Marvel Holiday Special 2005 (Story 3)

Background

This is the third of three Christmas tales This one stars the FF and is told in a "The Night Before Christmas" style, rather than in a traditional comicbook story sort of way.

Story 'Christmas Day in Manhattan'

Unlike the other stories in this Holiday tome, this one is told more as a cautionary tale. This story, told from an omniscient third-person viewpoint, is a Christmas tae of one Albert Potter who is also known as The Hurricane. Albert is sort of a "B" list villain and this is the story of how he tried to walk the straight and narrow path, and give his kids a special time for Christmas.

General Comments

Even though he is really not a bad man, Albert Potter wants to do well. Only the world and its harsh realities seem to conspire against him. On the eve of Christmas, Albert is faced with his crumbling tenement home, two children whom he dearly loves, and a shrew of a wife who henpecks and nags at him to make everything right, which he so obviously can't do because he is such a stumblebum.

Unwilling to let his family down on Christmas, Albert reluctantly puts on his costume and knocks over a toy store so that he will have presents for his kids. Unfortunately for Albert, he runs afoul of the FF who don't take kindly to him pulling a job on Christmas Eve, and start to put a beating on him. After a brief battle, in which he is ultimately subdued, the FF realize that he was simply stealing toys for his family.

Unwilling to allow Albert's own screw up to land him in jail and ruin Christmas for his kids, the Fantastic Four find it in their hearts to help him out just this once, and overlook his criminal ways. They then clean up and go with Albert back to his place to celebrate Christmas with his family, thus salvaging his Holiday.

Overall Rating

While this one is more sentimental than the other stories, it fits well in with the overall theme of the book, and rounds it out nicely.

Footnote

While I have always enjoyed these types of stories, I am a little disappointed that all three stories in this issue are Christmas-themed, and none of them revolve around any of the other Holidays celebrated at this time of the year, i.e.; Chanukah, Kwanzaa. etc. (Though props go to Jeff Parker who included a Kwanzaa reference in his Avenger's story, even though no mention was made in either FF story that Grimm is Jewish).