While the Thing and Spider-Woman are in the water they are attacked by a hydrofoil full of Hydra Agents and the Thing responds by doing this.
Considering that Ben is in deep water, this should be impossible - he couldn't possibly have thrown the hydrofoil without standing on anything solid. If I was the editor, I would have suggested that the artists have Ben rip the skids and punch through the hull, effectively sinking the hydrofoil.
This next panel I really, really like.
To me, this is the perfect rendition of the Thing. He looks like the perfect behemoth here. The primary message is toughness, he's as thick and solid as a wall. The next impression is power. When I think of the Thing this is the kind of image that comes to mind.
Now to the purpose behind Alicia's kidnapping.
Alicia has been kidnapped because Hydra is planning to make her the recipient of the "Spider-Woman serum". The ultimate plan is to use the serum to create an army of Hydra-controlled "spider women". It's a good plan but Alicia is the wrong pick for no less then three reasons.
First, Alicia is blind. As it will turn out, Hydra will provide the mutated Alicia with sensors to make up for her blindness. It would have made better sense to pick somebody who wasn't blind in the first place.
Second, Alicia is not a member of Hydra. To ensure loyalty Hydra would be better off picking a woman from among their ranks. And does it have to be a woman? Couldn't a "spider army" of loyal Hydra women and men not be made?
Third, and the best reason NOT to pick Alicia is because she's the beloved of one Benjamin J. Grimm. Alias the Thing. Ben can lift 90 tons, can shake off a direct hit with a bazooka; all this melded with a never-say-die attitude. If that's not enough the Thing is also a member of the Fantastic Four, a group with strong ties to the Avengers, and in communication with the X-Men.
Maybe Hydra should change their name to S.T.U.P.I.D.
If you expected Alicia to turn into another super sexy Spider Woman II with some Hydra gear to get around her being blind, you'll be sorely disappointed. Alicia Masters turns to this . . .
Hideous. It is evident that the serum's effects are not uniform and highly dependent on the recipient. Not only has Alicia been physically mutated but she has been rendered almost insane. All of this prompting straight-arrow Ben to mouth a terrible vow.
Fortunately, Ben's anger does not go as deep as the Punisher's. No Hydra agents will be murdered by the Thing - Benjamin J. Grimm is simply NOT that kind of person.
Nonetheless, Alicia Masters now officially has the suckiest London vacation ever.
This panel is representative of the Thing's problem
Ben is unable to fight this "Alicia monster" for obvious reasons. It doesn't help that Hydra has directed Alicia to kill Ben. The only hope now is for Spider-Woman to do the heavy lifting.
