Comics:Tales to Astonish Vol 1 52

From Marvel Database

"The Black Knight Strikes!"

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Tales to Astonish Vol 1 #52
February, 1964

Writers

Stan Lee

Pencilers

Dick Ayers

Inkers

Dick Ayers

Letterers

Art Simek

"Not What They Seem!"

Writers

Stan Lee, Larry Lieber

Pencilers

Larry Lieber

Inkers

Larry Lieber

Letterers

Art Simek

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Tales to Astonish #51

Tales to Astonish #53

Appearing in "The Black Knight Strikes!"

Featured Characters:

• Giant-Man (Henry Pym)
• Wasp

Supporting Characters:

Villains:

• Black Knight (Nathan Garrett) (First appearance)

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

• Black Knight's Power Lance

Vehicles:

Synopsis for "The Black Knight Strikes!"

Our story begins with Giant-Man busting up a secret sale of top secret information between scientist Nathan Garret and Communist spies. Giant-Man easily captures all involved, and later in court is set to bail at one hundred thousand dollars. Garret's bail is paid by his Communist contacts, and he flees the country to a remote Balkan kingdom in the Alps. There he is inspired by a winged horse statue, buys a castle and begins genetically engineering a horse to have wings.
Weeks later, back in America, the Wasp arrives in Henry Pym's lab to tell him a fantastic story: While she was on her way to meet him she saw a black knight on a flying horse flying through the city attack an armored car. After using his lance to melt a hole in the side of the car and grabbing the money, he made a quick escape.
Using his ant communicator, Giant-Man finds that the Black Knight is going to attack a helicopter in mid-air next. Commissioning an aircraft to aid him, Giant-Man jumps onto the helicopter that is being attacked, and battles the Black Knight. Overcome with the many scientific gadgets the Black Knight has at his disposal, the Knight gloats revealing that he is Nathan Garrat and boasts over his achievements in inventing a lance with many devices and a paralyzer pistole.
Caught up in a bolo, Giant-Man is forced to let go of the helicopter when the Knight blasts him with an itch ray. Falling, Giant-Man takes a shrinking capsule and is rescued by the Wasp, who lands Giant-Man on the back of the Knights horse. Resuming his giant size, Giant-Man knocks the lance out of the Black Knights hands. During the struggle, the Knight manages to knock Giant-Man off his horse, but Giant-Man saves himself by grabbing onto a nearby amusement part ride.
The Wasp pinches the Knights horse, causing it to buck him off, and he and Giant-Man battle it out on a roller coaster, while the Wasp tries to get the Knight's horse under control. The horse bucks her off, and Giant-Man is forced to abandon his fight with the Black Knight to save her.
While Giant-Man is preoccupied with the Wasps safety, the Black Knight tries to shoot him from behind with the paralyzer pistole. Sensing someone behind him, Giant-Man takes a shrinking capsule allowing him to shrink below the blast. Thinking he has gone mad, the Black Knight stumbles off the roller coaster, but is saved by his horse and makes his escape.

Appearing in "Not What They Seem!"

Featured Characters:

• Wasp

Supporting Characters:

Villains:

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

Synopsis for "Not What They Seem!"

The Wasp arrives at a local orphanage to entertain the children with a story. She tells them of a world in outer space where a bunch of alien criminals have escaped prison and their planet in a space craft. Deciding to seek refuge on another planet, one of the prisoners cautions the others that they have to choose the planet they land on wisely because while certain planets may appear harmless, are actually very dangerous.
After losing a patrol ship, the criminals find a planet where the male and female members of the dominant race are fighting amongst one another. Seeing this as an opportunity to be granted refuge, the criminals land and help the males of the planet defeat the females.
Unfortunately, this doesn't work to their advantage because they soon find that the men of this planet have a custom in which they capture and put visitors from other planet on display in cages, and that the women were against the ritual. The criminals are then rounded up and put into a cage.
Finishing her story, the Wasp concludes by yelling the children that crime never pays, and leaves them to ponder on that thought.

Notes

• No special notes.

Trivia

• No trivia.

See Also

• Discuss Tales to Astonish Vol 1 52 on the forums
• Cover gallery for the Tales to Astonish series

Recommended Reading

• None.

Links and References

• None.