This story, "The Alien and the Amphibian!", is our farewell to the creative team of Roy Thomas and Gene Colan (Colan again inked by Vince Colletta). As I covered here, Stan Lee didn't even write a complete origin for Mar-Vell, so this has really been a Thomas/Colan joint - and now that's coming to an end with this story.
We open in Mar-Vell's hotel room as he reads a newspaper account of his battle with the Super-Skrull. He muses humans have accepted him as a hero, but have no idea "That it may one day be my hand which signals the fatal attack upon an unsuspecting sphere... that mine may be the voice which decrees its total destruction!" Mar-Vell knows that as a soldier he shouldn't be bothered by such thoughts, but admits it's weighing on his conscience. When he gets angry and smashes a desk, it attracts someone's attention and he has to quickly cover up his battle-suit. He notes he altered the hotel's register to change his name from 'C. Marvel' to 'Walter Lawson', correcting a mistake he should never have been so careless to make.
Mar-vell is greeted by Hal, nephew of Jeremy Logan, who is now running the clerk's desk while Jeremy is in a coma. Hal tells 'Lawson' there was a call for him from the Cape telling him to hurry over. 'Lawson' takes a taxi to the Cape, the same one he started to take two issues previously. The cab driver, Chester Fenton, remembers him. Man, Mar-Vell is cursed to keep encountering background characters who want to be part of this book's supporting cast! General Bridges is preparing to launch a new missile, the Argos III, while Carol Danvers remains as ever curious about 'Lawson' and his secrets.
The scene shifts to the North Atlantic and one of Roy Thomas' all-time favourite characters Namor, the Sub-Mariner. Namor is, at the moment, engrossed in a plot from Thomas' Sub-Mariner series and on his way to warn Mister Fantastic about the villain Destiny. Meanwhile, we learn the Argos II contains deadly bacterias which are going to be launched into orbit to examine the effects of cosmic rays upon them. However, the Argos III changes course on its way back from launch and dives into the North Atlantic. This is the fault of Colonel Yon-Rogg aboard the Helion who cannot, it seems, allow one issue to go by without inserting himself into the drama. Yon-Rogg used the starship's atomic oscillotron to change the missile's course as part of a "secret plan" which his superiors authorized (at least for once he's following orders, I guess).
When General Bridges learns Argos III landed near New York Harbor he quickly has himself, 'Lawson' and Carol flown out there, hoping to quickly retrieve the missile before the bacteria can be released into the atmosphere. A US Navy vessel is dispatched to begin the retrieval operation but when the Sub-Mariner swims by the ship warns him of the missile. Mar-Vell slips aways and contacts Yon-Rogg, who tells him they've been given clearance to unleash the bacteria as a scientific experiment on the humans. Mar-Vell is wounded by this, as his conscience tells him to prevent the bacteria from being released. And this, right here, is the kind of angst this series should have been playing with from the first.
The Sub-Mariner goes to help deal with the missile, forcing Mar-Vell to head underwater and fight him. Mar-Vell is bright enough to realize how strange this is: "That I--whom the primitives of Earth call a hero--should do battle with a long-sworn foe of the humans--who seems to wish only to save them from their own folly!" This is one of those comics where a bit of science is permitted and so Mar-Vell is unable to speak underwater, forcing him to communicate entirely with his fists. Of course, Namor is much more adept at underwater combat, plus draws strength from the ocean. Mar-Vell finally realizes the answer to his dilemma is to address Namor as though he were a villain; grabbing Namor, he flies him to the surface and tells him to unleash the germs against the humans he hates so much. Of course, Namor intends to do the opposite of that and Mar-Vell gives him enough information to safely dismantle the missile while making it look as though he's still trying to stop Namor. Ultimately, Mar-Vell causes the missile to explode, destroying all of the bacteria; Namor is hurled away by the blast and Mar-Vell flies away.
Thoughts: This was pretty good! There is a tradition of playing Namor as a villain and Thomas was sharp to note how Mar-Vell is essentially a reluctant villain posing as a hero. It's an interesting bind for the character to be in and one which I wish Thomas had explored more during his tenure. Of course, Thomas returns to the series eventually (not Gene Colan though, he's done for good), but the series will be quite different by the time of his second run.
So far the series hasn't added much to the Marvel mythos beyond Mar-Vell, Yon-Rogg, Una and Carol Danvers, but starting next issue we'll get the first-ever all-new super villains for Mar-Vell to fight! ...And, uh, they're not exactly memorable.
Next: Arnold Drake and Don Heck take over for Captain Marvel #5!
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