Data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license.

Issue Details

Issue #23
Published April 1974
Frequency Bi-Monthly
Cover Price 0.20 USD
Pages 36
Editing Roy Thomas

Cover Details - "To Destroy A World!"

Characters It, The Living Colossus
Genre Monsters
Pencils Gil Kane
Inks Mike Esposito
Letters Gaspar Saladino
Notes Letters credit from George Olshevsky's Marvel Comics Index #7B.

17 page It! The Living Colossus! story "Conquerors Three!"

Characters It, the Living Colossus; Bob O'Bryan; Lord Granitor (Destroyed?); Fin Fang Foom; Dr. Vault; Dr. Braun; Freddy; Susan; Duffy; Grant Marshall; Dorian Delazny; Felix Simon (Introduction); Diane Cummings; Magnor; Sgt. Patten; Gargoyles of Stonus Five
Synopsis Dr. Vault uses his power to summon Fin Fang Foom to help him defeat It, the Living Colossus so that he can take over it's body. Bob O'Bryan, cast out of It's body because of the mental energy expended, uses Felix Simon to drive him closer to the body of It so that he can again take control. He takes control of It, and he along with Fin Fang Foom (who has shaken off Dr. Vault's control) battle Lord Granitor to save earth. Bob O'Bryan, who appears to be dead when his mind enters It, is driven to the hospital by Felix. When Lord Granitor uses his transportation device to try to escape It destroys the device which also destroys Lord Granitor. Dr. Vault takes control of Fin Fang Foom again and Bob O'Bryan is declared dead at the hospital.
Genre Monsters
Script Tony Isabella
Pencils Dick Ayers; Jack Kirby (Strange Tales #89 reprint)
Inks Dick Ayers; Dick Ayers (Strange Tales #89 reprint)
Colors Linda Lessmann
Letters Dick Ayers [as Richard B]
Notes Page 1 of the original story from Strange Tales #89 is reprinted on page 7, panels 4-6 of page 5 of the original story is reprinted on page 8 panels 1-3, panels 2-4 of page 6 of the original story is reprinted on page 8 panels 4-6 and panel 2 of page 8 of the original story is reprinted as panel 7 of page 8. The Fin Fang Foom story is also reprinted in Fantasy Masterpieces (Marvel, 1966 series) #2 (April 1966), in Where Monsters Dwell (Marvel, 1970 series) #21 (May 1973) and in Monster Masterworks TPB.
Reprinted from Strange Tales (Marvel, 1951 series) #89 (October 1961) [page 1, panels 4-6 of page 5, panels 2-4 of page 6 and panel 2 of page 8, original story: Fin Fang Foom!]

1 page Marvel Bullpen Bulletins; Stan Lee's Soapbox; Mighty Marvel Checklist promo (ad from the publisher) "Marvel Bullpen Bulletins: Homilies, Hijinx, and Happy New year--From the Hallowed Halls of Marvel! [April 1974]; Stan Lee's Soapbox; Mighty Marvel Checklist"

Characters Iron Fist
Script ? (promo copy); Stan Lee
Letters Typeset
Notes Stan Lee talks about since it's the start of a new year it's the perfect time to talk about the new stuff coming out. He mentions the Spider-Man Medallion Coins, a new series of hard-cover books about your favorite Marvel masterworks, FOOM, the Value Stamp project, a potential full-length feature film and how two top TV producers are making them an offer they can't refuse. Items about the New Year's Resolutions by Gerry Conway, Mike Ploog, Rich Buckler, Johnny Romita, Steve Gerber, Bob Brown, John Buscema, Sal Buscema, Marv Wolfman, Gene Colan, Roy Thomas and Stan Lee, they are discontinuing the ads for FOOM for a few weeks because they can't keep up with the orders and another Spider-Man code. Mighty Marvel Checklist for comics now on sale! listed with a synopsis are Spider-Man #131, Thor #222, Tomb of Dracula #19, Captain America #172, Werewolf by Night #16, Conan the Barbarian #37, Iron Man #67, Fear #21, Marvel Team-Up #20, Kull the Destroyer #13, Strange Tales #173, Astonishing Tales #23 and Worlds Unknown #6. Also includes a small promo for Iron Fist in Marvel Premiere. Appears between pages 13 and 14 of the story sequence.

1 page Bullpen Bonus Page promo (ad from the publisher) "Bullpen Bonus Page: Value, Value--Who's Got the Value? [April 1974]"

Script ? (promo copy)
Pencils ?; Esteban Maroto
Inks ?; Esteban Marato
Colors ?; ?
Letters Typeset
Notes Article explaining some of the ideas behind the Marvel Value Stamps (and pledging to give a fuller explanation of what you get if you collect all 100). Article bragging about how Marvel's magazines are eight pages longer than most magazines and that Dracula Lives, Monsters Unleashed, Vampire Tales and Tales of the Zombie are put out six times a year with Crazy on sale seven times a year. Also, in a couple of months two more magazines will be launched. An item advertising Crazy #3 by listing some of the shows they parody and other articles (with an illustration from their "High Plains Drifter" story) and an item advertising Vampire Tales #4 (with an illustration from their "The Drifting Snow" story).

1 page text article Monster Scrapbook: The "Original" Lost World!

Script Tony Isabella
Notes Article on the first "The Lost World" movie.

1 page letters page "Them! The Readers That Wrote"

Characters It, the Living Colossus; Bob O'Bryan
Pencils Dick Ayers
Inks Dick Ayers
Colors Linda Lessmann
Letters Tom Orzechowski (logo)
Notes Letters from Bob Hobart, Steve Scheibner, Steven M Scholz, K.J. Robbins, Rodney Schroeter and Russell Lynn Fields with two partial panels reprinted from Astonishing Tales #22.

Half page Spider-Man promo (ad from the publisher) "Aunt May--Marrying Doctor Octopus?"

Characters Spider-Man; Aunt May; Dr. Octopus
Genre Superhero
Script ? (promo copy)
Pencils Gil Kane
Inks Frank Giacoia
Notes Promo for Amazing Spider-Man #131 using a portion of the cover.

Half page Fantastic Four promo (ad from the publisher) "The Human Torch and the Magnificent Medusa--"

Characters Human Torch [Johnny Storm]; Medusa
Genre Superhero
Script ? (promo copy)
Pencils Gil Kane
Inks Frank Giacoia; Mike Esposito?
Letters Gaspar Saladino
Notes Promo for Fantastic Four #145 using a portion of the cover.

Half page Worlds Unknown promo (ad from the publisher) "Worlds Unknown #6 Promo"

Characters Killdozer
Genre Science Fiction; Horror
Script ? (promo copy)
Pencils Gil Kane; John Romita (re-touches on Killdozer figure)
Inks Ernie Chan; John Romita (re-touches on Killdozer figure)
Notes Promo for Worlds Unknown using a portion of the cover.