Space-Born Super Hero Part 20: Captain Marvel #17

Welcome back to my revisit of Marvel Comics' Captain Marvel, specifically the stories prior to Jim Starlin's famous character revamp. We're now up to issue #17 (1969) and a lot has changed - Captain Marvel has a dynamic new costume. Unfortunately, as he flew away from Hala he was sucked into the Negative Zone. It's interesting to note this is yet another element from the Fantastic Four comics; it's amazing how much Captain Marvel relies on Fantastic Four continuity, yet Mar-Vell and the FF haven't even met.

"And a Child Shall Lead You!" by returning writer Roy Thomas and artist Gil Kane (inks by Dan Adkins). While Captain Marvel remains trapped in the Negative Zone, he turns his eyes to Earth and Rick Jones, who at the time had recently assumed the identity of Bucky, serving very briefly as Captain America's sidekick. Unfortunately for Rick, this is during a plot in which the Red Skull used the Cosmic Cube to swap bodies with Captain America. When Rick goes up to the Skull-in-Cap, the Red Skull fumes "Captain America needs no one!" and strikes him. Dejected, Rick journeys to Avengers Mansion and packs up his belongings, informing the Avengers' butler Jarvis to tell the Avengers he said goodbye.

Rick thinks back on his earlier adventures, first helping the Hulk, then leading the Teen Brigade, on to aiding the Avengers and finally becoming Captain America's sidekick. Rick throws away his Avengers ID card and hitchhikes a ride with a truck, unaware that Mar-Vell is subtly exerting mental pressure on his decisions. Departing the truck in the middle of nowhere, a glowing image of Captain America guides Rick into a cave. The cave is full of weird machines and monstrous statues, prompting Rick to yelp, "Fan-tastic!" which will become Rick's catchphrase throughout Captain Marvel. The image of Captain America vanishes and his place appear two golden wristbands which are identical to those which Mar-Vell now wears. Rick can't resist trying them on; they shrink to fit snugly around his wrists.

In case the subtle allusions to the origin of Fawcett's Golden Age Captain Marvel have gone over your head (the statues in the cave are obviously in homage to the statues of the Seven Deadly Sins), the story gets a bit more obvious. An image of Captain Mar-Vell appears before Rick and tells him to slam the wristbands together; Rick does so and in a bolt of lightning he vanishes - the teenager replaced by the costumed hero Captain Marvel. And heck, why not? At this point, fandom hated Marvel's Captain Marvel for using the Fawcett character's name, they might as well lean directly into it. Anyway, now Rick is in the Negative Zone and this establishes the status quo going forward: at any given time, either Rick or Mar-Vell must be in the Negative Zone. However, they have a psychic link and so can talk to each other between dimensions.

Just as Mar-Vell begins to explain the wristbands are "millennia-old" Nega-Bands and that their power has nullified the radiation which blasted him into the Negative Zone. Just then, Yon-Rogg bursts in, determined to have the Nega-Bands' power for himself. Mar-Vell's reflexes have been slowed by his time in the Negative Zone and he takes a blast to the chest from Yon-Rogg photonic pistol, but suffers no injury. Terrified, Yon-Rogg exits the cave, running for a ship (it appears to be too small to be the Helion). It seems this cave was a secret Kree base and Yon-Rogg had been following Rick because his instruments identified him as being under Mar-Vell's control. Carol Danvers is aboard Yon-Rogg's ship, his unconscious prisoner. Mar-Vell pursues Yon-Rogg but states he no longer has any super powers (like the teleportation, super strength and illusions which 'Zo' gave him), just whatever the Nega-Bands provide; fortunately, that includes the power of flight.

Yon-Rogg hurls a bomb in the shape of Carol Danvers out of his ship, but Mar-Vell is apparently also superhumanly tough, as he's surprised when the explosion doesn't kill him. Yon-Rogg gets away as Mar-Vell muses about his powers, then switches places with Rick Jones. Rick senses he and Mar-Vell's merging has imprinted some of Mar-Vell's psyche on him. "He's part of me now--like I am of him! I even share Mar-Vell's desire... for revenge! And somehow, I know I'm gonna find Yon-Rogg for him... if it takes the rest of my life...!" And the story ends here.

Thoughts: I'm now at the halfway point of these posts and we're now at the third attempt to create a status quo for Captain Marvel - but this is the one that stuck. When people think back on Mar-Vell, it's usually the era where he was body swapping with Rick Jones that they recall. Although Starlin later modifies the red & blue costume a little, the costume and Nega-Bands are also what people best remember. It's not a complete reboot, as the presence of Yon-Rogg demonstrates (though Thomas intends to rectify that one quickly), but this is one heck of a Hail Mary - there are very few comic book characters whose entire publishing history had been so dull yet were given a revamp which actually worked.

