Marvel Two-in-One #59: Trial and Error!


Plot: Marv Wolfman
Script: Ralph Macchio
Penciller: Chic Stone
Inker: Al Gordon
Letterer: I. Watanabe
Colorist: Ben Sean
Editor: R. Stern

The Guest Star:
      Human Torch

The Villain:
      none

Guest Shots:
      none

The Set Up:
      A bored Johnny Storm (a.k.a. the Human Torch) fires Ben up (sorry) and the two head out for a burger. They're interrupted by a man on a runaway horse (in downtown New York City), and after calming the horse, the two confront the man, Norman Dunsell. It turns out Norman is getting married in one week on his 30th birthday, and he has a list of things he wants to accomplish before that birthday. One was being a cowboy.
     As Norman heads off, Ben and Johnny confront the fiancee, who can only remember one more thing on Norman's list- being a fireman. An alarmed Ben and Johnny figure they'd better go find Norman before he gets in more trouble, and when they see that a local skyscraper is ablaze, they have a pretty good idea where he's gone...

Clobberin' Time?:
      Well, not really, but...
On page 2, panel 1, Ben is reading the Conan comic strip in the newspaper (credited as drawn by Ernie Chan, by the by, who drew issues 35 and 36 of MTIO, and is occasionally credited as either Chan or Chen), and wonders to himself "Hmmm... I wonder how this Conan joker would look sayin' "It's Clobberin' Time" It would sure beat the heck outta "Crom's"..."

Petunia's Patch:
      Page 7, panel 3. "Now, far be it from me to mess in somebody's domestic squabble... but what in the name of my sweet aunt Petunia is goin' on around here?"

Things of Interest:
      Given that this is plotted by Marv Wolfman and scripted by Ralph Macchio, it seems a safe bet that this was an inventory script Mr. Wolfman had banked when he was writer/editor, and that Roger Stern (the current editor) and Ralph Macchio dragged out when they need an issue. It has no ties to the continuity of the issues before or after, and stands completely alone.

     Original art from your editor's collection. For some reason, I love what this artist/inker combination does with Ben's face. And hey, notice any similarities between panel four and the cover above?