Story: Stan Lee
Art: Jack Kirby
Inking: Steve Ditko
Lettering: Art Simek
We've made fun of unusual uses of asbestos before, focusing on Stan and Jack's misguided understanding of the physical properties of the substance, from cells and dungeons, to buzzsaws and spray. And don't get me started on Johnny's room...
But as we all know, asbestos is a nasty and toxic substance, whose fibres cause a very nasty lung condition that leads to death. Which is why it's darkly funny that Reed would mix asbestos and unstable molecules to create a protective stretch-suit for himself.
It's not very apparent from this panel, but the inker for this issue is Steve Ditko, regarded by Stan Lee as his favourite inker for Jack Kirby. We'll see some notable differences in the artwork this issue as the two styles mesh to create a unique and different look for the book, one that sadly would not be reproduced in Strange Tales Annual #2.
Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #13 in our eleventh episode: Red? Yes! Communist? Yes! Russian? No!
[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/Episode_11.mp3]