Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #89

Happy Monday, folks,

My last blog post for August (and 777th post overall) concentrates on the eighty-ninth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover depicted the Thing shackled to a large chair and the Human Torch lying on the ground in front of him, tied up and being doused with flame-retardant foam. An unidentified woman appears to be leading several soldiers, one of whom was using the fire extinguisher on Johnny Storm, while another stood behind Ben Grimm, holding a mask in his hands above his head. The story was called "The Last Word!" The issue had a cover date of July 1982.

The tale began blocks from the Baxter Building in New York City. A woman was running toward that landmark, desperate to flee from someone. Unfortunately, a shadowed figure blocked her in an alleyway, and the woman never reached her destination.

Inside the Fantastic Four's headquarters, Grimm was engrossed in a television program, initially oblivious to the prank that Storm was playing on him by setting a small portion of the couch that Ben sat upon on fire. What began as a harmless prank turned dangerous, as the Thing, in a fit of rage, threw the sofa at the Torch, missing him but flying through the nearby elevator doors. Their team leader, Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) was going to be very upset with both of them for the damage that had just been incurred.

Johnny then reminded his teammate about a message left on their answering system. A woman was about to show up at any minute. However, the Torch flew outside and saw her being carried on a stretcher into a waiting ambulance. He was then distracted by a beautiful blond woman and set off after her. Ben walked out of the Baxter Building and managed to speak to the young woman, who warned him of the Word before passing out.

Ultima, daughter of the Word, was strolling through a nearby park when she was approached by the Torch in an affectionate gesture. She rebuffed his efforts and walked on after his warning to be careful. Johnny knew he'd blown it, but figured she probably wasn't his type, anyway.

Afterward, Storm reconnected with Grimm back at their headquarters. Ben told her about the woman who'd called who gave him a message about the Word. He punched up images on a computer. One of them contained a headshot of the woman Ultima, whom Johnny had just met. She was part of a group called the Word, which was led by her father. Ultima had battled the She-Hulk (in issues #9 & 10 of Savage She-Hulk) and was defeated by the hero. The blonde warrior was left crippled as a result, which was surprising to Storm, since she seemed very healthy to Johnny. 

The two friends were pondering the news when Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters Intelligence and Espionage Law Enforcement Division) called. He told them that the Word had been spotted in Delaware. Fury showed them a newspaper ad placed by that organization. Several of his agents went to investigate, but had not returned. 

Ben and Johnny were soon on the road to Delaware. They were nearing the Word's hideout when the gas tank on their vehicle went up in flames. Johnny did his best to absorb the flames as Ben jumped out and evaded shots fired by remote-controlled machine guns. 

Grimm destroyed the guns by tossing some debris, but the land mines that were set off in the fracas emitted a form of knockout gas that soon had Johnny down for the count. Then it was time for the Thing to face Ultima for the first time. She was far more powerful than she appeared to be, and a well-placed blow brought Ben to his knees.

The allies woke up some time later in the headquarters of the man who called himself the Word. He aimed to end any extremes of physical appearance and physical strength. The Word wanted a society where everyone was truly equal. 

His daughter Ultima was an exception to that rule. The Word had a breakthrough after working as a dictionary editor. He understood the power of words and how he could use them to get what he wanted in life. After becoming a successful disc jockey and radio station salesman, he formed his own group, which began amassing a loyal following. He also trained Ultima to use all of her senses to their highest abilities.

She suffered a setback after being paralyzed following her battle with the She-Hulk, but returned to her formidable self over time after careful guidance from her father. He then dispatched his guests to the mines. Ben and Johnny couldn't use their powers at first, thanks to the inhibiting collars around their necks that pumped drugs into their system. Grimm had been fitted with a face mask so that he looked more like his original human self.

They had no sooner started their forced labor when they ran into one of the missing S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who'd been brainwashed into believing in the Word's cause. Ben still fought the collar and was able to short-circuit one of the machines, causing it to explode. It started a cave-in that sent the underground employees scrambling. 

The damage was reported to the Word, who sent his daughter with some of his best soldiers to assess the situation. She dug through the wreckage and ordered the captives to go topside. Once outside, Johnny was able to go nova, and Ben burst free from his shackles. 