Major kudos to Gil Kane, whose artwork is seriously unchained at this point. Previously the series' action scenes had been rather stiff, but Kane excels at energetic action scenes.

Although Rick Jones was brought into this comic primarily so that Roy Thomas could nudge and wink about the Fawcett Captain Marvel, he does finally give Mar-Vell a compelling supporting cast member and ties the character more firmly into the rest of the Marvel Comics titles; the simple fact that Rick had ties to the Hulk, Avengers and Captain America would thereafter provide the ready means for Mar-Vell to earn guest appearances in other titles (and vice-versa).

Although Roy Thomas had written the early issues of this series, you'd hardly guess it; this issue suggests the writer wanted to take advantage of the hero's near blank slate in order to retool the series; but Thomas simply seems to have little affection for the first run of stories he penned for this title and has no problem pushing the character into a completely different setup; the 'Walter Lawson' stuff is a justly-ignored footnote now.

Next: Let's finally put an end to this Yon-Rogg stuff with Captain Marvel #18!

Space-Born Super Hero Part 19: Captain Marvel #16

And now for something completely different.

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 too, 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!

Space-Born Super Hero Part 18: Captain Marvel #15

Welcome back to "Space-Born Super Hero" and this time I'm examining Captain Marvel #15 (1969) and the story "That Zo Might Live... a Galaxy Must Die!" by Gary Friedrich and new artist Tom Sutton (inks by Dan Adkins). I'm disappointed that Frank Springer is gone as I'd quite enjoyed his work, but Sutton gets off to a strong start with a first page depicting a flash of energy which draws closer and closer to the reader across 12 panels.

This swirl of energy is apparently Zo himself, who had previously appeared as a talking tower. Captain Marvel isn't entirely pleased with this change. "If you are truly the all-encompassing entity you claim to be... prove it to me". Zo responds by showing Mar-Vell the history of Earth, from its creation to destruction in nuclear holocaust; this kind of abstract imagery would have been muffed just a few issues earlier, but Friedrich & Sutton are pulling it off, mainly because Sutton carries the page alone with no script from Friedrich. Zo then shows Mar-Vell a vision of his own future: in the vision, Mar-Vell sees himself planting a bomb which seems to destroy Mar-Vell's homeworld. He's horrified by this prediction. "In spite of you, I will never lift my hand against them!" Mar-Vell growls at Zo. He accuses Zo of casting illusions, which is a good guess since Zo gave Mar-Vell that same ability. Zo continues to claim he has the power to control the universe (obvious question, then: what does God need with a Captain Marvel?).

Zo sends Captain Marvel into a place "without time or dimension... where mind and matter are without meaning... where all that is visible is far beyond the grasp of the highest echelons of civilized learning..." That's the signpost up ahead... This results in several pages of trippy Tom Sutton artwork as Mar-Vel flails through weird landscapes, steadily becoming convinced that Zo really is all-powerful. Mar-Vell reappears in "some utopian garden" which Mar-Vell likens to Heaven, then to a demonic dimension which he assumes to be Hell. The visions end and Mar-Vell finds himself back on the asteroid, now convinced to serve Zo's plan. Zo guides Mar-Vell to his home world, Kree-Lar (first time we've seen this in a comic), "cradle of the Kree civilization". Mar-Vell wonders why Zo wants the planet destroyed. "Surely, by the wonders they have performed through the ages, my people, above all others, deserve to live!" With his usual evasiveness, Zo claims he'll explain it later.

Zo show Mar-Vell an idol built to Tam-Bor, the "pagan god of Kree-Lar's forzen wastelands". Zo claims the worship of Tam-Bor imperils all life in the universe because the idol is built from rock so heavily magnetized that it is exerting its magnetic strength on other worlds. That sounds impossible, but at the very least it could imperil all of Kree-Lar. Zo then leaves Mar-Vell and our hero finds himself in Rad-Nam, his home city. It looks vaguely Kryptonian, full of scientific wonders. Unfortunately, Mar-Vell is recognized by a Kree Accuser Patrol. Later comics will have all Accusers dress in the same garb as Ronan, but for now this Accuser Patrol just looks like a couple of mooks. Recognizing Mar-Vell as a traitor, the Accusers pursue him in their vehicle. Before Mar-Vell can teleport, the Accuser Patrol hit him with a stun beam; unable to concentrate, Mar-Vell is carried aboard the vessel and starts a fight with the Accusers (all the Kree we see in this issue are pink-skinned, by the way).

Just as Mar-Vell commandeers the vessel, they run across a warship of Tam-Bor. So the worshipers are warshippers? Mar-Vell is stunned to learn Tam-Bor's followers have their own army (good job on the briefing, Zo) and the larger warship swallows the Accuser Patrol craft. The men aboard declare Captain Marvel is now a prisoner of Tam-Bor!

