The Marvel Family #74 is an issue of the series The Marvel Family (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 1952.
Synopsis for "The Marvel Family Battles the Hissing Horror, Chapter 1: Attack of the Missing Men"
Visiting Billy's friend Dexter Knox, boy genius, they find him testing a high-powered metal detector. They dig up his find, a large metal tube, out of which emerge lizard-men. The Marvels attack, causing the lizard-men to retreat back inside the tube and mysteriously disappear. Dexter stays on guard that night as he tries to figure out this strange occurrence. Soon the lizard men emerge again, declaring themselves the Hissmen, who used the time machine that was dug to travel from their own time to enslave humans from the modern world. The Marvels rescue several would-be victims, but the Hissmen escape and relocate their time tube.
Appearing in "The Marvel Family Battles the Hissing Horror, Chapter 1: Attack of the Missing Men"
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Antagonists:
- The Hissmen (First appearance)
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Synopsis for Headline Harry: "The Perfect Strategy"
Appearing in Headline Harry: "The Perfect Strategy"
Featured Characters:
- Headline Harry
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Synopsis for "The Marvel Family Battles the Hissing Horror, Chapter 2: Peril in the Past"
Mary and Jr. split up to find some Hissmen kidnappers to find out their plans, only to find out the Hissmen are prepared to commit suicide rather than face capture. Cap has more success tracking down the time tube after Dexter comes up with a device to locate it. Although the Marvels easily overwhelm the Hissmen, when they try to pursue the fleeing villains through it, the heroes only physically pass through the end without going back in time. Mary figures out this is because the time effect doesn't register on them due to their divine invulnerability, so the heroes change back to the kids to go through. They're immediately caught and put into a machine that changes them into Hissmen. Because of the hiss, they can't say their magic words.
Appearing in "The Marvel Family Battles the Hissing Horror, Chapter 2: Peril in the Past"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- The Hissmen
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
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Synopsis for "The Marvel Family Battles the Hissing Horror, Chapter 3: Battle of the Crossroads"
This turns out by why the Hissmen are capturing people: to recruit more troops to help them win the war with prehistoric humanity. The kids try to escape by using their superhuman Hissmen attributes to jump the fortress wall, but are chased back in by a rampaging dinosaur. The kids throw a note through the time portal for Dexter to come through and reverse the transformation machine. Able to transform again, the Marvels easily overwhelm the Hissmen and free the captive humans. Then they jump in on the side of a band of Viking warriors attacking the Hissmen stronghold. Back in their own time, the Marvels destroy the time tube.
Appearing in "The Marvel Family Battles the Hissing Horror, Chapter 3: Battle of the Crossroads"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- The Hissmen
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
The TV episode "Best Seller" was based on this issue.
Trivia
- Also appearing in this issue of The Marvel Family were:
- Lazy Lee: "Tough Ordeal!"
- "The Sure Hand" (text story) by John Martin
- Boxcar Benny: "The Defense Rests!"
- "The Hotel Guest"
- The Marvel Family Puzzle Page
- The business about prehistoric humanity overthrowing a society of technologically superior monster-men is very similar to the background of King Kull, who'd been fought in the previous issue.
See Also
Links and References
