Captain Marvel #20

Title: “The Hunter and the Holocaust”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Penciller: Gil Kane

Inker: Dan Adkins

Editor: Stan Lee

Rick Jones stands on stage in a Greenwich Village coffee house singing. The women in the crowd say that Rick has the sound of the 70’s, and that the super groups have had it. They talk about how they wish they had a meaningful relationship with Rick.

Out back Mordecai P. Boggs waits for Rick to come out. Rick walks out and Mordecai says, “Greetings and felicitations, Rick, my boy! You’ve not forgotten the most avid of your many fans I trust!” He tells Rick that he thinks it is time for them to have a talk. Rick says that before they put their heads together that he has to get his own head into gear. Rick walks away and says not to call him and that he will call Mordecai… maybe.

Rick gets home and wonders why he walked out on a guy that wants to be his manager in order to come back to this flea trap. He looks at the mirror and asks, “Mirror, mirror, cracked on the wall… who’s the biggest nut of all?” Rick looks down, but he hears a voice telling that if he looks at the mirror again that maybe he will get a few answers. Rick looks up and sees Captain Mar-Vell. He asks how. Mar-Vell says that he is still trapped in the Negative Zone as he has been for months, but that he had to appear to Rick somehow in order to get his to pay attention to him. Mar-Vell says that Rick knows that he only has a physical existence when Rick switches atoms with him. He says that then, for three hours at least, that he lives, breathes, and feels. Mar-Vell says that Rick hasn’t called him in weeks and asks why. Rick says that he could say that he’s been too busy… or that mugging season has been slow, but that the truth of it is that he doesn’t know who he is anymore. He says that he doesn’t know if he is a folk-rock singer named Rick Jones or a guy from another galaxy called Mar-Vell. Mar-Vell says that he knows Rick. He says that there was a time when Rick would have given anything, even his own identity, to be a superhero instead of just associating with them. He says that first he joined up with the brutal, almost brainless, Hulk. Rick thinks back to when he was riding the Hulk when he had total control over him. He says that then there was his brief but memorable stint with the Avengers. Mar-Vell says that Rick still wasn’t satisfied and he then became Captain America’s partner. Mar-Vell says that finally Rick got his chance at the life he always wanted when he caused Rick to see a phantom that he conjured from the Negative Zone… a phantom that looked like Captain America. Rick followed the phantom into a cave and found equipment there that looked like it came out of Star Trek. Rick watched as Cap faded away and left behind two gleaming golden arm bands. Rick couldn’t resist trying them on and then felt the urge to slam his wrists together. Mar-Vell says that was the first time he traded places with him. Rick realized that there was some kind of merging between he and Mar-Vell and that somehow they are a part of each other. Rick says that he shares Mar-Vell’s desire for revenge. Mar-Vell says that he knows now that vengeance is a thing of horror… as destructive as the violence that spawned it. Marv says that he still can’t help but feel remorse for the arch-murderer Yon-Rogg who perished as a victim of his own scheming. Mar-Vell says that he now serves a high purpose that he gave up his Kree birthright for. Mar-Vell says that there is evil corrupting this planet, and that Rick has the power to cope with such evil through him. Mar-Vell tells Rick to accept or refuse the burden that has been handed to him. He says that the choice is Rick’s. Rick says that he can’t make that choice right now. He says that he is just carving out a life of his own, and that Mar-Vell can’t ask him to give that up. Rick hears a scream that interrupts him.

He runs down the steps to where he heard the scream. Rick goes through the door and finds two men beating an old man. The first man tells the second, Joey, to hurry up and finish the old man. He asks Joey if he wants to wake up the whole block. Joey says that no one is going to risk their hides to save an old geezer. Rick hits Joey and says that you never know and that someone might. Joey recognizes Rick and tells the other man, Carlo, that he sings across the street. Rick hits Carlo, but Joey hits him in the back of the head and then hits him to the ground. Mar-Vell tells Rick not to fight the men himself. He tells him to run into the hall and switch into him. Rick tells Mar-Vell to go to blazes. He says that he was Captain America’s partner and that he can take a couple of two bit hoods. Joey trips Rick and Carlo hits him as he falls. He asks Rick if he is talking to himself now. Rick says that he walked into that one. He tells Mar-Vell that he wins and that they’re going to lose. Carlo and Joey start to leave having taken the old man’s wallet, but then Rick clangs his wrist bands and Captain Marvel stands in his place. Mar-Vell tells Joey and Carlo that they don’t need to leave so soon. He says that he might be a bit more sport for them. Mar-Vell grabs Carlo and Joey starts to run. Mar-Vell leaps in front of Joey. Joey asks if he is going to hit him and then begs for mercy. Mar-Vell says that he will show him more mercy than Joey showed an old man. He says that he is only going to hit him once. Mar-Vell knocks Joey through the banister to the staircase. Mar-Vell summons an ambulance for the old man and a police car for his attackers.

