Hi folks,
Today's topic is the twenty-fifth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover showed the Thing and Iron Fist trapped between sword-wielding enemies on a narrow rope bridge and flames beneath them. The story was called "A Tale of Two Countries!" The issue had a cover date of March 1977.
The issue began at Shea Stadium in New York, where Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters were at a football game. Neither of them knew that Grimm was being watched from a blimp overhead. A beam soon struck the Fantastic Four member, and grappling hooks carried him skyward until he was aboard the vessels. His captors. stated that their act was for their queen, before going to tell the Dragon what had happened.
Some time later, Ben awoke to see Iron Fist locked up in chains before him. Fist (real name: Danny Rand) presumed that both of them had been hit by the same type of knockout beam before being transported to the blimp that now held them. Danny summoned his reserves and broke free of his bonds before finding the button that would release Grimm.
The duo then peered out a nearby window and saw that they were flying over an ocean. The lower part of the blimp soon detached, and Danny confessed that their captors had approached him before about taking sides in their conflict. Rand had no interest in getting involved, but was apparently being forced into the conflict anyway. Ben added that the same group had wanted to obtain some of Reed Richard's weaponry, which he promptly denied.
Before the heroes could say much more, the floor opened up underneath them, and they were sent hurtling toward the ground below. Trees broke their falls, and they learned, thanks to speakers that arose near their landing site, that the warring factions were forced to train their own soldiers, after Grimm and Rand turned down their offiers. The message had no sooner ended when the stars of this story found themselves under attack.
The armed trio were hardly a match for the Thing or Iron Fist, but they provided them with details as to their next destination. The pair soon arrived just outside of the Temple at the Ridge of Four Hells. It was a massive combined structure, one that bordered multiple volcanoes. Rand used a rope for them to glide down gently before busting down the front door.
Once inside, they were accosted by more soldiers, but they still weren't much of a match. One man ordered the cessation of hostilities, before explaining the reason for their conflict. Their highest ranked military member opposed the idea of their queen marrying the emperor of the opposing side, and kidnapped her. Both nations would be forced into war if the queen was not returned within 24 hours.
That revelation changed Ben and Danny's minds. They followed their hosts until more warriors arrived. After a brief battle, the queen emerged. She ran to the leader named Prince Sen and embraced him. They were in love, but the queen had volunteered herself to the other side for the sake of her country. In the end, she was returned to that nation and honored her commitment. It was an important lesson in sacrifice, even if that sacrifice involved a thing called love.
This was another morality tale that didn't have a happy ending, but it was okay. We didn't learn a lot about the opposite forces, and I felt like they might have fit in better with Shang-Chi and his companions' involvement. The script was a good excuse for Ben and Danny to interact, although I just wish they would have had more suitable foes to face.
That's all I have for you for now. Next time, I'll discuss the twenty-sixth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The Thing allies himself with someone who's been a staple in the Marvel universe for many decades. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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