Marvel Two-in-One #45: The Andromeda Rub-Out!


Writer: P. Gillis
Penciller: A. Kupperberg
Inker: Mike Esposito
Letterer: Mike Higgins
Colorist: Phil Rache
Editor: R. Stern

The Guest Star:
      Captain Marvel

The Villain:
      Boss Barker

Guest Shots:
      Torgo

The Set Up:
      It is a dark and stormy night, and Ben is at a newsstand picking up a paper. As he walks away, a mysterious figure is musing to itself about how its taken a lot of time to track him down after he busted up his 'racket', and finishes by saying out loud "-- and for that, Mr. Thing, you're gonna die!"
     Elsewhere, Captain Marvel is doing some research when his cosmic senses notice an odd discharge. He heads into orbit after it, and is blasted from nowhere just as he realises "It's after Grimm!"
     Ben, meanwhile, is in his tuxedo and out to dinner with Alicia. He gets a threatening phone call from someone with a gangster accent, and when he and Alicia leave the restaurant, a 20s sedan makes a drive-by shooting attempt at him. Ben gives chase in a convenient taxi, but the sedan eventually flies off, with Ben clinging to the roof. After it vanishes with a 'pop' over the harbor, a confused Ben is plucked from the water by Captain Marvel.
     Alicia is sent home, and Ben and Captain Marvel settle in together to 'make a stand'. After a bored Ben heads out for a walk, a 'fake Ben' shows up and blasts Marvel, while the real Ben is facing the main bad guy all on his own...

Clobberin' Time?:
      Pg 27, panel 4. Ben bursts his shackles at Cpt. Marvel's urging, and goes after the gangster. "I hear ya talkin', Marvin! And I wouldn't want to miss the fun! So look out, Bugsy Malone-- cause It's Clobberin' Time!"

Petunia's Patch:
      No Petunia this month, sorry.

Things of Interest:
      This is a follow-up to a moderately bizarre FF story back in Fantastic Four issues 91-93. Of course, it completely ignores Torgo's later appearances in Fantastic Four issues 174-175, but you could probably explain that away with very little effort if you needed to.
     Unforgettable images: Captain Marvel engaged in "research" ---