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....

The Sensational Captain Marvel !

Captain Marvel # 98

The Mission!

By Ralph L. Angelo Jr.

Captain Marvel closes the door on the black Humvee and turns towards his companion, Nick Fury, Agent of Shield.

"Okay Fury, what's the deal? What do you want?"

Fury knocks the vehicle into 1^st gear and drives away into the desert before answering. He takes a long tug on his cigar and then finally speaks.

"Awright kid, here's the story. There's an undersea colony of aliens, who've somehow taken on and gained control of Atlantis. We need to get in there and free the key personal of that undersea city. This thing has to be done with some kinda modicum of stealth. I big attack would only end up in a prolonged battle , and lots o' Atlanteans would end up dead. Somethin' we don't want."

"Okay, I'll go for that. But how'd you even hear about this? And why me?"

Fury takes another drag on his cigar, as he shifts gears before continuing.

"An Atlantean soldier whose unit was out on undersea patrol escaped and begged the UN for help. They agreed , and called in SHIELD ta take these creeps out. I had an agent lookin' fer Wonder Man while he was out dancin' with you.* When he found both a' you guys, he called in , and I decided to check you out. Especially since you're an unknown , relatively."

*see two issues ago.

"You made a mistake , Fury. I may be relatively unknown on Earth. But in deep space, I'm pretty well recognized."

"Maybe so, kid, but I'm willin' ta bet you're totally unexpected."

Genis-Vell sits back in the seat and strokes his chin in thought.

"What about the Sub Mariner? Why isn't he in there kicking butt?"

Fury slides the cigar to the corner of his mouth and answers

"Namor was one o' the first taken out in the aliens attack. So we don't know if he's alive or dead. If you find 'im; free 'im."

Genis turns towards Fury and pauses a second before answering

"I think you're getting ahead of yourself, Nick, I never said I'd do this."

"Yeah , well I'm hopin' you will. There're lives at stake, and somethin' like this is right up your alley. No pressure suit needed, and you can pinpoint the area you need ta go to with yer cosmic senses."

Genis shivers involuntarily, as he recalls losing those abilities recently.* He turns back to Fury,

*Three issues ago.

"Sorry Fury, no can do. I lost those powers recently."

"What? Against the Inbetweener?"

Genis is stunned!

"How'd you know about that?" he asks , incredulous.

"We see everything , Captain. How about your physical powers? Any o' them affected?"

Captain Marvel shakes his head from side to side.

"No, as I'm sure you realize after your orchestrated battle with the Hulk I had earlier."*

*See last issue

"Yeah kid, I hadda know if you were up ta snuff."

"I suppose you got your answer." Genis answers, with an unmistakable edge to his voice.

"Yeah kid, you handled yourself real well. No doubt about it."

"Okay fury, now answer a question for me, where are we going?"

"First, you takin' the mission?"

"Yeah, I suppose. If there are people at risk, I have no choice. I'm a hero, it's what we do."

"Okay then, we're goin' to the Helicarrier."

"And how are we getting there? We going to an airport? Or you want me to fly this car up to it?"

'Not necessary , kid, Leave the flyin' ta me."

Fury punches a button, on the shift lever and the cars wheels suddenly fold inwards and up, as powerful engines ignite both underneath, and behind, as the jet black Humvee takes to the sky, rocketing upwards majestically!

"Hhhmmpph," Genis muses " A flying car. There's something I didn't expect on this backwater world."

"There's a lot about this planet that would surprise you, Captain."

"Yeah, I'm finding that out every day. I've been here a lot in my short life, but most of it was in passing. Now it looks like I'm going to be here a while, so I may as well get to know the place better "

The Humvee breaks through the clouds and before it, floating magnificently ahead is the massive Helicarrier!

"Pretty impressive, Fury."

"Thanks , kid. We aim ta please."

The Humvee floats through the circling jets that protect the huge ship, and quietly docks inside of it. Both men open their doors and disembark.

"Pretty interesting, Nick." Genis thinks aloud, as he takes in all the hustling and bustling around him, as technicians and agents fill the hanger deck, going to and fro.

"You ain't seen nothing yet, kid, c'mon."

Minutes later...

