Marvel Two-In-One #66
The Serpent Crown Affair! Part Three: A Congress of Crowns!
Following their failure to stop the Serpent Squad from stealing the Serpent Crown, the Thing and Stingray decide to go after the villains, sending Triton and Henry Croft back to the Baxter Building with a sample of the Hidden Land so that they may hope to cure the amphibians of Hydro-Base.
Flying back to New York in the Pogo-Plane, Ben tries to radio Reed to get some help, however only Agatha Harkness is present to answer the call. Explaining to Ben the origins of the Serpent Crown, she offers to contact her former pupil, the Scarlet Witch to aid the Thing and Stingray in recapturing the Serpent Crown. Contacting the Scarlet Witch telepathically, the mutant sorceress uses the combination of her mutant hex powers and magical training to pinpoint the location of the Serpent Crown: Washington D.C. With this information at hand, Agatha sends the Scarlet Witch there and advises Ben and Stingray to meet the Witch in D.C.
In Washington, Sidewinder turns the Serpent Crown over to Roxxon Oil owner Hugh Jones. Jones surprises Sidewinder by revealing that he already has as Serpent Crown, and explains that the one on his head is from another reality and that the one that he had the Serpent Squad recover was native to this one. Sending Sidewinder away, Jones then prepares to merge the two crowns together.
Elsewhere in the capital, Thing, Stingray and the Scarlet Witch meet up and begin tracking down the location of the Serpent Crown. Finding everyone in Washington frozen in some kind of trance, they track the Serpent Crown to the Capital Building. There in the assembly hall, they find the Set possessed Jones, who has used the combined power of the Serpent crown to create duplicates of all who have worn the crown previously.
As Ben and Stingray battle the Serpent Crown created simulacrums, the Scarlet Witch is locked in a mystic battle against Jones, when suddenly two snakeheads from the crown lash out and bit her, linking her directly with Set and battling the demon in the astral plane. As the simulacrums are destroyed, Ben notices what is happening and tries to pull the Serpent Crown off of Hugh Jones' head, in order to try and stop him the crown turns Thing back into his human form.
When the Scarlet Witch loses her battle with Set she passes out, causing the psychic battle to end, and also creates enough distraction for Ben to pull the Serpent Crown off of Hugh Jones' head. Changing back into the Thing, Ben feels compelled to put the Serpent Crown on his head. However, because it cannot penetrate his rocky form, Ben quickly snaps out of its control and tosses it away. Gathering up the Serpent Crown and the unconscious Hugh Jones, the three heroes depart so that they may dispose of the Crown once and for all.
Recurring Characters
Thing, Scarlet Witch, Stingray, Serpent Squad (Sidewinder, Anaconda, Black Mamba, Death Adder), Hugh Jones, Set, Triton, Henry Croft, Agatha Harkness
Continuity Notes
Agatha Harkness describes the Serpent Crown as an artifact of Pre-Cataclysm Lemuria. The origins of the crown are explored in greater detail in the Serpent Crown back-up stories featured in each issue in the Atlantis Attacks event. The "Great Cataclysm" Agatha is referring to is the sinking of Atlantis that was caused by the Celestials centuries ago. This event was first depicted in Strange Worlds #2.
The Scarlet Witch last dealt with the Serpent Crown in Avengers #147-154 and Avengers Annual #6. In that story, Hugh Jones sought the Crown and merged it with its counterpart from Earth-712.
Jones mentions how he was first forced to wear the Serpent Crown by the original Serpent Squad in Captain America #181.
With the power of the Serpent Crown, Hugh Jones has summoned forth mystical constructs of everyone who wore the Serpent Crown before him. Those who can be identified are:
Destiny wore the Serpent Crown while it was disguised as the Helmet of Power in Tales to Astonish #101 until his death in Sub-Mariner #7.
Both Sub-Mariner his foe Naga who wore the crown in Sub-Mariner #9 and Sub-Mariner #13 respectively.
The Living Laser who the crown in Avengers #153 & Avengers Annual #6.
Earth-712's Nelson Rockefeller who wore his in Avengers #147-148.
The members of the original serpent squad who wore it in Captain America #181.
The sorcerer Thoth-Amon, who once wore the Cobra Crown in Savage Sword of Conan #41-43.
