Marvel doesn’t do covers like it used to. They were so great in the ‘80s.
In this issue, Defenders cast-off character Ian Fate appears in Man-Thing’s swamp and hypnotizes him with compassion. It’s a really nice scene.
Fate then takes Man-Thing, via teleportation, to New York where they go to the offices of the Daily Bugle. Man-Thing is undercover dressed like Tatterdemalion, and he may be made of a swamp but he doesn’t smell like one because nobody is complaining about the odor.
Fate is apparently an old friend of J. Jonah Jameson, and he wants JJJ to let him write an editorial piece about how everyone needs to “respect each other.” JJJ says there’s no place for that kind of philosophy in his paper. That’s a little weird, but whatever.
From there, Ian gets mad and punches JJJ, Spider-Man shows up to help. But first he has to find a place to change clothes.
Man-Thing tries to defend his pal Ian Fate, and they bust through the wall and fall to the ground, where Man-Thing goes splat…
…And then the fight moves across the city in a scene pretty reminiscent of when Spider-Man took on Juggernaut in Amazing #229-230.
When Ian sees the damage he’s causing, he decides to bring Man-Thing back to the swamp and regrets the whole thing.
While the ending is a little too formulaic and quick, this is a solid issue with a great extended hero vs. hero fight that actually makes sense.