Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #14

Well, we're halfway through the week, folks!

Today's topic is the fourteenth issue of the Thing. The cover depicted Ben Grimm atop an alien flyer, tearing it apart as other ships sailed nearby. The story was called "Wild Blue Yonder." The fourth chapter of Rocky Grimm, Space Ranger had a publication date of August 1984.

The story started once again on Battleworld, where Grimm had opted to stay behind after the events in the first Secret Wars. Ben and Tarianna came across an alien ship that had apparently been landlocked for some time, even though the planet itself was relatively new. Grimm turned into the Thing and lifted the vessel from the ground.

He ushered Tarianna inside the craft moments after an invading fleet opened fire. The Thing tried to get the ship aloft, but it wasn't until he turned to Ben Grimm that he figured it out. Grimm had the vessel up in the air just in time to help other similar landlocked ships nearby, right as fighters like the ones who had just attacked Ben and Tarianna strafed them.

Grimm's defensive maneuvers caused the invaders to eventually flee, much to the delight of the aliens on the ground. They introduced themselves after the conflict as members of the Turek. Their enemies were known as the Silbens. Ben agreed to help them, although it took some time to train the pilots and ensure that their ships were ready to fly. Tarianna also helped out, and even donned one of the Turek's flight suits as a show of solidarity. 

Ben led the assault on the Silben craft and became the Thing once more while he piloted. He led his new allies to victory, which was hopefully a deciding factor in the war between both races that had gone on for longer than most people on either side could remember. Following the campaign, Ben and Tarianna walked off together, toward whatever new adventures lay in store for them. 

Grimm was a top-notch test pilot in the military before his fateful flight into space, so it made sense that he'd become involved in an aerial dogfight. He took charge as expected, and the good guys won as usual. 

If you're starting to think that many of the events in this Battleworld saga were derived from Grimm's inner thoughts, you're on the right track. We'll talk about more of them tomorrow when I discuss the fifteenth issue of the Thing. Grimm and Tarianna travel to new places and run into some familiar threats as the search for the little girl's dowry continues. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #13

Happy Thursday, peeps!

Today's topic is the thirteenth issue of the Thing. The cover showed Ben Grimm and Tatianna surrounded by a horde of alien creatures. The tale was titled "In All The Gathering Gloom." The issue had a publication date of July 1984.

The third part of the Rocky Grimm, Space Ranger storyline started with Ben and Tatianna on horseback, with Hanark walking alongside them to the town where Tatianna and Hanark lived. The small village looked very similar to the Latverian land that Grimm's longtime rival, Doctor Doom, ruled back on Earth. 

The trio headed to the town hall, where Ben hoped he could get more answers. There they met with the leader named Taymar. He greeted his colleagues and guests, and listened briefly to their tale before inviting the trio inside for a feast. Ranark looked like a broken man after having witnessed Grimm's superior strength in action (last issue).

Tarianna recounted their encounter with Ben's old nemesis at the dinner table. Taymar told his guest of the wizards who had begun a war centuries ago. The sky riders called Starnaris and the villagers known as Kirithiril had been engaged in conflict just outside their land. The villagers lived peacefully for generations before their recent troubles. 

They now had an ally to finally counter the danger they faced. Tarianna began to trust Ben more as they conversed that evening and the next morning. She and Ben started to cross a bridge one by one before they disappeared from sight. Hanark mustered up enough courage to follow them, and he too seemed to vanish.

Ben found himself inside a massive castle and continued to explore. Tarianna did the same, until she was captured by Hanark. Meanwhile, in another part of Battleworld, the girl known as Llrrlllnnyrrl was approached by raiders who still had yet to find the dowry they had stolen from her. 

Tarianna confessed that the newcomer had won her heart before troubles increased for them and Grimm. Ben braved the menacing monsters and the appearance of Doctor Doom once more before smashing through into nothingness. He realized that everything, including the town, were apparitions. Only Tarianna was real. He explained to her Doom's machinations on Battleworld and how she'd lived on because Grimm must have wanted her to survive. 

This script set future events in motion across the rest of this storyline, and it made more of what had happened before make sense. The attacks had no rhyme or reason to them, so, logically, the villains would have sprung forth from Ben's mind. 

That's it for today. Tomorrow, I'll cover the fourteenth issue of the Thing. Grimm becomes involved in an aerial assault between warring factions, and we'll see which side emerges victorious. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #12

Happy Monday, folks!

