As I said at the outset, Captain Marvel reached a period where fandom was deeply irritated by the series. Although it had struggled from the outset simply for its umbrage to call the hero 'Captain Marvel', the entire 'Zo' plotline had turned even fans against the book. For that reason, we are now at Captain Marvel #16 (1969), the conclusion of the 'Zo' story; but not at the hands of its instigator Arnold Drake or the noble efforts of Gary Friedrich: Archie Goodwin steps in here with his one-and-only issue of Captain Marvel in what is essentially meant to sweep the deck clear for the new creative team. On art chores is Don Heck, who had been absent since issue #10; this is his final issue of Captain Marvel and a suitable place for him to bid the series farewell. The story is called: "Behind the Mask of Zo!"
We resume with Captain Marvel in the clutches of the worshipers of Tam-Bor, who drag him before their idol. Tam-Bor's magnetic pull is so strong that Mar-Vell's captors can simply hurl him through the air to the idol, as the metal in Mar-Vell's battle-suit attracts him. Mar-Vell manages to alter his path using his jet-belt and aims himself to the base of Tam-Bor, where he notices a door. Stepping inside, Mar-Vell is alarmed: "Tam-Bor is no natural phenomenon gone berserk... nor an insidious alien plot! It is as though someone had mechanically reproduced Earth's magnetic north pole, increasing its strength a thousand fold! And, the construction is unmistakably Kree... of recent design!" The machinery inside the idol convinces Mar-Vell that someone among the Kree wants to destroy Kree-Lar. But for what purpose? Mar-vell's exploration is halted when Ronan teleports into the room (Ronan is once again blue-skinned and from now on, always will be). Ronan whips out his Universal Weapon and begins blasting Mar-Vell with cosmic energy, ignoring Mar-Vell's warning about the idol.
Mar-Vell tries to flee, but the Universal Weapon drains his jet-belt. Noticing the idol's generator nearby, Mar-Vell takes off his helmet and activates the self-destruct mechanism inside (wow, this is the second time Mar-Vell's had an explosive device on his person). The helmet explodes, destroying the generator and taking the idol of Tam-Bor with it. Does this mean Kree-Lar and the universe have been saved? Then why did Zo insist Kree-Lar had to be destroyed? Anyway, Ronan is uninjured by the explosion, while Mar-Vell is stunned.
Back on Earth, Carol Danvers awakens in a hospital. Delirious, she recalls Mar-Vell needing her help (the whole treason thing) and wanders from her hospital room, just missing FBI agents Jeff Colt and Ray Kinsolving (they're introduced like they expect to hang around; sorry fellas, this series isn't casting new recurring characters yet). Reporters outside the hospital try to question Carol about Captain Marvel, but someone offers to guide her from the crowd -- but Carol's new friend is Yon-Rogg, who drags her into an automobile.
Back on Kree-Lar, Mar-Vell revives in time to see Ronan about to kill hiim, when the Super-Sentry appears! Just like a regular Sentry only.. super. The Super-Sentry works directly for the Supreme Intelligence and informs Ronan he's been stripped of all authority. Mar-Vell has heard of the Super-Sentry, but thought the robot a mere myth: "An invincible master-version of our inter-galactic guardians... called upon by the Supreme Intelligence only when the very empire itself is threatened!" The Super-Sentry deflects Ronan's attacks, then picks up Mar-vell to ferry him to the Hall of Judgment.
The Hall of Judgment is on Hala, "headquarters planet of the galaxy-spanning Kree!" Mar-Vell also identifies the Kree's sun as 'Pama'. Both Hala and Pama appeared in dialogue a few issues before - good for Goodwin to make this part of the Kree lore. According to Mar-Vell, "few Kree ever actually behold" Hala, which is where the Supreme Intelligence resides. Of course, this idea would be ignored over the decades as writers would more commonly use Hala as the Kree's planet of choice rather than Kree-Lar. Anyway, in the Hall of Judgment the Super-Sentry sets Mar-Vell down before the Supreme Intelligence. And may I take a moment to say Don Heck is finally doing an awesome job with all the Kirby designs for the Kree? It's a pity this is his farewell (a more's the pity it took him this long to master the Kree visuals).
