Plot by Stan Lee – Script by H.E. Huntley – Art by Don Heck – Letters by Sam Rosen
Sometimes a comic book is just a comic book.
Tales to Astonish #46 begins with crime apparently becoming so scarce that Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne decide to take a vacation together in Greece. Which, considering how determined Hank is to keep their relationship strictly professional, seems like an interesting choice.
While there, they hear stories from the locals about a Cyclops terrorizing the countryside and naturally decide to investigate.
They soon discover the creature is actually a giant being used to capture people and bring them to a group of aliens who scan their brainwaves.
Sure.
The story falls back on exactly the kind of disposable alien plot that Tales to Astonish seemed to be moving away from. There’s a mysterious monster, some generic invaders, a science-fiction explanation, and very little reason to care about any of it.
Ant-Man discovers the truth about the Cyclops in the most Ant-Man way possible. He goes inside it. After crawling around its body, Hank discovers that the giant is actually a robot.
Sure.
The Wasp battles the aliens, Ant-Man disables the Cyclops from within, and the invaders flee. The giant robot is dumped into the ocean and our heroes’ Greek vacation can presumably continue.
And that’s about it.
There are at least a few fun moments along the way.
Janet commands a swarm of bees, showing that Marvel is still experimenting with what the Wasp can do, although her “sting” remains an actual pin. Hank also rides a flying ant rather than relying on his usual catapult transportation.
Recent issues gave Ant-Man a partner, a recurring villain, a romance subplot, and more of a traditional superhero identity. Tales to Astonish #46 feels like a retreat back into the anthology-style stories the series had begun leaving behind.
Sometimes reading Marvel chronologically reveals an important piece of the universe falling into place. Sometimes the storytelling or artwork evolves in ways you might not expect.
Sometimes it’s just a comic book.
Marvel in the 60s – Entry #68
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