His father was the greatest of Heroes, saving the entire universe from subjugation time and time again! Now he must continue that tradition , his powers are the same, but his outlook is different. He wields the mighty Nega bands and has the Celestial insight of Cosmic Awareness. The universe is his inheritance, for he is its Protector as he struggles to find his place amidst the Heavens, his buds call him Genis, but he's known and feared by his enemies as....
Prologue: The figure hurtles through deep space, on his wrists two glowing bands pulse with power. His blonde hair streams behind him as he arcs towards Sol III, known also by the name its inhabitants call it, Earth. No gentle reader, this is not Genis-Vell, called Captain Marvel by friend and foe alike, rather this is the Earthman named Wendell Vaughn, also known Universally as QUASAR! And he is a man on a mission. Quasar' mind drifts back to mere hours ago, as he was contacted in deep space by his mentor and former teacher, Eon.
.
"Quasar" The disembodied voice boomed in Wendell
Vaughns' mind
The words spoken came from the Quantum bands around Wendells
wrists, as he stared down at them , Quasar mentally instructed the Quantum bands to
project an image before him. There was a life-like quantum image of Eon, floating before
Quasar.
"Hello Eon. Is there some problem? You usually don't pop up
this agitated."
The figure before him of the strange, almost tree trunk-like
being spun slowly. It's half face turned toward Quasar and finally spoke.
"I am agitated Wendell. I have been contacted by the
"God of us all", and he has instructed me to have you hunt down a heretic and an
imposter."
"Imposter Eon? What do you mean?"
"There is another, young Wendell, calling himself the Universal Protector. He goes by the name "Captain Marvel". But his real name is Genis-Vell. He must be stopped Wendell. It seems even the Mighty Avengers lost a pitched battle to him before he disappeared."
Quasar stares at the images before his eyes, as the Quantum bands
suddenly project a battle in Midtown Manhattan, where Captain Marvel is seen methodically
battling and defeating the Avengers.
Finally Quasar speaks, "Amazing. I wouldn't've thought it
possible. He defeated a whole team of Avengers, and he did it mostly by using their own
abilities against them. He's good. Very good."
Eon seemingly nods as his image fades back into view.
"Indeed, he is. But do not be to in awe of him Universal
Protector. It now falls to you and your own Cosmic powers to defeat and capture the
brigand."
Wendell smiles. "Tell the God of us all not to worry Eon.
The one true Universal Protector is here and on the job. This guy has no chance against
me. He'll be wrapped up tight in a few hours."
The image of Eon fades away, as do Wendell Vaughns' memories. He
snaps himself back to the present, for he is fast approaching Earth. If Quasar had only
been paying closer attention, he would have seen another flying figure following his every
move, but staying well out of sight in the inky blackness. His crimson cloak pulled tight
around him, the golden skinned figure smiles grimly to himself.
End Prologue
Captain Marvels mind is in chaos! Not only has the universe
seemingly been re-written by an insane hand, but after searching out the girl he met
recently in Mexico*, Genis has discovered that she is about to be burned at the stake by a
group of zealots!
*See issue #80
Genis-Vell hovers above the grisly scene below him momentarily,
and the thought becomes action as the young hero streaks Earthward, shredding the ropes
that bind the young, terrified girl to a stake, and once free he rockets away. Scared that
she might be severely injured, Captain Marvel uses his Cosmic Awareness to ascertain her
condition.
"She's okay. Just a little bruised, but I got there just in
time. She passed out before I tore her free from that damn stake. " He thinks.
"Angie, Wake up. It's me , Genis. C'mon hon, you're safe
now."
The unconscious girl shakes in his grip before coming to. Her
eyes open slowly as the two of them hover above the burning pyre half a mile below. At
first her recognition of Genis is not there. Her eyes are glassy, and seem to lack focus,
but suddenly , and just that fast are filled with clarity.
"YOU!" She starts, "This is all YOUR fault!"
Angie pounds on his chest with her small fists, as Genis holds
her tight.
"Whoa, Angie, relax a sec. We're half a mile up babe. Take
it easy. What happened here? Why were those nuts attacking you?"
He half suspects the reason already, but must ask to be sure.
"Because of you ! Why else?"
"Okay Ang, relax, lets get away from here, and we'll talk.
You can tell me what happened, and how they even found you, or even knew about us."
She looks at him angrily, her eyes boring holes in his heart.
"Okay," She begins, "just don't talk to me until
we get wherever it is we're going."
Genis smiles at her despite himself, "No problem lady."
Captain Marvel races off across the sky, his glittering photon
trail marks his passing as he disappears into the mountains surrounding Denver.
Twenty minutes later....
A quick burst of Photonic power sets the dry sage brush Genis
gathered moments ago ablaze in the dank cavern, as Captain Marvel sits down next to the
shivering Angie, her hands held towards the fire to warm them.
