We mentioned 1994's aborted Kirbyverse book Victory years and years ago, and that post mentions an upcoming possible revival for those characters. Some of whom appear here, but I don't think this is the same project, even with some of the same creators! From 2012, Kirby: Genesis #7, story and script by Kurt Busiek; story, layouts and paint by Alex Ross; pencils and inks by Jack Herbert.

This was the second-to-last issue, but I like the cover, and things are more than rolling by this point: in this world, instead of the boring old plaque that went out on the Pioneer 10, they sent the Kirby plaque. Almost forty years later, after Pioneer 10 had left the solar system, an alien force finds it, and comes to earth in the forms of the "Pioneer Two." Their arrival seems to blow open the doors, and dozens of super-powered heroes, villains, and creatures seem to appear; although the viewpoint character Kirby (not that one!) wonders if the Pioneer Two didn't somehow retroactively create them...? (I thought this was a bit relating to other superhero-universe launches like the White Event or the Jumpstart, where their universe was pretty much just ours until some momentous spark sets it off; except for all the stuff that had been there already and we just hadn't noticed, like the lost continent, so many aliens, several ancient civilizations, a friendly Yeti...) A couple of the more cosmic ones take a bit of offense at that, but also aren't a lot of help in Kirby's quest to get his girl back, after she had been taken over by Valkyrie-type Midnight Swan and forced to work for the bad guys. Who, as in Victory, seem to be working together because that's how it's done in these crossovers, nevermind the fact that none of them seem to have the same goals, and are all shifty as hell. (There's a space pirate/Han Solo type, pressganged into the job, that lets Kirby go at a crucial point: "...what? He's looking for his girl, it's relatable. 'Sides, maybe we can bail while they're murdering him.")

Silver Star and Captain Victory appear, but more to the sidelines, since they would take over the narrative overwise; and they both had their own mini-series to go with this. I don't think this was entirely repurposed from Victory, though: that book was using some other characters that I didn't see here, like Bombast or Nightglider. But, like most Kurt Busiek books, this reads like butter: it's very Astro City, with just a bit more Kirby love. Note to self: I don't think I grabbed Dragonsbane, maybe keep an eye out. Also, I know it wasn't intentional, but in the last issue they might have stolen a bit from the Jesus and Mary Chain's "Snakedriver." Read more!

Hey, sort your trash! Some of that has gotta be recyclable.

Kurt Busiek has written a ton of great books--Astro City should be on everybody's reading list, but the latter half of his Avengers run is my favorite--and today we've got an early one from him, that probably should've got him the regular gig for the title! From 1984, Justice League of America #224, "The Supremacy Factor!" Written by Kurt Busiek, pencils by Chuck Patton, inks by Dick Giordano. And the cover is, of course, a homage to that page in Amazing Spider-Man #50!

Clark, Hal, and Ollie are enjoying a rare get-together out of costume; with a waitress thrilled to have three hot guys at her table, maybe just a hint of the civilian angle Busiek would take much later with Astro City. The guys are waiting for Dinah, who has been delayed by three guys mugging another--and getting the tar beat out of them! Black Canary has to step in to stop the masked figure from killing the muggers, but then he turns out to be a far more adept fighter than she expected, setting her up for a bad throw. Worse, he shrugs off her Canary cry, but that is heard by Superman, who arrives in time to save her. (I think other JLA stories from this time indicated Supes had a soft spot for her and might've been even more protective of her than Hal and Ollie were.) Somehow, the masked man is able to slug Superman so hard he hits the outer atmosphere; then he escapes at super-speed. Still, Superman had snagged the man's trenchcoat pocket, which contained some notes.

At the JLA satellite, neither Superman nor Red Tornado are able to get much out of the equations on the notes; so Green Arrow is surprised Firestorm wanted a look. But, we know there was more to him than met the eye: Professor Stein recognizes them as relating to RNA coding. Green Lantern then searches the database for recent scientific journals on the subject, finding Dr. Joel Cochin, a very smug looking three-time Nobel prize winner. Presumably, from back when the Nobel prize meant something; but the only three-time recipient is the Red Cross! Although Wonder Woman advises caution, even suggesting maybe the Atom should investigate, Ollie isn't one to let hitting Dinah slide, and Dinah isn't either: they head to Cochin's lab with Firestorm. The lab seems unusually closed off, with no windows; and Ollie is about to have Firestorm blow a hole in the wall, when someone else does: Cochin, now in costume as Paragon, with Firestorm's powers! Smugly, he explains he possesses the mental and physical powers of anyone within a certain range, only better, so nyah. The Leaguers are thumped and captured.

