The
Marvel Comics Brand began in 1939 with the first edition of
Marvel Comics. Throughout the ’40s and ’50s, some of the Timely and Atlas comics
had the slogan “A Marvel Magazine,” ”Marvel Comic,” or a small “MC” on the cover.
As for me personally, I was hooked when Marvel started publishing the Fantastic Four in 1961.
During the sixties, I devoured as many Marvels as I could as they arrived at the local Rexall
Drug Store or swapping comcs with my pals, and this is the first of those Marvel issues in
the ’60s involved
superhero time travel.
Nowadays, we all know that
Doc Doom is far too smart to think the most profitable way to use his
time platform is by sending three of the FF into the past with orders
to bring back Blackbeard’s treasure (while keeping the fourth member
of their team captive). And yet, the story has a charm that stems from the causal loop of Ben Grimm’s presence in the past
actually causing the legend of Blackbeard, which in turn caused Doom to send the loveable
lunk back.
And now I shall send you back
. . . hundreds of years into the
past! You will have forty-eight hours to bring me Blackbeard’s treasure chest! Do not
fail!