Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #4

Good morning,

Hope everyone's enjoying their weekend. It's time for me to discuss the fourth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover depicted the Thing and Captain America squaring off against a large robot and several human-sized aliens. The tale was titled "Doomsday 3014!" The issue had a publication date of May 1974.

The story began in the Central Park Zoo. Ben Grimm was leading Wundarr, the alien man with the mind of a child, past the exhibits. Wundarr pointed to a cotton candy stand and asked his "Uncle Ben-jee" for some. Grimm obliged, but while he was at the counter, chaos erupted around him.

A lion was released from his cage by the powerful youth, who didn't understand why the animal was caged in the first place. It was up to the Thing to ensure that the beast and other animals Wundarr had freed in a short time were rounded up and prevented from harming anyone else in the zoo. Some of its patrons included Sharon Carter and Steve Rogers, who we all know is Captain America.

The couple saw several patrons fleeing in terror, and the Avenger sprang into action moments later. He reached Ben, who had the animals mostly in control by that point. Steve noticed several crooks taking advantage of the situation to rob the merchant booths. As the heroes were occupied with their respective tasks, Namorita and her friend Annie were also wandering the park grounds.

Nita pointed out Wundarr to Annie, and she was recognized instantly by Wundarr (who met Namorita in issue #2). Ben returned shortly thereafter and was angered by the man-child's actions. Nita begged him not to judge Wundarr too harshly, since he didn't understand why what he'd done was wrong. She explained to Ben that she'd returned to the area to attend college and share a house with Ann. Namorita offered to take Wundarr off Ben's hands for a while, and Grimm was happy to oblige.

Cap and Sharon reached Ben after Wundarr had left with Nita and Annie. Ben explained what had just happened and why on the walk back to the Baxter Building. The trio walked in on Reed Richards conducting another experiment with Medusa (who was Sue Richards' temporary replacement in the Fantastic Four for a while). Reed and Medusa stopped what they were doing and went to welcome their guests. On the way out of the lab, the Thing's hand accidentally moved a power feed switch on the contraption Richards had been using.

The quintet relaxed and talked until a piercing scream filled the room. Everyone ran toward its source, which was a young woman who'd appeared in the lab. She was surprised that the people gathered around her spoke English and said that Captain America had died 1,000 years ago before fainting. Ben brought the woman to a couch. When she awoke, she mentioned the Badoon, whom she seemed to be deathly afraid of.

She said that the Badoon was an alien race that had enslaved her people, adding that the Guardians of the Galaxy had named their ship after Captain America. It was now evident that the stranger had arrived from the future using the time machine that was in the laboratory. 

Cap asked Reed if that machine could be used to send them to the time period of the woman named Tarin. A short while later, Captain America, the Thing, Carter, and Tarin stood on the time platform that once belonged to Doctor Doom. Reed and Medusa stood at the control panels and watched their friends fade from sight as the platform lifted from the floor.

The quartet soon found themselves in the 31st century. New York was quite different from what they were used to, and it was much more hostile. They were soon attacked by beings called Zoms. Their foes could not be harmed or knocked out, proving to be more than a typical challenge for our heroes. 

They fought well, but numbers were not on their side. Things escalated when the monster of Badoon, who looked more like a machine than a mortal being, entered the fray. Not even the Thing's most powerful blows could fell the beast. Cap, Sharon, and the Thing eventually fell to the futuristic warriors. They were then led off, as Tarin observed from nearby. She swore that the Badoon would not enjoy their victory for long. 

This was another fun issue. I always enjoy a good Sal Buscema comic book, and this issue showcased his distinctive art style and his versatility in depicting a wide variety of heroes and villains. It was nice to see Reed and Medusa, since I have most of the original Fantastic Four run, and Wundarr and Nita, even if that plot point was done for a while after the first part of this issue. 

That's it for this morning. Later today, I'll return to recap the fifth issue of this series. We'll find out what happened to Captain America, the Thing, and Sharon Carter. We'll also see the Badoon and their interactions with this issue's featured guest stars, the Guardians of the Galaxy (author's note: this is the original Guardians of the Galaxy who originated in the 30th century and are mostly different from the Guardians featured in the Marvel cinematic universe and Guardians of the Galaxy comics in recent years). Until then, have a great day and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #3

Happy Friday, folks!

