In July 1951, Wundarr's ship is caught by Earth's gravitational pull, and passes through a layer of cosmic rays before entering Earth's atmosphere and crashing in a Florida swamp. An elderly couple known only as Maw and Paw observe the crash from their car. Paw considers checking out the crash site, but Maw insists that it might contain Martians or Communists and demands that he ignore it; thus, Wundarr remains in his ship for a number of years, growing to physical maturity, though retaining the mind of a child. Twenty years later, Man-Thing senses someone inside the rocket, and is compelled to free whatever is trapped inside. Man-Thing being the first creature Wundarr sees, he is convinced that this is his mother. Man-Thing, being emotionless, does not react to Wundarr's cravings for attention. He learns very quickly of his amazing strength and bests Man-Thing in battle. Man-Thing's continued attempts to be left alone result in Wundarr eventually deciding that Man-Thing is not his mother.