Journey into Mystery #121
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeJourney into Mystery #121 sits at the beating heart of the Lee-Kirby Thor run's most ambitious sustained narrative, a stretch that collector and critic communities have long recognized as one of Silver Age Marvel's richest creative streaks. The issue is the direct continuation of Thor's rematch with the Absorbing Man — a battle that spills across Manhattan skyscrapers and showcases Crusher Creel's power at its most spectacular, as he absorbs the mass of city buildings and grows to titanic size. More meaningfully, it crystallises a thematic idea Lee and Kirby were developing throughout this era: Thor's greatest vulnerability is not physical but moral, and the issue ends with the Thunder God struck down precisely because he stops to protect an innocent child. Running as a backup, the fourth chapter of the 'Tales of Asgard' Odinsword Quest simultaneously advanced one of comics' earliest attempts at multi-part, mythology-scaled fantasy serialisation.
In "The Power! The Passion! The Pride!", Thor and the Asgardians face a perilous journey toward the ominous Pillars of Utgard, their ship battered by relentless waves as they strain against the oars. Balder ascends the figurehead, dragging a mysterious horn with him—its purpose still unknown, but clearly vital. Written by Stan Lee and brought to life with dynamic energy by Jack Kirby, with inks by Vince Colletta, colors by Stan Goldberg, and letters by Artie Simek, this 1965 issue features a cover by Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta that captures the epic tension of the moment.
In "The Power! The Passion! The Pride!", Thor faces off against the relentless Crusher Creel in the heart of New York, their clash shaking the city streets. When Thor pauses mid-battle to shield a child from the fray, Creel seizes the opening—leaving the God of Thunder vulnerable in a moment that tests both strength and resolve.
In "Maelstrom!" from Journey into Mystery #121 (1965), Thor’s ship battles the treacherous waves near the Pillars of Utgard, the Asgardians straining at the oars against the relentless sea. As the storm rages, Balder ascends the ship’s figurehead, hauling a massive horn behind him—his purpose still unknown, but clearly tied to the danger ahead.
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Stan Lee scripted the issue with Jack Kirby on pencils, Vince Colletta on inks, Stan Goldberg on colors, and Artie Simek on letters — the same core production team responsible for the entire mid-1960s Thor run. The issue was released August 3, 1965 with an October 1965 cover date, placing it squarely within what critics have identified as an unbroken saga beginning around Journey into Mystery #114. By this point in the run, Lee had fully committed to serial multi-issue storytelling rather than done-in-one adventures, and #121 is among the clearest examples: it opens mid-battle, advances at least three simultaneous plotlines (the Thor/Absorbing Man fight, Jane Foster's captivity, Loki's scheming in Asgard), and ends on a cliffhanger, deliberately designed to continue in #122.
Trivia · 10 facts
- Written by Stan Lee, penciled by Jack Kirby, inked by Vince Colletta, colored by Stan Goldberg, and lettered by Artie Simek; Stan Lee also served as editor.
- Released August 3, 1965 with an October 1965 cover date, published by Marvel Comics under the Atlas Magazines Inc. indicia.
- The main story, 'The Power! The Passion! The Pride!', is a direct continuation of the Thor vs. Absorbing Man battle begun in Journey into Mystery #120, making this issue fully dependent on its predecessor for context.
- Crusher Creel (Absorbing Man) demonstrates one of his most visually dramatic power applications in the issue, absorbing the physical properties of Manhattan skyscrapers to grow to enormous size before Thor forces him back to normal.
- Thor is ultimately defeated — not by Creel's superior strength — when he pauses in combat to rescue a child caught in the crossfire, giving the Absorbing Man an opening to land a decisive blow.
- Jane Foster appears held captive by a mysterious hooded figure whose identity is not yet revealed; this subplot is resolved in Journey into Mystery #122, where the figure is revealed to be reporter Harris Hobbs.
- The backup story is 'Odinsword Quest Part 4,' a chapter of the long-running 'Tales of Asgard' serial in which Thor's crew navigates the Sea of Fear toward the deadly Pillars of Utgard, with Balder climbing the masthead bearing a great horn.
- Ularic (Asgard's royal warlock) appears on-screen in a cameo; his first full appearance was in Journey into Mystery #119, where Loki was sentenced to serve him as punishment — by this issue Loki has already imprisoned him in his own time vault.
- The series was renamed The Mighty Thor with issue #126 (March 1966), making this one of the final issues published under the Journey into Mystery banner.
- Both stories in this issue have been collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 4 (2013), The Mighty Thor Omnibus Vol. 2 (2013), and the Thor: Tales of Asgard collection (2011); the main story was also reprinted in Special Marvel Edition.
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Reprints
Reprinted in Fantastic! #54 (1968), Fantastic! #55 (1968), Special Marvel Edition #2 (1971), Il Mitico Thor #22 (1972), Il Mitico Thor #23 (1972), Spider-Man Comics Weekly #46 (1973), Marvel Spectacular #6 (1974), Thor #1 (1977), Thor #4 (1978), Biblioteca Marvel: Thor #1 (2001), Essential Thor #2 (2005), Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor #4 (2005), Thor: Tales of Asgard by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby #4 (2009), Thor: Tales of Asgard #[nn] (2010), Thor: Tales of Asgard #[nn] (2011), Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor #4 (2013), The Mighty Thor Omnibus #2 (2013), Marvel Gold. El Poderoso Thor: En Mis Manos, Este Martillo #[nn] (2013), Thor Epic Collection #2 (2016), Loki Omnibus #1 (2021), Biblioteca Marvel: El Poderoso Thor #6 (2023), Mighty Marvel Masterworks: Thor #4 (2024), Marvel Origins #40 (2025), Die Spinne #78 + 2 more
Key issues in Journey into Mystery
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