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. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #7

Happy Thursday, folks,

Today's article is a bit out of the ordinary. I'll be covering the seventh issue of the Thing. The cover showed Ben Grimm being jumped on from behind by a mystery opponent during Marvel's assistant editor's month. The first story was called "Two-Fisted Feet!" The issue had a cover date of January 1984. 

Ben had arrived at the hospital again to visit his girlfriend, Alicia Masters, who was still recovering from her injuries at the hands of the Negative Zone native known as Annihilus (in the Fantastic Four's title). As Grimm talked with Masters, he started to doubt if his place was with that team anymore. He left a short while later to sort things out in his head. 

Grimm had toyed with the idea of settling down with Alicia and leaving the hero biz, especially now that their longtime rival, Doctor Doom, was supposedly dead. However, the day would still call upon the Thing's unique abilities.

As Ben rounded a corner, he saw a police barrier, and soon met a Katzenjammer Kid look-alike who called himself Goody Two Shoes. He kicked the hero into a wall before walking away with the money he'd just stolen from the bank. Grimm chased his foe all the way to the top of the Empire State Building before finally defeating the newcomer. He tossed the foreigner into another wall after grabbing his shoes and annoucing his victory to all in the vicinity.

The second tale, titled "What Th'?!" chronicled Ben's visit to Marvel Comics headquarters in New York.  He was most irate after reading the first story in this issue, and decided to set things right. He explained to the creative team how he easily knocked out Goody Two Shoes with a simple flick of the wrist, but the story that was printed made it seem like Ben had nearly lost the battle. 

John Byrne, Ron Wilson, and Ann Nocenti tried to explain the reasons for embellishing the yarn, before Ben decided to close the doors and settle things the only way he knew how. Afterward, Ben stepped out just as Roger Stern was walking by. He had no qualms with Stern, and left after advising Roger not to enter the room if he was looking for the aforementioned trio.

Assistant Editors' Month was rather infamous in Marvel lore. There were some great unique issues published, as well as some that have mostly been forgotten. This was an amusing issue, especially the Byrne-drawn second half that played on the character's interactions with the comic book staff who have occassionally appeared in Marvel mags from time to time. 

That's all for now. Tomorrow, I'll close out the week with a synopsis of the eighth issue of the Thing. Ben seeks advice from a new friend about his current situation and becomes involved in an unexpected adventure. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #6

Happy Wednesday, folks!

Time for me to talk about the sixth issue of the Thing. The cover showed Ben Grimm preparing to punch someone. The story was called "Mindscape." The issue had a cover date of December 1983.

The tale began in Ben's mind. He thought about how he'd just been forced into fighting his friends Wonder Man, She-Hulk, and Spider-Man (last issue). Grimm then pondered the person behind such attacks, who lashed out at him moments later. The Puppet Master, adorned in a shiny new costume, struck his old opponent, who in this reality was just ordinary Ben Grimm.

Alicia Masters' stepfather stood in front of his foe, feeling triumphant. He explained to his opponent what had happened since their last encounter. The Puppet Master had allied himself with Doctor Doom to subdue the Fantastic Four and place their minds in small puppets that were then added to a miniature town called Liddleville. The heroes believed that was their life, until they started to unravel the deception. 

The members of the Fantastic Four eventually regained their powers and control of their own bodies. They'd even tricked Doom into being thrown into suspended animation. Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) believed that it would be safe for them to transport Doom's body, not knowing at the time that his rival had transferred his mind to the body of his Liddleville puppet.

Doom found himself facing a revolt led by the Puppet Master. Before he could claim a final victory against the Latverian monarch, one of Doom's robot doppelgangers destroyed the tiny town and Masters' robot body. He had no physical form and became synthesized with this radioactive clay. The Puppet Master manipulated it into assuming the form he'd used to return to New York, just as he now controlled Grimm's body.

The emboldened Puppet Master lashed out at Ben repeatedly until Grimm changed into the Thing. Ben had usually held back a bit during their previous battles because of the Puppet Master's relationship with Alicia. This time, he had no such qualms. He pushed his foe out of that plane before finally breaking free of the blackness.

When Grimm stepped out, he saw the devastation that his battles had wrought across several city blocks. He was coming to terms with that reality when his rival, appearing as a white version of the Thing, stood before him. This time, Ben's words caused the hardened block of clay to crumble, once the Puppet Master knew that his longtime rival wasn't afraid of him. 

The Puppet Master has been one of the Fantastic Four's oldest foes. He's had a sort of love/hate relationship with the group over the years, primarily because of Alicia. This was one example of writer John Byrne trying to show readers how much of those struggles were mental, although there was a significant physical portion to this conflict as well. 

