Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #24

Happy Friday, folks!

Wrapping up the workweek with a summary of the twenty-fourth issue of the Thing. The cover showed the Thing taking on the Rhino, a Hulk-level villain who is one of Spider-Man's oldest enemies. The tale was titled "One Man's Prison." The issue had a cover date of June 1985.

The story started at Project Pegasus in upstate New York. The Rhino was in protective custody and about to be transported via semi-truck to a new location. Meanwhile, at New York's Port Authority, Ben Grimm was purchasing a bus ticket, heading for the very location that the Rhino had just been transported out of. Grimm once served as security chief for the facility and was hoping to reconnect with his old friend Quasar. What he didn't know was that his old enemy, the Miracle Man, was standing right behind him in line. 

He boarded the same bus as Ben and sat across from him, as he thought back to his earlier defeats at the hands of the Fantastic Four and the Defenders. Grimm was engrossed in memories of his own, ranging from the day when he first became the Thing, to his return to Earth to find that his girlfriend Alicia Masters had fallen in love with his teammate Johnny Storm (the Human Torch) to the blame Ben placed on his best friend Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) for his inability to ever return to human form. His seatmate tried to get Ben interested in a game of Trivial Pursuit, but by the time Grimm replied, the stranger was no longer willing to play.

Eventually, the bus driver brought the vehicle to a stop. It was a decision that was not his own. As the passengers tried to figure out what was going on, the Miracle Man hopped out and entranced the driver of the big rig in the opposite lane. It careened into a cliff, falling on its side. This allowed the Rhino to bust free and fall under the influence of the Miracle Man.

Most of the bus passengers had disembarked during the confusion. Only Ben remained inside, poring over his newspaper. He soon felt the impact as the Rhino charged the bus, causing it to tumble down a tall hill. Ben emerged as the last fragments of the vehicle were sliding away. He climbed the hill, looking for the person responsible. 

This was Ben's first encounter with the Rhino. The duo tussled for a while, until the Rhino admitted that he didn't want to be a villain. He'd grown tired of being used. Ben felt for the misguided superhuman and tried to reassure him that he'd help. 

The Miracle Man had gained control of the minds of the other passengers, who held him back while he tried to convince the Rhino whose side was correct. The Rhino eventually turned against his new ally. The Miracle Man was left alone, except for the passenger who had sat next to Ben on the bus. He pulled out a strange-looking rifle and fired it at Mr. Miracle before fleeing. This character was the infamous Scourge, who killed multiple super villains during that time.

The Rhino was the first to find the Miracle Man's body. Fearing that he'd be blamed for the death, he ran across the forest. Ben followed him, and the two fought briefly again before Grimm was able to persuade the Rhino to return to Project Pegasus. Afterward, Ben was about to depart after asking for directions to the closest bus stop. 

The Miracle Man debuted in the third issue of the Fantastic Four's first series. He wasn't very impressive, but still managed a few encounters with superheroes before his untimely demise. The Scourge was a character who killed off villains that were relatively minor in scope during the mid-1980s. Some of them were later resurrected, or had their mantles taken up by other people. This wouldn't be the first time that the Scourge would appear in this title. I was surprised that the Thing had never faced the Rhino before, considering how he was more of a match for him than someone like Spider-Man. If the Rhino were more motivated, I'm sure their conflict would have easily taken up a full issue or more. 

That's it for now. Tomorrow, I'll discuss the twenty-fifth issue of the Thing. Ben continues to trek across the country by bus. This time, he takes a rest stop at a quiet farm that's more than it appears to be from the outside. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #23

Happy Thursday, folks!

Today's topic is the twenty-third issue of the Thing. The cover depicted Ben Grimm walking away, apparently done with the Fantastic Four. The story was called "Remembrances." The issue had a publication date of May 1985.

The tale began with Grimm cleaning out his old room at the Baxter Building in New York City. He was angry with his life, mainly because when he arrived back on Earth from Battleworld, he found out that his longtime girlfriend Alicia Masters was now seeing his teammate Johnny Storm (the Human Torch, in an episode chronicled in the Fantastic Four's own magazine). He was angry enough to punch through his bedroom door.

As Ben sorted through his belongings, he came across an old photo of Johnny. That jogged some old memories of the hijinks he and Storm used to go through back in friendlier times. They included being woken up by music playing from two large speakers posted on either side of Ben's bed, the old dip a person's hands in warm water trick, and being bombarded with a volley of lemon meringue pies.

