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. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #2

Good morning, folks!

Hope everyone's been enjoying the weekend. I'm starting the day with a synopsis of the second issue of The Thing. The cover showed a side view of the Thing's head, with images from Ben Grimm's college days superimposed on it. The tale was titled "For Beauty Passed Away." The issue had a publication date of August 1983.

The story started in the Baxter Building in New York City, where Grimm was picking through the wreckage that had been wrought by the Fantastic Four's foe Annihilus while the team was traversing the Negative Zone. As he was picking up, Ben found Annihilus' helmet. He crushed it with the rest of the garbage and tossed it into a nearby disposal chute.

Afterward, he got dressed and prepared to leave, heading for the hospital, where his girlfriend, Alicia Masters, and his godson, Franklin Richards, were recuperating from the villain's assault. On his way out the door, Grimm was intercepted by mailman Willie Lumpkin, who had a first-class priority envelope to hand him.

Ben opened the envelope during the taxi ride to the hospital. He noticed that it had been sent from Central City, California. Grimm froze after reading the message that was inside, but decided to set it aside once he arrived.

Ben's teammate Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) met him on the tenth floor. His son and Alicia's conditions had not changed. A few moments later, Reed's wife Sue (the Invisible Woman) and Ben's uncle, who was a doctor, entered the room. He informed the trio that recovery would take some time, but they were stable. 

Grimm headed for Alicia's room after promising to visit Franklin later on. The shock of seeing Alicia bandaged in her hospital bed was something that Ben was still getting used to. He worried about her, of course, but Alicia could tell that something else was on his mind. Grimm admitted that he had another concern and removed the letter from his pocket before starting his story.

Back in college at Empire State University, Ben and Reed were roommates. One evening, Grimm pried Richards from the laboratory to enjoy a night at the pub. Grimm's lady, Allyn Cambers, was waiting for them, along with a woman named Nan Freeman, whom the couple was trying to set Reed up with. Reed already had his eyes set on his landlady Mrs. Storm's niece Sue, but the quartet went out anyway.

A couple of weeks later, Ben was about to take the field with the rest of his football team when Allyn approached him. She embraced him fiercely before announcing that she had to leave, without explaining why. Reed caught up with her in the hallway, where she also exclaimed that she was leaving. Both Ben and Reed were puzzled, but continued on.

Richards cheered on his friend from the stands, but Grimm eventually noticed Allyn's absence, and it affected his performance on the field. His frustration carried over into the locker room after the game. Only his roommate was able to calm him down. The two friends talked hours later. Ben was convinced that he had to let Cambers know how he really felt about her.

Allyn had left the university, but had not moved away. It took three weeks for Ben to track her down, but they finally had a quiet afternoon together. As they walked, the couple came across a tree where Ben had once carved their initials. He reached into his pocket and produced his mother's ring. Grimm wanted to give it to Allyn, but she refused. She had dreams of becoming a movie star, and couldn't let anything get in the way of that dream. She walked away once more, presumably for good. Ben tossed the ring in the pond behind him moments later.

Ben and Alicia were quiet for some time after Grimm had finished telling his tale. Masters knew that Cambers had become a Hollywood starlet and was surprised that she was now reaching out to Grimm. Ben noted that Allyn had asked to meet her, and he was scared of seeing her again after all this time. Alicia's encouragement gave him the strength to see what she had to say. As he exited the room, Alicia softly wished that Ben would be careful.

Grimm waited alone in the Baxter Building for several hours before Allyn arrived. Her appearance was not what Ben expected. A recent stroke had paralyzed the right side of her body. It was something that she'd managed to keep out of the news thus far, but knew that she couldn't deal with it alone. She leaned on her old love for support.

The next day, Ben returned to the hospital. He conferred with Reed, Sue, and his uncle. Because of the attack on Alicia and Franklin, Reed was concerned for their safety. He announced that his family was moving out of the Baxter Building. Grimm was worried that this news might spell the end of the team.

This story was continued in issue #257 of the Fantastic Four. I remember first reading this issue as a kid, back in the days when you could get polybagged comics at the local shopping center or grocery store. It was a very human issue that Ben dealt with, one that made me wonder what happened to Allyn after reuniting with Ben. 

