MARVEL TEAM-UP #1

"Have Yourself A Sandman Little Christmas"

• Writer: Roy Thomas
• Artist: Ross Andru
• Inker: Mike Esposito
• Print Date: Mar., 1972

Featuring:

Plot Summary:

Well, it's the day before Christmas in the Marvel Universe. The "Polar Bear Clan" is out on the beach apparently for some sort of annual swim, and Peter Parker is there to take a couple of pictures for the Daily Bugle. Strange, but he doesn't seem to have brought a camera with him. Also, he's watching the entire swim go on without taking a single picture. As an aside, I've never seen so many obese people in a single crowd shot in comics before. Now, typically, the Polar Bear clubs swim on New Year's Day, but A) the writer wanted a heartwarming story and those work better at Christmas than New Year's and B) the writer needed some excuse, any excuse, to start the story on the beach.

Why does the story need to start on the beach at Christmas? Well, because beaches have sand, and what better location than to introduce - The Sandman!?!? That's right, it starts with a tentacle of sand which spirals into an upright cylinder of sand, which shapes itself into the Sandman (still wearing the goofy green outfit as well I might add).

The Sandman toys with the local security cops giving Peter a chance to change into his costume and join the fray. Even though the rent-a-cops jumped right through the Sandman, Spider-Man manages to connect with both feet. Just as the battle begins, Sandman realizes that it is Christmas Eve. He merges with the sand and escapes.

Torch: "The Sandman? Then what're you doing here? Why aren't you -- ?" Spider-Man: "Whoa, fella. He's not MY responsibility."

Apparently, the super-hero community of New York all got together and broke up responsibility for various menaces. As the two discuss the Sandman, they realize that all the recent Sandman sightings have been near or on the George Washington Bridge which crosses into New Jersey. Following a hunch, they fly the Fantasicar out to the bridge and patrol the Jersey shoreline. They come up dry trying to spot the Sandman by air. However, they do manage to foil a mugging and prevent an out-of-control cement truck from sliding into a traffic.

However, on their way home, they spot Sandman, still in his gaudy green outfit, lurking around. They move in for the double-team, but Sandman overcomes both of them and leaves them tied up and dangling inside a water tower. Luckily, the Torch manages to get just enough flame going to burn the rope, allowing them to escape. They catch up just in time to watch Sandman sneak into a two-story bungalow.

Ahhh.. And now the heart-warming part of our tale. It turns out that this is Sandman's mom's house. She's old and she's sick. She never found out that her son was a criminal, and Sandman ALWAYS comes to see her on Christmas Eve. He promises that he just wants five minutes to go see her, and then he'll surrender peacefully. Of course, he's not really that honest, and while the heroes are lost in their own holiday thoughts, Sandman sneaks out through the bathroom sink. Oh well, it is Christmas Eve, and they'll get him 'next time'.