Of Super Soldiers and Cosmic Cubes, Part Two

Marvel Two In One #43 (September 1978)

"The Day The World Winds Down"

Writer: Ralph Macchio

Artist: John Byrne

Inkers: John Byrne "and friends"

Karen: The art in our second half is much more to my liking. By John Byrne 'and friends', it is a much more polished book. I'm not certain whose hands touched this issue, but I can see several different styles. Byrne himself is evident, and perhaps also Dave Hunt. The official Marvel website also credits Walt Simonson. So part of the fun with this issue is trying to guess who inked what. Regardless, it looks really spectacular.

Karen: Things pick up in the Everglades, where Victorius holds the Cosmic Cube and proclaims that he shall use it to bring about all-encompassing entropy. Ben starts to go after him but Cap stops him, predicting the villain is about to explain his plan, and Victorius happily obliges. He explains that he survived his battle with Ka-Zar (see last week's review) but felt directionless. That's when he discovered the Cult of Entropy (by picking up a book in an occult bookstore!). Feeling that the universe was always heading towards decline and decay, the philosophy struck a chord with him. He sought them out and became their new leader. When he heard that Pegasus had the Cube, he knew he had to get it in order to fulfill his new scheme. He used it to re-create the cult's former leader, Yagzan, from his skeletal remains and the Earth itself. This new creature became the personification of Entropy -Jude, the Entropic Man. What kind of a name is Jude for the embodiment of entropy? Personally it makes me think of the Beatles' song! Anyway, the cult happened upon two lovers in the swamp (?) and Jude "initiated" them -turning them to the dust they'd once been. Outraged about how casually Victorius describes the murder, Ben flings himself at the man, but is knocked back by a burst of energy from the Cube.
Karen: The blast leaves Ben unconscious, but Cap is raring to go! He goads Victorius into fighting him one on one. Seeing it as a great opportunity, to test himself against the original super soldier, Victorius agrees. He leaves the Cube floating in mid-air as he and the Captain go at it mano a mano. The two are well matched, although I would assume Cap really has the upper hand in the skill deppartment. The two super soldiers and the cultists do not notice as the Man-Thing makes his way from the swamp. Ironically, we have another would-be super-soldier here, as the Man-Thing was once scientist Ted Sallis, another man who had tried to reproduce the Super-Soldier formula, but with disastrous results. Just an aside, I think it's a cool idea that in the Marvel films, Bruce Banner became the Hulk because he too was trying to make a Super-Soldier serum. Of course, that's taken from the Ultimate universe, but even so, it ties things together nicely.
Karen: As Cap and Victorius fight and debate their philosophical positions, the muck monster is drawn to the Cube. It reaches out and grabs it. Just at this moment, Ben groggily rises, and can't believe what he sees before him: Cap and Victorius slugging it out, the Entropic Man calmly watching, and in the middle of it all, the Man-Thing groping at the Cube. The Entropic Man decides that Victorius' battle is a waste of time, and he begins to "indoctrinate" Cap, basically mind -controlling him. Just as he's about to pull him into his cloak of non-existence, Ben leaps and grabs Cap and throws him aside. However, the Entropic Man grabs Ben instead and pulls him in. You'd think this would kill him -but instead, it turns him back into plain, human Ben Grimm!

Karen: Ben is a bit shocked but he knows he has no time to waste. He tries to stall the Entropic Man, arguing with him over his idea of entropy being peace. The creature begins to have doubt about whether his way is the best one. "I did but desire your happiness," he says, somewhat hurt. Victorius realizes that Ben is beginning to sway him, and punches Grimm in the back of the head. Cap has recovered though and intercedes. Victorius figures his only chance is to use the Cube and erase any doubt from his ally. But the Man-Thing is still holding onto it. The AIM Super-Soldier angrily yells at the monster and seems on the edge of panic. This draws the Entropic Man's attention. He tells Victorius that it is not his time, that life yet prevails on Earth. But he is more than willing to share entropy with Victorius! The man becomes terrified, filled with fear - and as we all know, whatever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing's touch! The combination of entropy, Cosmic Cube, and that burning touch causes a massive explosion. Cap picks himself up from the goo and finds that Ben has turned back into the Thing again. He doesn't seem concerned about it. At this stage Ben has accepted his fate. They discover that Victorius and the Entropic Man have merged into a strange crystal-like substance. All around them, the swamp has flowered and burst with new life. Ironically, the cult of entropy has become a source of life. Cap scoops up the Cube, which appears to be dormant again. "All ya got there is a cosmic paperweight," Ben says.