That's it for this morning. I'll be back later today with a recap of the third issue of the Thing. Ben will be called upon to assist some old allies in a single-issue story. Until then, have a great day and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #1

Good morning, peeps!

I'm kicking off the weekend with a discussion of the first issue of the Thing, a series that began after Marvel Two-In-One ended. The John Byrne-drawn cover showed a triumphant Thing standing in the midst of wreckage all around him. The tale was titled "Lifelines." The issue had a cover date of July 1983.

The story started on Yancy Street, where Ben Grimm grew up. The Thing walked around his old neighborhood, realizing how much things had fallen into disarray since he'd left. He walked into a mostly deserted apartment building and wandered around until he heard noises coming from the basement.

Ben went down the steps and found nothing at first. He moved across the old superintendent's office until breaking down the door nearby. Inside the room was a gang of young teens, who threw everything they had within reach at the intruder. Grimm was unfazed and announced that he wanted to have a few words with the boys.

The leader of the gang came forward when called for and started for a long time at the Thing. Both men looked at one another for several long moments before Ben began a tale from his past. He used to play stickball with his friends, and grew up with his parents and his older brother Dan not far from where they were now. 

Dan led the gang at the time, a fact which often caused several arguments with his folks. Ben listened quietly until he saw his brother leave their shared bedroom one evening. The curious young lad followed his older sibling, and witnessed a violent rumble. He also saw the fatal stab that ended Dan's life. Ben ran to his brother's side, but he was already gone.

Ben was filled with rage, and did the only thing he could think to do at the time: he fought back. His parents were furious with him when they picked him up at the police station, but that night had changed things for Ben. In time, he supplanted his brother as leader of the gang. One day, he headed for home and found his uncle Jake standing before their brownstone.

Jake informed Ben that his parents had passed away. Grimm didn't want to believe the news at first, but finally relented. He agreed to move in with his uncle and his wife, Alyce. Ben wasn't accustomed to the higher standard of living that his aunt and uncle had, but he turned a new leaf after a while.

He began to appreciate all of their kindness, even when he was his cruelest to them. Ben figured out that high school wasn't all that bad, and he became a star football player. Being on the field helped Grimm cope with the loss of his parents. It also paved the way for an athletic scholarship. Ben met a young Victor Von Doom at the university before coming face to face with his new roommate, Reed Richards.

Richards and Grimm struck up a lasting friendship. Ben promised to fly the rocket that Reed promised to build, even though he didn't know at the time that he'd honor that promise. Grimm later joined the Air Force and became a skilled test pilot. Reed called upon those abilities once his rocket was finally complete. 

Reed, along with his girlfriend Sue Storm and her kid brother Johnny, had signed up for the trip. Grimm was a bit hesitant because of the cosmic rays. None of them were aware just then how much that would play a role in their excursion.

The quartet snuck onto the government base and boarded the rocket. Ben took the controls, and they flew off into space together. Each of them was affected by the cosmic rays and swore to use the abilities that they'd gained from them for good. 

The gang leader wasn't impressed with Ben's narrative. He pointed out that he hadn't been given the lucky breaks that Grimm did. That was true, but Grimm knew from experience that it also took a certain mindset to break out of unfavorable habits and conditions. 

Afterward, Ben left the building to confer with his friend who was waiting outside. He admitted that he'd shared more personal information with the gang members than he'd ever disclosed with Reed or Sue. The gang leader was his friend's son, and he hoped that his words would get through to him sooner or later. It was a favor Grimm was glad to repay his old pal, but he still wasn't certain that he got through to the boy. His father gave Ben credit for the attempt, which was probably more than most would even try to do. They walked off together to drown their sorrows with a couple of cold beers and talk more about the past. 

As you can probably tell, this book began in a different direction than its predecessor. Writer John Byrne, who was in the middle of his legendary run as writer/artist of the Fantastic Four title at the time as well, took a closer look at the man who is Ben Grimm. We saw what motivated him and how he turned from street punk to the ever-loving blue-eyed idol of millions. 

