This next story with Nick Fury reminds me of early X-Men issues by Jack Kirby. In those comics, Kirby would take the upper part of the right page to give us pin-up quality panels - not all of the time but often enough to get noticed. We get some eye-popping art here too, in the same place. You can bet that we'll be stopping by to view this panels as they come up.
So it's S.H.I.E.L.D. time in Marvel Two-In-One; so let's have a sit down meeting with Fury, Ben, and Dum Dum Dugan in the Pizza-restaurant-that-isn't.
Note the bar stools disappear into a hidden shaft. The whole thing is a S.H.I.E.L.D. hideout. We're even given the schematics of the entire facility.
It's the world of spies and rampant spending of taxpayer money ladies and gentlemen.
Anyway, Fury wants to see Ben because the Thing is somehow on the crosshairs of two super-villains.
The first is Mentallo.
Mentallo is a telepath, meaning he's able to read minds and "plant" thoughts or images on other people's minds. He styles himself in this story as the most powerful telepath on Earth, along the lines of Professor Xavier or the White Queen for example. He's really not all that. Mentallo is considered a low-level telepath.
Next up is the Fixer.
I admire and envy the Fixer because I'm totally hopeless with handyman work. DIY or 'Do It Yourself' becomes 'Destroy It Yourself' when I get involved. The Fixer is DIY on steroids or, to paraphrase Nick Fury, the Fixer 'can make anything from anything'. Personally, if I was the Fixer I'd go into a lucrative career in car customization - but that's just me.
The reason both are after the Thing is kept under wraps for a while but it turns out that they want to use Ben to enter the Baxter Building and fiddle with Doc Doom's Time Platform. What would they want to do with the time machine is a mystery at this point.
Here's a wonderful panel of both villains.
Since Ben is in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, the pair infiltrate the flying base. Here's a great example of the Fixer's tech.
I think this is brilliant from a tactical point of view. These gadgets allow the Fixer to convert enemies into unwilling allies.
Again with the wonderful panels: Nick Fury at his command center.
In a classic Thing move, Ben pulls the "rug" from under the commandeered S.H.I.E.L.D. troopers.
I told you that the Fixer's tactic was brilliant, both Fury and Ben are overwhelmed.
Now, for the third time in the pages of Marvel Two-In-One, the kidnapping of Ben Grimm.
Under the control of Mentallo, Ben Grimm bypasses Baxter security. Conveniently none of the other four are inside. It is up to Fury to run interference, unfortunately he is pitted against the mind-controlled Thing.
Fury almost dies if not for a last minute move.
All's well that ends well then? Wrong. The Fixer has used Doc Doom's time machine to summon someone from the future.
We've had enough excitement. Deathlok is for a future tale.
