Rick Jones is just leaving Avengers Mansion when he has a vision of Captain Mar-Vell, just like he had back before when they were bonded. Rick had thought Mar-Vell gave his life to save him at the end of the Kree-Skrull War, but, after a recap of that storyline, Mar-Vell convinces Rick they're bound together again. Rick resents Mar-Vell for taking so long to announce his presence: "Where've you been all these weeks? How do you think I've felt, knowing what you'd done?" Mar-Vell notes only Rick can save him from the Negative Zone, but initially Rick blows him off. After playing his guitar down in a New York subway station, Rick has a change of heart as he remembers Mar-Vell's willingness to sacrifice his life for him.
Rick heads to a cafe in Greenwich Village for a gig which Mordecai P. Boggs set up for him and Boggs introduces him to a lovely lady named Lou-Ann Savannah, the first real love interest Rick has had in this series (and if you're familiar with Jim Starlin's stories, you probably recall her). As they get to know each other, Lou-Ann thinks Rick's "tough-guy pose" is a little too like James Dean. This might the first and last time calls Rick "tough guy". A trio of men try to mug them in the streets; Rick fends off two of them but the third presses a gun into Lou-Ann's stomach; she knocks the gun out of his hand and beats him down on her own. I like her already!
Meanwhile, a cadillac brings wealthy Raymond Osworth to a Bowery building where he finds his brother-in-law Jules hiding in a darkened room. Jules complains the room is too cold, yet Raymond thinks it's about 80 degrees warm. When Raymond lets in some light, he sees Jules' skin has become yellow and there are strange cracks running along his face. Outraged at Raymond for seeing his true appearance, Jules punches Raymond through the apartment door and tells him to keep himself and his sister Christine (Jules' wife) away from him.
A week goes by as Rick gets his career and new apartment established while continuing to romance Lou-Ann. Rick begins to feel pressure from being in control of his own life for a change and his growing anger causes his connection to Mar-Vell to flare up; all this time, Mar-Vell has been stuck in the Negative Zone, still connected to Rick and his power continuing to grow; Mar-Vell needs to get out of the Negative Zone or the energy build-up will kill both of them. Lou-Ann brings Rick to her uncle, who turns out to be Benjamin Savannah, a university scientist, whose photon-ray treatment causes Rick and Mar-Vell to change places once again. Lou-Ann is terrified by this and Mar-Vell, not explaining anything, simply flies out of the laboratory, leaving her alone.
Back in the Bowery, Jules has continued to change; his hair has fallen out and he's donned a colourful costume. Calling himself "Megaton, the Nuclear Man", his entire body is emitting dangerous radioactive energy. Mad with power, he shows off his abilities to the building's super. A few months earlier, Jules Carter had been on a research team in the Arctic when he was caught in the blast of an exploding atomic research base; the other scientists were killed, but Jules has survived. Megaton now ventures out of the Bowery and runs into Captain Marvel...
Thoughts: Although the creative team doesn't stick around for very long, this is a good enough return to the series. Lou-Ann is the first major addition to the supporting cast since Mordecai P. Boggs and she has the kind of steel which makes Gerry Conway a great writer of female supporting characters. Megaton's appearance is a bit too odd and (inevitably, with Boring on art) too DC-ish, but it is refreshing to have Captain Marvel set up to fight a new super-villain for the first time in... quite a while. Man, it's mostly been robots and mad scientists, hasn't it?
Next: Megaton goes off in Captain Marvel #23!
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