From the Mouths of the Marvels:

"Farewell! I no longer believe in our American way of life! I'm going behind the iron curtain to serve the Reds!"

- - From goodbye note written by John Blandings, page 2

Tee hee hee! Stupid, dumb, commie smarty-pants!

Thor from Journey Into Mystery #87
December 1962 • 10 pages

Publication Date: October 2, 1962

Letters Page: No letters page was published in this issue

I: Feature Story: "Prisoner of the Reds!"

Pages: 10

Plot: Stan Lee
Script: Larry Lieber
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Artie Simek

First Appearance: John & Sylvia Blandings, Col. Edward Harrison

Villain: Soviet Commies

Guest Appearance: John Blandings, Col. Edward Harrison

Cameo Appearance: Sylvia Blandings

Synopsis: The mysterious disappearance of the highly-regarded scientist John Blandings appears to be a defection to the Commie Russians, based on the note he left behind. The news media reports the string of defections and says the FBI is working to get to the bottom of it. Don Blake watches these reports with concern and decides he is going to talk to his old friend, Col. Edward Harrison of US Intelligence, and see if he can offer any assistance. Don Blake says goodbye to his nurse Jane Foster, who dotes on him over making sure he takes care of his frail self, and he's off to Washington. Dr. Blake offers himself up as bait for a potential commie abduction; since he is lame and couldn't serve in Korea, this is his chance to do something for his country.

Dr. Blake's plan works like a charm: after his embarking on a secret military science project is reported in the news media, he is visited by a mysterious man who claims to be a photographer for a magazine. Dr. Blake, sensing he's stumbled onto the commie plot here, agrees to take the bait and allows the man to photograph him. Of course, it's not a camera, but a device which emits a sleeping gas that hypnotizes Blake. The man commands Blake to write a note condemning the American way of life and saying he has defected to Russia, and then they are off via jet to the Iron Curtain.

Once there, he wakes up in a jail cell along with several other scientists of high pedigree, all similar hostages of the Russians. When the guards arrive to move them to individual cells, Blake takes the opportunity to switch into Thor, and the battle begins! He frees himself from his prison walls, but the guards have a booby trap: a door opens beneath his feet and he falls into a deep pool that contains man-eating sharks. Thor creates a whirlpool with his hammer that keeps the sharks occupied while he climbs out of the trap. But before he can launch his next assault on his captors, they threaten to throw a switch that will destroy the entire dungeon facility, killing all the prisoners, unless Thor submits to captivity.

Thor reluctantly agrees, and they place him inside a high-tech chair with chains around his arms, chest and legs. The guards leave to assume other duties, thinking Thor their captive once and for all, so they do not see him switch into Don Blake after sixty seconds removal from his hammer. As the slight Don Blake, he easily sheds the bonds that were geared for Thor, picks up his hammer, and becomes the thunder god once more.

His first task is to free the captive scientists. They are amazed at his true power as they are led outside to freedom. Thor says he must go back inside to get Dr. Blake, and inside he lays siege to the castle with his lightning, thunder, and driving wind and rain. The fortress is destroyed, and the Russian guards are left to the punishment of their superiors. Thor turns back into Dr. Don Blake, and he and the rest of the scientists are smuggled out of country by anti-communist freedom fighters.

Back in America, Jane Foster exults in her romantic love for the brave and heroic Thor, while Dr. Blake thinks in his mind about how much he loves his nurse, and how he dare not share his love despite that.

--synopsis by Gormuu

Issues Reprinted
Thor and Tales of Asgard from
Journey Into Mystery #83-100

Click on cover image to learn more about each issue.

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