Astonishing Tales #1
Astonishing Tales #1 marks the first time Doctor Doom headlined his own ongoing solo feature in any Marvel comic, a milestone for a character who had previously existed only as a supporting villain or antagonist. Paired with Ka-Zar's first true solo series, the split-book format itself was a deliberate editorial experiment — Marvel's attempt to give second-tier headliners enough page real estate to develop without the commercial risk of a full solo title. The Doom half introduced The Doomsman and the recurring Latverian rebel Prince Rudolfo, seeding a political subplot about Doom's rule that would play out across the first eight issues of the run. As one of two companion anthology titles launched simultaneously in May 1970 (alongside Amazing Adventures), the issue also represents a conscious structural revival of Marvel's mid-1960s split-book tradition.
In "The Power of Ka-Zar!", the wilds of the Savage Land are thrown into chaos as Kraven the Hunter targets Zabu, leaving Ka-Zar unconscious and his loyal companion in peril. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby deliver a pulse-pounding tale of survival and instinct, with Sam Grainger’s inks and Sam Rosen’s lettering adding grit to the action. The cover by Marie Severin and Bill Everett captures the moment of tension with striking detail.
In "The Power of Ka-Zar!", Ka-Zar finds his bond with his loyal companion Zabu tested when Kraven the Hunter targets the big cat, knocking out the jungle hero and taking Zabu back to New York—leaving Ka-Zar stranded and determined to reclaim what’s his.
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Publisher Martin Goodman greenlit two new split-format anthologies in early 1970 to field-test characters without committing to solo titles, with Astonishing Tales and its sister book Amazing Adventures both hitting stands in May of that year on an alternating bimonthly schedule. The Ka-Zar half was scripted by Stan Lee from a plot by Jack Kirby — the same team that had originally introduced Ka-Zar years earlier as a minor X-Men supporting character — and picks up directly from events in X-Men #63. The Doom feature was assigned to writer Roy Thomas and penciler-inker Wally Wood, though a credible account relayed by Thomas himself (documented on the Pencil Ink review blog) suggests Wood actually wrote the Doom scripts and Thomas was asked by Stan Lee only to polish the dialogue for Marvel's 'house voice,' with Thomas reportedly surprised to find himself listed as the sole writer in print.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First issue of the Astonishing Tales anthology series (cover-dated August 1970, on-sale May 1970), published bimonthly by Marvel Comics.
- Split-book format: 'The Power of Ka-Zar!' (Stan Lee/Jack Kirby/Sam Grainger inks) and 'Unto You Is Born… The Doomsman!' (Roy Thomas/Wally Wood) — each story runs approximately 10 pages.
- First solo ongoing feature for Doctor Doom in Marvel Comics history.
- Ka-Zar gains his first dedicated solo series here; the story continues directly from X-Men #63, with Kraven the Hunter targeting Ka-Zar's sabretooth companion Zabu.
- First appearances of The Doomsman (later renamed Andro), Latverian rebel Prince Rudolfo, and Ramona in the Doctor Doom story.
- The Doom story includes a topical cameo involving the Apollo 11 mission and a thinly veiled President Nixon at the White House, reflecting the real-world moon landing that had occurred roughly a year before publication.
- Cover pencils by Marie Severin, inked by Bill Everett; Wally Wood both penciled and inked the Doom story.
- The issue has been reprinted in Marvel Firsts: The 1970s (2011), Marvel Masterworks: Ka-Zar Vol. 1 (2013), and the Doctor Doom: The Book of Doom Omnibus (2022).
Cast · 21 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Strange #15 (1971), Strange #16 (1971), I Fantastici Quattro #40 (1972), Planet of the Apes #2 (1974), Planet of the Apes #10 (1974), Etranges Aventures #44 (1975), L'Inattendu #1 (1975), Hulk pocket #1 (1979), Hulk Pocket [Hulk Superseriepocket] #1 (1979), Der unglaubliche Hulk #1 (1980), L'Écho des Savanes Spécial U.S.A. #22 (1982), The Marvel Comics Art of Wally Wood #[nn] (1982), Hulk #1 (1982), Sorcelleries #[nn] (1982), Essential Super-Villain Team-Up #1 (2004), Marvel Firsts: The 1970s #1 (2011), Marvel Masterworks: Ka-Zar #1 (2013), Marvel Masterworks: Marvel Rarities #1 (2014), Marvel Limited Edition. Ka-Zar #[nn] (2015), Doctor Doom: The Book of Doom Omnibus #[nn] (2022), Doctor Doom Epic Collection #2 (2026)
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