 |
#23
January
2007 |
MARVEL 2000 PRESENTS...
"THE COSMIC VACCUUM"
Part VIII (Conclusion):
"An Unholy Legacy!"
Written by Jeff Melton
 |
Thor |
D |
eep within the most uncharted regions of space, in an area largely unknown by the rest of the universe, because of a barrier separating—and hiding—it from most of the universe, Thor and the Collector are engaged in a momentous battle. The prize…the deceased Galactus’ ship, Taa II.
Thor hovers in space before the Collector, energy trailing off his powerful hammer, Mjolnir, as the Collector looks over at Thor, anger burning in his ancient eyes. Prior to the thunder god’s arrival, he thought nothing would stop him from adding Taa II to his collection, but now, he realizes that Thor will not let him take the ship without a battle that is much more costly than the Collector had envisioned. But, not having this prize for his collection is unthinkable. He nods, then smiles a sinister smile, as a realization strikes him.
He gestures towards Thor, and a host of small, round objects immediately shoot towards Thor. “Let us see how you fare against these,” the Collector remarks.
“They look similar to the small probes thou did launch ‘gainst me earlier,”* Thor returns, shaking his head, “and will likely have the same fate.”
[*In issue #21.]
“I think not,” the Collector returns, with a cold sneer. Just as the probes reach Thor, they start exploding. There is a domino effect, as one explodes, triggering thousands of others to likewise explode, making Thor disappear beneath the explosive charges, and the cloud of smoke that rises from them. “These detonoblasts were created by perhaps the finest weapon-makers in the universe, the Argotauns. They have heat-seeking capabilities, which cause resulting explosions of ever-greater magnitude. And, you might be intrigued to know that each blast beyond the second are nuclear-level explosions. However, they are self-contained, so that the intended target will receive the full impact of the detonation, but without shockwaves, or damage to any area beyond the point of impact. Quite ingenuous.”
The Collector hovers in space, watching the series of explosions, with a smile of satisfaction etched on his withered face. He nods, thinking that this will be the end of the line for the thunder god. And, without Thor to stand in his way, he will easily take the ship. He turns away from the continuing explosions, looking at the ship. A look of concern suddenly surfaces on his face. “I sense another presence in the ship,” he mutters. “Could it be…LOKI!”
As the Collector is distracted, Thor flies outward from the explosions, as the probes following him, continuing to explode all around him, leaving a trail of smoke in their wake. The Collector turns around just in time to see Thor swinging his hammer, which connects with the side of his face, jerking the Elder’s face violently to the other side with tremendous impact, even as the probes circle the two, and explode all around them!
“Thy toys should be shared, Collector,” Thor remarks, as he delivers another blow to the Collector, even as the sky is lit up around them with the continuing explosive blasts from the small ball-shaped objects. “Aye, and so should be Mjolnir!”
“And, thy claim that the makers of these exploding bombs are the greatest weapons-makers,” Thor continues, as he delivers a massive upper-cut with his hammer, jerking the Collector’s head back with great force! “The trolls might take offense…as might their greatest achievement…Mjolnir!”
The Collector is rocked with the ferocity and relentless nature of Thor’s attack, and can offer nothing in the way of a counter-attack! As Thor’s blows continue to rain down on him, the Collector finds it increasingly difficult to remain conscious…much less aloft!
S |
peaking of Thor’s brother, let us turn our attention within the ship of the now-deceased Galactus, where we find Loki, making his way towards a control room. All around him are scenes of the various conflicts outside the ship, and on the world below. Thor and the Collector’s conflict is shown on a large screen on the left hallway, while on the right hallway, the Surfer flees on his board from a pursuing Punisher. Directly over the entrance to the room is the scene of the Air-Walker and Firelord.
“A pity,” Loki remarks, shaking his head at the scene of the Surfer weaving on his board, doing his best to avoid the Punisher, “that there is no Microverse for that silver-clad oaf to flee to this time.”** With that, he shakes his head again, scoffing, as he makes his way into the room under the screen. “No matter. The universe will hardly miss the likes of the quivering Norrin Radd.”
[**A reference to Fantastic Four #74.]
As Loki enters the room, a light flickers on, illuminating the room so that he can better see what lies within. Loki sneers at the flickering lights, realizing that, with Galactus deceased, small things like this will not get the attention they require.
