1980: Marvel's Two Writing One Part VI: The Thing With Movin' In & Out...

By Jef Willemsen (Clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)

In the sixth chapter of Marvel's Two Writing One, Ralph Macchio and Mark Gruenwald start to bring their early 80s collaboration on the Thing team up book to a close by giving the Guardians of the Galaxy a proper send off, reuniting Ben and Alicia while also setting up a future Avenger...

 " I wuz hopin' maybe you could help me figger out what ta do!"

Issue #69 opened with Ben still troubled by his break up with Alicia. And to think he himself ended the his relationship with the blind sculptress because he was worried for her safety, soon realising he was actually feeling more miserable without her. Unfortunately, when he went to her appartment to patch things up, he saw her leave with another man.

Demoralised, it took his FF teammate the Invisible Woman to convince Ben to give it another shot. But that's a story for # 70, because seconds after this nugget of wisdom ánd breakfast was served, Starhawk of the Guardians of the Galaxy beamed into the FF's kitchen looking for help...

"Were the two counterparts to meet, it would cause untold damage to the course of time
creating a catastrophe!"

How to explain the Guardians of the Galaxy? Well, first introduced in 1969, this team of 31 century space heroes fought menaces like the galaxy conquering Badoon. The team eventually travelled back to the 20th century in pursuit of their cybernetic archenemy Korvac. Together with the Avengers, they eventually tracked down and defeated him. That was back in 1978, you'd think they'd have left the next day... But by the time this story appeared it was almost 1981 and they were still here!

Fair's fair, they actually were about to return home... when one of their own went missing. Major Victory, better known as Vance Astro, went AWOL so he could have a little chat with Vance Astrovik, his younger self. Victory hoped to convince the teenager he shouldn't join NASA, otherwise history would repeat itself and he'd end up going mad in space for a 1000 years before the Guardians found him.

Sage career advice, but a meeting between the two was sure to rip apart the space time continuum, right? Well, surely, Victory wouldn't be so foolish to even look up his younger self. Let alone touch him...

"Hey, stop that mister... you're hurting me!"

... Or maybe not.

Yet, in spite of the Guardians' predictions, the universe didn't blow up. What actually happened was the sudden appearance of a massive, dense black fog that covered the area and brought out most of the New York based heroes, from the X-men to Spider-Man and the Avengers. Even the Fantastic Four joined Ben and the Guardians in their quest for clarity (literally).

In the end, the Guardians managed to find Major Victory and seperate him from young Vance Astro. But that didn't exactly solve the problem...

"I may be the catalyst, but I'm not the cause"

Long story short... Major Victory developed his powers over the millennium he spent in deep space isolation. Yet, somehow, his younger self triggered similar abilities during their meeting in Saugerties. Young Vance's uncontrolled telekinetic abilites caused the dark clouds and once he learned to control them, the threat was over.

The Guardians finally returned to the 31st century and Major Victory was pleased to know that while his own past wasn't changed, at least this younger version of himself would be spared the centuries long, maddening exile. And he was right, Vance Astrovik would grow up to become the New Warrior and Avenger known as Marvel Boy and Justice.

As promised, Marvel Two In One # 70 at last dealt with the break up between Ben and Alicia set in motion back in issue # 64. When Ben finally gathered enough courage to go up to Alicia's place again to plead his case, he was pleasantly surprised...

 "Baby, I want ya to move inta the Baxter Building."

Yeah, turns out Alicia wasn't out on a date with a potential suitor, she was just meeting her business manager. But Ben was too blind to see that, pun intended. Don't let the art fool ya, it only looks as if Ben's gone evil and is about to crush poor Alicia's skull... He's actually overjoyed and he wants to move in with her... at the Baxter Building. The one place all the FF's villains take turns trying to invade..

Sheesh Ben, if you broke up with the girl because you were afraid for her safety, why not move in with hér? But that bit of logic even seems lost on Reed who claims his latest security upgrades made the Baxter Building the safest place in the entire city. So, without furter ado...

"Welcome to the Fantastic Four!"

Safest place in the entire city my foot...

The rest of the issue deals with the big move and the villainy of Shellshot and Lariat, two half forgotten FF villains who got their super powered whip and gun from the Psycho Man. These low rent thugs figured a truck full of Alicia's sculptures would earn them big money on the black market. That's why they disguise themselves as employees of the moving company, load their truck and take off with the statues.

As soon as they drive off, Ben realises something is fishy and went after them. However, the two villains actually manage to almost knock out the Thing... If not for the timely intervention of the Yancy Street Gang. After all, no one is allowed to mock and humiliate Ben Grimm... except for them. A point they emphasize in the final panels of the issue when the recovered truck takes off for the Baxter Building...

