Avengers: Celestial Quest #6 of 8Avengers: Celestial Quest #6 of 8
Title: “The Chase!”
Writer: Steve Englehart
Penciller: Jorge Santamaria
Inker: Scott Hanna
Colors: HiFi Design
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Haywire asks if Mantis has a psychic kink with her son again. Mantis says that there is a link, but nothing more. She says that she cannot speak with Quoi. Thor says that at least they know where he is flying towards. Vision says that with Mantis’ help that he has locked the quinjet onto Quoi’s trail, but that there is also a large ship, probably Thanos, following Quoi as well. Vision says that they are all headed towards “that strange black area of space”, but that while they and Quoi are head towards the left that Thanos is headed tot he right. Thor says that they should take advantage of this and strike. Thor suggests that he and Mantis go and find Eternity and ask help against his dark sister Death and her companion Thanos. Haywire says that he knows who Eternity is since there is one in his universe as well. He asks if they can just go seek him out that way. Thor says that he is the son of Odin and that Mantis has passed into godhood. Vision says that while Thor is correct that he wishes to accompany Mantis. Thor says that they both can’t go or there would not be enough power to protect the vessel. Vision says that he agrees and that is why Thor must remain behind. Vision says that he knows that he can’t speak with Eternity, but that Mantis can and that he would go with her. Thor gives Vision his blessing.
Mantis and Vision fly through space hand in hand together. Mantis tells Vision that she learned the pure pleasure of space travel from the Silver Surfer. She says that she is telling him this because she knows that she can. Vision says that she can trust him with anything and that he is not jealous. He says that there is none better to learn it from and that he is now learning it from her. Vision says that he has flown in his body all his life, but that it has rarely been in space and never in great distances. Vision says that it is incredible. He says that he is no longer inside plastic, but that he is inside infinity. Mantis says that she trained her whole life to be one with the universe, but that it was still so good. They fly along together.
Aboard the quinjet, Thor says that he thinks that it is good to see the Vision step forward again. He asks if Wanda doesn’t agree and she says that he does. Haywire thinks to himself that he will never give up on Inertia like that.
Ahead of the Avengers on a sleazy alien bar, Reptyl and Primo are buying an old friend of Reptyl’s a drink. He asks Reptyl how this happened to him, but Reptyl tells his friend to just tell him what he wants to know. His friend says that anyone this far off the spacepaths has to be heading for the Rot. Primo asks what the Rot is. The man says that he doesn’t know, but that one day it was just there. He says that going inside it is suicide, but that there are lots of places to hide around it. He says that he isn’t sure if she said which direction she was going. Reptyl drops a handful of jewels into the informant’s hands. He says that she asked about the left side, but says that if you ask him that means that she is headed to the right side. As Reptyl and Primo walk out, Reptyl says that is why the man is scrabbling for treasure while they are gods. He says that he knows Raptra and that if she asked about the left it is to draw them to the right. He says that she is going left. Reptyl says that Raptra is a pirate, but that he is the God of Pirates. Primo says that he is the God of Fire if Thanos becomes god over all, and that depends on Raptra having the Celestial Messiah with her.
