Genis, Drax, and Ms. Marvel soared through interplanetary space. Beyond
them, in the distance, the great globe of Saturn hung, larger than life, its
magnificent ring system dazzling in the darkness of the void. Closer in, the
orange-cloud-shrouded moon of Titan, so large as to be a world unto itself,
beckoned them on.
"Be careful," Genis stated suddenly. "Titan now
possesses a defense field surrounding its entire surface, just beyond cloud
level."
"But-- why would they need that?" Carol asked. "Aren't they
already protected by the entire surface layer of the moon itself?"
Drax
said nothing. Genis nodded, "Yes, they do have that, but it was not enough to
protect them from Thanos's bombing campaign during his first attack, years
ago.* So they added a further layer of
defense."
*As recounted in the epic AVENGERS
ANNUAL #7 -- Van
"How do we get through?" Carol
asked.
"Simple!" Genis directed one hand down at the cloudy haze beneath
them, and at the invisible defense field. A stream of photons sliced out,
opening a sparkling circular pathway toward the surface. "Mentor attuned the
shield to my nega-bands' wavelength, among other things. It's like having a
key."
Down through the clouds they dropped, then out over the eternally
hidden, cratered surface. Sparkling photons trailed in Genis's and Ms. Marvel's
wakes. Drax rocketed on, oblivious to all but his objective in the distance: the
Crater.
The largest of all the craters in this part of Titan, it loomed
ahead of them; a fuzzy bulge in the terrain at first, then quickly growing into
a broad, flat mountain with a crater instead of a peak. Over the lip they
soared, then down, down through the broad passage at its center; through the
tunnel, past the layer after layer of Titan's surface, past the layer of living
computer which encircled the entire world, and down into the warm air of the
secret interior of Titan.
The artificial lighting glared brightly,
meaning they'd arrived at midday. The great Tree of Eternity towered to their
left, but they ignored it and continued on toward their
destination.
Suddenly Genis gestured with one hand and stopped. Ms.
Marvel did likewise, even as Drax continued on and curved back around in a broad
arc.
"What is it?" Carol glanced at Genis questioningly.
"There."
Genis pointed. Ahead, just over the horizon, what appeared to be, of all things,
an ancient Viking ship, floated in midair, its striped red and white sail
billowing in the breeze.
Carol blinked, stared. "What in the
world?"
"In this world," Genis replied, "That would be Mom."
The
three visitors approached the floating ship and settled to its deck, but no one
emerged to greet them. Yet even as they searched the ship, it began to turn back
in the direction from which it had come. Perplexed, they waited, and moments
later, the ship settled to the ground before a broad Greek-style temple facade
set against a mountainside. Greek pillars adorned the manicured lawns, while
fountains sprayed water into the air. Carol looked around in awe, while Drax
narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"I know this
place," Drax breathed. "I have been here once before.
This is Paradise."
"Paradise?" Carol frowned.
"Indeed
it is," Genis replied. "Mom's private domain. But I just wonder where she
is--"
"Greetings!"
Everyone turned, only to see the caped figure
of Mentor walking out from the temple. The master of Titan bowed to them, and
introduced himself to Ms. Marvel.
"Mentor," Genis asked nervously,
"Where's Mom?"
Mentor frowned. "Genis, I--" He looked away. "She is not
well."
"Wha--?"
"Elysius collapsed shortly after you last left
Titan."
"Collapsed?!"
Mentor nodded solemnly. "Yes. She's
experienced this before, I'm afraid.* She was
probably afraid to bother you with it."
*
First in CAPTAIN MARVEL (Genis) #6 -- Van
"What's wrong
with her?" Genis demanded.
"We've been trying to discover that very
thing," Mentor answered, "but as of yet, we are not certain."
"Why didn't
you contact me?"
"We've been trying," Mentor replied. "You haven't
exactly been easy to track down. Fortunately, she has remained stable. If things
had turned for the worse, we would have spared no effort in contacting you
immediately."
Genis nodded. "Can I see her?"
"Of course." Mentor
led the three new arrivals through the temple facade, into the vast complex
beyond.
"At least she seems stable," Carol noted as they finally left Elysius's
room.
"Yeah..." Genis stared at the floor, his hands clasped behind his
back.
Carol put a hand on his shoulder, squeezed gently. "Come on.