"Looks like deep down they must'a realized what a great guy I am."

By the by, nothing ever came of Alicia moving into the Baxter Building. The Fantastic Four title never made any mention of Alicia's alleged presence. In fact, regular FF writer Doug Moench wrote several stories which had Alicia in her own place.

And they said continuity died in the mid 2000s...

Next, in the seventh and final chapter (promise!) it's the return of the Hydro-Men and the menace of Maelstrom in Marvel's Two Writing One: The Kirby Crackle Conclusion.  

1980: Marvel's Two Writing One Part III: Kowtowing Counter Earth

By Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)

When we last left Benjamin J. Grimm, he was chasing after his girlfriend Alicia Masters who had joined Moondragon and 1980's sensational character find Her in a search for the grave of Adam Warlock. The deceased hero's final resting place was on Counter Earth... but the planet had disappeared... and its creator the High Evolutionary was dead. Now what?

After an extended fight scene between the Thing, Starhawk, Her and Moondragon Alicia finally managed to calm everyone down. With a little help from Moondragon, Her proved she really was able to revive the dead when she reunited the High Evolutionary's mind with his body.

One fancy lightshow later and the human once known as Herbert Edgar Wyndham was a-okay... But pretty peeved when he discovered someone had stolen his planet...

It doesn't take long for Wyndham to discover a faint energy trail that would undoubtedly lead him to whoever nabbed his world. And, with no time to drop Alicia, Ben or the others off, the Evolutionary fired up the engines of his mobile moonbase and gave chase... which leads to the final chapter of this space od(d)-essy: Marvel Two In One # 63 in which we discover who made off with Counter-Earth in an impressive recap/splash page....

Take a minute to read up, go on... I'll wait.

With Counter Earth found, the question remained who took the world in the first place. Sensing the smaller orbs were actually manned tow ships, the Evolutionary teleported the heroes to the command ship, where Moondragon soon got another not so gentle reminder she wasn't all that...

"Once again, my power looks second-rate next to hers!"

Ow, don't worry about it Moonie... to those giant aliens, you  and Her both look insignificantly small. Still, sometimes you really are your own worst enemy, as Moondragon continued to berate herself.

Speaking of the control room, that's where the High Evolutionary, Ben and Alicia got teleported to by the ship's commander, Sphinxor... Who didn't need any universal translator to pick up an alien language. Heck no, he learned English by watching American sitcoms. And hilarity ensues...

Looks like the gang's all here... Time for Mark Gruenwald to go into exposition overdrive...

"My ringshippers and I were contracted to move your planet by a race of beings called the Beyonders."

Wait, there's more than one of those guys?

No, no worries... it isn't thát Beyonder. Heck, he wouldn't show up for another four years and the first Secret Wars. No, the Beyonders are a mysterious race from, well, beyond, whose curiosity was piqued when they watched the Evolutionary built his own world.

They just had to have it... And Sphinxor was happy to oblige, manipulating Warlock and his soul gem to make sure he wouldn't oppose their plans. Turning mad in the process, Warlock seemingly slew the High Evolutionary before leaving Counter Earth forever so Spinxor could work in peace.

"Okay, story time's over! Now can we clobber these stilt-leggers, take yer planet and go home?"

Well, no, not exactly. The Evolutionary, always interested in discovering new lifeforms, was intrigued by these Beyonders and struck a deal. He'd allow Sphinxor to deliver Counter Earth to the Beyonders, if he was allowed to meet them... and, of course, before delivery Her would be allowed to revive Warlock so she could start that whole perfect race this entire enterprise started out with.

Beaming down to his gravesite on Counter Earth, Her worked her magic and Adam Warlock lived again! Well, sort of...

"Return to your dank grave, o love that can never be mine! I am undone!"

Ain't that a kick in the head? What no one could have known was that moments before Warlock died in Warlock I#11, he was visited by his younger self. And, in a truly cynical and cyclical scene, Warlock the younger absorbed his older self into the soul gem.

'My life has been a failure! I welcome its end!"

Of course, if she'd known about the gem, Her would probably have tried to track down its then current owner, the elder of the universe called the Gardner. But for now, all the heartbroken super being could do, was cut her losses and leave, unsure what her goal in life was now that she's truly all alone...

"Well baby... it's over. We can go home now."

So, in the space of a mere three issues, let's review what Gruenwald had achieved, apart from telling an entertaining, bitter sweet lovestory.

