Issue(s): Thing #8, Thing #9
Cover Date: Feb-Mar 84
Title: "Ancient evenings, ancient pain!" / "What price a soul?"
Credits:
John Byrne - Writer
Ron Wilson - Penciler
Hilary Barta / Joe Sinnott - Inker

Review/plot:
It turns out that the Thing's soul contains a man that has been cursed since the times of ancient Egypt to be forever reincarnated in the body of a freak. The wizard that cast the curse (under duress at the bequest of a treacherous Egyptian queen) has also been extending his own life and now that he's found the soul in the body of a being of such power, he casts a spell that causes the Egyptian soul to come to the forefront and take over the Thing's body.

It's unclear exactly what his goal is - vengeance on the long dead queen isn't really an option. But in the end Alicia is able to get through to the Egyptian soul, convincing him to leave the Thing's body (and take the wizard with him).

It's the sort of story that only works if you never reference it again (which is a risky proposition in the Marvel Universe). Otherwise, you could really clutter up the Thing's stories with all sorts of ancient Egyptian related nonsense. Luckily, nothing like that happened, and the dialogue actually tries to make it clear that the Thing has never been influenced by this soul.

The Thing's transformation occurred while he was visiting Alicia in the hospital, and in the commotion she is forced to leave her bed. She won't return to the hospital after this issue, so i guess she got better. Her hair had all been burned off in Annihilus' attack, so we see her with short hair in this issue. She'll retain that look for a while.

As a stand-alone, these issues are fine but not really great.

The art in issue #8 is a little funny. She-Hulk, who tries to cheer up the Thing while he's moping around, looks especially odd.

I guess the idea is to make her look more realistically bulky considering her strength, but she looks stunted.

It's pointed out in a later lettercol that the Thing has three arms in the panel below. I would have never noticed.

One interesting bit is that while the Egyptian Thing is on his rampage, the police break out special energy weapons designed by Reed Richards. It's a rare case of Marvel super-science being available to real world people.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Alicia leaves the hospital in this arc.

References:

• The Thing reflects on the fact that a lot has happened since the FF explored the Negative Zone in Fantastic Four #251-256.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A