Captain Marvel vol. 5 #25Captain Marvel vol. 5 #25
Title: “Blazing Sons”
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Chriscross
Inker: Anibal Rodriguez & Fridolfs
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Rick sits on the palace steps. King Timhoep says that he can’t pretend to understand everything, but that he finds Rick’s attitude most puzzling. He says that they revere their elders there, but Rick says that they don’t where he comes from. He says that back on Earth they treat old people as nuisances and make fun of them. Rick says that the area he comes from, Los Angeles, you are forgotten when you reach the high side of thirty. The King says that he doesn’t understand. Rick says that basically they hold their elders in contempt, and that he was as guilty of it as anybody else. Rick says that he has figured it out, and that this is karma. Timhoep asks what karma is. Rick says that it is payback. He says that once upon a time he had no concept of his own mortality. Rick says that he was a “smug, self-satisfied kid, whose moves were informed by youthful ignorance. And because of that hubris an innocent man suffered and others did… and still do.” Rick says that all that suffering has finally come home to roost. Rick says that the real reason that he is so bummed out is because all that has happened to him he deserves it. Rick says that right now Marv is putting himself in danger for him even though he isn’t deserving of the help, and that it will just be more suffering on his final tally. Timhoep says that Marvel is Rick’s friend and that should count for something. Rick says that the first rule of the universe is to watch out for number one, and any friends or family will be only be used against you in a game of cosmic chess.
Blastaar lets loose a blast driving Marv into a rock. Supreme Intelligence asks Marv if he has encountered any difficulty. Marv says that there is a hairy nutcase tossing high-powered energy blasts like they were sneezes. Blastaar rockets towards Marv by directing his blasts like jet engines. He says that these outworlders think to intrude there and siphon off star energy as if it were just theirs for the taking, as if they had some sort of right to it. Blastaar says that again and again the outworlders aren’t satisfied with just defiling their own realm, but that they intrude on theirs and that it is going to end today. Blastaar says that is going to erect Marv’s body as a warning to others. Marv asks who this guy is. Supreme Intelligence says that he is Blastaar, the deposed ruler of a planet called Baluur, “whose skin is akin to a fusion reactor”. Marv asks what he should do. Supreme Intelligence says that for starters he would duck.
Una-Rogg tries to talk to “Blistarr”, but Burstarr corrects her on his name and starts going into his life story. Una says that Burstarr would be dazzled to know how little she cares about his family history. She says that all this is unnecessary. She says that they just want to collect some anti-tachyons that the star is generating. Burstarr asks why she would do this. Una says that she is an unwilling passenger, but that Captain Marvel is doing it to help a friend. Burstarr says that he is an idiot to brave this zone to benefit someone else. He says that his father taught him to hold such thinking in contempt and now he sees that he was right. Burstarr tells Una that she has to beg him or he is going to kill her. Una rolls her eyes and says, “Please… I beg you. Don’t kill me… please…” Burstarr tells her to add “Please, great Burstarr”. Una ads, “Please, don’t kill me, great Burstarr.” Burstarr says that he won’t and starts flying away. Una says that they have drifted away from the others. Burstarr says that he knows and that the rock she is on has been pulled into the gravity field of the star she sought to rob. He says that he doesn’t need to kill you because she is going to be dead soon anyway. Una screams for Genis.
Blastaar is choking Marv and says that is sounds like his woman is in trouble. He says that it is a pity that you cannot save her or even himself.
Marlo continues to hold and she says that she is going to continue to hold until she gets an answer to her question. Moondragon sits on the couch and eats the popcorn. Lorraine tells Marlo that the bald chick has to go, and that this place isn’t big enough to hold three people. Marlo tells Lorraine that she is not a person, and that it isn’t like she needs hours in the bathroom, and Marlo asks her who told her she could stay. Lorraine says that she is dead because of Marlo’s mother in law, and to try and make her leave. Marlo says that Jackie Shorr isn’t her mother in law. She is just a nutcase who thinks that she is Rick’s mother. Marlo says that it isn’t fair that Lorraine came back to life only to be killed again, but that it isn’t her fault. Moondragon says that she hopes Marlo is talking to a ghost because if she has lost her mind that it is going to be a terrible inconvenience. Marlo finally gets an answer to her question. She shouts into the phone that they have got to be kidding so loud that Moondragon drops the popcorn. Marlo tells them to put out an APB and that this is gross incompetence. She says that she is standing next to someone that has major grounds to sue. Lorraine reminds Marlo that she is dead. Marlo tells them to find her and lock her up again. Marlo hangs up and says that during an administrative shake up at the mental hospital that there was some mixed up files, and that Jackie was confused with a patient who was on a work release program. Lorraine says that she died because of a paperwork glitch and starts laughing.
Blastaar is about to blast Marv, but Marv
ducks out of the way and Blastaar hits himself. Blastaar says
that Marv is almost as much trouble as the accursed Fantastic
Four. 
Marv decks
Blastaar and says that he will take that as a compliment. Marv
turns to help Una, but he cannot find her. Blastaar lets loose
with another blast, but Marv gets his shield up at just in time.
Blastaar says that his inexperience marks him. Marv says that
they have no reason to be enemies. He says that they are taking
nothing irreplaceable, and asks what he wants and why he is doing
this. Blastaar says that it took him long enough to ask. Blastaar
says that the outerworld remains a desirable environment, and
that he will strike him a bargain. Blastaar says that if he
guides him back to his sphere, provide him with a list of worlds
or people that are important to him, and he they will remain
forever untouched. He says that if he wants any races eliminated
that can be arranged as well. He says that Marv is right, and
that they don’t need to be enemies.