Today's topic is the twelfth issue of the Thing. The cover depicted Ben Grimm squaring off against a female riding a purple horse with the spectre of Doctor Doom in the background. The second part of the Rocky Grimm Space Ranger saga was titled "Doom!" The issue had a cover date of June 1984.

The story started on Battleworld, where Ben Grimm had chosen to stay behind in the aftermath of the Secret Wars because he could change back and forth from the Thing to his human form at will. He was staring at an alien city before walking toward it.

However, the scenery changed quite dramatically once Ben approached the town. It soon turned into an Earthlike paradise. Grimm had just started to explore his new surroundings when a man on horseback rode past him. He muttered an insult at the person who had almost knocked him down, which was apparently heard by the stranger, who came charging at him.

Only turning into the Thing saved Ben from a gruesome fate. He grabbed the rider from his saddle and set him down before a female on horseback arrived. Grimm grabbed her from the purple stallion and set her down to talk. She was hesitant until Ben changed back to his human form. 

Having earned the female warrior's trust, Ben learned that she was named Tatianna, and that she and her heart-mate Hanrak were from a land called Leenn. They were on a quest to eliminate a wizard who had disrupted their people. 

During the discussion, Hanrak fled into the bushes. Tatianna and Grimm followed him and soon ran into a large version of Doctor Doom. The giant lashed out at and apparently injured the woman, causing Ben to instinctively turn back into the Thing and get set to clobber his old foe. He finally felled his rival and had time to check on Hanrak and Tatiannaaaa.

Hanrak used his energy lance to lash out at the stranger, and in doing so, knocked Ben into a legion of Dooms. Tatianna urged her love to aid the newcomer and grabbed hold of Hanrak's weapon. She flung it at Ben's opponents, and they disappeared upon impact.

Afterward, Ben picked up the unconscious Hanrak and joined Tatianna on the trek to her homeland. The journey was rather peaceful until they reached the village. Ben gasped, noticing how much it resembled Doom's home country of Latveria back on Earth.  

If you think there's more to this than meets the eye, stay tuned for my articles on the rest of this storyline, true believers. I thought that it was a bit odd that the Doctor Doom Ben and company fought wore the traditional garb that Ben and his FF teammates were accustomed to, instead of the newer version of his armor that Victor Von Doom wore for a time after acquiring the Beyonder's powers on Battleworld. I also remember that he changed back to the usual outfit he wore before being sent back at the conclusion of that miniseries. The mystery of how Doom could be on Battleworld after having presumably perished at the hands of Tyros the Terrible (Galactus' former herald Terrax) back on Earth would be explained in a later issue of the Fantastic Four's title.

The mystery deepens tomorrow in my summation of the thirteenth issue of the Thing. We'll see Ben venture into Hanrak and Tatianna's village, and learn more about their people. We'll also see how Doom plays into all this and the return of the alien girl looking for her dowry. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.  

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #11

Good afternoon, folks,

Welcome to my eight hundredth blog post! This article will be dedicated to the eleventh issue of the Thing and the loving memory of my aunt Dorothy, who passed away on Monday. I'm taking some time afterwards to properly mourn her and remember other family members that we've lost over the years. Rest in peace, auntie. 

The cover showed Ben Grimm riding a flying lizard, with the image of the Thing's face in the background. The tale was titled "Rocky Grimm, Space Ranger." The issue had a cover date of May 1984.

The story started right after the events of the first Secret Wars. Ben had opted to stay behind on Battleworld, with She-Hulk taking his place on the Fantastic Four. Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) surmised that the planet's unique nature allowed Ben to change back and forth from the Thing at will, and left his old friend a control that he could use to return to Earth when he wanted to.

Ben tossed the remote in the air, only to have it snatched by an alien riding a large winged creature. Grimm set off after it, but saw it disappear into a large tower-like structure. Ben entered a local cantina and learned that his device was now the property of the takers. 

While he was trying to figure out how to gain access to the top of the tower, Grimm was approached by a young woman named Llrrllllnnllyrrl. She had hoped to retrieve an item that the takers had stolen from her, and had approached the tall human for assistance. Even though everything in his current surroundings seemed relatively new, he accepted the story that the girl's personal possession had been taken some sixteen years prior and agreed to help.

She led him to a lair housing one of the large flying beasts Ben had seen earlier. It took some time, but Grimm eventually managed to get the creature long enough to enable him to control it and soar towards the thieves. They floated through the tower and landed outside the villains' lair.