The Torch took care of the ordinary soldiers, while the Thing had a rematch with Ultima. He was victorious this time because Ultima started to doubt her father after listening to Ben speak about him. Apparently, her strength was tied to the fact that she'd believe her father was all-knowing and all-powerful. Once that facade was shattered, Ultima collapsed. 

It would be up to the individual workers what to do next now that the cult had been broken up. Ultima was paralyzed again and left with her father. As a S.H.I.E.L.D. ship arrived to pick them up, Ben and Johnny knew that the criminals had to be punished, but the Word already felt punished enough by the fate of his beloved daughter. 

David Anthony Kraft wrote the first Word storyline, and he also plotted this issue. Ultima and the Word have not returned since. It's too bad, because Ultima could have rivaled Thundra, Titania, or other similar characters. Another instance of characters with great potential who have largely been forgotten after only a handful of appearances.

That's it for me today. Tomorrow, I'll talk about the ninetieth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. Ben starts what seems to be a normal day off, until another danger arises, one that calls for the assistance of the primary star of Marvel's other team-up book. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #88

Good afternoon, folks,

I'm winding down the weekend with a synopsis of the eighty-eighth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover showed the Thing and the She-Hulk rushing toward a nuclear reactor that a villain was standing on top of. The tale was titled "Disaster at Diablo Reactor." The issue had a cover date of June 1982.

The story started at the Baxter Building in New York, headquarters of the Fantastic Four. Ben Grimm's exercise session was interrupted by the arrival of his girlfriend Alicia Masters and a pair of guests. The newcomers introduced themselves as Pacific Energy and Utility Corporation president Stephen Shields and his assistant Rodney.

They had arrived to seek the Thing's help in stopping someone who had been assassinating members of their organization. Rodney then unpacked a small television to show Ben video footage of the one calling himself the Negator who claimed responsibility for the attacks. He planned to stop the El Diablo reactor's uranium rods from arriving and annihilate the reactor and the city of Los Angeles itself.

Grimm was convinced to join their cause. He and Rodney hopped aboard the company's private jet en route to Los Angeles. Ben flew the plane, which ran into engine troubles during the flight. He stayed aboard while jettisoning the corporate lackey minutes before making a crash landing. The Thing emerged unscathed and set out on foot toward his destination.

Meanwhile, a Mr. McClure at the People to Protect our Environment was answering a call from Negator. He'd initially agreed to work with him, but now had second thoughts that he knew about the villain's sinister plot. McClure attempted to void the contract, but it was too late. He didn't know that Negator was watching him from a building across the street, and before he could do anything, McClure was fatally shot from behind by a gun fired by this mysterious foe.

The Thing made it to a small store and grabbed a cigar that he didn't have cash to pay for. The proprietor asked him to move some refuse outside his domicile while he watched a TV commercial featuring the Savage She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters). The heroine was starring in a live promotion, and starting to realize how low quality the car dealer's merchandise really was.

The store owner had no vehicle or telephone, so Grimm moved the trash before heading out to L.A. by himself. After the commercial was over, She-Hulk demanded the custom Cadillac she'd been promised. However, it was missing the options that the dealer had agreed to install. She drove off in anger after having a brief conversation with the dealership's owner for the last time.

At the same time, Rodney was hitching a ride with a pair of truckers from his company. Shields' assistant had reached the rendezvous point by helicopter. As the truck drove off, we saw the helicopter pilot slumped in his seat, never to fly again. 

Ben wound up trying to hitch a ride along a busy stretch of highway. The truck carrying Rodney and his associates drove past, but the She-Hulk stopped to give Grimm a lift in her pink convertible. Ben wasn't very fond of her driving, and the duo soon stopped at a local restaurant. 

Walters found a booth in the back for them to become more acquainted. She-Hulk made a pass at the Thing before their romantic reverie was interrupted by a news broadcast. Rodney Stack was on TV, stating that the Negator had stolen the uranium shipment and killed the two men who had been riding with him.

Ben left the restaurant, not wanting to compromise his relationship with Alicia. She-Hulk insisted on driving with him, and as they talked, she somehow convinced the Thing to spend even more time with her after their objective was accomplished. 