Karen: The two men head off together, but behind them, the Man-Thing re-forms from the swamp. He wanders over to the crystal and touches it -and his hand becomes human. The creature pauses and looks at its new hand, as if almost remembering that it was once human. But then it wanders away into the everglades, reverting to its monstrous state.

Karen: This was really a fun story to re-read. I've always found the Thing and Captain America to make a great team. Maybe it's that shared respect of veterans (recall, originally Ben and Reed were WWII veterans!) but whatever it is, they work well together. The Man-Thing was slipped into the story and one could say he was unnecessary but I thought it was a nice touch, and didn't detract from anything. Heck, it's one of the things I love about the Marvel Universe -these crazy characters were always running into each other! Everything in this issue was really top notch. All in all, a nice two-parter.

Of Super Soldiers and Cosmic Cubes, Part One

Marvel Two In One # 42 (August 1978)
"Entropy, Entropy..."
Writer: Ralph Macchio
Artist: Sal Buscema
Inkers: Alfredo Alcala, Sam Grainger

Karen: This post kicks off a two part review of a story in Marvel Two-In-One that deals with the both the super soldier serum and the Cosmic Cube. Originally I had intended this to be a longer series of posts, as the story actually started in Astonishing Tales, featuring Ka-Zar, back in 1973. But after having read those issues, I decided to spare you the pain and just go with the condensed version. Honestly, those Ka-Zar stories are pretty dreadful. All you really need to know from them is that both AIM and SHIELD were working hard to rediscover the super-soldier formula of Dr. Erskine -the formula that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America. A scientist, Victor Conrad, at AIM got ahold of the original formula and used it on himself. He went on to fight Ka-Zar and lost, and presumably died in a great fall into a moat. Got it?

Karen: Present-time: Bashful Benjy tears through a six-inch thick titanium steel door at the new Project Pegasus research center. He's surrounded by men knocks them around like children. Leaping from the other side of the room is none other than Captain America. He orders the men back and lands just in time to block a huge orange fist with his shield. Ben is raging, beyond reason. it turns out he's upset about Wundarr, the alien super-teen with the mind of a child who was once Ben's ward. Project Pegasus has taken him and Ben wants to know why. Cap tries to calm him but it does no good. Finally, the Captain triggers a device that puts Ben into a force field. Unable to do much more than float, Ben finally settles down.

Karen: Cap gives Ben a quick tour of the facility run by "the new Department of Energy" (started by Jimmy Carter, remember?) but all Ben cares about is Wundarr. The two men take an elevator down to a lower level, in the cosmic radiation section where Wundarr is being held. The scientists want to use Wundarr's abilities to see if he can stimulate the Cosmic Cube back into functioning. Just like in the Avengers film, the technos theorize that the cube could be a tremendous energy source. It's interesting to note here that when Ben complains about Wundarr being held captive, Cap says that Wundarr is an illegal alien after all! Where's that Englehart Cap when you need him? But he also assures Ben that the scientists are trying to help improve his intelligence, which has been badly stunted. Wundarr is brought out in a fancy shackle, which he promptly bursts, and goes running off. Ben jumps in to intercede and protect him. The youth sees him and cries out "Unca Benjy!" and runs to the one person he trusts. Ben wraps him in a protective bear hug.

Karen: Ben tells Wundarr that he's going to be OK, he won't let anything happen to him. But he feels badly about taking him back to the lab. Wundarr is strapped into a chair with a big colander over his head and the dormant Cube hangs before him. The helmet gizmo apparently activates Wundarr's power, and the Cube begins to pulsate with power once again. Wundarr begins to get panicky, and Ben, watching from another room, is in agony. Suddenly, one of the scientists throws a switch and Wundarr is bombarded with energy. He screams in pain, and that's enough for Ben. He once again tears a wall down to get to his young friend. Cap immediately suspects sabotage and spots a figure on a catwalk. He jumps up and the scientist there says "Blast! I- of all people -should have known you could reach me up here!" This perplexes Cap enough that he's caught off guard, and the mysterious saboteur backhands him hard, sending him flying. The man jumps down into the cell with Wundarr and grabs the Cube and teleports away.
Karen: Our scene switches to a swamp and a group of red-robed cultists chanting in an unearthly tongue. They seem to be praying around a human skeleton. Suddenly, the man with the Cube appears before them. He tears off a mask (here we go with the masks again! A running theme for comments here at BAB) and reveals himself as Victor Conrad, aka Victorius, the AIM scientist who took the Super Soldier serum. It appears he's become the leader of these 'Entropists'.

Karen: Back at Project Pegasus, things are not looking good for Wundarr. The energy he absorbed from the Cube has rendered him comatose. Ben is crushed and Cap does a sort of poor job consoling him, almost as if he's preparing Ben to lose Wundarr. Since he can't help Wundarr, Ben wants to go after the man who hurt him and took the Cube. Cap points the way to a jet equipped with devices from Stark Industries designed to detect energy signatures. Ben jumps in the cockpit despite the protests of the technicians, and he and Cap are off.