Loki looks around, taking in the sights of the room. There are weapons throughout the room, from long-dead civilizations. Most of them are categorized along the walls, but some are situated in metal boxes that line up along the floor. The floor is metallic, and the light from the top of the room casts a reflection of Loki along the floor. Again, Loki shakes his head at the coldness in the room, reflecting the character of its former owner.
“There are weapons aplenty here,” Loki remarks, dismissing the boxes with a contemptuous wave of his hand, “but they are useless for my purposes.” Out of the corner of his eye, Loki catches sight of a small, ornately decorated box, similar in design to a jewelry box. He walks over to it, opening it. There is a light from the box that shines outward, towards him. Loki nods, a sinister smile crossing his face, as he re-closes the box. “Excellent,” he remarks. “A weapon of such great power should be harnessed properly by one who understands its nature, and is not afraid to use it.”
Holding the box in his hand, he walks across the room, looking around. “But, there is another object that I seek,” Loki remarks, “not as powerful perhaps as the first, but one which will help me in the resumption of my rightful position.” He turns, noting a small machine situated on the floor, in the corner of the room. He nods. “Galactus was given to using machinery,” Loki comments, as he walks over to the small machine. “With his limited power, and limited imagination,” Loki adds with contempt, a sneer crossing his face once again, “he was unable to do many of the feats that he hath been rumored to do on his own. ‘'Tis true that he could not easily consume a world without a machine to help him in his efforts.” Loki kneels down, inspecting the machinery, as he nods with satisfaction at what he has found. “I thought this was true of this as well. I shall soon find out.”
Loki gets to his feet, pouring a glass of water on the metallic floor. Looking down at the small puddle of water, he gestures across it. Ripples form in the small puddle, and are transformed into an image—the image of Loki’s castle in Asgard. Within the castle, lying next to Loki’s throne, is his servant, a small, hideous troll…
“Grunther!” Loki bellows, his rage coming out through his tone. The image of the troll immediately leaps from his spot, quivering with fear at his master’s rage. “Thou art a listless oaf! Hath thou slept during my entire absence, thy worthless clod?!”
“What…?” the cowering troll responds, his master’s voice waking him quickly. He looks around, kneeling, but trying to find where Loki’s voice is coming from. “You have returned…?!”
“If I had returned, thou would already be in chains,” Loki returns. “Have you prepared the cask, as I instructed you before I departed?!”
“Yes,” the troll replies, still trying to find a sight to go with the voice that seems to boom all around him. “As you requested, I…”
“I requested nothing,” Loki corrects him.
The troll nods, submissively. “As you commanded,” the troll continues, “the trolls in your service have prepared it. It needs only the final enchantment.”
“Very good,” Loki nods. “Take it to the Norn Queen. She will know what to do. But hurry. Time grows nigh, and I will soon return with the prizes. All must be in readiness when I return.”
“I will see to it,” the troll nods, still looking out of the corner of his eyes to see a glimpse of Loki coming.
“Make sure that you do,” Loki responds sharply. “Thou art easily replaced, and my wolves do grow hungry.” Loki waves his hand again, and the small puddle becomes water once again. Loki smiles with a sinister sense of satisfaction, as he places the small machine in a leather pouch, and carries the other box out of the weapons room, letting the light dissipate behind him.
E |
ven as the Collector battles Thor, we turn our attention across time and space to his own homeworld. There, amid all of his collections from various civilizations and times, hangs Terrax the Tamer. His face is a mask of anger, frustration, and exhaustion. Since the Collector left to pursue Galactus’ ship, he has been trying to break the bonds that hold him fast, and to escape this prison. All of his efforts have proven fruitless, and now he hangs from his arms, exhausted from his attempts to extricate himself.
“Damn the Collector!” Terrax exclaims as loudly as he can. His voice, however, is horse from numerous curses, and a general lack of hydration. Anger burns in his eyes, as his cosmic energy flickers and sparks from his eye sockets. “Even in his absence, he keeps me contained in this damnable prison, a piece in his collection of ancient artifacts. He will pay dearly for this indignity…even if I have to mortgage my very being to inflict on him the punishment he so surely deserves!”