Storm asked to enter as Grimm was packing up his things. He wanted to apologize for what had happened and admit that he really was in love with Alicia. Ben said nothing, keeping his back turned to Johnny. Storm eventually left Ben to continue with his task.

Reed Richards entered the room after Grimm packed away pictures of the two of them during their college days and a photo of Alicia that had him thinking back to their relationship. Reed wanted to know if there was any way that he could help his old friend. Ben replied that he felt like being alone for a while, having grown accustomed to it during his days on Battleworld following the Secret Wars.

Reed admitted that he'd made a mistake regarding Ben's sojourn on the patchwork planet. If he'd known his thoughts about Alicia at the time, he would have advised Grimm against remaining there. Reed had tried multiple times to cure his friend of being the Thing.

That was old news to Ben. What he didn't expect to hear was Reed's announcement that Ben could always change back to his human form, but a mental block had prevented him from doing so. The fact that Richards had never told him that until now enraged Grimm. He went for his friend, who did his best to peacefully restrain the Thing so he could hear him out.

Ben felt that his current condition was all Reed's fault, adding that he'd killed the human portion of himself on Battleworld because he had to save himself from that twisted version of his own personality. Ben rushed through the wall, passing Johnny, Sue Richards (the Invisible Woman), and Sue and Reed's son Franklin along the way. He hailed a cab, unsure where his next destination would be. Back in his old room, Reed stood holding a broken picture of him and Ben, while Sue, Johnny, and Franklin stood by him in silence.

By this time, John Byrne had given up writing chores on the book, and Mike Carlin stepped in full-time to resume the story that Byrne started. The one thing that's surprised me is that Marvel has never returned to the fact that there's still a human part of Ben that exists within the monster, as evidenced by a portion devised by Reed and Sue's children that allows him to be human again temporarily. If that human form still exists, then it's reasonable to assume that the mental block might also be there as well.

We would learn several years later that at the time, Alicia had been kidnapped and replaced by the Skrulls. The woman Johnny fell in love with was an impostor. The real Alicia Masters would eventually be freed, and several years later, she and Ben would marry and adopt a pair of alien children. 

Ben's solo journey continues in the twenty-fourth issue of the Thing, which I'll cover tomorrow. It's briefly interrupted by one of the Fantastic Four's oldest enemies and one of Spider-Man's old opponents that's more in league with the Thing's power levels. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #22

Happy Wednesday, folks!

We've finally reached the conclusion of the Rocky Grimm, Space Ranger storyline. The cover of the twenty-second issue of The Thing showed Ben Grimm cradling Tarianna carefully in his arms on a deserted planet. The tale was titled "To All Things An Ending." The issue had a cover date of April 1985.

The story started with Ben running to his girlfriend's doorstep with a box of candy and a bouquet of flowers. However, Alicia Masters quickly rejected her boyfriend and began swinging her fists at him, even after he changed into the Thing. When Grimm opened his eyes, he found himself inside a large arena.

Ben was now staring directly at the enemy who had tormented him for much of his time after the Secret Wars. He told his rival that he'd created a psychological block that prevented him from becoming human, because he felt that Alicia had preferred his superhero self. The stranger let down his hood to reveal that he was Ben Grimm. 

He explained how he was created, so that Ben could examine the lives of his human and superhero identities. This version of Ben's self was determined to keep his human form, which he felt less and less of every time Ben changed into the Thing. He started hatching a plot after finding Ultron's head. 

The evil android was not needed to destroy the Thing. Ben's doppelganger leapt at his twin, He lacked the hero's fighting ability, but still pressed on nonetheless. In the meantime, Tarianna was breaking free of her bonds, eager to return to Grimm's side.

As for Ultron, he had been revived (as shown last issue) and had assembled a machine army ready to take over the patchwork planet. Both battles raged on simultaneously. Tarianna eventually leapt to her love's side, and lodged her sword deep into her captor's side. He cried out not in pain but in anger. 

The action caused the stadium to collapse, and Ultron's forces to disappear. Ben was now left with Tarianna dying in his arms. After she passed on, he walked alone. Now there was nothing keeping him on that world any longer. He realized that killing the human side of him was his idea all along. He grabbed Ultron's head that was lying nearby and pressed the remote control that his teammmate Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) had left him. Moments after the Thing left Battleworld, the planet began to collapse in on itself before finally exploding, its debris left to orbit endlessly in space. 

This was the conclusion of this storyline and Battleworld, but the implications would carry over into the next issue. The revelation and final struggle in this particular story would stay with Ben for some time, but I really feel like this should have been revisited. It reminded me of the identity crisis that Bruce Banner had at about the same time. 

