Mar-Vell notes his mission is to observe the humans, which wouldn't have possible if he'd allowed Solam to destroy them all. After Ronan's questions are done, he finds the truth-chair's "veracitometer" points to "the 5% zone of indecision!" To resolve the question of Mar-Vell's loyalty, Ronan orders him to release a vial of virus Z-3 on Earth. He's kind enough to let Mar-Vell choose "any" community, which will serve in Mar-Vell's favour. It seems Virus Z-3 almost eliminated the Kree population centuries ago. This entire interrogation was performed by Ronan in-person; with the judgement rendered, he uses a beta-ray (no relation to Adam Strange's zeta-ray) to transmit Mar-Vell and Yon-Rogg back to their ship, the Helion. One wonders why the Kree need starships for recon missions when they can send their soldiers across several star systems within seconds.
Mar-Vell explains his new problem to Una. Una is certain Mar-Vell could never unleash the virus, but has nothing to offer in terms of aiding him. Having just failed to deal permanently with Mar-Vell, Yon-Rogg decides to fail somewhere else: Carol Danvers is investigating the site where the Helion briefly touched down on Earth (last issue) so he fires a blast of "almost invisible" cosmic energy at her. However, Mar-Vell returns to Earth in time to deflect the blast with his uni-beam. Carol is pleased to see Mar-Vell and tells him she's concerned about 'Walter Lawson' and wonders if his super powers could reveal anything to her about the mystery man. Yon-Rogg finally makes something of his failure by calling Una over to observe Mar-Vell and Carol's conversation. Their transmission feed doesn't include audio, but based on the imagery and Yon-Rogg's inneundo, Una begins to think Mar-Vell is attracted to Carol. It's taken some time, but the book's first love triangle is officially on!
Meanwhile we turn our attention to a cavern beneath Manhattan where the living computer Quasimodo (originally built by the Mad Thinker) has realized that the Cape's computer is the most powerful computer on Earth; as he gains strength from computer energy, it's just what Quasimodo needs. Check out this rant:
"Men loudly denounce the enslavement of men! But the creation of machine slaves is repayed with vast fortunes and---the Edisons and Diesels--men who invent new electronic lackeys and mechanical serfs---are honored and respected above all others! For, to me, the machine is a mindless, soulless thing! Then... through me... let them see that the machine does think and feel and even talk---through my own relayed voice! And let them know that the slave machines have found a new master---one who shall make them the rulers and men the servants!"
Yes, Quasimodo is planning a revolution! But for now we turn back to the hotel where Mar-Vell lives as 'Lawson' and Jeremy Logan is finally back on duty as clerk, having lost his memories about the cylinder he discovered in 'Lawson's' room. Mar-Vell uses a cell transmuter in his room to tranform his fingerprints into a match for the real Walter Lawson - so Carol, for all her complaints about 'Lawson' didn't bother to fingerprint him before now? Quasimodo invades the Cape and it seems he can now command machines to obey him, such as making a rifle float in the air and shoot at a guard. That, uh, seems unlikely. It's one thing for Quasimodo to control other computers, but just any machine? And make it hover in the air? It's a bit too juvenile. Quasimodo easily conquers the Cape and demands General Bridges bring him to the source of their computer power. Bridges replies the Cape uses a network and that anyway, "No such thing as computer energy exists!" Quasimodo retorts: "Then see how I attract and consume this non-existant force!"
Captain Marvel responds to the attack on the Cape and engages Quasimodo in battle. Quasimodo beats Mar-Vell and departs, but Mar-Vell catches up to him in an artifical town which Quasimodo built and filled with robots designed to look like 19th century humans. Mar-Vell realizes this is the answer to his problem; he smashes Quasimodo's main computer to deactivate the robots while at the same time releasing Virus Z-3. To Yon-Rogg's eyes, it appears as though Mar-Vell unleashed the virus against a town of humans and killed them. Yon-Rogg is disappointed with the outcome but must accept Mar-Vell's victory; Una, however, is growing increasingly distraught by the idea that Mar-Vell is in love with another woman...
Thoughts: I kind of adore Quasimodo, I can't quite explain it. I mean, he's a hunchbacked robot. It's a very simple design, yet memorable. He's also a significant Jack Kirby villain, but not one who has been over-used. I put him to work in my book Dark Reign Files for Marvel and found I liked writing in his voice.
Arnold Drake seems to have been having a good time too - a few of Quasimodo's lines are funny. Drake didn't have the same mastery of snappy banter that Stan Lee did, but he did okay here. Don Heck holds up pretty well too - he sometimes skipped corners in crafting action-heavy super hero comics, but this holds together all right; it's not an outstanding comic book, but it gets the job done.
Next: Meet the Kree's greatest enemies! ...No, not them. The other ones.
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