Captain Marvel vol. 5 #33Captain Marvel vol. 5 #33
Title:"Soul Survivor”
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Chriscross
Inker: Rich Perotta
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Rick and Marlo lie naked on the sand in their Microverse paradise getaway. Marlo turns to Rick and says, “I’m sorry I didn’t… you know.” Rick says, “Finish?” Marlo says yes. Rick says that he is sorry too. Marlo asks if he is sorry that she didn’t or that he didn’t. Rick says that he is sorry about both. Marlo says that the important thing is that they had fun. She turns to Rick for confirmation, but Rick had gotten up and put his pants on. Rick says that he worked hard with Marv to put together this getaway so they could take it easy and enjoy each other. Marlo asks why if they are supposed to be taking it easy why they are putting so much pressure on themselves. Rick tells Marlo that he knows her and that she is a million miles away. Marlo swears that there isn’t anyone else. Rick looks puzzled and says that he hadn’t said that there was. Rick asks if Marlo was distracted because she was thinking about some other guy. Marlo says, “No. Definitely not.”
Lorraine and Moondragon stand outside watching them take Jackie Shorr away. Lorraine says that this has been a good day. She thanks Moondragon for her help. Moondragon says that she doesn’t know what she means. Lorraine says that she made it seem like she had gone “all poltergeist” by tossing things around. She says that was great. She says that it wasn’t so great when she used her power to cushion Jackie’s fall. Moondragon says that she wasn’t going to let her just die, but that she didn’t feel obligated to make her continued existence more comfortable. She says that sometimes life can be a more severe punishment than death.
Magus floats over Steck. He says that his enemies had subjected him to a life that was like death. He says that his discorporated soul had been trapped in the Soul Gem of Adam Warlock. Magus asks Steck if she knows him. When Steck doesn’t say anything he tells her that the question wasn’t rhetorical. Steck quietly mumbles, “Don’t… don’t kill me… please.” Magus says that now it is speaking, but that it does not respond. Magus says that she averts her eyes and trembles. He asks her why she does this. Steck starts to mumble sgain, but Magus shouts, “Why?” at her again. She says that it is because she knows who he is. Magus asks who that is exactly. Steck says that he is the “Lurky Man”. She says the way she did when she was a child, “Look away, look in fright, the Lurky Man is coming tonight.” Magus stops for a second and the riotously bursts into laughter. He says, “You people kill me. You really do.”
Marv walks the night streets with Glib and
Zoog. Glib says that he still doesn’t like being out on the
streets at night like this. Zoog says that Glib has a point and
asks why they can’t just wait until morning. Marv says that
the more time they waste the less chance they have of finding
Steck. Glib tells Marv again that Steck is as good as dead. Marv
grabs Glib’s shirt and slams him against the wall. He says,
“You will stop saying that! Now!” He asks how Glib can
stand by and not care. Glib reminds Marv that he knew him before
and that he has pulled him out of too many gutters and cleaned up
too many of his messes to take crap from him now. The police
shine a spotlight on the three of them and inform them that they
are violating curfew. They tell them to put their hands in the
air or they “will be rendered less alive than you are at
present!” Constable Pryo, from the vehicle, orders them to
state their names and business for being out so late. Zoog says
that she is a waitress at the Grog and Grub. Glib says that he
owns the Grog and Grub. Captain Marvel identifies himself and
says that he was looking for someone with authority so he could
help them with their serial killer problem. Pryo asks if he is
kidding him. Marv says that he is Captain Marvel. Pryo says that
he thought that Captain Marvel was taller and deader. Marv says
that he is Captain Marvel’s son, Genis-Vell. Pryo enters
Genis’ name and says that he has quite the record. Pryo
starts reading, “Drunk and disorderly. More public
drunkenness. Stim abuse. Non-payment of rent.” Pryo asks
Marv if he knows that his possessions were confiscated by the
state. Genis says that he suspected. Pryo asks if this is
Genis’ latest con pretending to be his father the hero. Marv
says that he is a hero. Pryo asks if he knows how ridiculous that
sounds. Marv says, “Every day of my life. Now do you want my
help or not?” Pryo tells Marv not to make him laugh. Marv
asks him if dead bodies piling up and people fleeing the city
make him laugh too. He says that he didn’t know Pryo’s
investigation was going so well that he could turn down his offer
for help. Pryo asks what he thinks he can do. 
