Tales of Suspense #98: Review

Feb 1968

Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

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Story Name:

The Claws of the Panther!

Review & Comments

Rating:

Tales of Suspense #98 Review by Peter Silvestro (February 15, 2010)

Baron Zemo was definitely killed in AVENGERS #15, hence Cap’s surprise. Second of a four-part story.

Tales of Suspense #98 Review by T Vernon (August 7, 2012)

Review (Iron Man): The story opens with Iron Man facing Whiplash in battle; the story ends with Iron Man facing Whiplash in battle and—it’s the same battle. Guess we have to look to Jasper Sitwell to get anything done around here. Major plot hole: Whitney Frost (“the femme fatale with the far-out fedora”) is at Stark Enterprises while Big M is aboard the Maggia yacht! Could it be…that Stan Lee wasn’t planning for her to be the mysterious crimelord? Note that this is Stan’s last issue as writer, Archie Goodwin takes over to complete the epic.

Comments (Iron Man): For the only time since Captain America joined the title, Iron Man occupies the second story in the issue. Stan Lee’s last issue as writer for Iron Man. First real appearance of Whitney Frost.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Tales of Suspense #98 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

As Captain America nears Wakanda in the auto-piloted sky craft, a deadly solar ray blasts down from the sky, narrowly missing the craft and melting a mountain. When the craft lands, Cap is beset by Wakandan warriors, whom he easily defeats. The Black Panther arrives to announce that this attack was merely a test to ensure that Cap was not an impostor, but the heat ray was real, the weapon of their enemy. On his tracking scope, the Panther shows Cap an orbiting heat projector, protected by an impenetrable force field, threatening the entire world. The Black Panther explains his plan: he and Cap must strike at the control complex on Earth to render the satellite powerless. First they must find the complex, so they set out to attack a band of the enemy’s mercenary troops to capture an informer. The battle goes against them, however, and they are rendered helpless by shots from a stun gun. Not far away, Agent 13, disguised as spy Irma Kruhl, links up with other troops who will escort her to their leader. When Cap and the Black Panther recover they fall into a lion pit and are surrounded by armed soldiers. The enemy leader stands over them gloating and Cap is shocked to see it is Baron Zemo, whom he thought was dead.

Story #2

The Warrior and the Whip!

Writer: Stan Lee. Penciler: Gene Colan. Inker: Frank Giacoia. Colorist: ?.

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

By T Vernon

Trapped aboard the Maggia sub, a weakened Iron Man is dodging the deadly lashes of Whiplash, as he wields a whip that can cut steel! The villain is too agile for Iron Man who is unable to bring any of his built-in weapons into play. Finally the hero activates his image inducer, creating a series of phony images of more Iron Men surrounding the startled Whiplash….

Back at Stark Enterprises, SHIELD Agent Jasper Sitwell learns that Iron Man has been carried off by Morgan Stark. Contacting Nick Fury, Jasper learns that Morgan is really Tony Stark’s cousin—and that he is a bad guy. As Jasper is about to set off to find him, he is confronted by an army of Tony’s girlfriends demanding to know where Tony is. Among them is a very interested dark-haired woman whom none of the others recognize….

Back at the ship, Whiplash strikes out at the illusions of Iron Man and they disappear. Realizing it was a trick, he turns his attentions to the now powerless Iron Man, as the Big M gives the order to kill….

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