Captain Marvel vol. 5 #35Captain Marvel vol. 5 #35
Title:"The Short Goodbye”
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Patrick Zircher
Inker: Rich Perotta with Scott Hanna
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Rick asks Marv how the rescuing is going. Marv says that it isn’t going as well as he had hoped. He says that the metal that the doors are made of is laughing off his photonic blasts. Moondragon tells Marv to think of something else and that he longer Marlo is captive the more chance there is of something horrible happening to her. Rick says that it isn’t like Moondragon cares about Marlo or anyone else besides herself. Moondragon says that she cared enough to tell him not to do this in the first place. Marv says that his head is going to explode listening to them. Suddenly Marv realizes something. Rick and Moondragon soon realize it as well. Marv avoids the unbreakable doors and simply burrows into the ground around the doors. Moondragon warns Marv to be careful that the doors isn’t really atop a great cylinder. Marv doesn’t hear Moondragon in time and rams head first into the wall. Rick says that is going to leave a mark.
Three yellow monkeys drag Marlo along as she tries to warn them that she knows important people that will kick their butts. Marlo realizes that the monkeys don’t understand a word that she is saying. Marlo arrives in a room to witness dozens of the creatures all hooked up to a large machine. Marlo tells them to let her go and says that she is not a brave person. The creatures begin tearing Marlo’s clothes off. Marlo is down to a thong when she covers her breasts. The creatures start painting symbols on her flesh. Marlo says that this is unacceptable. Lorraine appears and says that Marlo makes friends everywhere. Marlo tells Lorraine to help Captain Marvel get down there. Lorraine says that this is a new look for Marlo. Marlo says that this isn’t funny and that they are invading her personal space and that the paint they are using is drippy.
Rick asks Marv what he is doing as Marv
seems to be concentrating. Marv says that since using his power
outward isn’t working that he is going to turn it inward and
boost his strength. Rick asks if that will help. Marv says that
it couldn’t hurt. He says that is unless he fails to use it
in time in which case he might go nova. Moondragon asks if he is
certain of what he is doing. 
Marv says,
“Of the method? No. Of the end result… I…
never… doubted it!” Marv rips the doors open. Rick
compliments Marv and tells him to go down and save Marlo now.
Marv says that Rick has been helping him learn about
“heroing”, but that going down to rescue Marlo he
didn’t have to tell him. Marv flies down the hole.
Back at Marlo’s apartment, Moondragon tells Lorraine that Genis has gotten in. She tells Lorraine to go and tell Marlo that help is on the way. Lorraine says, “Oh, aye aye, Captain Picard. Although they probably have Marlo completely painted by now.” Maoondragon asks what she is talking about. Lorraine says that they ripped off Marlo’s clothes and started painting her. She says that it is a shame that Moondragon didn’t see it. Moondragon asks why should would want to see that. Lorraine asks, “C’mon, Heather. What was it? A one-time impulse? A suppressed desire? Somethiung you’ve always known and hidden, or something you never admitted to until now? So what’s the Avengers’ stand on ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’?” Moondragon tells Lorraine that she is fortunate that she is already dead.
Rick and Marlo enter Steck’s apartment. Rick compliments the place, but Steck says that he must be kidding. Steck offers him a seat and a drink. Rick accepts and a chair rises out of the ground. Steck asks how Genis is doing on his rescue mission. Rick says that Marlo is as good as saved. Rick asks Steck if she and Marv are friends. Steck says that they weren’t really close as friends, but that they are more like “copulation buddies”. Steck says that the place is only one room and asks Rick if it will offend him that she changes out of her sweaty clothes. Rick tells her to make herself at home since it is her home. Rick asks where she and Marv met while Steck strips. Steck says that she tripped over him while he was sleeping off a bender in the gutter one night. Rick says that he never suspected that Marv was a party animal. Rick turns and stunned says, “Whoa! What’s that doing there?” Steck, now in her, or his, male form says, “That… what? The male sex organ?” Rick asks if Marv knows. Steck says that of course he does. Rick says, “i… I didn’t think he was… I mean… y’know… not that there’s anything wrong with that…” Steck tells Rick to calm down and that he just changed into his male form because Rick was an unfamiliar male. Steck asks if Rick has a problem with naked men. Rick says, “Only when they point and stare.” Steck asks Rick if he finds that odd. Rick tries to play it off, but says that it is a little weird. Steck says that his people feel that one should appreciate others for their insides and not their outsides. Rick agrees and Steck asks Rick if he could love someone based only on their soul. Rick says that would explain his crush on James Brown.
