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. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #96

Happy Labor Day, folks!

Today's topic is the ninety-sixth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover showed the Thing recovering in a hospital bed, with flower bouquets from the Avengers and the Yancy Street Gang sitting on a table, as his nurse tried to shush the crowd again, which included Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Wolverine, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Colossus, and Cyclops, battling against the Mole Man, Mirage, the Melter, and several Mole Men. The tale was titled "Visiting Hours!" The issue had a publication date of February 1983.

The story started with Ben Grimm lying in a hospital bed after recent injuries sustained during battles with Gladiator (in issue #249 of the Fantastic Four) and the Champion (as I talked about in my coverage of the seventh Marvel Two-In-One annual). He was surrounded by his Fantastic Four teammates, Reed, Sue Richards (the Invisible Girl), and Johnny Storm (the Human Torch), as well as his girlfriend, Alicia Masters, and his comrades from the Avengers, Iron Man and Captain America, who promised to postpone their poker matches until Ben was fully recovered. 

Ben was even visited by his old pal Ben Foster (formerly Giant-Man) and his lady Celia. Bill was recovering from radiation poisoning and on the mend. Reed wanted Grimm to stay in the hospital to receive the best possible care, but worried that his old college roommate might be attacked by any of their numerous enemies.

One such foe was plotting in his hideout. The Mad Thinker was confident that at least one of Grimm's rivals would reach him while he was recuperating. Meanwhile, Spidey was purchasing a get-well bouquet for his old pal when a minor villain known as the Mecho-Marauder burst out of a van that was parked in front of the hospital where Ben was. It was easy enough for Spider-Man to clog the finger blasters in his opponent's costume, which caused the suit to overheat and explode. Afterward, Spidey scaled the building and jumped into the open window to offer his well wishes. 

Eventually, Ben's nurse ushered all of his guests out of the room once visiting hours were over. She also extinguished the cigar that Grimm had just lit. While Ben was lamenting the loss of his stogie, the villain known as Mirage entered the hospital lobby undetected until he was stopped by Daredevil. His keen radar senses allowed the hero to detect the real villain from his duplicates.

As Ben started to feel bored in his room, Dr. Don Blake was about to pay him a visit when his travel was interrupted by the arrival of the Mole Man and his minions in a vehicle that burst through the surface of the Earth. Blake quickly changed into his alter ego of the mighty Thor and took on his opponents. A lightning storm scared them back underground.

While Ben's nurse was taking his pulse, armed guards outside the hospital were knocked out by a gas round fired by Shellshock (last seen in MTIO #70). The villain had a new costume and upgraded weapon, but ran into a challenge in the form of the new Ant-Man (Scott Lang). Lang telepathically called to his legion of faithful ants, several of which infiltrated the villain's costume and sent him running away, itching as he did so. 

The next challengers to arrive on the scene were Letha, Titania, Poundcake, and Screaming Mimi. The female wrestlers wanted revenge against the Thing, but first they had to face Captain America, who dispatched the females one at a time.

Cap was then joined by the current iteration of the X-Men, moments before the Highwayman's newest vehicle bore down toward them. Thankfully, the car was halted by Iron Man's defensive efforts. All the while, Ben's boredom continued to grow, as he tossed paper airplanes at the wastebasket in his room.

News of Ben's hospitalization had even reached as far as Latveria, where the country's monarch, Doctor Doom, read of his condition in a newspaper. Although it would probably be quite easy for Doom to vanquish his foe, he opted not to take advantage of a rival who was in a weakened state. 

Meanwhile, the Torch flew down a hospital corridor toward his friends, who were gearing up for a large-scale assault by the villains who were marching there. The next few pages featured a grand battle between characters, including the Hulk, Sasquatch, the Fantastic Four, X-Men, Avengers, MODOK, the Mole Man, Whiplash, the Melter, Daredevil, Spider-Man, Namor, the Rhino, the Beetle, the female wrestlers that Captain America had just defeated, the Mecho-Marauder, Mole Man, and a few others.