Rodney had reached the El Diablo reactor. The ransom drop was about to take place there, but the guards had no clue that Stack was behind the evil machinations. He'd taken out the drivers and brought the uranium rods into the reactor facility to build a time bomb. The ransom was just a ruse, and Rodney intended to keep the cash. 

The guards and Rodney were alerted to the sound of She-Hulk's car nearing the front gate. Rodney shot the guards before shutting the heavy steel doors. The car just narrowly made it inside before the gate closed. She-Hulk and the Thing got out of the car to find the Negator staring down at them.

While Walters leapt at their foe, Ben went to find a Geiger counter to track down the missing uranium. During the battle, Rodney admitted that he was the Negator. He was once a mine worker, but regular exposure to uranium ore was slowly killing him. This was his revenge plan, one that was foiled by the heroes.

She-Hulk and the Thing managed to ensnare the Negator in a net before using their opponent's jet pack to fly the box of explosive uranium out into space before it detonated. Afterward, Rodney was arrested, and Shields insisted that Ben and Jennifer stay in quarantine for three days to decontaminate after their own uranium exposure. It looked like the She-Hulk was going to get her weekend with the Thing after all. Ben was worried about how he'd explain that situation to Alicia. 

The She-Hulk was one of the last Marvel characters that Stan Lee co-created. She had her own title that ran for 25 issues, the last 24 of which were scripted by this issue's writer, David Anthony Kraft. She would also guest-star in Marvel Team-Up with Spider-Man before joining the Avengers and eventually taking Grimm's place on the Fantastic Four while Ben stayed behind on the Secret Wars' Battleworld for a while. I'm glad she wasn't relegated to obscurity once her title was cancelled, as is sometimes the case with some heroes. The Negator's predicament is a bit similar to that of Ben's friend Bill Foster (Giant-Man). As far as I know, the Negator has not returned in any other subsequent Marvel stories.

That's all I have for you today. Tomorrow, I'll begin a new week with a discussion of the eighty-ninth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The Thing pairs up with one of his Fantastic Four teammates to take on one of She-Hulk's recent rivals. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #87

Good morning, folks!

Hope everyone's been enjoying the weekend. Time for me to summarize the eighty-seventh issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover depicted an armor-clad warrior preparing to bring his axe down upon the also armor-clad Thing, with Ant-Man and his ant brigade and a crowd of spectators behind them. The tale was titled "Menace of the Microworld!" The issue had a cover date of May 1982.

The story started in the Baxter Building in New York City, as Fantastic Four members Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards), the Human Torch (Johnny Storm), and the Thing (Ben Grimm) were working on another one of Reed's experiments. Grimm was holding what looked like an ordinary sphere, but was actually made of a light artificial metal that Richards hoped could change its own density with electromagnetic stimulus.

Reed turned on a switch, and the ball in Grimm's hands started increasing in weight. Eventually, the Thing found himself kneeling on the now-cracked portion of the floor where he'd been standing effortlessly moments earlier. Richards then turned off the switch and retrieved the ball from his friend's hands. Johnny flew circles around his buddy, taunting him as usual.

Ben grabbed for a cigar and asked for a light, thinking that the Human Torch was still near. The Thing was then encased in a glowing aura before he started to shrink down to microscopic size. His sudden disappearance caught his teammates' attention, making them remember the first time the Fantastic Four shrunk down (with the aid of the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym, in issue #16 of their team title). Pym now went by the costumed identity of Yellowjacket and had recently run into trouble with the law (a saga covered in the Avengers' book). 

As Reed and Johnny worked on a sensor scope to detect their friend, Storm mentioned that he'd heard there was someone else now going by Ant-Man. Neither of them knew that an ant in that very room was listening to the conversation and making an effort to communicate with the new Ant-Man.

At the moment, that hero was busy trying to convince his daughter Cassie to clean her room. Scott Lang was raising his daughter by himself in their Long Island home. She was trying to convince her father that the chore could wait until after she met her friends at the movies, when a swarm of ants entered an open window. Lang knew what that could possibly mean, and ushered Cassie outside as he went to don his costume.

