Captain Marvel vol. 5 #20Captain Marvel vol. 5 #20
Title: “Mother’s Day”
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Chrisscross
Inker: Anibal Rodriguez
Colors: VLM
Editor: Tom Brevoort
A man wearing a suit of armor stands outside the Comic Book Castle handing out fliers for that night’s “spectacular giveaway”. A man takes the flier and asks what is going to happen. The man answers that he doesn’t actually know, but that he has been told that it will be “the mother of all events”.
Inside the Comic Book Castle, the owner sits in darkness. He is speaking to a glowing red sphere. He promises that soon everything will be ready. The stars will be in alignment and the sacrifices will be in place. He says that then she will be free and wreak havoc over the entire city.
Inside Golden Orange Comics, the now ancient Rick Jones sits in a chair as Marlo tries to play different games to get him to eat. Marv says that he might want to eat it since Marlo isn’t going to give up until he does. Rick tells them both to shut up and go away. Rick says that he doesn’t want that mush that Marlo is trying to give him. Rick says that he wants a steak. Marlo says that Rick’s teeth can’t handle steak. She says that she made him a dentist appointment and that maybe he can have one next month. Rick stands up and smacks the bowl of mush. He says that he doesn’t want to spend another month, week, or day like this. Rick says that he would be better off dead. Marlo says that he doesn’t mean that, but Rick says, “The hell I don’t!” Rick says that he has been dead, and that it beat being like this. Marlo reminds Rick that she died once too. Marlo suddenly realizes that they don’t have any friends that haven’t died at least once. As they try to figure out someone that they know that hasn’t died, Rick disappears from the chair. Stumped Marlo turns to Rick and says that he should be trying to help her. She sees that Rick isn’t there, but then seconds later he reappears. Marlo asks what happened. Rick says that he was just pulled into his own past, and that people always forget when they see themselves. Marlo says, “into your past?” Rick says that it was a big time thing with the Avengers and Kang. Rick says that it doesn’t matter since nothing does. Marlo says that she just wanted to help Rick the way Rick helped her when she was in a coma. Rick says that he is going home to take a nap, and that if he is lucky he won’t wake up.
As Rick leaves, Al says that he thinks that when Marlo told him that that was Rick’s great uncle that she was being less than truthful. Marlo says that Al caught her. She tells him exactly what happened with how Walker aged Rick by bending time around him. Al looks at her for a minute and then says, “So that’s Rick great uncle, huh?” Marlo says that she can’t do this and runs out calling after Rick. She gets outside and can’t find Rick. She says that she didn’t hear him change into Marv, and that he must have caught a cab. Marlo says that she misses Lorraine.
On Laguna Beach, a bunch of women and men are playing volleyball on the beach. Lorraine starts coughing as she emerges from the ocean. The volleyball bounces off Lorraine’s leg. The people start calling out to her to throw the ball back. Lorraine realizes that they can see her, and that she is alive. She leaps into the air happy. She says that this time she is going to do everything different. She says that she is going to be kind and sweet. One of the volleyball players says that is nice, and tells her to give him the ball back. Lorraine spikes the volleyball into his crotch. She runs off leaping and shouting that she is alive.
Rick is sitting on the roof of a building. He says that he wants to die. Marv tells Rick that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. He says that everything will be all right. Rick says that he didn’t say that he was going to commit suicide, but that if he hears that it will be all right one more time that he will. Rick tells Marv to just look at him. Marv says that there are elderly people that have coped with the infirmities of old age that didn’t have a fraction of his grit. Rick says that at least they had lives leading up to becoming senior citizens. Rick realizes that he is older than Captain America is. Marv swears that it will be all right. Rick asks Marv if he thought he was kidding. Rick jumps off the building. Marv tells Rick to bang his bands together. Rick says that it will be better this way. Rick is suddenly caught in the air by Moondragon’s telekinesis. Moondragon says that from anyone else she would understand this self-pity, but that with all Rick has endured she would think that he would be ready to beat this too. Moondragon realizes that even if Rick beats this now that old age awaits him in the future. Moondragon realizes that Rick is scared of dying. Rick says that Moondragon is no different. He says that she probably ditched her green suit because she noticed the cellulite creeping. Moondragon says that she won’t dignify that. Rick tells Moonie to face it, and that she is putting the “moon” in Moondragon. He says that if it gets any bigger that it will affect the tides. Moondragon grabs Rick’s wrist and bangs it into the other nega band.
After the smoke clears, Marv asks Moondragon if it ever occurred to her that he could be in deep space and that the change might have killed Rick. Moondragon says that it didn’t occur to her. Marv asks if it would have changed her actions if she had. Moondragon says that it wouldn’t have. Moondragon says that she has no patience for rudeness and self pity. Marv stares for a second and says that he had a vision of her when Thanos was trying to cure Rick. Moonie asks what she was doing, but Marv lies and says that she was fighting alongside him for good and then he kind of trails off. Moondragon says that Marv has been hanging around Jones too much, and that he has forgotten how to express himself clearly. Rick appears over Marv’s shoulder and asks why she is around again. Marv tells Rick that he is going to find a way to reverse what has happened to him. Rick asks where in the Microverse he is. Marv says that Rick is in the Royal Gardens of King Timhoep, ruler of the planet Qarn. Marv says that he spent some time with one of his daughters and she invited him to stay with them. Rick makes sure that “quality time” doesn’t mean that the king is going to be defending his daughter’s honor or anything. Marv says that they are just friends. Rick says that he isn’t sure if he is relieved or disappointed in Marv.
