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Marvel Team-Up (UK) Vol 1 20

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Appearing in "Earth 33⅓"

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Synopsis for "Earth 33⅓"

  • Synopsis not yet written

Appearing in "Death on the Air"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Marvel Team-Up #90

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Synopsis for "Death on the Air"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Marvel Team-Up #90
Peter Parker has taken Cissy Ironwood to the Empire State University Technology science exhibit. As they enter the hall, they see the Beast, who is currently an Avenger, at the center of a group of adoring coeds. Peter wonders how the Beast manages to attract so many women. Don't those women, he asks enviously, has any self-respect? Cissy, however, does not reply, for she has joined the women herself.

As Peter resigns himself to viewing the exhibits alone, two sinister figures look down into the hall from the mezzanine. Killer Shrike tells the bizarre Modular Man that it would have been less risky to come after the show closed, but the Modular Man replies that he must get the device he needs as soon as possible. Otherwise, he could remain trapped in his strange body forever, and Shrike would lose any chance of being cured of his amnesia.

The Modular Man recalls how his experiments into molecular dissolution backfired, causing his molecules to drift apart so that he had to build a especially ionized metal skeleton to keep his body together. He thought that the group called the Conspiracy might cure him, but they only provided him with his name and introduced him to Shrike before they were destroyed. Then the Modular Man discovered that he could cure himself with a microwave-driven cellular condenser.

Once he is cured, he declares, he will help Shrike find out his past before he was hired by the Conspiracy. When the Modular Man sees the case containing the condenser, Peter Parker happens to be standing in front of it. Peter feels his spider-sense tingle and heads for a convenient place to change into his Spider-Man costume. Shrike and the Modular Man are pleased when Peter leaves, and the Modular Man quickly descends into the gallery to steal the object.

Unfortunately, an alarm connected to the showcase starts to ring when the Modular Man shatters the glass. Spider-Man attacks, but Killer Shrike slams into him from behind, hurling him into the adjacent room over the Beast's head. The Beast quickly sheds his street clothes, leaps away from his flock of admirers, and asks Spider-Man what is going on. Spider-Man points out the two criminals making their way through the crowd. Then the Modular Man sheds his overcoat, revealing his skeleton-like body. The Beast attacks him, and Spider-Man tackles Shrike. The battle is brief but intense, and the Beast is left unconscious after a jolt from Shrike's electro-claws. The Modular Man explains that he cannot feel pain, and that his body has several detachable modules, including a poison-gas gun. Spider-Man tries to avoid breathing the gas, but Shrike uses both of his electro-claws simultaneously to hit Spider-Man with a powerful electric blast.

Spider-Man falls to the floor, unconscious, and when the Beast attempts to rise, the Modular Man knocks him out again with a double-fisted punch to the back of the head. Then, the condenser in hand, the two thieves escape. The onlookers help Spider-Man and the Beast up, and a physician is summoned. Fortunately, the Beast's special metabolism quickly heals his concussion, while Spider-Man has suffered only minor damage. The doctor notes that the thieves stole only the cellular condenser. He cannot understand why anyone would want it because it will not work without a massive flux of microwaves to power it. Nevertheless, it is his only prototype, he says, and he would like it returned. Spider-Man and the Beast agree to try to retrieve it, but then Spider-Man remembers that he was at the exhibition on a date. He asks the Beast to track the two criminals down alone, saying he will join him later. The Beast wagers ten dollars that he won't, and Spider-Man takes the bet as he departs.

Unknown to the Beast, Spider-Man put a spider-tracer on him, and he chuckles to himself as he changes into his street clothes. A few minutes later, Peter rejoins Cissy and walks her home. She says that seeing the Beast was the most fun she has had in ages. Then, she invites Peter to watch television with her tomorrow night. She should be studying for a math exam, she says, but the cable is adding new channels, including some transmitted from foreign countries by satellite. Knowing that he will be on his mission, Peter says he may not be able to make it, so Cissy neglects to kiss him goodbye and closes the door behind her.

The next day, in a midtown Manhattan hotel room, Killer Shrike and the Modular Man make plans to find a power source for the inoperative condenser. The Modular Man notes that the new cable channels should supply all the energy they'll need. Thus, seven minutes before the channels go on the air, they are hovering in a helicopter above the Empire State Building's television antenna. All the satellite transmissions to and from the cable network have to go through that antenna, says the Modular Man. Using a microwave dish, Shrike will collect the power from the incoming and outgoing transmissions and beam it at the Modular Man.

