Issue(s): Marvel Two-In-One #49
Cover Date: Mar 79
Title: "Curse of Crawlinswood"
Credits:
Mary Jo Duffy - Writer
Chic Stone - Penciler
Tex Blaisdell - Inker
Jim Salicrup - Assistant Editor
Roger Stern - Editor

Review/plot:
The Thing's gone fishin', but he's not having much luck, possibly because he's vacationing in Hell.

The Thing doesn't know it, but he's actually been summoned to this location by Dr. Strange. Strange also shows up at the hotel, but doesn't acknowledge Ben.

The threat they are here to face is the spirit of a wizard and a sailor that the wizard turned into a slave. The wizard is after the woman that the Thing is talking to in the scan above; the wizard has a grudge against her family.

Dr. Strange subconsciously directs the Thing in battle.

But Strange is eventually required to leave Ben to fight the wizard directly (it must require all of his concentration just to not laugh at his hat).

And, in a nice touch to an otherwise bland issue, once Dr. Strange stops directing the Thing, the Thing suddently becomes much more effective in battle, making the (obvious) deduction that the gem on the mind-controlled sailor's chest is key.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Keeping this in the same FF gap as Marvel Two-In-One #48-50 and that works out to having Dr. Strange appearing during the same gap in his book and Defenders as a number of Marvel Team-Up appearances.

References:

• The Thing uses a sonic fishing pole first seen in Fantastic Four #54.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A