Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #35

Good afternoon, folks,

I'm winding down a busy, hot Sunday with a recap of the thirty-fifth issue of the Thing. The cover depicted Sharon Ventura as the new Ms. Marvel, with Ben Grimm and a cadre of other characters in the background. The story was named "Power Play!" The issue had a publication date of May 1986.

The tale began with Ventura walking down a street in a seedy section of New York, unaware that a trio of crooks was eyeing her as their next victim. She held her own in the ensuing fight, but a hit on the back of her head made Sharon start seeing what she thought was her father. When her senses cleared, she realized that it was a different man in uniform fending off the attackers.

The soldier helped Ventura to her feet and identified himself as Lieutenant Michael Lynch. She begged off further assistance, and as Lynch walked away, Sharon thought back to her father, another military man who drove her to excellence. Ventura put her all into everything she did. One day at the military academy she was attending, Sharon was asked by her superior to indict a friend and fellow roommate for cheating. She refused and was expelled for failing to obey that order.

That incident formed a rift between Ventura and her father. They barely talked in the year that followed, before the older Ventura's passing. At his funeral, Sharon vowed to be the best she could be at anything she pursued. That determination drove her to pursue some rather dangerous professions.

As Sharon was about to enter the Power Broker's domicile, Ben and his wrestling partner Demolition Dunphy were talking about their upcoming plans. Grimm was still experiencing dizzy spells at times, even after being given a clean bill of health by his physician. Dunphy took a few nerve pills to help calm himself before their video shoot. The two left the hotel room after Ben grabbed the Power Broker's card that he had taken from Sharon (in issue #33).

Meanwhile, Ventura waited in a reception area before being directed to a back room that was pitch black. A spotlight filled the room, obstructing Sharon's vision of the man who sat at a desk before her. He claimed to be the Power Broker and described the upcoming radiation and enzyme treatments that she would undergo, which would be followed by an additional treatment so that she'd be on the same level as the Unlimited Class Wrestling Foundation's female Grapplers.

The first part of the process was administered by Dr. Karl Malus, as Ben and Dunphy were in the middle of their video recording in Burbank. Afterward, Grimm started feeling dizzy again. Once he was feeling better, he was determined to follow up on the Power Broker, someone whom Dunphy knew better than his colleague.

Sharon started to hallucinate while attached to the table during the first session. Malus neared her, and was about to begin the second step, hypodermic needle ready in one hand. She refused, and broke free from the restraints. Ventura ran in terror, while Grimm exited a cab a block away and ran into the same thugs that Sharon had encountered at the start of this story.

Ventura was still inside the Power Broker's complex, and she avoided his henchmen and automated traps. She finally reached an area that contained people who had been locked away in cells, their bodies mutated by the villain's experiments. Sharon jumped through a window, only to land outside in the hands of multiple super-powered men. 

By then, Ben had met Lt. Lynch, and the pair were drawn to Sharon's screams. They burst onto the scene to save her. While the Thing took on the brigands, Sharon and Michael ran to Auntie Freeze's hotel room. She had a costume ready for Ventura, which made Sharon look like a superhero after putting it on. 

Freeze excused herself for a moment, stating she had an important call. Lynch and Ventura barely had time to breathe before the female Grapplers headed directly for them. The Power Broker wanted Sharon dead and had dispatched more underlings to accomplish that goal. 

Ben was back in the hotel, trying to console Dunphy, who was in pain without the nerve pills, but admitted to his friend that the Power Broker had called, wanting Ventura to be eliminated. Ben entered the fray once more and escaped with Sharon and Michael.

Grimm stopped momentarily to call an ambulance for Dunphy before guiding his friends into an empty alley. The angry mob of male and female wrestlers ran past. Ben knew that the posse had relied on the Power Broker to augment their abilities, and some were suffering ill effects without those treatments. That was how he exerted power and control over them. Sharon confessed to having visited the Power Broken, which meant that she was still in danger.

