More Celestials arrive to witness the birth of a new Celestial.
The High Evolutionary has his mind boggled by the implications, namely, that he,
who thought he could accelerate the evolution of the human race, has all of his
hopes shattered by the Celestials. He takes his shuttle out to witness what
happens next….
The group down on the planet (Thor, Eric Masterson, Juvan,
the Analyzer, plus Stellaris and Nobilus) are also stunned by the sight. When
the container imprisoning Hercules is about to be added to the new Celestial,
Thor, Nobilus, and Stellaris try to rescue him but are repelled harmlessly. The
High Evolutionary arrives, with Zon; High E. points out that the planetoid they
are standing on is the only non-living material in the Black Galaxy. High E.
wishes to observe and attaches himself to the Analyzer to better comprehend
what is going on, believing, as the most highly evolved human, he will be added
to the mix. But the Red Celestial takes Eric Masterson instead, the High E.
apparently being a dead end of his own, which shocks him terribly. Thor wants
to fight to release Herc and Eric but the New Immortals fight him to prevent his
interference with the process. While this is going on, Stellaris armors up and
launches herself at the glowing sphere at the center of the new Celestial and
there is a massive explosion and everything goes white. When the brightness subsides,
it is discovered that all of the living material of the Black Galaxy is gone, having
been absorbed into the new-born Blue Celestial. The Analyzer burns out and dies
from information overload and the High E.’s brain shuts down from having been
linked to the living machine. Thor swear vengeance against the Celestials but
as the Blue Celestial joins all the others journeying out of the galaxy, one of
the containers descends. Inside are Hercules and Eric, safe and sound….
The Watcher takes a backward glance at the planetoid which
is the last remaining object in the Black Galaxy and heads off to the next crisis
point in the universe: Asgard….
“The Great Deception!”
Writer: Tom DeFalco. Pencils: Gary Hartle. Inks: Dan Panosian.
Colors: Nel Yomtov. Letters: Michael Heisler.
Synopsis: As the armies of Asgard fight the Ice Demon, Ymir,
young warrior Arko is rescued by Balder and he rests with the Warriors Three as
Heimdall plans the next charge….
Odin explains to the Grand Vizier his plan to prevent Ragnarök—and
he slowly transforms into Surtur who has been imprisoned within Odin’s body
(issue #400). The realm will never be safe until both Surtur and Ymir are
vanquished and so Surtur grows to giant size and strides out to face Ymir in a
battle to the finish….