After calling his sister to confirm she could watch his daughter for a while, Lang shrunk down in size and hitched a ride atop a flying ant. He arrived some time later at the Baxter Building, growing to his regular size right behind Johnny Storm. Lang explained his similarity to Pym, but didn't go into details regarding his mentor's current whereabouts. 

Reed and Johnny explained the predicament, and Richards suggested that Ant-Man travel to a submicroscopic world to retrieve Ben. Lang had never shrunk down that small before, but was willing to try for the sake of the Thing. He insisted on going alone, to ensure that the process worked.

A short while later, Lang found himself inside a castle. He had only walked a few steps when several guards rushed him. Ant-Man used his shrinking ability to confuse the soldiers, and he strode into the next room, where he found Grimm sitting calmly, his every need being tended to.

Ben seemed quite content where he was. Before Lang could ask more questions, a woman named Pearla, who was a monarch of that planet, entered. She stated that the Thing had agreed to help defend their land from the lizard warriors from the land called Tok. Their leader was a creature named Zorak. Pearla had been assisted by the Fantastic Four before and used a machine in her kingdom to bring the Thing back to rally him to their side.

Ant-Man was later led away to another room that would serve as his quarters until Pearla called for him. Lang examined the viewscreen before him and used his technological expertise to examine the machinery. He was unaware that Pearla's guards could observe him, and when he disappeared from sight, the soldiers ran to his quarters. 

The room was now abandoned, and the machine had been disassembled. The guards went to search for their captive, not knowing that Ant-Man was hiding in one of their boots as they moved on. The failure was confessed to Pearla, who disclosed that the great contest between both sides was merely a ruse to serve as an excuse to invade the lizard men's territory.

Ant-Man sent out a telepathic distress signal, and soon found a strange creature behind him. He realized that the alien insect was friendly and took to the air with his new ally. Moments later, the gladiatorial contest began. Grimm entered the arena, where he faced a large, armored opponent.

The combatants began their conflict in earnest, as rulers from both warring nations looked on. The arrival of several native insects, who started swarming around Ben's foe, gave Ant-Man enough time to convince Ben that he'd been entranced. Grimm came to his senses and soon tossed his rival into the box where the leaders were sitting.

Ben was supposed to lose the contest, and he battled Pearla's guards while she escaped. Ant-Man assisted, and Grimm was able to halt the invasion before it even started. Pearla's forces were swiftly defeated, and the heroes would not leave until both sides signed a truce. Things were resolved for the moment, although Lang wasn't eager to return home to another one of his daughter's unusual food combinations for dinner. 

This was the first time that Lang met the Fantastic Four. About a decade later, he would become a supporting part of their cast in the FF's own book. This version of Ant-Man grew in popularity with his appearances in several MCU films, and he still remains a fan favorite today. His origin is interesting, and I'm kind of surprised that he wasn't featured more prominently in more Marvel titles at the time. 

That's it for this morning. Later today, I'll cover the eighty-eighth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. Grimm takes on another new threat, with the help of someone who would temporarily replace him in the Fantastic Four in a few years. Until then, have a great day and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #86

Happy Saturday, folks!

Hope all's well with everyone. Today's topic is the eighty-sixth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover showed the Thing bellying up to the bar with his old foe, the Sandman. There was also a blurb teasing the return of the Impossible Man. The main story was called "Time Runs Like Sand!" The issue had a cover date of April 1982.

The issue began in the Baxter Building, with Ben Grimm lifting a large piece of old machinery that had been created by his former college roommate and current Fantastic Four teammate, Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic). Reed stretched one of his rubbery arms to retrieve a transdimensional interfacer before Grimm went to destroy the obsolete device. As they worked, Reed informed his friend that they may have seen the last of their old enemy, the Sandman.

Richards explained how their former foe had been combined with the new villain known as Hydro-Man to create a new terror. Police utilized a gas that extracted the being's moisture, causing it to fall apart (in issue #s 217 and 218 of the Amazing Spider-Man's first title). Ben thought that was a lousy way to go, wondering what happened afterward.

The remains were being examined at a police laboratory. After scientists found nothing interesting in the sample, they had it loaded onto a truck that dropped the canister off at a local dump site. After the truck departed, the Sandman and Hydro-Man burst free from their cramped container. They were separate people once more, and wanted nothing to do with the other.