I'm glad that we finally learned more about Sharon's history in this issue. We don't know anything about the rest of her family, but at least we can understand why she was willing to engage in dangerous situations. The character was groomed as the next Ms. Marvel and did wear this costume in issues of Captain America and the Fantastic Four before being mutated into a female Thing. 

That's it for today. Tomorrow, I'll cover the thirty-sixth and final issue of the Thing. Ben and Sharon continue to search for the Power Broker, even as they're being followed by his loyal recruits. It's a tale that also involves the Thing's replacement in the Fantastic Four. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #34

Good morning, folks,

Time for me to talk about the thirty-fourth issue of the Thing. The cover showed Ben Grimm in an odd pose as he ducked a fist aimed at him by his old enemy, the Sphinx. The tale was titled "Dual Duel." The issue had a cover date of April 1986.

The story started in the Sphinx's mobile flying pyramid, as the decades-old monarch viewed the Thing battling an opponent in the wrestling ring on his monitor. He swore vengeance on the former Fantastic Four member, as his vehicle hovered over a garbage dump. Machines were employed to extract materials from the ground, including lifeless clay that was soon brought on board.

Upon further examination by some of those devices, the clay was transformed into the form of the Puppet Master. The villain had been dismantled after his last encounter with Grimm (in issue #8) and placed in a dumpster, where the Sphinx found it. Upon hearing about his host's plans to destroy the Thing, the Puppet Master offered a partnership. The Sphinx quickly rejected that proposal and kicked the old man out of his flying fortress.

The pyramid flew off, but not before the Puppet Master vowed to find their common foe first. Ben was back in action in the ring at the Unlimited Class Wrestling Foundation's headquarters in Los Angeles a few days later when his sparring partner, Demolition Dunphy, seemed a bit stronger than usual. Grimm eventually realized that his opponent's moves were being deftly guided by the Puppet Master, whom he spied in the arena seats.

After tying up Dunphy, the Thing made a beeline for the elder Masters. He confronted the Puppet Master, who was still angry at him for dating his stepdaughter Alicia. Grimm had to set the man straight. He explained that Alicia had left him for another man, although he wouldn't disclose the fact that her current suitor was his old Fantastic Four teammate, Johnny Storm (the Human Torch). Grimm showed Masters a picture of his current love interest, Sharon Ventura.

The Puppet Master finally started to understand that the Thing simply wasn't interested in Alicia anymore. He fled moments later, leaving Grimm to untie his colleague and explain a bit. He barely noticed that Sharon had gone off with the female Grapplers, but Dunphy reminded him that Sharon was her own woman, and that she needed a bit of space for her own.

Ben was engaged in the marquee match that evening when the contest was interrupted by the arrival of the Sphinx. Their battle raged across town and was captured by local media. Phillip Masters was in a hotel room not far away when his attention turned to a TV broadcast of the destruction. He rushed out of the room after having made a decision to become involved in the affair.

The Puppet Master raced through the crowd of onlookers and neared the two combatants just as it appeared that the Sphinx finally had the upper hand. He used some of his radioactive clay to form a puppet of the Sphinx, which he then manipulated to make the real Sphinx take the Ka stone from his forehead and crush it.

The villain dissipated into dust not long thereafter. Masters walked past Grimm, who was severely weakened from the fight, and announced that the Sphinx would have met his demise anyway once the stone deteriorated. All he did was speed up that process. Grimm was surprised by his old enemy's heroics, but was too spent to do anything more at the moment.

This issue provided a bit of closure from the events that occurred in the ninety-first issue of Marvel Two-In-One. It also showed a different side of the Puppet Master, who was still a bitter rival of the Thing earlier in this series. It did change their dynamic for a while, at least until it was later revealed that Storm was in love with a Skrull who had taken Alicia's place.

That's it for now. I'll return later today with a synopsis of the thirty-fifth issue of the Thing. We'll learn what happened to Sharon Ventura and learn a bit more about her past. Until then, have a great Sunday and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #33

Happy Saturday, folks!