Quoi compliments Raptra’s flying. She says that they have put some distance between them, but that Thanos will never give up. Quoi says that he isn’t worried and that he kind of likes the pirate life. Quoi says that his mother and the Avengers will take care of Thanos eventually. Raptra says that she isn’t so sure. Quoi says that after living with plants that his human half wants some action. Raptra asks Quoi about his mother. Quoi says that he will miss her a little, but that he just got to know her so it won’t be too hard to forget her. He says that he will see her again after she kicks Thanos’ butt. Raptra says that maybe Quoi is right. She asks him what the “Celestial Messiah” business is all about. Quoi says that her guess is as good as his. He says that he has the powers of a human and a plant, but that he doesn’t know why. Raptra asks what kind of powers he has. Quoi starts to explain the difference in the way humans and plants breathe, but then he stops and asks if Raptra knows about humans. He calls her “Girl”, but Raptra puts her hand on Quoi’s arm and tells him that it is “Cap’n Girl” to him and calls him “boy”. Quoi flips Raptra and says that is “Celestial Boy” to her. Raptra’s tail catches something and says that he is taking a big chance and that she has killed men for moves like that. Quoi mocks her and says, “Sorry, Cap’n Girl Dinosaur”. She says not to say that he didn’t warn him. Quoi dodges Raptra’s first move, but says that she is quick. Raptra moves around and punches Quoi where his solar plexus should be. Quoi says that they aren’t there and that he is not a normal human. Quoi flips Raptra and pins her. She tells him to go easy. Quoi leans in and kisses Raptra. As they hold each other, Raptra says that Reptyl was always going on about the separation of the races, but that she never cared that much. She says that she never thought she would be kissing a plant-ape. She says that he is the weirdest messiah she ever saw. Quoi says that his mother was the weirdest Madonna, but that they should leave her out of this. As they hold each other, Raptra thinks about how she tried to sell Quoi out.
Thanos finds Mentor in the void. Mentor is breaking apart and Thanos points it out to Mentor. Mentor says that it is not in vain since he came to see his fate. Thanos wonders why Mentor would want that, and why he would choose to destroy himself in this strange corruption. Mentor says that Thanos will not kill him. Thanos says that he didn’t want to kill Mentor because he preferred that he live knowing that his wife was murdered by him. Thanos says that now Mentor wishes to die. He wonders if Mentor just wants him to think that, but knowing Death he knows that Mentor is truly prepared for her. Thanos says that if Mentor is going to die by his own hand that he prefers to kill him. Thanos throws Mentor and shatters him into pieces. Thanos says, “The King is dead! Long live the King! Now there is no one above me in our line! I am the all-father! Whatever he thought to gain by this stratagem I declare it null and void!”
Haywire picks up a bottle with a firefly in it that he caught on Quoi’s planet. Haywire kills the bug and wonders that if there is a goddess of Death if she shouldn’t show up when the bug dies. He wonders if he has gone crazy to think that he could find Death.
Silverclaw and Scarlet Witch are training together. Silverclaw says that he keeps thinking that Haywire will change and that she hasn’t seen all there is to him. She says that she is such a girl. Wanda says that they are all sometimes. She asks if Haywire ever moves off his obsession. Silverclaw says that he never does and that he is more like an android than the Vision. She apologizes, but Wanda tells Lupe not to worry about it. Wanda says that she and Vision had it working for a while, and that she had the other woman beat. Wanda says that Lupe’s other woman is a corpse, but that she is beautiful, clever, and that she wouldn’t give up. Suddenly Death appears to them. Lupe says that she is so much like Ahpuch, the Mayan god. Wanda tells Lupe to stay behind her and demands to know what Death wants. Lupe says that Wanda doesn’t have to protect her. She says that she was just raised to fear the greater gods, but that she is okay now. She says that Death is facing forced beyond her control and that Thanos will never get Quoi. Death says nothing. It looks like she might for a second, but then she disappears. Lupe holds Wanda and says that she doesn’t know what it took to face her down. Wanda smiles and asks Lupe if she doesn’t think she had to do something like that when she was learning witchcraft. Wanda says that Lupe did fine, but wonders what Death wanted.