The Mad Thinker was right in his prediction that an old enemy would reach Ben. His error was thinking that the person in particular was still a rival. As the conflict raged outside, Grimm was surprised to see the Sandman standing before him. He explained that he used his ability to sneak past the hospital staff to see him. He shared a six-pack with his new friend, and they started up a friendly conversation.

The plot to this issue reminded me a bit of the third Fantastic Four annual, where a bevy of heroes and villains arrived to try and interrupt Reed and Sue's wedding. It was a light-hearted story, and even though the final results of the climactic battle were not shown, I have to assume that the good guys won once more. It wasn't a traditional team-up issue with the Thing, but seeing as how the title was nearing its conclusion, I don't really think that many fans at the time minded. I think they were more concerned with Ben's well-being, and a good old-fashioned clash between several well-loved characters (and some whose names I didn't even know) was probably well appreciated and enjoyed. 

That's it from me. Taking off to enjoy the rest of this holiday. Make it a good one! Tomorrow, I'll return to summarize the ninety-seventh issue of Marvel Two-In-One. Ben is lured back to Hollywood again to engage in another production, but runs into the kind of trouble that an Avenger can help him to get out of. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7

Good afternoon, folks,

Hope everyone's been enjoying the weekend. I'm winding down the day with a discussion of the seventh Marvel Two-In-One annual. The cover showed the Thing in boxing togs alongside Colossus, Sasquatch, Namor the Sub-Mariner, the Hulk, Wonder Man, and the mighty Thor. The title of the 1983 annual's story was "And They Shall Call Him...Champion!"

In Alicia Masters' sculptor studio, the Thing was about to lose what remained of his patience. He'd been standing in the same pose for quite some time to accommodate Masters' request to help her finish a new sculpture. She worked on that miniature before working on a likeness of the Avengers' arch-enemy, Ultron. Ben Grimm was distracted by a bright light that signaled the arrival of a four-armed alien named Proja. 

The stranger was a promoter who arrived to offer Ben an opportunity of multiple lifetimes. He proposed that Grimm join in a contest for the championship of the galaxy. Proja left his business card before disappearing the same way that he'd arrived. The alien would go on to offer the same proposition to Thor, the Hulk, Doc Samson, Colossus, Namor, Sasquatch, Wonder Man, and the Vision. He disqualified the Vision after learning that the Avenger was a snynthoid. The Scarlet Witch fired a hex bolt at him just as the intruder vanished from their room. 

The other heroes that Proja had approached were transported to an artificial world together. They were then introduced to their host, an otherworldly being who called himself the Champion. He wanted to battle Earth's strongest warriors to determine who was the best. They rushed at him before being dismissed. The Champion left the room, leaving the heroes behind to be trained by his lackeys.

Ben's disappearance from Alicia's studio apartment was eventually noticed by his Fantastic Four teammates Sue (the Invisible Girl) and Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic). Alicia explained to them what happened. Sue tried to console Ben's girlfriend, while Reed used one of the many machines he'd created over his lifetime to scan the room for any traces of energy left behind by Proja. Reed learned that the Thing had been taken by someone whose strength rivaled that of Galactus himself, but chose to keep that knowledge to himself for the time being.

While Colossus' teammates and mentor, Professor X, were trying to determine who was responsible for their friend's kidnapping, he and his fellow captors were going through their initial workouts under the tutelage of the Champion's assistants. Doc Samson was the first challenger to be eliminated, followed closely behind by Namor, who refused to partake in the training sessions. 

Colossus, Sasquatch, the Hulk, Wonder Man, and the Thing pressed on. Their match would be held at Madison Square Garden in New York, and news of the event spread across the globe. Tickets were sold, and final contracts were signed before the event was about to begin.

Thor was the first hero to be summoned to the ring, which was enclosed under a transparent dome in the center of the stadium floor. It was strong enough that Wolverine and Cyclops' attacks on it were ineffective. The Champion took his place in the ring and greeted his first challenger before the initial bell rang. Thor was disqualified for using his hammer Mjolnir, and the (now-intelligent) Hulk was chosen to replace him. Hulk became more savage with each passing second and was also eliminated, since the Champion preferred not to battle a savage combatant.

