Random Happenstance

We've long since established around here that I have virtually no filing system. But, sometimes the comics find themselves in just the right place at the right time.

Flipping through a box, I first found Marvel Two-in-One #75, "By Blastaar--Betrayed!" Written by Tom DeFalco, art by Alan Kupperberg and Chic Stone. I grabbed it since it recently came up in the comments over at Comics Should Be Good's discussion of Marvel Two-in-One Annual #7. Which is better, but #75 isn't bad. And it got a great in-house ad, which still appears in the issue it advertises.

Ben's excited to clear out the rest of the Fantastic Four, just in time for his latest poker game, this time with most of the current Avengers. Since Celebrity Poker hadn't yet sold anyone on the idea of a whole issue of cards-playing action, the game's interrupted by a distress call from the Negative Zone. ("Ben, can we please have the next game at the Mansion?")

Some highlights include both Hawkeye and the Beast referring to Nyglar as "babe." Really, guys?

The betrayal mentioned in the title isn't Blastaar betraying Nyglar, but instead Annihilus. Blastaar sets up a partnership to retake his throne, but it was a doublecross: he had already reclaimed it, and laid a trap of "political prisoners...sentenced to death!" The prisoners are then slaughtered by Annihilus' forces, which leaves them in position to be killed themselves by Blastaar's real troops. I mention this because it's a pretty crafty plan for friggin' Blastaar, and because it was probably the first time as a kid that I heard the term "political prisoners." Weird.

Short one repellor-jetpack for the trip home out of the Negative Zone, the Wasp "hitches a ride" on Iron Man's face. That didn't sound right...

Almost right next to this issue in a random box, was Wolverine Annual '99--now, that's the 1999 annual, not the 99th one, although maybe doing an annual for every year Wolvie's supposedly been alive would be something. I don't know, I bought this thing for Deadpool, who appears in the bland first story involving a poncy, Lestat-like writer who's really a werewolf.

But the backup story's where the action is, at another of Ben's poker games!

We don't see much of it this time, since Wolvie gets sent on a beer run, that ends up with Hand ninjas summoning a dragon. Like most of Logan's beer runs. Much more fun than the main story. Plus, S.H.I.E.L.D. flying car!

Bite me, Logan, I love those things. Every year that one of these doesn't come out is another nail in the coffin of the American auto industry.

Weirdly, he only goes out for a sixer: I think if Ben, Fury, and possibly She-Hulk were drinking, they'd want some more. From "Beer Run" Written by Marc Andreyko, art by Massimiliano Frezzato. But, what's your favorite Thing poker game? I don't think I have all of them, but I can think of at least three others...