Vision and Mantis find Eternity. Mantis pleads with Eternity to help them against Thanos. She says that Thanos threatens her son, and that Eternity knows Quoi’s place in the cosmos better than she does. She says that if Eternity’s sister and Thanos manage to destroy Quoi that they will all be dealt a brutal blow. She asks for help. Eternity simply says, “No”. Mantis asks if it is because of his sister. Mantis says that Eternity is life just as she is life in its humanity. Mantis says that even though Eternity is far beyond her that she does have her own power. Mantis tells Vision that she is going to become one with Eternity. Vision asks if he can help, but Mantis says that she has to do this on her own. Vision says that he will be waiting when she returns. Vision says that he lost his faith long ago, but speaks to a power, if there is one, that is higher than Eternity. He says that they can’t lose Mantis anymore than they can lose her son. Mantis’ energy merges with the energy that is Eternity. She disappears to Vision’s sight and floats inside Eternity. Mantis says, “That patch of utter darkness… we saw it as a spatial anomaly, but that for you it’s a cancer. It’s a Death that will consume you… not your sister, who can’t enter you, but something new! I’ll work with you to destroy it, Eternity!” Eternity replies, “It is not of our essence, goddess. Neither you nor I can affect it. I have accepted it.” Mantis asks where it came from. Eternity repeats and adds, “I have accepted it. Your mission is futile. Go.” Mantis says that she won’t give up as long as it involves Quoi. Mantis starts to leave, but she is suddenly blasted unconscious by Thanos. Vision is inside a bubble Thanos controls. Thanos says, “Not so very long ago, I told you that nothing you do matters. You had no chance before I became King of All Gods. Now is the time to draw all the strands together, and bring about the ending I have always foreseen.” As Thanos collects Mantis, Vision says that the tracking device on his ship meant nothing. Thanos says that nothing does.
Thanos’ ship starts to catch up with
Raptra. Raptra speeds off. Primo asks if they shouldn’t run
after her. Reptyl says that Raptra has hit a dead end and that
she will have to come towards them. Reptyl and Primo land where
Raptra and Quoi are. Reptyl says that now they will show them
what gods are made out of. Raptra blasts Reptyl and says that he
may be a superior power, but that pirates spend their life
fighting superior power and winning. Reptyl tells Primo to spread
out. Raptra asks Quoi if he still thinks that this is fun. Quoi
replies with a “Hell, yeah!” Raptra says that Quoi is a
guy to go into a fight with. Quoi says that it is a good fight to
go into. They pair off. Raptra says that Reptyl is the one that
she wants, but not to be shy if he needs help. Quoi says
“okay”, but releases some power that sucks Primo’s
fire out. Primo says that is impossible since his people can not
be extinguished. Raptra asks Quoi what he did. Quoi says that he
told her that he had powers. He says that because he is both
human and plant that he absorbs and transmutes both carbon
dioxide and oxygen. Reptyl plows into Quoi and knocks him
unconscious. Raptra blasts Reptyl and says that it is down to
them. Reptyl says that he heard her and that she feels something
unnatural for the Messiah. Raptra says that he is one to talk
about “unnatural” since he is a walking steroid. Reptyl
says that if serving Thanos weren’t enough reason that her
mixing with a slimy human… Raptra blasts Reptyl .She says
that she didn’t spend the entire time running from him. She
says that she also recalibrated her weapons toward what she had
seen him become. Reptyl says that what he has become is a god,
and that while her weapons hurt that they won’t stop him.
Reptyl says, “Becoming a god… fulfillment of my
life… better than humans… even though… they rule
the universe! You’ll have to… kill me… and you
can’t!” Raptra tries to call for Quoi, but he is still
barely conscious. Raptra says that Reptyl may not stop, but that
she won’t either. 
She turns and
sees Thanos standing before her. Thanos says that he told her she
would not escape him. Thanos says that now he is All-Father and
that he can afford to be generous. Thanos says that she once
offered to sell him the boy if he spared her. Thanos says that he
accepts if she is still offering it. Raptra stammers but says,
“Okay. Sure. Take him if you’ll let me go!” Quoi
looks up and mumbles, “Lizzie?” Thanos grabs Raptra and
says that the All-Father is not bound by anything including his
word. Thanos says that he will have them both now that the
messiah knows what trust is worth. Thanos says that he has Mantis
too and so the time of dying begins.
The Avengers are getting closer and closer to their opponents. Wanda says that then the battle for the shape of things to come begins.
Avengers Files rating: 7 out of 10
Seems like the pieces are finally in place on the chessboard and the battle is finally read to begin. I can’t imagine that is the end of the Mentor subplot, and I don’t think that the fact that the Avengers think that Thanos is still working for Death won’t come into play. The love affair between Quoi and Raptra is a little weird… Santamaria continues to do a nice job. He still isn’t the best, but he certainly works.