In 1978, I went to my first comic book shop--ironically, a recently-opened HEROES WORLD in Levittown. (Similarly ironic, my father ended up being transferred to the bank branch in the same mall, which made access to the store--which was 45 minutes away from our home by car--a regular possibility.)
I walked in with a stated goal of buying the oldest issue of FANTASTIC FOUR they had in stock. The oldest issue they had turned out to be #1, for which they wanted $75.00. Undaunted, I looked for the oldest issue they had that wasn't on the wall--which turned out to be #51, pictured here.
FANTASTIC FOUR #51 is justifiably called the best single issue of the series that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby ever did. It's hard to argue the point. A tale of redemption and heroism, in which a rival scientist steals the form of the Thing in order to revenge himself on Reed Richards. Discovering that Reed is truly altruistic and self-sacrificing, the nameless scientist in the Thing's body lays down his own life in order to rescue the doomed Mister Fantastic from the dangers of Sub-Space.
In 1978, I went to my first comic book shop--ironically, a recently-opened HEROES WORLD in Levittown. (Similarly ironic, my father ended up being transferred to the bank branch in the same mall, which made access to the store--which was 45 minutes away from our home by car--a regular possibility.) 