Captain Marvel vol. 5 #5Captain Marvel vol. 5 #5
Title: “Visit to an Even Smaller Planet”
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: James Fry with assist by Frank Strom
Inker: Walden Wong
Colors: Steve Oliff
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Captain Marvel and Drax lie on the ground after hitting the planet and creating a long chasm from the skidding as they stopped. A voice in the shadows says, “Are you sure it is he?” The man with him says that no one else could be that color and strong enough to survive a fall from space. He says, “He has returned to us, as she said he would.” The first man asks if they should kill the other, but the other decides that he poses no threat and to simply leave him. The two men and a few others that were with them load Drax onto the back of an animal that they ride. One says to be careful with him, but another says that he just survived a fall from space and wonders what they could do to hurt him. Marv is left alone unconscious on the ground.
Rick resists Moondragon’s mental commands to bang his nega bands together and bring Genis and her father back. Rick can no longer fight it, but rather he sticks his head in the way and the bands hit him in the head instead of hitting together. Moondragon says that she is doing this for everyone’s good. Rick asks why he should care what Moondragon has to say when she doesn’t listen to anything he has to say. Rick puts a pillow between the nega bands and then kicks a coffee table at Moondragon. Moondragon leaps over the table and grabs Rick’s wrist on the nega band. Rick releases energy out of the nega band and renders Moondragon unconscious. Rick says that he knew he would figure out how to do that himself despite what Marv said.
Kelly sits in a chair in a psychiatrist’s office. He says that she hurt herself and that this time it was rather extensive. He says that the cutting was in the design of a dragon, alien, or a serpent. Kelly offers up that it was an alien. The psychiatrist asks Kelly why she carved that into her arm. Kelly says that she didn’t have a pencil and paper. The doctor says that Kelly’s parents are worried that she is going to kill herself. Kelly says that she isn’t, but the reason is that there is no need as everything is going to be destroyed anyway. The doctor asks if the alien will destroy everything. Kelly says that it isn’t the alien and that she will be the one to do it.
Moondragon wakes up tied to a chair and has headphones duct taped to her bald head. Moondragon starts to yell at Rick, but Rick blasts the music into her ears. Rick holds up a sign that reads “had enough?” Moondragon says that she has. Moondragon asks what that noise was. Rick says that it was Limp Bizkit “Significant Other”. Rick tells Moondragon that he has lost contact with Marv, which probably means that he is unconscious. Rick says that he thinks that he would know if Marv were dead, but that he isn’t taking the chance. Moony is a little upset, but Rick warns her that he also has Korn to use against her. Suddenly Rick senses Marv again. Marv is crawling up. Marv says that the negative charge from the negative zone should have killed him on contact. Rick asks Marv what happened to the nullfield. Marv explains and while Rick is thinking about it Moondragon tries another mental attack. Rick starts the Walkman and says, “Nice try, Moony”. Rick and Marv both realize that they just assumed that they were transferring back and forth from the Negative Zone, but that this isn’t it. Marv flies around and Rick starts to ask him about his cosmic awareness. Marv says that with the cosmic awareness that he is never caught off guard. Suddenly a big monster leaps out of the water and gulps Marv’s entire body into its mouth.
Marlo is taking a shower. She says that she can’t believe that she passed out in the kitchen. She says that she saw Lorraine sitting there, but that she knows it wasn’t her. Marlo wonders if it is survivor’s guilt. Marlo gets soap in her eye, but when she rubs it off she sees Lorraine standing there again. Lorraine says, “How ‘bout that. I think those babies are real. Who’d’ve guessed?” Marlo freaks and falls over. She grabs the shower curtain but still falls out of the tub. Marlo says that she is losing her mind.
Drax wakes up in a bedroom. He sees a big
picture of the Hulk on the wall. Green guards enter the room and
say that they have been instructed to bring him to their lady as
soon as he awoke. One of the guards calls Drax “Hulk”.
Drax says, “Hulk?” The guard confirms that she is very
anxious to see the Hulk. Drax says, “Me… Hulk?”
The guard says that he is stupider than they were lead to
believe. Drax is lead to a room where a scantily clad green woman
is lying on a bed. 
She says that
they have been waiting for him for so long. The woman introduces
herself as Visalia and says that she is the sister of Jarella.
Drax says that he is having trouble thinking. Visalia touches
Drax’s head and says that she will clarify his mind. Drax is
intelligent again and says, “Lady, I appreciate that, but
you don’t understand, I’m not…” Drax is cut
off when Visalia kisses him on the mouth.
Marv blasts out of the water and says, “stupid monster”. Rick mocks Marv’s cosmic awareness. Rick asks Marv if he knows where Drax got off to. Marv says that he doesn’t, but that if he never sees him again it will be too soon. Rick suggests bagging the planet and leaving Drax there. Moonstone orders Rick to find Drax, but when Rick says that she is in no place to give orders Moondragon says, “please… he is my father.” Moony says that she has been working with him to raise his intelligence, but that Rick wouldn’t understand seeing a man’s spirit trapped inside a green, misshapen being. Rick says that he gets the point. Rick tells Marv that they have to find Drax.
Back in the office, the doctor tells Kelly that her parents are thinking of checking her into a hospital and that he doesn’t blame them. The doc says that he doesn’t want to see that happen, but that they need to come to an understanding. Kelly lets her face go cosmic the way Marv’s face does. The doctor freaks. Kelly says that the doctor knows that she is not crazy now, but that if he tries to convince anyone that they will think that he is crazy. Kelly gets up and walks out saying, “Have a nice rest of your life.”
Marv comes upon a city with green people. He asks if they have seen a large man with a purple cape. He follows their pointing until he comes to a large castle. Marv flies in through the window. The guards attack, but Marv blasts them back. Marv sees Drax standing there in barbarian clothes and an axe in his hand with Visalia clinging to his leg. Marv says that Drax has to come back with him, but Drax says, “Over my dead body, or more accurately… over yours.
Legacy rating: 5 out of 10.
The story for the book is fantastic. It gets 4 of the 5 points. The idea that Marv and Rick haven’t been transferring into the Negative Zone is a cool idea. The idea that they have been transferring into the Microverse is even cooler, and the people of K’ai mistaking Drax for Hulk? That’s genius. The developments on Kelly and Lorraine are both coming along nicely and the book is a solid read.
The art… well it should be noted that the issue is dedicated to the then recently deceased Gil Kane. The art is an obvious attempt to mimic Kane, but in my opinion it fails horribly. James Fry manages to capture the crude style of Kane without any of the style that marks his work. I’ve never been a big fan of imitating the greats because invariably they lack the flair that the original presents.