Startling Stories: The Thing #1
Last Line of Defense
The Thing meets with Nick Fury at a bar where the SHIELD director asks the Thing for a favor. Ben asks him to ask the Avengers since he plans on going to the Hamptons for the weekend.[1] Still, Fury says that there is no choice and he’ll have someone pick him up and bring him to Fort Duke Army Base in an hour. The Thing returns home to the Baxter Building where he grudgingly packs a bag. When the Human Torch asks Ben if he’s still going to the Hamptons, the Thing tries to convince Johnny to come along. Unfortunately, as soon as Ben mentions Nick Fury’s name, Johnny decides he is not the least bit interested and abruptly leaves the room.
Later, when Ben arrives on the base the first thing he does is tell the soldiers that they don’t need to salute him because he’s not army brass. He is soon paired with Corporal Charles Proctor who has been assigned to driver for this mission. Ben finds the whole entire process brings and tells Proctor to stop being so damn by-the-book with him. When they get to the site, Ben offers the Corporal a beer, but Proctor turns it down because he is still on duty. Still, the pair starts making small talk and the subject changes to what it’s like being a superhero. This gets Ben talking about one night he managed to get himself quite drunk…
He was coming home after a card game with Wolverine and just before he can get into the Baxter Building a police officer approaches him and says that the Wrecker is ripping up Times Square.[2] The Thing agrees to go and is quickly taken to Time Square where he tries, at first, to talk the Wrecker into surrendering.[3] However, the Wrecker was looking for a fight with Thor and considers the Thing second rate and tries to prove this by beating Ben in a fight. The Thing punches the Wrecker into the air and considers the job done, but while he’s asking the cops for a glass of water the Wrecker lands and strikes him from behind. This only makes Ben angry and as he grapples with the Wrecker he leans over and whispers in his ear that its clobbering time. The Thing quickly overpowers the Wrecker and then, adding insult to injury, begins giving his foe a spanking…
… Ben finishes his story by saying that the Wrecker was arrested and sent to jail. Now that he has broken the ice, he asks Charles about himself. Proctor says that he was an army brat and since everyone in his family served he signed up for the army once he was old enough.[4] The thing can relate, telling the corporal that he used to be a test pilot before he joined the Fantastic Four.[5] When Proctor suggests that Ben Grimm at least doesn’t have to take orders, Ben tells him the contrary and recounts the time that the President of the United States had asked him to travel to the Inhuman’s home of Attilan to prevent a war from breaking out…[6]
.. Travelling to Attilan in a pair of rocket boots, the Thing had made a less than graceful landing in the middle of the city. His requests to speak to Black Bolt lead to Ben getting attacked by Gorgon who tells him that this is none of his concern. This is mirrored by both Karnak and Triton who also tell Ben that this isn’t the best time for a visit as they are preparing to battle with the soldiers outside the city walls. Ben explains that he’s come to talk things down before they escalate. Ben points out that Gorgon is lacking in brains and they really need to have a sit down to hash things out. Still, Gorgon is spoiling for a fight and tries to stamp his hoof to the ground again, but this time the Thing gabs his leg and forces the Inhuman to the ground. The pair come to blows while Karnak and Triton debate on if they should intervene. That’s when Medusa arrives and orders them all to stand down. Since Gorgon’s temper is as bad as ever, Medusa takes the Thing somewhere they can talk in private.
Medusa takes Ben back to her home, where they exchange pleasantries before they get down to business.[7] When he tells her that the Inhumans need to avoid conflict with the army she agrees to convince Black Bolt of the folly of war. That’s when the two admit to each other if it wasn’t for their significant others they might have had a romance together.[8] Unfortunately, Black Bolt walks in just as the two are hugging and takes it the wrong way and immediately attacks the Thing. They land in the middle of the city where their brawl is watched by Gorgon, Triton, and Karnak until Medusa comes out and tells them to stop the fight. The fight is quickly ended but not before Black Bolt knocks the wind out of Ben with one last blow. As they are pulled apart, Karnak has some wisdom for Ben: Never get funny with someone else’s girlfriend.
