Cover to Tales of Suspense No. 80
As a result of some banter on Twitter (thanks @AgentSoloUNCLE), we discovered how Marvel Comics and a popular line of Man From U.N.C.L.E. paperback novels shared a similar McGuffin.
That would be a cube. But not any cube. The Cosmic Cube (introduced in Tales of Suspense Nos. 79-81) and the Power Cube (in the U.N.C.L.E. paperback The Power Cube Affair) were sought after bad guys seeking world domination.
The Cosmic Cube came first, in 1966 in a three-part Captain America story by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee.
The story brought the Red Skull, a Cap villain from World War II, into the “present day.” The villain is such a part of Cap history, he was made Cap’s foe in the first Marvel Studios Captain America movie, Captain America: The First Avenger, in 2011.
In the 1966 story, the Skull was found by a villainous organization (Adanced Idea Mechanics, or A.I.M.) and revived from suspended animation.
The group is developing the Cosmic Cube, an “ultimate weapon,” which can generate objects from mere thought. A.I.M. thinks the Skull is working for them but, being a Nazi, has his own ideas how to use the cube.
Eventually, Cap has a showdown with the Skull. Despite the fearsome weapon, Cap prevails. The Skull appears to have drown while wearing golden armor he wished into existence while wielding the cube. But Stan Lee, understandably, couldn’t resist bringing the Skull back in other stories.
The Power Cube, based on reviews by David Munsey of the U.N.C.L.E. tie-in paperbacks on The Fan From U.N.C.L.E. website sounds very similar.
Cover to The Power Cube Affair
The Power Cube Affair was the 19th of 23 U.N.C.L.E. paperback novels published by Ace. The novel, one of three in the series written by John T. Phillifent, came out after the Captain America story.
Here’s how David Munsey described the proceedings in his review:
In this one there is a hunt to find and assemble 27 parts of a power cube that would give the possessor-what else?- world domination. This is familiar enough, it reminds one of Dr. Who’s hunt for the six segments of the Key to Time and the Red Skull’s quest for the Cosmic Cube. (emphasis added)
By the time the novel was published, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. television series was running out of gas (it was canceled in January 1968). The Ace novels were published in the U.K. and The Power Cube Affair was the 15th published there.
Filed under: Comic book movies, The Other Spies | Tagged: Ace Man From U.N.C.L.E. paperbacks, Captain America, Captain America: The First Avenger, Cosmic Cube, David Munsey, Jack Kirby, John T. Phillifent, Marvel Comics, Marvel Studios, Power Cube, Red Skull, Stan Lee, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. |
The Spy Command 
I PUBLISHED A BOOK ON COLD WAR SPY FICTION, THE COLD WAR FILE, IN 1983 AND MR. MUNSEY NOTES THAT ACE BOOKS PUBLISHED THE BOOKS IN THE U.K. ACE PUBLISHED NEARLY THE ENTIRE SERIES IN THE U.S. AS WELL, CONTINUING UNTIL 1970, TWO YEARS AFTER THE TELEVISION SERIES ENDED. THESE WERE COVERED IN MY BOOK. THIS INCLUDED THE POWER CUBE AFFAIR IN 1968. ANDY EAST.