I love the story of the Mud-Thing. It's by Denny O'Neil and my favorite John Romita Jr. We start off with Sandman getting close with Hydro Man's girl. (she's got a type)
Hydro Man had only just been introduced and this was inevitable. Less inevitable is Sadie's proposition...
Yup she does what all you throuple shippers are always praying for and says "why not both?" Sandy and Hydro continue to compete, but it's mostly friendly.
They almost make it work, but once they're in the bedroom it just doesn't hold together. Spider-Man showing up doesn't help either.
Now that they've collided you get exactly what you expect...
It's the Mud-Thing! Hell yeah! So the joke here has been that this was all inevitable from the moment they introduced Hydro Man to the book. Everyone knew they'd fight and would have to combine. But they promise Next Issue: The Totally Unexpected...
The surprise? It turns 110% into a King Kong pastiche. Sadie puts Mud-Thing on display in a theater, but after the unmoving Mud-Thing sees the promoter putting the moves on her...
Mud-Thing snaps, kidnaps Sadie and takes her to the top of the building, only to be defeated by a helicopter assault.
Time to wrap it up and hang and a lantern on it by specifically having Pete basically go "Isn't this just King Kong? Am I the only one who sees that?"
I love it.
