| Synopsis | - Secret Wars II continues from ...
The Beyonder has become depressed over his time on Earth attempting to understand desire and finds himself at the Ringside bar in Brooklyn, drinking his sorrows and telling his life story to the apathetic bartender. As he becomes more intoxicated, the Beyonder tells his origins while some men in suits overhear the tale from the back of the bar. One of the men, is Ethan Thurm, of Thurm and Associates. Thinking that the Beyonder might be ideal to attempt to recruit into the Ultimate Class Wrestling Federation, he has two of his muscled goons attack the Beyonder, who easily bats the two men away. Impressed, Thurm offers the Beyonder a chance at wrestling, the dejected Beyonder -- drunk and completely depressed -- doesn't care and agrees to go along so long as he gets more booze. Paying for the damage caused by the fight, Thurm leads the Beyonder out of the bar.
While in Las Vegas, Ben Grimm is exercising with is side kick Vance Astro. As he jumps rope the Thing laments over his current run of bad luck. He recounts how on Battleworld he fell in love with a woman named Tarianna only for her to die and learns that she was merely the embodiment of his ideal woman . He then recounts how he met Sharon Ventura and how she had a striking resemblance to Tarianna and how he lost her as well. Finishing his workout, the Thing remarks that his problems began as soon as he encountered the Beyonder whom he blames for his problem. He is surprised when he walks past a weight lifting room and witnesses a man calling himself the Beyonder lifting a massive amount of weights that seemingly surpass even the Thing's strength. Ben finds it hard to believe that this is the same Beyonder whom he encountered on Battleworld until the Beyonder offers his sympathies for the loss of Tarianna. The Thing becomes furious and is determined to pummel the man he believes is responsible for his spate of bad luck in the ring.
Going to Ed Garner, the Thing demands that he be allowed to fight the Beyonder in the ring. Ed tells him that they cannot allow the Beyonder into the UCWF because he is just too powerful. Furious at being denied his chance at revenge, the Thing throws a temper tantrum and convinces Garner to sign the Beyonder and allow him. Getting the match he demanded, the Thing rides home hoping that this will give him the satisfaction that he needs. Meanwhile, Thurm goes to the Beyonder's hotel room and warns him of the coming match. The Beyonder, still depressed and wanting more to drink, tells Thurm he knows and to experience what he wants tells him that he will accept the match.
On Friday night, the match is about to begin and as the crowd begins streaming in, Vance Astro notices that Sharon Ventura is among the audience. When he tries to tell Ben that the girl he is smitten with is at the match, the Thing is so single minded about his bout with the Beyonder he doesn't give his young side kick the chance to explain the situation. When in the ring with the Beyonder, the Beyonder refuses to begin the match until given another beer. When the fight begins, the Thing attempts to pummel the One From Beyond, however the Beyonder manages to evade all his blows. When the Beyonder explains he's tried to understand what people desire, he learns that Thing desires nothing more than to pummel the Beyonder.
The Beyonder decides to allow him to, and the Thing begins beating on the god-like being in a complete rage. As Ben beats the Beyonder senseless, Vance realizes that Ben has snapped and will kill the Beyonder if given the chance. Realizing that showing Ben that Sharon is in the crowd might snap him out of it, Vance desperately searches for her. With the Beyonder telling the Thing that he wishes death and that two more blows should be sufficient to kill him, Vance finds Sharon and tries to get Ben's attention. For a moment, the Thing hesitates landing his next blow, wondering if killing the being he has hated more than anyone is worth becoming a killer. He decides it is and lands another punch, however before he can land the killing blow, Vance gets his attention and realizing that Sharon is in the audience snaps Ben out of his fury. Ben then helps the Beyonder out of the ring and onto a stretcher. He is ashamed of himself, but Sharon tells Ben that she has come to all his matches and that his display tonight was not the real him.
The Beyonder meanwhile has mostly recovered form his injuries and days later returns to the Ringside bar to continue his drinking binge.
Secret Wars II continues in ...
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