Paragon doesn't depose of them, possibly because he wanted Firestorm's powers, to use to make components for his machine. (He also mentions Ollie's engineering skills, which I'm pretty sure have long since fallen by the wayside.) Born with the mental portion of his powers, Paragon had long ago become sick of "hostile inferiority" from those he considered his lessers, namely everybody; so he was going to wipe out 90% of the population, figuring the rest would then acknowledge him as their superior. The rest of the League then arrives, giving him a ton of powers; but when Firestorm gets knocked out of his range, Canary realizes the trick to beating him: Paragon couldn't copy Red Tornado or Green Lantern's powers, and they were able to keep him off-balance. Canary lands the finishing blow, but Firestorm wonders, how were they going to keep him locked up...? 

I had to look it up: Paragon would return, sort-of, post-New 52, in Grayson of all places. I think he might have done a bit better, with maybe one more pass on the costume: the underwear-over-tights look is super-traditional, sure, but it made Paragon look like he was wearing tighty-whities on the outside of his clothes. And Firestorm could rock those sleeves, but they aren't for everybody.

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Either there's a theme this week, or I'm Groundhog's Day'ing...

There might be a bit that seems familiar this issue, but by god they put a great spin on it. From 1999, Avengers #23, "Showdown" Written by Kurt Busiek, pencils by George Perez, inks by Al Vey.

The entire creative team was firing on all cylinders, and today so was Captain America, recently reunited with his shield after several months with that photonic replacement. Running a training mission in the Mansion, Justice also seemed to be in gear as well; seemingly over his stage fright, even with a broken leg. But, today's main drama was yet to come, as Wanda goes to have a talk with the Vision. She knew he still loved her, even if she was with Wonder Man now; the Vision says, that's his problem, not hers. Simon tries to make things better, by busting in and saying Vision shouldn't bottle up his feelings, and boy, does he uncork something. (The Starkings/Comicraft lettering? Chef's kiss. So good.)

Vision just wants Wanda to be happy, but does have a bone to pick with Simon: he likes jazz! Pretentious bastar--no, that's not the main issue; he also likes chess and Walt Kelly. Simon is thrilled: his brother, Eric, the Grim Reaper, wasn't into any of that stuff; but he and Vision had things in common. This catches Simon a sock to the jaw, since he was missing the point in an epic fashion. And then we pause for a big preview of Doomsday and Young Allies, which really should've had some credits: I'm pretty sure that's Mike McKone and Mark Bagley, respectively.

Wanda is surprised Vision would lash out like that--um, they're superheroes, that's how they work through stuff usually?--and Vision apologizes and takes off, with Simon right behind him. Vision admits, he feels like he was a complete fake: everything he was, was just a copy of Simon's brain engrams: they both had a type, apparently, namely Wanda. He was a pale reflection, no longer needed, but at least Wanda was with the real thing now. Simon turns that back on him, though; surprised Vision didn't know how much Simon envied him. He had made a lot of bad choices, from embezzling from his company to signing up to get super-powers from Baron Zemo; yet had been forgiven or even praised for his 'bravery' over and over. To Simon, the Vision was the best version of himself. Taken aback, Vision needs to think about that, and takes off; leaving Simon to wonder if he would be back...or if he was just something else he had broken. 

The Vision's "am I a real boy" fit has been done a few times, before and since, and swings pretty wildly from writer to writer: I think he is 'real,' with authentic feelings and thoughts, but feels like he has to act like he's just an automaton. Also this issue: the ongoing protests at Avengers' Mansion, with a seeming laundry-list of grievances. Foremost today, the lack of diversity in the current team roster, which would be addressed later. And new bad guys the Exemplars continued to grow their numbers: they were all avatars of assorted Marvel Universe magic, and technically Juggernaut was one of them, even if he doesn't want in...And, a favorite Bullpen Bits strip from Chris Giarrusso!

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The "serious breach of galactic law!" isn't on earth. At least not yet.

My local Comic Book Shop does a great job of presentation, and has two other locations that are hubs for card gaming; but you know me: I'm there for the cheap comics, and those they can throw in a pile and I'll root through them like a raccoon through your trash. Recently, they've even had some bona-fide quarter comics: old boxes full of them, pulled from storage, ready to be dug through again. Although, I find something like this, and I wonder why I missed it before: I haunt the cheap books! Was...was I sick? Anyway, at least we finally get today's book: from 1981, Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers #1, story and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Mike Royer.

