The Thing | Don't waste yer time with that gizmo! It wasn't designed fer a lug with my physique! |
Nurse Hasslebutt | Hospital regulations require me to record each patient's blood pressure twice a day! I won't have you disrupting my routine! Besides, you have nothing better to do! |
The Thing | You ain't wrong! This is the most excitement I've had all day! I oughta be out tradin' punches with some super-meanie like Doc Doom or the Sandman -- insteada wastin' my time here! Hey, what's the verdict? Am I gonnalive? |
Nurse Hasslebutt | According to these results -- you've been dead fr a week! |
The Thing | I gotta get outta here! |
Appearing in "Visiting Hours!"
Featured Characters:
- ⏴ Thing (Ben Grimm) ⏵ (Main story and recap)
Supporting Characters:
- ⏴ Alicia Masters ⏵
- Fantastic Four
- ⏴ Franklin Richards ⏵
- ⏴ Spider-Man (Peter Parker) ⏵
- ⏴ Daredevil (Matt Murdock) ⏵
Antagonists:
- ⏴ Beetle (Abner Jenkins) ⏵
- ⏴ Blacklash (Marco Scarlotti) ⏵
- ⏴ Doctor Doom (Victor von Doom) ⏵
- Grapplers
- ⏴ Hijacker (Howard Mitchell) ⏵
- ⏴ Mad Thinker ⏵
- ⏴ Mecho Marauder (Fabian Stankiewicz) ⏵
- ⏴ Melter (Bruno Horgan) ⏵
- ⏴ Mirage (Desmond Charne) ⏵
- ⏴ MODOK ⏵
- ⏴ Mole Man (Harvey Elder) ⏵
- Moloids
- ⏴ Rhino (Aleksei Sytsevich) ⏵
- ⏴ Shellshock (Gary Buser) ⏵
- ⏴ Constrictor (Frank Payne) ⏵
- ⏴ Dreadnought ⏵
Other Characters:
- Rodney Dangerfield (Mentioned) (Topical Reference)
- Avengers
- ⏴ Captain America (Steve Rogers) ⏵
- ⏴ Iron Man (Tony Stark) ⏵
- ⏴ She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters) ⏵
- ⏴ Thor ⏵ (Shared existence with ⏴ Donald Blake (Earth-616) ⏵)
- ⏴ Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) ⏵
- New York Yankees (Mentioned) (Topical Reference)
- Gladiator (Only in recap)
- Champion (Only in recap)
- ⏴ Bill Foster ⏵
- ⏴ Celia Jackson ⏵
- Nurse Hasslebutt (First appearance)
- Aunt May (Referenced)
- Florence Nightingale (Mentioned) (Topical Reference)
- Odin (Mentioned)
- ⏴ Ant-Man (Scott Lang) ⏵
- Clint Eastwood (Mentioned) (Topical Reference)
- X-Men
- ⏴ Hulk (Bruce Banner) ⏵
- ⏴ Namor the Sub-Mariner ⏵
- ⏴ Sandman (William Baker) ⏵
- ⏴ Sasquatch (Walter Langowski) ⏵
- ⏴ Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) ⏵
- ⏴ Vision ⏵
- ⏴ Wonder Man (Simon Williams) ⏵
Races and Species:
- Humans
- Spiders (Mentioned)
- Robots
- Asgardians
- Moloids
- Ants
- Cyborgs
- Mutants
- Mutant Atlantean-Human Hybrids
- Synthezoids
- Strontians (Only in recap)
Locations:
- Earth
- United States of America
- New York
- New York City
- Manhattan
- Madison Square Garden (Only in flashback)
- Manhattan
- New York City
- Los Angeles, California (Mentioned)
- New York
- Latveria
- United States of America
Items:
- Fantastic Four Uniforms
- Spider-Man's Suit and Web-Shooters
- Captain America's Uniform and Shield
- Iron Man Armor Mk V
- Daredevil's Suit and Billy Club
- Mjolnir
- Ant-Man's Suit and Helmet
- Wasp's Suit
- Wolverine's Suit
- X-Uniforms
- Cyclops' Visor
- Doctor Doom's Armor
- Beetle Armor MK I
- Melting Ray MK III
- Rhino Armor
- Constrictor's Battlesuit
Vehicles:
Events:
- Floating Super-Hero Poker Game (Mentioned)
Synopsis for "Visiting Hours!"
Following his battles against both the Shi'ar's Gladiator and the Champion of the Universe, the Thing has been hospitalized for his injuries. There, he is visited by his girlfriend, Alicia Masters, his teammates in the Fantastic Four, his godson Franklin, and both Captain America and Iron Man of the Avengers. As he gripes over not having anything good to watch on television and not being allowed to smoke any cigars, he is also visited by his pal Bill Foster and his girlfriend, Celia Jackson.
