Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Two-In-One #54

Hello there,

It's time for me to talk about the fifty-fourth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover had Deathlok, a cyborg warrior from the 30th century, standing over an injured Ben Grimm, with shadowed images of Quasar, a stranger standing before the man-child Wundarr, and Herkimer J. Oglethorpe watching Titania battle a mystery opponent in a boxing ring in the background. The tale was titled "The Pegasus Project Part II: Blood and Bionics." The issue had a cover date of August 1979.

The Thing was walking down an empty corridor of the Project Pegasus compound, not knowing that Deathlok was waiting around the next corner. He fired at the Fantastic Four strongman, and his laser was actually powerful enough to wound Grimm. Ben pulverized the weapon and the hand that had held it. Deathlok defended himself, and eventually fled after Quasar and other security staff arrived on the scene.

Quasar helped Ben to his feet as Deathlok ventured further into the complex. He finally found the location he'd been looking for and started assembling a strange device. Quasar was hot on the intruder's trail and confronted him. The Thing had been patched up and assisted his new ally. Deathlok blasted Grimm once more and was eventually reduced to a pile of smoldering ash by Quasar's powers and the laser rifles that were fired by security guards.

While the heroes were pondering the reasons for the strange attack, the female powerhouse known as Titania was at a gym in Manhattan's Lower East Side. She was preparing to face off in the ring against a female wrestler. Titania bested her opponent easily, but the opponent's manager summoned his employees Leta, Titania, and Mimi to attack.

The titan from an alternate timeline quickly tossed all subsequent attackers from the ring. She then jumped out and talked to Oglethorpe. The diminutive manager soon realized that he'd have more things to consider if he wanted Titania to be his marquee attraction. Meanwhile, Tom Lightner was continuing to proceed carefully toward the machine that Deathlok had constructed. His superior from Nth Command reminded Lightner that it was essential that the Nth projector not be discovered by anyone else.

At the same time, Quasar and Ben were four levels above, talking with lab assistant Bill Foster (who we also know as Giant Man). While Grimm was having his ear bent by Foster, Lightner inched closer to Nuklo's quarters. He entered the room and freed the powerful being, who, like Wundarr, was also a powerful adult with the mind of a child. 

After reading this issue for the first time, I wondered if this Deathlok was the same as the one who appeared earlier in this series' run. It's possible that, similar to Thundra, this cyborg emerged from an alternate reality. It also made me anticipate a possible showdown between Wundarr and Nuklo. The art team of John Byrne and Joe Sinnott really meshed well with writers Ralph Macchio and Mark Gruenwald. This was a cleverly laid out storyline that left plenty of readers in suspense after each chapter's end. 

Well, that's it for today. Tomorrow, I'll chronicle the third part of this saga with a recap of the fifty-fifth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. We'll see Foster's alter-ego come to the project's defense. We'll also learn more about Thundra's new career and find out what happened to Wundarr. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.