Good morning, peeps!
It's time for me to talk about the seventy-ninth issue of Marvel Two-In-One. The cover depicted the Thing holding a large boulder to protect himself from blasts fired by a new character called the Star-Dancer, as Alicia Masters sat helpless in a clear bubble and the hero Blue Diamond lay motionless at Ben Grimm's feet. The story was titled "Shanga the Star-Dancer!" The issue had a cover date of September 1981.
The tale began somewhere in deep space, as the person known as Shanga danced across a bevy of meteorites. She thought back to her homeworld, which she had not visited in many centuries, and how her cosmic powers had enabled her to destroy the asteroids that lay before her with ease. The lonely intergalactic traveler's focus soon turned to a small sleepy town in Massachusetts.
That village was named Hartsdale, and it was hosting its annual arts-and-crafts fair. Grimm and Masters were among the many in attendance that day. Alicia was blind, so she used her fingers to ascertain the finer details of a piece of pottery that had piqued her interest, much to the chagrin of the vendor. He grabbed the pot and ordered her to leave before Grimm entered the scene. He went to the nearest tree and grabbed it, setting it down before the shopkeeper to teach him a lesson. Alicia understood, but didn't approve of her boyfriend's brusque approach.
Later that day, Ben set out to do some fishing. He walked past several houses on his way, one of them belonging to a man named Elton Morrow. The elderly gentleman envied the hero whom he spied through the window. To many in the community, he was known as an anthropology professor. However, in his younger years, he was also the costumed crusader known as the Blue Diamond (as seen in issues of the Invaders and Marvel Premiere).
He longed for the days long gone, when he fought against the evils that surfaced during the Second World War. Morrow also missed his wife, who had become severely ill and passed on several years back. Elton never lost his powers and was just itching for a chance to use them again.
Shortly thereafter, Shanga flew down to the sleepy hamlet. She briefly examined its occupants before encasing them in a clear dome. People started to panic. Some of them pointed out Masters, blaming her and her Grimm for their predicament. Alicia was obviously innocent of any wrongdoing and called out for Ben.
Ben was fly fishing and had just landed a great catch that he wanted to show to Alicia when he turned and noticed the dome behind him. While he was trying to break inside, Morrow observed the people outside. He looked at his old costume and wondered if it was time for the Blue Diamond to return.
Meanwhile, Grimm was doing everything he could to try to crack the dome's surface. He had just made some progress when a gun was pointed at Alicia's head. Fortunately, before anything more could be done, the Blue Diamond intervened. He kept the growing, angry mob at bay while the Thing continued to hammer away at the artificial structure.
The heroes' efforts eventually gained Shanga's attention. She placed Masters in a transparent bubble, away from her attackers. She then engaged in a battle with Grimm across the town. The Blue Diamond finally stumbled up to the Thing, stating that he knew how to defeat his foe. He asked Ben to toss him at the alien, which Grimm did gladly. The duo collided and fell to the ground.
Alicia was released from her bubble and ran to her lover's arms. Shanga lashed out at the Thing once more, before Morrow offered himself as a sacrifice. Shanga examined the Blue Diamond and transmuted his physical form, so that he now looked more like a being comprised of actual diamond. They took each other's hand and lifted off into space. Shanga was no longer lonely. Afterward, Ben and Alicia talked about the beauty of that day, including Grimm's prize catch.
Knowing when this was written, I'm assuming that Tom DeFalco drew some inspiration for this issue's plot from contemporary films like Flashdance or Fame, and added a science-fiction twist. To the best of my knowledge, Shanga has never appeared in another Marvel publication. That's too bad, because I could see her squaring off against comparably powered beings like the Silver Surfer. Blue Diamond was eventually returned to his traditional superhero form, but no explanation has been given as of yet as to why or when that happened. I think that this issue was a kind of test to see how Blue Diamond and Shanga resonated with readers. Apparently, it wasn't enough to merit any additional stories that featured them.
I am going to take the rest of the day off and enjoy this beautiful Saturday. I'll return tomorrow with a synopsis of the sixth Marvel Two-In-One Annual. We'll see the debut of another new character, and Ben being joined by several very familiar faces. Until then, have a great weekend and don't forget to be kind to one another.
No comments:
Post a Comment