There would be more examination of Grimm in upcoming months, including the second issue that I'll recap tomorrow morning. Ben will be revisited by an old flame, and he'll find out that what he remembered from someone he was once very close with has changed drastically over the years that they spent apart. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #100

Happy Friday, folks!

I'm closing out the workweek with a recap of the one hundredth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover showed the Thing and Ben Grimm standing together in the midst of a wrecked city, with the Thing declaring it to be the end (which was the end of this series' run). The story was called "Aftermath." The issue had a cover date of June 1983.

The tale began with Grimm looking back to when he used Dr. Doom's time machine to go back to a period where he thought he could cure his younger self of becoming the Thing. He eventually ran into that version of Grimm, and the two Things battled before the one from our era administered a potion that reverted the younger version of Ben to his human form.

Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) was watching that playback on a video monitor at the Baxter Building with his old college pal, and told him that was when he found his friend in the timestream to retrieve him (as shown in issue #50 of this title). Ben wondered why Reed was bringing up the past. 

Richards reminded Grimm how his actions created an alternate reality. He then brought up a Daily Bugle newspaper headline that mentioned a nuclear explosion in New Amsterdam from that particular timeline. It seemed that Ben's interaction affected more than he initially knew. He was thinking that his other self might still be alive, just before Reed's wife Sue (the Invisible Girl) reminded him of his promise to take her out that evening. The happy couple left Grimm to his own thoughts, which inevitably drifted back to that alternate timeline.

He returned to the time machine, adjusted the controls, and set the timer for the day before yesterday before stepping onto the platform. Moments later, Ben emerged in a deserted Baxter Building in the bombed-out city of New Amsterdam. He slowly made his way down the elevator shaft before exiting the building and seeing for himself how devastated the city really was.

Grimm was approached by a violent mob that he dispatched with ease. He then found his counterpart from that timeline, who led him into an underground subway terminal where several had sought refuge. The Ben Grimm from that era then told his duplicate what had happened since their last encounter. His teammates were glad to see he'd returned to his human form. This Ben opened a tavern and was replaced on the Fantastic Four by Spider-Man. The team still battled threats from Earth and beyond, but finally met their match when Galactus arrived. The world devourer downed them one by one.

This reality had no Silver Surfer to confront Galactus. Other super-powered beings tried, but none of them proved to be worthy of such an ultimate challenge. Galactus built one of his machines atop the Baxter Building that consumed as much of the planet's resources as it could, leaving the Earth a mostly dead, dried-up world of little use to anyone. Its remaining inhabitants clung to life after his disappearance and tried to make things as normal as possible.

Grimm admired his double's efforts to help people after such decimation. However, before this Earth's Ben could finish his story, the Thing ran into intruders from the next threat: the Red Skull. The German monarch's minions quickly overpowered the Thing, who soon found himself shackled to a table in the villain's lair, which was in the remains of what once was the World Trade Center.

As Ben and his fellow survivors went to save their guest, the Thing listened to his captor, remembering that Namor of this Earth probably never found the ice-encased body of the Skull's rival, Captain America. The Red Skull continued to taunt his prisoner, while new hostages were herded inside his camp, including a blind woman named Alicia Masters.

Ben's group posed as soldiers and infiltrated the base. They entered the Skull's lair just after the Thing was being tortured by the Skull. The distraction allowed him to break free and join the fray. He learned about the Skull's Red Dust and blew it back at his foe, which soon ended the villain's life. 

Afterward, Ben returned to the Baxter Building with the Thing. He thanked his visitor for his assistance, thinking they probably wouldn't meet again. The time platform descended on the modern-day Ben Grimm, and he stood alone for several minutes once he was back in his old surroundings. He thought about both versions of himself before deciding that he'd choose himself in a heartbeat.

This was a rather appropriate ending to this title, and a nice resolution to the events that occurred in issue #50. The series, along with others like Spider-Woman, Master of Kung Fu, and Ghost Rider, was cancelled about the same time in 1983. However, unlike the others, the Thing would return in another title that was initially scripted, but not illustrated for the most part, by John Byrne. It wasn't a team-up book. Although there were several guest stars from time to time, this one was centered mainly around Ben Grimm's life both before and after he became the Thing. 

