Issue(s): Giant-Size Man-Thing #2
Cover Date: Nov 74
Title: "Of monsters and men! / The high cost of vengeance! / Man-Thing's New York adventure!"
Credits:
Steve Gerber - Writer
John Buscema - Penciler
Klaus Janson - Inker

Review/plot:
F.A. Schist is dead, and his wife blames the Man-Thing...

...so she convenes a group of scientists similar to the one that her husband did back in issue #2, but this time one of the scientists agrees to help, on the condition that the Man-Thing be brought in for study, not simply exterminated.

The scientist, Dane Gavin, builds something far more sophisticated than anything Professor Slaughter did...

...and manages to capture the Man-Thing and bring him to a simulated swamp environment at the "Ecological History Museum" in New York City.

Reed Richards and Tony Stark are on the board of trustees.

When the Thing hears about the Man-Thing's capture, he nearly tells Reed that he previously learned that there is actually a man somewhere inside the Man-Thing, but he decides not to at the last minute.

It's not specifically said, but Reed's failure to cure Ben was probably a factor there.

The museum is soon forced to put the Man-Thing on display, over the protests of Gavin, and of course the Man-Thing escapes. But despite the guest stars and the fact that the Man-Thing is in New York, this doesn't turn into a big rampage through the city where he fights various super-heroes. Just a brief non-fight with Mr. Fantastic.

Instead, cut off from his swamp source, he soon passes out in a fountain, and Gavin, along with Schist's daughter, Carolyn, decides to bring the Man-Thing back to the Everglades.

If nothing else, this gives us the Buscema/Janson version of the Man-Thing.

This was the only original story in this Giant-Sized issue; the rest of the book contained Silver Age reprints (not included in my Essentials).

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: The story takes place after the death of F.A. Schist in Man-Thing #8. The MCP places this between Man-Thing #7-8, the same gap as Giant-Size #1 and Mr. Thing's guest appearances in Daredevil #113-114 and Master of Kung-Fu #19. The MCP has the FF here between FF #154-155 and Iron Man between IM #72-73. It's a big jump from DD #113 (Aug 74) to IM #73 (Mar 75), but it's easy enough to shuffle around (ha ha) the Man-Thing books so i've pushed this and several from his regular series, beginning with issue #9, into 1975.

References:

• Man-Thing first encountered F.A. Schist in Fear #16.
  
• Schist hired Professor Slaughter to kill Man-Thing in Man-Thing #2.
  
• Schist died in Man-Thing #8.
  
• The Thing met the Man-Thing in Marvel Two-In-One #1.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Essential Man-Thing vol. 1

F. A. Schist=Fascist, I guess?

Whoever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing's touch, but Reed Richards' elastic arm doesn't burn at all as it oozes through the misshapen monster's slimy carcass. *shudder* Proving once again that Mr. Fantastic has nerves of steel.|)