The GCD calls this the first creator-owned comic: that might not be strictly true, since Joe Kubert retained rights to TOR back in '59, and Simon and Kirby himself owned Fighting American as well. But this was new, in a retro sci-fi way: in deep space, Captain Victory and his crew discover another earth-like planet has suffered a "takeover," stripped of resources and ruined by invaders. Although he calls his executive officer Klavus a hothead, the Captain still straps a "portable command unit" to his head and gets up to the bridge, despite repeated warnings that it would come under heavy fire, since the enemy "hated his guts." The portable command unit might seem a bit silly and dated now, but you know, it was probably solid-state, resistant to jamming, decent head protection--eee, maybe not, Captain Victory is killed like nine pages into this thing, but the crew fights on, since this maybe wasn't an unusual happening. Meanwhile, on the other side of the planet, the Lightning Lady makes her escape: she seems somehow sad to have had to kill Victory, and wants to create a hive somewhere the Rangers won't find them. Her regent has found a planet, out in the proverbial sticks, that might suit them...

Meanwhile, as you might expect, Captain Victory is revived in a new clone body--his tenth! Klavus mentions he could run out of them, but the doctors seem to enjoy the idea that now "our idols can die with magnificent regularity!" Kirby may have been on to something there. After deploying a "world-killer" to destroy the hive planet, Victory and crew take off after the Lightning Lady, catching up to them on earth. Which isn't a big dramatic reveal there, since we already knew that's where the Insectons were headed, but it's still like a page turn and Victory's on earth, talking to a couple highway cops in Colorado, as his dreadnaught "Tiger" fires into the hills at the unseen enemy. I think the cops serve a narrative purpose: somebody for Victory to talk to there, that would need explanations and be suitably impressed by the goings-on; as opposed to Klavus, who might be a bit of a buzzkill. I hadn't read this series before, but got like six or so from the quarter box. Kind of hoping more turn up! I had seen Captain Victory before only briefly, in the tail end of the abortive Kurt Busiek/Keith Giffen Kirbyverse crossover Victory #1. His uniform (and hair!) seems less bombastic there, almost like fancy navy; kind of like the transition from original Star Trek to the Star Trek II uniforms. Victory is also seemingly taking over earth, but also perhaps without malice: it's for our own good, we're stupid baby primates. Can't really argue with him there. Read more!

We mentioned this back in 2021, and we're just getting around to it now; that counts as timely for me! From 2004, DC Comics Presents Hawkman #1, featuring "Visitors Day" Written by Cary Bates, pencils by John Byrne, inks by Lary Stucker; and "Love is in the Air" Written by Kurt Busiek, pencils by Walt Simonson, inks by Bob Wiacek. Cover by José Luis García-López and Kevin Nowlan; in homage to Murphy Anderson's cover to Hawkman #6.

This was one of eight tribute issues to DC editor Julius Schwartz, and the last one to blog here! In "Visitors Day," extra-dimensional aliens visit Julius on his subway ride to work, to tell him about alternate realities, and that his cover story--Hawkman vs. a flying gorilla--could poke a hole in the multiverse, if it isn't resolved. Hey, that's the creative team's problem! Schwarz hashes out a plot with (I presume) Gardner Fox to resolve the problem.

But, I liked the second story better: "Love is in the Air." Hawkgirl is interested in the quaint earth "rituals" surrounding Valentine's Day, but Katar's mind is occupied with both museum work and Hawkman stuff, since both the Shadow-Thief and Matter Master were at large. (There's a brief appearance from Mavis Trent, a supporting character I just love: she's basically stalking Carter Hall, with Shiera right there!) Shiera feels slighted that Carter's all business and stomps off, and Carter has a talk with Commissioner Emmett, who asks how they got together, prompting a tale involving a savage winged gorilla! No spoilers, but it reminds Carter how important Shiera is, and he takes the time to Valentine it up right. (Shadow-Thief and Matter Master killed dozens and stole the Declaration of Independence--I'm joking, they were caught later.)

There's a Julie Schwartz tag for all of them, but you can check out the other tribute issues with the Atom, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Superman, Adam Strange, and the Justice League of America. Read more!

Just buy Astro City whenever you see it, huh?

I often say, I try to avoid buying quarter books I already have; but this is a good one, and we mentioned it some time back: from 2003, Astro City: Local Heroes #2, "Shining Armor" Written by Kurt Busiek, art by Brent Anderson, cover by Alex Ross.

