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Fantastic Four Vol 1 8

Fantastic Four Vol 1 #8

November, 1962

Editor-in-Chief

Stan Lee

Cover Artists

Jack Kirby
Dick Ayers

"Prisoners of the Puppet Master!"
Writers Stan Lee Pencilers Jack Kirby Inkers Dick Ayers Colourists Stan Goldberg Letterers Artie Simek Editors Stan Lee

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His face feels strong & powerful! And yet, I can sense a gentleness to him--there is something tragic--something sensitive!

-- Alicia Masters

Appearing in "Prisoners of the Puppet Master!"Edit

Featured Characters:

The Fantastic Four

Supporting Characters:

Alicia Masters (First appearance)

Villains:

Puppet Master (First appearance)^[5] (Apparent Death)

Other Characters:

Warden Williams, warden of state prison
Various inmates of state prison
- Rocco
Various police officers
- Joe

Locations:

New York
- New York City
  - Manhattan
    - Baxter Building
    - State Prison

Items:

Fantasti-Flare
Giant mentally-controlled puppet
Flying horse puppet

Vehicles:

Fantasti-car

Synopsis for "Prisoners of the Puppet Master!"Edit

The Fantastic Four run into the Puppet Master and find that they're not only fighting him, but each other as well. As a test of his power, The Puppet Master used a clay puppet to force a man to leap to his death from a bridge. The man was saved by the Human Torch, a member of the Fantastic Four. Learning what had happened, the Puppet Master decided to use the clay’s powers against the Fantastic Four. Carving a puppet of the Thing from his special clay, the Puppet Master compelled the Thing to come to him. The Thing was followed by his team mate, the Invisible Girl, whom the Puppet Master captured. Seeing a close resemblance between the Invisible Girl and Alicia, the Puppet Master disguised Alicia as the Invisible Girl and told her to accompany the Thing back to the Fantastic Four’s headquarters. Alicia, unaware of her stepfather’s motives, obeyed. Once the disguised Alicia and mesmerized Thing were inside the team’s headquarters, the Thing attacked the Torch and the team’s leader, Mister Fantastic. During the battle, Mister Fantastic succeeded in freeing the Thing from the Puppet Master’s control.

Mister Fantastic rescued the Invisible Girl, but the Puppet Master had used a puppet to force a prison warden to set free his prisoners. The Fantastic Four recaptured the prisoners, however.

Alicia, meanwhile, was distraught to learn of her stepfather’s criminal actions. When he came to her bearing a puppet of himself dressed as a king, and told her how, having successfully tested his power, he plans to rule entire nations, Alicia grabbed his arm, protesting that no one should have so much power. She slipped and fell, dropping the puppet, and the Puppet Master, trying to pick up the puppet, tripped over her and plunged from a window.

NotesEdit

This issue denotes the first of many failed attempts by Reed Richards to revert the Thing back to Ben Grimm.
First appearance of the Puppet Master. Though he is seemingly killed off, he returns next in Fantastic Four #14.
The first appearance of Alicia Masters. Alicia joins the cast as a supporting character.
This issue is reprinted in other comics and books, see references for more info.^[6]