That's it for now. Next time, I'll sum up the seventh issue of the Thing. This issue was published during the infamous assistant editors' month, so expect some hijinks that are a bit out of the ordinary. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #5

Hello there,

Hope all's well. I'm not in the best of moods today after hearing that my aunt passed away yesterday, but I'm going to do the best I can. Today's topic is the fifth issue of the Thing. The titular character was being attacked on the issue's cover by She-Hulk and Wonder Man, as Spider-Man swung into view. The tale was titled "With Friends Like These..." The issue had a publication date of November 1983.

Ben Grimm was leaving the hospital on a nice day after visiting his girlfriend, Alicia Masters (who was still recovering from injuries suffered at the hands of Annihilus in the Fantastic Four's book). Ben took a cab back to the Baxter Building, where he was met at the building's elevator bank by Wonder Man (Simon Williams). Simon explained that he was there because of an urgent call he'd received from Ben.

Grimm replied that he'd made no such call. Wonder Man's face shifted, and he went silent before punching his old pal. Ben flew through the wall and out into the street. He was puzzled by the sudden attack, but barely had time to catch his breath before Simon continued the assault.

While the duo fought, She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters) was trying to make sense of one of Hank Pym's texts while on monitor duty at Avengers Mansion. She was interrupted by a phone call supposedly from Ben. The caller asked for her assistance at the Baxter Building. 

Jen brought up a map on the computer, which indicated that there were signs of distress in that area. She then told the butler, Jarvis, that she was going to investigate. Meanwhile, the conflict between the Thing and Wonder Man continued. 

Ben quickly realized that something was off with his opponent. It seemed like Wonder Man was not in control of his body. He had no sooner defeated Simon when the She-Hulk knocked him through a bus. As they battled, an observer noted that Walters were losing, and that maybe strength alone was not enough to stop Grimm. 

The Thing was surprised by this new confrontation, noting that this challengers was just as quiet as the last. That was most unlike the rather chatty She-Hulk. The mystery person reached out to another hero, who just happened to be the ever-amazing Spider-Man (Peter Parker). Spidey was zipping by on a webline when he felt the influence of another mind. He soon leapt toward Ben, knocking his surprised friend off his feet.

Ben went through a similar conflict with Spider-Man, paying attention to how his foe seemed unfamiliar with his own abilities. As this continued, the cloaked stranger split off into several smaller beings who departed the alley they'd been lurking in. 

A few moments later, several citizens made a rush toward the Thing. Ben had a good idea by then who was behind all of this, but didn't want to hurt innocent people. He fought them off easily, and then the smaller beings combined into a duplicate of the Thing. Ben stood for a short while surveying the aftermath of the day's events, before he too was enthralled by an entity that he was rather familiar with by then. 

I felt like this was an okay issue. Nothing spectacular, and the idea of having several allies influenced into attacking the Thing is not a new concept. It did remind me of someone the Fantastic Four have faced before. 

If you think you know who the mystery villain is, or even if you don't and want a better clue, tune in tomorrow for my summary of the sixth issue of the Thing. We'll find out what happened to Ben after his possession, and the mental conflict that he engages in before it's all over. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #4

Happy Monday, folks!

I'm starting a new week with a discussion of the fourth issue of the Thing. The cover showed Lockjaw and Ben Grimm, with a mysterious being behind them. The story was called "I, Monster!" The issue had a cover date of December 1983.

The tale began outside a small shack on a warm day. An old woman was tending to her crops before an angry mob began assembling near her domicile. She quickly ran indoors, concerned for the safety of her son, Lucas, a frightened young boy who doesn't appear to be quite human. She went outside to address the townspeople's concerns. They demanded the monster and began throwing whatever items they could get their hands on at Sarah Anne Jackson to force her to comply with their demand.

A few moments later, The Thing and Lockjaw arrived. The Inhuman had teleported them right into the midst of the confrontation. Ben was unhurt, but tried to squash the unrest before things got out of hand. He and Lockjaw stood their ground until the sheriff arrived.

The lawman had never seen anyone like Lockjaw before, but Grimm assured him he was okay. Meanwhile, many miles away, in what appeared to be a deserted castle, several lumps of clay sitting on a table began to move. They slowly coalesced until they formed a gray humanoid.

Back at the cabin, Ben was filling Ms. Jackson and the sheriff in on his return from Atillan. He said that Lockjaw didn't bring him to the Baxter Building because Lockjaw sometimes focused on the mental energies of people in need of help. Apparently, he thought the single mother and her child fit that description.

Grimm wasn't ready to head home just yet. He left Lockjaw with Sarah and her son Lucas, while he rode into town with the sheriff to make a phone call. Life for many in the village had started going downhill at around the same time as Lucas' birth, some twelve years earlier. 

Ben called the Baxter Building, but his friend Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) wasn't around. He had just hung up with their robotic receptionist, Roberta, when Lockjaw appeared beside him. The Inhuman fell over, and Grimm saw that he had been shot. The sheriff asked his deputy to find a medic while he and Ben sped off toward Sarah's cabin.

