Strange Tales #123
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeStrange Tales #123 is a triple-key Silver Age issue that punches well above its humble anthology weight. Most significantly, it introduces Abner Jenkins — the original Beetle — a self-made armored villain whose long arc from street-level crook to Thunderbolts leader would make him one of Marvel's most surprisingly complex characters. Simultaneously, the back-up story marks the first narrative crossover between Doctor Strange and the Thor corner of the Marvel Universe, with Loki manipulating Strange into nearly seizing Mjolnir — an early demonstration of how editor Stan Lee was quietly stitching his young shared universe together one issue at a time. The issue also formalizes the Thing as a full co-star of the Human Torch strip, shifting Strange Tales from a solo Torch book toward the duo dynamic it would carry for another decade.
In Strange Tales #123, Stephen Strange confronts a mystical deception that tests his powers and judgment. When Loki of Asgard manipulates him with illusions of Thor’s villainy, Strange’s spellwork leads to a shocking revelation — and a dangerous new enemy. Written by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, with art by Steve Ditko and cover by Jack Kirby, this 1964 classic blends magic, myth, and cunning, all in a 12-cent comic that remains a standout in Marvel’s early mystical saga.
In "The Birth of the Beetle!" from Strange Tales #123, mechanic-inventor Abner Jenkins dons a high-tech suit to become the masked menace known as The Beetle. When he humiliates Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm during a double-date in the Fantasti-Car, their pride is on the line—especially when he targets the NY World's Fair next. The story unfolds with a clash of egos and gadgets, setting up a showdown that turns the tables on the would-be criminal.
In a tale of trickery and magic, Jo Strange finds himself drawn into a web spun by Loki, the God of Mischief, who claims Thor is a tyrant in Asgard. When Loki manipulates Strange into stealing Thor’s hammer, the sorcerer’s spell reveals no evil within—only the truth of a deception. Now, with Loki’s scheme exposed and his wrath looming, Strange must face the consequences of a god’s cunning.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue shipped with a cover date of August 1964 and an on-sale date of May 12, 1964, produced during the height of Marvel's Silver Age creative surge. The lead Human Torch story was scripted by Stan Lee and drawn by Carl Burgos — a resonant creative choice, since Burgos was the original Golden Age creator of the android Human Torch at Timely Comics, now returning to pencil the Silver Age iteration of his own character. The Doctor Strange back-up was plotted collaboratively by Lee and Steve Ditko under the Marvel Method, with George Roussos inking under the house pseudonym 'George Bell.' Jack Kirby and Sol Brodsky provided the cover. The story's setting — the 1964 New York World's Fair — reflects the real-world cultural moment of its production, though Marvel's Sliding Timescale now treats that detail as a topical, non-canonical reference.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance and origin of the Beetle (Abner Jenkins), created by Stan Lee and Carl Burgos — a disgruntled aircraft mechanic from Baltimore who builds winged power armor to pursue a life of crime.
- First crossover between Doctor Strange and the Thor/Asgard mythology: Loki tricks Strange into attempting to steal Thor's hammer Mjolnir, with Thor himself appearing in the Doctor Strange strip for the first time.
- The Thing (Ben Grimm) formally becomes a co-star of the Human Torch feature with this issue, elevating Strange Tales from a solo Torch title to a Torch-and-Thing team book.
- The lead story was penciled by Carl Burgos — the original Golden Age creator of the android Human Torch at Timely Comics — lending the issue a notable generational continuity. Both Burgos and Stan Lee appear in brief cameo roles within the story itself.
- Cover art by Jack Kirby (pencils) and Sol Brodsky (inks); the Doctor Strange back-up was inked by George Roussos, credited on the issue as 'George Bell.'
- Doctor Strange wears the Amulet of Agamotto in the back-up story — distinct from the more famous Eye of Agamotto, which Strange does not receive until Strange Tales #126.
- The Beetle's next appearance came in Amazing Spider-Man #21 (February 1965), beginning his long career as a Spider-Man antagonist; the Doctor Strange–Loki conflict continued in Journey Into Mystery #108 (September 1964).
- The Doctor Strange story from this issue has been reprinted in multiple collected editions, including Doctor Strange: Master of the Mystic Arts (Simon & Schuster, 1979), Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange Vol. 1, and the Doctor Strange Epic Collection: Master of the Mystic Arts (2018).
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Reprints
↩ Reprints Mystery Tales #45 (1956)
Reprinted in Tales of Suspense #56 (1964), Terrific! #11 (1967), Marvel Collectors' Item Classics #14 (1968), Marvel Tales #25 (1970), I Fantastici Quattro #24 (1972), Giant-Size Marvel Triple Action #2 (1975), Strange Tales #182 (1975), Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts #[1] (1978), Doctor Strange Master of the Mystic Arts #[nn] (1979), Marvel Superheroes Summer Special #[nn] (1979), Doctor Strange Master of the Mystic Arts #[nn] (1979), Strange Spécial Origines #226 (1988), Marvel Masterworks #23 (1992), Thunderbolts: Marvel's Most Wanted #[nn] (1998), Essential Doctor Strange #1 (2001), Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange #1 (2003), Essential Human Torch #1 (2003), Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange #2 (2005), Marvel Masterworks: The Human Torch #2 (2009), Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange #1 (2010), Marvel Famous Firsts: 75th Anniversary Masterworks Slipcase Set #5 (2014), Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange #1 [Third Edition] (2015), Doctor Strange Omnibus #1 (2016), The Human Torch & The Thing: Strange Tales - The Complete Collection #[nn] (2018) + 7 more
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