Marvel Two-in-One #20: Showdown at Sea!


Writer / Editor: Roy Thomas
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Inker: Sam Grainger
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: P. Goldberg

The Guest Star:
      The Liberty Legion: Jack Frost, Red Raven, Blue Diamond, Thin Man, Miss America, Patriot, Whizzer

The Villain:
      Brain Drain; Skyshark; Master Man; U-Man

Guest Shots:
      Watcher; Mr. Fantastic; Invisible Girl; Human Torch

The Set Up:
      Its the 1940s, and Ben has flung himself into the air at a flying Nazi swastika that is circling over New York City. Manning, if that's the correct term, the swastika is Brain Drain, a disembodied human brain. With his hypnotic abilities, he makes Ben tell him where he came from and how he got to be there, recapping MTIO Annual 1 for us. With the recital over, Ben regains his freedom of movement, and proceeds to tear into the swastika. As Ben tears into it, Brain Drain retreats, carrying both of them to the secret Nazi base at sea.
     As they land gently, Ben looks around to find the other three Nazi villains there: Skyshark, Master Man, and U-Man. An all-out fight follows, and things are finally starting to not go too well for Ben when the Liberty Legion arrive in the Thin Man's plane...

Clobberin' Time?:
      Pg 6, panel 2. We get a Clobberin' Time in flashback to the previous issue, as a hypnotized Ben recites for Brain Drain: "That's how come I used that flagpole as a catapult, whilst I yelled out 'It's Clobberin' Time'."

Petunia's Patch:
      No Petunia but, hey, its World War II- she may not even have been born yet!

Things of Interest:
      This is the final part of a three part story which started in Fantastic Four Annual 11 and continued in Marvel Two-in-One Annual 1.
     Brain Drain is another of those Nazis to survive into the late 20th century- he next appears in Alpha Flight 108. For that matter, now that I think about it- so do Master Man (Namor 6) and U-Man (Avengers Annual 18). Skyshark is the sole Nazi super-villain from this issue _not_ to be active in the 1980s or 90s.
     Blue Diamond actually appears again in MTIO 79, where his fate from World War II through the present is revealed, with a strong hint at what comes after for him as well.
     I assume everyone knows where the Thin Man gets his name from. If not, rent the movie (The Thin Man)- its an all-time classic!