Captain Marvel vol. 5 #9Captain Marvel vol. 5 #9
Title: “Anything Can Happen Day”
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Chriscross
Inker: Anibal Rodriguez and Mark McKenna
Colors: Steve Oliff
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Fifteen years ago in the Florida Everglades, a plane has crashed after encountering a squall. The alligators are eating most of the passengers all who died in the crash. Ted and Alice run as lightning crashes. Ted tells Alice to calm down, but Alice says that they are going to be eaten by alligators and that this was supposed to be their honeymoon. Lightning strikes the tree near them. Ted tells Alice to climb the tree quickly as an alligator has cornered them. Once they get up the alligator is struck by lightning. Ted says that he thinks that they were spared for a reason. Ted asks Alice if she wants to “do it”. Alice says that she was saving herself for her wedding night. Ted says that this is it and that they might never get another chance. Alice says that Ted is right and that if this gives them a baby that they would have a great story to tell the kid. As Ted and Alice “do it” the killed alligator lies in a pentagram on the ground.
About fourteen years later, Silver Surfer, Captain Marvel, and Moondragon stand against Superskrull all of them centered around a large pentagram on the ground. Rick tells Marv that their side is going to win as Surfer and Moondragon are there to help him. Genis asks Surfer if he is ready to take down the bad guy. Surfer says that he is not. Surfer says that he was attending to other matters when he was transported across the galaxy against his will. He asks who among them has the power to do that to him as if his desires were inconsequential. Moondragon says that isn’t the point as she did so with a power that she doesn’t really understand. Kelly says that actually she has it pretty much down. Moondragon says that Kelly wants his protection. Kelly says that wasn’t why she did it. Moondragon asks why she did it then. Superskrull mocks Moondragon since she is supposed to be renowned for her mental powers. Moondragon says that Kelly has been blocking her, but that if she wanted to that she could break down the barriers. Kelly tells Moondragon to go ahead. Rick has Genis warn Moondragon, but Moondragon doesn’t listen and goes ahead. Suddenly Moondragon grabs her throat. She falls to the ground as her mouth opens wide and a Hyssta starts to come out of her mouth. Marv asks what Kelly is doing to her. Kelly says that she isn’t doing anything. Kelly says that Moondragon wanted to get into her head, but that she got into her’s first. Kelly removes her bandage and the design that she cut into her arm is glowing green.
The Hyssta
demands to know where the Earth creature is that slew Captain
Marvel. Marv asks Surfer if they can at least take down the
Hyssta together. Surfer agrees, but wants to know why it wants
the being that slew Marv’s father. Marv says that it is a
long story for later.
Marlo and Lorraine walk down the street talking on their way to Marlo’s comic book store. Lorraine asks Marlo why she is so happy since her romantic evening was ruined because her husband is molecularly bonded with a superhero. Lorraine asks how Marlo can be taking this in stride. Marlo says, “Look who’s asking… the ghost who walks!” Marlo looks into her store and sees that the place is empty. She says that it is five percent off night and asks where everyone is. Al says that they have competition. Marlo walks outside to see the Comic Book Castle and their thirty percent off sale.
Surfer and Marv are fighting the Hyssta. Rick asks where Kelly and the Superskrull are. Marv says that he doesn’t see either of them. Rick tells Marv to ignore the snake. Marv says that it is real though. Rick tells Marv that while his cosmic awareness allows him to see other realities that Kelly’s power actually lets her make those other realities real. As the Superskrull grabs Kelly elsewhere the Hyssta disappears. Surfer asks Moondragon if she is alright. Moondragon tells them to go help the girl. Surfer wonders if they should. Marv says that they are supposed to help those that can’t defend themselves. Marv asks Surfer if he is reverting to the Surfer that targeted planets for his master’s hunger. Surfer glowers at Marv and says that it is galactic import that supports him and that he would be advised to consider it as well. Marv says that if Surfer is going to stand around while an Earth girl is pulped that he at least stay out of his way.
Superskrull says that he regrets what he has to do and says that she could be a valuable weapon to the Skrull Empire. Intelligentsia beeps in and asks Superskrull what he thinks he is doing. She says that it is not his place to offer her a position in the Skrull army. Superskrull says that he has been fighting for the Skrulls long before the scientists even thought of making Intelligentsia and that she should not lecture him. Superskrull is blasted from behind by Marv. Marv swoops in and knocks Kelly from Superskrull’s hands. Kelly rolls out of the way and says that Marv is the only one that she has seen who can also do the star face thing. She says that she may as well see how this plays out. As Marv and Superskrull fight, Rick is laying on a beach fishing. He asks Marv why he has turned around so much from the other day when he was going to kill Comet Man’s son. He asks if it is because there are Skrulls around, if Marv is more protective of a girl, or if his argument was that strong. Marv tells Rick not right now.
Surfer and Moondragon fly towards the fight. Moondragon asks Surfer if Galactus’ recent death has anything to do with his attitude. Surfer says that it has everything to do with it. He says that before Galactus died that he said something of greater horror was coming. Surfer wonders if Kelly is that something.
Superskrull traps Marv in an invisible bubble. He tells him to see how effective his photonic blasts are now. Marv does so, but then is forced to dodge his own blast as it ricochets around inside the bubble. Surfer blasts Superskrull and says that is enough of that.
Kelly then makes an entire invading armada of Hysstas. She tells them all to kill her. Tears run down her cheeks and she shouts for them to do it. Surfer’s fist start to power up as he advances. Marv plows into Surfer’s back. Surfer calls Marv an idiot. Marv says, “Idiot? Why? Because I wouldn’t let you annihilate a young girl who wasn’t fighting back?” Surfer says that it was because he was aiming for Superskrull who was coming up behind her. Rick wonders if it is too late to be molecularly bonded with Nova. Surfer, Marv, and Moondragon are forced to fight the Hyssta.
Kelly tells Superskrull that as soon as they are clear that she will pull the Hyssta back into their own dimension. Kelly offers to transport Superskrull into a dimension where the Skrulls won some big war. Superskrull passes. He says that despite Intelligentcia’s attitude he believes that she will take to her.
Intelligentcia says that Superskrull will not receive the welcome that he believes. She says that she was created to guide and rule as opposed to being defied by the Superskrull.
Legacy rating: 8 out of 10
Action, adventure, and moral dilemmas… good stuff. Let’s hope that Marv doesn’t run afoul of Superskrull by himself. It looks like he had Marv pinned down pretty good in that force field. Chrisscross does a good job on art this issue, but his battle scenes are still a little hard to tell what is going on in.