Thoughts: And just like that, Gary Friedrich is gone - he lasted only three issues. By this time, fandom was rebelling against all the changes and especially against Zo (as the letters page in this very issue will bear witness). This turned out to be Sutton's only issue of Captain Marvel. Perhaps Friedrich could have saved this "Zo" plot, but the decision had evidently been made to completely retool the series and write Zo out as quickly as possible - which is what happens next issue.

Next: A fill-in issue? Yep, a fill-in creative team steps in to wrap up almost every dangling plotline in the series thus far. Be here for the sea change which is Captain Marvel #16!

Space-Born Super Hero Part 17: Captain Marvel #14

Welcome back to "Space-Born Super Hero" and my ongoing look at the pre-Jim Starlin days of Marvel Comics' Captain Marvel. Today I'm looking at Captain Marvel #14: "When a Galaxy Beckons!" by Gary Friedrich and Frank Springer (inks by Vince Colletta). Captain Marvel has just saved Carol Danvers from the Man-Slayer but --oops!-- he's still wanted for treason and the soldiers at the Cape have been ordered to shoot on sight. Carol begs the Captain to surrender and clear his name through due process, but Mar-Vell doesn't think he can "take such a risk! How do I know I won't be shot the moment you leave my side?" Carol promises to vouch for him at his trial. Mar-Vell believes her, but he's not sure why he should bother with human laws when he could simply teleport himself to safety. "Yet, in spite of the love I feel for the slain Una... I am not without feelings for Carol Danvers!"

We switch scenes to a commercial airplane headed to Florida; aboard is Tony Stark, flirting with a stewardess. However on an island in the Caribbean, the Puppet Master has created a doll of Iron Man so that he can control the hero (this is part of a minor crossover with Avengers and Sub-Mariner in which Puppet Master, Egghead and the Mad Thinker have joined forces to take over the world, but the story remains confined to each individual title; at the time, Roy Thomas was writing the other two titles, not sure why Captain Marvel was roped in). As the Puppet Master plays with his Iron Man doll, Tony Stark is compelled to kill Captain Marvel; he enters the airplane's lavatory and dons his Iron Man armor then exits the airplane (which has a double airlock hatch, fortunately for the other passengers). But why does the Puppet Master want Captain Marvel killed? Is he the same person in the Caribbean who sent the Man-Slayer?

When Iron Man swoops in to the Cape and declares he's after Captain Marvel, Carol refuses to abandon the hero; Iron Man resolves he'll simply have to destroy her as well; he stuns Carol with his repulsor rays, then begins a slugfest with Captain Marvel. The soldiers at the Cape move in to aid Carol: "Miss Danvers' life is worth more than a thousand missiles!" says one soldier. Mar-Vell grabs the lasonic disintegrator which wrecked the Man-Slayer last issue and fires it at Iron Man, but it only stuns Iron Man for a few moments; Mar-Vell tries to increase the weapon's power, but accidentally wrecks his own weapon; shoddy Kree manufacturing. It seems Puppet Master is after the Cape's rocket because Egghead (over in Avengers) is using a space station and he wants to defend his ally. Tony Stark finally suffers a heart attack and collapses; realizing the man in the armor is wounded, Captain Marvel ends the fight and asks the Cape's soldiers to get medical help for Iron Man. Good work, Mar-Vell! It's nice to see our hero behaving nobly.

Angered by Iron Man's failure, the Puppet Master throws his Iron Man doll at a computer bank; it causes an explosion which would seem to kill the Puppet Master (if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you). To avoid further questions, Captain Marvel teleports away; Iron Man soon recovers from his heart attack and leaves the ambulance he was placed in. Mar-Vell finds himself in outer space, simply wandering... not certain where he's going (kinda like his series). Suddenly, Zo's voice appears and angrily demands Mar-Vell fulfill their bargain: get revenge on Yon-Rogg, already! His new instructions are for Mar-Vell to return to his home planet in the Kree galaxy. So, for the first time, we're going to see the Kree's home! We actually haven't seen the Kree galaxy beyond what was visible over Ronan's shoulder in various video calls. Zo shows Mar-Vell his home galaxy and tells him in the days ahead, "they hold for you the balance between life and death!"

Thoughts: So the Man-Slayer story comes to a rather muddled finish; the Black Widow turns up in Avengers #63, which is where the Egghead/Puppet Master/Mad Thinker plot is firmly established and the Thinker is identified as the one who sent the Man-Slayer. It's an odd kind of crossover for Captain Marvel as it doesn't really explain how to follow the storyline. Still, it led to a guest appearance by Iron Man, who is the first big guest star in this series since the Sub-Mariner.

