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| A common formula plot for both Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko stories was the ugly, scary looking alien monster from outer space who comes to Earth to abolish all of the problems of Earth and create a utopia. But the monster is driven away by the ignorant Earthmen who think he is a menace. Then somebody makes a self-flagellating speech about how we blew it. A typical speech is shown above. Check out the rest of the story to see how ugly the monster is. From Amazing Adult Fantasy #8, 1962. |
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| Here's a Don't Mess Around With Time Machines plot. This is one is particularly clever in that the time machine operators do accidently change the future but don't know they've changed it; everything still looks normal to them. That gimmick wouldn't surprise literary science fiction readers but it's pretty sophisticated for a comic book story. I first read this story in Fantasy Masterpieces #1, 1966 and was charmed by it. At the San Diego Comic Con in the 1980s New York art dealer Peter Koch told me he had all the original art to this story. From Amazing Adult Fantasy #10, 1962. |
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| Another variation on the standard plot about ugly but friendly aliens who are feared and misunderstood by Earthmen. Part of what sets the Lee / Ditko stories apart from EC and DC et al sci-fi stories is the warm-hearted emotionalism. You can't help feeling a little better after reading a story about Earthmen and Mercurians celebrating Christmas together around a Christmas tree. From Journey Into Mystery #78, 1962. |
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| "Inside The Fallout Shelter" |
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| Another fallout shelter story with another selfish bad guy who gets his comeuppance. From Tales Of Suspense #30, 1962. |
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| Typical example of the most common Lee / Ditko plot: the Thwarted Alien Invasion. Art dealer Albert Moy offered me the original art to this story at the San Diego Con in the 1980s for $600. I couldn't afford it and passed on it. A few days later I got a phone call from art dealer Richard Halegua who now was asking $1200 for it. From Tales Of Suspense #33, 1962. |
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| Typical Bad Guy Gets His Comeuppance plot. This is one of the earliest Lee / Ditko stories and I read and inspired me to keep looking for more of them. Most comic book sci-fi stories rarely offered depictions of heaven or hell but the Lee / Ditko stories did so from time to time. From Journey Into Mystery #87, 1962. |
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| This isn't any great story but it does fall partly outside the usual formula plots and offers some Lee / Ditko sentimentality with the old codger being loyal to his old car. It does have the common Stan Lee theme of the ridiculed or hated individual who is vindicated in the end and gets to see his tormentors get some comeuppance. I first read this story in the Globe Bookmart back storage room circa 1968. From Strange Tales #103, 1962. |
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| "When The Switch Is Pulled" |
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| This time travel story falls into the usual theme of regret or disappointment that comes from trying to visit the past or future but it does have an excellent twist ending that no one is likely to see coming before the last page. This is definitely one of the better Lee / Ditko time machine stories. From Strange Tales #89, 1963. |
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| "The End Of The Universe" |
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| This is a fantastic story and my favorite of all the Lee / Ditko science fiction stories. A socially alienated, depressed guy volunteers to pilot a space ship on a daring mission to reach the far limit of our Universe. What he sees there changes his personality and makes him deliriously happy. This story has an almost religious feeling to it that transcends the science fiction stories by EC, DC and Marvel's other rivals. Excellent suspenseful storytelling telling that leaves you wondering what the guy actually did see beyond the end of the Universe. Check out the top panel in the page above where Ditko draws the ship approaching the end of our Universe; where else where have you seen an image like that in any other comic book? The bottom panel showing the guy looking out the ship's portal makes you want to turn the page and see what's he's looking at! Richard Halegua had one page of this story at the San Diego Con in the 1980s. Sadly, I couldn't afford it. Richard said he won the entire story in an auction but had sold all the other pages. From Tales Of Suspense #41, 1963. |
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| This is one of the extremely rare instances in a Lee / Ditko story where the Thwarted Alien Invasion plot ends with the alien invaders not being thwarted. It looks like Earth is going to be invaded after all. From Journey Into Mystery #93, 1963. |
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| The formulaic Size Relativity plot had some variations involving other types of relativity. In this excellent story relative intelligence is the gimmick. A snotty, arrogant genius can't stand the stupidity of his fellow men so he goes looking for an alien race that might be his equal. He finds an alien race that is way smarter than he bargained for and gets his comeuppance in the best Lee / Ditko tradition. I love the last panel with "Alien Moron" sign hanging on his cage. Check out a roughly similar plot in The Twilight Zone TV episode "People Are Alike All Over." From Tales To Astonish #45, 1963. |
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| "Frederick Fenton's Future" |
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| Another time travel story reaffirming the good advice: Don't Mess Around With Time Machines. The typical Lee / Ditko selfish, greedy bad guy gets his typical comeuppance. Even these formulaic time travel stories are fun because of Ditko's imaginative abstract art showing the time traveler moving through time. From Journey Into Mystery #96, 1963. |
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| One of many Thwarted Alien Invasion stories. Ditko's wannabe alien invaders frequently were spindly, lemon sucking physical weaklings but these Klangian giant warriors smack of the Jack Kirby motif of husky, bulky aliens. Don't worry about Earth though. These ferocious invaders from Klangan will be thwarted by a Lee / Ditko plot twist as usual. From Tales To Astonish #47, 1963. |
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