The angry mob had returned to encircle the small house. Ben waded through them, but was unable to prevent all of them from lashing out. One of them threw a rock that crashed through a window and struck Sarah in the forehead. It was the last thing she'd ever see.

Lucas stepped outside to find his mother lying lifeless on the front stoop. He looked out at the crowd and could feel their jumbled emotions. After a while, the people who'd arrived to harm him no longer felt like doing so. They walked away peacefully.

Afterward, Lucas and his new friends buried Sarah. Lockjaw teleported the orphan to Atillan. Ben realized that was one place the boy could be where he'd never be viewed as a monster.

This story reminded me of a tale in an issue of The Incredible Hulk that was plotted by Jim Starlin, where the titular character encountered a child who had been considered an outcast because of their unusual appearance and abilities. It's a theme that we often see in some of the X-titles and spread throughout other books from various publishers. We as humans often fear what we don't know, and sometimes that fear leads people to commit harm against those who are different. Maybe if we took the time to get to know others as the unique human beings that they are, we might be in a better place as a society.

That's all I have for now. Time to have dinner and think about the memories of my aunt, who just passed away earlier this morning. I'll return tomorrow with a recap of the fifth issue of the Thing. The strange being in the abandoned castle we saw earlier will take on a larger role in that script. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #3

Good afternoon all,

I'm wrapping up this weekend with a discussion of the third issue of the Thing. The cover showed Ben Grimm shackled to a wall, as members of the Inhumans entered a doorway behind him. The tale was titled "Turning Point." The issue had a cover date of September 1983.

The story began in a typical hospital, where patients with various maladies were being treated. However, none of those inside were prepared for the arrival of the two Inhumans, Crystal and Lockjaw. Grimm was not far away, taking some time to pick up a bouquet in the gift shop for his girlfriend, Alicia Masters, who had been recuperating at that same hospital from injuries suffered at the hands of Annihilus (a saga that was covered in the Fantastic Four's title). 

Ben left the shop and immediately met his old friends. Crystal leapt into his arms before tears started falling down her cheeks. Grimm carried her to a couch, went to the water cooler for a cup of water, and listened to the tale she was about to tell. Ben was horrified by what he'd heard, and immediately agreed to allow Lockjaw to transport him to the Inhumans' refuge of Attilan, which was in the blue area of the moon.

After ensuring that Crystal would be taken care of, the Thing and Lockjaw transported to the Inhumans' land, where Ben was brusquely told that those in charge could not be interrupted. Ben was on a mission to see Black Bolt and wasn't about to let anyone get in his way. A fight broke out, one that ended with Grimm being stunned by a weapon. He and his comrade Lockjaw woke up imprisoned.

Ben was on the verge of freeing himself when Black Bolt, Medusa, Karnak, Gorgon, and Triton entered the room. Crystal's child, Luna, was about to be exposed to the Terrigen mists that endowed unique abilities to each Inhuman. Grimm protested, noting that although Luna's father Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff) consented, Crystal argued against it, because their child was of both human and Inhuman origin.

Karnak asserted that it was the father's decision, something that Grimm countered when speaking to Crystal's sister, Medusa. She said nothing in response before she and her colleagues left the room. Ben and Lockjaw were finally able to free themselves after Ben produced a heart-shaped locket that he'd purchased for Alicia and used it to short-circuit the cell that had prevented Lockjaw from teleporting away. 

Moments later, the pair arrived right before Pietro, who was about to place his child in the Terrigen Mist chamber. Neither Ben nor Lockjaw was going to let Maximoff proceed with that plan. Lockjaw grabbed the child and teleported away, with Quicksilver running after him, leaving Ben to follow.

Ben was met by his old Inhuman allies and others who were determined to let the ceremony continue. Black Bolt flew toward the Thing, and the two engaged in another destructive conflict. The skirmish continued until Lockjaw reappeared with Crystal at his side, holding Luna in her arms. She appealed once more to her husband and fellow Inhumans.

It wasn't until Lockjaw spoke up that people finally started to change their minds about the situation. Ben was shocked, unaware that his old companion was capable of speech. A few hours later, Ben bid goodbye to his teammate Johnny Storm's (the Human Torch's) former love, as Lockjaw teleported him back. On the way, Lockjaw admitted that he'd never spoken to Ben before because he simply hadn't had anything to say. 

This was an interesting and enjoyable one-off issue. It was good to see the Inhumans again, including past and future FF members Medusa and Crystal. They will probably always be connected with the Fantastic Four, which isn't surprising, considering they debuted in that series during the Stan Lee-Jack Kirby days. I had no idea that Lockjaw could talk, and I was not expecting the Inhumans to assent to Crystal's position. 

If you want to find out where Ben and Lockjaw went after this story, tune in tomorrow for my recap of the fourth issue of The Thing. They don't return to the Baxter Building or the hospital just yet, and encounter a family in need of consideration for their unique settings. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one anothe.