Although Zo has made his return, I'm actually intrigued for once; the Kree haven't been very fleshed-out at this point and I'm interested to see Mar-Vell visit his homeworld and see his people's culture given some definition beyond would-be conquerors. However, the best part of this issue is the art by Frank Springer, who really goes to town with the outer space imagery - he's proving more adept at this book than I first supposed; I actually prefer Springer's art here over that of Gene Colan's earlier work.

Next: Mar-Vell's gone home, but it's a working vacation. Captain Marvel #15!

Space-Born Super Hero Part 16: Captain Marvel #13

Welcome back to my issue-by-issue examination of Marvel Comics' Captain Marvel in his pre-Jim Starlin days. Today I'm up to Captain Marvel #13. The previous issue was the farewell of writer Arnold Drake, who left just as a weird new status quo was introduced. This issue's story is titled "Traitors or Heroes?" and is written by Gary Friedrich with artist Frank Springer (inks by Vince Collettta). As we open, Captain Marvel and Walter Lawson have both been charged with treason (not sure how a non-US non-human citizen can be guilty of treason?). Mar-Vell realizes he's in a quite a fix now - he was already an outcast among the Kree, now it seems he's an outcast among humans too. While back at the Cape, the inert Man-Slayer suddenly gets back up and resumes its path of destruction towards the rocket (yep, like all the other robots in this series it can self-repair).

Mar-Vell is still in hiding as 'Walter Lawson' at the same hotel; what, and this wasn't the first place Carol Danvers' security team checked to find him? There's been enough time to publish magazines with Lawson's face on the cover calling him a traitor, but not to stakeout his hotel room? 'Lawson' has added a beard and glasses to help disguise himself but when he hears the Cape is under attack by the Man-Slayer again, he dons his battle-suit to stop it. However, things are different this time: the Man-Slayer has regained consciousness and is quite chatty (again, like all robots in this series) but it seems it is no longer under the control of the mysterious man in the Caribbean from last issue. Consequently, Man-Slayer has begun to question its orders; it knows it should destroy the rocket, but can't understand why. In its confused state, Captain Marvel has an easy time gaining the upper hand; the Man-Slayer doesn't even recognize Mar-Vell or understand why the hero is trying to stop it.

Amazingly, the Man-Slayer has a 'repulsor ray' in its hands, which I think is the first time someone other than Iron Man has used that weapon. So, is there a Stark Industries connection behind this robot (my curiosity has been piqued)? The soldiers at the Cape are confused at Captain Marvel's aid but finally decide to obey orders and try to shoot him down. Irritated, Mar-Vell decides to teleport to the Helion and see if he can pierce the security barrier protecting Yon-Rogg. One soldier is amazed by Mar-Vell's disappearance and remarks to a comrade, "It's like somethin' outta them Doctor Strange comics you're readin' all the time..."

Just as Mar-Vell arrives near the Helion, he sees it dock with a Kree supply ship, creating an opening in the Helion's force field. Seizing the opportunity he boards the craft and goes hunting for Yon-Rogg. Confronting his hated enemy, he tells Yon-Rogg, "You cannot imagine the anguish I have suffered while awaiting this moment, but..." however Yon-Rogg cuts him off and reminds him how he shifted his affections to Carol Danvers. Yeah, what about that, Marv? "This was in the line of duty, Colonel." Is he saying he kissed Carol in the line of duty? Cool story, bro. All at once, Yon-Rogg attacks Mar-Vell and begins besting him in hand-to-hand combat. "Nobility has always been... your greatest weakness!" Yon-Rogg gloats. Yeah, even though Mar-Vell is now vastly more powerful than before, the non-superhuman Yon-Rogg mops the floor with him. All of a sudden, Yon-Rogg decides now is the time to retroactively claim he was in a love triangle: "Had she never met you, she might well have loved me!" Yon-Rogg declares.

I have to admit, I always thought there Was a love triangle between Una, Yon-Rogg and Mar-Vell because of how the three are tied together in Mar-Vell's backstory, but it's only here, two issues after Una died that Yon-Rogg claims he had affection for her. And the big revelation here is that Yon-Rogg claims the Helion has a device aboard which can restore Una to life, which Yon-Rogg intends to use so Una will marry him. He might well be lying about the whole thing, but it does at least give Mar-Vell a reason not to kill him where he stands. To get Mar-Vell off the ship, Yon-Rogg shows him footage from the Cape (not sure how Yon-Rogg can monitor places on Earth without the wrist monitor Mar-Vell wore), showing the Man-Slayer about to attack Carol Danvers. "I will leave you to watch, Captain... and to suffer... then, in good time, I will kill you!" Um, yeah, Yon? Can I call you 'Yon'? You've been trying to kill Mar-Vell since his first appearance. You're very bad at it.

