Captain Marvel vol. 5 #28Captain Marvel vol. 5 #28
Title: “Time Flies- Part 2: So Tonight We’re Gonna Party Like it’s 2099”
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Chris Batista
Inker: Rich Perotta
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Editor: Tom Brevoort
At Golden Orange Comics, Marlo is taping the toilet lid closed. Al asks Marlo what she is doing. Marlo says that she is roasting a chicken and asks what it looks like she is doing. Al says that it looks like she is taping the toilet seat closed. Marlo says that is it. Al asks her why she is doing it. Marlo asks him if he is sure that he wants to know. Al says that he does. Marlo says that she and Rick were talking to a guy named Starfox who was leaking temporal particles into the toilet, but then she flushed the toilet and everything went nuts. She says that Rick changed into Captain Marvel just before he and Starfox were sucked into the toilet. Al asks Marlo if she remembers when he said that he did want to know. Marlo says that she does. Al says to forget he asked, and Marlo says that it is already forgotten. Al walks out.
In the year 2099 in the headquarters of Alchemax, Boone thanks Mr. Stone for coming down so quickly. Stone says that this had better be good. Boone says that it is, and that they pulled it out of virtual unreality. Stone gets angry and says that he thought he ordered that project to be shut down. Stone says that the last time they messed with that virtual unreality business that he was nearly killed by Thanatos who took such an undue interest in it. Boone says that they did trap Thanatos in there. Stone says that they also trapped Spider-Man in there, but that he managed to get out. He says that if Spider-Man could do it that Thanatos might as well. Stone says that life is too short to risk making it shorter. Boone says that this may change his mind. He says that they pulled something else out of virtual unreality. He shows Stone a display case with a sheet of metal. Stone says that he is dazzled, and that he is going to go brag about how they are a better company than Stark-Fujikawa because they have a sheet of metal. The metal starts to glow and Stone asks what it is doing. Boone says that it is reacting. Stone asks what that thing is. Boone says that as near as they can tell that it is a time platform. Stone asks if he is talking about time travel. Boone says that he is, but Stone says that is preposterous. Boone says that penicillin and human flight were too at one time. Boone says that they did a molecular scan and found what he calls chronoparticles near the fuel matrix. Stone asks if it can be activated. Boone says that it lacks sufficient particles for full activation, but that he believes that it is reacting to a newly discovered source of chronoparticles. Stone asks where it is. Boone points to the machine that reveals that the source is on the upper west side a mile in the air. Stone wonders what could be there giving off time particles.
The Public Eye calls for Marv, Starfox, and Spider-Man 2099’s surrender. Starfox asks Genis for some help. Genis blasts all the Public Eye riders with a blast. Marv turns to Spider-Man and asks if they are friends of his. Spider-Man says that if they were that he wouldn’t admit to it. He thanks Marv for the help and starts to leave. Rick tells Marv not to let him leave. Marv tells Spidey to hold on, but opts to fly after him instead. Starfox says that he isn’t feeling so good and suddenly starts falling to the ground. Marv says that he is coming and tells Spider-Man to stay where he is. Marv starts flying down after Starfox and blue trails start coming out of Starfox. Within the streams there are many different images of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Paradise X, and other odd future Marvel universes. Marv asks Rick if he saw that. Rick says that he did, but that for once he is as clueless as Marv. Marv realizes that he has been insulted and tells Rick to “wait a minute”. Rick says that he can wait, but that he doesn’t think Starfox can. Marv grabs Starfox and asks him what is going on. He says that he saw things. Starfox asks if they were a barrage of images from various possible futures. Marv asks how he knew. Starfox says that it isn’t important. Marv says that it is important. He tells Starfox to stop being so dismissive of him, and says that he is not a child anymore. Starfox says that Marv was never a child. He says that he is a genetic construct artificially expedited to his present form. Starfox says that his memories of childhood were implanted. Marv says to stop being so dismissive of him and that he isn’t a genetic construct artificially expedited to his present form with implanted memories of childhood anymore. Starfox says that actually he is. Marv says that Starfox knows what he is talking about, but Starfox says that actually he is completely lost. Marv says to forget it. Marv turns to Spider-Man and says that they need a guide and that he is elected. Marv turns and sees that Spider-Man is gone. Starfox asks how this surprises Marv. Marv says, “Nothing surprises me anymore. I’m going from cosmically aware to cosmically blasé.
As Marv and Starfox start to fly, Boone tells Stone that the source is on the move. Stone says that Boone has convinced him that this is worth pursuing, and that he is going to scramble the S.I.E.G.E. squad. Suddenly the screen explodes. One of the crew says that they are having a massive energy feedback. Stone asks if there is any other obvious things that he would like to comment on. Boone shouts to shut down the relays and start the virtual unreality portal before it is too late. The portal booms and Stone says that Boone and his men are always one step behind on any given emergency. Thanatos steps forward. Thanatos calls Stone a festering pile of steaming entrails. Stone tells Boone that he talks like one of his ex-wives. Boone asks which one, but Stone says “any one”. Thanatos asks if Stone really thought that he could trap him in virtual unreality. Thanatos says that Stone has no idea of what he is dealing with. Stone says that he thinks that he knows what he is dealing with. He says that Thanatos is a “loudmouthed, bombastic fool who derives demented pleasure from threatening those he sees as weaker…” Stone looks to Boone to back him up, but Boone says that he doesn’t know who this man is. Thanatos tells Boone to shut up. He tells Stone that his earlier attack was merely to get Stone’s attention. Thanatos says that he wanted access to virtual unreality, but on his own terms so that he could meet the goals that he had set for himself. Stone asks what those goals are. Thanatos says that it is the time device that Stone has here in the lab, and the end of civilization as we know it.