Both men, as well as Dum Dum Dugan and Agent Jasper Sitwell are in a ready room, watching images on a large LCD screen of Atlantis being attacked.

"See here kid?" Fury asks, "These guys are all in some kinda stealth mode or somethin'. We can only see these yahoo's as vague images."

"Yes," Genis replies, "They appear as ghostly images at best."

"You ever see anything like this, Captain?" Sitwell questions

"I don't have that much experience with this stuff, no. Agent."

"Okay, I want to get this mission started ASAP, Captain." Dum Dum interjects. "There's going to be some gear we're outfitting you with to allow you to basically arrive there unnoticed, as well as it being able to guide you to Atlantis' location."

"What do you mean? Like a personal stealth field or something? Like they're using?"

"Yeah kid, that pretty much sums it up, as well as a GPS nav system you can wear on your wrist. This stuff won't be ready till the morning. At that point, I'd like to get you going." Nick Fury answers.

"Okay then. I guess you have a room set up for me here somewhere?"

"You are correct, sir." Sitwell answers as he stands and beckons Genis to follow him.

"Okay, I guess I'll see you guys in the AM." Genis tells the remaining SHIELD agents as he exits.

"Get some rest ,kid. I think you're gonna need it." Fury adds as Genis leaves the ready room.

Titan...

The 'Rapier Wit' sits in a repair facility, its hull panels being replaced as nearby*, Eros, otherwise known as Starfox talks with his father the mighty Mentor, ruler and leader of Titan, as well as Elysius, mother of Genis-Vell.

*See last issue for why.

"Do you have a plan , Mentor?" Elysius pleads, "Is there a way to implore these so called Gods to free Genis?"

"I... am working on something, Elysius. I will use what meager abilities I have to contact Chronos and ask his aid in freeing Genis."

"And if that doesn't work, father?" Eros inquires.

"Then I do not know what to think , my son. At least we know Genis is safe on Earth. We all have many friends and allies there. It is probably the safest world for Captain Marvel to be trapped on."

"I can only pray so, Mentor." Elysius answers as she turns and walks away, understandably worried.

Across the Universe...

The Cosmic Unity again meets. As Love and Death, Chaos and Order, Infinity, Eternity, and Eon among many others all appear slowly, materializing as if out of the ether.

"Why are we called here? For what purpose?" Chaos intones with a voice like thunder.

"For this reason." Answers Eternity, as he opens his palm, and in its center lies the battered and broken body of the Inbetweener!

"This is impossible!" Infinity practically shrieks, as she stares with wide eyes!

"Send the Universal Protector to remedy this situation, Eon." Master Order , well, orders.

"I will immediately, fellow cosmic entities." And with that, Eon fades away.

"Let us pray that Quasar can stop whoever did this to the Inbetweener." Master Order again speaks.

"Quasar is a warrior born, but his history with this being may stand in his way of a positive ending to this problem." Love intones.

"Let us pray it is not so." Chaos answers , in uncharacteristic calm. As ever near him, Master Order keeps his own council, though Chaos and Order both know that Captain Marvel would have made a better choice of champion in this instance.

Earth, or rather below its depths. Captain Marvel flies through the watery depths, much as he would above its storm tossed waves.

"This GPS unit Fury gave me is amazing. I'll be at Atlantis in seconds with its direction." He muses silently. "I wonder if I can load star charts into it somehow, or if something similar would work so I can find my way through deep space. I know the Surfer and Galactus' other heralds have all had a form of cosmic awareness, but it's no where near as refined, or powerful as mine was. But it does allow them to circumnavigate the cosmos. Still if something like this could be set up for navigation..."

His mind trails off as suddenly he crests a ridge, and amidst waving and snaking undersea growth a city is seen. A city lit up majestically like the stars above in the heavens themselves.

But it's not the city itself that draws Captain Marvels attention, but rather the bizarre and gigantic...thing that squats above fair Atlantis, blocking its view of the seas above. A huge space ship, of unknown origin sits perched above the gleaming city. A space ship in the image of a gigantic blue crab. And what holds his attention even moreso then the crab ship itself, the figure strapped to its hull, held in place by glowing chains of some kind, slumped and sagging in the sea.

"Namor." Is all Genis can mentally mutter.

Next: Atlantis attacked!

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