Rick asks Marv if he is almost done saving Marlo. Marv asks Rick if he is weirded out by Steck. Rick says that she is one of the girls that is one of the guys. He says that it has sitcom written all over it. Moondragon says, “Captain Marvel! What is your status?” Marv says that she must really be concerned to actually remember his preferred title. Marv tells them both to shut up and let him do what he came to do. Marv flies towards a light up ahead. The creatures that are all hooked into the machine seem to be feeding off Marlo. Marlo is hooked into the machine, completely nude, and her memories are being pictured on a large screen. The scene playing is when the “punk” Marlo was joyriding with her green mohawked boyfriend on the motorcycle. Rick tells Marv to get Marlo out of there. Marv says that he doesn’t want to yet. He says that he doesn’t know what the device is doing to Marlo and that he doesn’t want to leave her an empty shell. Rick tells Marv to do something. Marv says that he concerned with the welfare of captors. The scene is now that of Marlo on a beach. Marv takes his hand and places it on the creature’s face. He then uses his cosmic awareness to figure out what is happening. Marv says that there was a scientist that created these creatures to be soldiers, but that he died just as the project was completed. Marv says that was many years ago and that these are what the creatures devolved into. Lorraine tries to tell Marlo that Marv is trying to get her out, but Marlo seems completely out of it. Marv tells Rick that the creatures derive sustenance from pleasurable energies. The scene on the screen is now of Rick and Marlo’s wedding day. Marv starts speculating about endorphins, but Rick cuts him off and asks if he can get Marlo out of there or not. Suddenly Rick is stunned as Marv looks at the screen. Lorraine looks and says that this isn’t good.
Lorraine appears to Moondragon and asks “Kojak” if she is monitoring the Microverse right now. Moondragon says that she is respecting Marv’s wish. Lorraine asks if Rick can see the same things that Marv sees. Moondragon says that he can, and Lorraine tells Moony to get down there. Moondragon asks what she means, but Lorraine just tells her, “Lucy, it looks like you’re gonna have some ‘splainin’ to do. Moondragon says that her name is not Picard, Kojak, or Lucy. She starts to say what her name is, but when her mental self arrives in the Microverse she sees the screen and says that her name is mud. Marv asks Heather is she has any comments. Marv says that for once Moondragon is speechless. Rick asks Marv if there is any reason that he can’t get Marlo out of there. Marv says that he can get her out and Rick tells him to do it. Marv says that this may not be what it seems. Rick says that it is exactly what it seems.
Steck asks Rick if he is all right and that it seems that all the blood has left his face. Rick dejectedly says that he is fine. He says that Marv took care of business, that Marlo is fine, and that all is right in the world. As Marv is rescuing Marlo, Rick explains to Steck that heroes save people and triumph over obstacles. He says that friends and family are always the casualities. He says that relationships fall apart and that loved ones become targets for bad guys. Rick says that there should be a support group for family of superheroes the way they have them for family of alcoholics. He says that with both you get a high from them and that it makes you want more. He says that pretty soon it takes over your whole life and that sooner or later it kills them. Rick says that there are two kinds of heroes: those that die horribly and those that haven’t died yet. Rick says that everyone else just gets caught in the fallout. Rick asks Steck if she has anything to drink.
Marv drinks Steck’s drink and asks if she is sure that it is non-alcoholic. Steck says that it is and says that she doesn’t know if she should be proud of him, wistful, or what. Marv tells her to settle for ‘what’. Marv says that Rick is ready to talk to his wife. Steck says that it is about time and that it has been hours since he brought her back there. She says that she thought that he was just going to brood in the Microverse forever. Steck gives Marv his “Kiss Me I’m Kree” patch back and Marv says that he was wondering where it went. She says that he left it there the last time he forgot his pants there. Steck tells Marv to not forget who he is. Marv asks if it is the kind of thing that she thinks that he is liable to do. Steck says that she gets these dreams sometimes, but that she is probably just being paranoid. She says that his friend should speak to his wife.
Up on the rooftop, Rick walks out to find Marlo and Moondragon there. Rick says that she made good time. Moondragon says that she has her resources. Marlo says that she knows that Rick probably hates her. Moondragon says that he doesn’t hate her, which doesn’t surprise her, and that he doesn’t hate her either, which does surprise her. Rick says that mind-reading saves time. Rick says that he isn’t stupid. He says that he knew there was something wrong and that now he knows what it was. He says that he wants to know two things. He asks if it was wrong for their whole marriage. Marlo says that it wasn’t at all. Rick asks her if she loves him. Marlo says that she will always love him. Rick says that he senses a ‘but’ coming. Marlo says that she can’t deny feeling something powerful with Heather. She says that he doesn’t think that she is gay. Rick says that she just “feels drawn to her soul?” Marlo says that is it exactly and that she knows that it sounds weird. Rick says that he has heard weirder. Rick asks Moondragon and to respond without the attitude for once. Moondragon says that she has always held herself aloof from love for so long and never allowed herself to be guided by impulses or lower her guard. She says that love requires both. Moondragon says that then she touched Marlo’s heart, literally and figuratively. Rick says that he gets the point. Rick tells Marlo to do what she has to do, and that he will be waiting for her… maybe. Rick bangs his bands and Captain Marvel flies away.
Marv tells Rick that he handled that very well. Rick says that there is a saying, “If you love something… let it go. If it comes back to you, it’s yours forever.” Marv says that he has seen the saying on t-shirts and finishes, “And if it doesn’t come back, hunt it down and kill it.” Rick says that part isn’t really part of the saying. Marv says that is too bad since it is the only part that ever made sense to him.
Legacy rating: 7.5 out of 10
This is the last issue of the series so I understand that it had to have something “big” happening in it. A finality if you will, but I still just don’t like Marlo and Rick breaking up. The writing was still well done and with feeling. 4 out of 5 for writing. I have to say that Zircher was a disappoinment this issue. Perhaps it was the inker, but even the layouts seemed lacking to me. Certain pictures showed that Zircher flair that I have come to know, but for the most part I was disappointed with the presentation.