Mar-Vell grabs a switch on a wall which causes a giant device to fall from the rafters and crush Yon-Rogg (I suppose an Acme-brand anvil would have been too on-the-nose). Yon-Rogg survives this and Mar-Vell is confident his foe's injury can be healed "in the rejuvination tubes". Sure hope Una wasn't the only medical officer on the Helion. Mar-Vell turns his attention back to the Cape: "For, though I do not know why, I feel I must save Carol Danvers... or die in the attempt!" You don't know why? 13 issues in and you're still trying to find your motivation, Marv? After all that Carol has done for you? Anyway, grabbing a weapon from Yon-Rogg's arsenal (the lasonic disintegrater) Mar-Vell teleports to the Cape. The Man-Slayer is confident Mar-Vell won't shoot the gun at it for fear of hitting Carol, but Mar-Vell tells her he has to. "What happens to me doesn't matter," Carol replies, "...now that I know you care!" Mar-Vell's gun blasts one of the energy cables connected to the robot's head and renders it inert; for good, this time? Carol takes a bad jolt from the blast but survives and gives Mar-Vell a hug; I guess she forgives him for stealing that rocket a few months earlier. However, the soldiers on the base move in to arrest Mar-Vell, forcing Carol to make a decision... which will have to wait until next issue.

Thoughts: An improvement over the last few issues; if you didn't check the creator credits you might think Arnold Drake were still writing, but that's basically because Friedrich is careful to use the same characters and characterizations as Friedrich (aside from Yon-Rogg's claim of love for Una). Friedrich also helps salvage the book's current status quo, taking steps to restore Mar-Vell and Carol's friendship and giving Mar-Vell a reason not to have Yon-Rogg killed. He does seem to have forgotten about Mar-Vell's new power of casting illusions, but that was an odd power to give Marv in the first place.

Another recurring trend in Captain Marvel is to assign an artist who struggles to convey a science fiction setting; Gene Colan, Don Heck and Dick Ayers each struggled at times with the sci-fi trappings and I don't find Frank Springer to be all that at ease with it either, but he puts a lot more effort into detailing the environments of the Helion than his predecessors. There's reason for hope in this series... that is, if Friedrich & Springer were going to hang around for very long...

Next: Did someone say "repulsor rays"? Iron Man guest stars in Captain Marvel #14!

Space-Born Super Hero Part 15: Captain Marvel #12

Last time in my look back on the series Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell's lover Una was killed and he was flung into exile in outer space, then pledged himself to the mysterious entity Zo, who granted Mar-Vell new super powers in order to get revenge on Yon-Rogg. So how is the series going to function going forward? Let's see with Captain Marvel #12 and the story "The Moment of -- the Man-Slayer!" by Arnold Drake and Dick Ayers (inks by Syd Shores).

This is the end of an era as it is Arnold Drake's final issue of Captain Marvel. Appropriately, Dick Ayers takes us back to the start as the opening splash page is a visual reference to Mar-Vell's pose on the cover of issue #1. We have a recap of Mar-Vell receiving his new powers; the first thing he does with his teleportation power is to visit Una on the asteroid where he left her body. He then monitors Yon-Rogg on the Helion, knowing he could appear at any moment and kill him. "But where would be the profit in that? Swift destruction is far too sweet a fate for you, Colonel!" Mar-Vell's dialogue has been extremely bloodthirsty since last issue; perhaps Una's death made him snap. Mar-Vell wants Yon-Rogg to suffer before he kills him. Our hero!

This decided, Mar-Vell decides to return to the hotel room where he was living as Walter Lawson - but as it requires mental concentration he slips up and instead appears in Cuba; on his second attempt, he reappears in the hotel and returns to his room. Which I guess is still rented to him, even though he's been off-Earth for more than three months. He seems to think that stealing a rocket from the Cape (last issue) "probably put the base out of business for a while! So his absence won't be significant!" He has obviously forgotten that Carol Danvers has been convinced 'Lawson' is a shifty character from the start. But checking a newspaper, Mar-Vell sees a rocket test is being conducted that very day and... look, why does Mar-Vell care about his Lawson identity? If his only motivation right now is to kill Yon-Rogg, then why is he picking up this fake identity which he only adopted so that he could help Yon-Rogg plan Earth's invasion?

At the Cape, General Bridges has given orders: shoot Captain Marvel on sight. Carol Danvers is naturally "disappointed" in this decision but is more concerned about Lawson's disappearance. General Bridges says something he should've said several issues ago: "You've got enough on the mysterious doctor to make your move! Do it!" Thus, Carol orders Captain Marvel be arrested when he appears. We turn now to the Black Widow in a top secret lab in the Caribbean... which is strange, as at this time she's an Avengers cast member who has never appeared in Captain Marvel previously. This makes her the series' second super hero guest star (after the Sub-Mariner). S.H.I.E.L.D. has sent the Black Widow to investigate something... it seems somebody has created a "bio-plastic" android, the red Man-Slayer.