• Solved the dangling 'Paragon-in-a-cocoon' plot thread by having him come out as Her.
• Set up Her as a mighty, new cosmic character for anyone to play with. Eventually he'd mostly use Her himself over in Quasar, but still.
• Explained Adam Warlock's odd behavior in his old solo book and also revealed why his infinity gem suddenly started lusting after souls. 
• Added a bit of depth and self doubt to Moondragon, even though that proved short lived once Jim Shooter used her a year later in Avengers. 
• Resurrected the High Evolutionary.
• Got rid of Counter Earth, a place no one had been using for several years anyway 
• Introduced the Beyonders, a race that years later would turn out to, according to their entry on Wikipedia, "study the Marvel Universe with amusement and curiosity."
• Having the Evolutionary meet the Beyonders set up his mental instability that would lead to 1988's Evolutionary War crossover. 

All in all, not a bad job... And that was just Gruenwald writing by himself!

Issue # 64 of Marvel Two In One marked the return of co-writer Ralph Macchio, artist extra ordinaire George Pérez and the first chapter of the Serpent Crown Affair, as we'll see in part three of

Marvel's Two Writing One: Heavy Is The Snake Head That Wears The Crown.

1980: Marvel's Two Writing One Part II: "Pow, Bang, Zoom... Straight to the Moon...Dragon"

By Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)

After collaborating with Mark Gruenwald on that quirky Impossible Man story in Marvel Two In One # 60, Ralph Macchio took a little break. This allowed Guenwald to pen a three part space opera that featured stolen planets, Thing spanking bald women and a transgender love story for the ages...

Let's dive in... Literally. Marvel Two In One # 61 opens with some New York harbor workers dredging up an oddly familiar looking cocoon that immediately bursts open, revealing a fiery figure that  quickly flies off...

"My metamorphosis is complete. My destination is near."

Those feet belong to one of this issue's guest stars: Her in, erm, her first appearance. However, for a fresh face, she already had quite a bit of the backstory. For one, she started out in life as man. But we'll get to that later. After taking off, she flew straight into the living room of Alicia Masters, who was just sitting down for a romantic dinner with her boyfriend, the Thing.

"It is for you I have come, Alicia Masters."

So, what does an orange skinned superwoman need with a blind sculptress? Well, here's where it gets a little complicated and continuity heavy, aka: exactly the type of story Gruenwald liked to indulge in.

Her's origin story started wayyyy back in Fantastic Four # 66 & 67, in which the FF fought thecriminal superscientists known as the Enclave. In their Citadel of Science, the evil eggheads had been working on 'Him', a genetically engineered, super powered being they deemed to be 'the perfect man'... And how does one create this ubermensch? Why, by growing him to adult size in a cocoon, of course...

"I am about to be... born!"

Incidentally, the Enclave had also kidnapped Alicia, so she happened to be present when Him emerged. He soon turned on his evil masters and left to discover the world on his own... Eventually venturing out into space and adopting the identity of Adam Warlock.

Not deterred by this colossal failure, the Enclave tried to create another perfect man in 1977's Hulk Annual # 6. But this time they were interrupted by the Hulk and Doctor Strange, causing the cocoon to open prematurely... And this guy popped out...

"Paragon? Yes, that is my name. For that is what I am... A paragon of mankind: the future and the destiny of all humanity."

Yes, of course, Paragon... in the future, we will all follow your example and dress like an ancient Egyptian with golden go go boots. Anyhoo, Paragon fought Strange and the Hulk for a bit, before pulling a Him and turning on his creators as well. He sunk their entire headquarters to the bottom of the sea and retreated into his cocoon to meditate on the question what his purpose in life ought to be. 

During that little restorative nap, Paragon still had access to the Enclave's computers through his cocoon. He used them to learn about the world and... the existence of Him. All of a sudden it hit him: he was the second perfect human. So not unlike Adam and Eve, he figured his goal in life would be to mate with Him and start the perfect race. In order to do so, Paragon underwent an extensive physical transformation and emerged from the cocoon as Her, the perfect female counterpart to the perfect man: Him. 

... Only in comics.

But now that Her was ready to go, she still had one tiny little problem: where in the world is Him? That's why she all but kidnapped Alicia. After all according to the Enclave's history of Him, she was one of the last people who saw him. Alicia had no idea where Him had gone.

Luckily our next guest star had all the answers (... as usual).

"Share your knowledge, telepath"

Of all people, Moondragon showed up to help Her find Him... She had a bit of bad news though: Him, or Adam Warlock rather, had died in battle against Thanos of Titan and was buried on Counter Earth. Her didn't seem too troubled her perfect mate was dead... She claimed to be able to raise the dead and insisted they left for Counter Earth immediately.