I'll start the weekend with a synopsis of the first issue of The Thing. Ben returns to his old stomping grounds on Yancy Street, where he tries to advise several youths in the neighborhood, a task that made him contemplate the old days and where his life had taken him since then. Until then, have a great week, and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #99

Happy Thursday, folks!

Today's article is one that I've been looking forward to writing for a while. The cover showed the Thing alongside ROM: Spaceknight. The tale did not have a title. The issue had a cover date of May 1983.

Ben Grimm was alone in the Baxter Building in New York on a rainy night, reading a book of ghost stories, when he heard a loud hissing sound from above. He went upstairs to investigate and opened the roof access. Shortly thereafter, a tall metallic body fell down the steps at him. Grimm recognized it as belonging to the Spaceknight called ROM.

The Thing placed the Galadorian on a table and turned on the sensor slab. The Spaceknight's armor slowly started functioning normally. ROM rose from the table to thank his friend. He explained that when they last met, the Spaceknight had borrowed a ship from the Fantastic Four to search for his homeworld of Galador. He later returned to Earth and flew above a castle not far away from where he was now.

He ventured inside and saw several of his mortal enemies, the Dire Wraiths, standing around the armor of his Spaceknight comrade, Firefall. The wraiths had once used that armor to house a human, but now the armor was vacant once more. They continued their incantations until the Firefall armor broke free of its bonds and started after ROM moments after the Galadorian made his presence known. 

The possessed Firefall armor flew at ROM, and the two continued their battle outside in the rain. Even though ROM knew that the armor no longer contained his friend Karas, he held himself back during the confrontation. The wraith-controlled armor had no such compunctions, and eventually unleashed a major blast at ROM, one which left him drifting helplessly down toward the roof of the Baxter Building.

The sizzling that Ben had heard earlier was ROM's armor steaming in the rain. Grimm agreed to join his armored friend in stopping the Dire Wraiths' plans. They went to the same castle where ROM had been earlier and were soon attacked by Firefall. Ben ripped up a stretch of ground to shield them while his alien counterpart flew to face the threat once more.

The flame hurled from the Firefall suit was living, although its most recent wearer was not. ROM and Firefall continued their aerial combat as Ben climbed the castle steps. Inside, he came face to face with wraiths for the first time. The Thing tried not to let his fear get the best of him, but pressed on as the unearthly spells were cast.

At one point, the Firefall armor lost direction and headed toward the storm's epicenter. ROM summoned his neutralizer and blasted the empty armor, sending it falling to the ground. He then flew to the castle to find Ben now under the influence of the Dire Wraiths. 

ROM then entered a struggle he didn't want to partake in, much like his first encounter with the Firefall armor earlier that evening. He defended himself against his hypnotized ally and tried to strike at his alien masters when he could. ROM finally fired his neutralizer at the Fantastic Four's strongman, who slowly turned back to his human form.

Ben was astonished by the unexpected change and was no longer hypnotized. He continued to fight back against the wraiths as the Galadorian neutralizer in ROM's hand sang its familiar song of banishment to the dimension known as limbo. Before long, the battle was over.

ROM tried to console Ben afterward, confessing that he was unaware that a man existed under the Thing's rocky exterior. However, the neutralizer's effect on Ben was only temporary, because as they talked, his cosmic ray-generated alter ego took hold. He was relieved and extended a hand to his friend from a galaxy far, far away. 

This was only the second time that the Spaceknight was primarily featured in a Marvel title other than his own. The first was a story that started in Power Man and Iron Fist and ended in ROM's mag. Longtime readers of this blog know that ROM and Marvel Two-In-One were my first non-Star Wars Marvel titles that I ever read, so this pairing was right up my alley, and of course it was scripted by ROM plotter Bill Mantlo. My only regret was that it would have been nice to have seen Karras, the Galadorian who was the first to don the Firefall armor, step inside the suit one more time. Oh well. By the way, Image Comics just released a new issue of ROM in the last few weeks, but that version is more similar to the one that had a short-lived IDW run a few years back than the Marvel title that spun off from the Parker Brothers robot toy. 