We return to the Cape as 'Lawson' arrives, only to be arrested by the guards. However, then the Man-Slayer appears; like other robots in this series, Man-Slayer is a chatty Cathy: "I am a Man-Slayer! A being of bio-chemical and electronic perfection! Without emotion or feeble human motivations! I have but one function--to destroy men!" Needing to escape the guards, Mar-Vell uses his new power to create illusions and manifests a group of college peacenik protestors. When the guards turn their attention to the protestors (why aren't the guards already distracted by the attack of the Man-Slayer? why does Mar-Vell need two diversions?) 'Lawson' slips away to don his battle-suit. The Man-Slayer fights his way through the guards and heads towards the rocket so it can be destroyed.

Back in the Caribbean, the Black Widow draws a gun to threaten the unseen person manipulating the Man-Slayer, but more bio-plastic robots appear to menace her. "Stop where you are, my silly-putty pals--if you don't want me to puncture my initials through you!" Man, when Arnold Drake tries to channel Stan Lee it comes out like a word salad. The androids overwhelm the Black Widow while in the Cape, Captain Marvel battles Man-Slayer. Mar-Vell tries using his illusion powers on the robot but naturally they don't work on its robotic mind. The Man-Slayer thinks itself superior because of its "brute strength" but Captain Marvel channels his "searing, unending emotion of revenge!" Yeah, unending except for that he already passed up one attempt to confront Yon-Rogg. Just then, the Black Widow throws a micro-bomb which was concealed beneath her thumbnail; the bomb shuts off the Man-Slayer's energy transmitter, so the unseen manipulator uses a nerve gun to stun the Black Widow. The villain decides to use her as "live bait". For whom, you might well ask?

Anyway, the fight with Man-Slayer is over (off-panel) and Mar-Vell has resumed being 'Lawson' (off-panel) but realizes with everyone on the Cape against both of his identities it's time to move on; Mar-Vell teleports away in full sight of the Cape's guards. Is this the end of the Walter Lawson identity?

Thoughts: And so we bid Arnold Drake & Dick Ayers farewell; so far, Captain Marvel has gone through three writers. Arnold Drake spent the most time with the character and developed the first original villains for the series, but he mostly played with the characters and concepts which Stan Lee & Roy Thomas introduced - and his villains were not particularly memorable, with the Organization standing out as a terribly executed threat. In his final two issues, Drake seemed to be reinventing the book entirely - new powers, new status quo, killing off Una, getting away from the Cape. Maybe if he had been given more time he could have rewritten the concept into something which excited him. The sense I got from Drake's stories is that he wasn't terribly enthused by any of what he'd been handled; he was capable of better than what he gave to Captain Marvel. Dick Ayers did fine - it certainly didn't hurt to have Syd Shores on inks.

The use of the Black Widow in this story seems awfully random - Captain Marvel has mostly been left in its own corner of the Marvel Universe. Considering the original premise had a potential alien invader posing as a super hero, it would have been great to have him interact with Marvel heroes early on - someone he could be contrasted against. Even then, although the Black Widow is in this story, she and Captain Marvel share no scenes; she's mainly a device to defeat the villain.

I'm hoping that with Arnold Drake gone, the series might see some improvement - at the same time, I know the next few issues are primarily transitional. Well, bring it on...

Next: It's 1969; obviously if you need a new creative team on a Marvel title, you bring in Gary Friedrich & Frank Springer! Let's check out their first story with Captain Marvel #14.

Space-Born Super Hero Part 14: Captain Marvel #11

Today I'm looking back at Captain Marvel #11 (1969) as I continue my perusal of the pre-Starlin Captain Marvel stories. This particular issue is something of a landmark: It is the beginning of the story which comics fandom of the 1960s despised more than any other. I know I complained a lot about the lousy story in issue #10... but now we're into the material which caused fandom to turn against Captain Marvel. To this day, this material is routinely denounced by any fan old enough to remember its original release.

The story is called "Rebirth!" and is again scripted by Arnold Drake, but Don Heck has been replaced by Dick Ayers (inks by Vince Colletta). Actually, I think Ayers did some uncredited work on the previous issue. However, we haven't seen the last of Mr. Heck just yet. The tale resumes with Mar-Vell standing in front of the firing squad who are about to carry out his execution, when suddenly a beam of energy strikes the four riflemen and disintegrates them. And the answer is... the Aakon! They're back, launching an attack on the Kree... no, wait a minute... Captain Marvel is convinced he's fighting the Aakon, but Dick Ayers has drawn the Organization. The people whom Mar-Vell wiped out last issue. These guys are clearly humans, not the yellow-skinned Aakon. Wow, we're only on page 2 and the story is already crumbling apart.

