Help with obscure cameo appearance from Silver Age! 1 1

[edpjr]

Hello old Marvelite buddies! Something is bugging me about a 1960s comics story I remember but cannot resolve. In Tales to Astonish #74 the Leader dies after using the Watcher's all powerful machine. His dead body is seen again on the splash page of TTA #75. But I distinctly remember one panel from either Avengers, TTA or another Marvel comic around the same time also announcing he was dead and showing the Leader's corpse in his orbiting space lab. We all know the Leader was secretly revived and returned in IH #115. But this mystery cameo appearance of his corpse from 1965 seems to be unlocatable. I have most of the books from the 1965 Marvel period, but can't find it. Can any of you folks please help me out? Thanks!  

[shadroch]

I didn't read the Hulk in its TTA run, but vaguely think I recall the scene from a Marvel Superstars reprint, circa 1974-75. I'm tracking down a possibility or two.

[shadroch]

In TTA 86, Hulk fights a Humanoid that Shield has somehow converted. There might be a Leader flashback in it.

[William-James88]

Just came here to say this is a cool topic, and a wonderful question in the newbie area. 

[edpjr]

13 hours ago, shadroch said:

In TTA 86, Hulk fights a Humanoid that Shield has somehow converted. There might be a Leader flashback in it.

Thanks! I'll check out TTA #86. Although that's at least a full year since the Leader's apparent death in TTA #74.

[Avi]

 

7 hours ago, William-James88 said:

Just came here to say this is a cool topic, and a wonderful question in the newbie area. 

No CGC wont accept COAs...wait what was the question?

[serling1978]

Looking at the Complete Marvel Reading Order site, they have his order of appearances go directly from TTA 75 to IH 115. Maybe the panel you're referring to slipped through the cracks though. Curious to see if anyone here figures out the mystery. 

[William-James88]

6 hours ago, Avi said:

 

No CGC wont accept COAs...wait what was the question?

Hahahahahahaha

[edpjr]

3 hours ago, Call The Cops said:

I checked around too, GCD, ComicVine, etc. and they all say what you said. I checked my FF Annual #3 and there is a note referencing TTA #72 so not quite.

Thanks for the efforts. However, I'm 100% sure there was mention of the Leader's death in another Marvel book post TTA 74. I bought the whole run of TTA issues from the 60's to the 80's when I was in elementary school. I have all of them now too, plus the FF Annual #3 wedding issue. That saga from TTA #69-74 was one of the best story lines I've ever read. The military shot Bruce Banner in the head and he supposedly died on the scene. But Rick Jones quickly stole the body, took it to the lab and exposed it to intense gamma radiation. Sure enough Banner revived as the Hulk. The Hulk's strength prevented the bullet wound from killing him. But he could never turn back into Bruce Banner or he would die immediately from the bullet in the brain. The other effect was that the Hulk now mysteriously possessed Banner's intellect. Every couple days he would bath himself in gamma radiation to prevent the change back to human form. When the military destroyed his lab and equipment, the Leader intervened and transported Hulk to his orbiting laboratory. Gamma emanations from the Leader's own body kept Hulk from changing back to Banner. With the Hulk sedated, the Leader performed a full examination of his body and noticed the bullet in his skull. The Hulk was saved because the Leader had created an advanced laser device that disintegrated the slug without damaging any other brain tissue. He said the wound would otherwise have been fatal as no surgeon on earth could successfully remove it. So the aura of death surrounding Hulk from TTA 69-73 was finally removed. I actually own the original art page by Jack Kirby and Bob Powell from TTA 73 where the Leader informs the now awake and alert Hulk that he'll never have worry about the bullet in his head again. Of course the Leader wants immediate payback from the Hulk for his life saving efforts which manifests itself in TTA 74. That's the 1965 issue where the Leader supposedly died and was not heard from again till Incredible Hulk 115 some four years later in 1969. That whole six issue TTA saga was absolutely magnificent in writing and artwork!