I'm ending the workweek with a discussion of the third issue of the first volume of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover showed the Thing and Daredevil about to join the fray below them, as they stood before a gaping hole in the roof they stood upon. We could see the Black Widow and Nekra as several of the combatants inside the building. The story was called "Inside Black Spectre!" The issue had a cover date of May 1974. 

The tale kicked off inside the Baxter Building in New York, as Reed Richards was trying to learn more about the man called Wundarr (who Ben Grimm rescued last issue), as the Thing tried to fit a workout in. All of Reed's tests resulted in the same information. The adult sitting quietly should have normal intelligence, but had shown no outward signs of that as of yet. 

Ben soon noticed a dial on Reed's indicator diving into the red zone, right before Wundarr's body exceeded the amount of energy it could store. The lad emitted a powerful shock wave, one that took out part of the building's roof. Some of the debris was narrowly evaded by the blind crimefighter known as Daredevil.

Daredevil (aka Matt Murdock) was swinging past with his billy club, hoping to find more leads to the Black Spectre crime organization. The explosion distracted him, and he used his radar senses to avoid the falling stone, but ended up losing control of his weapon and fell himself. Murdock reached for the hook from a nearby crane at a construction site and used it to begin a series of jumps that eventually brought him down to the sidewalk. 

Onlookers cheered his athletic prowess, and a police officer helped Daredevil to his feet. He then informed the costumed crimefighter that the blast had originated from the Baxter Building. Murdock walked over to learn more, realizing that his club had lodged itself into part of the wreckage. However, he couldn't use the elevator, which was only accessible using an electrical eye that members of the Fantastic Four wore on their belts.

He turned to leave until the elevator opened. Grimm stepped out and welcomed his friend inside. They traveled up to Reed's laboratory. Richards stopped long enough to greet their old colleague before returning to his work. Grimm helped Daredevil find where his club was, but it was Reed's elastic arm that brought it to him.

Reed apologized for his brusqueness, explaining that he had to complete what he'd been doing. Daredevil understood, having been filled in on Wundarr by Ben. Reed was working on a new suit for Wundarr. Grimm led the lad to a place where he could change, and Daredevil swung back to rejoin police commissioner O'Hara and Shanna the She-Devil (who had her own short-lived comic book not long before this issue was published). 

Shanna recounted the details that she'd already told Murdock's law partner, Foggy Nelson. Her father, Gerald O'Hara, had been kidnapped by soldiers under the employ of the villain known as the Mandrill. She searched in vain for him for months, until she got the call that her father's body had been found in Cape Town. Gerald's will stated that all of his earnings from his diamond business would be turned over to Hensley Fergus, whom Shanna suspected of being the Mandrill. Daredevil wasn't sure what that had to do with Black Spectre, but Shanna guessed that her father's fortune might be funding their criminal enterprise.

Daredevil moved on, noting that he'd heard the same story before as his lawyer persona. He returned home and changed, just in time to greet Candace Nelson before their theater date. The performance wasn't what Matt was expecting. It turned out to be a show where an actor dressed up as Captain America savagely attacked a black man before being shot and killed by a man dressed as Adolph Hitler. The gunman then used his own weapon on himself, and his suicide set the stunned audience into a panic.

Matt took advantage of the confusion to slip backstage and change into his Daredevil costume. He found someone wearing the attire of a Black Spectre member. The villain was knocked out before he could learn anything, and Matt was then accosted by his former love, the Black Widow. She escaped via helicopter. Daredevil thought that he could borrow a vehicle from the Fantastic Four to follow her.

By then, Wundarr was now wearing his new costume, which had a device in the belt buckle that could be used to disperse future energy buildups without causing further damage. Grimm spotted Daredevil whizzing by from the corner of his eye, and soon met his friend trying to hijack their Fantasticar. Ben wanted an explanation, which was quickly provided right before they caught up with a blimp that passed overhead.

The Fantasticar attached to the vehicle like a magnet. The Thing jumped onto it and pounded at its exterior before a portion gave way. Inside, the heroes found several Black Spectre soldiers, along with the Black Widow and Nekra. The villainess was clearly in command of the legions, which included a brainwashed Natasha Romanov (the Widow's civilian identity). 

Daredevil fought off the soldiers until he was attacked from behind by the Widow. Meanwhile, the Thing went for the leader, only to wind up hypnotized by Nekra. He was carried by Black Spectre soldiers and returned to the Fantasticar with Daredevil. It was up to Murdock to pilot them safely to the ground, but the metal blimp escaped.