Sasquatch soon took his place. He stood his ground before finally falling to the Champion's mighty blows. Colossus was next, but was removed after being unable to defend himself from more volleys flung at him by the alien. Wonder Man was next, but he was disqualified for trying to tear the floor of the ring out from underneath them.

The Thing was the only hero left to face the Champion. He was ready, but it turned out to be one of the most brutal fights of his lifetime. Grimm had faced many powerful foes before, but this one was in a league above most of them. Ben outpaced the friends before him and actually lasted three rounds before giving out after the bell rang for the fourth round.

The Champion smiled and held his trophy belt high to the disbelief of the audience. Ben crawled to face him, ready for a rematch. The Champion would not grant him that opportunity, and he and his referee vanished from sight moments before Grimm collapsed to the floor. His friends propped him up and carried him off.

I think that the script for this issue was likely influenced by the popularity of the Rocky movies. We would later learn that the Champion was an Elder of the Universe. He has since battled similarly powered beings like Galactus, Thanos, and the Silver Surfer, but as far as I know, he has not gone up against Grimm or his comrades since. I'm kind of surprised that a person who could pose that much of an intergalactic threat hasn't taken on other teams like the FF, X-Men, or Avengers at least once. 

If you want to find out what happened to Ben on his road to recovery, tune in tomorrow for my recap of the ninety-sixth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. That story reminds me of a similar plot that was rolled out in an often-reprinted Marvel Annual. Until then, have a great weekend and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #95

Good morning,

Hope all's well with everyone. I'm starting the day with a recap of the ninety-fifth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover depicted Ben Grimm and the Living Mummy battling several large green snakes, with a trio of unidentified people behind them. The story was called "The Power to Live...The Power to Die!... The issue had a publication date of January 1983. 

The tale began at Alicia Masters' studio apartment in New York. Her boyfriend Grimm (aka the Thing) had intercepted a package delivery for her. As Alicia opened the box, Ben read the inscription on the included card. It mentioned becoming a new powerful Egyptian god. Inside the box was an ornate headdress. Once Masters donned it, she started to glow and seemed to be under the influence of the strange hat.

Alicia exclaimed that she was the new bride of Nephrus, and a beam emitted from the headpiece knocked Grimm across the room. She swore his death if he continued to intervene in the activities of immortals. Ben recovered, but by the time he left the apartment, Alicia was nowhere in sight. 

He decided to get a little insight on the situation by visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Thing arrived at the ancient Egyptian exhibit, where he was met by a curator named Lillian Temple-Worth. She initially rebuffed Ben, but changed her mind after showing him a picture of the headdress that Alicia now wore. Temple-Worth then showed Grimm a photo of Gamal Hassan, the man who had stolen that artifact from the museum. 

Ben had never seen the man before. Lillian replied that he'd been her superior before going off on his quest for a power stone that Hassan was certain had belonged to his Egyptian ancestors many years ago. By then, Alicia had arrived at the New York harbor and used the headdress's power to transform an ordinary-looking boat into a historic-looking skimmer that she flew off in as Ben was convincing Lillian that they needed to go to Egypt to address the threat.

In that very land, the figure known as the Living Mummy sat alone. He thought about some of his many adventures over the years. He'd survived for three thousand years and continued on to pursue power. He was determined to either live as a man once more or die so that his abnormal imitation of life would finally cease.

As he sat, the mummy noticed a caravan carrying a chariot that bore Alicia and Gamal. They were heading to a small dwelling nearby, one that Hassan was convinced contained within it the secret to immortality. They came across the building, which was supposedly constructed by Nephrus himself. Once they disembarked, Hassan bid Alicia to eliminate their servants, so they could continue on in peace.

While Hassan began his search with the aid of the purloined crown of Hathor that Alicia wore, Ben and Lillian were busy acquiring supplies in a local town. This included a pair of camels, who were initially a bit reluctant to obey the whims of their new owners. Ben fought off a few invaders before the duo rode off into the desert. 

