Ben “The Thing” Grimm is
test flying a rocket for NASA when it explodes in space, sending the escape pod
containing Ben crashing onto a South Pacific island. Ben is blind and amnesiac
and is cared for by the natives who can’t decide whether he is a demon or the
new king promised by their former ruler Kelmak when he died. He performs heroic
deeds for the tribe with his sight and then his memory returning gradually. He
discovers that Kelmak was an American serviceman named Kelly McCormack,
stranded during the War who never left. Then the rest of the Fantastic Four
(Reed Richards, Invisible Woman, Human Torch) arrive, having finally located
him and they all go home.
“So Near” 3.5/5
Writer: Marv Wolfman.
Art: Liam Sharp. Letters: ?
Synopsis: 1977: Man-Thing
roots himself in the Louisiana Bayou and observes what goes on. 1978: A family
of deaf-mute albinos hiding in the Bayou is discovered by a mob who tries to
wipe them out and a young woman is gang-raped by the men. 1984: An interracial
couple, running off to get married, is stranded in the Bayou by car trouble. A
lightning strike nearby scares them into running home. 1990: The albinos,
enslaved by the local men, escape and are hunted down; the woman raped earlier
is drowned in the swamp while her daughter is forced to watch. The child is
pursued but Man-Thing’s branches entangle the bad guys and burn them. The girl
thanks the swamp monster who finally moves….
“I Am Known as Dr.
Strange” 4/5
Writer: Jim Starlin. Art:
Jim Starlin. Letters: ?
Synopsis: Doctor Strange
meditates on the variety of roles he has played in his life while he battles demonic
creatures, driving them away from an elaborate cocoon-like structure. At the
end a butterfly emerges from it and Strange adds “midwife” to his list of
roles.
“The Date” 3.5/5
Writer: Mark Andreyko.
Art: Jill Thompson. Letters: Michael Higgins.
Synopsis: High school
student Peter Parker has a date, so he turns down an offer from Liz Allen to
join her, Flash Thompson, and the gang for a soda. Outside, he changes into his
Spider-Man outfit and swings across the city. He spies an old woman being
mugged so he reluctantly nabs the crook and returns the lady’s purse. Then he
sees Rhino robbing a bank; again he decides to intervene, clobbering and
webbing up the villain for the police. Finally, he arrives at his destination
for his big date: accompanying Aunt May on a visit to Uncle Ben’s grave….
Pin-Up
Cloak and Dagger by Rick
Leonardi and Sandu Florea