Hope all's well. Today's topic is the thirty-third issue of the Thing. You can barely see the titular character on the cover, as he's swarmed by more than a dozen female wrestlers. The story was called "Battle of the Sexes!" The issue had a publication date of March 1986.

The tale began in the wrestling ring, as the female fighter known as Battleaxe was eventually declared the winner in her match against the grappler called Titania. You may remember Titania and several of her comrades from a Project Pegasus storyline in Marvel Two-In-One.

With her triumph, Battleaxe boastfully stated that it was time that she take her rival's place as spokesperson for the Unlimited Class Wrestling Foundation's female grapplers, much to the chagrin of Titania. Ben had to jump into the ring to help separate the combatants and prevent further conflict.

Battleaxe chatted with the Thing for a while as Titania and her fellow Grapplers conferred in their locker room. They followed the advice of their trainer, Auntie, but some expressed concerns over how their group was viewed because of the original Grapplers' prison records. Titania finally decided that she'd heard enough and went to take a shower. 

The group soon dispersed. One of the stragglers, a newcomer who went by the name Golddigger, exclaimed she was going to try to calm Titania down. She entered the locker room alone and began assembling a weapon.

Meanwhile, Grimm and Battleaxe continued to talk as they walked past the ring setup. Ben was thinking about how he hadn't heard anything from Sharon Ventura since he visited her on the movie set (in issue #31), but when he did see her in the crowd, he walked past, promising he'd be back soon. 

Titania asked the new girl for another bar of soap, only to find the newbie standing before her with a rifle. She fired the gun and proclaimed that justice was served. Ben and Battleaxe heard the shot. Golddigger emerged from the locker room moments later, stating that a man had shot Titania and fled. 

Battleaxe ran to the shower, while the Thing opted to check around back. Battleaxe confirmed Titania's death and was angered because she was certain that her teammate had been murdered by a man. She even lashed out at Grimm for expressing doubt.

Auntie vowed to get to the bottom of the matter, as multiple Grapplers ganged up on the Thing. Eventually, Ventura entered the locker room and urged the ladies to back off. Auntie observed quietly, thinking that Sharon might have what it took to join their group. 

The ladies slowly dispersed, and learned after Battleaxe returned that the Thing was not the gunman, because she was with him when the shot had been fired. Everyone left the room, except for Auntie and Ventura. Auntie expressed interest in Sharon's fighting skills and gave her a card for the Power Broker. 

Some time later, Battleaxe met with UCWF's leader, Ed Garner, to express her interest in fighting a man. She wanted to battle Ben in the ring. Ed entertained the idea before discussing it with Grimm. Ben was not willing to participate, at least not at first. 

He joined Sharon for dinner at a nearby steakhouse afterward. He explained what had just happened before Ventura showed him the business card that Auntie had given her. Ben snatched the card, knowing that name as someone who had given other wrestlers additional strength and ability. He wanted to check it out, fearing for her safety. Sharon resented Ben's position, assuming he thought she couldn't take care of herself. Before storming off, she informed Grimm that she'd already called the Power Broker. 

Left alone, he stood in place for a few moments before finding the nearest phone. He called Garner and told him that he'd agreed to the match against Battleaxe. The contest was held the following week. Battleaxe was confident that she'd win. Grimm held his ground for as long as possible, refusing to return the punches that were thrown at him.

Battleaxe finally knocked Ben down and was declared the champion. Because Ben didn't fight back, she felt cheated and threw the championship belt down. She declared the match to be a forfeit. Grimm thought he had taken the right course of action, but now he was focused on learning more about the Power Broker.

I remember first reading this issue, which was part of a polybag comic book set. I didn't know much about the Grapplers at the time, but this was the second appearance of the Scourge in this series. The villain-killer would go on to eliminate different foes in various Marvel titles at the time, and was mainly featured in Captain America's comic. I was kind of surprised that we didn't see more of Titania's original allies, including Screaming Mimi, who was later known as Songbird in the first iteration of the Thunderbolts. 

