Captain Marvel vol. 5 #18Captain Marvel vol. 5 #18
Title: “Who Let the Gods Out?”
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Jim Starlin
Inker: Al Milgrom
Colors: VLM
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Marv asks Thanos if he is saying that Death
hid herself in Marlo. Thanos confirms it and says that she did it
so that Walker couldn’t find her and bring chaos to the
universe. Marlo says that she doesn’t care why she/it did it
she wants her out. Marlo calls Thanos an oversized wrinkled
eggplant. Marv tells Marlo that insulting Thanos isn’t going
to help. Thanos says that Marlo’s ingratitude is staggering.
Marlo asks what she is supposed to be grateful for. Thanos
reminds Marlo that she was dead and Death allowed her to come
back. Thanos says that the only reason the machines that brought
Marlo back worked is because Death willed it so. 
She says that
Marlo on some level knew this and that it was the shock from it
that kept her from coming all the way back until her mind could
accept it. Thanos says that even Mephisto was attracted to Marlo,
although he didn’t know the reason why. Marlo’s face
sink into her hands. She says that Thanos has to be lying. Marv
asks why they should believe Thanos. Thanos says that Marlo
already knows it is true she just refuses to accept it. Thanos
says that he wouldn’t be surprised if the spirits of anyone
that died near her started following her. Marlo looks up stunned.
Lorraine tells Marlo that she means her.
Marv’s face appears to Rick in the Microverse. He asks Rick if he is hearing all this. He says that Rick was there and asks him if all this is true. Rick just sits there in a rainstorm. Rick says that Marlo is going to die from this. He says that sooner or later Death is going to leave Marlo’s body and she will just keel over. Rick says that he lived without her before and that he doesn’t want to do it again. Rick tells Marv to tell Thanos that if Marlo goes so does he. Marv goes to tell Thanos, but Thanos’ ship starts to shake. Thor wonders what that was. Marv says that something must have hit them. Thanos says that it wasn’t something but someone… Walker. Marv looks out the window and says that he doesn’t see anything. Thanos says that Marv is relying too much on his eyes when other senses would work better. Marv says that he is cosmically aware. Lorraine says that you don’t need cosmic awareness. She says that all you need is that stuff that allowed you to see monsters when you were a child. Marlo says that she sees it and tells Marv to look again. Marv sees a gigantic bone ship adorned by gigantic skulls. Marv tells Thanos to get them out of there. Thor says that running would give their opponent a false sense of security. Lorraine says that she thinks his sense of security is pretty dammed real. Marlo says that she doesn’t think it’s “false”. Lorraine says that if Marlo is going to quote her to do it right. Thanos says that they are not going to run from Walker, but that they are going to run towards something else. Thanos says that this situation with Walker has been building towards a head for some time, and that he has been planning for this eventuality. He says that he allied himself with Mangog to look for weaknesses in beings powered by billions of people, and he says that he knew that he would need a human being that would be willing to sacrifice himself if need be. Thanos says that he considered Kazar for a time, but that when Captain Marvel’s fate intertwined with Rick Jones he knew that he would be able to kill two birds with one stone. Marv starts to object, but Rick says that he will die as many times as he has to if Marlo gets to live. Thanos’ ship starts to shake again. Thanos says that Walker is trying to pressure him into revealing Death’s location, but that if he kills them all he will unwittingly accomplish his means. Thor asks again what would be so terrible about people never dying. Thanos says that forgetting the sick and suffering people that need death for release death gives life balance and gives it meaning. Thanos asks Thor if his immortality has him questioning the purpose of his life because it is not finite. Thanos asks Thor if he wants no death because he thinks that humanity would enter a golden age or if it is because misery loves company. Lorraine says to score one for purple puss.
Walker’s gigantic face appears in Thanos’ ship and demands to know Death’s location. Marv says that wherever Thanos suggests they start running to that they had better get going. Thanos says that he agrees and asks Thor if he is with them. Thor says that for now he is. Thanos tells Thor to place his hammer in the energy converter and tells Marv to place his hand on the hammerhead and when he gives the signal to release their energy together. Marv tells Thor not to worry about that stuff that Thanos said to him. Thor says that he doesn’t because Thanos is the mad Titan, and no one cares for the opinions of the mad. Marlo asks Thanos where they are going if this works. Thanos says that they are headed to purgatory. Thanos tells Thor and Marv to start. Power starts to flow. Thanos says that it is the combination of nature and the supernatural, the super science and superstition, the real and the unreal that is going to get them to the realm within realms. Thanos says that he is going where Death has no dominion. His ship passes into purgatory. Walker watches this and wonders if Thanos really believes that he cannot follow. Walker says that this is going to be too easy.
Marlo doesn’t believe what she is
seeing. She sees that Purgatory is a gym. Thor says that she must
be crazy, and that it looks like the Frozen North. Marv says that
he sees Titan but not really. Thanos says that Purgatory is
subjective the way that Hell is subjective. Marv says that Thanos
said that Death had no dominion here. He asks what that meant.
Thanos says that here Death cannot be killed, and that as long as
need be she can remain here and the natural order will continue.
