Synopsis
Captain Marvel (1999 series) #18 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
Last issue Captain Marvel, Thanos and Thor beat off an attack by a galactic Death God called the Walker. Thanos told them Walker was seeking Death to kill her, and that Death was hiding in Marlo Chandler-Jones.
Now he explains further that when Marlo died in Hulk #398 it really was final. The machine used to revive her in #400 wouldn't have worked except that Death willed it so and merged with her. Marlo remained in a coma (#400-406) while Death completed the reconstruction of her mind. He claims that the hidden presence of Death within her was what drew Mephisto to become interested in her (at her and Rick Jones' wedding in Hulk #418). He also speculates that the spirits of people who die near her would be drawn to her. The ghost Lorraine realises that's why she's been haunting Marlo since our #2.
Genis-Vell contacts Rick in the Microverse where he left him when they switched places last issue. It is as promised a planet with a breathable atmosphere but also it turns out to be a place of continuous heavy rain. But that's not what's making him miserable. He's worked out that when Death leaves his wife then she'll revert to being dead. He swears that if Thanos lets that happen then he (Rick) will die too.
But CM doesn't have a chance to relay this to Thanos before the Titan's huge spacecraft is rocked by the return of the Walker. Marv's cosmic senses can't detect anything but Marlo can, and she directs his gaze to where a skull-bedecked skeletal 'spaceship' dwarfs Sanctuary. Marlo tells Thanos to get them out of this. The Titan says he's not going to run away, but he'll take his ship *towards* somewhere. But on the way to his control room he tells them he's been making plans for this for a while. He allied himself with Mangog (in Thor (1998) #21-25) who was also powered by billions of souls, in order to probe for weaknesses in such a being. And he sought a brave human who would sacrifice himself for the greater good, and considered Ka-Zar for the post (KZ(1997)#1-11). But when Genis-Vell and Rick Jones became 'entangled' in this series he knew he'd found his target.
Thanos summarises the position:- Walker doesn't know Death is within Marlo and is attacking to force Thanos to say where she is. Marlo might die in the battle. If Walker discovers Death is hiding in Marlo he'll kill Marlo and thereby Death. If Death exits Marlo then Walker believes he can kill Death directly. (He doesn't bother mentioning whether Death leaving Marlo would kill *her*.) And without Death no-one would ever die. Thor asks if everyone being immortal like him would be a bad thing? Thanos answers that death would no longer be the end to suffering, and that death gives meaning to life. And he adds that last issue Thor was bemoaning the fact that he can't remember so much from his long life.
Now Thanos begins the process of taking them elsewhere. Thor puts his hammer in an energy converter. Marvel grips it and prepares to pour his photonic energy into it. The Titan tells them he's taking them to Purgatory. CM unleashes his energy and a portal opens which the ship Sanctuary zips through. Walker in his skeleton ship prepares to follow.
Inside Purgatory the various chars see different things. Marlo sees people working out on treadmills in a gym. Thor sees men carrying heavy weights down a mountain. Genis-Vell sees crucified heroes (mainly Titanians). Thanos says Death is safe here for however long it takes.
But then Walker pops up and strikes his staff against Marlo's chest. She recoils in pain as the 3 'heroes' blast him, but then she's OK again. However now she sees what Purgatory is really like, shades walking endlessly along 3D pathways. Walker grabs her and tells her that it is true she can't be killed here, but she can consent to die. He shows her the 3 men trapped in force cubes. Then he allows CM to escape. Genis immediately impetuously attacks him without pausing to free the other 2. But Walker causes the Nega Bands on his wrists to clash together ...
... and GV is replaced by Rick Jones, dripping wet from being stranded on a rain-soaked world in the Microverse. Marlo shouts to him to swap places again but the foe's staff causes his left arm to become frozen. And then he strikes the arm, shattering it. He tells Marlo that he will continue to torment her husband until she agrees to die.
But then Lorraine punches Walker in the jaw. And Rick can see her! Walker realises that Death is creating defenders, but he blasts Lorraine to non-existence. However some of the faceless shades in Purgatory have also turned into Viking warriors who attack in the name of the Odinson. Thor recognises them as the band we saw celebrating victory in the flashback at the start of last issue, and he asks them why they aren't in Valhalla. Their leader Erik Olafson says it's because they died of a plague, not a warrior's death. But now they have the chance to repair that. Walker gives them what they wish for. As Erik fades away he asks if Thor ever forgot him? The Thunder God lies and say no.
Thanos and Thor combine blasts again but the Death God easily repels them, declaring that only Death can end this battle. Thanos picks up Rick's missing Nega Band and tosses it to him to recall Captain Marvel. But Walker plucks it out of the air and strikes Rick again, this time ageing him (and his clothes to tatters). He can't die but he can be made to suffer unless Marlo wills herself dead or Death emerges.
What happens instead is that Marlo's face turns into Death's skull. Thanos tells him (and us) that *this* was the plan. Walker would go too far. Death is compassionate. She is the ender of suffering. But she also hid herself away to avoid having to kill Walker prematurely. But inhabiting a human for a while has changed her into something less forgiving. Death/Marlo has stuck a fist into Walker's chest. He protests that she can't kill him in Purgatory. But Thanos explains that she isn't going to. Instead she's going to release the billions of souls inside him of the people he killed for her. This causes him agony and then leaves him a skeleton.
Then Death leaves Marlo and she collapses. Rick thinks she's dead as he predicted. But hooded skeleton Death signals him to be quiet and puts her face close to Marlo's. Then the woman recovers and Death departs. Leaving Rick to complain about being left old and 1-armed.
CharactersGood (or All)Plus: Lorraine (
(ghost)), Marlo Chandler.