Captain Marvel vol. 5 #29Captain Marvel vol. 5 #29
Title:"Time Flies part 3: Future Shares”
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: ChrisCross
Inker: Anibal Rodriguez
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Thanatos tells Tyler Stone to keep his men back unless he wants to deal with multiple corpses. Tyler Stone tells his men to stay back and that they shouldn’t try and shoot Mr. Thanatos. Thanatos says that is a good attitude to have particularly because their weapons wouldn’t hurt him at all. Stone asks Thanatos what his plan is and how much time he is going to waste. Thanatos says, Time?” and starts laughing boisterously. Tyler Stone’s scientist says that it is nice to see someone who enjoys his work. Tyler smacks him on the back of the head.
Rick Jones’ apparition says that it looks like the hole in Starfox’s neck hurt. Starfox says that Marv wanted to know the truth and so he has told him. Starfox says that Thanatos has effectively killed him with a weapon called the Spear of Destiny. He says that he has to bring him to “a place called ‘virtual unreality’ at some other place called Alchemax or you can kiss old Starfox good-bye. Not in the literal sense, of course.” Miguel looks at the hole in Starfox’s neck and says that it looks like molecular stew. Starfox says that as he understands it they are called chronoparticles that were put on the Spear of Destiny and inserted into his neck. He says that they keep his injury “temporally inert”. Starfox says that he would have returned to Titan to get cured, but Thanatos told him that the particles would dissipate if he went anywhere but Earth. Starfox says that he might have been bluffing, but he didn’t think that he should call him on it. Starfox says that now they know. Rick says, “We know? We know jack!” Marv repeats, “We know Jack.” Starfox says, “We do?” Marv says, “Apparently, yes.” Starfox asks who Jack is. Marv says that he doesn’t know. Starfox asks why Marv is bringing up this Jack person then. Rick says that he meant that they don’t really know anything. Marv repeats, “What we… that is, I… was trying to say is that we really don’t know anything.” Miguel says that it is refreshing to someone so proud of his ignorance. Miguel tells Gabri to wait here. He says that he can see where this is going, and that he might as well be ready for it. Marv says that he wants to know who Thanatos is. Starfox says that all he knows is that he is a madman with a spear. As he is getting changed into his Spider-Man suit, Miguel says, “He claims to have existed at a time when all the lights of the heroic age were extinguished. Supposedly he was “discorporated” in the final fight, and floated around helpless, until energy from the beginnings of the virtual unreality project at Alchemax somehow strengthened him.” Marv asks what this virtual unreality is. Miguel says that it is a gateway to various realities, including his. Miguel says that he claims that it is his “place of power”. Marv asks him how he knows all this. Spider-Man says that it is because he got dragged in there with him and he was nearly killed. Gabri says that getting involved with him again is nuts. Spider-Man says that he knows and tells him “welcome to my world”. Marv tells Gabri to be proud of his brother because he is doing these things because he is heroic and because he is striving to reach a greater ideal of behavior. Spider-Man says that he is doing it because he is an idiot. He tells “Red” to do that trick where he takes the window out with his brain. Starfox does so and he, Marv, and Spider-Man leap out the window. Spider-Man says that he will take him to Alchemax.
Back at Golden Orange Comics, Al comes into the bathroom and says that he hates to pull her away from “potty duty”. He stops talking when he walks into the room and sees Marlo watching the toilet with a baseball bat. He asks her what she is doing. Marlo says that because she can’t tape down the toilet in case Marv and Starfox need to her out so she wants to be there in case something nasty pops its head out. Al asks if she means a rat. Marlo says, “A rat. Yeah. Or Mephisto. Gotta be prepared for anything.” Al says that the UPS guy is here with the new comics and that she usually likes to sign for those. Marlo hands Al the bat and says that if anything that doesn’t have a starry face comes out to let the bat fly. Al says, “Y’know… Bill Liebowitz’s employees only have to sell comic books. They don’t have to play whack-a-mole with a toilet”. Marlo says, “See what they’re missing out on?” Al says that he thinks that he is starting to forget what a normal day looks like. Lorraine’s ghost says that he gets no sympathy from her because she is a ghost that only Marlo can see. Marlo tells the UPS guy that this is a light load this week. Paul says that he prefers it this way. As Marlo wheels the shipment into the store she starts talking to herself about the unsold inventory. She says that she has too much backstock and that if she doesn’t find some way to move it out that when it comes to future orders there is going to have to be some drastic slashing around here. Jackie Shorr walks through the back door with a large knife in her hand.
