Thursday, January 04, 2024

Geez, Norrin, Homer Simpson has to go back to his old job less often than you.

Reading this one, I swear I could hear a cartoon bear mom imploring everyone to "roll it back!" But, some changes from this series maybe stuck? From 2018, Infinity Countdown #4, written by Gerry Duggan, pencils by Aaron Kuder and Mike Hawthorne, inks by Aaron Kuder, Terry Pallot, and Jose Marzan Jr.
After nearly being taken over by Ultron, the Silver Surfer seemingly ditched Adam Warlock mid-fight, as Ultron was about to launch rockets (which seems so old-school!) at the entire universe, spreading himself like an infection. The Surfer wasn't chickening out, though, as much as running to get his old boss to eat Ultron's planet: Galactus turns him down flat, since he was currently the fresh-maker er, "Life-bringer," and eating a planet...would be bad? Like him falling off the wagon?
Meanwhile, on Xandar, the Nova Corps is both surprised and mildly annoyed that Richard Rider and the Guardians of the Galaxy both survived the Chitauri and had the no-longer-planet-sized Power Stone. They may have lost Ant-Man, though...I'm pretty sure he turns up later, but couldn't tell you how: "But the important thing is, we're okay," says Rocket. Gamora wants to put together a new Infinity Watch, and Rich gives it a second, to see if maybe they did it and could go back in time and confirm...? No? All right. Rich has to take off, since his younger brother was now part of the Darkhawk-related Fraternity of Raptors. They briefly seem like they're going to pass the Power Stone like the Beastie Boys pass the mike: Gamora suggests maybe not taking it back into enemy territory, so Rich leaves the Stone with Star-Lord, although Gamora then firmly asks for it, followed by the Nova Corps claiming it was their property. With a saxophone blast, Drax takes the Stone, pissed at all of them. Then, Star-Lord is asked to consult for the Collector and Grandmaster, who have acquired the Reality Stone. Or rather, a Reality Stone: Phyla-Vell and Moondragon from a neighboring reality show up for it, explaining each universe's Reality Stone was hidden in the figurative next universe over. It didn't work here, so Star-Lord gives it to them; and they leave with a cryptic remark about "who Requiem is." (You'll be able to guess when they show; and it's not a secret for long.)
Warlock was unable to stop all of Ultron's rockets: he was rocking the half-Hank Pym face there; it's very Cyborg-Superman. I think elsewhere in the series Hank gets really got, like pretty definitively killed? His soul eaten, maybe? They briefly kind of tried to play up the metaphorical connection between Warlock and Ultron, as "sons of man." The Surfer arrives with Galactus, which Ultron laughs off; thinking it was a scam, since it was now well known that the Guardians had a fake-Galactus mech; but this was the real deal, who changes from gold to his traditional purple as he eats the planet. The rockets are destroyed, and Warlock shoots the Soul Gem out of Ultron's hand...by shooting his hand off; although the robot presumably still escapes. But while that disaster had been averted, was the price too high? Galactus now again hungered, and the Surfer was again forced into service as his herald. Which seems to happen a lot, when the Surfer doesn't have his own series? Well, like I keep saying, it's work, man. Gotta keep workin' it.

4 comments:

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

I wonder why this version of Starlord looks more his classic look compared to his movie one?

Is Rich's brother still in said fraternity?

Pretty sure the whole Surfer returning to his old job should be turned into a drinking game, although, considering the frequency, maybe not for the sake one's liver...

I guess fusing Hank with his creation was one of the last original things they could do, but where do you go after that?

googum said...

By that point, I think Spartax was maybe lumped into modern Star-Lord continuity; because it both makes Peter royalty and gives another planet of space dickholes to deal with. They seem real British empire, in the worst way: colonialists, real into ceremonial hunts and cultural appropriation...

I think Rich's brother became "Talonar" and nearly killed their mom accidentally. (Or 'accidentally.') Weirdly, I'd of figured one of Darkhawk's little brothers going that route. One actually had a serial killer mentor/father figure for a while!

CalvinPitt said...

I'm pretty sure the only Infinity Challenge book I read was the Darkhawk mini-series and it was not good. Or maybe I just thought trying to retcon the Darkhawk armors into some sort of "Anti-Phoenix" weapon was an incredibly stupid idea.

Although I liked the original origin, that it was something whipped up for an interstellar crime boss. With all the alien races (extinct and otherwise) around, there ought to be all sorts of crap like that floating around to conveniently land on Earth.

As for the Surfer, I assume he goes back to Galactus whenever he feels like he needs fresh material to be mopey and dramatic about. "Can even I, with all my speed upon my board, outrun the sins I have committed in helping Galactus?" Meanwhile Galactus is standing there going, "You came to me, buddy."

googum said...

I always loved Ron Marz (after Starlin) having Galactus seem like a put-upon boss; which I guess makes the Surfer a problem employee. Time for your performance improvement plan, Norrin!