You'll probably see what I mean tomorrow, when I cover the twenty-third issue of the Thing. Ben is back on Earth, but he definitely isn't home. Tune in on Thursday to find out what happens to Grimm once he tries to reconnect with people that he's known for years. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #21

Happy Tuesday, folks!

Time for me to talk about the twenty-first issue of the Thing. The cover showed the titular character surrounded by green fist-wielding arms. The eleventh chapter of Rocky Grimm, Space Ranger was named "Revelations!" The issue had a publication date of March 1985.

The story started in a secret lair, where a man who looked identical to Ben Grimm was basking in an apparent victory over the star of this series, with Ben's love, Tarianna, still at his side as a captive. He then turned his attention to the monitor on the other side of him and listened to his doppelganger's words.

Grimm knew that the events that had unfurled after he chose to remain on Battleworld were largely his doing. His foe seemed to indicate that his enemy was more right than he knew, and that such influence had also been exerted by the participants of the first Secret Wars. The villain claimed to be the inner Ben Grimm, an assertion that the now-alert Tarianna seemed to doubt.

She then called her kidnapper a monster, and was slapped immediately after uttering that declaration. He lashed out at her, and she doubled over in pain. While his opponent basked in victory, Grimm found that he could change into the Thing again after all, a feat that his rival thought to be impossible. His ranting gave Tarianna enough time to try and figure out how to free herself.

Meanwhile, Ben was outside the duplicate Baxter Building, wondering how to enter. He realized that if he wanted an entrance, he'd have to create one. Thinking about an entry button caused one to appear alongside the front doors. He pressed it and was met by the Fantastic Four's guard, Houlihan.

This was not the same man that Grimm knew back on Earth. The guard questioned the stranger and fired a shot from his pistol before Ben took him out with one punch. He set the man down gently and opened the elevator doors, thinking he'd have to climb up to his destination. As he began, the wall that had been shot started to buckle as if it had been injured.

Elsewhere on Battleworld, the girl known as Llrllllnnllyyrrl began whipping her subjects into shape. The reason for their slave labor was soon revealed, as the girl entered a chamber to place Ultron's head back upon its body. Moments later, the android revived. It thanked the girl by obliterating her. Ultron then began making plans of his own.

As Ben continued to climb the empty elevator shaft, his duplicate started taking on the Thing's rocky appearance as he continued to torment his captive. Tarianna watched in shock, knowing that the villain was as of yet unaware of his transformation. He finally figured it out and controlled the change.

At the same time, Ben finally changed into the Thing for the first time in a while. His newfound strength enabled him to leap to the top and tear through the elevator doors. Ben found himself in an empty chamber that was soon filled with large green fists that seemed to spawn from the very walls around the Thing.

The artificial appendages started to grab at Grimm, intending to toss him into an open maw. Ben used his reasoning to make the apparitions disappear. He was now back in the elevator shaft. This time, the Thing fell into his foe's lair. Unconscious, he was unaware that his tormentor was stepping closer to him, promising the end. 

This chapter revealed some of what longtime readers already suspected. It's all leading up to the final chapter of this storyline, which I'll summarize tomorrow. It's something that will have a major impact on Grimm's life, but for some reason isn't really explored much afterward. 

The final part of the Rocky Grimm, Space Ranger, will be discussed tomorrow with my article on the twenty-second issue of the Thing. Ben will finally face off against and learn all there is to know about his rival. We'll also see what happens to Tarianna, and what role Ultron will play in this drama. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #20

Happy Monday, peeps!

Today's focus will be on the twentieth issue of the Thing. The cover showed Tarianna trying to free herself from the Thing's grip. The tenth installment of the Rocky Grimm, Space Ranger storyline was called "The Way Things Were!" The issue had a cover date of February 1985.

The tale began with Tarianna walking alone through what appeared to be a theatrical set. As the overhead spotlight shone on her, the female warrior walked across the stage until she came across a ruined plane. Act One, the Fantastic Four began with Tarianna narrowly avoiding the arm swing by Ben Grimm, who had recently changed into the Thing for the very first time. 

His next blow tossed Tarianna across a range of trees. She leapt to her feet, grabbed the sword from her belt, and assumed a defensive stance. She swung at the monster before it grabbed hold of her and tossed Tarianna high into the air. She came down, aiming her blade at the creature's back. As her weapon found its mark, the real Ben Grimm, walking not far away, suddenly cried out in pain. 

