Marvel Two-in-One #73: Pipeline Through Infinity
Writer: Ralph Macchio
Penciller: Ron Wilson
Inker: Chic Stone
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: George Roussos
Editor: Jim Salicrup
The Guest Star:
Quasar
The Villain:
Roxxon
Guest Shots:
None.
The Set Up:
The Thing and Quasar are floating on a dark void, and then materialize in a muddy swamp. A quick flashback tells us that Ben and Quasar had been in the subway tunnels below New York City, investigating the group that had been responsible for the recent attempted destruction of Project Pegasus, when they were suddenly shot by a strange beam which had transported them into that void.
Slogging through that swamp, they soon come to a huge oil drilling facility, with much of the hard labor involved being supplied by, oddly enough, dinosaurs. The two are quickly attacked by men in high-tech skimmers. Quasar is shot out of the air, and Ben is taken prisoner and hauled to the groups' watchtower for questioning...
Clobberin' Time?:
Page 2, panel 3: Clobberin' Time in flashback: Ben bursts through a wall, and the men behind it flee: "Whattya runnin' from lamebrains?! It's just Western Union here with a singin' telegram-- It's Clobberin' Time!"
And...
Page 18, panel 5. A captured Ben breaks free while Quasar and the cavalry have the bad guys distracted: "Awright boys, yer Uncle Benjy's all upset 'cause ya been ignorin' him. And that means-- It's Clobberin' Time!"
Petunia's Patch:
Two Clobberin' Times = No Petunia.
Things of Interest:
The "attempted destruction" mentioned above in "The Set Up" was, of course, shown in the Project Pegasus Saga in MTIO 53-58. I'm not sure that it really says it in this issue, but the information which leades Ben and Quasar here was supplied by Thundra in issue 67. Issue 67 and this issue pretty much jointly wrap up the last loose ends from that storyline.
Though the story does seem a little hurried, I have to admit that the method Ben and Quasar use to get back to the Nth Command is particularly inspired.