Marv says,
“I want to see the bodies.”
Back in “paradise”, Rick is swimming. Marlo tells Rick not to act like this. Rick says that he isn’t acting like anything. Marlo says that he is pouting because he came up with this vacation idea and she is swooning into his arms. She says that he can’t switch her on and off like a light. Rick says that she is right and that this was a stupid idea. Marlo says, “I didn’t say it was a… aw, Riiiick…” Marv appears to Rick and asks how it is going. Rick sarcastically says that it is “swell”. Marv asks what the problem is. Rick says that it is Marlo or that it might be him. Marv says that since they are the only two people there that it’s pretty much limited. Rick says that Marlo just seems confused like she doesn’t know what she wants. Marv asks Rick what he wants. Rick says that he wants her. Marv asks what he wants beyond that. Rick says, “How should I know?” Marv says that if Rick doesn’t know who will.
Marlo floats in the water alone. Lorraine appears above her and asks Marlo if she told Rick yet. Marlo is stunned and slips underwater. When she surfaces she asks Lorraine how she got to the Microverse. Lorraine says that wherever Marlo goes she can go, and that this time it is just the two of them without “chrome dome” to run interference. Lorraine asks what the deal is with the two of them. Marlo says that there is no deal. Lorraine says that first Marlo faked it with Rick and now she and Moondragon were “totally K.D. Langing”. Marlo says that it was just a friendly embrace. Lorraine says that movies with scenes that friendly get an “R” rating. Lorraine walks on the water as Marlo moves towards the shore. Marlo says that she is just going through some confusion. Lorraine says that she didn’t look confused with “Moonface” and that she looked more sure of that than she has in ages. Marlo says, “Oh, and you would know.” Lorraine explains that she is a ghost and that ghosts don’t have hidden agendas. Marlo says that she realized during the time that she “died” that all of her life she has been attracted to things that weren’t good for her… dangerous things. She says that she is wondering if that is what drew her to Rick in the first place. Lorraine says that she thought they broke up over that. Marlo says that they got back together the way an alcoholic goes back to booze. She says that maybe she was drawn to Rick’s life more than she was to him, but says that she doesn’t know what to think. Lorraine tells Marlo that someone will tell her what to think soon. Marlo says that she can always count on Lorraine. A pair of eyes watch the nude Marlo emerge from the water.
Rick asks Marv if he has been getting any action when he looks and sees all the bodies of the dead people Marv is seeing. Marv says that he has been getting action, but that it is not the type that he was expecting. Rick asks what happened to the woman. Marv says that he is going to find that out. Pryo asks Marv if he is talking to him. Marv starts to explain, but decides to just say that it is a long story. Pryo shows Marv the remains of the first victim of the “Lurky Man”. Marv asks what that means. Pryo says that it is from a childish nursery rhyme and that reporters feel like they have to call him something for their broadcasts. He says that “murderer” isn’t sufficient apparently. Pryo tells Marv that there are eleven more victims since her. Marv tells Pryo to open the container holding her body. Pryo says that if he is planning to kiss her to wake her up to let him know so he can be elsewhere. Marv says that isn’t it. He asks if he is planning to rip her head off and let the information spill out. Marv says that it is something like that. He holds the woman’s head and she begins to glow. Marv says that there is a much finer line between living and dead than they might think. He says that she is still part of the cosmos and so he still has access to her. Rick asks Marv what he is doing. Marv tells Rick to be quiet. He says that he has been spending months on his turf and that now they are on his turf. Marv says that he is more advanced than either Rick or Moondragon realized. Marv tells Reva that he wants to talk to her. Pryo says that he insists that he stop this when “Reva” sits up. Reva starts screaming.