However, that's when Ben finally caught up with them. But despite getting back up from Starhawk of the Guardians of the Galaxy, he was yet again unable to stop Her and Moondragon from leaving Earth with Alicia. But at least he now knew where to look for them...

How Ben and Starhawk get to a planet on the outer side of the Sol system, you ask? Easy! That is, if you know how to bring in established continuity to your advantage...

"Nope. That's a Skrull saucer we snatched a long time ago."

I'll say... 

The last time the team boarded this particular craft was back in 1961's Fantastic Four # 2, when the FF defeated a Skrull infiltration team and turned them into cows... (No, really!). Before long, they were whizzing off to Counter Earth too.

Ahh, how to explain Counter Earth... Created by the High Evolutionary back in the early 70s, Counter Earth and its inhabitants were almost identical copies of our world. It was on this odd little ball of mud that Him transformed into Adam Warlock, became the Evolutionary's prized pupil and slowly took on a Christ like role... That alone was reason enough for him to be laid to rest there.

However, as Moondragon's space ship approached the location of Counter Earth, they passed its moon (actually the base of the High Evolutionary) only to make a startling discovery...

"Counter-Earth has vanished!"

They decide to board the Evolutionary's lunar headquarters to look for clues. But they are quickly overpowered by the base defenses, albeit it ever so momentarily.

"We are detained no longer."

In an interesting, added subplot, being in the presence of the extremely powerful Her made the usually smug and overbearing Moondragon feel a bit... inadequate. She even began to wonder if she really was a 'goddess', if she couldn't match Her's might. As she contemplated this, the group ran into the lifeless body of the High Evolutionary, just as you know who finally caught up...

As always, Ben rushed to judgement a bit too quickly, thinking Her and Moondragon were responsible for the Evolutionary's unfortunate fate. Once again, Alicia was unable to stop a fight from breaking out, this time because no one could hear her yelling with that classic fishbowl spacehelmet over her head. Starhawk focussed on Her, while Ben tangled with Moondragon who suffered a few blows to her ego... among other things...

"Accordin' to some 'a my pals in the Avengers, ya had this comin' to ya for some time now.

And bashful Benjy is just the guy to give it to ya!"

Well, Ben, between you and me, you're probably the first guy period to give 'it' to Heather Douglas. Ow, and the woman wrestling with Her in mid-air is Aleta, the wife of Starhawk who co-habits his body...

So, for those of you keeping score at home... We have a transgender woman fighting an essentially Siamese twin husband and wife couple, while in the corner a rock monster is spanking a bald lesbian on a fake Moon at the opposite side of our solar system.

God, aren't comics great?

Next, the search for Adam Warlock's grave site, not to mention the missing planet continues in part III of Marvel's Two Writing One: Kowtowing Counter Earth

1980-ish: Marvel's Two Writing One part I: One Tough Duo Act To Follow

By Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)

How do you top yourself?

That question must have plagued Marvel Two In One writers Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio once they finished up the book's biggest, and arguably most popular story arc of the late 1970s:
The Project Pegasus Saga.

This six part storyline featuring Thing and a whole slew of guest stars and villains ranging from Thundra, Deathlok, Wundarr, the Grapplers, Quasar and the enigmatic Nth Man, reached its epic climax in December of 1979...

But just as they put this defining storyline to bed on the cusp of a new decade, the two writers were faced with a simple, yet daunting challenge... What to do for an encore?

The answer to that became apparent in Marvel Two In One issue 60, cover date February 1980 (which meant an actual release date of December 1979, but I'm sure Jason will let that slip).

After a Thing/Human Torch fill in story plotted by Marv Wolfman in # 59, the Gruenwald/Macchio team was back in the saddle to deliver a tale that would prove a quintessential example of how their remaining twelve issue run would unfold.

Both Mark and Ralph loved established Marvel continuity. This meant they jumped at the chance to build on past stories, using them as stable foundations for future stories. Incidentally, their heavy use of continuity didn't bog down the story at all, if anything it reaffirmed time and again that these characters and stories were actually part of a shared universe.

Which is exactly what happened in Marvel Two In One # 60, which saw the Thing, the book's regular star, team up with the Impossible Man of all people.

The issue starts off with Ben getting ready to attend the opening of Alicia Masters' art exhibit. He's a bit introspective about their relationship, thinking she only loves him because she's blind. Contemplating such serious, he drops his boxers and goes in for a shower...

"I only wish I had the nerve to propose to her..."

