Tales to Astonish #66
The Menace of Madam Macabre
While repairing a antenna on the roof of his penthouse lab, Giant-Man is informed by the Wasp of newspaper reports about a woman by the name of Madam Macabre who claims that she can also make objects shrink and grow at will. Musing how useful Madam Macabre could be, Giant-Man manages to spurn the Wasp's jealousy.
Meanwhile, at Madam Macabre's lab, her assistant Gogo has finished building an elaborate toy tractor for his master to grow in size. Revealing that she can only make the items that Gogo creates grow, she begins to plot how to trick Giant-Man into revealing his size changing secret. When her other assistant, Kalya arrives, Macabre begins her plot which involves a miniature of a room.
A short time later, Macabre visits Giant-Man's lab, and Giant-Man sends the Wasp out of the room (who exits in a fit of jealousy.) Macabre explains to Giant-Man that as a child her father was killed when their rickshaw full of personal items fell on him. She was rescued and taught by the Mandarin. She then displays her powers and asks Giant-Man to help her rule the world, Giant-Man refuses and asks her to leave, much to the joy of the Wasp.
Back at her lair, Madam Macabre plans the next phase of her plot to learn the secret to Giant-Man's size changing abilities. Later, the Wasp receives an invitation to an art gallery. Busy with a project, Giant-Man tells the Wasp to go ahead and he'll catch up with her after. When the Wasp arrives she notices that the gallery is empty and puts on her costume. She is quickly knocked out by Kalya and Gogo and tied up.
Arriving a short time later, Giant-Man realizes that the place is deserted as well and grows to giant-size. Upon doing so he spots the Wasp in one of the windows and places her in the relative safety of a nearby rooftop before spotting Kalya and Gogo attempting to steal some of the gallery's artifacts. Shrinking down in size, Giant-Man enters the gallery only to be trapped in the room the crooks were in. This room begins shrinking in size, and Madam Macabre takes Giant-Man captive.
Meanwhile, the Wasp awakens and tries to free Giant-Man, but she too is captured and placed in a bottle that is set to shrink. However, since the cork that Madam Macabre used to seal the Wasp inside the bottle wasn't specially treated to shrink with the bottle it causes the bottle to break when it gets too small, freeing the Wasp.
The Wasp resumes her attack on Madam Macabre until she realizes that Madam Macabre's size changing device was in the wig she wore on her head. Removing the device and shattering the trap Giant-Man was stuck in, the Wasp manages to free her partner. Giant-Man grows to giant-size and quickly captures their foe. With Madam Macabre defeated, Giant-Man and the Wasp return home to muse over Madam Macabre's size changing device.
Continuity Notes
Giant-Man, Wasp, Mandarin
The Power of Doctor Banner!
The scientist who helped the Hulk finishes treating the Hulk's wounds from his battle against the Communist soldiers. Just then the Communists' military commander arrives on the scene with a proton gun. When he is about to shoot the Hulk, the scientist jumps in the way, taking the shot for the giant creature. Fearing retribution from the Hulk the commander flees. The Hulk realizes the commander killed one of the few people the Hulk considered a friend. This causes the Hulk to get angry and go on another rampage. Eventually, the Hulk exerts himself too much and reverts back into Bruce Banner, who passes out from exhaustion. All the while, the Communist tank battalion draws ever closer.
Meanwhile, back in the US, Glenn Talbot reports to his superiors that they spotted Bruce Banner being taken into a Communist sub. Talbot offers to go and get Banner back, but the request is denied. News of Banner being held behind the Iron Curtain gets to General Ross, who tells his daughter Betty. She cannot believe that Banner would defect to the Communists. Talbot enters the room and tries to comfort her.
While at the Leader's lair, the Leader is contacted once more by the Chameleon, who informs him of Banner's capture by the Communists. The Leader then contacts one of the Commissars of the Communists to confirm that Banner and the Hulk are behind the Iron Curtain. When this is confirmed, the Leader breaks contact, content that the Hulk would eventually defeat the Communists and return to the States.
Back behind the Iron Curtain, Bruce Banner finally wakes up to find the ruins he passed out in are being bombed by Communist jet fighters. Banner runs for cover and eventually finds the body of the scientist who sacrificed his life for the Hulk. Remembering what happened, Banner gets mad enough to trigger his transformation into the Hulk just as a bomb blows up next to him. When the smoke clears, the Hulk is back and smashes all the airplanes in the area. Madder than ever, the Hulk then storms off to smash everything that stands in his way.
Recurring Characters
Hulk, General Ross, Major Talbot, Betty Ross, The Leader, The Chameleon
Continuity Notes
References to Russia being the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in this story should be considered topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