Hydro-Man headed into a drainage pipe, while the Sandman struck out into the city on foot. He grabbed some clothes from a Salvation Army donation bin, and shook down a passerby for enough change for a few drinks at the nearest tavern. The proprietor noticed the sand on the floor and recognized his new customer.

He called the police, who didn't believe his story. His next call was to the Baxter Building. The Thing answered. Intrigued, he took off on a jet cycle to check out the story. He walked into the bar and found his old rival drowning his sorrows in a beer. 

Grimm grabbed a table, ready for another of their trademark confrontations. However, the Sandman had no desire to fight. He offered his old foe a seat next to him, and Ben obliged. 

The man who was born William "Flint" Marko started telling his life story. He grew up a scrappy youth who quickly resorted to crime and bullying. He became a star of the high school football team until he was caught shaving points and expelled. Marko continued his dishonest ways, shaking down local business owners for valuables and money to afford life and make things more comfortable for his mother.

William also fell in love with a girl named Marcy, who made him think about reforming until he was arrested for a robbery that landed him in jail. By the time he was let out, Marcy had moved on to another man. Marko grew angrier and lashed out with more crime sprees until he wound up in the maximum security ward of Ryker's prison. 

Marko eventually broke out and had squad cars chasing the car he had stolen until the criminal abandoned the vehicle. He continued to flee on foot toward a beach that had been fenced off. If Flint had paid enough attention, he might have known that the section of land was cordoned off because of an experimental nuclear device that was being tested there that day- a test that Marko wandered into and that gave him the ability to form his body into different types of sand.

He figured he was unbeatable, and in his identity as the Sandman, Marko went up against heroes like Spider-Man, the Hulk, and the Machine Man and was defeated over and over again. Flint assumed that he'd probably wind up in jail again. He'd grown tired of the same old thing. Ben had sat next to him and listened intently before getting up from his stool and putting some cash on the table. As far as he was concerned, the Sandman no longer existed. He walked out and let Marko resume his night in peace.

The issue's second story was called "Farewell, My Lummox!" It began on a night when Reed Richards and his wife Sue (the Invisible Girl) had a rare date night. They left their son Franklin in Ben's care. Grimm walked with his godson to the Baxter Building's gymnasium, where he put in some work until one of the machines disappeared into a puddle of water after a punch.

In its place sat the Impossible Man and his mate. After a set of annoying circumstances, the alien introduced his friend to their offspring, all of which looked like smaller versions of their parents. Popppupians like Impy can reproduce simply through thought.

Ben decided to read the children a story from Franklin's "Tales of Doom" storybook before ushering the lad from the room. Franklin decided to watch television, not knowing that some of the Impossible Man's offspring were observing the programs that he watched. Their parents were in another room of the building, searching the skies for a suitable planet to call their new homeworld.

Poppuppians are a rather impressionable sort, so it should come to no surprise that the younger ones mimicked the shows and commercials that Frankin watched, which made it rather difficult for Grimm to concentrate on the story he was reading. Things ended swiftly once the Impossible Man and his bride found the perfect world to relocate to. He thanked his comrade for his hospitality before they all flew off into space toward that destination. It was an interesting night, but things would probably prove to be more challenging for the Kree, who were about to be the Poppupppians' new neighbors. 

The Sandman would reappear in this series a bit later on, and in another Amazing-Spider-Man storyline where he came to the aid of the wall-crawler against a bevy of bad guys. He signed up with Silver Sable, who was fighting the same foes at the time, and even became a reserve Avenger for a while before returning to crime. This and his appearance in the third Spider-Man movie showed a more human side of William "Flint" Marko that we rarely see. 

I liked both stories from this issue. This was one of the first MTIO comics that I ever read, and it was a good jumping-on point for this title, and a nice break between storylines. It had the right amount of seriousness and levity that I've grown to appreciate from Marvel comics. 

That's all I have for you today. Tomorrow, I'll kick off Sunday with a discussion of the eighty-seventh issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The THing pairs up with a different version of a familiar hero in new surroundings. Until then, have a great weekend and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #85

Happy Friday, folks!