On the ledge of a building not far away sits the Beast with binoculars observing the helicopter. He deduced that the cable hook-ups at the Empire State Building were the only available source of powerful microwaves. Just then, Spider-Man taps him on the shoulder. Glum at losing ten dollars, the Beast hands the binoculars to Spider-Man. As they watch, they see Shrike swoop toward the antenna and position the dish. When the button is pressed inside the studio to turn on the new channels, the air around the antenna is ionized by the redirected microwaves. Spider-Man clambers rapidly up the side of the building, but by the time he can attack Shrike, the dish has done its job. The Modular Man has begun to draw the power directly into himself, says Shrike, and there is nothing Spider-Man can do about it.

As the Beast joins Spider-Man, Killer Shrike connects with a powerful punch that knocks Spidel-Man off the building. The Beast catches him, but they both plummet toward the street. Spider-Man is unconscious, so the Beast frantically looks for his web-shooters. Quickly figuring out how to activate them, he snags the building with a web-line and swings back toward Shrike. With Spider-Man over his shoulder, he slams into the criminal's mid-section with both feet. Spider-Man revives, but then a loud explosion from the helicopter draws their attention upward.

Spider-Man and the Beast are startled to see the Modular Man, grown to gigantic size, dropping down from the helicopter. Shrike is bewildered, but the Modular Man declares that it was his plan all along: to become a being of pure energy. Using the modified molecular condenser and the concentrated microwaves, he continues, he will soon free himself from all bodily limitations and enjoy power beyond that known to any man. Killer Shrike, panicked, asks, "What about me?" In answer, the giant Modular Man contemptuously swats him off the building.

Fortunately, Spider-Man snags the unconscious criminal and hauls him to safety. The Beast says that they dare not approach the Modular Man, which would be like walking into a microwave oven. The Modular Man says that he will soon begin his reign of terror. All the human vermin that crawl on the Earth will know and fear him, he declares. Spider-Man and the Beast try to think of a way to deal with the madman, and the Beast suggests that a jolt of lightning might scramble him as it would a television transmission. Unfortunately, the sky happens to be clear.

Thinking fast, they pick up the unconscious Killer Shrike, bring his electro-claws together, and hit the Modular Man with a bolt of electricity. Instantly, circuits and transistors overload, and a tremendous burst of energy explodes the Modular Man. When the smoke clears, all that remains of him is a charred, man-sized steel skeleton. If the television transmitter was working, says the Beast, the Modular Man has been cabled into half the homes in the city.

Having, in the meantime, regained consciousness, Shrike suddenly soars away, but Spider-Man tells the Beast to let him go. It is enough that they stopped and probably killed his partner, he continues. It was a disagreeable experience, he says as he web-swings away, even if they had little choice in what they did.

Appearing in "The Blind God's Tears"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Fantastic Four #225

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Synopsis for "The Blind God's Tears"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Fantastic Four #225
Wiglif and Hrolf give the Fantastic Four a tour of the crystal dome's facilities, including the generator that processes Korgon's radiation into the heat required to sustain life. Brought before Korgon again, Reed agrees to help find a way to save the god's life and in spite of Wiglif's protests that it could be the FF themselves who are responsible for Korgon's illness the foursome are freed. Reed begins the long process of seeking a cure for Korgon's condition, and after a full day's work, the leader of the FF thinks he has the means to solve the problem, provided the FF have full and safe access to their powers again. Wiglif is suspicious, accusing the FF of trying to trick Korgon into restoring their powers so they can escape.

Korgon is having none of it and uses the nullifier machine on the team, giving them their powers back. Korgon also entrusts Hrolf with the Darkfield Rod that, 'in case of treachery', can reverse the process for good. In Asgard, Odin the All-Seeing ponders the machinations of Wiglif and the ways of those Vikings who used once to worship the Aesir but who now follow Korgon, and primes his son the Mighty Thor for a possible mission. Meanwhile, back inside the dome the FF prepare the sickly form of Korgon for the process Reed hopes will restore his health. On his command the machine is activated, and instead of absorbing Korgon's radiation, it returns it to the god. Korgon's almost lifeless form causes Hrolf to remind the FF that, should they have failed, they will be executed, but Reed insists that the process needs time to take effect. Suddenly Korgon stirs inside Sue's force field and it appears that the process has been successful. Presented to the rest of Korgon's followers as heroes, a banquet is given in the FF's honor.

