"The End" Week: D.P.7 #32!

The Transformers had more of a claim to the "# in a (blank) issue limited series" joke, since it began as one; but that didn't stop the New Universe titles from using it. From 1989, D.P.7 #32, "The Cure" Written and co-created by Mark Gruenwald, penciled and co-created by Paul Ryan, inks by Danny Bulandi.

Almost three years after the White Event that gave about 2 people in every million paranormal abilities, most of the seven that escaped from the Clinic in the first issue have settled into new lives in New York City. Paranormals were common knowledge now, with NYC having most of them; but today strongman David Landers is dismayed at the headline of a paranormal cure. He had been a normal man before growing about two feet and several hundred pounds of muscle, and wonders if he could get his long unrequited love Stephanie if he was cured. David did already have a girl, though, the water-absorbing Merri. So it's kind of a surprise when Stephanie and her kids show up at the group's loft: her healing powers made her sparkle, which had made her an obvious target for anti-paranormal sentiment. Merri sees her former teammate as a threat, to her domestic bliss with David.

Meanwhile, Charlotte wasn't having any luck with auditions, but does meet a handsome man who claims to have been at the Clinic as well; a telepath who could only read minds that were at least a mile away. The man does seem familiar, but she can't quite place him. And further downtown, at a mission for paranormals, the news of a possible cure is greeted with scorn and derision: their leader claims God doesn't make mistakes, and wanted them to be what they were. Scuzz, another of the original seven, isn't sure about that: the young man's acid touch kept him from, well, getting any, so you can understand his interest. The young girl he has his eye on, says it's a test of his faith. Local superhero Captain Manhattan and his partner, Chrome, visit the Cure (not that one!) to see if he was on the up-and-up: the Captain has no interest in giving up his powers, but Chrome used to be Jenny Swensen, Spitfire of her own New Universe title. She had been mutated from exposure to "Pitt juice" after the destruction of Pittsburg, which gave her metal skin, but left her in a predicament not unlike Scuzz's.

Merri tries to drive off Stephanie, which just sends David off to find her, and he's able to finally proclaim his love for her. Stephanie reciprocates, and Merri leaves with an angry note. Charlotte brings her date over, who is relieved that "Antibody" Randy O'Brien doesn't recognize him. Later, he has to confess to Stephanie his real name, which didn't mean much to her, she had known him by his derogatory nickname, Mutator: he took a new, and usually monstrous, form every twelve hours: when he finally got a handsome one, he wanted to spend the day with "the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen." Mutator says he's going to see the Cure later, but admits his old self wasn't as good looking; tough break.

A surprising amount of people seem to be opposed to the Cure, claiming "God loved paranormals." I suppose it could be a different tune elsewhere in America...the Cure says it's no one's fault if they're sick and want help. He can't cure everyone today, but promises to stay in town until he helped everyone who wanted it, and cures Mutator and Merri. (Merri would occasionally gain a lot of water weight; she didn't particularly love her power.) Randy, who had been trapped inside of one of his antibodies, almost takes the Cure up on it, but doesn't want to harm the little antibodies he made, tiny flying versions of himself. Charlotte doesn't want to give up her friction powers: they didn't show, and she admits they had been handy sometimes. Jenny plans on it, although she thinks she will miss the Captain; but Scuzz acts like he wants it, then attacks the Cure with his acid.

Stephanie is able to heal the Cure, while Scuzz has lost his powers, but kept his weird culty peer group. Stephanie wonders about the missing two members of their original seven, tranquilizer Lenore and speedster Jeff (the latter would show up in the MCU years later!) and they head off for ice cream; a happy enough ending. 

Jeff may have shown up in the final real New Universe project, the War: they may have hoped to continue the NU in some format, but that was about it. Quasar would end up there in his series, there have been a few one-shots since; and Marvel seems bound and determined to keep trying to make the Star Brand happen, but still. I had a subscription when this was cancelled--it was far and away the best of the New Universe titles--but can't recall what Marvel offered as a replacement for the issues I had left in the sub. I wanna say Solo Avengers, and thinking about it again that might be right. I found a copy in the quarter bins just this afternoon, so thought I'd better squeeze it in.