Fortunately, the disintigrated soldiers left their rifles behind, so Mar-Vell grabs a pair and lays down some dual-wield fire on the 'Aakon'. As Mar-Vell slaughters his enemies he engages in an internal monologue about the necessity of violence which is meant to mimic one of Stan Lee's Silver Surfer meditations. Aboard the Helion, Yon-Rogg realizes he'll have to engage the Aakon in battle even though it means saving Mar-Vell's life. The Helion drops about a dozen armed Kree soldiers on Earth but a wild shot hits Una. Who fired that shot? We'll never know. Mar-Vell naturally blames Yon-Rogg and, apparently reunited with his uni-beam between panels, he fires it (uh, calling it his u-beam for some reason) to destroy Yon-Rogg's sidearm (which Yon-Rogg wasn't even holding in the previous panel). "I blast your weapon with my U-beam so that--I may claim your life with my--bare hands! Your pain is my joy! Your dread, my delight! And your ruin shall be my release!" Since when does Mar-Vell talk like this? And shouldn't he save his aggression for the Aakon who have been trying to kill him?

At one point Yon-Rogg fires what seems to be a uni-beam on his own right wrist, but then Mar-Vell warns him not to "retrieve" his weapon. What, the weapon Mar-Vell destroyed earlier? All through their fight Mar-Vell engages on bombastic, overwritten speeches. Just then, Una moans in pain and Mar-Vell realizes she's still alive - he could try to save her. Abandoning his fight with Yon-Rogg, he grabs Una and flies away. Yon-Rogg orders his men to shoot Mar-Vell down (I guess the 'Aakon' were defeated off-panel?) and offers 10,000 "kredits" for the one who shoots him down. Kree money is called "kredits"? Man, why didn't that factoid catch on? Do the Kree "kremate" their pet "kreatures"?

There's nowhere on Earth where Mar-Vell could go, so he decides to leave the planet by rocket. Wait, what? What about Dr. Lawson's lab? Wouldn't that be a pretty good place to hide out and perhaps access some medical technology to save Una's life? Or maybe Quasimodo's underground city? Well, this is the plot... Mar-Vell steals a rocket which is about to be launched from the Cape. And it seems this unmanned rocket which was being sent to the moon has an internal life support system and medical equipment which he uses to stabilize Una. The script doesn't attempt to address any of this. General Bridges and Carol Danvers watch the rocket launch with Mar-Vell aboard and decide Captain Marvel is now a traitor! (I mean, not that Captain Marvel was a citizen of the USA or an agent of the Cape, but whatever)

Una dies aboard the rocket without regaining consciousness. Mar-Vell weeps for her. "You are gone, Una! But you will not lie in anonymity! I will carve for you a shrine such as no fallen love has ever known! Through all space and time--your beauty and honor will live on!" And so he places her on a slab atop an asteroid near Mars. Since Mar-Vell will one day be buried in Titan, it's interesting that both he and Una are laid to rest in the Solar System. Mar-Vell notes the "near-vacuum of space" will preserve her body (uh, not sure of the science on that) and muses on "The complete exquisite love that once was ours! Camelot alone could match its majesty--and nothing equal its permanence!" So, at some point Mar-Vell learned about Camelot.

Yon-Rogg pursues Mar-Vell aboard the Helion and catches the rocket with a magnetic ray. Dragging the rocket on a veritable leash "at five times the speed of light", Yon-Rogg spins the rocket around then hurls him through space, sending Mar-Vell into exile. The next thing you know, 63 days have passed aboard the rocket and has only enough to survive 90 days more (that unmanned rocket had quite the life support system!). Mar-Vell finds himself remembering his parents; for the first time ever, we get an idea of his pre-military life as he recalls his parents died in experiments "in surpassing the speed of light". But surely his father couldn't have invented faster-than-light travel for the Kree, considering Sentry#459 had been on Earth for hundreds of years.

In the void of space, Mar-Vell sees weird creatures appear before him; you'd think they're hallucinations, but no, they warn Mar-Vell "do not cross the Forbidden Belt!" Mar-Vell ignores them and, on his 112th day, passes through a giant cloud and discovers a planet hidden inside. As he begins descent, a beam of energy emerges from the surface and catches the rocket, drawing it gently to the surface. Exiting the rocket, Mar-Vell finds nothing but "vaporous loam". Starving, "half mad" and heartsick over Una's death, Mar-Vell collapses on the surface, expecting to die.

When Mar-Vell awakens, he's surrounded by beautiful women in robes who are bringing him drinks. Mar-Vell may have awakened at a frat party. One of the women asks Mar-Vell if he wonders why he's recovered so quickly from his collapse or at his good fortune in finding the planet. Mar-Vell is having none of that: "I put no special significance upon the accidents of life!" However, the woman retorts that "even great Kree science--is unable to fathom more than half the truth of our universe!" The women lead Mar-Vell to a pair of golden doors and tell him behind the doors "lies all wisdom--and all life" then they vanish.

The doors open and Mar-Vell finds himself before a golden tower; amazingly, the tower speaks to him, identifying itself as "Zo" ("Oz" backwards). Zo tells him he was brought to this planet "by infinite wisdom and planning!" Mar-Vell takes a few leaps ahead and assumes Zo is responsible for everything that happened to him, so wonders why Una and other had to die. "You can not expect to understand the ways of Zo--yet!" Zo answers. To this, Mar-Vell calls Zo "you who claim all knowledge--and control over every being and event" even though Zo has made so such claim as yet. Mar-Vell tells Zo he no longer has a purpose in the universe and so is of no use to Zo. However, Zo notes Mar-Vell has a great motivation left: revenge. Mar-Vell agrees that he'd serve Zo in exchange for the power to destroy Yon-Rogg. Even though Zo hasn't asked Mar-Vell to serve him yet. Gah. And considering Mar-Vell could have killed Yon-Rogg earlier I don't think he actually needs more power. Still, there is that wrist monitor on Mar-Vell's left wrist which has given Yon-Rogg control over him in the past, so Zo demonstrates his "omniscience" by granting Mar-Vell the power to destroy the monitor.

Mar-Vell believes "no living being has the power to smash Daxilium--the strongest alloy known to Kree science! And the wrist monitor is pure Daxilium!" But simply by willing it, Mar-Vell shatters the monitor. Zo also takes away his uni-beam, claiming he has "no furhter need of it". Sure enough, Mar-Vell tests himself and finds he now possesses great cosmic powers: he can teleport himself faster than light, has even greater superhuman strength and he can cast illusions. Zo tells Mar-Vell to use this power to destroy Yon-Rogg, but afterward he must serve Zo. Mar-Vell agrees to this bargain.

Thoughts: So, this is a lousy comic. From Dick Ayers drawing the wrong villains to the disjointed conversation between Mar-Vell & Zo, it's becoming clearer that the problems with this book were not due to Don Heck but, more than anyone else, are the fault of Arnold Drake. I can't tell if he was hacking these stories out or if he was simply sloppy, but this series is crumbling apart.

Here we have the death of Una; her fatal injury should be a dramatic moment, but the book fumbles in its depiction. Una wasn't the first Marvel love interest to be killed (that would be Lady Dorma in the pages of Sub-Mariner), but Una does bring to mind Gail Simone's "women in refrigerators" axiom. Una only ever existed as a supplement to Mar-Vell's character; now that Drake has no further need of her, she's dead.

I suppose the good part of this issue is that we're finally done with scenes of Yon-Rogg trying to cause Mar-Vell's death or bring him to Ronan on drummed-up charges. Yon-Rogg is now officially Mar-Vell's nemesis - but at the same time, Mar-Vell has just been given such an outrageous power boost that one imagines he could end the whole thing by page 2 of the next issue.

It's interesting that in his run on Captain Marvel, Jim Starlin would also grant Mar-Vell a cosmic patron, in his case through the character Eon. However, Eon's purposes weren't introduced as a fumbling mystery - Eon needed a champion to battle Thanos and chose Mar-Vell. Zo, on the other hand, is a talking tower whose motivations are an utter mystery.

What is this book about? What was this book ever about? Mar-Vell was supposed to be an alien invader posing as an Earthman. One would think he'd gain an affection for Earth which would cause him to disobey his superiors; perhaps when his true purpose on Earth is revealed he'd be hated both by humanity and the Kree. And yet, the series seemed to take these things for granted - there was never a moment where Mar-Vell bonded with humanity. His angst was a late development and mostly out-of-focus. Instead, the conflict between Mar-Vell's role as a hero and his mission for the Kree was depicted through Mar-Vell fighting super-villains and Yon-Rogg making lame attempts to kill him.

What about Carol Danvers? General Bridges? Or heck, Chester the cabbie and Jeremy the hotel clerk? Uh... it wasn't exactly a rich supporting cast, was it? And what about Mar-Vell's days of posing as Dr. Lawson? It was never done well, but are we finished with that? How is Mar-Vell becoming a servant of Zo an interesting new status quo for this series?

Next: What the heck is Captain Marvel's new status quo? Maybe we'll find out in Captain Marvel #12!