At the height of the festivities a pensive Reed leaves to seek out Korgon, unaware that Wiglif is following him. Korgon asks Reed to make him mortal again, saying that after a thousand years the burden of immortality is too much and that he would like to die a man. Reed is compassionate, and in spite of grave reservations, agrees to conduct the procedure. When Reed starts the procedure it soon becomes clear that the machine has been sabotaged and instead of removing Korgon's radiation it is actually enhancing it. Enraged, Korgon accuses Reed of betrayal and goes on berserk rage, unleashing his radiation on the FF in an attempt to kill them. As the followers come to the aid of their god, destruction rains on the crystal dome. Eventually Korgon subdues the FF and uses the Darkfield Rod to remove their powers. Thor comes to the rescue, and distracts Korgon long enough for Sue to use the Rod on her and her colleagues.

As Korgon goes insane with rage and threatens to destroy the dome, Wiglif's deception is revealed. Thor calls upon Odin for help and the Great Father intercedes, removing the excess energy that has caused Korgon's madness. Chastened and humbled, Korgon vows to repair and maintain the dome, and rule in future with wisdom, accepting his responsibility for his followers well-being. And with that the Fantastic Four take their leave.

Appearing in "Return to Terror!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Fear #24

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  • Arcturian Starship (First appearance)

Synopsis for "Return to Terror!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Fear #24
Morbius and Lord I arrive at the last ship their race produced capable of interstellar travel, prepared to travel to Earth and stop the Caretakers. However, they are beset by tribesmen who worship the ship as a god, and Morbius must protect I (who has no instinct for self-preservation). Morbius quickly realizes that their only chance is to take a hostage, and grabs a woman who appears to be their queen. Unfortunately, it’s been more than 24 hours since he has fed, so he is quickly overcome with hunger and kills her. Morbius and I flee for the ship and slam the door as the tribesmen get close.

Morbius recalls the events that have brought him here, as they prepare for their trip to Earth. I then launches the starship and its rockets reduce some of the tribesmen to ashes.

Several weeks later, Blade has saved a woman in an alley from a vampire. As he is delivering the final blow, the ship crash lands in the street, drawing a crowd. Upon investigating, the bystanders find the body of Lord I, and Blade realizes that the alien was killed not by the crash, but by a vampire. Figuring that the vampire must have escaped just before landing, he looks up just in time to see Morbius taking off from a rooftop.

Blade pursues him through the city, and the two clash. As they fight, he realizes that Morbius speaks English, and Morbius realizes that Blade is claiming to have fought other vampires. Deciding that he must be insane, Morbius eventually knocks Blade off a roof and escapes.

Morbius flees across the country by rail, murdering engineers and switch operators from Chicago to Los Angeles, not realizing that the Caretakers are watching.

Appearing in "The Price of a Heart!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Marvel Premiere #48

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Synopsis for "The Price of a Heart!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Marvel Premiere #48
Scott Lang, the new Ant-Man, attempts to get Dr. Sondheim out of the clutches of the mutated Darren Cross. However, he underestimates Cross' enhanced abilities and is defeated. His equipment disabled, Scott listens as Cross explains his heart condition and the implantation of a "nucleorganic pacemaker." The device backfired, not only slowly mutating him into a Neanderthal-like giant but also wearing out his heart, necessitating periodic transplants from unwilling donors. Learning he is to be next in line to be a "donor" Scott manages to fix his equipment and escape, busting back into the surgical theatre just as Dr. Sondheim finished another operation. Ant-Man fights Cross, who suddenly falls dead; Dr. Sondheim tearfully explains that she couldn't let Cross keep killing people, so she put his original, nearly-worn heart back in. Ant-Man comforts her and tells her that a little girl (his daughter Cassie) needs her help. After the successful operation on Cassie, Scott is prepared to surrender and go back to prison, but Henry Pym (who had watched most of the adventure from a discreet remove) demurs, awarding Scott the Ant-Man costume.

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