Karen: They trace the Cube to the Florida everglades. Landing the VTOL craft in the swamp, Ben questions whether the equipment is working properly. Who would take an object as powerful as the Cube and go here? Moments later, they get their answer, as they are faced by Victorius and his followers, included a cloaked dark being called the Entropic Man. Victorius declares that he is going to usher in a new order for the universe. Just like everyone else who has ever had the Cube! But as Ben says, "Wotta revoltin' development."

Karen: I enjoyed this story, although it really is mostly set-up for part two. The art is all right, although I think another inker on Sal might have worked better. It sometimes looks rushed. This was our introduction to Project Pegasus, which would have its own saga in MTIO #53-58 . I have to say I think George Perez did a great job in getting the size and scope of the lab across in those issues. But I thought it was interesting how some of the ideas from the Avengers film appear to have originated here. I had not remembered that the Cube had been taken to Project Pegasus after Thanos' defeat. The base at the beginning of the film is shown to be Project Pegasus on a sign briefly seen. I also did not recall the idea that the Cube could be an energy source- I thought that originated in the Captain America and Avengers films alone, but obviously that is not the case. Now if they'd only call the thing the Cosmic Cube, I'd really be happy!

Project Pegasus: The Age of Aquarian!

Marvel Two In One #58 (Dec 1979)
"To the Nth Power!"
Writers: Mark Gruenwald/Ralph Macchio
Artists: George Perez/Gene Day

Karen: This is it, the conclusion of the Project: Pegasus saga! We start with an unconscious Ben being threatened by Klaw, who knocked our heroes out at the end of the previous issue. Suddenly Klaw is overcome and his body begins vibrating madly, and is sucked back into the metal blaster of his hand. As Ben regains consciousness, we pull back and see that Klaw's undoing is the work of Wundarr, who is now dressed in a white and sky blue outfit. It kind of reminds me of Dove over at DC.

Doug: Yeah, the new outfit does have that same color scheme. Hey, art question right off the bat -- who do you think did the roll call headshots on the side of the splash page? It sort of looks like Kerry Gammill, or maybe Ron Frenz... no one is credited, and I could not find any more information on the various databases I consult. Readers might notice, too, that this issue has Perez providing breakdowns and Gene Day the finished art. There are times throughout the story when some of the faces seem a bit off. While the art is certainly solid throughout, it's not holding a candle to last issue's Perez-masterpiece.

Karen: For the most part I really liked the art, but I know what you mean when you say a few things were off. As for the headshots -you got me! It certainly doesn't look like the rest of the art.

Karen: Ben is startled and happy to see Wundarr up and around -and quickly realizes that he is changed -not just in appearance, but in intelligence. This is not the man-child he once knew but a far more eloquent man. Wundarr explains that his encounter with the Cosmic Cube has expanded his energy-nullifying powers to a phenomenal degree. The Cube is also responsible for his mental transformation. He declares that he is Wundarr no longer, but shall now be known as the Aquarian. He says he will bring peace to the world.
Doug: You just know you had these lines going through your head while you were writing all of this:

When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars

Karen: Oh yeah, hence my title to this post! There's definitely some Christ-like symbology here, but it's so wrapped up in this action-packed story, it doesn't come across too heavy-handed.

Doug: You're right. In fact, it's almost like it's 10 years too late to have any real relevance. I wonder what the influence was that spurred Macchio and Gruenwald to this idea?

Karen: After Ben and the Aquarian take Giant-Man and Quasar to the infirmary, they head off to find the "spatial distortion" that Aquarian senses inside the project. We then get a nice full-page display of what has become of Dr. Lightner: he's used the Nth device to turn himself into a living space warp! And he's sucking the entire project into the void of his body. Ben tries to stop him, thinking he can throw enough objects into him that he will "block him up", but the matter only makes Lightner grow larger.

Doug: Loved the scene where Aquarian hoists Giant-Man with one hand. I've always wondered why our giant friends don't automatically revert to their normal heights when passed out? I'm thinking of Hank Pym in Avengers #140 here...

Karen: Maybe it has to be a conscious effort? The Aquarian then tries to use his energy-nullifying abilities to shut Lightner down; he has some mild success, but also turns off the power in the compound, freeing some of the prisoners, including Thundra. Ultimately, Aquarian fails.

Doug: This was an interesting sequence of events, that like most of this story seemed pretty well-thought out. I think with two writers on the book, or in other cases when there is very close collaboration between the writer and the artist, some of the rough edges get smoothed out, and some of what we might normally find to be plot holes are closed before they become a problem/see the light of day.