At the same time, Alicia and Gamal entered the temple to find the spirit gem of Nephrus. Hassan stood guard while Masters searched and dispatched defenses upon seeing the pair of camel riders. The cannons were somewhat effective against Ben and Lillian, but he hadn't counted on the Living Mummy's intervention. 

The mummy entered the room where Hassan was watching the heroes and demanded that Nephrus make him human. Gamal fled, leaving the Living Mummy to look for the same power source that Masters and Hassan were searching for. Alicia eventually uncovered the stone, which Gamal grabbed and brought toward his chest.

As Ben and Lillian were wandering the tents surrounding the small domicile, the mummy emerged from one of them moments before the newly powered Gamal and Alicia burst into view. Grimm threw the first stone before Hassan, with the spirit of Nephrus inhabiting him, relished the thought of facing his old enemy N'Kantu (the Living Mummy) again after many long years. 

Hassan was about to fire a beam at the Thing before Temple-Worth jumped forward holding a mirror, which reflected the bolt back at the villain. He was temporarily incapacitated, and the Living Mummy moved closer to him. Lillian tossed an electrical cable at Alicia, which severed her link with the helmet.

Masters was back to her old self again. Temple-Worth brought her to Ben, right before the mummy and his longtime rival renewed their centuries-old rivalry. Ben interfered, tearing down a stone pillar that he hurled at Hassan. His foe used his supernatural abilities to transmute arrows into large snakes at the mummy. Lillian advised Alicia to use the crown she wore against their common foe. She used it to fire a beam at Hassan, which cleaved the jewel from his chest.

Gamal fell to the sand below, and the gem landed in one of Ben's mighty palms. Hassan pleaded for its return, but soon disintegrated into dust after Ben crushed the jewel in his hand. Grimm held Masters close to him, as Lillian looked on and the Living Mummy wandered off on his own, knowing that part of his past was permanently over. 

I don't know much about the Living Mummy, but I have read a few of Marvel's other monster titles from the 1970s. I guess this was a bit of closure for that character. He would return again from time to time, but this was a satisfying single-issue story that ended a threat before it could have had far-reaching repercussions across the entire world.

That's it for now. Later today, I'll discuss the seventh and final Marvel Two-In-One annual for this series' run. The Thing joins several other similarly strong adventurers in a battle royale against an intergalactic menace. Until then, have a great Sunday and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #94

Good afternoon,

Hope everyone's been enjoying the holiday weekend. Time for me to talk about the ninety-fourth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover was illustrated as a video arcade game, with a player activating the controls as the Thing, Power Man, and Iron Fist battled on screen. The tale was titled "The Power Trap!" The issue had a cover date of December 1982.

The story started on a street in a seedy part of New York. Alicia Masters was making her way alone from the Baxter Building to her apartment, where her boyfriend, Ben Grimm (the Thing), was going to pick up a block of Italian marble to transport to her home. Several gang members watched the pretty blind girl stroll by before deciding to step in her way.

They rummaged through her purse, bringing out the face moldings she'd carved. One of them pushed Alicia down before some of the others opted for more drastic measures. However, before any harm could befall Masters, someone started throwing rocks from a nearby entryway at the young punks, who quickly fled the scene.

A few moments later, Alicia's savior stepped out from the shadows. He helped her to her feet and assisted Masters in gathering her belongings. The two started talking on the way to Alicia's studio apartment. Once inside, the stranger was amazed by the lifelike qualities of her works. He sat down, talking about his struggles while Alicia used her hands to scan his face. Within minutes, she had sculpted a remarkable likeness of the man.

When they heard Ben's footsteps ascending the stairway, the stranger started to panic. He was ducking out of a window when Grimm entered the room. Ben automatically assumed the worst and insinuated that his love had abandoned him for someone else. Alicia explained what had happened and gestured toward her newest work of art. Ben recognized the visage as the missing billionaire, Jeff Mann. He went AWOL some time before, and his company had been searching for any clues about his whereabouts. 

While Ben and Alicia were silently wishing Mann well, the heroes for hire known as Power Man and Iron Fist were conversing in a local video arcade. Luke Cage (Power Man) was playing a new game called "X-Factor." Just when he thought he'd mastered the game, its namesake X-Factor opened a trap that his onscreen icon fell into.