"You ready to tell me what happened now?" He queries.
She looks at him, and some of the fear and anger melts away.
"I-I guess. After Cancun-"
"After you cut out on me." He interjects.
"Whatever. After Cancun I came home, and it was like
everything was slowly changing before my eyes . People were getting......strange is as
good a word as any I guess. Then I noticed that everything around me was changing too.
Everything and everyone but me. "
"How were they changing Ang? What do you mean?"
"Well, it seemed like everyone was talking about this
"God of us all", and then I slowly noticed that people were no longer being hurt
by anything. I saw a small boy get hit by a car. I was the only person who saw it that was
upset. I cried like a baby for that poor kid, but everybody else just stared at me, and
then the little boy was pulled from beneath the car, and there was some kind of
glow."
"A glow? What kind of glow Angie?"
She shifts in her seated position, uncomfortable obviously.
"It just came from all over him, and suddenly, just that
fast, he was fine. All healed and everything. But I was the only one to think that was
strange. Then, somehow people started to mention you and I together. It was more then
weird, it was scary. They---Knew about us. About that night. What'd you do, tell the
world?"
Genis almost laughs, almost.
"No Ang. I didn't tell anybody. That you can be sure of. But
how'd you end up being fricasseed? "
"They grabbed me before, yelling things about you and I and
the coming of the new lord. Then everything is a blank after that."
"Yeah, the stress probably got to you by then."
"No.....it was the sheer terror of being burned alive."
Genis stands, and begins pacing around the empty cave.
"I'm still no closer to knowing what's going on here then I
was before. Who's the madman this time? And what's he done to make the worlds like this?
What the Hala does he want?"
Across the Universe, at its so-called center an evil madman holds
court. In shadow he is draped. He sits atop a huge throne , and he silently stares
outwards across his domain, the universe.
As he sits, a creature, akin to a centipede but easily the length
of two tall men slides into the throne room. The massive grim, figure sees the being and
acknowledges its presence.
"What is it D'grak? News of the infidel?"
The being rears itself up, until it stands almost a dozen feet
tall, and then, in a voice that sounds as if it is coming though water, the being speaks.
"No my Master, no news as of yet concerning the evil
one." It speaks in its low, gurgling voice.,"But news instead of the great
battle to come. All across creation readiness has been achieved. Soon the Universe itself
will pound with the cacophony of war unheard before."
The great, grim being stands, hands behind his wide back, clasped
together as he begins to walk about his throne room. Minutes pass as the terrible figure
contemplates something.
Then, he speaks again , "D'grak you are saying the hour is
almost upon us? Good. Let none doubt the master of the Universes will in this. That witch
will ultimately pay for her crimes against me. Soon she will come, her forces themselves
will come. Crossing the un-crossable, making the journey back here that only a select few,
myself included have ever made. Soon the heavens will ring with battle. Soon , for the
first time in all time itself , will SHE be humbled so completely. There are none to stop
me, for now I am the unstoppable and the inevitable. And she is nothing but the past. Let
all who would cross me fear, for there is NO ONE who can stop me, not even that damned
Captain Marvel! Hahahahahahahahahahahahhahaa "
On Earth, Genis-Vell awakens with a start, he hears a laughter in
his mind, and it is a horrible, mirthless sound. Genis looks next to him, and the girl he
knows so little about, yet he feels so drawn to , Angie, lies deep in a restless sleep.
"I've got to find out what happened here. I've wasted way to
much time playing games these past weeks. I've got to take the offensive now. Otherwise
it's just a matter of time before I'm run to ground. Chronos knows they could have anyone,
even Thor or the Hulk hunting me down as I'm sitting here thinking about this."
Suddenly a noise from outside the cavern makes Genis turn quickly
toward the sound.
BOOM!!
"What th-?"
Angie is immediately awakened from her sleep, fear etching her
face. "Did they find us? OhmyGod,ohmyGod!"
She stands quickly and runs to Genis' side, looking around the
cavern repeatedly, like a scared animal.
Genis wraps his arms around her comfortingly.
"Stay here Ang. Whatever it is, WHOEVER it is, I can handle
it. I'll be back for you in a few minutes."
She grips his arm tightly, refusing to let go.
"And what if you're not? What if you never return ? What
happens to me then? What if they kill you? "
He smiles at her, as the explosive sounds outside the cave
continue,
"Don't worry kiddo, I'll be back, I promise."
He leans over to kiss her on the forehead, but she grips his face
strongly and guides her lips to his own. For several long, eternal moments they stand
thus. Wrapped around each other , lost in each others arms, each kissing the other like
they'll never see each other again. And then Captain Marvel, slowly regretfully pulls
away.
"I have to go Ang, I'll be back for you, I promise."
