The Man-Thing story, at least, would see some minor resolution a year later in a Spider-Man Annual that he guest-starred in, which was done by the creative team of DeMatteis and Sharp.
This issue features three stories.
"The Book of Job - Part One: Termineus/Terminus" - In the swamp that is also the Nexus of All Realities, those directly or indirectly involved in the quest to repair the shattered Nexus have gathered: the Man-Thing, through whom speaks the ancient K'ad-Mon, Ellen Sallis, Sheriff Bobby Fillmore, Jack and Gwyneth Burke, their adopted son and Ellen's biological son, Job, and the mysterious Mr. Termineus. Gwyneth runs toward Job but stops short when Ellen firmly states Job is her son. Fillmore begins shooting at the Man-Thing, who reaches out to touch the Sheriff's face. But instead of burning, Fillmore has an epiphany and, now understanding that these events are bigger than him, he turns to leave.
As Gwyneth approaches Job, he causes her to begin to fade away, but K'ad-Mon orders the boy to stop, then confronts Termineus. Ellen interrupts, demanding to know how Job fits into this madness, and she embraces the boy. However, he flashes a sinister grin at his adoptive parents, then snatches the Nexus fragments Ellen wears as a necklace. Now he demands answers. In response, K'ad-Mon brings forth the psyche of Ted Sallis, Job's biological father, from the form of the Man-Thing. He then materializes a mystic tome called the Book of Life, which begins to speak.
In mythic terms, the book relates the origins of the multiverse: the Deity created the universes which were populated by "Fallen Stars", beings who embodied various thoughts and concepts, and who each had a specific role to fulfill (Termineus is one of these Fallen Stars). The Deity also created a staff through which the world would evolve. In order to fully experience the worlds he/she had created, the Deity inhabited all living things beginning with the first woman, who birthed the first man, K'ad-Mon. Her purpose was to bring wisdom, K'ad-Mon's (and his descendants') was to maintain the dream of reality. But as mankind became more technologically advanced, he turned is back upon the dream, until at last, Sallis' ignorance of his true purpose allowed the Nexus to shatter.
Termineus contends that reality is beyond repair, and its end should be hastened. Then Sorrow and Eric Simon Payne, two more Fallen Stars, appear, exclaiming that reality can be righted.
[This story is somewhat concluded in PETER PARKER: SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL 1999.]
Untitled - While Jack Russell, in his Werewolf form, roams the sewers of New York, NYPD detectives Len Mico and Phil Jones continue to search for leads in a series of grisly murders. On the docks near the underground cell in which Jack cages himself during the full moon, they follow a wide trail of blood to a sewer grate. Nearby lies the smashed cart that had been used by Lump, the crippled denizen of the docks whom Jack befriended, but who has now vanished.
Len and Phil then visit Father Vincent Adobe, whose congregation includes the local homeless. Knowing Jack works in the sewers (but unaware of his friend's dual nature), the priest recommends they ask Jack if he knows anything. They then go to the apartment of Jack's girlfriend, Roxanna, but she doesn't know his whereabouts.
Within the sewers, fearing that he may have killed an innocent, the feverish Jack has a vision of his father, Gregor Russoff. Unseen by the Werewolf, Brother Steven, the leader of a vampire coven, stands nearby. Continuing his plot against Jack, he speaks through the apparition, telling Jack killing is a good thing.
Later, Len and Phil have assembled a SWAT team to enter the sewers. The detectives instruct the squad to shoot first, ask questions later. When the team breaks into Jack's cell, chaos erupts as the officers are attacked by unseen foes. Soon, Len and Phil reach the cell, finding Brother Steven standing over the lifeless forms.
Some time later, Jack, still as the Werewolf, visits his friend Father Adobe.
[This story arc remains unresolved.]
"A Funeral in the Woods - Part One" - Long ago in Imperial China, an arrogant, greedy magistrate severely taxes his subjects in order to finance a journey to the capital to which he'd been summoned. Those who cannot pay are conscripted to carry supplies or the royal sedan on the trip.
At an inn where he dines, the magistrate is warned by the locals not to travel after dark, as the woods are haunted by the ghost of an official like himself. He dismisses the tale and soon resumes his journey.
That night, the magistrate's party are held up by a funeral procession at a crossroads, so he orders his men to continue through the procession. His men do so, but then from the coffin rises the corpse of the dead official, who kills or drives off the magistrate's men. Knowing he can be seen by his breath, the Magistate holds his mouth and nose at the ghost approaches.
[This story remains uncompleted.]
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