Tales Of Suspense #11
"I Created Sporr, The Thing That Could Not Die!"
September, 1960
Script: Stan Lee and/or Larry Lieber
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Artie Simek
On the night of the scientist's arrival in Transylvania, he feel the fear
coming from the villagers... They watch as the coach heads towards the
forbidden mountain, and remember the legend which could return to ruin
them all. The horses galloped along the wet, twisted trail... When
asked by the coachman if he wanted to return, the professor tells him
that he may leave now. Now inside the abandoned castle... the scientist
surveys the place where the legendary Dr. Frankenstein brought his
monster to life, and his creation brought an end to both of their lives.
To the professor, the neglected castle provides the ideal place for him
to continue his experiments with the "growth" machine. The equipment
arrives on the third day, with each piece a one-of-a-kind item.
With his lab in place, the professor plans to increase the size of cows,
sheep, and chickens, so that there will be more food for people to eat,
and hunger will be gone. While he continued his work on the "growth"
machine, the villagers were wondering what was happening... They have
heard that the stranger in their midst was a scientist. They have seen
his light burning bright until morning, and wonder what experiments could
inspire such devotion. They know if he continues his work, the legend
will come to pass, and they will all suffer for it. On the night that
the "growth" machine was to be tested... the villagers decide to storm
the castle. Inside the lab, the "growth" beam is aimed on an amoeba, the
tiniest of living beings. The professor plans to increase its size by
three, then move on to other life forms. CRASH! After breaking down the
door, the villagers see the room filled with evil science equipment, and
figure that the scientist was planning on dooming them all. The
professor is soon seized before he can continue with his experiment.
As the man of science is taken away from his laboratory, the "growth"
machine continues its work. As its creator languished in the village
jail, the protoplasmic mass had grown to the size of a human hand...
Each second under the ray's exposure caused the organism to grow larger
-- become stronger-- Until, at dawn, the amoeba smashes its way through
the castle wall... and makes its way down the mountain. The people in
the village observe its approach. They find it even more horrible than
the monster of Frankenstein, and know that the scientist's creation shall
destroy them soon enough.
The amoeba is now larger than an elephant, and the professor sees
firsthand what his "growth" machine has wrought. One of the villagers
cries out the name of Sporr, an ancient legend of indestructible power.
The giant mass slithers its way, with the villagers unaware that the
amoeba is mindless, and moves without thought. The professor finds that
the prison bars are loose, and he seizes his chance. A small boy is in
the path of Sporr, but the scientist gathers him up, and takes the child
out of harm's way. Now from a place of safety, they watch as Sporr
continues his rampage in their village. One of the villagers remembers
that he's just placed some explosives in the area, and hopes that this
will take care of the creature.
BOOM! The explosion is perfectly timed, with Sporr blown to bits, but
the scientist begins to frown. He sees that the pieces are coming
together once more. When an amoeba is cut in two, each one becomes a
separate living thing, and the creature has re-formed once more. Sporr
turns away and heads for a nearby farm. Bruno the farmer fears for his
crops and his home. Since it was the professor who created the creature,
he must know of a way to stop it. The scientist has an idea, but it's a
dangerous one, and their only chance for survival. After running to the
farmhouse, the professor coats himself with sugar, and plans to decoy
Sporr away from the village. Now covered with sugar, the professor heads
for the mad mass of protoplasm. The human bait knows that he dare not
make a mistake, or else forfeit his own life.
The villagers watch as the scientist leads Sporr away from the farm, and
heads for the woods. He had heard them mention a quicksand pit in the
area. At the edge of the pit, the professor climbs up a tree, then
removes his smock, and drops it into the quicksand... The sugar-covered
lab coat lures the amoeba towards it -- causing Sporr to fall into the
bog. The creature was now at the bottom of the pit, where it would
stay... forever... Such a monster was never meant to exist on Earth,
threatening the lives of others. Sporr has gone back -- back to the
place where all life begins -- where he belongs. Normal life returns to
the village -- as the professor tries to pick up the pieces of his own...
He has learned not to tamper with nature, while they swear not to let
superstition cause them to attack things that they do not know. The
story is at an end... and Sporr is no longer a threat.
This story was reprinted in Where Monsters Dwell #2 (March, 1970).
On the splash page, Sporr eyes the fleeing villagers, and slithers down
the mountain towards them.
Castles tend to be located in the most forbidding of places.
The scientist wears a brown raincoat, purple scarf, and glasses which he
could not possibly see through.
The "growth" machine is a proud Kirby/Ayers creation, guaranteed to fill
up much precious space in the laboratory of the Silver Age scientist.
One man of science can not stand against a mob of superstitions.
Luckily for the professor, the villagers know prison bars about as much
as they know science.
Faster than a runaway amoeba, able to break through prison bars with his
bare hands, and leap helpless children out of harm's way in a single
bound. It's a bird... it's a plane... it's Super-Scientist!
Oddly enough, none of the villagers were worried about the dynamite,
which actually caused more damage than the runaway amoeba had.
Luckily for the village, the explosion did not cause the creation of more
Sporrs.
When caught in battle, the professor has gotten an idea for the sweet
science. (Holy Sugar Smocks, Batman!)
With a creepy castle and a quicksand pit in the woods, the village sounds
like an ideal place for the vacationing Marvel Super-Hero.
In Thor #256 - #257 (January - February, 1977), the God of Thunder and
his companions met a giant tentacled creature named Sporr in a two-part
story by Len Wein, John Buscema, Tony DeZuniga, Glynis Wein, Gaspar
Saladino, and Condoy.
Steve Chung
"I Reviewed Sporr, The Thing That Could Not Die!"