There's nothing more you can do." She paused, unsure of what to say. Her
warrior's nature sometimes proved a hinderance in such situations. "Just talking
to her probably helped, Genis. Just letting her know you were
there."
Drax caught Genis's eyes. "I have spent a fair amount of time in
that woman's company, Genis. She is strong. She will recover from whatever
afflicts her."
Genis nodded hesitantly to both of them.
The
solemn moment was disrupted by a crash from down the hall. A tall figure in red
and white strode towards them.
"Ahh, Genis, I'm glad you're
back."
"Greetings, Eros." Genis nodded.
Eros smiled tightly, then
noticed Drax and frowned. Then he became aware of Ms. Marvel standing behind the
other two and the smile returned, broadened. "Well, hello!"
Ms. Marvel
nodded back. "Hello, Eros. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"The
pleasure is all mine, milady," Eros replied, bending at the waist and kissing
her hand. "Entirely mine."
Genis raised an eyebrow; Drax wandered off,
disinterested.
"Milady, you simply must permit me to show you around
Paradise," Eros began, but paused as another crashing sound came from behind
him. He glanced at Genis. "Ahh, I nearly forgot-- Genis, would you be so kind as
to restore a measure of decorum to our dining hall? I'm afraid our other new
guest has somewhat... different ideas of proper behavior."
"'Other
guest?'" Genis's face revealed his puzzlement, but he jogged down the long
hallway to investigate.
"Now, milady, as I was saying..." Eros took
Carol's hand before she could object, and led her in the opposite
direction.
"Hercules??!"
Genis stood in the doorway to the dining hall, his
mouth agape. Before him, seated at the closest table, was Hercules, a huge
goblet clutched in one beefy hand. On the other side of the table stood a satyr,
a jug cradled in his arms. Other jugs lay in shattered fragments across the
marble floor.
"Genis, my boy! You're back!" Hercules's eyes momentarily
focused on him, then continued their independent courses around the
room.
Genis turned to the satyr. "Dionysus-- what are
you--?"
Dionysus grinned. "What does it look like? This fool thought he
could outdrink me. Me! Hah!" The satyr took another deep swig, wiping his mouth
with one wrist.
Hercules frowned, jerked the goblet up, and held it out
before the satyr. "Fill 'er up," he bellowed.
"Then hold it still!"
Dionysus struggled to ring the wavering goblet, chasing it back and forth with
the jug as he poured. "There's nothing I hate worse than spilling
wine."
"Verily," Hercules exclaimed in between quaffs, "the Lion of
Olympus doth agree with you, friend Dionsu-- Donisi-- my friend." He tossed back
the rest of the goblet's contents, then thrust it out before the satyr again.
"Sit, friend Genis, sit! Let us enjoy one another's company! We-- err-- umm--
We-- urrrrrr..." With a last gurgle, Hercules slumped forward, lying across the
big oaken table, snoring loudly.
"Another fool learns the hard way,"
Dionysus observed, taking a deep drink from his jug. "Even your father could not
outdrink me."*
*
Sort of, in CAPTAIN MARVEL #60-- Van
Genis frowned at
him. "But you cheated with Dad-- you drugged him."
The satyr sighed.
"Details..."
Genis peered down at the slumbering former Greek god.
"What's Herc doing here?" he asked.
"I know not. But he arrived some
hours before you." The satyr laughed. "He will regret this poor performance on
the morrow!"
Genis stood behind Hercules, placing his hands on the big
Olympian's shoulders. "You are no doubt correct, friend Dionysus. However, I
need him in his right mind, if what I suspect is true." With that, the
nega-bands on Genis's wrists began to glow. Photonic sparkles spread out,
covering Hercules's body, the shimmering effect obscuring his entire form for a
moment. Then the lights faded, and Hercules slowly opened one eye.
"Eh?
What enchantment is this?"
"Merely sobering you up, Herc," Genis replied.
"We need you in good working order. So I used some of the solar power my
nega-bands carry, to help your body more quickly metabolize the
alcohol."
Hercules slapped a palm onto the top of his own head, dragging
it down slowly over his eyes. "Urrrr... Genis, in truth thou art thy father's
son. Only the offspring of Mar-Vell would dare to disturb the Scion of Zeus
during a hangover."
