Thursday, June 16, 2022

Ereshkigal is a lot more sympathetic now, I think.

I said I was going to do more of a write-up on this issue, um, twelve years ago. Better get started! Actually, maybe we'll appreciate it more now, since something else from it has come up since. From 1993, Quasar #50, "Horizon of Holes" Written by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Andy Smith, inks by Ralph Cabrera. 

In the Man-Thing's swamp in Florida, the Nexus of Realities is visible today, which I think means the barometric pressure is dropping. No, it may be because of recent events in New York City: up until a couple minutes ago, Kayla Ballantine had possessed the Star Brand, accidentally passed to her by her boyfriend Wendell Vaughn, Quasar. Since she thought she misused it while lost in space, she gave the Brand to her friend Holly Steckley, who turned out to really be Ereshkigal! 'Holly Steckley' was the identity previously used by Moondragon to get close to Quasar; Ereshkigal picked it up when she stopped using it; there may have never been a real Holly. Ereshkigal claims to have tricked much smarter people over the millennia, but I didn't think Deviants lived anywhere near that long, usually. She also says she's not really evil, just "motivated in a very egocentric manner." (I like her motivation from the database better, trying to free herself from restrictions, even if the restrictions are from Eternity and the Living Tribunal. They're not the boss of her!) 

Quasar had been nearby in the hospital, visiting his mother; and was surprised to realize Kayla was back. After catching up with her and realizing what had happened, Quasar goes to check on Kismet, who had lost a fight with Kayla and was currently in a cocoon in the East River. (Think Adam Warlock!) Erishkigal hadn't just been sitting on her wings, though: she went to the Nexus of Realities, slightly annoyed that it was in a swamp. Attacked by Man-Thing, Erishkigal blows him up with the Star Brand, although not necessarily maliciously: she just didn't want it to stop her, and it was "a miserable creature doing a thankless job." Now, she had easy access to multiple realities, and checks a few out, before sending a pulse into several. 

The Silver Surfer cosmically notices something is up, and approaches a lava planet to use another Nexus of Realities, but finds it guarded by a creature calling itself Anakalak. (I didn't think there were multiple Nexuses here and there; just one per reality!)
Several extra-dimensional entities answer Erishkigal's summons, since the Star Brand was a power none of them recognized. She gives them the option of maybe doing something other than being multiversal custodians, and some side with her, including a big green cheese, and off-brand Starro and Ren & Stimpy! Erishkigal wipes out the rest. The Living Tribunal then appears, with Lord Chaos and Master Order; but that just tells her she's on the right track, and she's willing to destroy as much multiverse as she has to, to get out from under their thumb. Quasar and the Surfer arrive, as she starts using her power, increasing Lord Chaos and diminishing Master Order. The Tribunal doesn't let them hear the conversation, but offers a tournament of champions, because direct confrontation would do too much damage. With both heroes convinced the other was "fighting for little Miss Universe Wrecker!" they start the fight. 

Quasar may not have had the juice the Surfer did, but was adept at redirecting power. However, after taking a couple hits in a row, he notices Master Order grew when the Surfer hit him, and realizes he was going to have to throw the fight! He fights enough to not make it obvious, but gets thrashed. Erishkigal seemingly immolates herself with the loss, but I'm glad she would return. The Living Tribunal takes the Star Brand away, to determine how to dispose of it, and the Surfer and Quasar return through their Nexuses; Quasar to a ton of guest-stars that had come to help him out! (Pity they didn't squeeze Excalibur in there!)

This issue has a "foil enhanced prismatic cover," so I think it sold fairly well? You can probably find one pretty easily; even if I have more than one around here somewhere...

1 comment:

Mr. Morbid's House Of Fun said...

You know what? This Ereshkigal character (which totally sounds like how you'd sneeze in Jewish) certainly had & still has potential that someone like an Al Ewing, Jonathan Hickman or maybe even a Nick Spencer could find a way to make her a must-read about character & relevant again.
Shame she hasn't shown up since, especiallY with all the recent Eternals comics that have come out. You'd think Neil Gaiman would've used her himself.

Andy Smith, from what I can remember of that time & era, definitely looked & felt like a Bart Sears clone to me. Of course he's refined his style a lot more since then, but at the time, he was basically the guy hired if Sears wasn't available.