Karen: Both Quasar and Giant-Man recover and head for the site of the distortion, to be joined by Thundra as well. Quasar attempts to destroy Lightner -or the Nth Man, as he calls himself -but his energy only feeds him. Giant-Man offers himself up -he says he can try to grow from within Lightner's void and fill him. Quasar objects, saying it might kill Giant-Man. And we finally learn why Giant-Man has been so driven: he's dying of radiation poisoning. He had hoped to find a cure at Pegasus, but that never materialized. So he launches himself at the Nth Man -only to disappear. It didn't work.
Doug: I can't decide if the revelation of Foster's illness makes me like him more or not. Pity him, perhaps. But now his motivation is just to make a legacy for himself -- it just doesn't seem like anything he does is out of altruism. I don't know... sort of just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Maybe he isn't noble at all?
Karen: Well, I think he has a big chip on his shoulder, if nothing else. Aquarian tells the others that he might be able to save Giant-Man, and others, by entering the Nth Man. But they will need to form a living chain in order for him to do so. Despite losing their strength so close to Aquarian, the heroes hold on as the young man plunges into the void that was Lightner. Inside, Aquarian encounters a nightmare realm -actually it reminded me of a Ditko landscape from an old Dr. Strange. He recovers Giant-Man, who is losing his mind there. The Aquarian fires up his null field as much as he can, hoping that it will have a greater effect from inside the villain than it did from outside. Eventually he succeeds, and the Nth Man is dispersed, in some more spectacular art by Perez.

Doug: Very nice scene, evoking all of the great let's-band-all-our-energies-together moments. Ben's devotion to Aquarian, and vice versa, was very touching in this scene. The authors did a nice job with that story element throughout. You mentioned Ditko -- certainly. However, I couldn't get past it seeming like the stupid Sentry vs. the Void from some issue of New Avengers. Then I pulled the fork out of my eye.

Karen: As our story wraps up, Ben and Aquarian say their goodbyes. Aquarian plans to spread his message of peace -yeah, good luck with that! Thundra is cleared of all charges for helping to destroy Lightner. And Giant-Man continues to look for a cure, with encouraging words from Ben. The last three panels of the story tell us who was behind the whole Nth projector scheme: that evil oil company, Roxxon. Seems they want an energy monopoly. Now that's a villain that's not so hard to believe in.

Project Pegasus: Klaw + the Cube = Trouble!

Marvel Two-In-One #57 (November 1979)
"When Walks Wundarr!"
Mark Gruenwald/Ralph Macchio-George Perez/Gene Day

Doug: If you thought George Perez was good last issue, just wait. There are panels in this story that are simply breath-taking. And to think that when this mag hit the newsstands, young George had only been getting paid by Marvel Comics for a scant four years. Marvel Two-In-One #57 is the penultimate chapter in the Project Pegasus arc, and mainly serves as a set-up to the grand finale -- which we'll have for you in one short week!

Doug: As we dive in, Quasar has assembled the PP security team to discuss just what the heck has been going on within the Project. The break-ins by Deathlok and Thundra, and the breakout of Nuklo. What's the common thread? Has anyone been seen at or near any of these circumstances? What could be the motive? But more importantly, the security at this energy research center has been compromised, and that is of utmost importance!

Karen: You mentioned the art at the top of this review, and I'll bring it up again. The splash page, showing the meeting room and huge monitors, is pure Perez gold. He would do a similar scene in Avengers vol.3. The man can draw command centers, situation rooms, you name it!

Doug: After a nice recap of the events discussed above, Ben volunteers to attempt to get information from Thundra. However, fish ain't bitin' and Ben leaves no better off. We then cut away to Wundarr's cell, where the alien manchild has awakened and leaves his quarters in a zombie-like state. As he moves down the corridor, his energy-dampening powers dim not only the lights, but the containment apparatuses at the front of the prison cells. The super-villain Solarr takes full advantage, but in attempting to attack Wundarr, finds that his powers fade -- even his physical prowess.

Karen:I liked that all forms of energy, even kinetic energy, were dampened by Wundarr. Of course, he seems immune to his own power, which is lucky for him, or he might not be able to breathe or pump blood through his body!

Doug: Solarr decides he's not going to let the opportunity to escape pass him by, so he seeks an ally in his quest for freedom. Seeing the name "Electro" on a nearby cell, Solarr deactivates the security and enters, only to find that Electro's basically in a body cast! Now some might think this scene was superfluous, but I thought it was great! Most of us who grew up in the Bronze Age would say that what separated Marvel from DC in that era was the continuity between titles, and even the cross-company self-promotion. So while Electro was incapable of assisting his fellow baddie here, we got a nice reference to his recent battle against the amazing Spider-Man. Good stuff -- a nice touch.