That's all I have for you today. Tomorrow, I'll start the day with a discussion of the thirty-fourth issue of the Thing. Ben heads back into the ring until he runs across a couple of longtime rivals. Until then, have a great weekend, and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #32

Happy Friday, folks!

I'm winding down this week with a recap of the thirty-second issue of the Thing. The cover showed Vance Astrovik battling Ben Grimm in the wrestling ring, with a gun pointed at the pair. The tale was titled "Home." The issue had a publication date of February 1986.

The story started with an airplane heading for Los Angeles that suddenly started to encounter some mechanical difficulties. The Thing was one of the many passengers on the commercial flight. He came to the rescue and helped the craft land on time. 

A short while later, Sharon Ventura met Ben outside the airport. She questioned his plans to resume his wrestling career, but let him continue on to his hotel. Grimm turned the key to his room and found a stranger ransacking the area that he shared with Vance Astrovik. 

Ben learned that the intruder was a private investigator hired by Vance's parents. He rushed the P.I. out of the room before collapsing on his bed. His headaches had returned, but right now he needed rest.

The next day, Grimm resumed his sparring sessions. He was introduced to a new challenger, who was obviously the 17-year-old Astrovik in a muscle suit. The two friends made their bout look convincing until the private investigator left the arena. 

Afterward, Vance admitted that he didn't want to go home because his father would beat him. It started not long after his powers first manifested. Grimm understood how the lad felt.

The next morning, Ben was being examined by the company physician when he heard gunshots. Grimm ran to the source of the noise, which was the P.I. firing a gun at Vance. Ben confronted the gunman, who was disarmed by another wrestler who broke the investigator's arm with a powerful chop.

Ben followed Vance, trying to convince him to listen. He only relented when his mother walked through the door. She explained that his father was going through therapy. Vance realized that his parents still loved him and was willing to head home. He'd miss his travel partner, but Ben was focused on the unusual strength that some of his fellow wrestlers exhibited after a round of brews, of course. 

It was obvious that Marvel was trying to make Vance a sidekick for the Thing in this series, but that concept didn't really stick, especially since he wasn't very involved with matters while Ben was in the ring. I wasn't a big fan of this storyline, but at least the future Guardian of the Galaxy had a peaceful homecoming, I hope.

That's it for today. Tomorrow, I'll cover the thirty-third issue of the Thing. Ben continues to face new foes in the ring, and Sharon Ventura returns, as does another recent menace who was known for knocking off certain super-villains at the time. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #31

Happy Thursday, folks!

Time for me to talk about the thirty-first issue of the Thing. The cover depicted Ben Grimm in a heroic pose, as he appears to be right out of a Devil Dinosaur comic book. The tale was titled "Devil Dinosaur: The Movie." The issue had a cover date of January 1986.

The story started with Grimm in the wrestling ring taking on another Unlimited Class Wrestling Foundation opponent. The training session was interrupted by the arrival of a member of the National Safety Commission. The man had heard about incidents that had happened recently at UCWF events, and posed the possibility of shutting the league down.

Grimm wasn't about to let that happen, and made his concerns well known to the stranger. The official proposed constructing a transparent dome over the wrestling ring. Realizing he had to choose between that option or shutting down indefinitely, Grimm's boss Garner chose the former. 

The dome would take about two weeks to build. Ben decided to use some of that time to visit Sharon Ventura at the movie set she was working on. Grimm's travel companion Vance Astrovik was a bit wary about Ben's plans, but gave up the argument after Grimm started feeling weak all of a sudden during their conversation.

The Thing arrived on set a few days later. Sharon was glad to see him, and Ben basked in the attention he was getting from Ventura and her female friends. He was setting up a photo of the three women when he spied a large pink dinosaur behind them. 