However, Mar-Vell is not the person being judged today - rather it's the Imperial Minister, whose name is finally given as Zarek. The Supreme Intelligence reveals Zarek was the one behind Zo all along. "You experienced only what Zarek desired that you experience!" the Supreme Intelligence explains. "The seemingly endless voyage through space that left you near madness was carefully calculated so you'd arrive incapable of suspecting... this was in reality a small world on the rim of the Kree galaxy!" It turns out Mar-Vell was inside a Kree multi-sensory illusion chamber during his entire confrontation with Zo back in issue #11 while Zarek and Ronan sat at the controls. In fact, Zarek and Ronan have been behind pretty much all of Mar-Vell's woes: they assigned Yon-Rogg as Mar-Vell's commander knowing that Yon-Rogg would prod Mar-Vell where they needed him. But why? Why did Zarek and Ronan betray the Supreme Intelligence?
"Because I was looking for a tool to topple an empire," Zarek explains. Zarek was the one who built Tam-Bor - a crisis he invented so that he and Ronan could eventually save the day and become public heroes. "I am a blue Kree!" Zarek explains, finally giving voice to the shifting colour choices of the Kree. "An original Kree... one of the few remaining native to Hala! We began the galactic empire... and, century after century, it has slowly been corrupted by endless worlds and impure races added to it... until today we who created the glory have almost been absorbed into extinction! Liberal policies of the Supreme Intelligene made this possible!" Yep, Zarek wants to Make Hala Great Again; although the Supreme Intelligence will eventually be considered little more than another super-villain to Marvel's writers, at this stage we see he's actually benevolent, while Zarek and Ronan are true authoritarian types. So to, this idea of the Kree's blue skin being bred out is an introduction to the various genetic troubles which will define Kree tales for decades come (this is one influential fill-in story!).
Zarek's full plan was to have Mar-Vell become a traitor, then get him close to Tam-Bor; Ronan would then kill Mar-Vell and destroy Tam-Bor, then claim Tam-Bor was Mar-Vell's scheme; the Supreme Intelligence's "lax policies" would be blamed for the Mar-Vell situation, giving Zarek and Ronan the chance to claim leadership of the Kree.
Ronan then breaks into the Hall of Judgment to rescue Zarek and Ronan leaves behind a negation sphere; while the Super-Sentry is concerned with the escaping villains, Mar-Vell hurls himself on the bomb to save the Supreme Intelligence. However, the bomb is automatically neutralized - but Mar-Vell's courage impresses the Supreme Intelligence. Zarek and Ronan are arrested but Yon-Rogg remains at large. The Supreme Intelligence intends to destroy Yon-Rogg with a hyperspace bolt, but Mar-Vell fears such a blast could destroy the Earth; although most of the Kree fleets are deployed against the Skrulls and Aakon, Mar-Vell believes Yon-Rogg can be dealt with by just one man: himself. Again impressed, the Supreme Intelligence grants Mar-Vell new powers and a new costume (his third set of powers, if you're keeping track). As Mar-Vell remains sympathetic to Earth he'll never rise above the rank of Captain - he will always remain 'Captain Marvel'. Mar-Vell flies away from Hala, still testing out his new powers - when suddenly he's drawn into the Negative Zone! End.
Thoughts: This issue should be a mess - a fill-in creative team wiping the slate clear. And yet, it works; Don Heck brought a vitality to these pages which was usually lacking in his earlier - a really redemptive turn by him. And Archie Goodwin wound up embellishing ideas about the Kree which would inspire virtually every Kree story going forward, which is no small accomplishment. Then too, Captain Marvel debuts the costume which he'll be most famous for wearing - it's better than you'd expect a fill-in story to be.
Mar-Vell's mission on Earth was so hazily established by Lee & Thomas that the revelations of Zarek & Ronan's plots actually work pretty well, despite being a retcon. And absolutely no one will miss Zo.
Next: Another new creative team! Another new direction! And can you say 'Rick Jones'? Yep, it's time for Captain Marvel #17!
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