Karen: That was too funny -and actually quite realistic -why would Solarr bother with Electro? I agree with you, it was a nice touch, showing once again the inter-relatedness of the Marvel U.
Doug: While the good guys have figured out that Dr. Lightner seems to be the common thread, Solarr finds the cell of Klaw, the master of sound. Breaking in and finding only the sonic prosthesis, Solarr throws it against the wall in anger. However, the clanging and jarring of the device is enough to let the genie out of the bottle, so to speak, as Klaw is reformed from the very claw he wears! Weak and somewhat incoherent, he agrees to assist Solarr in their breakout. In a brief interlude, we see Lightner up to no good, hoping to use the now-assembled Nth projector to transform himself into the Black Sun. However, something goes awry -- but we'll have to wait until next issue.

Karen: The scene with Electro served a purpose: it sets up this scene with Klaw. Here we see that there is some sense of comradeship between thieves, as Solarr seems genuinely disturbed that Klaw might be dead. Sure, they're both a couple of self-serving criminals who could turn on each other, but still, you sense a bit of humanity here as they try to escape together.

Doug: Solarr and Klaw have made their way to the track that surrounds the complex. Hijacking one of the kiddie-cars, they now ride toward freedom. Until Quasar confronts them. His intervention is short-lived, however, as Solarr blinds them. Stepping into the void, Ben and Giant-Man don't have much initial success, until Ben does a maneuver he saw on a Road Runner cartoon and whiplashes the tracks. Solarr and Klaw are disengaged and attacked by a recovering Quasar. Back to Wundarr, the still-entranced youth has found what he was looking for: the safe-keeping place of the now-dormant Cosmic Cube! However, as Wundarr approaches, his energy-dampening powers seem to have the opposite effect, as the Cube now begins to return to activity!

Karen: Again with the art: I really like the way Perez draws Quasar when he's all powered up. He's like a glowing human star -it's really effective.

Doug: We close the story with a nice little battle between our heroes and Klaw, with Klaw of course coming out on the short end. Bill Foster is for the most part useless (although he does knock Klaw out), as he's proven to be in this entire story. I'll tell you, I certainly thought there was more potential in the character than what was ever realized. But he just comes off as a step slow physically and mentally.

Karen: I love that Ben is able to use the experience he's gained form years of facing Klaw to figure out how to get through the villain's force field. Once again, Perez outdoes himself with his depiction of the crackling energy surrounding the Thing and Klaw. Giant-Man does come across as a bit of a third wheel, although as I recall he'll get a better showing next issue.

Doug: While the good guys congratulate themselves on vanquishing Solarr and Klaw, it is the vibrations of their voices that re-energize the sound claw, and it's Klaw who ends with the upper hand. Next issue -- to be concluded!

Project Pegasus: Battlin' Babes on the Loose!

Marvel Two in One #56 (Oct. 1979)
"The Deadlier of the Species!"
Writers: Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio
Artists: George Perez and Gene Day

Karen: This is part 4 of our look at the Project: Pegasus storyline, and this issue focuses on Thundra. Introduced back in Fantastic Four #129, Thundra is a warrior woman from an alternate future where society was divided along genders. Her people, the "Femizons" had genetically enhanced Thundra, granting her incredible strength. Originally she traveled to our time to battle Ben, whom the Femizons believed to be the strongest man of all time. They did fight, again and again, and Thundra became interested in Ben romantically, although this was never reciprocated by Ben.

Karen:We also have new artists starting with this issue. George Perez and Gene Day take over from John Byrne and Joe Sinnott, and they do an outstanding job. So often second or third tier books like MTIO would suffer from very weak art, but that's certainly not the case with this series of stories.

Karen: When the issue opens, we see that Thundra and the female wrestlers from last issue are breaking into Project Pegasus. In flashback, we are told that a mysterious man made her an offer she couldn't refuse to plant a device within the Project. However, once she and her team have placed the device, the lady wrestlers take off deeper into the complex, stating they have other orders!

Doug: Assembling those gals for the mission was sort of like a Dirty Dozen, wrasslin' style! Thundra would definitely be an example of all brawn/no brains, wouldn't she?

Karen: We get a quiet interlude with Ben visiting the still-comatose Wundarr. Ben is feeling guilty for allowing the scientists to use Wundarr in their experiments, and tells the man-child how sorry he is, and then quickly leaves before he starts to breakdown. After Ben exits the chamber, we see Wundarr lift his head and say, "Ben, I understand."

