The Thing Marvel Two-In-One 1 to 3: Man-Thing, Submariner, Daredevil
It is the beginning of Marvel Two-In-One. This series will forever have a place among my favorite comics because first of all, it features the Thing. Before Wolverine and Deadpool became breakout stars at Marvel, the Thing was the breakout star - this was around the late seventies and early eighties. The excellence of Marvel Two-In-One was a big part of the Thing's popularity. Another reason I like this series so much is because it comprises a tour of the Marvel Universe. Since the Thing is partnered with a different Marvel character each issue, we get to see bits and pieces of Marvel lore. History that is still relevant for, and still inspires, the Marvel comics we read today. So buckle up and let's look at the first three issues of Marvel Two-In-One.
The series has an unpromising start with some silly behavior from Ben.
The Thing is mad that the Man-Thing, the Everglades monster, also has the word "Thing" in his name. Ben actually hops on a bus to go to Florida to have it out with the Man-Thing for this "infringement" on his monicker. Later on, we catch Ben thinking that, yes, he's behaving a bit irrationally.
So what's this all about? I think I know. Simple boredom. The Thing doesn't hold a job - he doesn't need to. As a member of the Fantastic Four, all his expenses are covered by Reed Richards. It's not a paltry allowance either - the Four live pretty lavishly. It's a worry free life really. Usually there's some crisis or other, some threat that must be fought. But the Thing is going through unusual days, peaceful days. Boring days. What's a super-strong Thing to do? Pick a fight that's what, and the Man-Thing is as good a candidate as any. So Ben heads off to Florida for some trumped up reason but basically - he's bored.
As the Thing moves to a rendezvous with the Man-Thing, something else is happening somewhere else that will have ramifications
on the Thing's trip to Florida. That something concerns this man.
The Molecule Man is one of the most powerful characters in all of Marveldom. Owen Reece has been granted the power of a god - the power to control all non-living matter. As fate would have it, Reece was defeated by the Fantastic Four who quickly have a bit of a problem in there hands. Simply: Having defeated the Molecule Man how do you restrain a being with that kind of power? The solution is pretty elegant: Turn him over to another powerful yet beneficent being.
To restrain the Molecule Man, time itself is employed. Reese is exiled to a unique place:
Molecule Man has lost his power albeit temporarily - Reece needs time to get back his terrible control of molecules. Time which he will not have. Time will flow so fast in Reece's place of exile that Reece will grow old and die before he can become the Molecule Man again. And die he does.
Ok. Now what is going on? I don't understand the panel above. How can Owen Reece be dead when we see him much later in
Secret Wars ? This is baffling.
With the original Molecule Man gone we have a new one, his son:
Using machinery invented by Reece, his son becomes the new Molecule Man. This one is even more powerful than his father though - this new Molecule Man will be able to affect organic molecules too. This new Molecule Man is also very much weaker than his Father. We will see the terrible "chink in the armor" later. Actually, we'll see it now. Here it is.
Because this new Molecule Man comes from a world (dimension?) where time flows faster he is reliant on that red wand of his. If he let's that thing go he'll age faster than Dorian Gray. This is a significant weakness and I'm very thankful for it - a fully-powered Molecule Man can make mince meat of the Thing.
Speaking of the Thing, he makes it to Florida but his first encounter is not with the shambling Man-Thing but the new Molecule Man out for revenge. The following panels are telling of this encounter.
To the left, the Thing's brute strength. To the right, Molecule Man's mastery of inanimate matter. While all this ruckus is going on, the Man-Thing makes an appearance.
I mentioned the Molecule Man's significant weakness but now we are witness to his significant strength: The ability to affect living matter! Fortunately he is more sadist than killer. Instead of killing both the Thing and Man-Thing he toys with them, he reverts both to human form.
Two humans are nothing to the Molecule Man. He leaves the pair in the swamp and goes on a rampage in a nearby Florida town.
Did I say he wasn't a killer? I was wrong. Witness the ghastly killing of an innocent civilian.
Ben's word's are our own.