In the present, Irene Cronin laments her daughter Sammie might not find herself a man; but her fear is less because she was a lesbian, than regret over choices she had herself made. Back in 1960, she came to Astro determined to have it all, the perfect career and the perfect man; and schemes and works her way from a volunteer for the mayoral campaign to a full-fledged mayor's aide. (Irene took great pains to stay out of the secretarial pool, where her input would be nonexistent at best.) About that time, at the atomic research lab at nearby Fort Kanigher (a familiar name!) an anomaly in the reactor core manifests as a new superhero, dubbed "Atomicus" by the press. The atomic superman's origins were unknown, but he saves Irene after she was abducted by the Balloon Bandits--just one of those things that would happen in Astro City!--and she convinces him to come back and talk to her after taking the crooks to jail.

Although he was able "to talk, to think," Atomicus did not seem to understand much of the world: he took his inspiration from a sign, "Better living through Atomic Power," and devoted himself to improving life, helping humanity and America. Irene and Atomicus become a formidable team, with her doing most of the detective work, and then him doing the wrap-up. But their relationship seemed to be stalling: when Atomicus tells her, the woman that shared his dangerous life would have to be up for it, she sees it as a challenge. Shortly thereafter, a new aide comes to the mayor's office: Adam Peterson, a cheerful bumbler, who seems to disappear every time Atomicus shows up...Irene makes her suspicions known, but the information gets back to the mob, who have Adam's house blown up, just in case! Adam survived, barely; but a glint in his eyes seems to tell Irene, keep going. 

 This begins the shenanigans portion of our story, as Irene runs through scheme after scheme to unmask Adam, some of which verge on the dangerous. Eventually, on a case against Gnomicron, Irene and Adam end up trapped in a mine, and Irene wonders if this time she's got him, when Atomicus rescues them both! Ooh, that's a puzzler, until a couple weeks later, when Atomicus fights Dr. Cyclotron on TV, displaying the power to make "atomic duplicates." Furious, Irene marches right up to Adam, giving him the riot act, and popping open his shirt, to reveal the Atomicus costume. How would he get out of this one, costume party again? Lost a bet? Um, no.

Atomicus snaps: he hadn't been playing a game with her, he had been trying to understand, to learn, but she kept at him, and he'd had enough. Atomicus takes off, leaving earth, and humanity, forever. Emotionally shattered, Irene's career was also over: "I'd cost the world a superhero. They couldn't fire me fast enough." Still, from that bottom, she managed to bounce back, working with an alderman and later marrying him, as together he worked his way up to senator. Falling asleep, Irene tells Sammie, not to wait too long. Still, Sammie wonders if she hadn't been the stronger one; and maybe never needed anyone. Sammie leaves, masking up as new hero Flying Fox, a vigilante with a sky-cycle. 

Poor Atomicus didn't have the advantage of a childhood, a life as a human, like Superman did: much too late, Irene realizes he was only really a few years old at that point. I wonder, though: even if she was tarred and feathered, I don't know that Lois would feel the same remorse if she drove Superman off of earth. She'd still be a reporter; there's no stopping her. Really feels like it's been way too long between Astro City installments now; but I'll follow wherever it ends up.

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Yet another "The End" Week begins!

I started this bit 14 years ago, partly because the last week of the year was probably going to be a low-content area for comic book blogs...back when there were a lot of them, posting on the regular...and because last issues have always held an interest for me. It seems like even longer ago, but it used to be the last issue of a comic maybe meant the big goodbye, that you were not going to see those characters again, ever. Back when Star Wars was cancelled, I thought that was it; there would be no more Star Wars for me, in any way, shape, or form, forever. Really! When you're done laughing, yes, I was wrong. And comics being what they are, tons of books are cancelled, then retooled and relaunched later...sometimes by 'later' I mean 'immediately.' Every so often there might be one like Master of Kung Fu #125 or Micronauts #20 that seem like a hard stop, and they still come back! He hasn't got a new series yet, but Marvel's brought back Crystar; and I suspect are eying ROM. (Two last issues I haven't blogged yet!) 

So, we'll start with a title that's I know I've got two last issues for right here; but it's also had um, at least two miniseries, and like three more series since; and that's before you start throwing adjectives like 'Secret' or 'Fearless' into the mix. From 2002, Defenders #12, "Silent but Deadly" Story and art by Erik Larsen; and "Fooling with Mother Nature" Written by Jo Duffy and Kurt Busiek, pencils by Ivan Reis, inks by Randy Emberlin.

