Champions #21: Review

Jun 2018

Jim Zubkavich, Sean Izaakse

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Story Name:

Northern lights conclusion

Review & Comments

Rating:

Champions #21 Review by Rob Johnson (June 23, 2018)

Before the next issue we'll have the 2-part Infinity Countdown: Champions. There Amka Aliyak will take the codename Snowguard.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Champions #21 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

The Champions have come to far north of Canada to investigate some anomalous readings. They discovered the villainous self-proclaimed Master Of The World apparently doing good by having his robot drones increasing the ice to combat global warming - because he can't rule a future globe that has been ruined. They reluctantly agreed to leave him alone. But then Alpha Flight turned up to oppose him.

Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) explains that the Master is doing good this time but the Alphas have previous experience with him and Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) doesn't believe it. Kamala brings up Civil War II which soured their relationship when Carol similarly insisted on arresting people, that time for crimes they'd been predicted to commit in the future. And this is why she quit the Avengers to form the Champions to do good for the world rather than just fight supervillains.

Ironheart contacts Viv Vision for backup, and she brings Nova (Sam Alexander) with her who's been cured of last issue's injuries. Outside the Master's base tempers are fraying. Talisman attempts to cast a spell to put the Champs to sleep but Ironheart hits her with a repulsor blast. Sasquatch attacks Hulk (Amadeus Cho) along with Snowbird transformed to a polar bear. But Hulk throws Sasqutch at the bear.

As Captain Marvel and Ironheart duel in the air Wasp (Nadia Pym) drops miniaturised Ms Marvel on Talisman. Elizabeth Twoyoungmen is finding it difficult to cast spells because the spiritual energy is strangely weak here. And it's not helped by full-size MsM now tackling her. Wasp meanwhile moves on to shrink Sasqutch, apologising to Walter Langowski as she does so because she admires his scientific work. And Hulk is easily able to put down the agile Puck. CM is about to attack *him* when she's met head-on by the rocketing Nova - and both of them suffer from the impact.

Meanwhile Spider-Man (Miles Morales) sneaked into the base last issue using his camouflage ability to get past the drones. He follows his Spider-Sense through some laser beams until he finds a teen girl clamped onto a machine and sparkling with energy. When he breaks her free from the machine he discovers she's naked under the sparkles so he gives her his cold-weather jacket. But then the confused girl erupts into energy sparkles again.

Outside Snowbird and Talisman sense an eruption of magic and *giant* polar bear erupts from the ice with Spider-Man clinging on. CM and MsM agree a truce. Hulk, Viv and Snowbird, this time as a large snowy owl, attack the bear, but Miles tells them to stop her without hurting her. He thinks she's good but driven mad. Wasp hunts for Sasquatch and enlarges him to join the fight. Talisman senses the missing spiritual energy powering the animal and spreads it around the landscape.

The polar bear reverts to the naked girl again, and Spidey is ready with the jacket again. Now she's calmed down she stops speaking Inuit and talks to them in English. Talisman asks her if she was under a curse, but Amka Aliyak tells them about events from the last 2 issues. She found Sila, the soul of the North, held captive by the Master's machine and the spiritual energy of the land used to power his scheme. (Sila obviously transferred power to Amka last issue.)

Master is unrepentant - he thinks the ends justified the means. The 2 teams combine to attack him and his drones but he flies away and leaves his base to self-destruct behind him.

The heroes visit the local town Pangnirtung whose inhabitants had been protesting against the Master's base on their land. Carol and Kamala bury the hatchet. Alpha Flight invite Amka to join their trainee group Beta Flight but Miles says the Champions have dibs until Hulk points out it's *her* choice. Amka thinks she she should stay to look after her mother, but mom gives her blessing and she agrees to become a Champion.

Continued in INFINITY COUNTDOWN: CHAMPIONS #1

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