Strange Tales #141
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeStrange Tales #141 is a pivotal transitional issue that closes one major Marvel saga and opens two new ones simultaneously. On the S.H.I.E.L.D. side, it delivers the death of the Imperial Hydra (Arnold Brown) — killed by his own unrecognizing agents — while debuting both the mutant telepath Mentallo (Marvin Flumm) and the tech-genius Fixer, the villainous duo who would bedevil Fury for decades and seed the concept of super-powered internal threats within spy organizations. On the Doctor Strange side, it resolves the climactic duel of the Eternity Saga as Strange defeats Dormammu in direct combat and forces him to vow never to turn his power against Earth, a vow with consequences that rippled through the Doctor Strange mythos for years. The issue thus represents the exact hinge between the early HYDRA era and the ESP/psionic era of the Fury feature, and the hard-won payoff of Ditko's long-running Mordo–Dormammu story arc.
In "Operation: 'Brain Blast!'", Stephen Strange faces a new threat as Dormammu banishes Clea to an unknown realm, leaving him to track her across dimensions. With Mordo now trapped in the Dimension of Demons and a hidden bomb set by his disciples waiting in the shadows, Strange must rely on his wits and the lingering traces of evil seen in the Mystic Globe. Written by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, with art by Ditko and colors by Stan Goldberg, this 1966 issue delivers a tense, mystical showdown with a cover by Jack Kirby and Frank Giacoia.
In "Operation: 'Brain Blast!'", SHIELD's E.S.P. Division puts a mental warning into Nick Fury's mind during a simulated attack, triggering a chain of events that pulls him into a high-stakes game of espionage and psychic intrigue. With Mentallo, a rogue agent whose mind can project thoughts as vivid images, seeking out The Fixer—someone who escapes jail using only everyday objects—Fury must navigate a web of deception where the line between real and imagined threats blurs.
In "Let There Be Victory!", Stephen Strange faces off against Dormammu in a battle that shifts the balance of power, only to be struck by a new threat: Dormammu has banished Clea to a hidden realm, and Strange must now search for her while evading a deadly trap set by Mordo’s Demon and his disciples. The Mystic Globe flickers with lingering evil, and with the Ancient One’s guidance, Strange must rely on unseen allies to uncover the truth—before the bomb detonates.
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Strange Tales #141 was released on November 11, 1965 with a February 1966 cover date, produced under Stan Lee's editorial direction. The Nick Fury half was written by Stan Lee and penciled by Jack Kirby — notably, Kirby returned to full pencils on the feature after a stretch of supplying only layouts for other artists, a shift observers found immediately apparent in the linework's energy. The Doctor Strange half followed the book's established division of labor: Stan Lee wrote the dialogue and captions while Steve Ditko handled both plot and artwork, a credit arrangement that reflected Ditko's increasingly autonomous role in shaping the mystical feature in the years before his departure from Marvel.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Mentallo (Marvin Flumm), a mutant telepath and former S.H.I.E.L.D. ESP Division candidate, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
- First appearance of the Fixer (Norbert Ebersol), Mentallo's gadget-building criminal partner, also created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
- First appearance of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ESP Division (the 'Thinkers'), establishing the organization's foray into psychic/paranormal counter-intelligence.
- Death of the Imperial Hydra (Arnold Brown), whose true identity had been revealed the previous issue; he is shot by his own agents who fail to recognize him without his ceremonial cloak.
- Doctor Strange defeats Dormammu in direct combat (via the Pincers of Power duel) and forces him to vow never to menace Earth — the climactic payoff of the multi-part Eternity Saga plotted by Steve Ditko.
- First time the Ancient One's servant is identified by name as Hamir the Hermit.
- Nick Fury story titled 'Operation: Brain Blast!'; Jack Kirby returned to full pencils on the feature (inked by Frank Giacoia) after a period of only supplying layouts.
- The Doctor Strange story has been reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange Vol. 1 (2003), Essential Doctor Strange Vol. 1 (2001), Mighty Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange Vol. 2 – The Eternity War (2022), and Marvel's Greatest Superhero Battles (Simon & Schuster, 1978); the Fury story was reprinted in True Believers: Kirby 100th – Nick Fury (2017).
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Reprints
Reprinted in Pow! #19 (1967), Pow! #20 (1967), Terrific! #29 (1967), Marvel Tales #29 (1971), Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #17 (1971), Vengeur #11 (1974), Eclipso #39 (1974), The Avengers #29 (1974), Strange Tales #188 (1976), Marvel's Greatest Superhero Battles #[nn] (1978), Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts #2 (1979), Le Fils de Satan #18 (1980), Strange Spécial Origines #166 (1983), Doctor Strange Classics Starring Doctor Strange #4 (1984), Marvel Fanfare hors-série #[nn] (1985), Marvel Masterworks #23 (1992), Thunderbolts: Marvel's Most Wanted #[nn] (1998), Essential Doctor Strange #1 (2001), Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange #1 (2003), Marvel Masterworks: Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 (2007), Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange #1 (2010), The Ultimate Graphic Novels Collection - Classic #3 (2014), Marvel Famous Firsts: 75th Anniversary Masterworks Slipcase Set #5 (2014), Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange #1 [Third Edition] (2015) + 9 more
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