Even though Busiek and Larsen would've been pretty good gets as far as creative teams go, this series seemed to have a rough time of it: #8 features a blurb on the cover from a comics site (actually, a magazine!) proclaiming Defenders "The Worst Comic Ever Produced" but I've mentioned before, I liked the issues I read. The opener this issue isn't the strongest, as it was for 'Nuff Said month (like the Captain Marvel issue we mentioned the other day) and was silent: the cursed Defenders (Strange, Namor, Hulk, and the Surfer) get teleported to defend the earth yet again, this time in a mysteriously silent and rocky environment, which is shortly filled with rocky monsters.

Larsen's usually good for comedic touches, like the Hulk getting Namor's attention, by throwing a good-sized rock at him. It might be intentional: when the spell is broken, and sound returns, the guys still don't seem to have anything to say to each other, they were pretty over this...The second story, "Fooling with Mother Nature" includes the Defenders that did (usually) want to be there, Nighthawk, Valkyrie, and Hellcat; helping fight time-distorting baddie Chronarch. Who turns out to be a janitor that accidentally broke/created a time vortex, and gets wrapped up in a few pages; but the main four are again pissed that they had to show up for that, as the curse was getting to them. Back at Doctor Strange's Sanctum, Nighthawk's "spiritual advisor" Papa Hagg stops by to help, and gets bounced by Strange. The four then decide, if they can't get at the dead Yandroth to break the curse, they can go to Gaea, goddess of earth, and make her break it.

Nighthawk, somewhat dismayed, follows them and observes them petitioning a seemingly disinterested Gaea, who refuses to release them, even after they attack her. She teleports them away, dismissively; and when Nighthawk finds them again, the four have resolved to "tolerate this state of affairs no longer--and we will do what must be done!" This was setting up them going bad for a bit, in the Order, another name Marvel seems to trot out every so often. I'm not sure how much Nighthawk's relationship to the team was explored (or Patsy's, or Val's) as this feels like he's on a basketball team with four other guys who would barely let him sit on the bench.

Well, since I've got a moment, we might as well glance at another last issue that's been in the pile for some time: from 1986, the New Defenders #152, "The End of All Songs" Written by Peter B. Gillis, pencils by Don Perlin, inks by Dell Barras.

This is yet another last issue that's still part of a crossover event, so drink! It's a Secret Wars II tie-in, so of course we get the Beyonder midway through this just to muddy the waters, but this was straight-up editorial deck-clearing: Angel, Beast, and Iceman had to be reset and freed up to go to X-Factor #1, which I read when it came out, and can't recall if any of them so much as mention being part of the Defenders or losing all their teammates. Also, Beast had a dog, and doesn't get to bring it with him? Man. Moondragon, infected by the "Dragon of the Moon" and then empowered by the Beyonder, wants to do good, but also thinks killing the Defenders would be a good first step there. While Moondragon tortures the X-guys by threatening various supporting cast members, the other Defenders sacrifice themselves to destroy the Dragon, and are seemingly reduced to crumbling ash.

Valkyrie's pretty much the only one we really care about, and while Gillis may have intended to bring everyone back later, I think it was a spell for her. Despite being really vindictive and mean here, Moondragon is given a bit of an out in the end, that she helped save some supporting cast before her end; and she would be back in 1989, well before the others. I think Moondragon gets the bump because she was an Avenger; but Valkyrie had to be more popular?

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I was thinking about DC's Elseworlds annuals when I pulled this one out of the box, but it was another Legends of the Dead Earth one. From 1996, Superman: the Man of Steel Annual #6, "The Never-Ending Battle" Written by Kurt Busiek, layouts by Paul Ryan, finishes by Joe Rubinstein.

On a far-off planet, under a red sun, young fisherman Kaleb is possibly the only survivor of an alien invasion, rescued by other aliens: a human-looking science team, that seem interested in him as well. He gets injured, along with a pretty science officer, but after they manage to escape Kaleb is healed remarkably quickly, under a bank of lights. The officer, Lang, was still injured, though: Kaleb had healed because he could be a potential Superman. Which hints at why his people were wiped out, by the Empire. (Not that one!) Kaleb gets the usual super powers, but the Empire ships aren't pushovers: they seem to know what his weaknesses would be. The commanding officer uses that as a teachable moment: Kaleb wasn't immortal, and victory wasn't assured, but he won't abandon them...mainly because of Lang.