Ben ran on foot, changing into the Thing along the way. He burst through the doors and demanded the return of his remote control. The diminutive beings gladly offered it to him and promised to find the item that the young girl was desperately seeking. They admitted the search could take years, but weren't about to upset the stranger any further. Ben walked away, thinking how he'd changed to his rocky alter ego subconsciously and would have to rein that in moving forward.

I wasn't a big fan of this particular storyline at first, but it did give us a deeper look inside the characteristics that made Ben Grimm a noble hero. Some of the reasons why he was rarely able to revert back to his human form on Earth in the past were explored in this saga, but then were largely forgotten or treated as if this would never be a possibility again moving forward. Personally, I thought it would have been cool if Ben had control over the transformations, much like Bruce Banner could control the change to the Hulk at the same time before succumbing to Nightmare's occupation of his mind. 

Tomorrow, I'll cover the twelfth issue of the Thing. Another chapter of Ben's life on Battleworld unfolds then, as Grimm encounters a new foe and someone who he's very familiar with. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #10

Good morning, peeps!

Starting the day with a summary of the tenth issue of The Thing. The cover showed Ben Grimm, Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards), and the Human Torch (Johnny Storm) being hit by a blast from above. The story was called "Marking Time." The issue had a cover date of April 1984.

The tale began with Grimm and Alicia Masters enjoying a quiet walk together in New York's Central Park. Ben discussed his concerns about their relationship as they continued on, observed by several children who eventually followed their hero. Ben was a bit annoyed by their presence until Alicia reminded him that they weren't much older than his godson, Franklin Richards.

Grimm decided to give the boys an example of his powers, as they wanted. He grabbed a statue of a man on horseback and ground it into a sphere about the size of a bowling ball. The kids scattered, and Ben took Alicia back to the Baxter Building. 

Once inside, Ben was greeted by Johnny, Reed, and Susan Richards (the Invisible Woman). Reed was concerned about his wife's pregnancy, since the child was conceived during their trip to the Negative Zone. He was also preoccupied with energy spikes observed in the same area that Ben and Alicia had just returned from. 

The couple retreated to Ben's living quarters, where they sat together to talk more. Grimm told Masters about how soldiers viewed him after their rocket crash-landed on Earth. He, Reed, Johnny, and Sue had been bombarded with cosmic rays during the voyage that helped to foster their unique powers. One look at the rocky behemoth, and several soldiers opted to shoot first instead of asking questions. His teammates vouched for him, but that didn't make the helicopter ride back to base any less uneasy for those on board.

Grimm thought that the man inside died on that hill, and lamented the many failures Reed had experienced in trying to revert his friend back to his human form. It seemed like he wasn't even trying to help Ben in that regard anymore. Just then, Reed burst into the room, explaining the sudden surge of unidentified energy in Central Park.

Ben kissed Alicia farewell as he went off to board the Fantasticar with Reed and Johnny to investigate. Alicia sat with Sue before explaining to Mrs. Richards that she and Ben had decided to make a change in their relationship that was yet to be determined. Sue sat quietly and listened before moving to the window to see her loved ones fly away.

This time, the energy was visible enough to be seen from several miles away. Reed landed the craft outside a strange circular barrier that was now in Central Park. The trio walked in, finding the experience strangely satisfying. It was as if they were being lured into a trap, which they noticed moments before they were teleported worlds away.

As many longtime Marvelites knew, this was a precursor to the first Secret Wars limited series. It explained how 3/4 of the Fantastic Four were sent to Battleworld for Marvel's largest event across their heroic line. This issue also served as a fine transition between that and what would happen in the following months in the Fantastic Four's book and this title.

We'll see what happened to Ben in the next issue of the Thing. I'll cover the eleventh issue of this series later today, which has Grimm exploring strange new surroundings by himself for the first time. Until then, have a great day and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #9

Happy Saturday, folks,

Hope all's well. The focus of today's article is the ninth issue of the Thing. The cover depicted Alicia Masters defending a newly evolved version of Ben Grimm. The tale was titled "What Price A Soul?" The issue had a publication date of March 1984.

The first part of the script showed Masters' journey through a decimated hospital. She'd been hospitalized for some time after being assaulted by the Fantastic Four's foe Annihilus (as chronicled in the FF's book) and now had to navigate around the carnage caused by Ben Grimm, who had recently been merged with the soul of an Egyptian warrior who passed on centuries ago (shown at the end of last issue).

