Thing (Vol. 2) #5
Give Till It Hurts...
Two months ago, the Thing is walking along a red carpet during a movie premiere, basking in the glow of his newfound fame and fortune. However, his stroll is interrupted by Hiram Scheckleberg, the pawnshop owner from his old neighborhood on Yancy Street. Sheckleberg scolds him for not going down to his shop to work to repay his debts to him. When Ben tells him he wrote Hiram a check, Hiram is insulted that he would repay the debt with money and tears up the check and storms off. Ben was later introduced to actress Carlotta LaRosa, which distracted him for a time...
... Today, the Thing returns to Yancy Street to do work for Hiram and is put to work right away. Ben goes about the day working in the pawnshop and pauses after an elderly black man pawns off his guitar for some fast cash. When Ben comments on how the beat-up instrument couldn't fetch much money, but Hiram explains that the man needs to spend money on an expensive surgery for his wife. When Ben tries to go off and give him the money he needs, Hiram stops him, explaining that doing so will strip the man of his pride. He tells Ben that pride is the most valuable thing on Yancy Street.
This causes Ben to think back to his youth when he helped his brother and the Yancy Street gang run off a rival gang encroaching on their turf. He recalls how his brother told him that while their neighborhood is awful, it's their neighborhood and they have to defend it with pride. Ben snaps out of his recollection when Sheckleberg tells him he can go home for the day. When he returns to his limo he sees that his car has been vandalized by the Yancy Street Gang. Ben crushes the limp and tosses it in a dumpster and has Lockjaw teleport his chauffeur home. Ben decides to take a bus home. While he sits on the bench it begins to rain. As he complains about the weather, the Yancy Streeters open up a fire hydrant to spray him even more.
That evening, Ben is getting a spa treatment done when a man comes in with the information he requested. As Ben goes over the paperwork he pauses to look at a photo of him and Alicia Masters and thinks about their past relationship. Ben goes to call Arlo North, and when Alicia answers the phone, Ben thinks he dialed her number by mistake because he was thinking of her. They have a brief bit of small talk and hang up. When Ben calls the number again, Arlo -- who was showering -- answers the phone. Ben then hires Arlo to help him on a building project on Yancy Street. The following day, Ben calls a press conference to and unveils his plans to build the Grimm Youth Center. Hiram is unimpressed with the announcement because he thinks this is just an attempt by Ben to do some grandstanding and walks off.
Before Ben can convince him otherwise, he is approached by some men in the Maggia who demand that Ben hires through them to do the construction work. However, Ben refuses and when they threaten to get violent he easily trounces them. The Maggia then decides to bring in the big guns. They hire the Trapster and one other to help with this problem. The following day the Thing begins his project with Arlo looking over it. However, when they prepare to demolish some derelict buildings, the workers discover all their equipment has been sabotaged. Unwilling to be daunted, the Thing demolishes the ground himself. However this doesn't impress Hiram, and the Yancy Street Gang leaves a burning bag of dog crap out on the site. When Ben stomps it out the Trapster uses this distraction to glue his foot to the ground. He then begins setting up explosives to destroy the site. When Ben tries to get free he is attacked by his one time friend the Sandman.
Recurring Characters
Thing, Hiram Sheckerberg, Lockjaw, Alicia Masters, Arlo North, Yancy Street Gang, Maggia, Trapster, Sandman, Carlotta LaRosa, Daniel Grimm (flashback)
Continuity Notes
Hiram Sheckiberg made Ben agree to work in his shop as repayment for stealing his Star of David necklace circa Fantastic Four Vol 3 #56.
Ben and Alicia dated from Fantastic Four #9-265.
Sandman calls Ben "old pal" because the Thing helped the Sandman reform. This was in Marvel Two-In-One #86. However, the Sandman was reverted back to his criminal ways by the Wizard in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #12.