… When Corporal Proctor asks if the Thing ever had sex with Medusa, it makes Ben do a spit take. He makes it clear that the two have only ever been friends. All this talk about Ben’s adventures gets Charles thinking about the differences between their lives. He is in awe with how the Thing is this great hero while he’ll only be nothing but another dog face in the army. Ben tells him that you measure a man’s worth by his heart, giving Captain America as an example. Ben points out that Cap doesn’t have anywhere near the same strength the Thing does, but Ben would never want to tangle with the Star-Spangled Avenger. This gets Ben talking about how life always tests you and begins recounting a time that he was stuck at the Baxter Building looking after Sue while she was pregnant with Franklin…[9]
… The pair are playing cards and talking about how Sue’s will be giving birth soon. Sue admits that she is concerned about how present her husband will be after she gives birth, reminding Ben that he is the typical absent-minded professor. Their talk is cut short when suddenly Blastaar and some of his loyal warriors cross over through the Negative Zone portal. Blastaar shocks them when he tells them that he has come to kill Sue and her unborn child. As Ben piles into Blastaar and his minions, he tells Sue to get to the communications room and call for help.
After sealing Ben and his foes in the Negative Zone lab, Sue called Avengers Mansion but Javis — the Avengers butler —tells her that the core team is still exploring the Negative Zone with Mister Fantastic. She then tells him to call for reserve members because Ben is going to get killed. When Blastaar and his minions are done with Ben they blast their way into the com-room and try to attack Sue. Despite her advanced pregnancy, she is able to hold her own. Still, they manage to knock her out when she is blasted from behind. That’s when Ben enters the room and warns Blastaar that if he harms Sue anymore he will kill them all. Ben then withstands the full barrage of Blastaar’s energy blasts and starts beating on his foe non-stop until Sue tells him it’s all over….
… Finishing this story, Ben explains that he wasn’t concerned about his own safety, only making sure that Sue and the baby remain safe. That force of will had nothing to do with his physical strength but the courage in his heart. Charlie can’t believe there could be any situation that would be scarier than that one that Ben just described. However, as if on cue, the ground begins to shake. Looking up into the sky, Ben tells Charles to get back in the jeep and get out of there as quickly as possible. When Charles protests, Ben tells him that it’s an order and the corporal takes off. As the object in the sky comes barreling closer, Ben finishes his beer, takes off his shirt and says that it’s time to get to work. The object hurtling toward him turns out to be the Hulk, who is madder than hell and spoiling for a fight.
Recurring Characters
Thing, Nick Fury, Hulk, (in flashback) Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Wrecker, Inhumans (Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, Karnak, Triton), Blastaar, Edwin Jarvis
Continuity Notes
Fury states that the Avengers are off-planet or “some such thing” at the time of this story. At the time of this story, the Avengers are actually on Earth but are stopping one of the Red Skull’s schemes during the Red Zone story arc which took place between Avengers (vol. 3) #65-69.
The events of this flashback take place immediately prior to the present day of this story, placing it as happening just after Fantastic Four #502.
The Thing asks if the Wrecker is an Asgardian. He’s not. He got his powers from Asgardian magic however as seen in Thor #148.
Charles says his grandmother’s brother served in World War II. The conflict this family member served in should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
The Thing’s story about his going to Attilan takes place during a period when the Inhuman’s hidden city was located in the Himalayan Mountains circa Fantastic Four #83.
Ben’s past military service was first mentioned back in Fantastic Four #11, which states that he was in the airforce. For years his military service was subject to the Sliding Timescale, however, since the publication of History of the Marvel Universe #1, Ben’s military service has been locked in as having happened during the Sin-Cong Conflict, a fictional war that was created to work around the constantly moving Sliding Timescale. The first mention of Ben being a test pilot after his service in the Air Force was made in Fantastic Four #194.
The Thing points out how Medusa wasn’t always so friendly when they first met. He is referring to the fact that when he first met Medusa she was a member of the Frightful Four as seen in Fantastic Four #36. She remained with the group until she was reunited with her fellow Inhumans in Fantastic Four #45.
At the time of this flashback, the Thing was dating Alicia Masters, the pair dated almost consistently from Fantastic Four #9
Given that Sue is pregnant with Franklin in this flashback this portion of the story takes place after Fantastic Four #79.