By the time they landed, Grimm had woken up from his trance. He explained to DD that he'd just gone numb. The Thing was angry and wanted another shot at redemption, as did his counterpart. However, that would have to wait until the conclusion of this tale, which was recounted in Daredevil #110.

I don't have that issue, and I've also decided to stick to the titles that I'm concentrating on, so if you want to find out how that tale ended, you can pick up the book or read it online at your leisure. Regular readers of my blog know that I'm a big Sal Buscema fan, and I usually try to pick up any issues that he illustrates whenever I can. He had plenty of experience drawing Daredevil and Cap, among others, and I've always liked how his art flows well from one page to the next.

Black Spectre seems somewhat like a Temu version of Hydra, or even the Maggia, to me. I haven't read a lot of comic books that they've been featured in, but thus far they've only been portrayed in this issue and issues 109 through 112 of Daredevil's first mag. I think that they might have been confused with other similar organizations, although I'm surprised they haven't been revived in recent years.

I was kind of surprised to see Shanna the She-Devil, until I remembered her run-in with Nekra in the only issue of her brief solo title that I have in my collection. Shanna later became the wife of Ka-Zar and has primarily remained in the Savage Land with her husband and son when she isn't in America on brief excursions. I think she was included to wrap-up of her storyline following her title's cancellation. 

That's all I have for you for now. Tomorrow, I'll kick off the weekend with a synopsis of the fourth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The Thing teams up with Captain America to tackle another threat, one that takes them to a place they never expected. We'll also see what happened to Wundarr following the events in this issue. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #2

Hi everyone,

Today's topic is the second issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover depicted the Thing and Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner, preparing to face off against a foe whose metal hands were shown in the foreground. The tale was titled "Manhunters from the Stars!" The issue had a cover date of March 1974.

The story started with a young man named Wundarr who plummeted into the ocean. His descent was observed by Namorita, a cousin of the legendary Atlantean. She dove into the waters to save him and eventually brought him to land. After reviving him, she asked the stranger who he was.

Unfortunately, Wundarr had no knowledge or memory of his past. He repeated Nita's name and, in doing so, spoke for the first time. Before the duo could continue the conversation, Namor and several of his followers arrived on the scene. Namorita explained what had just happened, but her cousin was wary of the intruder, and Wundarr soon leapt away.

His power reminded Namor of his fellow Defender, the Hulk. Nita felt for the lad and convinced Namor to help find him. Meanwhile, the strange young man was being watched from a spaceship that was orbiting Earth. The ship's occupants were most interested in Wundarr because they knew about his lineage.

Wundarr's father, Hektu, had been their world's greatest astronomer. He informed the government of their planet Dakkam that its sun would go nova. His claims were dismissed, and the planet's security force eventually eliminated him. Hektu had built a rocket ship for his family, which Wundarr had escaped in. The observers wanted to find and kill the boy and were preparing a large robot to accomplish that goal. 

We then learned that Wundarr's ship crash-landed on Earth 20 years before. The infant's ship was discovered by the Man-Thing (who guest starred last issue). By that time, Wundarr's body had aged to that of an adult. However, his mind was still that of a toddler. He had a tantrum after meeting the Man-Thing and eventually fled (a story that was encapsulated in Fear #17).

Back in New York, Ben Grimm and his Fantastic Four teammate, Johnny Storm, had just left a movie theater after watching a screening of the martial arts movie "Five Fingers of Doom." Ben was less than thrilled by the feature, while Storm was enamored with the action and skill of the warriors. Johnny flew off as the Human Torch toward their headquarters, the Baxter Building. Ben decided to walk home.

It wasn't long before the city residents were alerted to Wundarr's arrival. The confused man-child started tossing cars until the Thing intervened. He engaged in battle as Wundarr's fellow Dakkamites watched from afar and Namor and Nita neared the site of their struggle. 

The two Atlanteans learned of Wundarr's whereabouts from a nearby ship captain, whose television set was tuned to the skirmish still in progress. Ben knew that the fight itself didn't make much sense, but he continued until he was tackled from behind by the Sub-Mariner. 

Namor was explaining the reason for his interference right before the robot and its masters landed. The artificial being called a Mortoid loomed over his foes, but proved to be no match for the mightiest Atlantean and the Thing. The two quickly defeated the robot just in time to stop the aliens from abducting Namorita.

