This is the latest in a feature where I just share some bit of comic book history that interests me. Here is a collection of all of the installments in the feature so far.
In my most recent Top Five list, I counted down the greatest Invisible Woman moments. In it, I noted that Sue didn't have a whole lot of "great" moments during the otherwise phenomenal Jack Kirby and Stan Lee run on the book. In the early issues of their run, though, things were even worse for Sue. In the first 44 issues, Sue was held hostage THIRTEEN times (I'm using 50 in the title because it's a nice round number)! So I figured I'd spotlight those thirteen times below, to show, when placed together, just how crazy it all looks...
In Fantastic Four #3 (by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Sol Brodsky), the Miracle Man makes comic book history by becoming the first villain to hold Sue Storm hostage!
The super compressed storytelling style of the era made Namor's hostage-taking of Sue in the following issue (by Lee, Kirby and Brodsky) very brief...
Sue goes three-for-three as she is held hostage by Doctor Doom in his first appearance in the next issue (by Lee, Kirby and Joe Sinnott)...
If William Marston was still alive at this point, you know he would have been totally digging that panel of Sue all bound up.
Sue got a two-issue rest before she was back to being a hostage in Fantastic Four #8 (by Lee, Kirby and Dick Ayers), as the creepy Puppet Master holds her hostage as part of a plan that involves his blind step-daughter, Alicia Masters, just HAPPENING to look exactly like Sue!
Sue gets five issues off before her next stint as a hostage!
Go to the next page for the next batch of stories...
In Fantastic Four #13 (by Lee, Kirby and Steve Ditko), the Red Ghost and his Super-Apes take Sue hostage...
No rest for Sue, as the very next issue (by Lee, Kirby and Dick Ayers), the Puppet Master controls Namor and holds Sue hostage...
In Fantastic Four #19 (by Lee, Kirby and Ayers), Sue even finds herself being held hostage in the PAST, as the FF end up captured by the time traveling pharaoh Rama-Tut...
It's Namor at it again in Fantastic Four Annual #1 (by Lee, Kirby and Ayers)...
And after some time off for Sue, it is Namor at it AGAIN in Fantastic Four #27 (by Lee, Kirby and George Roussos)...
Go to the last page for more examples of Sue being held hostage!
The following issue, Fantastic Four #28 (by Lee, Kirby and Chic Stone), sees the X-Men, of all people, taking Sue hostage (they are being controlled)...
In Fantastic Four #31 (by Lee, Kirby and Stone), the Mole Man takes his turn taking Sue hostage!
After a nice respite, Sue is held hostage by the Frightful Four in Fantastic Four #38 (by Lee, Kirby and Stone)...
Finally, Sue is held hostage by the Dragon Man in Fantastic Four #44 (by Lee, Kirby and Joe Sinnott)...
Luckily, as the FF hit their REALLY hot streak (with the introduction of the Inhumans, Galactus, Silver Surfer and Black Panther), Sue's days as a hostage became much less common (although she still managed to get herself captured now and then - even the Trapster held her hostage during an FF/Daredevil crossover!).
That's it for this installment!
If you have suggestions for interesting pieces of comic book history for future columns, feel free to drop me a line at bcronin@comicbookresources.com!