The new Superman and Lang are a couple fairly quickly, as much as they can be during wartime; and are sent undercover to the center of the Empire, Metropole. Kaleb enters the annual games to become part of the Imperial Guard (not that one, either!) but is outed as Superman, then trapped by energy-draining cables and beat down. All according to plan, as that gets him to the emperor: Lex Luthor. The 60th, having transplanted himself to a new clone body over and over. This Lex was a bit on in years, and seems to think Kaleb was the original Superman reborn or resurrected again: he won't be fooled by the "death" of Superman again. But, Lex had assumed Superman would be working alone; and wasn't prepared for Lang and the others to help out. When the fight reaches a stalemate and more imperial reinforcements on the way, Kaleb hurts Lex the only way he can: destroying the new clone body he had just about cooked to perfection!

Superman and Lang had also stolen the "Krypton protocols" from Lex, and find another planet, of peaceful farmers living harmlessly under a red sun. Should they be recruited to destroy the Empire? Or destroyed themselves before they go bad? Kaleb knows it would be nice to have help, but couldn't ask or force anyone into it, and convinces them to leave the farmers alone. But he does visit that planet, before the final battle against Lex's empire, so Lang could safely have their baby, under a red sun.

We've only seen one of the other Superman LotDE annuals here, Action Comics Annual #8, featuring Bizarro. There's an Adventures one that I'm pretty sure is an alien getting possessed like the Eradicator, and a "League of Supermen!" in the Superman Annual. I feel like I've read that one: a bunch of humans are given one power each, but I think one of them turns on the others...But, I don't think I had read this issue before now, so glad I grabbed it! Read more!

This is the chapter where everybody gets captured...for reasons, alright?

I think it's a minor plot point in the X-Men titles right now: Mr. Sinister, among others, seems to figure mutants will get only so far, before the assorted alien races of the Marvel U. collectively come down on them, and earth, like a sack of bricks. Which ignores that earth has beat back literally thousands of alien incursions, invasions, and intrusions by this point; and that said aliens traditionally work together almost worse than humans work together. They're allegedly a united front in this one, though: from 2000, Avengers #35, "Interstellar Intrigues" Written by Kurt Busiek, pencils by John Romita Jr, inks by Al Vey. 

It's midway through the Maximum Security crossover: not my favorite, but a quick one. Majestrix Lilandra of the Shi'ar is confronted by the Avengers: Infinity team and has to explain the premise: sick of uppity humanity interfering in cosmic affairs, the alien council has opted to quarantine earth off, and use it as a prison planet. It's two birds/one stone for them: the assorted alien prisoners they dump there will cause enough problems to keep humans occupied, while the humans had proven themselves resilient and clever enough to keep the prisoners contained. I kinda see what they were shooting for, and they aren't really worried if anybody accidentally-on-purpose blows earth up or anything; but I still feel like there are holes in their theory. Like introducing people who already have a common foe, namely you! As was often the case, Lilandra is a sympathetic face, but can't help.

Thor was going to give the council one more chance to do the right thing, then start recruiting allies, like his old friends the Rigellians (who were trillions strong!) or the Starjammers (um, like six guys?) but they're interrupted by a sneak attack from--aw, for just a second, I thought it was a Dire Wraith! This crossover would be remembered about a million times more fondly if that'd been the case. Sorry to Monday-morning quarterback this thing, but it's true. Instead, the Avengers are attacked, gassed, and captured, by the Ruul. Pronounced "rule," is it? Ugh, they don't. They're also a bit of misdirection, as the Ruul are rebranded, and re-evolved Kree; all part of the Supreme Intelligence's master plan. The Kree had been evolutionarily stunted for some time, so the Intelligence caused the Kree-Shi'ar War that decimated his people but also irradiated the survivors to have evolutionary potential again. Then, after Avengers Forever and the Avengers/Kang/Immortus/Time-Keepers fight, the Intelligence used the "Forever Crystal" to fast-forward Kree evolution, turning them into the Ruul, with a bunch of new powers. (Really surprised there weren't footnotes here!)

And that was like, I don't know, step three in the Supreme Intelligence's plan? Also scheduled: seed the "Ego-spore" on earth, to destroy both, but also harvest its power. Oh, and I guess kill the captured Avengers and stage their bodies so it looks like their fault, or whatever. The Avengers were all trapped in power-containing restraints--which is kind of more of a load than them all getting knocked out in the first place, since there was an Asgardian, an Eternal, a mutant, etc. Feels like baloney that they'd be able to contain all of those, but spoiler alert, we already know they don't!

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"The End" Week: Valor #23!

I watched Beneath the Planet of the Apes again recently: I first saw it when I was 6 or 7; and I think every time I've seen it since I can't help but hope it will somehow end differently. It never does, and neither did this one; as I finally read two parts of the crossover that wrapped up the "Five Years Later" era: from 1994, Valor #23, "Infinite Valor" Written by Kurt Busiek, pencils by Colleen Doran, inks by Dave Cooper.

