Synopsis
Captain Marvel (1999 series) #14 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
Rick Jones is driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas when he gets a flat tyre in the middle of the desert. When he tries to jack the car up to change the tyre the jack breaks. His mind-partner Genis-Vell (Captain Marvel) offers to change places with him (from dallying with some lovely ladies in the Microverse) and fly the car to a garage. But Rick won't clang his Nega-Bands together to initiate the swap and insists on solving the problem himself. He props the car up with some rocks and has a long struggle getting the tyre off. Only to discover there's no spare tyre under the car. So he decides to walk to a gas station, again refusing the flying option. But to while away the time he suggests playing truth or dare. He asks Genis to admit that he feels a failure compared to his father Mar-Vell, the original Kree Captain Marvel. Genis chooses a dare, and Rick dares him tell him *why* he thinks he's a relative failure.
GV begins by reminding RJ of his unusual birth. The Eternals on Titan combined DNA from the dead MV with the DNA of his love Elysius to create an embryo which they then subjected to accelerated growth to produce an 18-year old (to protect him from his father's enemies) with implanted memories but no experience. Then he describes how (in #1-6 of his previous series) Kree Bel-Dann tricked him into triggering the detonation of a bomb that destroyed a Shi-ar outpost. On Earth (which is where he briefly met Rick in #2) he fought Erik The Red from a Shi'ar group of zealots called the Crystal Claws dedicated to returning the Shi-ar throne to Empress Lilandra's mad brother D'Ken. And the whole mess turned out to be revenge plan by Zey-Rogg, the son of Mar-Vell's dead enemy Yon-Rogg.
Then he turns to what happened next (which would have been in the cancelled #7-10). In Glib Arkanian's bar a 'poker' game was staged called the Dead Man's Hand where the winner would be allowed to enter the Realm Of Death to retrieve someone of their choice. Among the players were Grandmaster and Thanos. Genis' Kymellian friend Zoog entered to save her mother, and Genis entered (and won by cheating) to take the risk for her. But when he got there he discovered Elysius also there who he didn't know had just died from a space germ contracted from *him*. (This was before she was killed again in Warlock (1998) #1.) So in order to bring both mothers back from death he made a deal with Thanos.
Then he continues further (presumably into issues that would have been beyond #10). A Shi'ar assassin Bloodwing of the Crystal Claws attacked him because of his sister Kaladar who had died on the outpost destroyed in #1 of that series. She too was a Crystal Claw and they believe that they can only ascend to Shi'ar heaven by living and dying in service of the M'Kraan Crystal. Because of her untimely death she was now in 'purgatory' instead. And her soul could only complete its journey by taking her brother's body and killing Genis. Because of his guilt GV agreed. And to allow Kaladar to earn her release he'd have to really fight back. So they fought until he figured a way out. He allowed her in Bloodwing's body to stab him through the heart, seemingly dying and having an epiphany with his father's mentor Eon (or his replacement/child Epoch). Kaladar ascended, but then Genis revealed that he'd used his Nega-Bands to create a stasis field gap in his chest around the blade, and so he survived.
But now he says it's Rick's turn to admit that he's always wanted to be a superhero himself but doesn't have the courage to really try. And Rick just admits to it. And he's still walking through the desert.
FlashbacksPlus: Elysius, Glib Arkanian, Zoog (
Z'oofrey Grasswind).