Journey into Mystery #87

Prisoner of the Reds

By Stan Lee with Larry Leiber, Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers

Villains: Communists

Guest Appearances: none

So, What Happens?

A series of high profile scientists have disappeared, leaving notes to say they have defected to the Russians. This catches the attention of Dr Blake who heads to Washington to meet an FBI contact about the issue. Soon afterwards Blake makes the news for inventing a new virus for germ warfare.

This newfound fame leads to a photographer coming to see Blake but his camera lets out a hypnotism gas and the mind controlled Blake only has time to leave a note about his defection before he is bundled on to a plane to Moscow.

He soon finds himself locked up with the other missing scientists. Blake quickly transforms into Thor and deals with the armed guards and the facility’s man-eating sharks before he volunteers to be captured when the Russians threaten the other kidnapped scientists.

Thor is chained up while the reds try in vain to lift his hammer. As they leave it behind and head back to their posts Thor changes back to Dr Blake and easily slips his chains. Reclaiming his hammer he frees the scientists and tunnels out of the fortress. A quickly summoned storm destroys the whole complex and the scientists make their way to the coast and a place aboard a ship heading west.

Don Blake makes it back home safely and has to endure Jane Foster swooning over news of Thor’s exploits.

So is it any good?:

No, the art is quite weedy for Kirby, the, quite grotesque, Russians look good but Blake is at his frailest and he hasn’t quite hit upon the right look for Thor yet.

The short page count leads to a lot of story being crammed in and there not really being any classic Kirby scenes. The story is Lee and Leiber at their red-baiting worst. The commies are of course totally evil but a good old American Doctor like Don Blake can make the media as a hero for developing germ warfare.

I quite liked the ending with Blake and the scientists having to make it across Russia to safety although you do wonder if Thor wasn’t endangering everyone for the sake of his secret identity.

I also quite liked the heroism of Don Blake here, ok he realises he can become Thor at any point but he is still heroic in his human form. That said I’m not sure about him becoming a genius level cold war scientist, it takes something away from the set up if Blake is actually able to jump from science to science like Richards, Stark or Banner.

You could say in this story that he possibly doesn’t actually create the bio weapon just makes the news for doing so but other stories from the period do have him coming up with all sorts of scientific breakthroughs. I prefer him as a regular doctor albeit one who is quite resourceful and brave.

It’s not dreadful, I actually enjoyed it more than issue 86 but it’s quite an empty red paranoia story really and isn’t yet the sort of story the creators would be capable of in a few years time.

Are there any goofy moments?

The commies are so evil they have sharks swimming around under the floors of their scientific establishments. Presumably just in case the Norse god of thunder happens past.

This issue’s new power. Thor rubs the side of his hammer so fast that it emits red hot blinding sparks to see off the Russian guards.

Trivia:

The next issue reveals that Loki was watching the events of this story from Asgard and hence learnt Thor’s secret identity.

Is it a landmark?:

No.

Where can I read it?:

The first Thor Essentials and Masterworks and Omnibus volumes.