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.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Human Torch, Invisible Girl, Mister Fantastic, Thing), Asbestos Man

Continuity Notes

• Orson Kasloff is not 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 own 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 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.

Recurring Characters

Doctor Strange, Ancient One, Baron Mordo, Hamir the Hermit

Continuity Notes

• 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.