Fantastic Four #66
Fantastic Four #66 is the issue that set the origin of one of Marvel's most philosophically rich cosmic characters — the being known only as 'Him,' who would later become Adam Warlock — in motion, making it a cornerstone of the Silver Age Marvel Universe. While Him himself does not physically appear on the page, the entire narrative machinery of his creation is laid out here: the secret Beehive laboratory, the four scientists of the unnamed group later formalized as the Enclave, and the kidnapping of Alicia Masters as a blind go-between capable of describing their terrifyingly radiant creation. The story arrives squarely at the peak of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's most fertile period on the title — the same sustained run that had already delivered the Inhumans, Galactus, the Silver Surfer, Black Panther, and the Negative Zone — demonstrating that the team's appetite for new cosmic mythology had not dimmed. The character seeded here would eventually anchor Jim Starlin's landmark 1970s cosmic saga and become central to decades of Marvel storytelling, including the Infinity Gauntlet.
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The story was written by Stan Lee and plotted and penciled by Jack Kirby, with inks by Joe Sinnott — the same tight creative trio who had defined the book's look and feel for years. Kirby's co-plot credit was widely acknowledged by both creators in numerous interviews, and the issue's credits themselves read 'Stan the Man Lee and Jack King Kirby have done it again.' Comics historian and writer Mike Gartland, citing Mark Evanier in The Jack Kirby Collector #24, reported that Kirby's original thematic intent for the Enclave was notably different from what was published: Kirby conceived of them as genuinely well-meaning, with their creation rebelling in a riff on Objectivist philosophy, while Lee ultimately reframed them as straightforwardly villainous mad scientists — an editorial divergence that illustrates the creative tensions within the celebrated 'Marvel Method' collaboration. The issue arrived in September 1967, a moment when Kirby was producing plots for most of Marvel's major titles with Lee scripting over his visual storytelling.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover date: September 1967, published by Marvel Comics; story title 'What Lurks Behind the Beehive?'
- First cameo/behind-the-scenes appearance of Him (later Adam Warlock), created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby; Him does not physically appear on the page — his presence is only felt and referenced by other characters.
- First appearance of the Enclave (the four rogue scientists: Dr. Jerome Hamilton, Dr. Carlo Zota, Dr. Maris Morlak, and Professor Wladyslav Shinski), though the group is not formally named 'the Enclave' in this issue — that designation was applied retroactively in Fantastic Four #207.
- First appearance of the Beehive, the Enclave's secret research facility.
- Script by Stan Lee; pencils and co-plot by Jack Kirby; inks by Joe Sinnott; colors by Stan Goldberg; letters by Artie Simek — Kirby's co-plot credit confirmed by both creators in multiple interviews.
- The character known as Him was given the name Adam Warlock in Marvel Premiere #1–2 (1972) by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane; prior to that he reappeared in Thor #165–166 (1969), still under Lee and Kirby.
- The full names of each Enclave member were not revealed in this issue but were later catalogued in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Vol. 2 #4.
- Reprinted in Marvel's Greatest Comics #49 (May 1974); also collected in Essential Fantastic Four Vol. 4, Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol. 3, the oversize Kirby Is…Fantastic! King-Size hardcover (2019), and the Adam Warlock Omnibus (2022).
Cast · 11 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Hit Comics #61 (1968), I Fantastici Quattro #63 (1973), Marvel's Greatest Comics #49 (1974), Une Aventure des Fantastiques #6 (1975), Fantastic Four Pocket Book #11 (1980), The Marvel Comics Illustrated Version of Fantastic Four #02838 (1982), Fantastic Four #66 [JC Penney Marvel Vintage Pack] #[nn] (1994), Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four #7 (2004), Essential Fantastic Four #4 (2005), Fantastic Four : L'intégrale #1967 (2008), Fantastic Four Adventures #12 (2011), Fantastic Four Adventures #13 (2011), Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four #7 (2011), Marvel Gold. Los 4 Fantásticos #2 (2012), Fantastic Four Omnibus #3 (2015), Kirby Is… Fantastic! King-Size #[nn] (2019), Fantastic Four Epic Collection #4 (2019), Adam Warlock Omnibus #[nn] (2022), Adam Warlock Omnibus #[nn] (2023), Die Fantastischen Vier #62, Fantastiska fyran #13, HIP Comics #1961, I Fantastici Quattro Gigante #33, Ihmesarja #24 + 2 more
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