The idea of gigantic bugs including bees began with H. G. Wells’s The Food of the Gods (Pearson’s Magazine, December 1903-June 1904). Wells applied it to chickens, rats and children, but the movies gave us giant bugs. The Strand Magazine wasn’t about to let their competition get one over on them so they gave us a visual version with “If Insects Were Bigger” (1909) by J.H. Kerner-Greenwood. This photo-essay didn’t include a bee but the Science Fiction idea was firmly established. Hugo Gernsback used giant bugs to establish his new Scientifiction magazine, Amazing Stories in July 1926 as did Harry Bates with the first two issues of Astounding Stories of Super-Science (January-February 1930). Bee-people have been part of Fantasy since at least Frank R. Stockton’s “The Bee-Man of Orn” (1887), A. Merritt’s “The Drone Man (Fantasy Magazine, September 1934)” and Roald Dahl’s “Royal Jelly” (1959). Insect monsters (along with spiders, which of course, are not insects but arachnids) have been part of the fantastic weave for some time.
The comics were no different. The writers pilfered the old Pulps (and new ones, too) without apology. The spirit of H. G. Wells lives on in these four color tales of gigantic bees, weird bee people and other apian horrors. For that is the emotion most often associated with bees and wasps. Occasionally we remember them with some pleasure for their honey and pollinating. As always, some writers are not known but provided where we can.
Golden Age
“The Case of the Giant Bee!” (Adventure Comics#69, December 1941) was written by Mort Weisinger. The development of a super-thyroid extraction creates giant bees that need pummeling into obedience. Mort Weisinger was a twenty-six year old at this time who had started his career editing Thrilling Wonder Stories back in 1936. He would become a major editor at DC. His Pulp background is well used here.
“Mary Marvel Meets the Beehive People!” (Mary Marvel #12, May 1947) was written by Otto Binder. Mary and boy inventor, Creighton Tinkerman, go to the future in a time machine. Humanity has changed into a society that is based on bees. Mary and the Queen don’t hit it off and the visitors are happy to return to our time. Not really giant bees but another comic produced by old Pulpsters. Otto Binder was half of the Eando Binder team and his older brother Jack did illustrations for Pulps. They would work happily together later at DC.
“Out of the Night!” (Mystic #7, March 1952) has a writer go to his cabin to get some writing done. He has a nightmare about a bee monster then writes it up in a story for Mystic Magazine. The thing turns out to be real! A nice reversal on “It was all a dream….” which we will see here.
“Beware…The Bees!” (Mystic #7, March 1952) has Casper Green, a very greedy man, working in foreclosures. He comes to the home of a scientist who is working with bees. Green samples a serum the prof has been working on but can’t perfect. Later, Casper finds his head has become that of a bee. This shocking reveal predates The Fly (1958) by six years. Did George Langelaan read Marvel Comics?
“Captain Marvel Battles Bug Bombs!” (Whiz Comics #150, October 1952) was written by Otto Binder. First we get a lecture on the atomic pile before the Big Red Cheese has to stop an atomic war between the ants and the bees. Otto Binder again, but he’s not done yet.
“The Human Beehive!” (Strange Adventures #33, June 1953) was written by John Broome. Captain Comet comes to an island where tigers are tiny and butterflies are huge. The humans live in a hive and are guarded by gigantic bees. The culprit turns out to be the scientist Dr. Eric Jason, who controls the bees and acts like a tyrant over everyone. Captain Comet’s future body is impervious to radiation so Jason fails to kill him.
“The Valley of the Giant Bees!” (Batman #84, June 1954) was written by Bill Finger. Giant bees take over Gotham City and enslave humans to carry sugar to their hive. But it turns out Batman is having a dream. (Really, Bill?) Keith Roberts would write the real deal in The Furies (1966). For more on that novel, go here.
Silver Age
“The Hive of Atlantis” (Gorgo’s Revenge, 1962) was written by Joe Gill. Relics of ancient Atlantis are found before a hive of giant Atlantean bees are discovered. Some cowboys try to shoot them and the bees go on a rampage. A modern jet is used to blast the aggressors. The bees are wiped out because the giant flowers of long ago no longer exist to feed them.
‘The Man in the Bee Hive!” (Tales of Suspense #32, August 1962) was written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber. Two men shrink so they can enter a bee hive. Turns out it was all an illusion! Sometimes these writers don’t even try! The concept of shrinking and experiencing insects 9as opposed to making them large) goes back to the Pulps too. Paul Ernst wrote a good one called “The Raid on the Termites” (Astounding Stories, June 1932). Richard Matheson had his Shrinking Man and the spider as Honey, I Shrink the Kids had scorpions. Putting us on the same level as bugs doesn’t usually go well for us.
“The Creature From Kosmos!” (Tales to Astonish #44, June 1963) was written by Stan Lee and Ernie Hart. I included this one because the most famous superhero with a bee/wasp theme is The Wasp from the Ant-Man franchise. Played by Evangeline Lilly in the films, she can shrink like Ant-Man but also fly. This was her first appearance back in 1963.
“The Origin of Bee-Man” (Double-Dare Adventures #1, December 1966) was written by Otto Binder. Harvey Comics, famous for Richie Rich and Casper, tried their hand at superheroes in 1966 with two issues of Double-dare Adventures. Their hero was Bee-man. Written by Otto Binder, who knew a thing or two about writing bee stories, it gives us the origin of this crime fighter: Martian giant bees!
Art by Tom Massey”The Giant Wasp” (Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan #180, October 1968) was written by Gaylord DuBois. This four pager isn’t much about wasps. The giant insect starts the plot rolling.
Bronze Age
“The Giant Bees” (Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #409, October 1974) was written and drawn by Bill Wright. While on a picnic, Mickey, Minnie and Pluto see a giant bee. They follow it to a giant hive where Professor Bugsby has been using a secret formula to make the bees gigantic. Rowdy Pete and his gang have taken the scientist captive and plan to corner the honey market.
“The Stinger” (Ghostly Tales #122, August 1976) was written by Joe Gill. Potter is a mean SOB the town tries to starve out. In revenge, he brings in killer bees. The big, mean mutant insects terrorize the locals before returning to Potter’s farm. They swarm and kill him, causing his house to catch on fire. (Thanks, Richard!)
“To Bee or Not To Be” (Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery #73, February 1977) begins with Professor Alton Mayne creating a headset that allows him to communicate with the bees that he has enlarged with a hormone treatment. The bees reveal that they plan to breed in the millions and wipe out humanity. Mayne stops them by attacking them with natural wasps, the enemy of the bee.
Conclusion
Bee themes are pretty standard, with the focus on stinging and flying if aggressive, and the queen and the hive if not. I looked at Giant Ants before, as well as Giant Spiders, and the giant bee belongs quite firmly here as well. The gigantic insect (and other creepy crawlers) have been influenced by Science Fiction where it was first imagined but has also influenced SF icons in other ways. The Alien from Alien/Aliens/Alien Resurrection, etc. combines the reptilian with the insectoid, both features were fear. The injecting of its eggs into human hosts comes from wasps who frequently do this in nature. That we can imagine the pain and terror of their victims speaks to what has driven this franchise for decades.