How much do you seek your freedom?
The voice booms through the room, and Terrax looks around the room, surprised by the suddenness of it. Then, anger surges through him. “Collector?!” he demands. “Is that you?! Are you mocking me?!”
No. How much do you value your freedom?
Terrax is unable to control his volatile temper. “What kind of question is that?!” he exclaims, anger causes his body to shake involuntarily. “Who are you and why do you mock me?!”
It is a simple question. One easily answered. If you want your freedom, simply answer it.
Terrax realizes that this is not the Collector, and is somewhat comforted by that. He lets a semblance of a smile cross his face. Perhaps this is an opportunity for freedom. “Yes,” Terrax responds, already contemplating betrayal, once his freedom has been won—if, indeed this man is able to win his freedom for him.
Your very thoughts betray you. You cannot be useful for my purposes.
Suddenly, fear rises in Terrax’s chest, clutching at his heart. He does not know how this being was able to read his mind, but he cannot let this opportunity pass him by. Desperation sets in, and he realizes this may be his only opportunity to be free from this trophy room. “Wait!” Terrax pleads. “What do you want?”
The only thing I require is your obedience.
Terrax looks up, his eyes turning upward, even as his arms continue to be held fast above his head. He nods slightly, realizing that he has no other options. “You have it,” he returns. Within a moment, he is falling to the ground, his chains removed from his arms, which are useless to break his fall. He lands hard on the surface, too numb to care. Then, he immediately disappears from the room where he was held, leaving the empty chains still hanging from the ceiling as the only reminder that he was once held there.
B |
ack on the planet that is caught in the shadow of Galactus’ ship, the Silver Surfer stands atop his surfboard, weaving, as the Punisher fires an energy blast at him, narrowly missing his right side, as the Surfer continues to move. “My only hope is to stay away from him,” the Surfer silently muses. “He is too destructive if he gets in a solid blow.”
Surfer shoots down towards the ground, weaving back and forth on his board to avoid continuing blasts from the Punisher. Then, he swerves sharply, and quickly rises towards the Punisher. As he nears the powerhouse, he unleashes twin blasts of cosmic energy, which strike the Punisher squarely in the face, driving him back slightly.
“That blast should have been sufficient to lay waste to a mountain,” the Surfer muses, his eyes growing larger with surprise and fear, “but still he stands! What will it take to stop him!?”
The Punisher, however, takes advantage of the fact that the Surfer had to get so close to him to make a direct attack, and reaches out quickly, grabbing the Surfer by the ankle. The Surfer turns, firing again at the Punisher’s face. However, the Punisher does not stop his attack. He grabs the Surfer’s board with his other arm, and slams it across the Surfer’s face, jerking his head violently to the other side with tremendous force!
“Uh!” the Surfer exclaims, as he reels from the pain inflicted by the Punisher.
The Surfer continues to squirm, but the Punisher slams his board into his face again, slowing him down somewhat. With a fixed expression betraying no emotion, but only a relentless dedication to his mission, the Punisher throws the Surfer directly downward, where he plummets towards the rocky surface!
As the Punisher watches the Surfer plummet to the ground, he grabs the Surfer’s board with each of his hands, and slams it against his knee, shattering it, and breaking it in half with his own formidable strength! Contemptuously, he tosses the parts down, as they follow their master towards the waiting ground below, tumbling through the air on the way down.
O |
n another part of the selfsame planet, Firelord is facing off against Air-Walker, pained that he has to battle the image of his friend. Air-Walker, however, seems unaffected by this, as he sends out swirling winds that buffet Firelord, keeping him off-balance and unable to respond.
“By destroying the machinery that will be required to consume this planet,” Air-Walker remarks pointedly, “you have set back the timeline of this vital mission. I cannot let you continue to interfere with my objectives in this way.”
Firelord, his forearm in front of his face in an effort to see clearly amid the swirling winds, sends out a fiery blast of cosmic energy that strikes Air-Walker in the face, sending him back.
“My only hope is to end this quickly,” Firelord silently considers, as he floats over the now-dissipating winds, sending out more cosmic energy at the Air-Walker, “and to try to shut down his defensive systems.”
