THIS WOMAN, THIS WARRIOR: Ms. Marvel #8

Ms. Marvel #8 (August 1977)
Title: The Last Sunset...?
Story: Chris Claremont
Art: Jim Mooney & Joe Sinnott
Summary: Alden's Department Store is the scene of a SHIELD investigation based on a tip from Carol Danvers. Carol herself is there when SHILED fails to find any trace of AIM's hidden headquarters. When SHIELD Agent Larry Rogers gives up the search, Carol realizes that it will be up to Ms. Marvel to discover AIM's whereabouts. Little does Carol know that Agent Rogers was acting on AIM's behalf and called off the search before the truth could be uncovered. The AIM leader identifies Carol and orders her terminated before she can cause further trouble for AIM.

Frustrated by SHIELD's failure to find the AIM HQ, Carol goes for a wlak to blow off some steam. Carol attracts the attentions of a couple of street thugs, who trail her to a bar where she has agreed to meet journalist, Tracy Burke. Carol hopes to hire Tracy as an associate editor for WOMAN Magazine but is troubled by rumors that Tracy has a drinking problem. Carol is very direct about her concerns and Tracy assures her that she has been sober for the past five years. Tracy shares that journalism was what drove her to drink, but that she is tired of running from that part of herself. Just as Carol is offering Tracy the job, she suffers another precognitive blackout.

Carol's precognitive vision of a beach and an exploding radar station is disrupted when she is attacked by the two thugs who had followed her to the bar. Sanpping painfully out of her trance, Carol proceeds to trounce her assailants using a combination of both her own and Ms. Marvel's fighting skills. Carol is snapped out of her berserker fury by Tracy, who is bewildered at Carol's martial skills and relentless assault on the two thugs.

The next day, Carol is on a date with her therapist, Mike Barnett. The pair are discussing the prior evening's incident and Carol's increasing concern over the further emergence of her Kree personality & instincts. Suddenly, Carol realizes she is in the same cove she saw in her precognitive flash. Carol steals away to investigate the radar station, easily evading its security measures. She finds the guards unconscious and armed to the teeth.

She searches the station and finds it under siege by Grotesk! The pair battle and once she has Grotesk on the ropes, she realizes why he is there. The radar station is simply a front for a military installation developing a powerful lasar cannon. Grotesk has focussed the laser's destructive power through the stolen cavourite crystal to cause a massive implosion in another attempt to gain vengeance on the surface world for the destruction of his people.

Carol & Grotesk's battle explodes onto the beachfront where Grotesk manages to best Ms. Marvel. His attempt to drown her appears to be successful and the monstrous prince of Sub-Terranea head back into the station to recalibrate the laser with the crystal. Slowly, Ms. Marvel rises from the water and realizes that she cannot halt the impending implosion. Her only hope is to trigger it prematurely, before the deadly energies can build. She flings Grotesk into the device and triggers the implosion, which consumes Grotesk and the entire radar station. Carol manages to survive the catastrophe and leaves the scene with Dr. Barnett, remorseful that Grotesk had to die in order to save the planet.

Comments: This issue introduces Tracy Bruke who recently appeared in Iron Man as a part of Carol's current storyline surrounding alcoholism.