Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #30

Good morning, all,

Hope you've been having an enjoyable holiday weekend. It's time for me to discuss the thirtieth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover showed Ben Grimm duking it out with Spider-Woman in London. The story was called "Battle Atop Big Ben." The issue had a cover date of August 1977.

The tale began in Piccadilly Circus in London, England, as Ben Grimm and his girlfriend, Alicia Masters, were having lunch and trying to take their minds off of the cyborg Deathlok, whom they'd brought across the pond so that renowned professor Kort could try and help the man from the future. Grimm eventually hailed a cab to take Alicia back to their hotel, while he went off on his own for a while. As he purchased a box of cigars from a local vendor, Ben wondered if Alicia would ever want to marry him.

Meanwhile, at Westminster Abbey, a pair of scoundrels were waiting for an explosion that went off moments later. The noise brought several bobbies to the scene. The strangers were ready for law enforcement and dispatched them easily before moving on to their main objective. Grimm came across the unconscious officers and mistakenly assumed they'd been killed. He took his rage out on the intruders before learning that the bobbies had been hit with sleeping darts. 

Ben was about to lay into one of the crooks when he was struck by a blast fired by Spider-Woman. While the heroes fought, the other criminal had enough time to find the silver plate they were looking for. They fled the scene during the confrontation. 

Spider-Woman was acting on behalf of her employer, Hydra, at the time, a revelation that surprised the Thing. She fled before Ben could reply. As she flew off, the woman known as Jessica Drew thought back to the conditions that brought her to be in their service (some of which were chronicled in Marvel Spotlight #32). She returned to their base and admitted her failure to her superior. The Hydra officer then sent Spider-Woman to her quarters after removing her from the mission.

After she left, another Hydra officer emerged, one whose hypnosis had undoubtedly been used on the young woman. They were about to make plans for the serum they'd isolated earlier on another test subject. They intended to have an army of devoutly loyal warriors with powers similar to those of Drew.

By then, the Thing was at Scotland Yard, conferring with authorities and describing his recent experience with the Spider-Woman. A few moments later, SHIELD (Supreme Headquarters Intelligence and Law Enforcement Division) director Nick Fury appeared on a view screen. Grimm was more than familiar with Fury and explained his first meeting with Spider-Woman and how he knew she was being controlled by Hydra. 

Nick wanted Ben to face Spider-Woman again and convince her that they were only trying to help. Grimm agreed, on the condition that Fury would supply him with the best Havana cigars that money could buy. Elsewhere in Central London, the two crooks were using the silver plate they'd purloined to determine the map coordinates that would lead them to the treasure they'd been seeking. 

Ben and Alicia reconvened an hour later at the Tower of London. They were about to head to the location where the crown jewels were on display when the Spider-Woman swooped down toward Ben. She grabbed Alicia in her arms and flew off. While Ben pursued her, the crooks returned and fired at Grimm and the tower guards.

They arrived in the exhibition hall a few minutes later and grabbed the plate that they'd loosened with their torch. Ben charged after them and destroyed their gas gun. The sight of Spider-Woman flying overhead with his lady love set Ben running after them once more. He'd plowed through the crooks and forgotten about them immediately afterward.

Spider-Woman set Alicia down and flew back. Ben jumped from the bridge into a boat that was about to pass underneath. He ordered the captain to take him to Big Ben, where he met up with the flying woman yet again. The two tussled until they each fell from the tower into the waters below. This act emboldened the two criminals, who now felt that they were free to continue with their plot. 

The first Spider-Woman has grown to be a rather interesting character. The events in this storyline laid the groundwork for her solo story. Personally, I thought she was a bit underutilized and often forgotten by the time her title was relegated to a bi-monthly printing status, and I wasn't surprised after learning that her series had intended to kill her off after being slated for cancellation. Fan feedback led to her later resurrection in the Avengers, but Drew wasn't fully back as Spider-Woman again after that for another two decades. 

If you're wondering what happened to Alicia, tune in for my next article. All of that and much more will be described as Ben takes on a mystery menace and the same Hydra threat alongside Spider-Woman. Until then, have a great weekend and don't forget to be kind to one another.