Welcome back everybody! In this edition of Ye Olde School Café, we’ll be looking at a comic that is part of a series that featured none other than The Thing himself! In Marvel Two in One, The Thing would be paired up with another superhero, and then someone sinister would enter the scene, and BAM!, shenanigans would ensue. This formula worked pretty good most of the time, and this issue is certainly one of the best!
In this specific issue (#22, 1976), The Thing is side by side with the son of Odin, Thor! Now it is time to move past the formalities, and get to the action! Written by Bill Mantlo, art by Ron Wilson, Pablo Marcos, and Don Warfield!
Our story begins with The Thing, Johnny Storm, and a young woman, as they hover over the body of someone called “Blacksun.” He recently tried to kill them, but destroyed himself instead (issue #21). As they try to revive him, their attempts fail. Then, Johnny remembers a physician that the Avengers trust, named Donald Blake. The heroes rush the fallen foe to the hospital for treatment.
As we see that someone is receiving medical attention in the operating room, a dark figure wearing a trench coat and a hat enters the hospital. He then commands the nurse at the desk to call Dr. Blake. She refuses, but then he gazes into her eyes, and she falls to the floor, unconscious. A few orderlies try to stop him, but they are no match for this stranger’s power. He bursts into the emergency room, and is met with more resistance. He mows through them like they aren’t even there, and smashes his way right into the operating room. He savagely attacks Dr. Blake, and shouts that nothing can stop his death!
The Thing and company finally arrive, and rush into the hospital. They can see from all the injured and panicked people that something is obviously amiss. Meanwhile, in the other room Blake has transformed into the mighty Thor, and our villain is revealed as Seth, serpent god of death! He and Thor are battling, tooth and nail, and for a moment it seems Seth has the upper hand. He’s met with a right cross by the Thing, though, and that surprises him.
As the serpent god of death is screaming at the top of his lungs, he curses the heroes, and then vows to destroy them both! He uses his mystical powers to bring forth an army of the dead, and commands them to kill his enemies! Thor and the Thing stand ready, as they must fight for not only their lives, but those of everyone on Earth and Asgard, as well!
Well, that’s it for this week, but be back next time for the exciting conclusion to this epic tale! The creative team on this book is worth the price of admission alone! See you next time!
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
