Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #33

Hello there,

It's time for me to talk about the thirty-third issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover showed Modred the Mystic fending off a giant fiery hand as the Thing and Alicia Masters struggled to stay afloat in a tidal wave. The story was called "From Stonehenge...With Death!" The issue had a cover date of November 1977.

The tale began with Ben Grimm and Alicia embracing after Masters had been cured of the mutation that had transformed her into a spider-like being. She had battled the Thing and Spider-Woman in her mutated form, but was finally back to normal. The two lovers could continue with their European vacation and were about to visit Stonehenge.

Meanwhile, back at Parliament, the blue chest that a pair of thieves had uncovered (last issue) continued to glow until a giant claw emerged from it. Alicia and Ben eventually made it to their destination, unaware that an apparition or that Spider-Woman (real name: Jessica Drew) had been following them. They had no sooner arrived at the legendary monument when four large elemental beings appeared.

Each one of them looked menacing, and they began to attack the newcomers. Ben and Spider-Woman leapt to defend Alicia from the new threats. Grimm's anger continued to rise as he followed the beings down below the surface of the Earth, leaving Alicia behind. Grimm and Spider-Woman stood before the four elementals, wanting to know more.

It all started in the days of Arthur Pendragon when a young wizard designated to serve as Merlin's apprentice refused to be taken to their master, and sought the demise of the mighty magician. The student found the book known as the Darkhold and used it to send himself into a deep sleep that he'd only awakened from in the last year. Merlin required the return of his vassal and created the beings that now stood before the Thing and Spider-Woman to find him. They were determined to achieve that goal, even if it resulted in the planet's destruction.

Ben and Jessica weren't about to let that happen, and began battling the four fearsome foes. The fight continued even as Merlin's wayward student, Modred, appeared. He joined the conflict against Merlin's minons and conditions underground started to worsen.

At one point, Ben was floating in the waters beneath the surface, when he spotted one of the crooks he'd spied in London earlier, and the arrival of his lady love Alicia. The couple floated off together while Spider-Woman and Modred continued the skirmish. One by one, the elementals were defeated.

Modred returned the underground captives to the surface, which Ben and Alicia had already reached. Modred's spell erased Grimm and Masters' memories of what had just transpired, and he turned to Drew. She was now free to start her life anew. 

The end of this story set up the first ongoing Spider-Woman series. It would last for fifty issues. I have the entire run in my collection, and there are some great moments and some forgettable ones, but overall, it's a good series to collect, read and enjoy. I remember Modred from the first two issues of Marvel Chillers. After his appearances in the first year of so of Spider-Woman's book, he would show up sporadically in different titles afterward. He's one of those characters that has great potential, but is severely under-used. 

That's it for this article. Tomorrow, I'll sum up the second Marvel Two-In-One annual. The Thing, Spider-Man, the Avengers, and Captain Marvel join forces to tackle a titan. It's a legendary issue that shows the fate of a pair of iconic characters. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.