Doug: There have been some touching moments with Ben in this story -- it's a very human look at him. It just goes to show that anyone with talent can write any character -- sometimes we complain about certain writers not finding a character's "voice"; that just isn't the case here with scribes Macchio and Gruenwald. It looks like they've done their research, and stretched what they found just enough to make it their own.
Karen: Who should Ben run into after he leaves Wundarr but Thundra. When she refuses to come with him, the two get into another donnybrook, with Ben at a disadvantage due to to his injured arm (the one Deathlok blasted a few issues back).

Doug: I liked how Ben was startled at seeing her, but in that "Oh, crap..." way; he just knows when she shows up something stupid is going to happen. And it did.

Karen: As Ben and Thundra tangle, we pop in on Quasar and Giant-Man, who are cleaning up after the previous issue's fight with Nuklo. An alarm goes off -the female wrestlers have been detected. Our two heroes split up to go after them, and Quasar runs into Letha and Screaming Mimi. Quasar, ever chivalrous, fires a couple of warning shots and tells the two he doesn't want to "use real force on two women." The aptly named Screaming Mimi then cuts loose with a super-powered howl that causes Quasar's vision to distort - Perez' art here is very effective in getting across the feeling of disorientation. Eventually he overcomes his concerns about hurting the two and lets loose with a blast that drops them. As a side note, Screaming Mimi would go on to become Songbird of the Thunderbolts. It's a much better look in my opinion!

Doug: I really liked the panel with Giant-Man and Quasar working. I've said I'm a sucker for characters who are giants, and the perspective in that panel adds to the awe of it.

Doug: You are spot-on in your assessment of Perez's pencils on the Screaming Mimi scene. That is just really, really well done. I could get a sense of vertigo just looking at that page! Perez's choices of camera angles really added to the speed of the battle. The panel where Quasar flies across the floor into the wall is good, too.

Karen: While Quasar is busy with those two, Giant-Man has his hands full with Titania and Poundcakes. G-M has a tough time with the two of them, getting knocked into a fiery pit, and then nearly having his arms torn out by the two, before he finally manages to knock them out.

Doug: Bill Foster has gotten about as much respect in this story as his mentor, Dr. Henry Pym!

Karen: Truer words were never spoken. What is it about giant-guys?

Karen: Meanwhile, Ben is having his own problems with a certain Femizon. I got a chuckle out of the panel where Thundra has Ben on the floor, twisting his head, and yet proclaiming how the two are destined for each other!

Doug: Isn't that how all women behave?

Karen: Very funny sir. Ben manages to get back up and the fight continues, while Ben gives Thundra a lecture about true love. Eventually it comes to a screeching halt -with Ben caught in a scissor hold by Thundra! - when Quasar, Giant-Man, and the security team arrive with the other wrestlers securely in hand. Ben asks Thundra to come clean, but even though she feels betrayed, she has her honor and keeps silent.

Doug: Ben's line to Thundra about not being able to shine Alicia's shoes, followed immediately by "ya blasted tomboy!" was priceless. This is a really great fight scene, really well-choreographed. You could see this playing out on the silver screen in a sort-of Matrix-style battle.

Karen: Our story concludes with that scurrilous scientist, Dr. Lightner, recovering the device Thundra planted. With it, he will have all the components he needs to make the Nth projector, which certainly sounds ominous!

Doug: I cringed when Bill Foster said "mama" to Thundra...

Karen: You noticed that too? There were a few times during this series when the writers seemed to feel the need to throw some 'jive talk' in there. I might expect that from Luke Cage, but from Bill Foster? A biophysicist? This issue was a lot of fun; once it got going it was primarily one fight after another, and yet all were entertaining. As we re-read this little saga, I'm reminded again of how well all the characters were integrated into the story. Each had their own problems that they were dealing with and got the spotlight at different times. Yet Ben is always the center of the story as a whole. This is just a very well-crafted story, and the art has been fabulous.

Project Pegasus: Just Because You're a Regular-Sized Genius Doesn't Mean You Aren't a Big Dope

Marvel Two-In-One #55 (September 1979)
"Giants In the Earth!"
Mark Gruenwald/Ralph Macchio-John Byrne/Joe Sinnott

Doug: Hey, hey -- Project Pegasus, part three lands today! So far we've seen Ben established as a security honcho at PP, a budding friendship between he and Quasar, Wundarr in a coma-like state, Thundra rasslin', a strange version of Deathlok, and a mole named Lightner who is trying to throw a big monkey wrench into our heroes' lives. So let's hit the ground running with this one, as we open with a super-hero poker game!

Karen: Ben and poker games would become synonymous after this. There were a number of times in later stories where he and his super-hero friends would play cards together.