That's it for today. Tomorrow, I'll close out the week with a discussion of the one hundredth and final issue of Marvel Two-In-One's initial run. John Byrne returns to craft a tale involving Ben and someone from another landmark issue that he was involved with in this series. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #98

Happy Wednesday, folks!

Today's topic is the ninety-eighth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover showed Ben Grimm's face as he played a video game. The tale was titled "Vid Wars!" The issue had a publication date of April 1983.

The story started at a video arcade in New York, where the Thing stood next to his godson, Franklin Richards, who had just defeated him in the game Star-Fighter 15 times in a row. Afterward, Ben asked Franklin if he was interested in a game that was more in line with Grimm's physical abilities. Franklin politely declined, and the two headed back to the Baxter Building.

On the way, Ben asked his godson how he got to be so good at games like that. Franklin replied that he merely observed patterns in the game. At the entrance, they were met by the doorman and overheard a stranger trying to enter, who wanted to find a way to market his new video game. Ben's ears perked up upon hearing that, and he allowed the man inside.

He introduced himself as Dr. Giles Niven, and he was hoping to market a game he'd created called Space Saver. Niven was inspired by the odd sounds he'd been hearing from deep space. Once inside the Fantastic Four's headquarters, the good doctor brought out the console and loaded the game disk.

Ben took to the controller and started playing immediately. In a setup similar to the Pac-Man franchise, players moved their character around the screen to set up shields in the maze before them while trying to evade the enemy known as the Grungy Gobbler. Grimm had no sooner plugged in a set of controllers and pressed the interactive mode button on the computer when he, Franklin, and Giles disappeared.

They arrived on a plane named Krith, which was occupied by tall, green alien humanoids. One of them, called Sharilla, was the leader of their security forces. She had brought the humans to their world to assist them in getting rid of a large monster that looked very similar to the antagonist in Niven's video game. 

The doctor saw the correlations to the current threat and his game, and asked Sharilla if they had any vehicles capable of producing force fields. They did, and he, Ben, and Sharilla set off in one. Franklin tried to warn his uncle about the patterns from the game, but Grimm didn't make time to hear him out. 

It wasn't long before the trio found one of the monsters, which soon spewed smaller red gobblers from its maw, just like in the video game. Ben eventually found himself face to face with two of the red gobblers, who crashed into each other and were destroyed after Grimm ducked out of their paths. The smaller drones were surprisingly intelligent, but still beatable. 

Niven took the controls of the ship and launched a force field bomb at one of the drones, encasing it in a transparent bubble. Afterward, the flier landed to pick up Ben before returning to the base. Franklin continued talking to the Thing about the patterns, which Sharilla noted might be true after all. They discovered where the larger creature went to recharge, which was identical to the game.

The shuttle set out again in search of the gobbler, who had retreated to a large circular generator. It resumed its defense upon seeing its attackers, and while Ben led the forward charge, the doctor and Sharilla examined the structure. Giles and Sharilla figured out that if they sent the ship into the belly of the generator, it would explode.

After the detonation, the gobbler lost its primary power source, and soon disappeared into nothingness. K'rith had been saved. The doctor chose to stay behind on the planet to further aid its people. A while later, Franklin and Ben were having a rematch on a console back at the Baxter Building. Franklin's parents, Reed (Mr. Fantastic) and Sue (the Invisible Girl) were watching. Reed remarked that the game was selling well, and that they planned to use the proceeds to establish a grant in Giles' name. Franklin won again, leaving his uncle to wonder if they might have been better off playing checkers instead. 

This issue was billed as a team-up with Franklin Richards, although he didn't contribute as much to the plot as other guest stars have during this series' run. It was still in line with the video game craze of the Eighties, and a decent single-issue story before the title's cancellation. 

That's it for me today. Tomorrow, I'll talk about the ninety-ninth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The Thing pairs up with someone who was the subject of my first retro comic book series to take on a terror that most of us thought had been extinguished quite some time ago. Until then, have a great week, and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #97

Good morning, folks,

Happy Tuesday! I'm winding down the original Marvel Two-In-One run. Today's focus is on the ninety-seventh issue of that series. The cover depicted the Thing and Iron Man locked in a battle with several large dinosaurs. The story was called "Yesterdaze!" The issue had a cover date of March 1983.

