Issue(s): Marvel Two-In-One #51
Cover Date: May 79
Title: "Full house-- dragons high!"
Credits:
Peter Gillis - Writer
Frank Miller - Penciler
Bob McLeod - Inker

Review/plot:
This is one of Marvel's little hidden gems. Nick Fury, Jarvis, D.A. Tower, and a bunch of super-heroes get together for a poker game...

...which gets interrupted so they can prevent an attack by a disgruntled army general who has stolen the Yellow Claw's Sky Dragon.

It's largely a great down-time issue, with tons of clever bits and character moments.

Frank Miller is of course a great artist, even in these early one shot appearances, and Peter Gillis never got the recognition he should have for his writing.

Quality Rating: A-

Historical Significance Rating: 2 - beginning the tradition of the Thing's Celebrity Poker Games

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place after Wonder Man and the Beast's conversation about heroism in Avengers #181. Nick Fury mentions that Iron Man and Captain America cancelled on him due to the fact that he's not exactly on the best of terms with them. Iron Man/Stark has just found out that SHIELD has been buying up his company's stocks in Iron Man #119, and Captain America has recently been told by SHIELD's security agent that he's a security risk in Captain America #231; should take place before Cap and Fury reconcile in Captain America #237. Dum Dum is on furlough from Godzilla duty (i'm hoping "furlough" can be interpreted to mean a leave of absence after the Godzilla affair was all over, considering that i've placed the final Godzilla arc well before this).

References:

• The Yellow Claw's Sky Dragon was last seen in Strange Tales #166. They're also after the Claw's Ultimate Annihilator from the same arc.
  
• As the Beast is leaping through the air during the fight, he says he's making up for when the X-Men ran off and joined the circus and he missed out on the fun part, a reference to Uncanny X-Men #111.
  
• The general, named Pollock, previously appeared in Avengers annual #6.
  
• Wonder Man references the conversation he had with the Beast about heroism, which was in Avengers #181.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Adventures of the Thing #3

This was reprinted in the 90s in the Adventures of the Thing mini-series. Such a great issue!

Is this the very first poker game reference for the Thing? If so it would be the beginning of a minor institution since it crops up now and again in various comics. If so, it may warrant a slight increase in the historical significance.

Agree wholeheartedly this is a fun issue. Also agree that Gillis is highly underrated as a writer. He created Caleb Hammer from Marvel's Western line, arguably the most interesting of the cowboy characters, certainly the best backstory. Also liked Fury's mention of Boothroyd (a.k.a. "Q" from James Bond) as a nod to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Colonel's comparisons to 007 and Her Majesty's Secret Service.