Cage was about to take his frustrations out on the inanimate machine until a boy's question made him rethink that. He put the console down and let Danny Rand (Iron Fist) take a turn at it. Rand was mystified by the complexity, and he experienced the same kind of loss that Cage had minutes earlier. They stopped playing the game when their colleague Benny gave them information about the missing industrialist Mann. 

Rand and Cage took the corporate route to try to track down the businessman, while Grimm returned to the Baxter Building and had its computer banks print out all available information on Jeff. It indicated a connection with Ben's old friend from Yancy Street, Jeff Dean. He ran to his old stomping grounds immediately.

Meanwhile, Rand was playing racquetball at an exclusive athletic club with Mann's former baseball teammate and business rival Kurt Samael. After Kurt won the match, the two of them retreated to the cafe, where Samael disclosed that Mann had lost interest in his pitching career and retired early, and that he'd served as Mann's real estate broker for all of his transactions, except that he wouldn't let him close the sale of an abandoned Yancy Street property. 

Cage was in the Village at the time and ran across a newsstand owner who he learned had a working arrangement with Mann. Jeff could be contacted at an abandoned building on Yancy Street. Things were starting to fall in piece for all three of this issue's stars.

Luke was the first one to reach the deserted tenement. He found Jeff sitting by himself in an upstairs room. Cage cornered the billionaire, who freely admitted that he hated how rapidly his business empire had grown. It started to feel like they were in control of everything in Jeff's life. 

Cage empathized with Mann, but also knew that a contract was a contract. They exited the building together, where the Thing caught up with them. The two former teammates (Cage briefly replaced Grimm on the Fantastic Four when Ben temporarily lost his powers) argued over who should take Mann. That gave Mann time to flee, but he wound up in the arms of Iron Fist. 

Rand walked on with Mann, while Ben and Luke engaged in a confrontation, one that resulted in the destruction of the very building that Cage and Mann had just occupied. Iron Fist brought Mann back to his company, but wasn't about to be paid until both he and Power Man were present. Danny went to bring his friend back, as the corporate executives prepared to continue with their plans. 

A short while later, Danny confronted the Thing, and Cage and Rand entered Mann's company together. They stood above its emblem on the floor, which opened up as a trapdoor, sending the heroes into a narrow pit that led to several obstacles. Grimm was waiting outside for ten minutes before barging in. 

The Thing found himself standing on the same trapdoor moments later and joined his comrades in battling the automated traps. The Thing's mighty punch opened a hole in the wall and allowed Rand to use his unique ability to prevent the evildoers' car from fleeing the scene. 

Mann thanked the heroes for their intervention, noting that he'd designed the X-Factor game as a way of dealing with the frustrations he'd experienced. One of those consoles was just a few feet away, and Ben was soon just as obsessed with it as Rand and Cage had been in the video arcade. The story ended before we knew whether or not Ben was able to beat the game.

Video arcades were wildly popular during the time when this story was written. Video games would also be part of another upcoming MTIO plot. There were no supervillains in this saga, but it was still a fun standalone issue nonetheless. Nothing great, but not terrible, either. 

That's all I have for you today. I'll start Sunday with a synopsis of the ninety-fifth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. Ben and Alicia become involved with a character who once had its own series of stories back when Marvel had their monster mags. Until then, have a great weekend, and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #93

TGIF, folks!

Closing out another busy week with a summary of the ninety-third issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover depicted the Thing involved in a slugfest with Machine Man, as the villain Ultron looked on. The tale was titled "And One Shall Die..!" The issue had a cover date of November 1982.

When we last left Ben Grimm, he'd been entranced by the recently revived Ultron and had his sights set on crushing the hero called Machine Man (as shown last issue). Although he'd been damaged during his own confrontation with the Avengers' longtime rival, Machine Man (aka Aaron Stack) still had enough tenacity to stand his ground. He stretched one of his artificial arms to reach the handle of an electrical relay, hoping the connection would be enough to incapacitate his unlikely opponent.