The two Dakkamites then returned to their ship and sped away. Namor and Nita described Wundarr's condition to Ben before departing. Grimm was then left alone to carry the unconscious boy to safety. 

Namor is an interesting character. He was one of the company's first superheroes, who was revived in the 1960s in the pages of the Fantastic Four. He's fought against and alongside the super team many times. Namor was one of the original Defenders, sided with Doctor Doom in the Super Villain Team-Up book (that I'll cover at another time), was an Avenger, and even aligned with the X-Men at times. He's one of those characters who will appear for a while and then sort of disappear for a while. Namorita was largely absent during the Seventies and Eighties (except for appearances like this one and guest spots in the Submariner's own title) until the New Warriors were formed in the Nineties. 

Wundarr was a character that I didn't know a lot about until I started collecting this series. Most of his appearances have been in this title. He would later be known as Aquarian, and we'll see more of him throughout this run. His origin reminds me a bit of Superman, and the main character from Marvel's Star imprint brand's series Planet Terry. He has a lot of potential, but hasn't been popular enough to merit his own one-shot or limited series comic book yet. 

That's all I have for you today. Tomorrow, I'll cover the third issue of this series. Ben is still figuring out what to do with Wundarr when he embarks on a mission to tackle new foes. We'll also see guest appearances by Reed Richards, Shanna the She-Devil, and the Black Widow in that issue. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #1

Hello there,

Today's topic is the first issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover showed the Thing ramming his fist through the torso of the Man-Thing. The story was called "Vengeance of the Molecule Man." The issue had a cover date of January 1974.

It all started with Ben Grimm's anger increasing after seeing a picture in a newspaper of the Man-Thing. He grew incensed because there was another monster that had a name similar to his. It even caused him to cancel his bus trip back home to New York. He was now set on traveling to Florida to encounter this other super-being in person.

While the poor old man who was simply trying to run a business sat alone in tears after Ben departed, Grimm was reminiscing about his recent battles with the Hulk and teaming up with Iron Man to combat the Blood Brothers (as shown in Marvel Feature #11 and 12, respectively). He may have been a little oversensitive, but the blue-eyed idol of millions had his reputation at stake.

Meanwhile, on an unnamed planet, the Molecule Man was lamenting his poor health while his enemies were thriving back on Earth. The villain had been exiled to that world by the one called The Watcher. He didn't have long to live and was unhappy that he'd never have his vengeance against the Fantastic Four. 

His son vowed to continue his father's mission shortly before the elder passed away. Afterward, the younger man moved to another room and bombarded himself with a shower of ionic particles. They transformed him and helped to renew his devotion to the destruction of Earth's first superhero team. 

Sometime later, the new Molecule Man arrived not in New York as he'd hoped, but instead in the Florida swamps. The first being he encountered was the Man-Thing. He was repulsed by the creature and dropped the wand he'd been carrying. Without that icon, his skin began to wither and weaken. He grabbed for the instrument and felt his strength return almost immediately. 

He knew then that he had to keep the wand with him at all times and walked on, with the Man-Thing following silently behind him. Not far away, Grimm decided he'd had enough travel for a while and ordered the bus driver to stop and let him out. The driver let him out on a bridge, and Ben jumped down. He had no sooner landed in the murky waters below when vines lashed out at him, thanks to the Molecule Man's powers.

Before he could do further harm, the Molecule Man was tossed aside by the Man-Thing. He recovered quickly and used his wand to revert his foes to their human identities, Ben Grimm and Ted Sallis. Ben insisted that they pursue their attacker, knowing that failing to do so could mean the end of his superhero team.

The Molecule Man was mystified as to why his wand was unable to transport him to New York. He continued on to the city of Citrusville, Florida, as Grimm and Sallis made their way out of the swamp. It didn't take them long to find their foe after seeing the destruction he'd wrought in the town in such a relatively short amount of time.

At one point, the villain turned a citizen into a facsimile of Reed Richards and subjected the unwitting resident to feeling the limits of Richards' elasticity. Grim cried out after seeing the helpless man die as a result. His outburst attracted the Molecule Man's attention. He was tired of seeing Ben in his human form and turned him once more into his rocky alter ego.

After being rebuffed by the Thing, Sallis soon reverted back to his monstrous form. The duo engaged in battle again. Upon hearing their mutual enemy laugh loudly at their plight, Ben tossed a bit of the Man-Thing's muck and knocked the wand from the Molecule Man's hand. He ran after it, but by the time he caught up with it, his mortal body withered into dust.