Marv asks what happens when they reach Alchemax. Starfox says that he doesn’t really know. He says that after he had the spear shoved through his throat he wasn’t in the position to argue. Rick asks Marv if he said that the spear was the Spear of Destiny. Marv asks if Rick has heard of it. Rick says that it is a major artifact of power. He says that supposedly it was used by a Roman soldier to stab Jesus to the cross. Marv asks who Jesus is. Rick says to make a long story short he was a “nice Jewish boy who went into his father’s business”. Rick says that the thing about the spear is that its power is supposedly limitless. He says that Hitler believed if he could get it that he would triumph over the allies. Marv says, “Adolf Hitler? Leader of the Nazis?” Rick is surprised that Marv knows who Hitler is, but Marv says that Rick watches ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ everytime it is on cable so of course he knows who Hitler is. Spider-Man warns them that opposition is coming. Starfox says that he doesn’t see anyone. Spider-Man says that he will and that they are Situation Emergency Gear, or SIEGE for short.
The SIEGE guys identify Starfox as the one who is exuding the particles they are looking for. They say that the ancillary targets are disposable. They let loose missiles that go after Marv and Spider-Man. Starfox says that he thinks that they can “safely surmise who they’re interested in”. Spider-Man starts formulating a plan to get rid of the missiles, but Marv just blows them out of the air. The SIEGE concentrates all their fire on Marv. Starfox says that they don’t have time for this. Spider-Man spins webbing over one of the SIEGE guy’s head. He leaps onto this back and says that he doesn’t know if his webbing is strong enough to let him snap his neck, but that it might be interesting to find out. While they are all fighting Starfox starts screaming in pain. He tells someone to help him. He says that whatever Thanatos has done to him he can’t hold it together much longer. Suddenly Starfox vanishes as Doctor Doom’s time machine passes over him. Rick says that he would know Doom’s time machine anywhere. Marv asks where it has taken Starfox. Rick says, “Who am I, Rip Hunter? How the hell should I know?” Spider-Man says that he figures that Thanatos got tired of waiting for Starfox. He says that they should head to Alchemax. The SIEGE guy says that their orders were to capture them and bring them to Alchemax. He says that they could have avoided the fight if they had just spoken up. Rick sits in the Microverse and says that it is a hundred years in the future and that the two big advancements are Spider-Man and gratuitous fights. He says that it is nice to see how much they advance. Rick gets an idea and tells Marv to ask Spider-Man if he knows if the Red Sox win the World Series in the first year in the 21st century. He says that it is kind of “Back to the Future II”, but that he could make a fortune. Marv asks Spider-Man if the Red Sox have won a World Series this century. Spider-Man says no. Rick and Marv ask about the Cubs. Spider-Man says no again. Rick says, “D’oh!”
Starfox finds himself in Alchemax. Thanatos
says that was a successful test of the platform, but that it is
“still very limited in its abilities. The damage it suffered
in the Eon War was rather devastating.” Stone asks what that
is. Thanatos says. “The Eon War. The massive temporal
conflict which brought an end to what you call the first heroic
age. But history includes none of the details, because the war
erased all records of itself after it occurred. It was the
Chinese food of war. Half an hour later it was as if there
hadn’t been there at all.” 
