Champions #2: Review

Feb 2019

Jim Zubkavich, Steven Cummings

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Story Name:

Beat the Devil, Part 2: Free and clear

Review & Comments

Rating:

Champions #2 Review by Rob Johnson (February 23, 2019)

The cover shows a photograph of the team split apart by fire. The team doesn't split this issue, but it may be a prophetic view of the effects of the deal with the Devil.

Mephisto is the main Marvel Devil-analogue. He was invented to be Silver Surfer's main opponent. But he's most remembered for doing a deal with Peter Parker to save Aunt May's life in the One More Day/Brand New Day event. It is debateable whether some things such as the creation of Ghost Riders are down to him or some other Satan-alike.
He was recently imprisoned by Dr Strange at the end of the Damnation event, but that hasn't stopped him appearing subsequently in some Amazing Spider-Man, Scarlet Spider and other issues before winding up here.

Zzzax was invented as a foe for Hulk and Hawkeye in Hulk #166. Since then he's been brought back occasionally mainly as a plot device as in this issue. His last outing was in Avengers Vs X-Men #6, way before the multiverse was recreated after Secret Wars III.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Champions #2 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

The Champions have greatly expanded their membership. Last issue they split into 3 teams to handle different crises around the world. Brawn, Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan), Spider-Man (Miles Morales) and Viv Vision tackled Zzzax in Dubai. But something seemed to happen during that mission which has left Spidey and Brawn unsettled. And last issue ended with Miles getting a visit from Mephisto. This issue tells us what it was that really happened in Dubai.

It's yesterday over Dubai and ex-Nova Sam Alexander is piloting the Champions Mobile Bunker with only Sparky the synthezoid dog for company. (Sparky is not at all acting like he's been possessed by Ultron.) He misses his Nova powers and has thought about getting Nova Richard Rider to steal his Nova helmet back off the Nova Corps, or getting Ironheart to make him some armour.

On the ground Ms Marvel, Spidey and Viv are fighting Zzzax the electrical being while Amadeus Cho calibrates the Battery Containment Field they hope to trap him in. Zzzax unearths the power lines for the rail network and gets extremely charged up. A stray electric bolt sends Spidey flying, and another strikes Ms Marvel as she tries to protect civilians. Miles manages to save a young woman before heading back into the fray. MsM sends Viv to help Brawn with the Containment Field, but another bolt strikes her on the way.

A more focused blast brings down a tall building, burying Kamala, Amadeus and Viv. And the 2 girls don't survive. And static from Zzzax cuts off communication with Sam.

As the 2 boys remember their friendships with their dead colleagues Mephisto appears before them. He commiserates with their loss and blames the older heroes for inspiring them to put themselves in danger. And he offers to fix it. Brawn and Spidey of course suspect a trap but the demon says he's not after their souls - he gets plenty of them the natural way. He says he just likes being unpredictable and will wind back time for them for free. Amadeus is still suspicious but Miles accepts.

Mephisto summons up power which alerts beings such as Dr Strange, Talisman, Dr Voodoo and Satana. And then it's done.

This time Amadeus can get the Containment Field set up immediately because he already knows the settings to use. Miles tells Sam to bring the Bunker down close to avoid the coming static interference. And Sam switches on the Field which sucks Zzzax in. Ms Marvel and Viv are alive. But Miles doesn't notice that the young woman he didn't save this time round has been killed by debris. (Or maybe he does, which explains why he's upset last issue after the mission.)

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