Only one man knows more secrets of black magic than I do! And he is the one who taught me years ago --- he is the master!! But the time has come for me to wrest those secrets from him! For it is I, Baron Mordo, who must be the most powerful magician of all! 
Appearing in "Fighting to the Death with Asbestos Man!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Asbestos Man (Professor Orson Kasloff) ⏵ (First appearance) (Main story and flashback)
- Blackie Barker (First appearance) (Main story and flashback)
- Blackie Barker's Gang (Main story and flashback)
- Numerous unnamed members (Main story and flashback)
Other Characters:
- Frank (Human Torch's fan) (First appearance)
- NYPD
- Numerous unnamed police officers
- Croesus (Referenced)
- Fantastic Four
- Two unnamed reporters
- GPD
- Unnamed Police Officer
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Sol (Main story and flashback)
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- North America (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- New York (Main story and flashback)
- Long Island
- Glenville
- Sue and Johnny Storm's House
- Thorn Road (First appearance)
- Asbestos Man's castle
- Glenville
- New York City (Main story and flashback)
- Manhattan (Main story and flashback)
- Madison Avenue (Main story and flashback)
- Oak Street (First appearance) (Main story and flashback)
- Manhattan (Main story and flashback)
- Long Island
- Fort Knox (Vision or hallucination)
- New York (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- North America (Main story and flashback)
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
Items:
- Asbestos Man's Suit
- Asbestos Shield
- Nitrogen Strand Net
- Fantastic Four Uniforms
Synopsis for "Fighting to the Death with Asbestos Man!"
While witnessing the Human Torch stopping a crime, Orson Kasloff dwells on the fact that he is an under appreciated scientist and that he could make a better living as a master criminal using his scientific mind to pull off perfect crimes. After his first attempt at burgling fails, he decides he'll end the threat of the Human Torch to criminals everywhere. Creating a chemically treated suit of armor and weapons made of asbestos, Kasloff becomes the Asbestos Man.
Challenging the Human Torch to a public battle, he manages to outsmart the Human Torch delivering a humiliating defeat to the hero and giving Asbestos Man the credentials to get hired on by a local crime boss. However, when he pulls off an actual crime, the Torch challenges Asbestos Man again, using his flame powers to eat all the oxygen around Asbestos Man instead of trying to burn him, forcing Asbestos Man and his crooks to surrender.
Appearing in "Masquerade"
Journey Into Unknown Worlds #38
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Kitty Blake (First appearance)
- Old King Cole (O.K.C.) (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Santa Claus (Referenced)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth
- United States of America
- Missouri (Mentioned)
- Hollywood, Los angeles, California (Mentioned)
Items:
- Alice in Wonderland (Mentioned)
Synopsis for "Masquerade"
Journey Into Unknown Worlds #38
A too-serious boy named Tommy is taught that it's okay to have fun with make-belief by the girl of his dreams, Kitty Blake, who invites him to a costume party. He arrives at the wrong address without a costume and meets Old King Cole and other fairy tale characters who he thinks are just Kitty's friends acting the part. They call him a "Doubting Thomas" since he doesn't believe in fairy tales. When he leaves the party to phone Kitty to find out when she left (since he hadn't seen her yet), he found out he was at the wrong address. He arrives at the right address and everyone loves his "costume" which he notices is just his plain clothes but silver letters spelling "Doubting Thomas" had appeared.
Appearing in "Beware-- The Machine!!"
Featured Characters:
- Unnamed Organ Grinder
Supporting Characters:
- Jocko (Monkey)
Antagonists:
- X-200
Other Characters:
- Numerous unnamed scientists
- Unidentified Police Department
- Unnamed Police Officer
- United Nations (Mentioned)
- United States Army
- United States Government (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
Synopsis for "Beware-- The Machine!!"
A super-intelligent computer is built by American scientists and attempts to conquer the world. It defends itself against humans, but an organ-grinder's monkey goes un-noticed and unplugs the machine.
Appearing in "Face-to-Face with the Magic of Baron Mordo!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- ⏴ Baron Mordo (Karl Mordo) ⏵ (First appearance)
Other Characters:
Races and Species:
Locations:
Items:
- Amulet of Agamotto (Unnamed)
Synopsis for "Face-to-Face with the Magic of Baron Mordo!"
Mordo visits the Ancient One's home in astral form and compels the servant to put a drug in his food. Baron Mordo attempts to wring mystic secrets from him by threatening to let the poison kill him gradually. When Doctor Strange tries to contact the Ancient One and fails, he realizes something is wrong and visits in astral form. Strange and Mordo do battle. In desperation, Strange uses his amulet to transfer energy from himself to the Ancient One, thus weakening himself. He bluffs Mordo by telling him that he can keep Mordo's astral self from reuniting with his physical body. Mordo flees to his body and loses control over the servant. Strange follows and tells Mordo that his plot has failed.
Notes
Continuity Notes[]
The Human Torch Fights to the Death with the Asbestos Man![]
- Orson Kasloff doesn't appear to be the genius he makes himself out to be, considering the fact that he doesn't realize how toxic asbestos is. He becomes a victim of his gimmick when he is later diagnosed with cancer, as revealed years later in Fear Itself: The Home Front #6, an illness he eventually succumbs to as mentioned in Fantastic Four (Vol. 5) #1.
Face-to-Face With the Black Magic of Baron Mordo![]
- Both Doctor Strange and Baron Mordo refer to the Ancient One as "The Master", his commonly used title is not used for the first time until Strange Tales #114.
- The Ancient One's assistant Hamir is not named until Strange Tales #141.
- The amulet being used here is the Amulet of Agamotto and should not be confused with the Eye of Agamotto which is not gifted to Doctor Strange until Strange Tales #128.
Publication Notes[]
- Doctor Strange would be missing from the next two issues reappearing in Strange Tales #114.