Grimm leapt into action and took out the monster with one swift punch. He then learned that the creature was a robot, one that was going to be used in the Devil Dinosaur film. The director quickly learned of the mechanical being's fate and was incensed. He noted that the cost of its repairs would come out of Sharon's salary. 

Ben and Sharon took advantage of the downtime to walk along the beach together for a while. The next day, Sharon was in costume for the scenes that featured several primitive warriors facing off against large, winged dinosaurs. At one point, Grimm thought that Ventura was in danger again, and reached out to prevent her from falling off a cliff, not knowing that the scene called for her dropping onto an expensive airbag perched on the shore.

Ben was feeling pretty lousy for having messed things up twice, and went for a walk by himself later that evening. Sharon joined him, and they apologized to each other before returning to the camp for a nightcap. Grimm slept in the next morning, until he was roused from his slumber by the sounds of the crew bemoaning the many trees that had fallen down overnight.

Grimm was the usual suspect, but he swore that he had no knowledge of such an act. The director Trimble, knowing they were now on a time crunch, decided to shoot the big action scene where Sharon's character would be saved by Moon Boy.

Ben retreated to his camper, deciding to stay out of things no matter what. During the shoot, a large green dinosaur emerged from the water. It was apparently behind the destruction the night before. Trimble used his remote control to set his robotic creature against the beast. After biting the mechanized monster, the sea animal soon returned to the ocean. 

Grimm stepped out once things had quieted down. Sharon was right outside his door. They sat together on the beach that night. Ventura told Grimm what happened on set that day. Ben thought that he might know someone who could help with the beast, even if it meant contacting the Fantastic Four. The couple then talked about fantasy and reality for a while before sitting next to each other in silence for a while.

I have a few of Jack Kirby's Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy comics from the 1970s in my collection, and I'm sure this issue made longtime fans of that short-lived series nostalgic. Devil Dinosaur has since returned to the main Marvel Universe, but I don't think we've heard much about Moon Boy since the title was cancelled after nine issues.

The green monster was one that Iron Man fought in his own mag, not long before this story was published. It was rumored to be Godzilla, who Marvel had the license for and ran a Godzilla title for 24 issues in the mid-Seventies. I'm assuming that they couldn't call this creature Godzilla because they didn't have the licensing rights at the time, but it was still an interesting clash between a few familiar titans. 

That's it for now. Tomorrow, I'll close out the workweek with a synopsis of the thirty-second issue of the Thing. Vance Astrovik makes his wrestling debut in a story that marks his exit from this series. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #30

Happy Wednesday, folks,

Today's topic is the thirtieth issue of the Thing. The Secret Wars II tie-in issue showed Ben Grimm apparently about to attack the Beyonder. The story was called "Above and Beyond." The issue had a publication date of December 1985.

The tale began in a bar in Brooklyn, as the being known as the Beyonder told his tale to the bartender. He started with how an opening in a rift in space exposed him to Earth. Curious, the Beyonder brought several of its super-powered humans to a patchwork planet called Battleworld. Afterward, he went to Earth in human form to try and learn more about our species.

He was apparently dissatisfied with what he'd uncovered thus far. Meanwhile, a trio of scrupulous-looking characters in the tavern had their eyes locked on the stranger. They approached him. The two lackeys were taken out with one swing by each of the Beyonder's arms. The man in the middle introduced himself to the alien as a representative of Thurm and Associates, who were looking for new muscle to join the Unlimited Class Wrestling Foundation.

Meanwhile, Ben was working out in advance of his next match. His travel companion, Vance Astrovik, praised his friend for his rise to the top wrestler in the UCWF. Grimm still felt miserable, commenting on how lousy he felt after staying behind on Battleworld and losing the women he cared for. 

The man named Ethan convinced the Beyonder to attend a UCWF tryout. His strength was impressive, but Garner initially turned the new champion down. When Grimm learned of that, he was outraged. He'd been aching for a match against the Beyonder since he was first whisked away to the first Secret Wars by that enigmatic alien.

