Synopsis / Summary / Plot
A dejected Thing is wandering the New York streets late at night. After rescuing an elderly homeless woman from a mugger, he is summoned by Doctor Strange through a portal between dimensions. Leaping through, the Thing finds the Master of the Mystic Arts imprisoned on a floating rock and guarded by a horde of demons. While the Thing ponders his course of action, Strange relates how he was working on a spell to cure the Hulk and, preoccupied, was captured by his old foe, the wizard Xandu.
The villain had gained possession of the fabled Ruby of Domination which gives him control over one slave but, coupled with the power of Strange’s Eye of Agamotto will give him the power to enthrall the entire Earth, while Strange remains imprisoned upon a mystical cross. The powerless Strange managed to open a portal to summon the Thing to his aid. A frustrated Thing clobbers all the demons and frees Strange and they head to New York, where most of the population is already under Xandu’s control. Arriving at Strange’s mansion, the magician outlines his plan: He will engage Xandu while the Thing distracts his mind-slave. Opening the door, the Thing discovers the bad news: His opponent will be the Hulk!