Marvel Team-Up #47: I Have to Fight the Basilisk!


Writer: Bill Mantlo
Penciller: Ron Wilson
Inker: Dan Adkins
Letterer: I. Watanabe
Colorist: D. Warfield
Editor: Marv Wolfman

The Guest Star:
      The Thing (this is Spider-Man's book, making the Thing technically the guest star)

The Villain:
      The Basilisk

Guest Shots:
      J. Jonah Jameson and Robbie Robertson, back at the Daily Bugle.

The Set Up:
      Spider-Man is being blasted by the Basilisk off a volcano in the middle of the Hudson River, while Ben lays unconscious at the villain's feet. We pause for several pages while the Basilisk recaps his origin and earlier appearances, and then the fight is back on.
     Spider-Man quickly realizes that he can't take the Basilisk on his own, so he manages to very temporarily bury the Basilisk in a rockslide, giving himself time to bring Ben around. The Thing is a little dazed, but he's soon back in action and the two square off against the Basilisk on top of the volcano...

Clobberin' Time?:
      Page 16, Panel 1. Ben is recovering while Spidey takes on the Basilisk.
     Ben: "Nah! All I need is a breather now'n' then! An' now that I've had one--"
     Spidey: "I know-- It's Clobberin' Time!"
     Ben: "How'd'ja guess?"

     Page 26-27 is a _great_ double-page one panel spread where Ben clocks the Basilisk.
     Spidey: "Don't say it, Benjamin! please! Try something else for once! Anything!"
     Ben:"I can't help myself, web-head! It's in the blood! One o' those things I got no control over! 'Cause every time I get myself an eyeful o' crumb-bums like ol' Basil here -- I get mad! An' when Mrs. Grimm's little boy Benjamin gets mad-- It's Clobberin' Time!!"
     {pause} Ben: "see-- it just sorta slipped out!"

Petunia's Patch:
      Page 16, Panel 3. Ben gets blasted by the Basilisk, and Ben thinks "Aunt Petunia! Them eye-beams o' his are knockin' me offa the volcano!"

Things of Interest:
      Okay, okay, you caught me. This is an issue of Marvel Team-Up (issue 47, cover-dated July, 1976), not Marvel Two-in-One. However, it follows immediately after the events of Marvel Two-in-One 17, so it fits here.
      I also note that the next issue blurb says "Next: The Scarecrow!" The only problem is, the issue it was referring to is not the next issue of Marvel Team-Up, but rather the next issue of Marvel Two-in-One!
     The letters page has a letter from Ralph Macchio, who will not too far in the future end up writing MTIO!
     The Basilisk, as is recapped here, first appeared in Marvel Team-Up 16-17, and this crossover is his next appearance.