Afterward, the robot developed a small magnetic energy field that he used to push Ultron away from them. He then grabbed Jocasta and left through the hole in the wall that Ultron had just made. Machine Man used his circuitry to interface with Ben's jet cycle, and the duo flew away just as the Thing and Ultron were recovering. 

The robots escaped, but Ultron hypnotized Ben again. This time, he was certain that his evil plans would not fail. Machine Man headed to his friend Gears Garvin's garage, hopeful that his comrade could help him repair the damage Ultron had caused during their initial encounter. While Garvin worked, Jocasta explained why she'd left the Avengers and had felt compelled to return to the site of Ultron's form, because he had manipulated her into restoring him (as shown in the previous issue). She still felt guilty for having done so, but Machine Man reassured her, knowing that it wasn't her fault and that they would eventually defeat him. 

In the meantime, Ultron was using his new soldier, the Thing, to do the heavy lifting for him. Grimm placed barrels of liquid resin that the robot planned to use to create duplicates of himself for his eventual rematch against the Avengers. Additional materials were needed, which Ben obtained by force at Stark International. The hero made off with several chemicals that his new master requested. He placed them in a deep space survival capsule before placing them on the flier that Ultron had been using since his resurgence. 

Ultron wanted to make the world a better place, but those pesky humans kept getting in the way. With his army of clones, the robot would be free to try to accomplish that goal. Meanwhile, Garvin was continuing with his creative attempts at repairing Machine Man while Stack's roommate Peter Spaulding argued with the mechanic. Jocasta walked out during the verbal confrontation, and Stack caught up with her.

The former Avenger seemed to be a bit jealous of the fact that Machine Man had people who cared about him. She stated that she felt like an outsider in the super-team. Stack told her that some cared about her before bringing her back to the garage.

A short while later, Garvin plugged Jocasta into a device that was used to track Ultron. Once they knew of his whereabouts, Garvin, Stack, and Jocasta piled onto Ben's jet cycle and headed toward that destination. They soon reached the underground facility where Ultron was building his army of duplicates. 

Jocasta used her energy eye beams to blast an entrance, and the trio soon found themselves facing two paths. The former Avenger took one hallway, while Machine Man and Garvin entered the other. Ultron had set several traps for the intruders, including his new servant, the Thing.

The evil robot was waiting for Ultron. He tried to appeal to her sensitivity, but she rejected him once more. While they talked, Ben was still trying to destroy his master's enemies. Jocasta then grabbed the power cannon Ultron had been holding and forced its destruction.

The resulting explosion tore a hole in the wall behind them. It also started to rouse Grimm, who was jus beginning to break free of Ultron's command. He united with Machine Man to rebel against Ultron. Machine Man extended one of his mechanical arms into his opponent's mouth, where he grabbed wires until their foe fell to the floor.

An internal detonation downed the evil robot, at least for the time being. However, the destruction of the cannon also destroyed Jocasta's body. Machine Man picked up several pieces and openly mourned the loss of his new friend. 

This was a sort of closure for both Machine Man and Jocasta. Machine Man would return in a four-issue limited series set in the future a couple of years later, and this version of Aaron Stack would return to assist the Avengers and other superheroes. Jocasta, who was modeled after Janet Van Dyne (the Wasp) would be rebuilt and also help other heroes, and reform a relationship with Machine Man. For the time being, it was a way to address a couple of characters who had small followings, but apparently not enough to warrant some solo or team adventures for them.

That's it for today. Tomorrow, I'll discuss the ninety-fourth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The Thing pairs up with a couple of heroes for hire who had their own combined book at the time to take on a menace that was rather appropriate for the technology of the early 1980s. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #92

Happy Thursday, folks!

Today's topic is the ninety-second issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover showed the Thing, Jocasta, and Machine Man preparing for battle as the image of the villain Ultron's head loomed in the background. The tale was titled "This Evil Returning..!" The issue had a cover date of October 1982.

The story started at the Cairo, Egypt, airport, where Ben Grimm was booking a flight back to New York City. He had no baggage to declare, wrecked the metal detector (which was obviously not built for his frame), and even assisted in breaking up a terrorist attack while waiting to board his plane, but Ben eventually managed to fly toward home.