Well, if one has the proverbial balls to go nude in a Comics Code approved book, proposing to your  blind paramour shouldn't be too much of a problem, Ben... If anything, it's not too likely she'll see it coming. But before the jokes get too offensive, let's meet this issue's actual comic relief.

"Greetings, Earthman. I come in peace".

Having the Impossible Man show up in the Thing's shower might seem a little odd and random, but 'Impy' had been a semi-regular in the monthly FF title during the late 1970s, forming close relationships with the team and becoming ahouseguest along with Tigra and Thundra, of all people. So, his sudden appearance actually builds on established continuity... especially when one considers Impy's motivation for bugging Ben: he was lonely.

And even that makes sense, if you remember Fantastic Four # 175 in which the world eater Galactus got tricked into consuming the Impossible Man's homeworld of Popup, leaving Impy the apparent sole survivor of his race. No stranger to loneliness himself, Thing decided to cheer the imp up by allowing him to come to Alicia's art show... If the shapeshifting alien promised not to cause any mischief and stay disguised as his top hat... And Impy manages to do just that. Well, almost...

"Did you say something, Ben?"

The Impossible Man quietly foiled an assault by the Thing's perennial adversaries: the Yancy Street Gang. But this issue's threats would prove to be a bit more serious than a random brick... No, things were about to get rockier.

The second Ben arrived at Alicia's show, he was a little stunned at the sheer magnitude of her work. All the major villains were there. Blastaar, Ultron, Diablo, the (wingless) Wizard and even Doctor Doom... Yet, there was also a supervillain who made an appearance in the flesh: 

"I... I know I haven't been the best step-father in the world...
But I do care for you... very, very much."

Accompanied by the police, Alicia's stepdad the Puppet Master attended her show. They had been pretty much estranged after Masters first used her as a pawn against the FF wayyy back in 1962's Fantastic Four # 8... Now, finally, he tearfully reached out to his stepdaughter who still loved him, despite everything. All in all a nice and welcome character moment, right before the real villains revealed themselves...

"It was the Thing who put us in prison... thus shall he be the first to fall!"

Wait, wha? You don't recognise this renowned threesome? Why, it's 'Handsome' Harry Philips, Bull Brogin and criminal fakir Yogi Dakor... better known as the Terrible Threesome, first appearing in 1964's Fantastic Four # 23. The Invisible Woman foiled 'Handsome Harry', the Torch faked out Yogi Dakor... and Ben 'only' took care of their strongman Bull. Yet, he has to deal with all three? Talk about your regular revoltin' development...

But, hey, sure, let's go with that... It's about to get weirder anyway.

Dakor, whose only superhuman ability used to be an immunity to fire, spent his time in prison learning how to psychically transplant a human mind into unliving objects (no really). This led to the Terrible Trio taking up residence inside the giant, granite forms of Doctor Doom, Blastaar and Diablo.

Still, despite their size, they proved rather breakable...

"Talk about your pansies! This pretty-boy just fainted dead away!"

The three baddies were quickly routed, just as the cartoon versions of Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio and artist George Pérez made an appearance. Here's them earlier in the same issue, indulging in a bit of decidedly tongue-in-cheek fourth wall breaking...

"I mean... how could we ever top that six-part 'Project Pegasus' story?"

Good question... Possibly, just by keep on keeping on... Keep mixing established continuity with new revelations, leading to resolutions and fresh story opportunities. And in the closing pages of # 60, they did just that when they had the Impossible Man realise the solution to his own loneliness...

"If I'm not happy as one... Why, I'll just become two and form my own mate!"

So, no sooner said than done...

"You are... beautiful! You're everything I want to care for and protect. We are one! Oboy!"

The Impossible Man and Woman deeply fell in love, right off the bat... Floating away to provide other writers with inspiration, like many of the Gruenwald/Macchio issues would. In this case, Mr. and Mrs. Impossible popped up two years down the road in the Chris Claremont penned Spider-Woman #45...

In this follow up story, Impy's wife left him after a fight and the green guy needed Spider-Woman's detective skills to  help track her down. Which led to a pretty fun caper, one that wouldn't have been possible if Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio hadn't set it up in Marvel Two In One. During their reign, the title truly became both the backbone and the central corner of Marvel Universe. Not bad for a third rate title.

So, that's the formula for the Gruenwald/Macchio Marvel Two In One era: obscure characters, a ton of continuity, new status quos and the charm of the ever loving blue eyed Thing.

The chemistry Ben has with his co-stars really sets the tone for the story, as we'll see in part II of Marvel's Two Writing One: "Pow, Bang, Zoom... Straight to the Moon...Dragon*."


*... With sincere apologies to the late great Jackie Gleason