We then saw that what Tarianna had experienced was only going on in her mind. She was still chained to a table and being observed by Ben's nemesis. He gloated about the heroes' suffering, proclaiming that Tarianna would be used to destroy Grimm. 

Back in Tarianna's mind, she was narrowly avoiding the Thing's blows. She struck him with her sword once more, causing the real Ben Grimm to cry out in pain. He wondered what had caused it, thinking that part of what had been going on was caused directly by him.

When Grimm tried to change into the Thing, he found that he could not. Ben was amazed by that reality. Back on Earth, he yearned to be human like the rest of his teammates. Now he worried that he could never become the Thing again.

Tarianna presumed to have defeated the first incarnation of the Thing. The creature lay unresponsive at her feet. Now she stood up and seemed to be back in Ben's old stomping grounds on his homeworld.

Meanwhile, the girl known as Llrrllllnnllyyrrl was still waiting for the raiders who had stolen her dowry to return. One of them arrived on a winged mount with another item. She removed the cloth covering it, and was pleased to finally have her valuable returned to her, which was the head of the robot Ultron.

Ben continued to ponder his predicament, while his adversary watched, fuming at the fact that Grimm still hadn't figured it all out yet. In Tarianna's mind, she walked across Yancy Street until she came across a tenement. She climbed its misshapen steps to find a young boy, sad that his toy had broken, which appeared to be a Thing action figure.

Realizing that she'd come across a younger version of her paramour, she threw her sword in anger, fighting her captor's vision enhancer in the process. The machine started to fume before the kidnapper removed it from her head. Tarianna woke and stared at him, her eyes growing wide as the figure removed his hood and revealed his true identity to her.

Grimm struggled against the inclement weather outside. He knew that he could always use the remote Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) had left him following the events that occurred during the recent Secret Wars, but he was still determined to see the situation through to the end. After enduring the storms, Ben came across a duplicate of the Baxter Building. As he pounded on the doors, demanding to be let in, his rival laughed as he watched from a view screen. On the last page, we saw that his foe appeared to be Ben Grimm. 

If you've been reading along, things are slowly starting to make more sense, especially when you consider how much of the goings-on around Grimm were because Ben directly or indirectly wanted them to. Not everything has been revealed just yet, but there are only a couple more chapters left to go. The conclusion of this saga is very much within sight. 

Tomorrow, I'll cover the twenty-first issue of the Thing. We'll learn more about the villain, the girl whose dowry was the head of the evil robot Ultron, whether or not Ben can ever change back into the Thing, and more. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #19

Good afternoon, folks,

I'm winding down the weekend with a summary of the nineteenth issue of the Thing. The cover depicted a carriage driven by a mystery driver approaching the Thing. The ninth part of the Rocky Grimm, Space Ranger saga was called Monster Mash. The issue had a cover date of January 1985.

The story started in a foggy forest, as Ben Grimm wandered alone. He was nearly run over by a horse-drawn carriage. After rolling to safety, Ben approached the driver, who was more than willing to let him ride inside the coffin he was hauling. Grimm ran further into the woods as the stranger remained behind, laughing loudly. 

Ben eventually made his way to a castle. He made a leap across the bridge after seeing the carriage bearing down on him. Grimm managed to jump to the doorway just before the bridge he had crossed collapsed behind him. Ben was about to fall when a hand from the lord of the manor reached out to help.

Grimm was brought inside to face a rather nefarious-looking count. He offered him comfort. Ben followed along, not knowing that he was being watched by the same villain who had been tormenting him (in the last several issues). He was the one who had captured Tarianna yet again. She was chained to a table mere feet from the mystery foe, a being who claimed to know Ben Grimm better than anyone else.

The cloaked stranger peered in on at Ben at the head of a long dinner table before turning his attention to the girl known as Llrrllllnnlyrrl. The native raiders had stolen her dowry, and some of them had just returned bearing a large package. However, as she removed the sheet that covered it, she exclaimed the item was not her dowry, much to the consternation of the fiend in his secret lair.

Ben sat alone at the table before moving to watch a growing storm starting outside. As he sat, Ben turned into the Thing. His new form displeased his host, who had arrived bearing food before lunging at his guest. Grimm dodged the maneuver and was surprised to see the count change into a large green winged beast. As they fought, Ben was slashed by his opponent and actually started to bleed.

Their struggle ended at the set of a long flight of stairs. Grimm tumbled down them as his attacker circled around. Ben grabbed a nearby stake, which he impaled into the creature's chest, killing it instantly. Ben continued exploring his new surroundings until he entered a chamber behind him, where he found a living mummy (not the same one Ben met in an earlier issue of Marvel Two-In-One). 