The Thing then picked up the wand. He wasn't able to use it to turn him or his ally back to their human versions, and watched the Man-Thing saunter off. Ben then gave the wand to a little boy, who began playing with it immediately.

The Molecule Man is one of those Marvel characters who appears every so often. Most people in my generation know him from his inclusion in the first two Secret Wars miniseries. I don't know a lot about his history, but I first saw him in the pages of the monthly Fantastic Four and Micronauts titles. He has incredible powers, but his humanity sometimes prevents him from seeing his true potential. 

This was an enjoyable issue. I wasn't surprised to see the Man-Thing, knowing writer Steve Gerber's background with that particular character. Gil Kane's artwork is unique and always fun to add to my collection. 

Except for this one and the second annual, you should be able to find most of the issues from this run in your comic book store's discount bin or at prices that are typically lower than many other issues that were printed during the same time. They're fun to read, but not very highly sought after by most collectors. I decided to collect them all because I enjoyed the run, and it was a less expensive option than other titles that I've read from time to time over the years. This title has been relaunched in recent years, but the newer iteration just doesn't have the same impact on me as the original series has.

Well, that's all I have for today. Tomorrow, I'll discuss the second issue of this series. Ben is back home in New York when he encounters one of Marvel's favorite super-powered characters from the 1940s. The duo also meets a new character whom Grimm takes under his wing in several additional upcoming issues. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Feature #12

Hi everyone,

It's time for me to talk about Marvel Feature #12. The last issue of the first edition of this title was a team-up with the Thing and Iron Man. The two stars were featured on the cover, battling the Blood Brothers. The issue had a cover date of November 1973, and the tale was titled "The Bite of the Blood Brothers!"

It began right where the last issue left off. Ben Grimm was stranded in the desert (after combining with the Hulk to defeat Kurrgo and the Leader). He soon saw Iron Man fly by, but the armored Avenger was too preoccupied with his goals of locating the Blood Brothers and possibly their leader, Thanos, to visit with an old friend. 

Tony Stark had reached his enemies' former base, not knowing that he was already being targeted through a gunsight by one of his foes. The Thing followed Iron Man's path while Thanos was communicating to his lackeys via a Cosmic Cube from the safety of his ship that was orbiting the planet Saturn. The Blood Brothers had located Iron Man and were awaiting orders. His death sentence was permitted, and the aliens swiftly lunged at their prey. 

The founding Avenger's armor and defensive capacities were enough to hold off the villains for a while, but he crashed into the Fantastic Four's strongman as he attempted to leave the compound. The collision knocked both heroes out. Thanos commended his subordinates on their victory from afar. He gave the order to terminate them just before one of the creatures attempted to use his vampiric abilities on Grimm.

His fangs had little impact on the rock-covered superhero, who trounced his attacker. Iron Man recovered during the ensuing melee and joined in the confrontation. The battle eventually brought a nearby mountain down, but Earth's defenders and their foes still fought on.

A combined effort was needed to knock out the Blood Brothers. Thanos continued to observe via the cube and dispatched his lackeys' punishment through it. The Blood Brothers disappeared, leaving the heroes alone. Iron Man said that the conflict had taken too much of his suit's power to assist Grimm, and Ben was left once again to wander the desert seeking a way home. 

This was the last issue of the first edition of Marvel Feature. It's sought after by collectors because of Thanos' appearance, even though he never directly interacted with the heroes in the story. Thanos was killed off a few years later (in Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2) and was resurrected in the 1990s. He's appeared from time to time in different Marvel magazines and movies, and still remains a popular adversary.

I enjoyed this issue. It was, to the best of my knowledge, the first story featuring just the Thing and Iron Man in a drawn-out battle. The Blood Brothers were interesting, although I often think of the Hulk's nemesis the Bi-Beast when I hear about them for some reason. They were an early kink in Tony Stark's armor, but I don't think they've returned very often since this tale. 

Marvel Feature would be revived a few years later, and kicked off with a series of Red Sonja stories. The Thing continued on in his own book, Marvel Two-In-One. Next time, I'll recap the first issue of that title, as Ben Grimm runs into the Man-Thing in the deep South. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Feature #11

Hi everyone,

I'm starting a new week with a new series to cover. Most of you probably know about Marvel Two-In-One, a regular title in the 1970s and 80s that teamed the ever-loving blue-eyed Thing with different heroes. What you might not know is that the concept began in the pages of the bi-monthly series Marvel Feature.