Firelord flies up to Air-Walker, who slams his fist into the fiery former herald’s mid-section, doubling him over. “There is no need to resist,” Air-Walker responds. “I will make your demise a quick one.”
Firelord’s eyes start to glow with anger, his temper no longer under control, as he can feel the anger explode from within him. He flies forward towards Air-Walker, grabbing him by the mid-section, and tackling him to the ground. Air-Walker absorbs the impact of the fall to the ground, his internal circuitry started to spark at the point where his arms meet his chest.
Air-Walker starts to get to his feet, but Firelord is upon him, raining blow after blow to Air-Walker’s face, even as sparks continue to fly from Air-Walker—from his face, his neck, and his chest. “If I am to die,” Firelord exclaims defiantly, “it will not be at the hands of a robot who does not even know who he is!”
As Air-Walker remains stunned, unable to stand on his feet, Firelord reaches out, his hand smashing through Air-Walker’s chest, even as the latter’s legs completely collapse from under him. Firelord looks away from Air-Walker’s mechanical eyes, his own eyes fixed on his goal. With a sudden flash, Firelord discharges his energy at a critical point in Air-Walker’s internal systems, and the robot collapses to the ground, temporarily deactivated.
Firelord looks down at the prone form of Air-Walker, even as his anger starts to abate, replaced by a sense of grief at having to do what he has done to his friend. He merely shakes his head, his thoughts remaining his own.
A |
n incalculable distance away, Odin is preparing a gathering of Asgard’s finest warriors for the grim task of setting out to battle an enemy that has laid waste to a legion of Asgardian warriors. Before Odin, dressed in armor, stands Hogun the Grim, Fandral the Dashing, and Volstagg the Voluminous. Sif stands beside Odin, her sword unsheathed, and held in her hands.
“My most loyal warriors,” Odin utters in his regal tone, pain evident in his voice, “We have lost fine warriors ‘gainst this threat that hath recently surfaced on the other regions of the Realm Eternal.”
“Aye,” Volstagg remarks, his eyes burning with anger, “my own neighbor was felled by the unseen villain. Many times did we share the a meal.” Fandral, standing beside Volstagg, smiles and shakes his head, amazed that his old friend can find any time to think of food.
“As were many others,” Sif remarks. “The fiend must be stopped!”
“That is why thou art here assembled,” Odin interjects, his scepter outstretched to silence any further discussion. “Thou must go forth, for Asgard, and seek out the fiend that hath felled so many of thy brethren. If he continues on, unabated, the golden city itself will be under his shadow.”
“Asgard hath endured much of late,” a young warrior comments to another warrior at his side. “We hath faced Galactus, Ulik, and many other threats. Why doth this one seem more dire?”
“Thy words bespeak thy youth,” Odin responds, looking directly at the young warrior, who is surprised that his ruler has heard his comments. He quickly falls to his knees before Odin.
“I meant no disrespect, Lord Odin,” the warrior pleads, lowering his head in respect.
“Arise, young Vaalstar,” Odin responds. The warrior rises and returns to the ranks of his fellow warriors. “Thy courage is well known to me, and I am sure thou will acquit thyself well on the field of battle.” He then runs his eyes along the line of warriors who are before him. They are the officers who will be leading many more, assembled outside, near the gates of Asgard. “Now, my bravest warriors, go forth and fight for the glory of Asgard.”
“FOR ASGARD!” The cry rings out in unison, as the warriors turn and walk through the passageway leading out of the throneroom, and towards the streets below.
Sif, for her part, starts to follow the others, but is stopped by Odin’s hand on her upper arm. “Nay, brave Sif,” he says with authority.
“But, my lord,” Sif responds, surprised by Odin’s actions. “We can ill afford to spare a single one of our warriors. I will gladly lay down my life for thee…and for Asgard!”
“This do I know, Sif,” Odin replies with a gentle nod. “But thou will be needed here. When Thor returns, we must be ready to do what we must to build a final line of defense here…within the gates, so that if the warriors fail in their mission, we will be ready.”
B |
ack across the dimensional plane, we find Thor locked in battle with the Collector. As Thor prepares to strike the Collector once again, the Collector holds up his right hand, and a brilliant flash catches Thor off-guard, distracting him for a moment, as he shields his eyes.