After a bit of negotiation, the Thing finally had his marquee match against the Beyonder. Ben was more than ready for the fight, but the Beyonder was much less enthusiastic. At one point, the omnipotent being allowed Grimm to have his way. Ben pummeled his foe until a familiar voice urged him to stop.

The voice belonged to Sharon Ventura, who had been in the crowd. She admitted that she'd been to every one of Ben's matches. Grimm was stunned by this revelation, thinking she was gone for good after he took her place temporarily on the Thunderiders (formerly Team America). 

Astrovik had spotted Ventura in the crowd and asked for her assistance. Ben came to his senses after hearing her out. She told him that what she'd witnessed wasn't the real Ben Grimm. Ben slowly admitted that. A few days later, the Beyonder returned to the same watering hole. The barkeep Joe was happy to oblige, after he'd secured his perishables, remembering what happened the last time that customer was in his establishment. 

I wasn't a big fan of the Secret Wars sequel, nor are many longtime Marvelites. When the Beyonder was absorbed into a Cosmic Cube, I thought that would be the last we'd hear of him. Several years later, he would return, probably for nostalgia's sake, if nothing else. This was the obligatory Secret Wars II tie-in, and it gave Ben a fight against the Beyonder, but it didn't accomplish much. The story itself was rather lackluster.

That's it for today. Tomorrow, I'll cover the thirty-first issue of the Thing. Ben follows Sharon to her movie shoot, which involves a character who debuted in a short-lived Jack Kirby Marvel series in the 1970s. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Thing #29

Happy Tuesday, folks,

It's time for me to talk about the twenty-ninth issue of the Thing. The cover showed Ben Grimm being knocked across the wrestling ring by an opponent called the Gator. The tale was titled "The Thing vs. Gator!" The issue had a publication date of November 1985.

The story started with Ben's continued exploits as an Unlimited Class wrestler. One of his recent victories was displayed on a screen during an interview Grimm had with his host, Mr. McKay. During the interview, Ben made it clear that his adventuring days in the Fantastic Four were over. One person watching the program from the comfort of his own home grew angered at Grimm's dream of becoming the best wrestler ever.

He was motivated to call into the program to express his disgust. The man identified himself as Gator Grant. Ben recognized the name as a wrestling legend, and thought during the call how dissatisfied he was with the cruelty of the business.

McKay dismissed the caller as a has-been, disclosing to Grimm that he'd been forced to end his career because of doctor's orders. Grant insisted that he could still participate, and threw a tantrum in his room, one that resulted in a smashed television and broken telephone line. He was ready to make sure that the world knew the name of Gator Grant again.

Ben started his practice session with Vance Astrovik the next morning. They were engrossed in the exercise until a loud noise interrupted them. The crash came from the office of the wrestling promoter Garner. Grant was demanding another chance, one which wasn't about to be granted.

Grimm stood up to Grant and Astrovik used his power to push the old man out of the office. He then ventured deep into the bayou that evening to seek out the aid of the female witch known as Jamala. Grant wanted his second chance so desperately that he would do anything to get it, including drinking the special potion that the woman concocted.

Ben engaged in a tag team match in New Orleans a couple of days later. In the middle of the contest, Grant sprinted down the corridor, asking for his shot in the ring. This time, the wrestler looked far greener than before.

Grimm gave him his chance, even as the former great continued to mutate further. Ben let him appear to have won, as the warrior ran from the arena, now more animal than man. Grimm brought his opponent to a zoo in his motorcycle and returned in time to claim the tag team championship.

This was an odd story featuring another one-and-done villain. It also foreshadowed some of the shady situations that were happening within the UWCF. I'm kind of surprised that Grant was diminished so quickly, knowing what I know about modern American wrestling, which seems to at least honor legends after their prime. 

Well, that's it for today. Tomorrow, I'll discuss the thirtieth issue of the Thing. This Secret Wars II crossover story has Ben facing off against the entity that was responsible for bringing him to Battleworld. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.