Comic Browser:

#4
#5
#6
#7
#12
#21
#42
#43
#46
#48
#63
#82
#96
#97
Selector

Marvel Two-In-One #4

Jul 1974
Steve Gerber, Sal Buscema

Story Name:

Doomsday 3014!


Synopsis

Marvel Two-In-One #4 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 4 stars

A surly Ben “the Thing” Grimm takes his unwanted ward, the childlike superhero Wundarr, to the Central Park Zoo. While Ben is distracted buying cotton candy and griping about the situation, Wundarr frees all the animals from their cages. Ben wrestles with several animals, forcing them back in their cages while the confused Wundarr cries. Nearby, Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter are on a date; when they see the ruckus, Steve dons his Captain America outfit and rushes in to help. As Ben rounds up the animals, Cap tackles some punks trying to rob the concessions. Namorita and her roommate Annie Christopher come upon Wundarr and stop Ben from yelling at him, offering to have the young hero come live with them. Ben is delighted. When Cap and Sharon arrive, Ben explains the Wundarr situation to them and invites them back to the Baxter Building for tea….

Back at the FF’s HQ, Reed Richards is making some adjustments to Doctor Doom’s time machine, assisted by Medusa, when Ben arrives with the guests. As they leave the lab, Ben unwittingly hits the switch that powers up the time machine. Later, as they are relaxing, they hear a scream from the lab. Rushing in, they find a frightened woman in futuristic garb, pleading with them to explain what is going on. Sharon tries to calm her by pointing out that they are Captain America and (some of) the Fantastic Four but the woman insists they have been dead for a thousand years. She dashes into the next room and when she sees the New York skyline through the windows she faints. Reed tells them that the time machine indicates the woman is from the year 3014….

When she awakens, the woman gives her name as Tarin. She explains that in her time, Earth has been conquered by the alien Badoon, and most of humanity was wiped out, the remainer being enslaved. She reveals that Captain America is their symbol of liberty and the Guardians of the Galaxy, the leaders of the underground, have named their ship after him. Cap asks to go to the future to see what he can do; Sharon and Ben volunteer to go with them as Reed must work the time machine. They must be back at the landing site in 24 hours so Reed can bring them back to their present. They take off…

…and arrive in the future New York City. But they are spotted by the Zoms, lobotomized humans who serve as police for the Badoon. A fight ensues with difficulty for the heroes as the Zoms cannot feel pain or lose consciousness. Then an iron-jawed creature called the Monster of Badoon is unleashed; it knocks out Thing as Cap and Sharon are overpowered by the Zoms. Tarin alone escapes, with a vow to return in power….



 

Review / Commentaries


Marvel Two-In-One #4 Review by (May 15, 2024)

Review: This tale divides into three parts. Part one, at the zoo, stands on its own and mostly exists to bring us up to date on the ongoing Wundarr plot and to bring Thing and Cap together. The Wundarr bit is largely irrelevant to this two-issue tale so it’s a good thing he doesn’t hang around very long; the best parts are Ben’s salty reactions to what happens. But then the best parts are always Ben’s salty reactions to what happens. And the Thing/Cap bits are fairly exciting if not remarkable. Part two sets up the rest of the two-parter and manages without gobs of exposition. Understandable since the future society isn’t very complicated: aliens have conquered Earth and enslaved humanity but there’s a revolution brewing. Seriously, that’s all we need so that’s all we get. The heaviest exposition in the next issue is the recap for this issue. And part three sees our heroes heading to the future, followed by a big battle scene. And so it goes: the good guys end the issues captives of the baddies.

Comments: Part one of two parts. Wundarr was introduced in FEAR #17, where he was revealed to have been sent by his parents as a baby in a small rocket from their doomed world; in transit, Wundarr grew to physical maturity but remained mentally a small child. Thing became his guardian in MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #2, his second appearance. First appearance of Tarin who will go on to be a recurring character in the first GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY series. First appearance of Annie Christopher, though we don’t really get a good look at her; Annie, Nita, and Wundarr next appear in issue #8. Gaspar Saladino lettered the first page. The letters page has one by J.M. DeMatteis, future comics legend.




> Marvel Two-In-One comic book info and issue index

Elektra

Excelsioring your collection:
DIAMOND SELECT TOYS Marvel Premier Collection: Avengers Endgame Captain America Statue, Multicolor
Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Sal Buscema
Frank Giacoia
Petra Goldberg
Gil Kane (Cover Penciler)
Joe Sinnott (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Charlotte Jetter.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Captain America
Captain America

(Steven Rogers)
Medusa
Medusa

(Medusa Amaquelin Boltagon)
Mr. Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic

(Reed Richards)
Thing
Thing

(Ben Grimm)

Plus: Namorita, Tarin, Wundarr.