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Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2: Review

Oct 1977

Jim Starlin, Jim Starlin

Story Name:

Death watch

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Rating:

Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2 Review by Rob Johnson (October 9, 2014)

Marvel rarely lets good characters really die. Thanos' dead spirit will be seen in Marvel Graphic Novel #1: The Death of Captain Marvel (also written and drawn by Starlin). But Death herself will resurrect him in Silver Surfer (1987) #34. Fans of Guardians of the Galaxy know that Gamora too is alive. Silver Surfer and Drax the Destroyer will find her, Pip and Warlock in the Soul Gem in SS#46-48, and they return to life in new bodies in Infinity Gauntlet #1 to oppose Thanos. (It will come as no surprise that Starlin wrote all these comics.) The Soul Gems will also return. Warlock's Gem will turn up on the brow of the Gardener. He will explain in Hulk #248 that he took it from Warlock's grave. Then in Silver Surfer (1987) #7 he and his fellow Elders of the Universe will seek the other Gems to use against Galactus. Later in the Thanos Quest limited series they will be called the Infinity Gems and combined in the Infinity Gauntlet.

This issue is the finale of Jim Starlin's long-running tale of Thanos and Warlock, and he is again scripter and penciller. This is our 1st sighting of Master Order and Lord Chaos, but they were mentioned in Avengers Annual #7 and Warlock #11. the pair will pop up every now and then, the next time being Thor Annual #9. And the time after that, in Secret Wars II, is the 1st occasion they will be seen working with a group of other cosmic beings. Thing met Thanos when he teamed up with Iron Man in Marvel Feature #12, whose last 2 issues were a precursor to this series. Most of the heroes will go back to their regular series. The Avengers in particular will begin the Korvac Saga in #167. Moondragon will get caught up in it in #172.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

This story continues from AVENGERS ANNUAL #7.

Moondragon sends a mental message to sleeping Peter Parker. He see the events of Av An#7:- Avengers with Captain Marvel, Moondragon and Adam Warlock fought Thanos' invasion fleet led by his space ark Sanctuary. CM, Warlock, Iron Man and Thor found a duplicate space ark where Thanos was planning to use a giant Gem to blow up the Sun. They destroyed the Gem and Thanos teleported away, but Warlock died and his soul was absorbed into his own Soul Gem.

But Moondragon's message continues beyond that Annual. The 3 surviving heroes returned to join their allies on the original Sanctuary. But that is where Thanos had gone. The villain from Titan subdued Moondragon and the other Avengers (Beast, Captain America, Scarlet Witch and Vision), and then knocked the returning 3 out with a space weapon. They were all put in a stasis beam. And Warlock's body was fetched from the other ark, and Thanos took his Soul Gem. He still intends to destroy the Sun (even though without the giant Gem made from 5 other Soul Gems he won't be able to destroy all suns as he had planned).

Spider-Man wakes up and knows he somehow has to get into space and rescue the Avengers.

Meanwhile outside of space Lord Chaos and Master Order watch their plan unfolding. They are contesting against Death and her pawn Thanos. Spider-Man has been brought into play, and soon he will find an ally in the Thing.

Indeed Spidey goes to the Baxter Building for help and a spaceship, and Thing is the only 1 there. After Peter tells Ben the story, Thing flies them into space and they locate the giant space ark.

When they get near they're dragged in by a tractor beam, and have to fight all the aliens the Avengers fought in their Annual. They're doing well until Thanos switches off the gravity - and Thing recognises his voice. The aliens are more used to zero-G, and the heroes get blasted unconscious.

Chaos and Order aren't fazed. Their plan is that the duo will release Adam Warlock from his Soul Gem.

Inside the Gem Adam is enjoying paradise with Gamora and Pip the Troll and the other souls it has absorbed.

Spider-Man and Thing awake next to the captive Avengers. Thanos, in true villain style, tells them of his plan. He serves his lover Death, but she deserted him after Captain Marvel and the Avengers foiled his Cosmic Cube scheme. He now intends to use the Soul Gem to make the Avengers' star go nova, and offer Earth's inhabitants to Death to win her back.

Thing attacks, but Thanos easily blasts him unconscious again. Spider-Man beats a strategic retreat, and then decides his only chance is to somehow free Thor. He returns to the stasis chamber and drops himself through the machinery holding the Avengers. The freed heroes attack Thanos en masse. And Ben Grimm wakes up to join them.

Thanos is still holding his own against Thing and Thor, while the other heroes handle more aliens. But eventually Thanos' eye-blasts down Thing again, and even batter Thor.

Order and Chaos cause Peter's Spider-Sense to lead him to Warlock's Soul Gem, encased in a glass globe. He fights through aliens and shatters the globe. And a fiery version of Warlock arises from the Gem to close with Thanos. When the smoke clears the hero has gone again, and the villain is turned to stone.

The aliens surrender, and the Avengers let them go. They bury the bodies of Gamora, Pip and Warlock (#63 will reveal that this is on Counter-Earth). While their souls live on in peace in the Soul Gem.