This was, like Team Titans #24, another Zero Hour crossover/last issue; but more importantly it was part 5 of the 6-part "End of an Era" crossover with Legion of Super-Heroes and Legionnaires. Yeah, the Legion basically had three titles then! "Valor" was Lar Gand, the post-Crisis version of Legion powerhouse Mon-El, finally returned to the 30th century, pretty much just in time for it to fall apart. Among other things, time seemed to be erasing the Legion and their friends, with heroes seemingly randomly disappearing; a fate Valor had avoided only with the help of Tasmia Mallor, Shadow Lass. She remembered them being married, and they were able to keep each other in place. Mostly: when Lar starts to slip out of reality again, an old friend lends a helping hand...

Meanwhile, sort of, since time was breaking; Rokk "Cosmic Boy" Krinn faces one of the Legion's oldest foes, the mysterious Time Trapper. Who tries to explain, that wasn't what he had been trying to do, at all: the Trapper had been trying to save the future, but, well, mistakes were made. He references three attempts to help that went south, and three tries to rebuild the timeline that also failed; and also cops to creating the SW6, the younger version of the team that had been discovered in Dominator pods. The SW6 had been a time paradox, which didn't help matters. Nor does the reveal, that the Trapper actually was Rokk Krinn! Also, on the planet Talus, the remnants of both Legion teams, were getting clobbered by Mordru and Glorith, who had stolen the power of the Infinite Man. Confused and demoralized, the Legion is on the verge of defeat, when Lar and Tasmia arrive with help: Superboy! Classic pre-Crisis version.

Lar is able to distract Glorith with a bit of dirty pool: offering himself to her, if she'll spare the Legion. She really seems into that, until Superboy punches her out; and the Dream Girls play a hunch, knocking Lar into absorbing the power Glorith lost. After fighting Mordru on equal footing for a bit, the Brainiac 5's tell Lar to release the power, let Mordru have it: the infinite power is too much, which gives them the chance to exploit his weakness: burying him. The plan isn't a complete success, since Mordru buries himself within Pocket Earth, which had been pulled into that dimension in a previous issue, but was going to explode soon...Worse, Tasmia had caught a stray blast. She has time to tell Lar--Mon--she loves him, before disappearing. Lar tells the others, fix this, he was going after her, and disappears as well.

It's a brutal loss, but before the Legion can fall into despair, Superboy rallies the team, one final time, before disappearing himself. Still, even without him, the team stays rallied, for one last push...

I had read the final chapter when it came out, and I knew Superboy wasn't in it, so I knew what was going to happen here and there was no avoiding it. I don't think I had warmed to Valor before, since Mon-El's final battle--against the Time Trapper, if I recall correctly!--was surprisingly affecting. I think I liked this better than some of his other, modern appearances; but then I like the character: keep giving him shots. Read more!

"The End" Week: Night Thrasher #21!

I'm trying to recollect how long I read New Warriors; since I remember their debut in Thor, and I think I read it for at least two years? Long enough for Bagley to leave, anyway. I didn't get far enough for today's solo book: from 1995, Night Thrasher #21, "Role Models" Written by Kurt Busiek and Steve Mattsson, pencils by David Carrasco Jr, inks by Hector Collazo and Tim Tuohy.

This didn't read like it was intended to be the last issue: distraught over the recent murder of his grandmother (Sigh, because of course she was...) Rage has gone a bit berserk. He's imitating a B-movie vigilante, and out to kill "the Grind." Not a skater, but a local small-time crime boss, "a modern day Fagin and drug dealer," who had control over a ton of street kids. Unfortunately, you could throw an army of seven-year-olds at the superstrong Rage, they aren't going to stop him; so it comes down to Night Thrasher; who was basically raising his teammate. Thrasher couldn't have been older than 23 on the outside, but Rage was only 14. (Still, since that reveal back in or around 1991's Avengers #328.) Still, Thrasher had a bit of guilt, over not being a better foster dad, for letting him watch a movie he wasn't ready for, and that in his secret identity of Dwayne Taylor, he actually owned the company that produced the film! (A financier/investor type, he does lament having not done more research before buying it.)