This mummy was very unfriendly. It lashed out at the Thing and emitted a series of deadly eye beams at his prey. After bringing down a part of the ceiling on his quarry, the undead being thought he had triumphed. He clearly wasn't ready for the clobbering time that resulted.

After seeing that opponent fade into smoke, Grimm was now face to face with his tormentor. He admitted that he was behind every evil that Ben had faced so far, and that he was someone who hated Grimm. Ben reached out, but all he grabbed was an empty cloak. He fell through a trapdoor in the floor and looked up to see what appeared to be Frankenstein's monster towering over him.

If you're a fan of Marvel's monster mags from the 1970s, this issue should be very nostalgic for you. I was a nice nod to those publications and the many classic monster movies from the past. This story concluded in issue #274 of the Fantastic Four.

Tomorrow, I'll cover the twentieth issue of the Fantastic Four. This time, the focus is on Tarianna, as she explores more of the dangers that Battleworld has in store. We'll also see the true face of the mystery villain. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #18

Good morning, peeps,

Time for me to talk about the eighteenth issue of the Thing. The cover showed Ben Grimm fussing over an infant, as Tarianna tried to warn him about a pair of intruders riding winged creatures who were flying toward them. The eighth installment of the Rocky Grimm, Space Ranger series was titled "Family Man." The issue had a publication date of December 1984.

The story started, just like all the others in this storyline, on the patchwork planet known as Battleworld. Grimm was lost in thought after being forced to fight Tarianna, thanks to his mystery opponent making him believe that he was battling one of his minions. He also thought about life back on Earth before Tarianna turned to him to offer her hand.

They ventured on before finding an elderly woman struggling to keep a young boy safe from a pair of green-skinned aliens astride winged creatures who were about to attack. The heroes eventually prepared, and the villains retreated.

The woman was thankful for their assistance, and barely had time to instruct them to deliver the child to the far-off city of Muab before passing on. The child was now affectionately known as Junior (or Juneyar, as Tabitha would proclaim). The journey would be long, and they had to find a way to cross the strange world safely.

Grimm rounded up several unicorn-looking creatures after spotting them in a field. The beasts began a stampede, which stopped after one of them gazed into the boy's eyes. They settled down, and two of them carried the trio of adventurers toward Muab.

Ben's nemesis was observing their progress from afar. He wasn't about to let them proceed peacefully. The boy began exploring and almost fell from a tree that had served as a bridge until Ben grabbed him. Later that evening, Grimm was visited by a vision of his foe, who was ready to claim the child as his own.

Moments later, a tree that Ben and Tarianna had rested against came to life. It sprouted arms and grabbed for the boy's protectors. Only Ben's strength as the Thing allowed them to prevail. Meanwhile, the raiders who had stolen the dowry from the girl named Llrrlllnnllyrrl were still searching for that item among their many treasures. Thus far, they were still unsuccessful. They had just presented to her what they thought was the purloined item when an image of a beautiful woman stood before them. She asked if they had seen a caravan that included a young child. They were unaware of such travelers, which saddened the woman before she disappeared from sight. The small aliens assumed that such a question posed concern for the lady and possible difficult days ahead.

Ben, Tarianna, and Junior finally reached Muab, which looked similar to the fabled land of Oz. Before they could enter, a swarm of flying foes, who looked almost identical to the Negative Zone inhabitant Annihilus, filled the skies. The Thing fought off as many of them as he could before they flew away.

More green-skinned opponents then flew into view. Ben avoided them long enough to reach the jade gates of the city. He knocked on the doors angrily, right before they vanished. The lady we saw earlier greeted him and led the Earthling up to a balcony.

Once there, she opened her cloak slightly. The woman known as Muab forbade the invaders from entering her land. The face of Ben's foe appeared once more. He swore revenge on Grimm, noting that he had already taken Tarianna from him again.

A celebration was held for "Juneyar" afterward. Grimm didn't feel much like celebrating. He left the boy in Mara's capable hands before setting off to find Tarianna and hopefully retaliate against her captor.

I guess this issue was sort of the 1980's family sitcom of the saga. The story definitely had some of the core elements that many half-hour network shows at the time had. There was enough humor to provide some breaks during the more serious parts of its content. I'm still trying to figure out how they had safety pins for the boy's diaper on an alien world.

I'll be back later today to recap the nineteenth issue of the Thing. Ben's search for Tarianna takes him into territory that's right out of some of the classic monster movies of the past. Until then, have a great day and don't forget to be kind to one another.