The first three issues of this title featured the original Defenders (Doctor Strange, the Incredible Hulk, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and the Silver Surfer) before that group got its own book. The issues following that focused on the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym. The Thing made his debut in this series in issue #11, where he went up against none other than the Hulk himself. They were locked in combat on the issue's cover.

The story was called "Cry, Monster." The issue had a cover date of September 1973. It all started in the Fantastic Four's first skyscraper headquarters, the Baxter Building. Reed Richards (aka Mister Fantastic) and his brother-in-law, Johnny Storm (better known as the Human Torch), were trying to prevent the Thing/Ben Grimm from pulling apart a piece of Reed's laboratory machines.

Reed constructed the device as one of his many attempts to turn Grimm back to his regular human form. Ben wasn't having any of it. He had no desire at the time to revert to what he'd been before the fateful rocket ride into outer space that was responsible for the Fantastic Four's creation. Their origin was summarized in the first several panels of the third page. What none of them knew was that they were being observed from afar by the former master of Planet X, Kurrgo (who had only been seen before in Fantastic Four #7).

The erstwhile monarch recounted his initial visit to Earth and how Reed had tried to help his guest save his people from the possible collision of their planet with a different world. Richards had shrunk the populace down so that everyone could fit into a rocket that could deliver them all to safety. Kurrgo had stayed behind when the planet started collapsing and was trapped in the rubble. 

Kurrgo's loyal robot aide came to the rescue and delivered him to a hidden ship. They took off right before Planet X was destroyed. It took Kurrgo several years to find the new world that his people had settled on. However, by that time, they'd decided that they no longer wanted the despot to rule them. They had prepared defenses to drive Kurrgo away. He and his robot fled, but Kurggo would not forget the betrayal.

His ship now hovered over Earth. Kurrgo was searching for Earth's mightiest warriors and came upon the mighty Hulk. He was about to enlist the jade giant to his cause when the Hulk's long-time enemy, the Leader, intervened. The man who was once Samuel Sterns was encased in a cylinder aboard a ship, as he conversed telepathically with Kurrgo. 

The Leader thought that the Hulk's power could help him to recover from his paralysis. Kurrgo proposed that the two of them settle things by having two of Earth's mightiest beings battle for them. The Leader had chosen the Hulk, and Kurrgo opted for the Thing. Whichever one of them won the match would have the services of both champions and the scientific knowledge of the loser. 

The game was about to begin. Back in the Baxter Building, the Thing was about to boot the ball of mechanical junk he'd just made when he was transported into a town that seemed to be right out of the Old West. He had just gotten his bearings when an astral projection of the Leader appeared before him. 

Sterns explained that Grimm had been sent there to serve as Kurrgo's warrior, where he would be going up against his warrior, the Hulk. Ben's temper flared until the Leader showed him an Ultrex bomb that had been activated and was capable of destroying the planet in less than thirty minutes if Grimm didn't disarm its timing mechanism before then.

The Leader's image then disappeared, and Grimm was left all alone. He announced his accomplishment to Kurrgo on the spaceship, where the two villains awaited the reaction from the green-skinned hero. Grimm was still stewing in the Western town when Bruce Banner's alter ego struck the first blow. He was wondering why he'd been sent to that place to fight the Thing. 

The two engaged in a battle that knocked down much of the old buildings around them. Not even Grimm's disclosure of the bomb was enough to deter his foe. The fight continued until the Thing finally was able to subdue the Hulk temporarily. He then turned a corner, and found the bomb that the Leader had shown him, only to learn that it was a fake. 

The Hulk had returned, ready for the next round when a beam from the ship orbiting Earth's atmosphere struck him. Ben grabbed onto a green leg and ascended with him. They were then face to face with the Leader and Kurrgo. Kurrgo dispatched his faithful robot to defend them, which was knocked into part of the spaceship's controls.

Ben decided to bail out before the craft went down. The Hulk followed, and the two of them landed safely back on Earth. The ship exploded and plummeted planetward after the Hulk bounded away. The Thing was then left by himself once more. Now he just had to figure out how he'd get home. 

