Avengers #293: Review

Jul 1988

Walt Simonson, Tom Palmer

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Story Name:

And Flights of Angels

Review & Comments

Rating:

Avengers #293 Review by T Vernon (May 11, 2024)

Rob: I forgot to set T as author of the synopsis.

Comments: Part three of three parts. The title comes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest,” Horatio’s final tribute to the dead Hamlet. The curse of the Ebony Blade falls on Black Knight, more on that later. Not sure where Marrina returns as Marvel Database and the Marvel Chronology Project are not very clear but she is involved in ALPHA FLIGHT (2011). So far as I know, the children of Marrina are never heard from again. The letters page includes one by noted letterhack/future comics journalist Charles S. Novinskie.

Review: Well, that was a surprise, killing Marrina when all of the hints were there that she would be cured. And now something really bad is about to happen to Black Knight. And something bad may already have happened to Captain Marvel. And the obnoxious Dr. Druid looks to be the new Avengers honcho. And to top it off, there’s an awful lot of Kang/time travel mishigas in the offering. Sometimes it doesn’t pay to get out of bed.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Avengers #293 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

The Sub-Mariner’s bride Marrina, now transformed into the monstrous Leviathan, is attacking Atlantis. The defenders put up a valiant fight but it is no use. She destroys the city and swims off. Namor arrives, too late to aid the devastated city. It is at this point that Namor decides that the only recourse is for Marrina to die so that others may live….

And now it is revealed that Doctor Druid, wielding his great psychic powers, lured Leviathan to Atlantis to attack it, thus leading Namor to desire the death of his wife. He also worries over his visions of impending disaster on a world-wide scale as he rejoins his fellow Avengers. They are speaking with Dr. Hank Pym over video; Pym has sent four needles within harpoonlike devices, each containing a dose of viral recombinant DNA suppressor; they are dangerous but may cure Marrina. Black Knight devises a bazooka-like weapon to deliver the harpoons. Namor arrives, giving his word to help them find Marrina….

The Avengers (Captain Marvel, Black Knight, She-Hulk, Thor, Dr. Druid, Namor) fly a Quinjet over the ocean searching for Leviathan. CM uses her own method of quickly covering the ocean’s surface. They locate her attacking a ship. BK and Shulkie ride out on the Atomic Horse. BK fires a harpoon but it fails to penetrate her armored hide. A second one is aimed at her underside but she twists in the air and it again hits her protected head. Thor flies down and hits the Leviathan with Mjolnir, stunning her so that the next harpoon will hit her underbelly—but again, her hide is too strong to penetrate. There is only one harpoon left and BK thinks to fire it into her open mouth and succeeds. Soon, the chemical takes effect and she regains her original form; Namor sweeps her up in his arms and carries her away….

The new Kang is granted membership in the Council of Cross-Time Kangs. He is briefed by Kang-Nebula who mentions the need to take a personal name. Kang chooses “Fred” as in “Flintstone.” After some flirty banter, they part with a promise to meet later. Kang-Nebula looks in on her catspaw and we learn she is the mystery beauty who has been invading Dr. Druid’s dreams….

As the Avengers fly back to the States, Marrina again begins to mutate, Pym’s serum having failed; Namor drops her in the ocean where she again grows into the massive monstrous Leviathan. Thor brings down the lightning and Captain Marvel channels it to strike the monster—but sensors indicate she is alive. Black Knight flies out to use the Ebony Sword against her, despite She-Hulk’s warnings. Namor takes the sword away from BK as it is his duty to kill his bride. Namor plunges the sword into Leviathan’s head and the cure is activated; Black Knight loses consciousness and must be rescued by Thor. Meanwhile, the dead monster sinks to the ocean floor; there the Avengers see ruined ships drawn into a circle—and in the center, Marrina’s eggs, which hatch and her offspring swim away. Marrina has regained her humanoid form; Namor picks her up and swims away….

As they prepare to rush Black Knight to a hospital for help, Dr. Druid raises another question: where is Captain Marvel?

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