Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #38

Good afternoon, folks,

The topic of this blog post is the thirty-eighth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The Thing was busy battling robots in one viewscreen, while Daredevil struggled to free himself from a submerged vehicle on another monitor, all as an unknown villain observed their fates. The issue had a publication date of April 1978.

The tale began with Ben Grimm looking at the Daily Bugle headline and photo of himself behind bars. Ben was naturally perturbed by the media coverage and slammed down on his prison bunk, snapping the chain that had held it to the wall. Meanwhile, his lawyer, Matt Murdock, was trying to delay the trial to find witnesses and prepare legal documents, but was unsuccessful. The trial was set for Friday because of the nature of such a high-profile case. 

Murdock later left his law partner, Foggy Nelson, and decided to clear his head as the costumed adventurer Daredevil. He soon detected the heartbeat of Alex Stone, the garage owner who raised the initial charges against Grimm (last issue). He burst into the business and made some accusations. Stone met his accuser and was eager to get into a fight. 

Daredevil found a paint canister that he used against his foe, but was soon knocked out by his opponent. Stone put the superhero in a car that he tossed off a nearby pier. The car started to fill with water, and Murdock, who had also been bound while he was unconscious, woke up in time to kick out one of the windows, break his bonds, and swim to safety.

He was rescued when he resurfaced by a couple of good samaritans. Murdock arrived at the jail a while later to communicate the bad news to his client, Grimm. A few moments later, the Thing decided to take matters into his own hands and created an exit by breaking through one of the prison walls. The child who had been his cellmate followed and found a skateboard lying atop a trash can, which he used to speed on his way.

Grimm was headed for the auto garage, determined to get some answers. Stone wasn't there, but Ben learned where he was. Ben descended a staircase and entered a building that was full of computers. A mechanical guard emerged from a hidden port in the floor and was crushed by the Thing before more of its kind were released from identical openings.

Daredevil followed Grimm's trail and was soon fighting more of the same mechanical men. Ben fought off his attackers right before a large cup crashed down upon him. He learned that his foes were automatons summoned by his old rival, the Mad Thinker. Ben was fighting for his life, but was unable to break his new cell. 

Ben's friend Daredevil had been captured by the Thinker, who had the hero cuffed to a table before him. He stood before a control panel and depressed controls that allowed toxic gas to fill Ben's chamber. Murdock was still restrained, unable to assist his longtime comrade.

I just read the Mad Thinker's first appearance in a reprint of Fantastic Four #15. He turns up every so often and seems to have very well-thought-out plans. However, there's usually an X-factor that he fails to consider.

If you want to learn the fate of these heroes, tune in tomorrow for my recap of the thirty-ninth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. We'll find out just what the Mad Thinker had in store for them, as well as see the first appearances of two other well-known Marvel characters in this series. The boy who shared a cell with Grimm will also show up too. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.