Marvel Two-in-One
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Marvel Two-In-One was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that featured the Fantastic Four member, the Thing, in a different team-up each issue with a different character. The series continued from the team-up stories starring the Thing in the final two issues of Marvel Feature (1971 series), and lasted for 100 issues, from January, 1974, through June, 1983. Seven annuals were also published. As the series progressed, many of the characters paired with the Thing were more obscure superheroes (or, on occasion, supervillains), and the series never attained the popularity of Marvel Team-Up, which featured Spider-Man in the same format of different guest stars each month.
However, Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2 (1977) by artist/writer Jim Starlin became what is still one of the most popular Marvel stories among comic fans and the most valuable issue of the series to collectors. It is the second part of a crossover story with Avengers Annual #7, in which the death-worshipping demigod Thanos attempted to to destroy half the stars in the universe. The issue billed Spider-Man as the guest-star, but also featured the Avengers, Captain Marvel, and Adam Warlock. Warlock and Thanos both died by the story's conclusion, though both were resurrected fourteen years later in the pages of the Silver Surfer, to become integral characters in a series of crossover comics (such as the Infinity Gauntlet) and their own titles.
Besides Starlin, many other notable comics creators contributed to the series, including Frank Miller, Jack Kirby, John Byrne, John Buscema, George Perez, and Marv Wolfman.
Marvel Two-In-One ended with a "team-up" between the Thing and Ben Grimm, his own human alter ego, in issue 100; this team-up was enabled by the Thing travelling to a parallel timeline in which he was not the Thing. The alternate Ben Grimm seen here had first appeared in Marvel Two-in-One #50.
Following the cancellation of Marvel Two-In-One, the Thing was immediately given his own solo title, sans team-ups. Early on in this new title's run, the Thing (in a cross over with the Secret Wars maxi series) decided to leave the Fantastic Four and remain on the Beyonder's alien planet where he could control the transformation to his rocky form. He later returned to Earth, fell out with the Fantastic Four (in his absence, the Human Torch had become romantically involved with the Thing's former girl-friend, Alicia Masters) and continued his solo career. This included a brief stint as a wrestler and almost joining the West Coast Avengers. The series was finally cancelled with issue 36 and the Thing rejoined the Fantastic Four soon after.
Bibliography
Reprints
- Warlock #6 (May, 1983, also collected with #1-5 in 1992 trade paperback; reprints MTIO Annual #2)
- The Thing: The Project Pegasus Saga trade paperback (1988; reprints MTIO #53-58, 60)
- Adventures of the Thing #1-4 (April, 1992 – July, 1992; reprints MTIO #50, 80, 51, 77)
- Marvel's Greatest Super Battles trade paperback (1994; includes reprints MTIO Annual #7)
- Marvel Super-Heroes Megazine #5 (February, 1995; includes reprint of MTIO #50)
- Thunderbolts: Marvel's Most Wanted trade paperback (1998; includes reprints of MTIO #54, 56)
External links
- A Marvel Two-in-One fan site; includes MTIO-related artwork & a listing of original MTIO artists, writers, letterers, colorists, and editors (http://www.TwoInOne76.com)
- An informative MTIO fan site; includes spoiler-free story summaries, artwork, and links to a complete cover gallery (http://users.pullman.com/oenglish/mtio/)