Rage and Grind are separated, but neither one stopped; so the next day Dwayne confronts the producers, suggesting it would be a moral choice to not make a sequel. The producer, somewhat correctly, notes movies aren't usually the problem, it's usually at home; which Dwayne gets a little defensive over. Later, Thrasher has a conversation with his pilot, who points out if Rage was looking for a violent and obsessive role model, he wouldn't have had to look very far. (Then, a one page ad for a super-fun Sega game, Road Rash 3; but the ad follows the unfortunate trend of game ads of the time. Not even a screenshot!) While the Grind had time to set up defenses, Thrasher is easily able to disable them, then uses a lifesize inflatable dummy of himself as a decoy! Grind's men shoot the decoy, to his dismay: he was counting on Thrasher to save him from Rage, who shows up mad. Grind had a bunch of kids with grenades, but catches Thrasher's billy club-thing to the head, knocking him out and freeing his slaves. Thrasher then talks Rage down, by admitting he had done a far better job of dealing with his grief than he ever had. (Thrasher's origin was pretty Batman, and he had swallowed a lot of his feelings.)

Ooh, looking it up on Mike's, this came out the same month as the last issue of Morbius. But, I know Night Thrasher and Rage would probably return in New Warriors before that title wrapped. Read more!

Kurt Busiek's run on Avengers is one of my favorite runs ever, but in a bit of heresy, I prefer the post-George Perez issues, starting with Alan Davis on #38, as events built up to the best Kang story out there. This annual is set in the early part of that, but I'm not sure Kang is even mentioned here, too much else going on! From 2001, Avengers 2001, "The Third Man" Written by Kurt Busiek, pencils by Ivan Reis, inks by Scott Hanna.

Yellowjacket is rushed to Avengers Mansion by Wasp and Triathlon, a medical emergency: he had not only lost consciousness, but appeared to be becoming translucent. Photon arrives to get the exposition, and before passing out again, Yellowjacket implores Jan to get the "fake one," Goliath, who Yellowjacket had been holding prisoner in his shrunken "Hornet's Hideout" on the Avengers' front lawn! (Jan wonders if the Hideout has been there all those years--it looks a bit like a frisbee or toy stuck in a tree--but I re-read Avengers #59, and it wasn't there in its first appearance, anyway.) Jan finds the captured Goliath, suffering the same ailment. Dr. Jane Foster had been called in, but was at a loss for this one; so Triathlon floats an idea: he belonged to a Scientology-like group called the Triune Understanding, and healing spiritual rifts was a big part of their line--er, faith--and while the Avengers weren't sure they could trust the Triune's head, Jonathan Tremont, Wasp is out of other options.

At the Triune's compound, Tremont is able to get Yellowjacket and Goliath to confront each other, on a mental plain. Despite ostensibly being the same guy, they couldn't be more different: YJ was brash and impulsive, Goliath more reserved and careful. Both consider the other a fake, a mistake, a waste...they could go on, and do, as they try to smash each other. Monitoring them, Tremont explains the Triune way, that things work in threes: there should be a third part, that's not there. Jan thinks it's her, and has herself sent in to sort things out. But, when Goliath is really over-protective of her, she realizes the problem: he had been scared of hurting her again, so suppressed his emotional side; until Yellowjacket got free after a fight with Kulan Gath. While they're both willing to let Jan make the call, she knows they're going to have to work it out themselves.

Meanwhile, after a visit with Triathlon, where he doesn't want to talk about the Triune for fear of being accused of "recruiting," Photon is surprised to be met by Firestar and Justice, who had gone undercover as Triune members. (Firestar had been pissed at the group for stirring up anti-mutant sentiment, in a smear campaign against the Avengers.) They had found the Triune's secret spaceship: part of their faith involved combatting a threat from space, and the ship appeared to be legit. It was also psychically-powered, and Firestar worried it would kill everyone there if launched...Photon talks to Triathlon again, pointing out she used to be the rookie too, but he would get there.

Yellowjacket and Goliath are forced to confront what they like and don't like about themselves/each other, when they are finally visited by "the third man," an integrated, happy Hank Pym. The three of them come together, and Hank awakes, feeling better than he had in some time. Jan is grateful to Triathlon for the help, and the Avengers get ready to get back into the fight...with Firestar and Justice, still embedded, waiting. That plotline would be wrapped up before too long, though. If memory serves, Hank still stayed Yellowjacket after this (it's not only the best costume, it's more multipurpose) but he was also probably just stable until the next writer...

Also this issue: "House Cleaning" Written by Kurt Busiek, pencils by Ian Churchill, inks by Norm Rapmund. Jarvis answers some continuity glitches queries from the Avengers' security liason. One question involves Wasp's inhuman form from Avengers #394, and the answer is pretty much "Franklin Richards put back the toys the way he thought they should be," which included fixing Hawkeye's hearing? I don't know if that stuck, though, or if he re-injured it.   Read more!