Issue(s): Marvel Two-In-One #46
Cover Date: Dec 78
Title: "Battle in Burbank!"
Credits:
Alan Kupperberg - Writer
Alan Kupperberg - Penciler
Chic Stone - Inker
Roger Stern - Editor

Review/plot:
This is just a light-hearted tongue-in-cheek story where the Thing finds out about the Hulk's television show and gets jealous...

...so he contacts Mr. Jusko, the producer, and gets an appointment about making his own show. Meanwhile, the Hulk sees the way he's depicted on television and gets mad.

And some guys decide to kidnap Karen Page when they read that she's going to be a million-dollar co-star.

So everybody converges on Hollywood and a mini-fight breaks out.

Eventually the kidnappers are foiled and Jusko agrees to make the Hulk appear bigger in the TV show.

Karen Page decides to go back to Delazny Studios.

While in Hollywood, the Thing runs into "Uncle Waddles", a dead ringer for Howard the Duck.

"One week" later, the Thing gets the script and some prints for the new "Thing In The Family" show

This won't go down as one of the greatest Hulk/Thing battles of all times, but it's a cute little story. Per a 2006 Handbook (via), "Uncle Waddles" is apparently really Howard (the MCP also lists him as appearing in this issue).

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place after the Hulk leaves the Defenders in Defenders #62-64. I've placed it between FF #201-202 for the Thing and the rest of the FF.

References:

• Hulk was in Hollywood back in Hulk #4.
  
• The Hulk especially doesn't like movies thanks to the Dollar Bill fiasco in Defenders #62.
  
• The Thing was last in Hollywood in Fantastic Four #196.
  
• Sue says that she hopes the Thing's show works out better than her film from Fantastic Four #195.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

"Mr. Jusko" could refer to Joe Jusko, a Marvel b&w magazine cover artist.

It should be worth mentioning that this was the last time Karen Page appeared in a book before her return in the Daredevil: Born Again storyline. Makes you wonder what happened between MTIO #46 and DD #227 that lead to her decent into porn and drug addiction.

Sorry, I meant to say "descent".

I'm not buying that Waddles really is Howard; if so, his dialogue about the makeup would make no sense whatsoever.

Eh, something tells me Howard was just trying to fool around...that or he was on some high that lead to him signing his rights over to George Lucas...and we know how that turned out.

As for Karen Page: when in doubt, blame Frank Miller. (yeah, this appearance is obviously just as Miller's run that basically turned the life of Matt and everyone around him into living hell for the rest of their lives were about to begin...)