- "Years from now, school children will be taught to remember this date! For it marks the birth of... the supremely powerful Beetle!"
- ―The Beetle
| "The Birth of the Beetle!" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Strange Tales | |
| Title: | "The Birth of the Beetle!" |
| Volume: | 1 |
| Number: | 123 |
| Cover price: | .12 |
| Cover date: | August, 1964 |
| Publisher: | Marvel Comics |
| Credits | |
| Chief: | Stan Lee |
| Writers: | Stan Lee; Steve Ditko |
| Pencilers: | Carl Burgos; Steve Ditko |
| Inkers: | Dick Ayers; George Roussos |
| Cover artists: | Jack Kirby |
| Cover inker: | Sol Brodsky |
| Cover colorist: | Stan Goldberg |
| Colorists: | Stan Goldberg |
| Letterers: | Sam Rosen; Artie Simek |
| Editors: | Stan Lee |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | Strange Tales #122 |
| Next: | Strange Tales #124 |
Strange Tales #123 is the 123rd issue of the superhero anthology series Strange Tales, published by Marvel Comics. This issue featured a cover illustrated by Jack Kirby with Sol Brodsky on inks and Stan Goldberg on coloring. The issue was edited by Stan Lee and includes two 12-page stories. The first is a Human Torch tale titled "The Birth of the Beetle", and the second is a Doctor Strange story called "The Challenge of Loki!". This issue shipped with an August, 1964 cover date and carries a cover price of 12 cents per copy (US).
"The Birth of the Beetle!"[]
- Writer - Stan Lee
- Penciler - Carl Burgos
- Inker - Dick Ayers
- Colorist - Stan Goldberg
- Letterer - Sam Rosen
- Editor - Stan Lee
Appearances[]
Featured characters
Supporting characters
Villains
- The Beetle, Abner Jenkins (1st appearance)
Minor characters
Organizations
- Fantastic Four (2)
Races
Locations
Items
Vehicles
Events
Powers
"The Challenge of Loki!"[]
- Writers - Stan Lee; Steve Ditko
- Penciler - Steve Ditko
- Inker - George Bell
- Colorist - Stan Goldberg
- Letterer - Artie Simek
- Editor - Stan Lee
Appearances[]
Featured characters
Supporting characters
Villains
Minor characters
- Ancient One (Referenced only)
- Dormammu (Referenced only)
- Odin Borson
Races
- Humans
- Homo Maji
- Asgardians
Locations
Items
Powers
Miscellaneous
- Hoggoth
- Vishanti
Notes & Trivia[]
- "The Birth of the Beetle!" is job number X-717.
- "The Challenge of Loki!" is job number X-715.
- Although Stan Goldberg provided the cover art coloring for this issue, it is unclear whether he did the interior coloring. No colorist is credited for either story in this issue.
- Comic penciler Carl Burgos makes a cameo appearance as himself in "The Birth of the Beetle!". Burgos is the creator of the original Human Torch character, Jim Hammond, who caught fire for the first time in the pages of Marvel Comics #1, cover-dated October, 1939, making him the first superhero character in the Marvel Universe.
- The events of "The Birth of the Beetle!" take place in between issues #28 and 29 of The Fantastic Four.
- This is the first appearance of Abner Jenkins, aka the Beetle. He will become a recurring super-villain for many years to come. The Beetle's next challenge following the events of this issue is take on Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #21 in February, 1965.
- Loki chronologically appeared last in the "Tales from Asgard" vignette in the second story titled "Balder Must Die" in Journey Into Mystery #107.
- Although Loki Laufeyson turned tail and ran at the end of "The Challenge of Loki!", he's not quite through with Stephen Strange just yet. Loki will return to plague the good doctor again only a few weeks later in Journey Into Mystery #108.
- Thor chronologically appeared last in the first story from Journey Into Mystery #107 titled, "When the Grey Gargoyle Strikes!"
Reprints[]
"The Birth of the Beetle!" is reprinted in the following volumes:
"The Challenge of Loki!" is reprinted in the following volumes: