Avengers: Celestial Quest #1 of 8Avengers: Celestial Quest #1 of 8
Title: “I Die Unknown”
Writer: Steve Englehart
Penciller: Jorge Santamaria
Inker: Scott Hanna
Colors: Color HIFI
Editor: Tom Brevoort
“I don’t know my name”
A figure bursts with power destroying nearby buildings.
Mantis lies in bed dreaming. In Bombay, a green girl is curled up on the floor. Men come by and kick her to wake her up. They say that it is time for her to “shake her booty”. One of the men says not to make marks because it costs money. Another says that her color hides the bruises. Mantis is thinking as she is dreaming that this was her life, but that it isn’t anymore. The men push her out onto the stage. The men in the crowd begin chanting for her to “take it off!” A bright light in the sky shines. The green woman looks up at the star and says, “A star! A star like that other one, five years ago…” Mantis’ dream finishes the thought, “…before I lived”. She thinks that this cannot be true, and yet it is. She wishes that there was someone who could explain it to her, but she is so alone. The star settles among the men. The star is Thanos. Thanos makes his way towards the stage where the green girl is. The green girl starts to cringe and says that she doesn’t want to die. She says, “I’m life! That’s what I am!” Thanos merely replies, “no”. The green girl replies, “Why? Why? This isn’t justice!” Thanos’ power explodes.
In Willimantic, New Jersey, the sleeping Mantis awakens with a start. She says that the dream was so real even though it made no sense. She thinks to herself that she won’t be getting back to sleep anytime soon. She gets up and puts a robe on. She thinks that maybe she isn’t as comfortable being green as she thought she was. In ordinary life Mantis assumes a human life so that nobody suspects that she and her son Quoi weren’t human. Mantis thinks that it might be good that Quoi went to go live with his dad as America can be quite unkind to those who are different. Mantis looks out at the sky and wonders what Quoi is doing now. While looking out at the sky she sees the same star from her dream. She sheds her bathrobe and leaps out the window to the ground below. Mantis says that the star is also like the one five years ago that was for her announcing the coming of the Celestial Madonna (the one who would give birth to the one that would change the universe). Mantis says that she is the Madonna, but can’t help feeling that she is also the slave girl from her dream. Mantis swears that she will find out. Thanos is standing next to her and says that she won’t, but that she will die like the other. Mantis says that she knows him, and not just from her dream. Thanos says that she remember who he is. Mantis says that she doesn’t have to know who he is, but only that he killed her sister. Mantis leaps at Thanos, but Thanos’ power blasts out and kills another.
In Melbourne, Australia a woman is undoing Ian’s pants. He says that he has been thinking about her since his last trip down. Ian is handing her money, but the woman says that they can take care of that later. Suddenly the woman is hit with some time of mental distress. The woman says that she has to go. She grabs her clothes and runs down the hall. The guy shouts after her, but the woman doesn’t look back. The woman hits the streets and says that she can feel the memories of the other two Mantis in her head. She says that there were two others of her and she never knew. She looks up in the sky and sees the star again. Mantis says that the universe is changing again. She says that the first Mantis died and her essence was added to the second, and when the second died she passed both to her. She says that she knows that she is not the last one either. Mantis says that she will find the other. Thanos appears out of nowhere in front of Mantis. Mantis recognizes him by name. Mantis punches Thanos in the stomach, which he doesn’t feel, but Mantis leg sweeps him and drops him onto his back. Thanos asks if “dropped” he is any less a god of death. Thanos powers up and another Mantis is slain.
London in Kew Gardens, another Mantis sits. She is hit by the essences of the first three. This Mantis knows even more than the other three. She looks up in the sky and sees the star. She knows that she is the fourth, but that the star has five points and that the Earth has five points as well, each 72 degrees apart. Melbourne is 144 East, Bombay is 72 East, London Zero, Willimantic 73 West and one more at 144 West where the sum of them all. She knows that she is going to die, but before she sends her last sister her essences she sends out a mental plea for help for her last sister.
The mental message reaches the Vision in Avengers mansion. Vision phases through the wall and tells Thor, Scarlet Witch, Silverclaw, and Jarvis for the Avengers to assemble. Vision says that the only land at 144 West is Alaska. He says that Mantis is in Alaska, and that she is in danger. Thor tells Vision to explain while he summons the others. Vision says that there is no time. He says that they must get in the air, and while Thor powers the quinjet with his hammer he will explain on the way. Jarvis asks Silverclaw if she wants to go. Silverclaw says of course because she is an Avenger. Silverclaw boards the quinjet, and thinks that a lot more is riding on her as there isn’t really strength in numbers this time. Silverclaw remembers what she was told of Mantis when she looks at Wanda standing behind Vision.
In London, Mantis faces Thanos. She says
that now Thanos faces a mystic with power to rival his own.
Thanos says that he is a god, and yet he believes her. Thanos
says that she can’t expect that he would be surprised.
Thanos says that he knows full well what is happening within
Mantis even if she does not. Thanos says that he could tell her,
but that she knows enough. She knows why she dies
. Thanos hits
Mantis. Mantis leaps onto Thanos’ shoulders and wraps her
legs around him. Mantis says that she knows her own strengths,
and that Thanos can’t resist all her magicks. Thanos says
that now Mantis is lying and annoying him. Thanos grabs Mantis
off his shoulders and throws her. Thanos says that Mantis is not
complete, and that she is but four of five. He says that a freak,
a mother, a prostitute, and a priestess are not what Mantis is.
He says that Mantis is the sum of two realms. He says that Mantis
is reborn with her death, and Mantis knows that Thanos is coming.
Thanos blasts the priestess Mantis down.
In the quinjet, Thor thinks about the first time he saw Mantis. He thought she was attractive, but only a bar girl. Vision says that he thought the same, but that he always sensed there was more to her. Wanda says that Vision never told her that. Silverclaw asks Thor who Mantis is. She says that she sounds like half a dozen women. Thor says that she was. He says that Mantis came to them as the “special friend” of Swordsman. The Swordsman died fighting Kang around the time that Mantis was becoming the Celestial Madonna. Thor says that it took a while to learn, but that Mantis and Moondragon were both trained by the Priests of Pama to represent all of humanity. Mantis was chosen . Mantis became the human half of a conjunction with the perfect male of a plant race called the Cotati. Their spirits united to form a new and unique being. Thor says that after that however, Mantis left them. Thor reminds Vision that he has not explained what he knows. Vision says that he isn’t sure that he can, but that it was just a mental blast of information. Silverclaw asks if it was from Mantis. Vision says that it was, but that it wasn’t and he doesn’t understand that.
About 300 miles up the road, Haywire is hiking in street clothes. He thinks to himself that with even two Earths he is going to run out of places to go soon. He thinks that there is no escape and wonders why he thought that there would be. Haywire looks over and sees a light above Mount Gruenwald. He says that he doesn’t want to see things like that anymore, but that he will go see… for her. Haywire looks down and sees Thanos battling with Mantis. Haywire doesn’t know them, but knows that the woman needs help. He changes into his costume as he wraps Thanos up in a blast of his tanglewire. Haywire and Mantis introduce themselves. Haywire says that he never heard of Mantis, but before he can finish his sentence Thanos pulls loose from the tanglewire and says, “But then most creatures die unknowing and unknown. Suddenly the Avengers arrive. Thanos says that was very clever of the priestess. Vision descends from the sky and phases through Thanos’ chest. Thanos swats the Vision out and away from himself. He says that is just a parlor trick to one like him. Thanos says that he has just murdered a celestial being. Thor says that Thanos will pay for that then. Thor throws his hammer at Thanos. Thanos says that, “A true god holds his might within himself alone, Asgardian!” Thanos says that no matter what they do against him that they cannot survive. Silverclaw just stands there wondering what she could do against him.
Suddenly the new star hanging above their heads erupts in light. The light shines a fiery beam down on Mantis. It lasts only a moment, but the fates of many are changed. Mantis rises into the air. She says that the star has proclaimed that the time of dispersion is over. She says, “The power has multiplied by five… by five times five… and this one is once again one!” Mantis strikes a beam down at Thanos.
Avengers Files rating: 7 out of 10
Well the plot is very complex, but also very interesting. The layout works very well, and though this is a set up issue it does it’s job well. Santamaria does his job well. His presentation is clear and easily understood. His style needs a little work in my opinion, but he easily earns a 3 out of 5. I can’t wait to know more which should be the objective of all first issues.