50 YEARS AGO TODAY

How do you keep a Thor fan in suspense?

Marvel did it by reprinting this THOR #134 Tales of Asgard cliff-hanger from 9 years earlier in MARVEL SPECTACULAR #19 and then waiting another 9 years to reprint the concluding three chapters in TALES OF ASGARD Volume 2 #1.

ON THE SPINNER RACKS Aug/Sep 1964

For the first time a villain from another title appears on the cover (and inside) of JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY!

Magneto had already appeared in 4 issues of  X-MEN.

Those appearances, like this one, were drawn by Jack Kirby.

Thor's 43rd appearance

Don Blake's 32nd.

Jane Foster's 27th.

ON THE SPINNER RACKS Aug/Sep/Oct 1966

From June 1962 until July 1966 there were 73 Marvel comics published with Thor on the cover. They were all the work of Jack Kirby

John Romita Senior broke Kirby's streak with this cover. (inks by Mike Esposito)

ON THE SPINNER RACKS Aug/Sep 1962

Thor's 3rd appearance.

Loki appears on a cover for the first time and debuts in the 13 page Lee/Kirby story.

Don Blake appears for the 3rd time. 

Nurse Foster's appears for the 2nd time.

Plus Heimdall and Balder appear for the 1st time as does Asgard and the Bifrost Bridge!!!

ON THE SPINNER RACKS Aug/Sep 1968

The first Mangog epic made it a good summer to be a Thor fan. It was Mangog's 4th consecutive appearance since its debut in THOR #154.

It would be more than 3 years before Mangog appeared again.

17 YEARS AGO

Dark Horse's THE END LEAGUE's  premise was that the last surviving team of heroes tries to save the world by combining Thor's magic Hammer with an altruistic soul. 

Thor appears in the first two issues.

Unfortunately Thor has been lobotomized causing him to battle Divinity, the mortal-loving daughter of Zeus, and Soldier American, Living Legend of World War Two. Script by Rick Remender. Art by Matt Broome.

IN YOUR LCS TODAY

BRING ON THE BAD GUYS LOKI #1 $4.99

(W) Anthony Oliveira, Marc Guggenheim (A) TBA (CA) Lee Bermejo

WHO GETS THE LAST LAUGH?

Loki, Mischief God or Mephisto, Lies Lord. In a centuries-old battle of wits, Loki needs of a favor, and in exchange, Mephisto commands him to retrieve a soul - one belonging to an agent of Khonshu. But no one tells Loki what to do. Part FOUR of SEVEN Villainous One-Shots!