On another plane, Marv watches Reva running away. Suddenly she is snatched up by something dark and terrifying. Reva begs for her body and soul. She says to spare her for the sake of her mate and child. Two smokey hands grab Reva and leave her the husk that she has become. Suddenly Magus turns to Marv’s vision and says, “Hello, Genis-Vell. My, my. It’s been a while. So you’re cosmically aware now, are you? How nice for you. You know, of course, that to one such, time doesn’t necessarily occur in proper linear fashion. Then again, it never does. “Time” is a mere reference point for those who try to control and understand things which they, in fact, can neither control nor understand. So we’re really having this conversation before you get here. Except it’s not really a conversation, is it? More of a dramatic monologue. Very well. I’ll try to be sufficiently dramatic. I have something you want, Genis-Vell. Or rather… I will. And by now I do. Amazing how things fold back on themselves, isn’t it? What goes around, comes around, and around again.” Magus grabs Steck’s face and says, “If you’re cosmically aware, then you are aware of what I will do to her. Come to me, Genis-Vell. Come alone. Bring company… she dies. As will your company. And by the way… love the new look.” Magus laughs as the vision fades.
Reva’s withered corpse falls back into it’s tube. Marv says that “he” is in the pits. Zoog asks if he means the old below-city power generator that were permanently shut down once fusic energy came in. Marv says that is it exactly and that he has Steck. Marv says that he is going down there to find him. Zoog says that they are going along. Marv says that if they come that they will die. Glib says that they are staying there. Pryo says that this is an official matter and that he can’t let him. Marv says that Pryo can’t stop him. Pryo asks who this “him”is that he is going after. Marv says that it is the Magus, the evil future self of Adam Warlock.
As Marv flies, Rick says that Marv has an evil future self named Fredd, he has an evil future self named Thanatos, and that the Maestro is the Hulk’s future evil self. He wonders if they can get a discount on group therapy. Rick wonders if there are any villains that have future nice selves. Marv tells Rick that he has grown very fond of him, but that for once he should shut up. Marv flies into the pits. He calls out to Magus and says that if he has hurt Steck that he will kill him. Magus floats as a mist around Marv and says that it has been tried. Marv says that he will do it again and again no matter how many times it takes. Magus says that he is sure that he would try and that Warlock was the last one that attempted it. Magus says that Warlock absorbed him into his Soul Gem, but that for a time Warlock lost the Soul Gem to a “power-sucker anmed Syphonn”. He says that before Warlock regained the gem that he had escaped. Marv tries to blast Magus, but Magus’ smiokey form just moves around the blast. He asks if that was polite and then continues talking. He says that Warlock reduced him to less than a shadow of himself, but that it was that shadow that escaped. He says that before he escaped he learned from Syphonn and the Soul Gem about absorbing power, energy… and souls. Magus says that he learned the art of taking ephemeral energy and turning it into the physical. Magus says that he knew that it would take dozens, maybe even hundreds, of vicitims. Marv says that he only has eleven and that he will stop him. Magus says that they only know about eleven. Magus illuminates the pits and reveals hundreds of dead bodies all over the place. He says that in a city where people are always coming and going how few of them are actually missed. He says that he has run out of room for his victims recently and that he has just been leaving them. He says that his re-creation is much closer than Marv might think. Rick shouts for Marv to get out of there. Marv says, “Lights out, Genis-Vell… once and for all…” The lights go outand Rick shouts for Marv to get out of there now.
Legacy rating: 8 out of 10
Enjoyed PAD’s explanation of Magus’ escape and his current plan to restore himself to the land of living. The hot lesbian action is creating a rift between Marlo and Rick and that doesn’t really appeal to me. I also enjoyed the expansive scope of Captain Marvel’s cosmic awareness. Nice to see Chriscross back on the book, but I have to say that I just hate his version of the Magus… especially after seeing Califore’s rendition.