Wrapping up the week with a summary of the eighty-fifth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The top portion of the cover depicted the Thing and Spider-Woman tackling several shadowed opponents, including a gigantic robot. The bottom part teased that we'd know what would happen to Giant-Man. The tale was titled "The Final Fate of Giant-Man!" The issue had a cover date of March 1982.

The story started with Foster locked in battle with a dark demon in his dreams. As he slept, Foster thought back to his days as the director of the Los Angeles Stark-West research center. It continued to his discovery of a growth formula and his adoption of the costumed identity Black Goliath. As a superhero, Foster battled foes such as Vulcan, Stilt-Man, and Atom-Smasher, the latter or which exposed him to the radiation poisoning that was still continuing to affect him.

Only Foster's lady love, Celia Jackson, was enough to keep him moving forward. Things finally regressed to the point where Bill needed help. He went to Project Pegasus in New York. He met other super-powered beings and adopted a new identity as Giant-Man. However, his condition was not improving.

As Foster awoke, his friends Ben Grimm (the Thing), Alicia Masters, and Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) were waiting anxiously. Foster had had enough of tests, but Reed tried to persuade his comrade to stay vigilant. Bill wanted to live out his remaining days in peace, which Ben fully understood. Reed eventually relented, and Grimm boarded the Fantastic Four's pogo plane with Foster before taking off.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, the superheroine known as Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) was busy busting up a smuggling ring. She was about to succeed when a blast fired by a man lurking in the shadows knocked her out of the sky. As she recovered, the villains escaped in a small flier. Drew later returned to her apartment. She took some time to rest, remembering that her foes had mentioned Los Angeles. That was her next target.

Not far away, Grimm and Foster were met by Bill's old colleagues at Stark-West. The "Whiz Kids" were happy to see Foster, as was Celia, who was standing by herself until bill noticed her. While they reconnected, Grimm took a walk outside the complex. He then noticed a guard lying unconscious. 

As he rounded the bend, Ben saw several men adorned in uniforms similar to the ones Spider-Woman had just battled in San Francisco. It was definitely clobbering time! The soldiers started to swarm the Thing, but he quickly shook them off. He then faced their employer: the Atom Smasher, a villain who was supposed to be dead but appeared to be very much alive. 

The villain blasted Grimm through a wall. He landed inside Stark-West just before Drew's cab arrived outside the company's front doors. Spider-Woman entered through the new hole in the wall a few moments later (The Thing had met her before in MTIO #30-33, but his memory of that encounter had been erased). 

After a few hasty introductions and explanations, Bill and his team went to work on a scanner that would detect Atom Smasher's unique form of radiation. Their foe was across town at the time, working on his devastating new weapon, the Neutralode. Once activated, it had the potential to release neutron rays in the area that were strong enough to kill millions of people.

Before he could proceed with his plans, Ben and Jessica burst into Atom Smasher's headquarters. The villain dispatched some of his lackeys to man the controls of his large robotrons. The mechanical menaces posed quite a threat, but they were nothing that the two superheroes couldn't effectively handle. 

Atom Smasher fired at Spider-Woman. She was unaffected, after having become immune to his blasts following their initial meeting. The venom in her bloodstream helped with that, a fact that Ben wanted to share with Bill. Little did either of them know that Foster was also in their opponent's lair. Foster allowed his body to increase in size and engaged in battle with the brother of the original Atom Smasher. 

His new foe was formidable, and he admitted during the conflict that he'd hired a professional to eliminate his sibling, citing his unwillingness to exploit the potential of his powers. The new Atom Smasher was eventually able to activate his new weapon, but a power overload caused it to explode with its creator still at the controls. 

Foster collapsed almost immediately afterward. His friends brought him back to Stark-West, where Drew volunteered to give him a blood transfusion. A short while later, Bill woke up again, feeling much better, although his superpowers were now gone. Ben walked the halls sometime thereafter, happy that his friend would recover. He ran into Spider-Woman, who confessed that she felt a bit guilty about the possibility that she might unknowingly have had the cure for cancer, something that she'd have to live with. Grimm was still convinced that the day's outcome was enough to be a victory in anyone's book. 

