Marvel Two-In-One launched in 1974, teaming the Thing with a different hero each month. This guide will tell you everything you wanted to know about the series – and more!

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Date: November 1976
Cover Price: 30¢
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Artist: Ron Wilson

WHO stars in this issue?

the Thing – Benjamin J. Grimm was bombarded by cosmic rays in a space exploration flight, alongside three friends. The cosmic rays gave each of them different powers, and they formed the Fantastic Four. Ben underwent the most physical change of the foursome: his skin mutated into orange rock and, as a result, he gained super-strength.

Doc Savage – Clark Savage, Jr. is a pulp hero from the 1930s. He possesses many skills and abilities including: great strength, endurance, photographic memory, mastery of the martial arts, and vast knowledge of the sciences. His nickname, “the Man of Bronze”, is attributed to the color of his hair and skin.

WHAT happens?

In the present (1976), Janice Lightner (the daughter of Raymond Lightner) seeks the assistance of the Thing – for her maniacal brother seeks to continue the work of her mad-scientist father. Her brother, Tom, has recreated the Sky Cannon based on his father’s notes, and he intends on using it to drain the stars of the light and imbue him with their energy.

Back in 1936, Lucinda Lightner (the wife of Raymond Lightner) recruits the aid of Doc Savage to stop her mad-scientist husband from using the Sky Cannon. In both times, the heroes arrive at the scene just as the Sky Cannon has been activated and they are struck by its Star-Beam. The energy breaches time itself and brings Doc Savage to the present (1976). The Star-Beam also merged Tom Lightner with his father, Raymond Lightner, into the villainous Blacksun, who launches an attack on the Thing, Doc Savage and their friends (the Human Torch, Monk, Renny and Janice Lightner).

However, the excitation of battle is no replacement for the call of space on this maddened being. Blacksun feels the call of the stars, themselves, and begins his journey towards them. But, in the end, he’s only a human – and his mortal form could not contain all the energy his body tried to contain. As his body gives way to the massive energies stored within, the temporal field retracts and Doc Savage (and friends) return to their home time period.

WHERE does the story take place?

Manhattan – specifically the Baxter Building (in the present) and the 86th Floor of the Empire State Building (in 1936).

WHEN does the villain next appear?

As hinted in the last panel of this issue, Blacksun will be seen in the very next issue.

WHY is Doc Savage the guest-lead?

Marvel does not own the rights to Doc Savage – he’s a pulp hero that’s been around since before Marvel Comics even existed. But, in the 1970s, Marvel purchased the rights to produce a comic series based on the Man of Bronze. His comic series was published from 1972 to 1974. Marvel changed the format to magazine-size and launched a new Doc Savage series in 1975. Sales must not have been doing well, so it appears that he showed up here to give the character some more exposure. Unfortunately, it didn’t work – his magazine was cancelled four months later (the last issue had a cover date of March 1977). Since then, other comic publishers have acquired the license, including Millennium, Dark Horse Comics and DC Comics.

HOW was it?

You’ll need a lot of suspension of disbelief with this issue but, it’s a neat treat to see Doc Savage teamed with the Thing – especially since it appears that the Thing is starstruck by the Man of Bronze. Also, since Doc Savage is a licensed character, this issue cannot be reprinted by Marvel unless they acquire the rights again. So, this story will be missing from those Essential collections of Marvel Two-In-One. There’s a lot of setup to get this story going but the climax only lasts five pages. Lots of setup and lots of action but little in the way of characterization – especially for Doc Savage (who seems incredibly aloof and uninteresting).

Note: no letters page this issue.

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