Doug: As fate would have it, the cards are interrupted by a security alert. At the conclusion of issue #54, bad boy Lightner had unleashed Nuklo, the radioactive mutant son of the Whizzer and Miss America. Nuklo is a glowing giant but with an infant's mind. Now he's on the loose, wandering about like any confused child lost in a department store would. As Ben, Quasar, and the other operatives make their move, Ben falls in with resident big brain Bill Foster.

Karen: What is it with Ben and super-nerds? Just as an aside, I really liked the map of Project Pegasus in issue 53, and we get another look at it, on a monitor, in this story. It was just a little something extra that was fun.

Doug: I recall Foster from his days in the pages of the Avengers, working alongside Hank Pym. I enjoyed the brief time Foster had his own mag as Black Goliath, and felt his guest-appearance in the Champions was all too short. But I have to tell you -- in this book he is anything but a hero. Here's why: Foster and the Thing are on an elevator, when (unbeknownst to them) Nuklo stops it from moving, and then begins to drive the car upward to the ceiling. Ben tries to stop it, but with a wounded wing (from Deathlok in the last ish) he proves ineffective. To his shock, Foster suddenly bursts out of his civvies and emerges from the rags a Black Goliath!

Karen: You think it was unheroic because Foster didn't grow immediately? I don't know, I never thought of it that way. I just assumed it took him a few moments to do it. That's funny how we interpreted this scene so differently!

Doug: Oh, no -- I'm sorry. My "hero" comment is really directed at Foster's overall activity in this story. I'm going to be a little hard on him here in a couple of minutes. And as to Bill's delay in dealing with the elevator problem -- I'd just write that off to being a neophyte in the super-hero business. But if he'd really wanted to make an impression on Ben...

Karen: I see. I agree with you regarding his Champions appearances -I'd have liked to see him become a regular. Of course the title itself didn't last very long. Now his claim to fame is being killed by that odious Thor-clone in Civil War. The guy really got a raw deal pretty much his entire career!

Doug: Nuklo tires of the game and wanders away, as Foster recounts his origin to Ben. Ben suggests that Foster, who's expressed a lack of confidence in the hero game, make a clean break with the Black Goliath identity and rechristen himself Giant-Man. He does, and off they go. Meanwhile, Quasar has figured that it's Nuklo on the loose and attempts to channel the radioactivity through his wristbands and out of the facility. Then we cut to Thundra, wrestling at Madison Square Garden. Only this time she loses, by dishonorable means.

Karen: Foster's new costume has a little more pizazz than the previous one. I liked Ben's suggestion to Foster to rename himself Giant-Man, because we finally moved away from that silly Black Whatever that all African American heroes from this time period seemed stuck with. As Ben said, "It's pretty obvious you're black."

Doug: Ben also remarked on the "bare belly" aspect of that former suit... Remember when they tried that with Ms. Marvel as well? It was, after all, the Swingin' '70's!!

Karen: The fight between Thundra and the cheating Titania was well-drawn but seemed a little long. I'm surprised a needle could easily penetrate Thundra's skin, but then, I don't know if she was ever considered to be all that invulnerable, despite her strength.

Doug: As Ben and Giant-Man round a corner, they see one of the Project's doctors seemingly being menaced by Nuklo. Foster wants to charge headlong into a fight, but Ben stops him. Ripping open a lead door, Ben molds the metal into "gloves" and affixes them to Giant-Man's hands. Now the battle is joined. And it's really sort of sickening. Authors Gruenwald and Macchio had played up Nuklo's mental level, and Foster's brutal onslaught (all the while rationalizing to himself that he's just gotta make an impression as a hero) just gave me a sense of child abuse.

Karen: I understand what you're saying. Seen from that angle, it does look pretty ugly. However, I was never sure if either Ben or Giant-Man really knew that Nuklo was mentally handicapped. I liked the fact that Ben was canny enough to make the lead gloves for Foster. He's an old vet and should know stuff like that. Foster's eagerness to make his mark seems excessive, but makes more sense by next issue. I actually felt a little sorry for him when Ben sends Nuklo flying. Compared to the power Ben possesses, Giant-Man is strictly minor leagues.

Doug: Yep, it's actually Ben who ends the fight, with one punch. And it's a lucky one, as Nuklo ends up in a sort of anti-grav stasis ring. Giant-Man gets introspective in a self-pity-party, and then the boys get their butts chewed by Nuklo's scientist-guardian. Lastly, we get a recap of Wundarr's origin and backstory, and then the mystery really deepens as Wundarr suddenly snaps awake to the sound of voices in his head, telling him that when he awakens for good -- nothing will stop him!

Project Pegasus: Soulless Cyborgs and Funky Femizons!