Genis smiled, whacking Hercules on the back. "So, why
are you here, Herc?"
"In truth, were I to tell you now, you wouldst think
me still inebriated." The big god hesitated. "But perhaps two words will
suffice." Hercules met Genis's eyes. "The Enemy."
Genis nodded grimly.
"As I suspected." He turned, walking out of the dining hall. "Meet me in the
central chamber in half an hour. If what I fear is true, time is of the
essence."
Hercules nodded absently, then pulled himself to his
feet.
"You let that kid give you orders like that?" Dionysus asked in
smart-alec fashion.
Hercules glared at him. "Give me no more of thy lip,
satyr. Thou hast accomplished more than enow for one day."
The Olympian
strode toward the guest chambers. Dionysus shrugged and reached for another
jug.
Ms. Marvel sat on the edge of a marble fountain, within a lush tropical
glade, the water gurgling merrily behind her. At her feet, on the grass, sat
Eros, gazing up at her in rapt attention.
"And you're saying that you
and Mar-Vell never...?"
Carol stood and strolled across the grass, then
stopped and gazed up at the false sky. "We considered it... once... but..."
Eros followed after her. "But--?"
She laughed. "I don't know...
It just never seemed right. I got a nice kiss out of him once, but that's about
it."
Eros smiled a devilish smile. "Indeed. For my own part, I always
found it odd that Mar-Vell did not surround himself with beautiful women. Women
such as yourself..." He moved closer.
Carol met his eyes. "Eros," she
said, "I'm enjoying your company. It's nice to have a man pay me a little
attention every now and then." She smiled sweetly, then leaned closer, reached
out, closed her hand around his collar, and suddenly Eros found that his feet
were no longer touching the ground. "But listen well," she continued, her lips
close to his ear, her voice suddenly a dangerous whisper. "I do not-- DO NOT--
like the idea of a man messing with my mind. Not again. Not ever again." A
half-smile crept over her mouth, as Eros stared back, wide-eyed and dumbfounded.
"Now, I'm not saying that you are, or that you have at all, done anything
inappropriate. But I know what you CAN do, what your powers include. And I know
how you operate. And I'm just warning you once-- ONCE. Don't even think about
it." With that, she set him back on the floor and strode imperiously
away.
Eros watched the blonde exit the glade, his eyes never wavering
from her black-swimsuit-clad form. After she was gone, he slowly exhaled and
started breathing again. Smoothing his collar back down, he squared his jaw, and
thought of the worst curses he could possibly utter.
But instead, all
that came out of his mouth was, "Wow..."
The gigantic space armada spread from one side of the viewscreen to the
other, a thousand twinkling lights, brighter than the stars, amidst the velvet
blackness of space.
At the center of the bridge, the man known to many
only as the Master, and to others as the Enemy, fastened the last seal on his
armor and raised his hands out before him, accustoming himself to the
feel.
"A perfect fit, sire," the Skrull
technician observed.
"Yes. Thank you for the assistance."
The
Skrull bowed low and shuffled away.
The Enemy peered at the viewscreen
through his armor's lenses. "Perfect indeed. For while my armies will sweep the
Terrans from the stars, I will attend to my old nemesis--or rather, his
offspring-- personally."
Energy crackled from the blue gauntlets, as the
Enemy clenched his fists and held them up before him. "What is the status of the
Titan defensive sphere?" he demanded suddenly.
"Still active, sire," one
of the officers replied, "but our agent should be ready to deal with it
shortly."
The Enemy nodded, then turned back to the screen. "Curse you,
Mar-Vell," he muttered harshly, "for succumbing to the Blackend and denying me
my rightful revenge." A cruel sneer crossed his face. "But those who cared for
you-- they will not be so fortunate. Elysius will pray for death before all is
finished. And Genis-- he will suffer as none before him have. So swears the
designated Champion of Chaos! So swears Y--"
"SIRE!"
The call
came from behind him, and the Enemy whirled. "Yes?"
"Our pawn on Titan is
in place! All is ready!"
"Wonderful." The Enemy's eyes narrowed to dark
slits. He gestured with one hand, and the officer nodded.
"Then let it
begin."
