Synopsis / Summary / Plot
The unbeliever heroes have landed (in Infinity Crusade #5) on Paradise Omega in pairs in escape pods from the 2 quinjets Thor destroyed (in IC#4). Moondragon has sent groups of believer heroes out to stop them from reaching the Citadel of the Goddess.
We open with unbelievers Guardian and Wolverine fighting Daredevil and Living Lightning. Heather Hudson thinks to herself that her blast defeated Daredevil because Logan's senses warned her of his attack (as seen in IC#5). But she checks that he's only stunned and then stops Wolvie from gutting LL with his claws. She leaves him to deal with the entranced hero more gently and flies off towards the Citadel.
In another battle glimpsed in IC#5 Dr Strange and Shaman have Strong Guy trapped in a mystic bubble. DrS leaves and now we are reminded (as we learned in #125) that Shaman has only been pretending to believe in Goddess' Crusade to bring peace to the universe. He knows that higher powers exist in the universe but long ago lost any faith in their wisdom. Just then Guido's ability to absorb power used against him allows him to break free of the bubble. He launches an attack but Shaman freezes him in mystic ice.
Michael Twoyoungmen has figured out a spell which will break Goddess' hold on the believers but he hesitates to use it. 1 of them is his daughter Talisman but he knows that Elizabeth's power depends on the strength of her faith (in general) and she might lose it. His spirit leaves his body intending to check out other Alphans' self-confidence but before he can go he's attacked by Guardian and Wolverine with Wonder Man coming to his aid (another tussle seen in IC#5). He pauses to allow himself to be easily beaten by Logan, but Heather has a harder time with Simon Williams.
Shaman's spirit leaves anyway and looks in on Sasquatch fighting She-Hulk. He remembers how Walter Langkowski survives his transformations into the beast by his faith (in science and the Jewish religion). He sees Aurora battling Speedball and recalls that she has no religion while her alter ego Jeanne Marie does but their faith in each other is strong. While watching Puck and Spider-Man fight Firestar and Thing he notes that Puck's dwarfism means that he's in constant pain but it doesn't dilute his heroism. When Windshear fights Vision Shaman detects that Colin Hume has freed himself from Goddess' influence (see the backup story in #124) and is passively resisting her by allowing himself to be defeated. These examples steel Michael to do what he must.
Back at the main fight Guardian manages to fight back against the superior foe Wonder Man. But it's all for naught as Goddess makes the Sun go nova consuming believers and unbelievers alike (as seen at the end of IC#5).
But then after a period of sweet oblivion the Alphans (and everyone else) find themselves alive again, and Michael is reunited with daughter Elizabeth.
Story 2:- Blind fury (featuring Wildheart)
Penciller Keith Pollard. Inker Mark McKenna.
During the multi-battle 2 unbelievers meet up, but Wolverine attacks Wildheart. Kyle Gibney tries to get Logan to explain why, but eventually fights back, organic claws against adamantium ones. We are privy to Wolvie's memory of finding Storm unmistakably killed by Wildheart's claws. And now he shouts that he should never have believed in Gibney's rehabilitation.
They both remember back to when (in the 1992 Alpha Flight Special) Kyle as Wild Child was part of the original Department H. 1 day during a training session he slashed the face of fellow-trainee Stitch. James Hudson had to prevent Wolverine from 'putting him down', reminding him how Logan had needed 'taming'. But Kyle figured then that if he was going to be seen as a monster then that's what he'd be, and he went on to be a villain until his current stint in Alpha Flight.
Now Wildheart figures something must have set Wolverine off and he uses his senses to follow Logan's trail backwards, with the other guy chasing after him. Eventually they reach the spot where Wolvie saw Storm's body, and Logan can see and smell that the body had never been there. He realises that Moondragon has messed with his head and he apologises to Wildheart. But Gibney requires no apology because these days he's secure in his identity.