Even though he wasn't as popular as the Hulk (who is still my favorite Marvel hero), I still admire the Thing. He's strong but also has a good moral compass. He's not as smart as Reed, but usually manages to figure things out and has saved the day plenty of times on his own or with the assistance of other  comrades plenty of times since his creation. This was a fun yarn, one that was my introduction to Kurrgo and featured my favorite Hulk nemesis, the Leader. The Thing and the Hulk had tussled before, and would meet each other many more times as the years have gone on. 

Tomorrow, I'll discuss the final Thing tale from Marvel Feature before he was given his own magazine. Marvel Feature #12 has Grimm teaming up with Iron Man. The two heroes take on a twin terror, and this issue has one of the earliest appearances of a well-known foe who's probably best known lately for his roles in Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade #4

Good afternoon all,

I'm closing out the weekend with a summary of the final issue of Marvel's adaptation of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The cover showed Indy duking it out with a Nazi officer atop a German tank. The tale began with Indiana and his father flying in a pirated biplane with a trio of German fighters in hot pursuit. 

Indiana was piloting the getaway vehicle, and his father manned the gunner's seat. He eventually figured out how to use the guns, but accidentally managed to shoot their tail flap, which he blamed on their opponents. The plane landed shortly thereafter, and our heroes commandeered a car, which they used to evade one of the planes that tried to fly through a commuter tunnel.

The elder Jones used his remembrance of Charlemagne to draw the attention of several birds flitting around the beach, several of which caused one of the German fliers to lose sight of his targets and crash explosively. They later reached Iskenderun, where Sallah gave them the bad news about Marcus Brody's kidnapping (as shown in the last issue). 

They followed the Nazi entourage, which now included a large tank. The heavy vehicle spotted the trio's car and knocked it out of commission. However, the Nazis now had to be concerned about the Americans and their ally, and the Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword (who we saw in issue #2 of this miniseries, back in Venice). 

In all the confusion, Jones Sr. found Brody in the belly of the tank. The two old chums later escaped after Indy fought off several SS soldiers. Indiana was still locked in battle with one of them right before the tank careened off a nearby cliff. 

Sallah, Marcus, and Indy's father watched from the cliffside, thinking that the American professor had been lost for good. They were mourning when Indy crawled up, wondering what all the fuss was about. His father hugged him, and they later followed the German forces on horseback.

Both parties found the secret canyon and the temple within. The villains were trying to reach the chamber where the Holy Grail was kept, but with little success. Indy and his companions were soon apprehended by the Nazi sympathizers. Walter Donovan convinced the younger Jones to volunteer after shooting his father in the chest.

Indiana used his father's grail diary to pass through the traps that lay within. He found the last remaining knight inside a small room. Jones was allowed to search for the cup of Christ. Elsa Schneider and Donovan followed after Indy had reached the area. Walter chose a rather majestic-looking chalice. He dipped it into the fountain and soon learned that he'd made the wrong choice, as his body began to atrophy until it disintegrated.

Indy then found what seemed to be a carpenter's cup and tested it. The knight confirmed that he'd chosen wisely. He then took the cup to his father to heal his wound. They observed the knight standing silently behind him, serving as a reminder that the grail could not cross the seal carved into the floor. 

Elsa tried to leap for the cup after the ground beneath them started to split, but she fell into the abyss. Indy was tempted to do the same, until the gentle words of his father brought him back to reality. The quartet then departed just as the temple collapsed behind them. They rode off into the sunset together as the story came to an end. 

The last five pages of this issue were reserved for ad space. If those pages were dedicated to content, this adaptation probably could have been published in three issues instead of four. The only problem I had regarding this issue's content was that they skipped the reason why the younger Jones was called Indiana. I get that not everything could be included, but I felt that was an important part of his lore. Nonetheless, it was still a satisfying adaptation of the third Indiana Jones flick. 

This was the last Indiana Jones comic book published by Marvel. Dark Horse acquired the publishing rights in the 1990s and distributed their own stories, along with collections of the original Marvel ongoing title, from 1994 to 2010. There haven't been any other Indy comics published since then. I think that it would be interesting to revisit the original series and produce new content that features the primary main and supporting characters, as well as some of the more memorable characters from the regular series' run. Maybe that will happen someday. Time can only tell.

That's all I have today. Tomorrow, I'll begin a new series. This one will feature a well-known member of the Marvel universe, one who stands out for his distinctive powers and abilities, and his long-standing feud with the Yancy Street Gang. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.