Having shed his red and blue outer garments due to the near-tropical
environment of Titan, and now clad in the navy-blue single-piece uniform with a
broad gold star across the chest, Genis walked slowly into the main control
center. His thoughts remained with his mother--he'd scarcely left her side since
they'd arrived. Looking around, he saw Mentor and Eros standing near the large
video screen, a screen displaying the darkness of interstellar space. The two
Titanians were discussing technical matters with the holographic image of Isaac,
the computer, which stood nearby. Across the room, at a broad table, sat Drax,
while a number of other Titanians busied themselves at their various
tasks.
"Ah, Genis," Mentor called, turning. "We are devoting our full
attention to locating any anomalies which might represent this 'Enemy' you
seek."
Eros nodded. "No luck so far, but we do have a--" he paused as Ms.
Marvel entered and strode up to them.
Carol smiled a wry smile. "You were
saying, Eros?"
Eros gathered his wits, as the others blinked in
confusion, at the thought that Eros would allow any woman to so fluster
him.
"Er--" Eros motioned toward the screen. "I was simply saying that we
are tracing a faint signal from far out beyond the solar system. It is
particularly large, so it may be nothing but a passing asteroid storm. Then
again..."
Genis's expression blanked. His eyes grew distant, and it
seemed as if his complexion darkened, reflecting the dark depths of the cosmos.
"Genis? Are you--?" Mentor started toward him, followed by Carol and the
others.
"The ENEMY!" He shouted, pointing at the screen. "He is THERE!"
Genis's expression twisted. "And he is also-- HERE!!"
The others gaped.
Across the room, Drax cried out, fell to his knees, clutching his head with both
hands. "NOOOOOOOO!"
"What--?!" Eros rushed
towards the purple-caped figure, but even as he did so, Drax leapt to his feet
and fired a powerful blast of energy at Eros, sending the Titanian
sprawling.
Everyone gasped. Even as Genis struggled to regain his senses
from the intense flash of cosmic awareness, Ms. Marvel and Mentor dashed towards
Drax.
They were too late. The Destroyer lived up to his name: He
unleashed a massive blast with both hands, the crimson energy searing into a
broad bank of computers and controls, melting them instantly.
The Isaac
hologram wailed. Mentor stared in horror at the melted consoles.
"What
did he do?" Ms. Marvel called out.
"The defensive shield!" Mentor shook
his head in dismay. "He's destroyed our defensive shield!"
Drax the
Destroyer bellowed a blood-curdling roar of rage, fear, and pain.
NEXT ISSUE: You guessed it-- The
Enemy strikes! And if Titan falls, can Earth be far behind? Tune in, true
believer, in sixty short days, for "SATURN SIEGE!"
POSTMARKED: PAMA
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997
11:54:08 -0500 (EST) From: James P Harrahy
<jharrahy@student.umass.edu>
I finally had an opportunity to read
your additions to the Captain Marvel mythos the other day. (and finally
re-gained access to email today) I must say, I was impressed. An interesting
bridge from the old series to today. While I prefer both the Starlin and
Englehart runs over the Moench one (excepting the awful LSD episode from
Englehart's run) you really seem to be running with this one. The subtexts
and interactions between Ms. Marvel and Genis were wonderful. Everything seemed
to be working smoothly here. I'm actually eagerly awaiting the next one, and
wondering why this menace never reared its head during the period between
Mar-Vell's death and Captain Marvel #63. I'm also intrigued by Order and Chaos
inserting themselves into this. Why bother masquerading as the deceased Eon? Do
Epoch and Quasar know about this? I can't wait to find out! I'm not sure a
romance between Genis and Carol would be a good idea, but I default to your
judgement. And it seems evident that Michael isn't the only one that can
spread comics propaganda, since you're using Genis here. I saw your emails about
finally reading the last two issues and realizing that Genis came a long way in
those six issues, but my account went piff before I could respond. The more the
merrier! This kid's got talent AND personality! (and I'm glad that you got rid
of that stupid non-mask thing that he wore, to this day, I don't understand the
point of those things)
--James P. Harrahy
All
concerning the Enemy will be revealed in due course, James, (and with the few
clues provided this issue, you may have already figured it out!) but it wouldn't
hurt to reveal that the Enemy's been very busy since the events of MARVEL
SPOTLIGHT #3. That issue made it clear that the Enemy was not an immediate
threat so much as a long-term danger; something building slowly. Three years
doesn't seem too bad in that light.