Thank heavens that the Molecule Man is drunk with his power and convinced that he is invincible because he makes a fatal mistake - he reverts both Ben Grimm and Ted Sallis back to their monstrous forms. Forms that no longer make them helpless civilians. The battle is on and during the course of it, Molecule Man loses his hold on the all too precious wand!
And so the "curse of time" prevails as the Molecule Man fails to reach his wand in time.
Still, that was a close call. Even this second version of the Molecule Man is very much above Ben's weight class. Whew, the Thing dodged a bullet.
Let's leave the Thing for a while as he presumably takes another bus back to New York. Let's go to to Hydrobase, a remote island controlled by Namor the Submariner. Namorita, royal cousin to Namor and future member of the New Warriors, is hanging out near the beach when something drops out of the the sky into the nearby waters.
Namorita revives the stranger but he runs away from the intimidating Submariner.
The guy's name is Wundarr and he is one of many, many Marvel characters inspired by DC's Superman (from the top of my head I can name three others: the Sentry, Virtue, and Hyperion). Like Superman, Wundarr is virtually invulnerable ahd has super-strength. Like him, he came from another world and crashed on ours in an alien rocket. Unlike Superman Wundarr can't fly, but he can leap mighty distances like the Hulk. And that is exactly what he does to get away from Namor, but Namorita
convinces her cousin to pursue this strange man.
Meantime, in the depths of space, Wundarr is also being monitored. Apparently, he figures in some kind of extra-terrestrial politics and has been marked for death by his alien race.
Since this is the Marvel universe, Wundarr's random jumping around lands him in New York City. The strength of Superman melded with the mind of a child, Wundarr is subject to throwing super tantrums like the ones he's throwing using this taxi cab.
Ben can't have anybody going around destroying New York city property - that's the Thing's job.
Now for something more Thing-like.
Wow!
Wundarr tears a piece of masonry and throws it at Ben.
No problem.
Time to get the popcorn. Marvel Two-In-One is getting really good.
Yet another exchange.
The Thing definitely has the upper hand in this match. Just look at this punch!
With the arrival of the Submariner, fight's over. The Wundarr fight is over; the Subby fight is just beginning
Oops! Another arrival. This time by a giant robot known as a Mortoid - sent by aliens to assassinate Wundarr. Submariner is swatted back like a fly.
The Thing shows Namor how it's done
And that's it, but it wouldn't be Marvel Two-In-One if the Thing didn't get stuck in a "revoltin' development".
What better nanny for the super-strong Wundarr than the super-strong Thing? Poor Ben. Actually not quite. The Fantastic Four have a hierarchy. Whenever the Thing needs to pass the buck "Poor Ben" becomes "Poor Reed".
You know what? It's actually "poor Wundarr" - when Reed Richards babysits you, there's a really fair to sure chance that you'll eventually find yourself strapped to some kind of equipment.
So how does Daredevil become involved with all this? Well, Reed's Wundarr experiment has an explosive conclusion and guess who's swinging by right in time to dodge some debris?
After this incident, Matt finds himself using the Baxter elevator to go to the FF area to retrieve his billy club. And with that, Daredevil swings away to a nice piece of Marvel trivia.
One of Matthew Murdock's clients is Shanna as in "Shanna the She -Devil".
Do you remember when Ben started acting silly and went to Florida for an unprovoked fight with Man-Thing? We'll it's Matt's turn. He's going about doing "Daredevil work" when this happens.
It's
Black Widow
if you know your Marvel. She flies off in some kind of aircraft. Our lovesick Daredevil goes a bit insane, goes back to the Baxter Building and attempts to steal the Fantasticar! Fortunately Ben is very forgiving.
Pretty soon, our heroes find themselves embroiled in a fight with a group called the Black Spectre and their apparent leader, Nekra. The wonderful panels that follow show that the Thing is simply too tough to take on!
Go Ben!
Unfortunately we don't get to see the end of this tale. The second part is in an issue of Daredevil(#110). Oh well, loved it anyway.
