The Multiverse has been an integral part of Marvel storytelling since the 1970s – and while that has provided an endless reservoir of storytelling potential by allowing the company to introduce any and every variant of their iconic characters, Marvel shouldn’t neglect the weirder, wilder possibilities its fictional universe has to offer, exhibited by pre-Multiverse depictions of alternate dimensions.
Strange Tales #103 – written by Larry Lieber and Stan Lee, with art by Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby – is a perfect example of this. Pre-dating the official introduction of Marvel’s Multiverse by almost a decade, “Prisoner Of The Fifth Dimension!” is a Human Torch solo story, which finds the hero confronting an invasion of Earth by alien beings; rather than beings from space, however, the aliens come from a dimension that exists alongside his own.
Multiverse stories are a great way to explore characters in ways the main Marvel continuity can’t – whereas exploring other dimensions is an opportunity for characters to interact with strange, unique new entities.
The Human Torch’s Forgotten Early ’60s Interdimensional Tale
“Prisoner Of The 5th Dimension,” as told in Strange Tales #103, features the Human Torch investigating a mystery at a construction site, where newly built houses are sinking into the ground at night. A local man attributes this to “swamp demons,” but it is quickly revealed that the perpetrators are extraterrestrial-looking beings – with the local turning out to be one of these aliens in disguise. Rather than invading Earth from space, these beings come from a dimension that is connected to the Human Torch’s by a physical portal, which is located in the ground at the construction site, prompting the “5th dimension” aliens to protect the gateway between worlds by sabotaging human construction efforts.
Taken prisoner and transported to the aliens’ dimension, the Human Torch ultimately helps to instigate a revolution against the “Prime Minister” of the 5th-dimension, Zemu. The story is notable for depicting a dimension operating in parallel to the one occupied by Marvel’s version of Earth in a way that is distinct from how the company would come to portray its Multiverse. While the latter has come to dominate Marvel storytelling – especially as it has become central to future Phases of the MCU – parallel dimension stories are an under-utilized way of introducing fresh new elements into Marvel stories.
Marvel Storytelling Isn’t Lacking Dimensions, But It Could Use More
Of course, Marvel hasn’t forgotten about parallel dimensions entirely – Asgard, home of Marvel’s original gods, is its own dimension, or “realm”; most notably, the hell dimension Limbo has provided nightmarish antagonists for X-Men titles, and more recently, Spider-Man’s Dark Web crossover, in what is perhaps the company’s most enduring, and thoroughly-explored, parallel dimension. However, with Marvel recently adding to its roster of cosmic characters, with series like Jonathan Hickman’s G.O.D.S., Alyssa Wong’s Captain Marvel, and Al Ewing’s Immortal Thor, the company has proved its willingness to get weirder and wilder, to explore every new avenue of dynamic storytelling available.
With this in mind, Marvel’s roster of Omega-level creative talents should look to classic stories, like the Human Torch’s adventure in Strange Tales #103, to inspire new storytelling initiatives that go beyond even the Multiverse. Notably, the “5th dimension” from the issue was revisited over a decade later, in a Fantastic Four arc from 1975 – one which, as it turned out, was one of the earliest, formative Multiverse stories, slightly pre-dating the concept’s official introduction to lore in 1976’s What If…? #1. Having both narrative options on the table affords Marvel the chance for a dynamic interplay that will continue to help them endure as a comic book powerhouse.