Back in the “present”, Lorraine stands invisible in front of Al trying to figure out how Rick managed to see her while the customers come by and make fun of Al for his real name of Alice. Lorraine realizes that Marlo says that she wished that Lorraine would bother someone else for half a minute. Jackie Shorr walks into the store behind Lorraine and asks Al where Marlo is. Al says that Marlo is in the bathroom and that she will be in there for a while. Jackie says that she will wait. Lorraine realizes that Rick saw her for half a minute just like Marlo wished. Two policemen walk into the store and Jackie decides that maybe she will just come back later. Al asks if he can tell Marlo who stopped by. Jackie says, “Oh, just say an old friend she’ll be dying to see.” Jackie leaves and one of the policemen says that he wanted to get a complete run of Fantastic Force. Al says, “my god, why?”
Lorraine goes to Marlo. She says, “Marlo say you wish I was alive.” Marlo says, “Say that I did, but what would be the point…” Lorraine tells her to say the words. Marlo says that her mother always told her “If wishes were fishes , the world would be an ocean.” Lorraine says, “I so don’t give a damn! Just say it!” Marlo says it, but Lorraine realizes that it didn’t work as she passes her intangible arm through the wall. Marlo says that she doesn’t have time for games. Lorraine asks Marlo if it occurred to her that the toilet is the only way in or out of wherever they have gone, and that she is sealing off their means of getting back. She says that it is just like Marlo to have a couple super types drowning in her flusher. Marlo realizes that Lorraine is right and says that she hates her. Lorraine tells her not to mention it.
Back in 2099 in
the apartment of Miguel AKA Spider-Man, Miguel is talking to his
brother Gabe telling him what happened. Gabe asks if he knows
where they came from. Miguel says that he doesn’t know, and
that he doesn’t want to know. He says that they had trouble
written all over them. Lyla, a holographic image that serves as
the butler for the apartment, appears and asks if it was really
written all over them and in what language. Miguel says that it
wasn’t literally. Lyla says that if he is unclear that she
can ask them. Miguel asks if they are about to get company. There
is a knock on the window, but when they look over they see that
Starfox’s powers have removed the window and Marv and
Starfox have let themselves in. Marv says that he didn’t
know Starfox had that sort of TK power. Starfox says,
“Merely the same gravitation manipulation that enables me to
fly Genis.” Marv says that he prefers Captain Marvel.
Starfox says, “Odd… so did your mother.” Starfox
asks which one of them is Spider-Man. Miguel and Gabe try to play
it off, but Marv says that the webbing thing on his back has some
sort of anti-grav lift that leaves a trail of ionized particles
that he followed like a homing beacon. Rick asks Marv why they
are even bothering with this guy. Marv says that Starfox felt it
was important. Rick reminds Marv that Starfox hasn’t been
exactly forthcoming since this started. Rick says that he is
curious to know how his link with him is still working since this
looks like an alternate dimension and it has never worked like
this before. Rick says that there is more to this than meets the
eye, and that they are wasting time. Starfox grabs Gabe with his
TK power and presses him against the wall. Miguel says that if
they want Spider-Man they got it. He tosses webbing into
Starfox’s eyes and hits him. Marv notices that Spidey’s
webs are organic, and Rick says that you would never see that in
a movie. Miguel asks if they are happy now. Lyla comes on and
says that his pulse and respiration indicate that he is not.
Miguel tells her to get lost. Marv asks who that was, and Miguel
says that it was no one. Miguel says that Starface seems to be
the more sensible of them despite the fact that he seems to be
talking to himself. Marv tries to explain he is talking to Rick,
but Miguel says that he doesn’t really care. Miguel asks
Marv if he knows where he is. Marv says that Miguel mentioned
something about 2099, but that he is from 2002. Miguel goes to
remove the webbing from Starfox’s face, and Marv asks if it
will hurt. Miguel says, “If I do it right.” Miguel rips
the webbing off and Starfox screams. Starfox gets indignant with
Miguel, but Miguel says that what Starfox should do it start
being honest with his friend who he suspects has no idea what is
going on. Miguel asks what Starfox wants. Starfox says that he
doesn’t want anything from him. Miguel asks Lyla if he is
lying. Lyla says that she can only estimate since she has no
truth baseline for him, but that she guesses he is lying at about
87%. Starfox says that he doesn’t have to listen to this and
asks Genis if he is going to tolerate the way he is being
treated. Rick says that he has seen Starfox in many different
moods, but that he has never seen him afraid. Marv says that
Starfox is going to tell him what is going on or he is on his own
in 2099. Starfox thinks for a second and then removes his collar.
Starfox says that the bottom line is that someone named Thanatos
effectively killed him with a weapon called the Spear of Destiny,
and that if he doesn’t deliver Marv to “virtual
unreality” at Alchemax that he is going to be one
“Uneternal Eternal”.
Legacy rating: 5 out of 10
This issue suffers a bit from the sophomore jinx. Unless you’re really attached to the 2099 universe chances are that most of this issue won’t mean much to you. I read the majority of the Spider-Man 2099 issues, but even I don’t really care that much. Batista does a pretty decent job, but I actually miss the pencils of Chriscross here. I have confidence that next issue will be much more interesting as the plot moves along and the Maestro is included.