Marlo asks Thanos if he thinks that she is going to cool her
heels there forever. Thanos says that she will do it as long as
is required. Thanos tries to say that Death is safe here, but
Walker finishes his sentence and asks if she is safe from him. 
Walker’s
cane strikes Marlo in the chest and admits that Death led him on
a merry chase and that her ingenuity is most impressive. Marlo
clutches her chest and says that it hurts so bad. Thanos, Thor,
and Marv blast Walker back off Marlo. Lorraine says that she
takes back everything bad she ever said about Marlo. Marlo
realizes suddenly that she is okay. Lorraine says that she takes
back that she took it back. Marlo looks around and realizes that
this is what Purgatory really looks like. Light blue humanoid
figures walk on winding paths that run all over the place.
Walker grabs Marlo from behind and says that
she begins to understand. Walker says that Thanos was right in
that no one can have their life taken from them here, but that
you can surrender their lives. Walker tells Marlo to look behind
her. Thanos, Thor, and Marv are frozen in blocks stopping them
from moving. Walker says that it is not going to go well for
them. He says that Death has no stomach for suffering and that
she exists to end it. Walker says that they will begin with the
one that Marlo has the most emotional attachment to. Walker frees
Marv. Marv charges at Walker. Thor warns him that he doesn’t
have the power. Walker says that some might consider Marv’s
actions precipitous when he could have tried freeing his friends
first, but that he salutes Marv as he bids him goodbye.
Marv’s hands are on Walker’s staff. Walker twists the
staff and bangs Marv’s nega bands together. Rick stands
there soaking from the rainstorm. Rick says that he thought that
he and Marv couldn’t switch places if Marv was in another
dimension. Walker explains that Purgatory is pan-dimensional- it
is everywhere at every time. Marlo shouts for him to change back,
but Walker says that it is not quick enough. He zaps Rick’s
arm and freezes it solid. Marlo starts to beg Walker to leave
Rick alone, but Rick tells her not to dare giving Walker the
satisfaction. Walker says that Rick is very brave for an earthman
with one arm. 
Walker uses his
cane and shatters Rick’s arm into pieces. Walker asks Death
if she is going to let this continue. Walker says that Death
can’t bear suffering, and that inside a human body her
sensitivity is heightened a thousand fold. He says that all she
has to do is give up her life and agree to let him take her and
it will all end.
Lorraine is furious. She halls off and punches Walker to the ground. Rick asks who that is. Marlo asks Rick if he can see her. Walker says that Death is very clever creating defenders for herself. Walker says however that those not truly alive have no claim on existence. Walker zaps Lorraine and she disappears. Suddenly a group of Vikings charge Walker for Odin and Asgard. Thanos asks Thor if these are friends of his. Upon seeing him Thor instantly remembers Erik Olafson. He asks Erik why he is in Purgatory and not Valhalla. Erik says that to his shame he died of a plague instead of in combat. Walker blasts all the Vikings and says that they are fools to align themselves with a demi-god and attack a true god. Erik’s burning body collapses in Thor’s arm. As he dies, Erik asks Thor if he ever forgot him. Thor says that he never did. As Erik turns to ash he says that he is truly immortal then as an immortal will remember him forever. Thor is ticked and says that this ends now. Thanos and Thor blast Walker, but Walker just smacks them down and says that the only one who can end this is Death herself. Thanos grabs the loose nega band and tries to throw it to Rick Jones, but Walker intercepts it. Walker turns his attention back to Rick and starts aging him. Walker says that since Rick cannot die here that there is no telling how old and withered he can make him. Walker turns to Marlo and finds Death’s face on her. Death advances on Walker. Thanos says that as he had hoped Walker has gone too far. Thanos says that Walker mistook her compassion for weakness. Thanos says that Death might be willing to give up her life to spare Walker discomfort or taking his life, but that Death is in the form of a human being, and human beings are not quite as forgiving. Death sinks her hand into Walker’s stomach. Walker says that Death has no dominion here. Thanos says that is true, but that Death isn’t going to kill him. He says that she is simply going to release the billions of souls that Walker slayed. He says that this will cause him considerable pain and an eternity of torment. Thanos says that Walker should have known that when you dance with death that Death always leads. Walker says that if only Death could have loved him. Billions of souls explode out of Walker and he collapses as a skeleton to the ground.
Death stands over Walker’s skeleton. She leaves Marlo’s body and Marlo drops over. Rick says that he knew it. He hovers over Marlo’s body and asks why he can’t be wrong just once. Death is next to Rick and she puts her finger up to her lips as if asking for silence. She leans towards Marlo and Marlo wakes up. Marlo asks if they won. Rick says that they did, and ads that he even got to be wrong once. Rick says that he also thinks that he is stuck as an old man with one arm. He asks Death if he can be wrong about that too, but Death is already gone.
Legacy rating: 10 out of 10
This book has it all. Suspense, action, drama, comedy, a view into the occurrences in Avengers Forever, a connection to Marlo’s resurrection, Thanos’ involvement with Mangog and (ugh) Kazar, Thor feeling his immortality, and an amazing opponent. Really if this book doesn’t have what you’re looking for then maybe you shouldn’t be reading comics because this is as good as it gets. Starlin is amazing in this issue. The battle scenes are intense and tell a great story by themselves. First rate book all the way.