Marvel Two-In-One #53
The Pegasus Project Part 1: The Inner War!
Feeling guilty that he has neglected his adopted "son" Wundarr, the Thing decides to pay a visit to Project Pegasus to see if the young man has recovered from his coma since being exposed to the energies of the Cosmic Cube. After passing the security screening he is granted access and given a priority access card. When he meets Quasar, the new chief of security, Ben mistakes him for the Crusader -- an insane Uranian super-hero which the Fantastic Four previously battled and thought dead. After a brief scuffle, Quasar reveals that he is really Wendel Vaughn, whose father had recovered the Crusaders Quantum Bands following his death and gave them over to his son. With the misunderstanding cleared up, Quasar takes Ben to see Wundarr. Along the way, Ben runs into Thomas Lightner, who seems innocent enough but gives Ben the creeps. For good reason, however, because after the two heroes leave Lightner's presence, he calls in his mysterious employer and tells his master at an organization called Nth Command to initiate the next phase of a fiendish plot.
Meanwhile, in Manhattan, Thundra is walking the streets when he runs into a musclebound man threatening wrestling promoter Herkimer J. Oglethorpe. Easily beating the ruffian, Oglethorpe decides to offer her a career in the wrestling league which he promotes for.
Back at Project Pegasus, Quasar takes Thing to Wundarr's room and explains that since the man-child had been exposed to the Cosmic Cube he's been a living sponge, absorbing energies in his vicinity, even the Thing's own strength. Trying to rouse the boy doesn't work and so the two decide to retire for the night to check on the boys status in the morning. As they try to rest, Lightner knocks out some guards and allows Nth Command's operative: The cyborg Deathlok entry into the compound.
Unable to sleep, the Thing decides to pace around the compound, lost in thought he is unaware that he is walking right into the waiting aim of Deathlok who is programmed to kill anyone who gets in his way.
Recurring Characters
Thing, Quasar, Thundra, Wundarr, Herkimer Oglethorpe, Sloarr, Deathlok, Thomas Lightner, Jeannine O’Connell, Myron Wilburn
Continuity Notes
Ben is visiting Wundarr at PEGASUS after he left them in their care in Marvel Two-In-One #42. The Thing previously was Wundarr's ward from Marvel Two-In-One #2-4 when he turned him over to Namorita.
The Thing confuses Quasar for the Crusader. Some facts about this:
Everyone here believes that the Crusader was Bob Grayson, who was the Earthborn youth who lived among the Uranian Eternals and became the 50s hero known as Marvel Boy, as seen in Marvel Boy #1.
In reality, the Crusader was a Uranian Eternal named Thelius. The Eternals sought to replace Marvel Boy, engineering Thelius to take his place as seen in Marvel Boy: The Uranian #3. As a result, the Uranians who allowed the Eternals to live in their world saw this as a violation of their agreement and slaughtered the Eternals. As seen in Agents of Atlas #3, Marvel Boy returned to Uranus and joined with the Uranians, while Thelius was awoken, but his memories were altered in such a way he thought himself to be the true Marvel Boy. It is Thelius who appears as the Crusader here.
The Crusader then came to Earth to "avenge" his people and battled the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four #164-165 that battle led to the Crusader's death. (This issue incorrectly attributes those appearances to Fantastic Four #163-164)
The Crusader's Quantum Bands were passed along to Wendell Vaughn who became part of SHIELD's Super-Agents in Captain America #217.
Quasar's comment about being "put through paces again" is a reference to when he had to fight it out with Captain America and the Falcon after the formation of the Super-Agents in Captain America #217.
Quasar mentions how the Super-Agents went "bust", this is a vague reference to the fact that members of the Super-Agents were actually spies for the Corporation which led to the dissolution of the Super-Agents once discovered. This was chronicled in Captain America #229-230 and Incredible Hulk #232.
The Thing recognizes Thomas Lightner from when he became the villain known as Blacksun in Marvel Two-In-One #21, when this threatened to kill him the Thing got him medical help from Thor's alter-ego of Donald Blake in Marvel Two-In-One #22-23. Lightner was last seen working at Project PEGASUS in Marvel Two-In-One #44.
Thundra refers to her native world of Earth-715 which was first glimpsed in Savage Tales #1.
Wundarr has been in a coma since being exposed to the Cosmic Cube in Marvel Two-In-One #44.
The being posing as Deathlok is actually a robot created by Roxxon, as revealed in Deathlok (vol. 2) #32.