Marvel Two In One #54 (Aug 1979)"Blood and Bionics!"
Writers: Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio
Artists: John Byrne and Joe Sinnott

Karen: Welcome to part two of our "Project Pegasus" review. The plot starts to thicken here as our cast expands to include Deathlok -or a version of him, any way. One of the best things about this story was how new characters were brought in with each issue, but all of them worked. There were good reasons for all of them to be there and nothing felt forced.

Doug: In this particular issue, it is indeed a two-in-one, and not necessarily a team-up. I thought the other longer arc we looked at over in the pages of Marvel Team-Up's 40-43 was pretty organic as well. And as we look down the road in this arc you are exactly right -- they all have a reason to be here. There's none of that oft-senseless cross-marketing that team-up books so often fall victim to.

Karen: As Ben wanders around Pegasus, hoping to turn up a poker game, he's suddenly attacked by the cyborg from the future, Deathlok. With his maser pistol set at full power, he manages to actually wound Ben in the arm. Ben grabs Deathlok and soon realizes that he's no longer the same cyborg he met before; as Deathlok says, "This unit no longer contain a single cell of living matter." He talks like a machine, not a man. He gets in a lucky kick which stuns Ben. Fortunately, Quasar and his men arrive and Deathlok beats a hasty retreat.

Doug: I was shocked that Ben was bleeding. I immediately thought back to the FF's we did (166-167) where he teamed with the Hulk. I recalled Reed saying that Ben's hide was not as impervious as the Hulk's, and if he continued to take bullets from the military, it would begin to chip away at his rocky exterior. So, this must have been some gun that Deathlok used...
Karen: I don't think I ever recall seeing Ben bleed before this issue either. It was pretty shocking!The cyborg travels deep into the bowels of the project -appropriately named The Pit -where he begins setting up something called the Nth Projector. Quasar tracks him there and they fight, with Deathlok getting the upper hand. Ben arrives just in time to save Quasar this time. He grabs Deathlok and heaves him across the room. Now outnumbered, Deathlok activates a self-destruct device.
Doug: You know, for the day this saw the spinner racks, it was a pretty violent tussle. Ben gave no thought whatsoever to mangling Deathlok's hands. I think how shocking it was when Byrne was handling the West Coast Avengers and we saw the inner workings of the Vision -- Karen, you and I were involved in quite a debate on just how human the Vision was. I guess some of those themes would apply here as well. Hey, being a Deathlok devotee, what was your take on this "mechanical" version of the character? I don't really have much reference other than what you've written in your reviews of Astonishing Tales previously.

Karen: Honestly, this was Deathlok in name only -and OK, he looked almost the same. But what always made Deathlok interesting was the inner struggle between man and machine. There was none of that here. The Luther Manning personality was gone. This guy wasn't any more interesting to read about than a Doombot.

Karen: Next we pay a visit to that fabulous femizon, Thundra! It turns out the man she rescued last issue is a wrestling promoter. He's trying to help her understand the idea of choreographing a fight. She winds up facing four colorful lady wrestlers and trashes them all with ease. I think these were 'inspired' by Kirby's Female Fury Battalion over in his DC Fourth World books.

Doug: Yeah, those girls definitely weren't getting any fake wrestling moves from our femizon!

Karen: Back at Pegasus, we discover that Dr. Lightner is hoping that Deathlok completed the Nth Projector. Unfortunately for him, he finds the device still unfinished. His mysterious superiors order him to begin "Operation Expurgate" which shocks Lightner. Whatever this Operation is, it can't be good!

Doug: Ah, the shadowy figure. Gotta love it!

Karen: Ben and Quasar are both recovered (Ben has his arm in a sling) and have joined Dr. Bill Foster in transporting the body of the deceased villain Atom Smasher. Long time Marvel fans would recall Foster from his time working with Hank Pym in the pages of The Avengers - or also from his short-lived solo book, Black Goliath! I love Ben's thoughts as he and Foster talk: "Sheesh. It's bad enough listenin' to Reed--but now I gotta put up with this Bill Foster egghead!" Classic.
Doug: A comment on Thing-artists in the Bronze Age: For the most part, Buckler, John Buscema, Perez, Byrne, and Sal Buscema all stuck to the basic Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe guideline that Ben was six feet tall. I like that -- it gives him that underdog image when fighting super-duper baddies. Guys nowadays who draw him at 7 and even 8 (!) feet tall are missing out on a major character trait.
Karen: Our issue ends with Dr. Lightner releasing one of the most dangerous of all the prisoners in Pegasus: the atomic mutant known as Nuklo!

Doug: And isn't Nuklo creepy when drawn with those beady little eyeballs! Yikes!