The janitor who accomplished that task looked on as Alicia made her way to the elevators. She reached the main floor and continued walking outside, where even more damage to property and persons could be witnessed. Alicia made her way alone across ravaged streets until she met a policeman.

It didn't take long for the officer to realize that Alicia was blind, and he helped to take her to safety. Along the way, he described the destruction wrought by a savage attacker. Masters knew that the person responsible for the damage was her beloved.

Grimm's body was being controlled by an ancient Egyptian warrior that was set free by the old man we saw earlier (again, last issue). He continued on his path until he recognized the person who had set him loose in this timeframe. Meanwhile, Alicia was making her report to the officials at police headquarters.

She learned that Grimm was heading toward the United Nations building, which meant that a potential international crisis was about to unfold. Alicia asked to be taken there and arrived not long after Ben crashed a meeting between diplomats from multiple nations.

Masters appealed to the spirit that was controlling her boyfriend. She appealed to him by pointing out the pattern of wearing out host bodies. She asked that this particular host be saved from such a fate, which he agreed to. Moments later, the Thing was embracing his love once more. 

Now that I've read this series in its entirety, I have the impression that this two-party storyline was a bit of a filler before the climactic events in the next issue. It explained Alicia's recovery somewhat, and brought Grimm and Masters closer together, but unfortunately that wouldn't last very long.

To find out more of what I mean, tune in tomorrow morning. I'll discuss the tenth issue of the Thing. Ben and Alicia talk about their relationship, before some of the Fantastic Four is swept away in an adventure that will leave their team changed quite significantly. Until then, have a great weekend and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #8

Happy Friday, folks!

Time for me to talk about the eighth issue of the Thing. The cover showed Ben Grimm standing before Alicia Masters in her hospital bed as a hand from an unknown character held a rectangular object and bands of energy coursed from the mystery person. The story was called "Ancient Evenings Ancient Pain!" The issue had a cover date of February 1984.

The tale began with Ben standing and staring out the window of his quarters in the Baxter Building on a nice day. Grimm was thinking about recent events, such as the cleanup from the encounter with Annihilus and Reed and Sue Richards' (Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman) decision to move out of their headquarters for concern over their family's safety. He dressed up and took a walk to clear his mind.

Grimm ran into the She-Hulk, not realizing that he'd walked that close to Avengers Mansion. Jennifer Walters asked her friend how things were going. The two sat down for a drink before trouble started. Ben and Jennifer stopped an armored car heist. The Thing was about to take his frustrations out on one of the crooks before She-Hulk reminded him that his punch might do more harm than good. 

Police rounded up the robbers, and Grimm walked on, in no better mood than he was before. He returned to Mercy General Hospital, where he convinced one of the attendants to let him visit Alicia after visiting hours were over. He returned to her side and talked once more about the possibility of leaving the Fantastic Four. 

The couple was unaware that they were being watched through the open door by a janitor, who held a pocket button in his hand, hopeful that a centuries-long promise would finally be fulfilled. The old man thought back to ancient Egypt, ruled by a powerful pharaoh. While the leader was off on a hunt, his wife summoned forth a lowly slave, who spurned her advances.

She requested that the slave be punished, and it was up to the old man, who served as the pharaoh's wizard at the time to devise a fitting penalty. One was created, but it was nothing near what the wife could ever conceive possible.

In the present, the elderly janitor took a test tube from his shirt pocket and consumed the liquid it contained. His memories continued as he left the pyramid after his leader's family had perished, and went out to live in the world for thousands of years. He then entered Alicia's hospital room, and thinking Ben to be the slave that he'd imprisoned so many years ago, held forth the small, smoldering box.

Grimm grabbed the device and crushed it. However, the energies within began to flow over his body, and the old man was pleased. He grabbed Alicia from her bed as the spirit of the long-dead warrior consumed Ben's form.

This was an interesting way to begin a multi-part story. It initially took me a few tries to understand the main plot. Ben's interaction with Jen and his thoughts about leaving the FF would be a bit of foreshadowing for the upcoming Secret Wars miniseries. 

Ben's fate will be revealed in the ninth issue of the Thing, which I'll cover tomorrow. We'll learn more about the old man's intentions and why Grimm seemed to be a perfect host for his faithful servant. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.