Marvel Comics Presents #109: Review

Aug 1992

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Marvel Comics Presents #109 Review by Rob Johnson (October 15, 2021)

This flip-book as usual has the Wolverine story on the front cover and Ghost Rider on the back. Steve Lightle does the Wolverine cover and Sam Keith provides the Ghost Rider 1. The Thanos story still doesn't qualify for an Infinity War banner on the cover.

Mary Walker mentioned in the Wolverine story is of course Typhoid Mary.

Originally the Uni-Mind was only an Eternals thing. But the Young Gods were trained by Celestials who created the Eternals so it's no surprise that the YG can merge into a Uni-Mind too (which they 1st did in Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #8).
We'll see Varua next in Avengers #370-371 where the Deviants will force her to create a Uni-Mind for Ghaur.
All the YG will then be in Eternals Annual (2008) #1 where Varua will lead the now-mad team to turn all humanity into a Uni-Mind to form a new Celestial. But the Eternals will stop them. Varua will die in the process and the other YG will be left catatonic. And that's the last we'll hear of them (as of this writing).

Thanos says here that Death didn't appear to him until he was openly a mass murderer. But Avengers: Celestial Quest #5 has her visiting him when he experimented killing a cat, and Starlin himself in Avengers Annual #7 has her with Thanos as he leads an army to destroy his birthplace Titan. And the Thanos Rising mini-series will expand on this early relationship.

From Our Blog:

Gwen Stacy, beauty queen of Standard High School, was Peter Parker's (alias Spider-Man) first great love.

Gwen Stacy: Classic Beauty

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Marvel Comics Presents #109 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

As usual this anthology contains 4 8-page stories with no adverts.

Wolverine in Typhoid's Kiss part 1 of 8: It's Never Over
Writer Ann Nocenti. Pencils/Inks Steve Lightle. Letters Bill Oakley. Colours Kelly Corvese.

A man is going round killing people who worked for something called the Project. Then he finds Logan drinking in a motel room and claims to have served with him in a war, but Wolverine doesn't recognise this man Roberts. He says the Project trained him to kill and put a radio receiver in his head to tell him who to kill. He thinks maybe they did the same to Logan. But now the radio's telling him to kill the Project members, so he really wants to cut it out of his head. Wolvie offers to do it for him but Roberts attacks him instead. After a brief 1-sided fight Logan asks Roberts to tell him some more. He mentions another Project subject Mary Walker with a codename like Typhoon or Tornado who he's been working with and they've gathered some clues. Then he attacks again.

Young Gods in Against A Rogue God part 9 of 9: Nauda's Tale
Writers Gerry Conway/Eric Fein. Pencils Scott Kolins. Inks Jonathan Holdredge. Letters Michael Higgins. Colours Tom Smith.

Nauda Of The Silver Hand captured the Young Gods and the 3 Black Stones they found that have been absorbing hatred from mankind. Now he intends to use the Stones to give him the power to rule the world. But nothing happens because the YG gave him illusory Stones created by Daydreamer and allowed themselves to appear captives to learn his plans (last issue). Now they are free but Nauda sends his skeletal followers against them. Various of the Gods use their powers against them while Brightsword challenges Nauda to a sword fight. But Nauda shatters the God's sword and stabs his foe. Then Harvest traps Nauda in vines and Varua gathers the YG into their gestalt Uni-Mind which is strong enough to vanquish the villain forever. Mindsinger transports them to safety as the cavern crumbles. Harvest starts to heal Brightsword and Caduceus purges the hatred from the Stones.

Ghost Rider/Werewolf in Return Of The Braineaters part 3 of 6: Battle On The Brooklyn Bridge
Writer Chris Cooper. Pencils John Staniski. Inks James Palmiotti/Ken Branch. Letters Steve Dutro. Colours Fred Mendez.

Werewolf Jack Russell tracked the Braineaters werewolf bikers too late to their latest kill and was attacked by Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch) who thought *he* was the killer. But young Billy Baldwin saw the killers' human identities and now they have killed his family and are after him. Meanwhile our 2 heroes have switched to *their* human ids to compare notes.

Jack tells Dan that he 1st clashed with the Braineaters in California (#54-59) but saw the gang slaughtered by a paramilitary outfit armed with silver bullets. However that was only half the gang and he's followed the others across the country to Brooklyn. He proposes they team up to get them. GR's bike leads them to where the biker gang are chasing Billy across Brooklyn Bridge. WW takes 1 of their bikes to join the bike-fight. GR's chain isn't silver but it can still knock men of their steeds. But Jack is knocked into the river when he tries to protect the kid, and the baddies grab Billy as a hostage.

Thanos in I, Thanos part 2 of 4: Legion Of The Doomed
Writer Jim Starlin. Pencils/Inks Shawn McManus. Letters Michael Higgins. Colours John Kalisz.

Last issue Death brought Thanos' spirit to her realm where he is now fighting her Legion Of The Doomed. During the battle Thanos summarises his history with Death who he worshipped since a child. He killed people for her, starting secretly with single individuals and then openly by the hundreds. Eventually she came to him and his worship turned to love. He died trying to give her the universe (Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2) and went to her embrace. But later she sent him back into the world to serve her again (Silver Surfer (1987) #34). He felt betrayed and sought out the Infinity Gems to become 'God' and make Death his queen, but she rejected this subservient relationship with 1 who was now her superior (in Infinity Gauntlet). He soon fell from godhood and now expects her vengeance. With the Legion defeated Death approaches him personally. He asks her to delay his punishment until he has dealt with the Magus who might conceivably threaten Death herself. Then Death speaks to him for the 1st time (previously she used others to speak for her) to say that she knows what's happening.

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