Back in Rick’s apartment, Marv asks Moondragon if she is there to harass him some more about what he should be doing with the Kree. Moondragon says that she returned because she promised to help him control his cosmic awareness. Marv says thanks, but no thanks, as his cosmic awareness hasn’t bothered him in a long time. Moondragon makes a confession and tells Marv that the reason he hasn’t had any problems is because she placed dampeners on him. She says that she had no choice, and that he could have been driven mad. Marv says that she should have told him. Moondragon says that if she had that he would have fought against them, even if only subconsciously. He tells her to get them out of his head now, but Moondragon says no.
At Golden Orange Comics, Marlo sits with her head in her hands repeating “no” to herself as Al just told her about the big giveaway spectacular at Comic Book Castle. Marlo says that every time they have an event that it costs them another ten percent of their customers. Marlo decides that she is going to go. Al asks her if that wouldn’t seem like endorsing the competition. Marlo says that they don’t need her endorsement. Suddenly the red bird in the corner starts going nuts. Al says that even her bird doesn’t want her to go. Marlo tells the bird to relax and asks what is the worst that could happen.
Moondragon is flying after Marv. She keeps telling him that he is in danger if he doesn’t let her help him, but Marv keeps telling her to get lost. He says that until she takes the dampeners off his mind that he has nothing to say to her. Moondragon says that you have to walk before you can run. Marv says that she stuck him in a baby walker without his knowledge. Moondragon says that she is sorry, but Marv says that she isn’t sorry enough to take them out. He says that she is the most aggravating female, and then changes it to the most aggravating person he has ever met. Moondragon asks if she is going to let her help him. Marv asks if she is giving him a choice Moondragon says no. Rick tells Marv to just go along with her. He says that he can hear them fighting in his head, and that he gets headaches a lot faster than he used to. Marv agrees to let her teach him, but that he wants the dampeners out after. Moondragon agrees. She says that with each improvement he makes that she will roll back the dampeners until he no longer needs them. Moondragon tells Marv to think of something “vast… expansive… unending… like…” Rick interrupts, “…like her butt… Like the space between her ears.” Marv tells Rick that he isn’t helping. Moondragon tells Marv to ignore Rick’s doubtlessly infantile comments. Moondragon says that he must pick the visions that he sees. Marv asks how he will do that. Moondragon says that he must look both inwardly and outwardly simultaneously. She says that in time he will do it instinctively, but that for now he should concentrate on something that is important to him. Marv concentrates.
Outside Comic Book Castle, Marlo says that
she has never seen anything like this. She says that she
didn’t even know that there were this many comic book fans
in Los Angeles. Al says that the punch isn’t bad either.
Marlo says that she hasn’t tried it, but as she goes to a
guy spills her punch pushing by to see Len Wein. Marlo says that
she’ll never get any at this rate. Al says that at least she
got a cool “Comic Book Castle” pocketknife. Marlo
supposes, but that she isn’t sure she would call this a
“spectacular” giveaway. Suddenly the owner of Comic
Book Castle, Merlin introduces himself and says that yes he is
that Merlin. Marlo tells Al that they should get out of there. Al
says that the guy is just some corny magician, but Marlo says
that when you are around genuine super folk long enough that you
develop a nose for these things. She says that they should go
before he does a trick, but then a guy behind them shouts for him
to do a trick. Merlin says that he thinks that they will like
this one. Merlin has them open their pocketknives and slit their
hands open. He tells them to let the blood flow onto the ground.
Marlo can’t believe what he is saying, but when she turns to
Al she finds him letting his blood flow onto the ground. Marlo
realizes that it was something in the punch. Merlin says that
Marlo is very clever for not having any. He says that it is a
handy beverage, and that it has allowed him to accomplish his
goal of spilling the blood of one hundred virgins in the city of
Angels. 
Marlo asked if
he really started a comic book store just to gather a hundred
virgins. Merlin reminds Marlo that this is Los Angeles, and asks
where else he could find a hundred virgins on a Saturday night.
Marlo says, “At a Star Trek convention?” Merlin admits
that would have been easier. Suddenly the ground starts shaking.
Marlo asks what is happening. Merlin says that he has activated
the counter spell freeing it. Marlo asks what it is, but then a
giant, red, ugly monster bursts through the floor. Merlin
introduces Marlo to Grendel’s mother.
Legacy rating: 7 out of 10
I love Peter David’s humor in his book, but once in a while I feel like he goes too far to tell a joke. To set Merlin up in a comic book store outside Marlo’s store just so he could do the “one hundred virgins” line is one of those times when I feel the set up isn’t worth it. The explanation of why Marv’s cosmic awareness stopped bothering him and the scene where Rick is making fun of Moondragon’s butt help make up for it. Chrisscross does a pretty good job with most of the issue, but Merlin looks kinda lame to me, and I can’t even figure out what Grendel’s mother is supposed to be, or even what parts her face is made up of. 3 out of 5.