| Characters |
Jimmy Woo; Suwan (deceased); The Yellow Claw; Nick Fury; Clay Quartermain; Dum Dum Dugan; Val [Contessa Valentina Allegro de Fontaine]; The Gaff [Sidney E. Levine]; The Prime Mover (chess robot); Dr. Doom |
| Synopsis |
Jimmy cradles the body of his beloved in his arms; The Claw vows vengeance; Fury says he's takin' over --NOW! Just then, ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE as a SHIELD Suicide Squad bursts in thru the floor via "The Dreadnought," a colossal tunneling machine. The Claw vanishes, Fury uses a "Psuedo-Elliptoid Wrist Tracer" to find him, but arrives just as the villain escapes into the "Space-Time Continuum" in an "Infinity Sphere." But Fury finds a "Prototype Warp-Vest" which uses "Hyper-Space Circuits" and follows The Claw's "Cosmic Trajectory." The Claw hits the button on a nuclear detonator, destroying his entire underwater base-- just as Fury arrives and attacks him using a "Mind-Amplifyin' Gizmo." As The Claw topples backward, Fury tells him SHIELD planted an "Explosion Absorber" and cleared out-- meaning, The Claw only succeeded in destroying his own base. Fury then uses The Satan Claw to peel open The Claw's armor-- to surprising, shocking results... |
| Genre |
Spy |
| Script |
Jim Steranko |
| Pencils |
Jim Steranko |
| Inks |
Joe Sinnott |
| Colors |
Jim Steranko |
| Letters |
Sam Rosen |
| Notes |
Part 9 of 9. Features comics' 1st 4-page spread (requiring 2 issues side-by-side for full effect). SHIELD's invading The Yellow Claw's underground HQ pays tribute to the climax of the film YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967), except with the heroes coming up thru the floor instead of down thru the ceiling. SHIELD's Dreadnought, which takes its name (ironically) from the HYDRA killer robot, is in the tradition of tunneling machines used by Cave Carson in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #31 (DC Comics, September 1960), The Hate Monger in FANTASTIC FOUR #21 (February 1963), International Rescue on the tv series THUNDERBIRDS (1965) and Japan's Science Patrol on the tv series ULTRA MAN (1966). The Claw's "Infinity Sphere" is strikingly similar to The Legion Of Super-Heroes' "Time Bubbles" in ADVENTURE COMICS. With Dr. Strange battling a science-fiction villain, and Fury hurtling thru other dimensions, the line between the 2 series in STRANGE TALES was beginning to disappear. Baron Strucker's Satan Claw last seen in STRANGE TALES #159 (August 1967). The Prime Mover would return in GIANT-SIZE DEFENDERS #3 (January 1975). While the ending of this story would be long debated among fans, writer Steve Englehart would bring back The Yellow Claw in CAPTAIN AMERICA #164-167 (August-November 1973). |
| Reprinted |
in Captain Britain (Marvel UK, 1976 series) #17 (February 2, 1977) [6 page excerpt]; in Captain Britain (Marvel UK, 1976 series) #18 (February 9, 1977) [in 2 parts]; in Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Marvel, 2000 series) #nn (May 2000); in Marvel Masterworks: Nick Fury, Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Marvel, 2007 series) #2 |
| Characters |
The Ancient One; Dr. Strange; Victoria Bentley; Yandroth |
| Synopsis |
The Ancient One is alive! He tells Strange he only made Zom believe he was dead so he could pass on his own powers to his desciple, and now that the "Cosmic Balance" has been restored, he was able to shatter the spell that bound him. The two fly to the Himalayas, a journey which severely taxes the weakened old man. In his mountain retreat, they use the Vapors of Valtorr to conjure a vision of Victoria, who is in the "Dimension of Dreams". Unable to draw her free, Strange must employ a large mystic gem to go after her in person, knowing that the only thing that can bring him back is The Ancient One-- who must stay awake, or his desciple will be lost forever! Strange catches up with Yandroth & Victoria, the scientist suprised that anyone could have tracked him down after he altered the course of the teleporter. A giant behemoth suddenly looms, as do a pair of Viking warriors. As Strange prepares to defend all against them, Yandroth raises his gun and prepares to fire... |
| Genre |
Occult; Science fiction |
| Script |
Dan Adkins (co-plot); Dennis O'Neil (co-plot, dialogue) |
| Pencils |
Dan Adkins |
| Inks |
Dan Adkins |
| Letters |
Sam Rosen |
| Notes |
Part 21 of 22; part 4 of Yandroth sequence. Apparently "competing" with Steranko, with this issue Dan Adkins begins using bizarre page layouts that resemble overlapping photos. |
| Reprinted |
in Giant-Size Doctor Strange (Marvel, 1975 series) #1 (1975); in Essential Dr. Strange (Marvel, 2001 series) #1 (December 2001); in Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange (Marvel, 2003 series) #2 |