"I Created Sporr, The Thing That Could Not Die!"
September, 1960
Script: Stan Lee and/or Larry Lieber
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Artie Simek
On the night of the scientist's arrival in Transylvania, he feel the fear
coming from the villagers... They watch as the coach heads towards the
forbidden mountain, and remember the legend which could return to ruin
them all. The horses galloped along the wet, twisted trail... When
asked by the coachman if he wanted to return, the professor tells him
that he may leave now. Now inside the abandoned castle... the scientist
surveys the place where the legendary Dr. Frankenstein brought his
monster to life, and his creation brought an end to both of their lives.
To the professor, the neglected castle provides the ideal place for him
to continue his experiments with the "growth" machine. The equipment
arrives on the third day, with each piece a one-of-a-kind item.
With his lab in place, the professor plans to increase the size of cows,
sheep, and chickens, so that there will be more food for people to eat,
and hunger will be gone. While he continued his work on the "growth"
machine, the villagers were wondering what was happening... They have
heard that the stranger in their midst was a scientist. They have seen
his light burning bright until morning, and wonder what experiments could
inspire such devotion. They know if he continues his work, the legend
will come to pass, and they will all suffer for it. On the night that
the "growth" machine was to be tested... the villagers decide to storm
the castle. Inside the lab, the "growth" beam is aimed on an amoeba, the
tiniest of living beings. The professor plans to increase its size by
three, then move on to other life forms. CRASH! After breaking down the
door, the villagers see the room filled with evil science equipment, and
figure that the scientist was planning on dooming them all. The
professor is soon seized before he can continue with his experiment.
As the man of science is taken away from his laboratory, the "growth"
machine continues its work. As its creator languished in the village
jail, the protoplasmic mass had grown to the size of a human hand...
Each second under the ray's exposure caused the organism to grow larger
-- become stronger-- Until, at dawn, the amoeba smashes its way through
the castle wall... and makes its way down the mountain. The people in
the village observe its approach. They find it even more horrible than
the monster of Frankenstein, and know that the scientist's creation shall
destroy them soon enough.
The amoeba is now larger than an elephant, and the professor sees
firsthand what his "growth" machine has wrought. One of the villagers
cries out the name of Sporr, an ancient legend of indestructible power.
The giant mass slithers its way, with the villagers unaware that the
amoeba is mindless, and moves without thought. The professor finds that
the prison bars are loose, and he seizes his chance. A small boy is in
the path of Sporr, but the scientist gathers him up, and takes the child
out of harm's way. Now from a place of safety, they watch as Sporr
continues his rampage in their village. One of the villagers remembers
that he's just placed some explosives in the area, and hopes that this
will take care of the creature.
BOOM! The explosion is perfectly timed, with Sporr blown to bits, but
the scientist begins to frown. He sees that the pieces are coming
together once more. When an amoeba is cut in two, each one becomes a
separate living thing, and the creature has re-formed once more. Sporr
turns away and heads for a nearby farm. Bruno the farmer fears for his
crops and his home. Since it was the professor who created the creature,
he must know of a way to stop it. The scientist has an idea, but it's a
dangerous one, and their only chance for survival. After running to the
farmhouse, the professor coats himself with sugar, and plans to decoy
Sporr away from the village. Now covered with sugar, the professor heads
for the mad mass of protoplasm. The human bait knows that he dare not
make a mistake, or else forfeit his own life.
The villagers watch as the scientist leads Sporr away from the farm, and
heads for the woods. He had heard them mention a quicksand pit in the
area. At the edge of the pit, the professor climbs up a tree, then
removes his smock, and drops it into the quicksand... The sugar-covered
lab coat lures the amoeba towards it -- causing Sporr to fall into the
bog. The creature was now at the bottom of the pit, where it would
stay... forever... Such a monster was never meant to exist on Earth,
threatening the lives of others. Sporr has gone back -- back to the
place where all life begins -- where he belongs. Normal life returns to
the village -- as the professor tries to pick up the pieces of his own...
He has learned not to tamper with nature, while they swear not to let
superstition cause them to attack things that they do not know. The
story is at an end... and Sporr is no longer a threat.
This story was reprinted in Where Monsters Dwell #2 (March, 1970).
On the splash page, Sporr eyes the fleeing villagers, and slithers down
the mountain towards them.
Castles tend to be located in the most forbidding of places.
The scientist wears a brown raincoat, purple scarf, and glasses which he
could not possibly see through.
The "growth" machine is a proud Kirby/Ayers creation, guaranteed to fill
up much precious space in the laboratory of the Silver Age scientist.
One man of science can not stand against a mob of superstitions.
Luckily for the professor, the villagers know prison bars about as much
as they know science.
Faster than a runaway amoeba, able to break through prison bars with his
bare hands, and leap helpless children out of harm's way in a single
bound. It's a bird... it's a plane... it's Super-Scientist!
Oddly enough, none of the villagers were worried about the dynamite,
which actually caused more damage than the runaway amoeba had.
Luckily for the village, the explosion did not cause the creation of more
Sporrs.
When caught in battle, the professor has gotten an idea for the sweet
science. (Holy Sugar Smocks, Batman!)
With a creepy castle and a quicksand pit in the woods, the village sounds
like an ideal place for the vacationing Marvel Super-Hero.
In Thor #256 - #257 (January - February, 1977), the God of Thunder and
his companions met a giant tentacled creature named Sporr in a two-part
story by Len Wein, John Buscema, Tony DeZuniga, Glynis Wein, Gaspar
Saladino, and Condoy.
Steve Chung
"I Reviewed Sporr, The Thing That Could Not Die!"
