Tales to Astonish #24
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeTales to Astonish #24 holds a quiet but genuine place in early Marvel history as the first appearance of the Lizard Men of Subterranea — Deviant-bred mutates who would later be woven into Marvel's broader mythology of underground civilizations by writer Roger Stern. Published just a handful of months before Fantastic Four #1 launched the Marvel Age in earnest, the issue exemplifies the pre-superhero anthology format that gave Kirby and Ditko a creative proving ground where the ideas and visual vocabulary of the coming Marvel Universe were being road-tested story by story. Its lead tale also marks the debut of Subterranea as a narrative location within Earth-616 continuity, a subterranean world that would recur across decades of Marvel storytelling. As one of the final issues produced squarely in the Atlas-to-Marvel transitional window, it represents the raw, monster-driven imagination that immediately preceded — and in many ways fed — the Silver Age superhero explosion.
In "I Found the Abominable Snowman! [Part 1]," a daring Mercury mission takes an unexpected turn when a stowaway—love of one of the astronauts—joins the crew, sparking tension among the crew. As the explorers land on the alien world, they face hostility from the native inhabitants, but it’s the girl’s heartfelt connection to her pilot that may be the key to survival. Written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, with art by Don Heck and coloring by Stan Goldberg, this thrilling first chapter features dynamic storytelling and striking visuals, with a cover by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers.
Victor Cartwright’s ambitious plan to capture the Abominable Snowman on film takes a dangerous turn when his expedition in the Arctic uncovers a hidden world beneath the ice—home to ancient lizard-men and a colossal octopus. With Fred Cooper and Don Jordan at his side, Cartwright’s quest for fame quickly becomes a fight for survival in a realm where legend is all too real.
When a secret stow-away joins the first mission to Mercury, her presence stirs tension among the crew—especially with the captain’s disapproval. But as the explorers face hostility from the planet’s alien inhabitants, it’s the girl’s quiet devotion to the pilot that might just prove humanity’s true worth.
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The issue arrived on newsstands July 11, 1961, carrying an October 1961 cover date, during the brief but creatively fertile period just after the title adopted the early Marvel 'MC' corner box with issue #21. Stan Lee served as editor-in-chief and is credited as writer, with the lead story penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Dick Ayers — a frequent collaborating team on the pre-hero anthology titles. The secondary stories feature Steve Ditko art (confirmed by Marvel's own issue listing), consistent with the period's practice of running multiple short anthology features per issue drawn by different members of the Lee-era bullpen. One contemporary fan-history source notes there is no universal consensus on who scripted the lead Abominable Snowman story specifically, though Lee's editorial hand is not in dispute.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover date: October 1961; on-sale date: July 11, 1961, per Library of Congress Copyright Office records.
- First appearance of the Lizard Men (Deviants) — Deviant-bred mutates from Subterranea — created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
- First appearance of the Octo-Monster, a creature kept by the Lizard Men in their subterranean lair, also debuting in the lead story.
- First appearance of Victor Cartwright, Fred Cooper, and Don Jordan as named characters in the lead story 'I Found the Abominable Snowman!'
- The lead story's cover image by Kirby and Ayers doubles as the story's interior splash page — an unusual production choice noted in the Grand Comics Database.
- The issue contains four stories total: 'I Found the Abominable Snowman!' (Kirby/Ayers), 'The Recipe,' 'Something Missing!!,' and 'He Waits in the Dark!' — with Steve Ditko contributing art to the anthology shorts.
- Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish Vol. 3 (2010) and Monsters: The Marvel Monsterbus by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby Vol. 2 (2017).
- The Lizard Men were retroactively integrated into Marvel's Deviant mythology by Roger Stern in Marvel Universe #6–7 (1998), elevating the monsters from a one-off anthology creature to part of the shared cosmology.
Full credits
Reprints
↩ Reprints Marvel Tales #150 (1956)
Reprinted in Creepy Worlds #31 (1964), Where Creatures Roam #5 (1971), Capitaine America #20 (1973), Acção e Mistério - Edição Especial #3 (1977), Creepy Worlds #240 (1987), Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish #3 (2010), Monsters: The Marvel Monsterbus by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby #2 (2017), Marvel Masters of Suspense: Stan Lee & Steve Ditko Omnibus #1 (2019), Creepy Worlds #91, Creepy Worlds #92, Sinister Tales #15
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