Mar-Vell heads back to Rick’s room and says that they need to find a solution to the problem that plagues them both. Mar-Vell talks to Rick. Rick says that he can hear Mar-Vell, but that what he really wants to hear is his arm bands banging together and bailing him out of the Negative Zone. Mar-Vell asks how they can free both of them from it forever. Rick says that he has been thinking and that maybe Bruce Banner might be able to find a way to help them. Mar-Vell says that from what he has heard of Bruce Banner that he might be the answer. Mar-Vell asks how they will find him though when the whole world is searching for him. Rick says that maybe the whole world just doesn’t know where to look. He says that there is a secret lab or two out in the desert than only he knows about. He asks Mar-Vell what he says. Mar-Vell says that they must find the Hulk and flies out the window.

Mar-Vell flies across the country toward the Southwest when he encounters a tornado. Mar-Vell sees that it won’t bother him at all, but that there is a small town there that was hit hard. Mar-Vell says that Bruce Banner will have to wait. Mar-Vell descends to help.

Elsewhere in the little town, the Rat Pack, a group of looters shows up. Their leader says that they have thirty minutes before the National Guard shows up. One of the men says that they will make the most of it. The leader says not to settle for just cash. He says that they will pay plenty to get the radium and medical supplies back.

Mar-Vell flies a young girl to safety. He tells her that it is only the little girls that cry and asks her if she wants her parents to see her crying. The little girl says that she guesses not, but asks Mar-Vell who the men with the guns below them are. Mar-Vell says that he doesn’t know, but that he is going to find out. Mar-Vell sets the girl down next to her mother and flies back toward the Rat Pack.

Mar-Vell starts in punching and members of the Rat Pack want to know who he is. Captain Marvel says that maybe he should have some cards made up. Mar-Vell keeps punching until only one member of the Rat Pack, along with their leader, is still standing. The leader calls them all a bunch of panty-waists. He says that they see a costume and they think that Captain America is on their tail. He says that he isn’t Captain America or Thor. He says that he bets another thing he isn’t is bulletproof. Mar-Vell thinks to himself that he would win that bet, but takes some of the downed members of the Rat Pack and hurls them at their leader. Mar-Vell takes to flight again, but then sees more trucks coming. He wonders if it is more looters, but then sees that it is the Red Cross and the army. He tells Rick that he can’t leave now. He says that there is rubble to be cleared so that the Red Cross can reach the wounded. He knows that Rick understands. He says that it isn’t about getting their names in the papers or about a career in rock music. He says that this is a chance to save a life or to dry a child’s first tear. Mar-Vell flies some of the Red Cross’ supplies over to the people. He thinks to himself that his is why he renounced his Kree heritage… a people without pity. He says that this is how he will spend the rest of his life after he is freed from the Negative Zone.

Soon, Mar-Vell sees that the rescue efforts can get by without him. He flies back into the air and thinks about the latest news saying that the Hulk vanished into the nearby desert region. He thinks to himself that he will make it there in less than an hour and that he will be well under his three hour time limit. Mar-Vell says that from what Rick told him that the desert lab can’t be far. Suddenly Mar-Vell gets nauseous and weak. He falls and is surrounded by serpentine bolts of brilliance and Mar-Vell knows that for whatever reason his time has come. Mar-Vell falls and splashes into a shallow desert stream. Rick Jones walks out of the water. He mumbles that he has to find Bruce, but then collapses on the ground.

From his hidden lab, Bruce Banner sees Rick Jones collapse. He says that he doesn’t know how Rick got there, but that he will die in the morning heat if he doesn’t go to him. Bruce wonders how Rick knew he would be there after narrowly escaping the Avengers. Bruce remembers that Rick used to hang out with Captain America and the Avengers. He wonders if Rick has lead them there to betray him. Bruce’s face turns into a scowl as he wonders why everyone doesn’t stop persecuting him. He asks why they won’t just leave him alone. Bruce changes into the Hulk. Hulk asks why enemies hound him and asks what they want from him. Hulk says that he wants nothing but to be left alone. Hulk says that they won’t leave him alone, and that they even sent a spy there to catch him off guard. Hulk leaps towards Rick Jones and says that they will have to start leaving him alone after he kills the spy.

Legacy rating: 7 out of 10

Review and pictures by The Leader

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