The issue began with Ben Grimm staring at a contract from Silver Screen Productions, along with a $10,000 check made out to a children's hospital. Grimm had received the mailing, which offered him a starring role in an upcoming monster movie. He discussed the matter with his housemates, Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Sue Richards (the Invisible Girl), Franklin Richards, and Johnny Storm (the Human Torch), along with his girlfriend, Alicia Masters. 

Reed scanned the contract to make sure it was legitimate. After confirming that it appeared to be valid, Ben thought about how the money could help the children's hospital and started letting fame get to his head. At the Hollywood studio, producer Ted Silverberg was in the middle of filming his latest blockbuster. He wasn't too concerned about the actors' abilities, thinking he could still profit from the film. 

Silverberg's career had been promising until a recent venture was foiled by the Thing (and Wonder Man, in issue #78 of this title). Ted retreated to his trailer, where he talked with Professor Frankheimer. The European scientist had developed a three-dimensional movie camera that could take images from the past and present them as if they were real in the present. He demonstrated the device by showing Silverberg an ancient lizard on the screen. Frankheimer used the sophisticated camera to project a lifelike replica of the lizard that appeared on the table before them.

Ted was amazed by the invention and agreed to the professor's terms, which were a credit on each film that it was used in and $5,000 for the rights to the camera. The professor warned the director not to forget to turn the camera off, noting that the circuits could overheat if it was left on for prolonged periods of time. Ted was the one who had sent Ben the $10,000 check, figuring that the expenses would be worth it to see Grimm humiliated. He then left the trailer after turning the camera off. The lizard was no longer on the screen, but something knocked a soda can off the desk after the director and his associate had departed.

Ben arrived at the studio bright and early the next day, dressed for his part as a leading man. Meanwhile, Iron Man neared the studio. He landed, and Tony Stark changed into his businessman identity, where he was approached by a movie starlet. Before the two could converse much, Grimm entered the scene. He was about to star in a picture that Stark's accounting partners had him buy into. 

The two old friends walked off together toward the dressing room. Grimm received his first directions while still in the makeup chair. At the same time, Silverberg was using the new camera to grab images of three dinosaurs from the past. They were to be Ben's foes.

Grimm was obviously surprised to see his opponents disappear, but he charged on anyway until he realized that Silverberg's acts were designed to humiliate him. Stark tried to calm his comrade, but things changed once Ben kicked one of the dinosaurs and felt that it was solid, unlike the images that had disappeared before. 

It soon became quite obvious that the dinosaurs were real. Ben started battling the beasts while Stark retreated to the actress Bo Drip's trailer to change into Iron Man. The battle raged on across several sets on the lot. 

After using a freon capsule from an epaulet in his armor, Iron Man realized that cold was the key to stopping the creatures. He convinced Ben to join him at another set where they eventually used freon cannons to freeze the creatures in their tracks. Afterward, the beasts were hauled away via helicopter to the Savage Land.

Ben and Tony found Silverberg lamenting the loss of his equipment. Stark rationalized that Ted could take a tax write-off on the production if he handed over the film, which could embarrass the Thing. Silverberg gave up the film reel. As the heroes walked off, Ted wondered if Steven Spielberg ever had days like that.

This was a bit of a resolution regarding Silverberg. Not a bad single-issue story, especially for readers who were new to this book. It's a light-hearted plot that was a bit familiar to Ben's previous Hollywood affairs. For the fourth-to-last issue of this title, it wasn't bad. There were tongue-in-cheek nods to various big-budget blockbusters and celebrities at the time. The only thing I wondered after reading this issue for the first time was if the professor ever learned that his invention had been used to bring real dinosaurs from the past onto the Hollywood studio lot. 

That's all I have for you today. Tomorrow, I'll talk about the ninety-eighth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. Ben has to deal with an intergalactic menace, with the assistance of someone he lived with at the Baxter Building, but probably not a person you'd initially guess. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.