Suddenly, the visit is interrupted by Ben's nurse, who tells those gathered that visiting hours are over and that her patient needs his rest. As they leave the room, the Invisible Girl asks her husband what he seems so grim about, and Mister Fantastic points out that Ben's admission to the hospital is public knowledge, causing him to fear that one of their many foes may attack him here.
Just as Reed expresses these fears, the Mad Thinker is plotting the demise of the Thing from his secret lair. By running data through his computers, he has determined that one of the Thing's foes will manage to get into his hospital room; however, there is insufficient data to determine who that person might be, much to his frustration. Regardless, the Mad Thinker is convinced that at least one super-villain will be successful in destroying the Thing.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man has gotten some flowers and decides to pay a visit to the Thing at the hospital. His arrival coincides with an attack by the Mecho Marauder. Jamming the villain's weapon systems with his webbing, Spider-Man causes the Marauder's armor to implode and leaves the villain defenseless while he webs him up for the authorities. Spider-Man joins the others, who have regathered in Ben's room. When the nurse enters, she is upset that someone has given Ben a cigar and orders everyone out, confiscating the stogie as well.
Not long after this, the villain known as Mirage enters the hospital, content that he will get past whatever security may stop him thanks to the multiple illusions of himself. However, he does not account for Daredevil being on the scene, who is able to easily detect the real Mirage with his radar sense and knock the villain out. While up in his room, the Thing is unaware of the attack. Trying to catch the baseball game, he is upset to hear reports that it has been canceled due to rain.
Down below, Doctor Donald Blake has come into the hospital to oversee the Thing's recovery. Coming back from examining x-rays, he is to witness the Mole Man and an army of his Moloids bursting through the floor. Tapping his cane twice on the floor, Blake transform into the mighty Thor, who then uses Mjolnir to summon a storm in the basement of the hospital to drive the Mole Man and his minions back.
While Ben fusses over getting his temperature taken, Shellshock attacks the hospital, only to be ambushed and knocked out by Ant-Man. The Grapplers also arrive on the scene and try to gain access, but they are repelled by Captain America with an assist from the X-Men. Then, Hijacker tries to ram the hospital in his massive tank, but his vehicle is incapacitated by Iron Man.
While the Thing struggles to fight boredom, his condition becomes privy to Doctor Doom in Latveria, and he begins plotting a fitting response to this news. Meanwhile, the waiting room of the hospital is filled with Ben's friends within the super-hero community. The Human Torch then warns everyone that an army of super-villains have amassed and are heading toward the hospital. This leads to a massive brawl between the heroes and those seeking to harm Ben.
While back at his hideout, the Mad Thinker gloats that that brawl is the distraction that will allow one of the Thing's enemies to slip by and is convinced that his death will soon follow. What the Mad Thinker doesn't realize is that villain is the recently reformed Sandman, who has sneaked into Ben's room to thank him for giving him a second chance and has come to see how he is doing. Seeing that the Sandman has brought a six pack of beer and some cigars, Ben believes that this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Notes
Continuity Notes[]
- The Thing's injuries come from his battles against Gladiator in Fantastic Four #249–250 and his fight with the Champion in Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7 (which this issue erroneously states as #6).
- Ben mentions how Bill Foster had recently been cured of cancer. That happened in Marvel Two-In-One #85. It is mentioned that Bill has given up being Giant-Man, although his powers are later restored in West Coast Avengers Annual #3.
- The Mechano Marauder mentions how he has always been humiliated by the Avengers in the past. He has been trying to prove himself by defeating the Avengers since Avengers #217. At the time of this story, he had recently failed at defeating them in Avengers #221.
- Some facts about Thor at the time of this story:
- At the time of this story, Thor could switch to the mortal guise of Donald Blake. This transformation was imposed on Thor by his father Odin to teach him humility as first seen in Thor #159. Thor (Vol. 3) #1 clarifies that Blake is a mystical construct of Odin that lives a symbiotic life with Thor. At the time, Thor kept his double identities a secret.
- Donald Blake is actually visiting from Chicago. After he lost his job in New York City,[1] Blake moved to Chicago in Thor #319.
- Shellshock mentions his previous encounter with the Thing, which took place in Marvel Two-In-One #70. The Grapplers also mention their previous encounter with the Thing back in Marvel Two-In-One #56.
- Doctor Doom's plans are expanded upon in more detail in Fantastic Four #258 wherein he enslaved Tyros the Tamer and uses him as a pawn against the Fantastic Four.
- The Sandman decided to reform from crime in Marvel Two-In-One #86 following a traumatic experience where he was merged with Hydro-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #217–218. This lasts until his old Frightful Four ally the Wizard uses his ID Machine to turn him back into a criminal in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #12.
Continuity Errors[]
- The Beetle is depicted wearing his original armor here even though he had abandoned it in favor of a new model in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #58.
- Bill Foster is depicted as Giant-Man in the one-page battle montage on page 22. This is an error as Bill had lost his powers after being cured of cancer in Marvel Two-In-One #85 and does not regain them again until West Coast Avengers Annual #3.