Suddenly the
wall blows down and Spider-Man and Marv walk in. Tyler Stone says
that this is old home week. Stone asks if they have seen his
SIEGE officers. Spider-Man says that they are hanging around as
they are suspended in the air behind him wrapped in webbing. Marv
asks Starfox if he is all right. Starfox says that for the moment
he is fine. He says that Thanatos was just telling them about the
Eon War that no one remembers. Rick Jones says, “Hunh,
sounds like the Chinese food of war. Half an hour later, it was
like there hadn’t been a war at all.” Marv stands
before Thanatos and says, “So… you’re
Thanatos.” Thanatos says, “And you’re Captain
Marvel. The latest in the series. Collect them all, and trade
them with your friends… provided any of your friends are
alive. Mine are all dead, but I’m going to do something
about that.” Spider-Man and Marv both want to know what he
is talking about. Rick sits in the Microverse and says, “Oh,
like he’s gonna tell you guys now! The villain always waits
until the heroes are somehow trapped, and then he spills his
guts! No way is he going to tell y…” Thanatos says,
“You know what? Just to be different… I’ll fill
you in earlier than I really should. After all, we’re all
advanced thinkers in 2099, correct? Next year will, after all,
start the 22nd century…” Tyler and
Spider-Man start having an argument about when the new century
really starts. Rick is throwing a fit in the Microverse asking if
they have to have this stupid argument every century. Thanatos
interrupts and says that as interesting as the argument is that
destiny calls. Thanatos opens virtual unreality. Stone tells
everyone to get out. Starfox is sucked in and Marv goes after
him. Spider-Man manages to hold onto the ground and says that he
isn’t going through this again. Thanatos says that he can
die here if he wishes. Thanatos blasts the ground and Spider-Man
lets go and is sucked in as well. Thanatos says goodbye to 2099
and greets his old home.
Thanatos says that this is innerspace. It is the crossroads where all things are happening at once. He says, “That, Rick Jones, is how you are keeping communication with Captain Marvel, even from the heart of the Microverse! Our crossroads to altered realities are through the nexus where all is possible! But even though my stay here has made me master of innerspace… it is reality itself that I want to reorder! Doctor Doom’s time machine is one of the keys to that desire! And the other keys are to be found…”
Marv and
Spider-Man find themselves in a plush regal-looking bedroom. Marv
says that he thinks that they time traveled again. He asks
Spider-Man if he has ever done it before. Spider-Man says that
once he met the original Spider-Man and wound up in bed with his
wife. Suddenly Marv and Spider-Man turn their heads to see
Maestro, three of his consorts and the Minister standing before
them. Maestro says, “Well, well, well… I don’t
remember inviting any guests. Do you Minister?” Minister
says, “No, Maestro. I most certainly do not.”
Rick Jones suddenly finds himself
transported. He says that he was in the Microverse and asks how
he got there. Thanatos says, “You are in a reality wherein
you and Captain Marvel were never molecularly bonded. So you are
able to coexist with him.” Rick asks Thanatos how he knows
about that and what he has done with Marv. Thanatos says that he
arranged for Marv to be elsewhere so that “we three could
have this moment alone.” Rick asks what three he means.
Thanatos says, “We three kings. Through there, Rick.
Don’t worry. It won’t bite.” Thanatos points down
the hall to a doorway. Rick walks through the door and sees
Rick’s trophy room from the Future Imperfect era. Rick says,
“What… the… f…” Elderly Rick Jones comes
forth in his wheelchair. He says, “Flark. They say
‘flark’ now when they’re really upset. I suppose I
should be really surprised to see a younger version of myself
waltz in here. But nothin’ surprises me anymore, I just roll
with it. Get it? Roll with it?” Rick says, “Aw man, I
don’t believe this! I just get done with being a senior
citizen… and now I see myself looking like I should be
hosting a cable horror 
anthology!
What’s next, for cryin’ out loud? I become a
super-villain? Thanatos says, “Well… since you
asked…” Thanatos removes his helmet to reveal that he
is Rick Jones. He has some gray hair at his temples and a scar
running down under his right eye. He says, “So…
dude… while we wait for the final key so that I can reshape
the world, make sure I never create the Hulk, and take over the
galaxy during the Kree-Skrull war… do you have any beer
around here?”
Legacy rating: 9 out of 10
Well Peter David did it again. I’ll have to admit that after last issue I had my doubts as to how in the world he was going to make me care at all about what was happening. I didn’t see it coming at all, but then I guess that is what makes him so good. The Marlo subplot is dragging just a little bit, but I am curious to see what happens so it’s holding me. The revelation that Thanatos is really Rick Jones just blows me away and leaves me stunned. ChrisCross still looks good, but I’ll admit that in the SIEGE/Marv fight I was a little confused by the action. His Maestro is also not very impressive, but he does a very good job overall.