Burstarr says that it sounds like her hero doesn’t hear her. He tells her goodbye again. Una calls Burstarr a coward and a fool. She says that he is a fool to believe that his father really wanted him to “guard” a star. She says that it was busy work, and that his father doesn’t even seek his help against Captain Marvel. He says that his father leaves him to dispose of a helpless woman, and that he is even to afraid to do that hands on. She says that she would rather die than be a useless coward like him. Burstarr turns to fight but can’t see Una. He flies around the other side of the rock, but Una keeps moving and hiding. Burstarr figures that she must have jumped off, but then Una leaps onto Burstarr’s back. She says that she is the daughter of Yon-Rogg, and that she is not dispatched so easily. She ejects a knife from her glove and says that if he tries to blast her that she will cut his throat.
Supreme Intelligence says that Marv seems to be entertaining Blastarr’s offer. Ronan asks if Supreme Intelligence didn’t expect this. Supreme Intelligence says that he anticipated the possibility, but that he didn’t expect it. He says that Marv’s mind works in curious and unexpected ways. Ronan asks if Blastaar is a real threat. Supreme Intelligence says that Blastaar is a sun on legs and that of course he is a threat. Supreme Intelligence says that the question is if they should take the risk of being able to point the threat in another direction, or if they should minimize their exposure. Ronan says that they are the Ruul, and that they need no help defeating their enemies. Supreme Intelligence says that he will monitor the situation, and that Ronan should inform their scientists that they may need to destroy the portal on his command if it should become necessary.
Una-Rogg calls out to Blastaar. She says that she is only going to say this once. She says that Blastaar is going to let her and Marv leave or Burstarr is going to receive a “much-needed, and very permanent, shave”. Burstaar tells Blastaar that he thinks that she means it. Blastaar says that he believes she does, and hopes that she finds him as credible when he says that no one issues terms to Blastaar. Burstaar says that surely it isn’t worth dying to stop them from collecting particles that do not harm anything. Blastaar asks if his son would have him sacrifice his pride just to save his life. Blastaar says that this is his fault, and that he spent to much time protecting him and hiding him. He says that it has made Burstaar weak. Blastaar says that the universe is harsh, and that he is through with protecting him from it. Blastaar says that even his son understands that he will not be dictated to. Burstaar says that he understands all too well. Burstaar blasts Blastaar. Burstarr throws off Una. Burstaar says that he is going to show all of sub-space the worth of a son that Blastaar couldn’t be bothered to sacrifice the smallest amount of pride to save. Burstaar flies into Blastaar.
Marv grabs up Una and flies off. He says that he collected the tachyons while Blastaar was dictating terms to him. Marv rockets towards the portal, and Una’s field starts to fade. She tells him to hurry or that she will die. Marv asks if she will die like all those that she drained of life force. He says that he hasn’t forgotten about that, and that maybe he should just leave her there to rot. Una tells him to do it then because she will be damned if she ever begs for anyone’s help again. Marv says that it is his guess that she is damned already, but that he isn’t going to be the one to send her there.
Marv and Una return through the portal. Marv says that they have fulfilled their end of the bargain. He starts to say what he will do if Supreme Intelligence doesn’t live up to his end, but Ronan cuts him off and says that what he would do is die at the hands of the Ruul who outnumber him by about a billion to one. Ronan says that Supreme Intelligence has no need for half-truths, and that if he promised to help Rick Jones that he will.
Later, Supreme Intelligence addresses Rick and says that he has come a long way from the “callow youth” he met during the Kree/Skrull War. Rick says that they have to have these high school reunions more often. Supreme Intelligence says that he has been studying the anti-tachyons, and that he thinks he knows enough to help Rick. Una says that Rick is taking a big leap of faith. Rick says that it isn’t much of a leap when you don’t care where you land. He says that he doesn’t expect this to work. Rick enters the machine.
After the prescribed amount of time, Rick Jones exits the machine unchanged. Rick says that he told them. He says that he may be the Supreme Intelligence, but that there is another supreme being that has it out for him. Supreme Intelligence says that it should have worked. Rick says, “shoulda coulda woulda”. Ronan says that Rick has his sympathies and says that he is free to go. Una asks what is going to happen to her. Ronan says that he was going to change her into a Ruul, but that he has decided to exile her with the knowledge that her race has passed her by.
After Marv leaves, Supreme Intelligence tells Ronan to go attend to their new guest. Ronan says that Supreme Intelligence wants to know if there is anything that their new ally desires. Burstaar says that for starters he wants vengeance.
Marv flies along. He says that it should have worked and says that maybe it is just a delayed effect. Rick says that Supreme Intelligence hosed them, and that he got things out of it that he and Marv can’t even guess at. Rick says that it is almost Christmas back on Earth, and that Marv should take him there so he can “celebrate”. Marv starts to say that he will find a way to help Rick, but Rick just asks Marv to be quiet.
Legacy rating: 8.5 out of 10
Another cool story. I’m kind of hoping that Burstaar doesn’t replace Blastaar within this book entirely since I like him a more than Burstarr, but still this is a good start. One has to wonder how Burstarr knew where to go and how he managed to form an alliance with the Supreme Intelligence so quickly. Cross’ pencils really work in this issue. Not only weren’t his action sequences his weak point, but they were actually a strong point. The use of the blast as a shadowing effect on a partially drawn figure is very visually interesting. For the first time I’m giving the art a higher grade than the writing (though there was nothing wrong with the writing).