She smiles at him, as a single tear rolls down her cheek. He
touches it, wiping it from her face, and then he turns , and in a flash of photonic power,
is gone!
Outside the long maze of caverns Quasar continues to use his
quantum bands to create building sized maces that hammer at the cliff face, breaking away
chunks of rock, when he hears a voice behind him, that breaks him from his reverie.
"You're a little to old to be playing with rocks aren't
you?"
Quasar turns slowly, a wolves smile on his lips.
"You" He growls, "Captain Marvel, the heretic. The
imposter, my enemy!"
He flings himself at Genis, creating spiked gloves around his
fists from quantum energy. So fast is his attack that he scores first blood! Whacking
Genis across the jaw!
"Ouch! That hurt! I guess it's a moot point asking if we can
talk about this?"
Quasars only answer is a lunge with a hastily made quantum spear
at Genis' stomach.
This time Captain Marvel parries the spear with his right arm,
spinning in along its length to unleash a powerful left cross!
POW!
"Still time to talk about this Quaze."
Quasar shakes his head angrily,"No talk evil one. You must
be stopped, permanently. "
Quasar fires energy beams from his quantum bands, energy that
changes frequency continuously as it hammers at Genis!
"Arrgggh!" "I've got to get myself some
breathing room here, he's powerful, moreso then I originally thought."
With a flash of light, Captain Marvel is gone! Rocketing straight
upwards, towards deep space!
Quasar immediately gives pursuit. "You're not getting away
that easily Captain. I've got a job to do, and it WILL get done."
Back inside the cave... Angie stares at the fire, huddling closer
to it for warmth, wrapping herself in a heavy blanket Genis had purloined for her on the
way into the wooded area of Oregon they're hiding in. Suddenly she hears a scraping sound,
her head snaps around towards the sound, as she grabs a burning branch from the fire to
light the area.
"Who's there? Genis? Is that you? Answer me!"
Angies' only answer is a dull growl as suddenly 600 pounds of
fury thunders towards her in the form of a teeth gnashing, drool dripping, obviously
starved bear! Her only response is a long , and horrified scream, that echoes throughout
the cave , and beyond!
At the edge of space, Captain Marvel and Quasar exchange blows in
a battle of epic proportions!
"I can't believe this," Thinks Genis,
"my photon blasts are being deflected by this quantum armor he whipped up, and his
energy beams are starting to finds their mark! He's starting to wear me out. I've got to
turn the tide of battle, my way."
"Getting tired Captain? Surrender, I promise to make the end
quick!"
Genis shakes his head, as another quantum beam finds its mark.
"You're not Quasar, at least not the Quasar I've heard
stories about. Quasar's a hero. He's saved the universe a time or two, just like I
have."
Quasar laughs as he closes in again , "I don't know what
you're talking about Captain. Obviously, you're touched in the head. That would explain a
lot."
"Yeah buddy? Well touch THIS!"
Ba-KOOM!
Captain Marvel streaks in and hammers a tremendous blow against
the quantum armored Quasar, splitting the armor in two! The Genis brings both fists
upwards powerfully, smashing the armored helmet from Quasars head!
Ta-KOW!
"Unngh!. Grunts Quasar as Genis presses his advantage,
hammering at Quasar unmercifully, smashing the quantum armor to shreds with every blow!
But with every blow of Captain Marvels that finds its mark, Quasar quickly reinforces his
shielding yet again. In the midst of battle Genis never sees the tendril of quantum energy
that snakes around behind him, to form yet another powerful mace, and this one finds its
mark!
BAM!
The mace shatters against Captain Marvels skull, instantly
rendering him unconscious. Quasar wraps him up in quantum force and begins to tighten its
grip on the unconscious hero.
"Time for you to meet the God of us all Captain, though not
in the way you would have wanted it seems. You were a worthy adversary. It's a shame we
couldn't have met under better terms, but there can be only one Universal protector."
"Yes," Starts a voice from behind Quasar, forcing him
to snap around quickly, "and that man it seems, is the one you're seeking to kill at
the moment."
Quasars eyes go wide with recognition at the site of the golden
figure floating behind him. "YOU!" He blurts out.
"Yes, me. And you will end this madness immediately or
suffer the consequences of your actions, so swears Adam Warlock!
To be continued!
Link to our next exciting issue
Next: War and revelations!
Kree-Lore C/O [email protected]
Hey buddy! Well, this is one of the best issues
that you have ever
written! I love the fact that Genis is the only
hero who knows that
anything has changed and is the only one who can
stop it! The Avengers
have been a great set of enemies for Genis and the
mystery villain is
suitably mysterious. Angie's appearance at the end
is equally great.
Just keep up the great work!
TJB
Thanks TJ! Let me know what you thought of this
issue! Next month promises to be the long awaited where everything (just about) stands
revealed!