story: "A Visit with the FF" 
  • The FF go through some of their fan mail and recap the first ten issues.

Fantastic Four # 12: "The Incredible Hulk" 
Writer: Stan Lee 
Penciller: Jack Kirby 
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating:
JJJJ
Synopsis:
The Thing's date with Alicia is interrupted by the military, who mistake him for the Hulk. Once that's settled, T-bolt Ross recruits the FF to take on the Hulk, since they believe him to be responsible for sabotaging military bases. The FF track him down and battle it out. The Hulk escapes, but they discover the true saboteur.

Fantastic Four # 13: "The Red Ghost and his Indescribable Super Apes! " 
Writer: Stan Lee 
Penciller: Jack Kirby 
Inker: Steve Ditko
Jay's Rating:
JJJ1/2
Synopsis:
The FF race to the Moon and hot on their heels is the Russian Ivan Kragoff and his uncanny apes, who are exposed to cosmic rays and gains powers. They discover the blue city and disturb the Watcher, who will not tolerate the US and Russia bring their battle to the Moon. He pits the FF versus the Red Ghost and his apes in a deciding battle. The FF defeat the Red Ghost, but he escapes. 

Jay's Notes: 

  • First appearance of the Watcher, Red Ghost and his Super Apes.

Fantastic Four # 14: "The Sub-Mariner and the Merciless Puppet Master!" 
Writer: Stan Lee 
Penciller: Jack Kirby 
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating:
JJJJ
Synopsis:
The FF return to Earth and receive a warm welcome. Meanwhile, the Puppet Master is released from the sanitarium and wastes no time gaining control over Namor. Namor kidnaps Sue and the FF come to her rescue. The FF defeat the mind-controlled Namor and free Susan, and foil the Puppet Master's plans.

Fantastic Four # 15: "The Mad Thinker and his Awesome Android!" 
Writer: Stan Lee 
Penciller: Jack Kirby 
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating:
JJJJ
Synopsis:
The FF are the only obstacle that stand in the way of the Thinker's control of New York City. He and his computer devise a plan that splits the FF apart and has them leave the city. The Thinker seizes the opportunity and invades the FF headquarters. The FF realize that they had thinks pretty good when they were together and return to find their headquarters' attacking them. They battle through Reed's defenses and the awesome android to reach the Mad Thinker. Willy Lumpkin, the mailman and unknown x-factor, helps the FF defeat the Thinker.

Jay's Notes:

  • First appearance of the Mad Thinker and the Android.

Fantastic Four # 16: "The Micro-World of Doctor Doom!" 
Writer: Stan Lee 
Penciller: Jack Kirby 
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating:
JJJJ
Synopsis:
The FF experience mysterious bouts of shrinkage caused by a malevolent villain. They called in the Ant-Man who gives them a vial of the Pym gas which allow them to regain their size. However, the FF are whisked away to a micro-world that is ruled by Dr. Doom. They are captured and held prisoner with the royal family. They escape their elaborate prison and together with Ant-Man free the micro-world of Doom's tyranny.

Jay's Notes:

  • Reed creates the first experimental serum that temporarily cures the Thing.

Fantastic Four # 17: "Defeated by Doctor Doom!" 
Writer: Stan Lee 
Penciller: Jack Kirby 
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating:
JJJ1/2
Synopsis:
The FF return from the micro-world and search for Doom. However, Doom successfully hides from them and manages to kidnap Alicia Masters. Doom, who holds the FF at bay by holding Alicia, demands that he be allowed a seat in the president's cabinet. However, the FF mount a desperate attack and breach Doom's flying hideaway. They defeat Doom's death traps and free Alicia. Doom flees rather than confronting the FF.

Fantastic Four # 18: "A Skrull Walks Among Us!
Writer: Stan Lee 
Penciller: Jack Kirby 
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating:
JJJJ
Synopsis:
Skrull scientists have developed the ultimate anti-FF weapon: the Super Skrull, who has the amalgamated power of the FF. The Super Skrull is sent to Earth, where he defeats the FF. The FF regroup and Reed invents a jammer that will block the Super Skrull external power source. They battle him again and defeat him.

Jay's Notes:

  • First appearance of the Super Skrull.

Fantastic Four Annual # 1: "Sub-Mariner Versus the Human Race!" 
Writer: Stan Lee 
Penciller: Jack Kirby 
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating:
JJJJ
Synopsis:
The Sub-Mariner rallies his Atlantean subjects against the surface world. As the Atlantean army overpowers all surface opposition, Reed creates an evaporation ray which forces the Atlanteans back into the sea. Frustrated, Namor takes the battle directly to the Fantastic Four and takes Sue captive. The rest of the team pursue and engage Namor in battle. However, the battle comes to an abrupt end when Namor rescues Sue and ultimately chooses her over his undersea kingdom.

Jay's Notes:

  • Includes a partial origin of Atlantis and its undersea people.

Fantastic Four # 19: "Prisoners of the Pharaoh!
Writer: Stan Lee 
Penciller: Jack Kirby 
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating:
JJJJ
Synopsis:
Reed leads the team back in time, thanks to Dr. Doom's time machine, to Ancient Egypt in search of a cure for Alicia's blindness. They are attacked by Egyptians and enslaved by the Pharaoh, who is a 30th century time traveler trying to take over the world through the past. Ben turns the table of the Pharaoh and frees the FF. The Pharaoh flees into the future. The FF return to the present, but the time machine didn't allow the cure to come with them.

Jay's Notes:

  • First appearance of the Pharaoh/Kang/Immortus!.

Fantastic Four # 20: "The Mysterious Molecule Man!
Writer: Stan Lee 
Penciller: Jack Kirby 
Inker: Dick Ayers
Jay's Rating:
JJJJ
Synopsis:
The Watcher recruits the FF to help him with the menace of the Molecule Man, who gained control of molecules after an atomic accident. The FF engage Molecule Man, but he's too powerful and defeats them. They regroup and trick him into using his powers on organic molecules which causes a feedback. The Watcher steps in and imprisons him.

Jay's Notes:

  • First appearance of Molecule Man.

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