This was a satisfying conclusion to Giant Man's condition. I just wish that he had returned as an ally of Grimm and/or the Fantastic Four on a semi-regular or even regular basis after this storyline wrapped up. He proved to be an underestimated hero and a trusted companion to Ben and company. He would reappear again from time to time in various Marvel mags until his untimely demise during the Civil War series of books. His nephew Tom would later go on to revive and use the same formula that Bill took to gain his abilities.

That's it for this week from me. Tomorrow, I'll tackle the eighty-sixth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. This rather offbeat issue has the Thing meeting up with one of his old rivals, in a tale that most Marvelites wouldn't expect. There's also a backup story that features one of the Fantastic Four's most notable annoyances. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #84

Happy Thursday, peeps!

Time for me to talk about the eighty-fourth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover showed the Thing and Alpha Flight members Sasquatch, Vindicator, Northstar, and Aurora battling Ranark the Ravager. The tale was titled "Cry for Beloved Canada!" The issue had a cover date of February 1982.

The story started in Northeast Saskatchewan, as a couple's camping trip was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of the being known as Ranark the Ravager. He crashed into the campsite and started a swath of destruction after being dissatisfied with their machine used to prepare food. He later slapped the woman and zapped the man before departing, leaving her holding her partner in her arms, still crying several hours later.

In a residential Ottawa neighborhood, Ben Grimm sat with his host, James Hudson (aka Vindicator), Dr. Walter Langkowski (Shaman), and Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen (Shaman) as the events of the last day were recounted to James. Ben finally got to explain the reason for his arrival in Canada, which was to find Langkowski to see if he could help his friend Bill Foster (aka Giant Man), who was rapidly dying from radiation poisoning (all of which was depicted in the previous issue). 

Hudson was glad that Grimm agreed to help them fight Ranark. He knew that he'd need more allies. Snowbird was unavailable, but James hoped that Aurora and Northstar might answer the call. At that time, Ranark was busy disrupting a Canadian military air patrol. He made short work of the jets and forced the pilots to bail out before their ships were destroyed.

In a private home in Lavalle, Quebec, siblings Jean-Paul (Northstar) and Jeanne-Marie (Aurora) Beaubier were debating whether or not to comply with Vindicator's summons. Jean-Paul had grown tired of the hero business, but his sister knew that they'd been given their awesome powers for a reason. She changed into her superhero costume and flew off to assist. Her brother remained behind, thinking that Jeanne-Marie would eventually regret her decision.

Ranark resurfaced in Winnipeg, Manitoba's capital city. He was disgusted by the modern buildings and used his abilities to cause trees to spring from the very ground beneath them. His efforts were met by Alpha Flight and the Thing. The heroes were left to clean up the invader's mess after he flew away. Ben and the Sasquatch concentrated on keeping the high-rises intact, while others like Aurora flew up to help a child who had fallen from his family's balcony.

Meanwhile, back in New York's Baxter Building, Foster had awakened. He felt woozy, but Reed Richards (the elastic Mister Fantastic) insisted that he return to bed. Reed was certain that Grimm would return with Langkowski soon, and that the Canadian professor would be able to share his insight into Foster's condition sooner rather than later. 

Ben had been briefly buried under rubble. Sasquatch and Aurora searched for him before Grimm demolished the rubble. The trio then set their sights on the escaped Ranark.

Their foe was flying over the congested roadways, watching panicked citizens attempting to flee the city. He then caused more chaos by attacking several vehicles. Shaman went to intercept Ranark, feeling responsible for freeing him (also shown in the last issue). He soon landed in Langkowski's arms, as he and Ben renewed their attack on the invader.

The battle was picked up by a TV news crew. Jean-Paul watched the broadcast and fled the room after seeing his sister engaged in the conflict. Shaman tried to calm Ranark's storm clouds, but his foe turned ordinary hail into giant boulders. Sasquatch fended them off before going toe to toe with the ancient spirit once more.

Ranark grew in size and stature as he fought Langkowski. All seemed lost for Sasquatch, until Vindicator struck at the unwanted visitor. Ranark's blast passed through the space that Hudson had just occupied, having transported himself to his friends' side. By then, Northstar had joined the cause.

The combined forces of Alpha Flight and the Thing were enough to allow Shaman to proceed with his incantation, one which caused the mighty opponent to finally shrink down into a small sphere that could be picked up and contained. Shaman took the cocoon for safekeeping right before Ben made a return to New York with Walter. Unfortunately, Langkowski determined that Foster's condition was too advanced for anything to be of significant help. It looked like the end was in sight for Giant Man. 