Meanwhile, in that same city, a trio of young punks had found what they thought would be their next victim. A woman wearing a hat and trench coat asked them to stop following her. They failed to heed her warning and were knocked unconscious moments later.

At the Baxter Building, Grimm's teammate Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) was engaged in a conversation with Ben's girlfriend, Alicia Masters. Grimm had called from London and was on his way home. Johnny Storm (the Human Torch) was on his way to the airport to pick Grimm up. Reed had been working on a beta ray detector when Alicia asked Reed about his efforts to turn Ben human again. All previous efforts had failed, which Reed suspected might partially be due to the fact that Grimm feared what Alicia would think of him if he returned to his human form.

Before they could converse about that subject further, the guest scanner indicated a visitor had arrived. While Reed was stunned by the identity of their guest, Ben's plane was landing at JFK International Airport. Storm gave him a ride in the Fantasticar, and Grimm and Masters were soon reunited. While they were getting reacquainted, Richards introduced his comrades to Jocasta, who had recently left the Avengers.

The female robot was originally created to serve as the evil Ultron's mate, but wound up becoming one of the Avengers. She never really felt like a true member of that team, and left of her own accord after their roster was trimmed to six. Jocasta's cybernetic abilities started feeling a bit out of whack, which is why she sought the assistance of the Fantastic Four.

Reed offered her the use of a guest room and promised to address the issue. Alicia invited Jocasta to her next art exhibition, which seemed to be a rather kind gesture for a person who seemed a bit down on their luck. Ben and Alicia were about to head out when Reed brought up the matter of the destroyed Pogo plane (demolished by the Sphinx last issue). He made Grimm agree to visit their insurance agency as soon as possible.

Afterward, Reed called upon the Avengers and obtained some valuable information from Captain America about Ultron. Their longtime foe was supposedly defeated. The android was still frozen at a deserted heavy metals factory but very much aware of his condition and plotting his next move.

The next day, the Thing checked in at Delmar Insurance. There he conferred with Aaron Stack (aka Machine Man) to make a claim on the destroyed vehicle. Alicia was at her gallery exhibit, where one patron mistook Jocasta for one of the blind sculptor's works of art. The two new friends had a laugh about it before Jocasta's senses started going awry, and she began smashing her way through the building.

Masters made a panic-stricken call to the Baxter Building, which was picked up by Ben's beeper. He left the insurance office to investigate, not knowing that Machine Man was about to tag along. Jocasta's outburst had brought her to the same factory where Ultron stood. She carefully constructed a machine that she placed around her creator. Jocasta then pulled a switch to empty a bucket of liquid adamantium over the unmoving figure.

She blasted the robot with her eye beams, and shortly thereafter, Ultron emerged, good as new. She instantly regretted the part she played in his revival, but before she could defend herself, Machine Man entered the fray. He was tussling with the titan before Ben arrived via jet cycle. 

Machine Man was trying to repair his stretched mechanical legs when Grimm took on his opponent. Ben was evenly matched with Ultron until the villain used hypnotism to entrance his attacker. Ben then turned on Machine Man, who didn't look like he was ready for another battle just yet. 

I remember reading Jocasta's origin story, which I picked up from the bargain box at my local comic book shop, just like I did this two-part epic. She was another very underutilized character at the time, as was Machine Man, who was coming off the cancellation of his own title. Both Machine Man and Jocasta would disappear from the Marvel landscape and later return, although not quite the same as they once were. Since this title was also coming to an end very soon, I guess it was appropriate for the creative staff to tackle the fates of these characters. 

I never was a big Ultron fan, but I had to give him credit for his tenacity. He played a significant role for a while during the first Secret Wars limited series, and has recently gone on to assist the same Avengers that he fought for years. It seems that he's made his peace with his maker, Hank Pym, and others on the Avengers teams, at least for the moment anyway.

If you want to know what happened to the heroes, show up tomorrow for my recap of the ninety-third issue of Marvel Two-In-One. You'll find out if Ben did indeed start a fight with Stack, and what role Jocasta played in the confrontation. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.