If you want to learn more about the original Alpha Flight team, read the first two dozen or so issues of their first comic book title. John Byrne provided a lot more background on each of these and other members of the group. I've yet to see Ranark return in any other Marvel mags, but that's not to say that we won't ever see him again. 

The final fate of Bill Foster will be revealed in tomorrow's recap of the eighty-fifth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. Ben is bound and determined to fight for Bill's life, and crosses paths with someone that he first met during a trip across the pond earlier in this series' run. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #83

Hello there,

Today's topic is the eighty-third issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover depicted the Thing in a large forest, with the Sasquatch towering above him. The story was called "Where Walks The Sasquatch!" The issue had a cover date of January 1982.

The tale began in the Baxter Building in New York City, as Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) and Ben Grimm were working to try and help their friend Giant Man (Bill Foster), who'd been slowly succumbing to radiation poisoning for months. Reed was doing his best to save him after Ben found Bill unconscious in the A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) lab where the two of them and Captain America had battled MODOK's forces for a cure to the Virus-X that had mutated Grimm (as shown last issue). Bill had found a gun that contained the antidote, but there was only enough serum to save one of them, so he chose to help his comrade.

Ben left the room feeling rather morose, and his teammate Johnny Storm's (the Human Torch) attempts to cheer him up only made Grimm angrier. The two started another scuffle, which was broken up by Reed's wife Sue (the Invisible Girl). Moments later, Reed entered the room. He announced that Bill's condition was worsening. Foster had started showing signs that his body was decaying, and his internal organs were very damaged.

Still, Reed had some hope. There was a specialist in Canada, Dr. Walter Langkowski, whose research in radiation showed promise. Ben boarded a Pogo Plane a short while later and later arrived at McGill University. There, the Thing met with the chair of the college's biophysics department, only to be told that the esteemed professor was absent. He was rumored to be camping somewhere in northwest Alberta.

Langkowski (aka Sasquatch) and his Alpha Flight teammate Michael Twoyoungmen (Shaman) were on a retreat several hundred miles from the university. Michael was certain that danger was in store. He had joined Walter on the trip to try to find the burial mound of his ancient ancestors. 

The next morning, the two friends set out on that quest. They eventually found hieroglyphs carved on a cavern wall that might hold a clue. While Langkowski returned to camp for equipment, Twoyoungmen stayed behind and accidentally stepped on a stone on the floor that opened a secret passage. Inside was the ancient shamans' tomb!

Back at camp, Walter observed the Fantastic Four's jet setting down not far away. He watched Ben descend from the cockpit and decided to call upon the Sasquatch. After his transformation, the doctor ventured into the woods until he ran across Grimm. While the two were talking, Shaman felt compelled to open the cover of a large urn. Doing so released the spirit of the evil Ranark the Ravager. 

The Thing and Sasquatch engaged in a battle in the woods. As they were figuring out each other's strengths, Shaman was squaring off against the evil tribesman. Ranark briefly glanced upon the modern world through Twoyoungmen's eyes and was sorely disappointed. He vowed to purge the Earth of life and start over.

Walter and Ben were walking towards each other when the ground beneath them started to rumble. Ranark's spirit burst through and flew off to achieve his goal. It was then that the two heroes realized who their common foe really was.

At the time, Alpha Flight had broken up (as of Uncanny X-Men #140). Members of the Canadian super-team would surface in different titles from time to time until they were given their own series, which was initially scripted and penciled by John Byrne. Sasquatch had last appeared in the eighth Incredible Hulk annual. Byrne plotted that issue, and I grew to appreciate both the man and the monster. I only wish that we knew more about both sides of Langkowski's personality. Shaman is another interesting character who grew more as Alpha Flight's first series went on. 

That's it from me for today. Tomorrow, I'll cover the conclusion of this saga with a recap of the eighty-fourth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The Thing and Sasquatch are hot on the trail of Ranark, with the assistance of a few more members of Alpha Flight. We'll also learn if Langkowski was able to help prevent Foster's rapid decay. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.