The Collector, clearly stunned from their battle, takes a step back, then delivers a blast of cosmic energy at Thor, catching him in the mid-section, and doubling him over. The Collector then smiles, pleased that he is finally on the offensive in this battle. However, he then grimaces, his hand running along his side.
“I did not realize the extent of my injuries,” the Collector thinks to himself, as he continues to blast Thor with cosmic energy. “It seems I under-estimated the thunderer, and his blows have had their effect. I can feel shattered ribs and internal injuries. I cannot fight a prolonged battle under these conditions. If I do not stop him now…”
His next blast of energy, however, is blocked by Thor’s hammer, as the thunder god rises it in front of him. The energy is sent directly into the hammer, which glows from the sudden influx of additional energy. “Thou hath had thy chance, Collector,” Thor remarks, as he moves his hammer, shifting it into his right hand. “And now the time of thy defeat is at hand!”
The Collector is stunned that Thor was able to recover so quickly. Before he can mount a counter-offensive, Thor throws his hammer, striking the Collector in the face. The Collector falls back, his head reeling from the injuries he’s taken this day. Before he can recover, Thor is upon him, delivering another blow to his mid-section. This one is particularly painful, because of his injuries in that area. His sight goes dim for a moment, but he tries to stay conscious, even as he involuntarily cries out in pain.
“Yield, Collector!” Thor offers, even as he delivers a powerful upper-cut that sends the Collector flying back. The Collector blacks out for an instant, and sees the figure of Thor upon him once again. Thor then delivers a blow with his right fist against the Collector’s chin, just below the eye socket.
The Collector stumbles back, holding his hand up. “Back, Thor!” he calls out. He glares over at Thor through his ancient eyes. For the moment, Thor stands in wait, ready to renew the battle if he needs to do so. “Curse you for your interference with my collection, but you have won. I will leave now, but I will not forget the indignity you have caused this day. When we meet again, prepare for Hela’s embrace!”
“I hath no fear of Hela…or thee!” Thor responds. “Know this…thy collection is or no import to me, so long as it does not interfere with Odin’s wishes, or the welfare of my friends. Such actions will be at the peril of thy life.”
The Collector makes no response, other than to shake his head. His injuries have sapped his strength, and it is an effort to remain conscious. He merely waves his hand, opening a dimensional gateway back to his home planet. He makes no further comments, but merely steps through the gateway, which instantly disappears behind him.
Thor then makes his way down to the planet below, where he finds the Surfer rises from the ground, and Firelord trading blows with the Punisher! Thor throws his hammer, sending it across the distance separating them. It slams into the back of the Punisher’s head, and he is sent plummeting to the ground below. As Thor, Firelord, and the Surfer all converge on the Punisher, he gets to his feet. Thor holds his hammer in his hand, and prepares for battle.
The Punisher, however, looks into the sky above them. He then takes to the air, without a word, and flies straight up, into the planet’s atmosphere, and disappears into Galactus’ ship. Thor, Firelord, and the Surfer follow.
“Did he assess that the odds were against him?” Firelord asks, looking over at Thor.
“Doubtful,” the Surfer responds. “Galactus designed the Punisher to fight until he is destroyed. He would not back down, even if he knew he would be destroyed.”
“Aye,” Thor agrees, as they make their way to the ship, still in orbit above the planet. “’Tis Loki’s doing. He de-activated the robot and called it back to the ship, I am certain.”
The three enter the ship, where they are greeted by Loki. “Ho, brother!” Loki remarks. “I see that the Collector hath been vanquished.”
“Indeed,” Firelord snaps, “and with no help from you.”
“Or thee,” Loki snaps back, contemptuously. “Thou did little, but talk to Air-Walker during the true battle.”
“And what did you do, Loki?” Firelord demands.
“Not that it is any of your concern, gnat,” the Loki returns, glaring over at Firelord, “but I was here, disabling the weapons on Galactus’ ship.” He then looks at the Surfer and back to Firelord. “Also, I save thy hides, by dispatching Punisher—who neither of thee could defeat on thy own! So, ask not why I hath done, but rather what value it hath been to have thee both here!”
“Enough!” Thor demands, holding out his hand authoritatively. “The battle is over. There is no need to start anew here, among us.” He turns to Loki. “Hath thou mastered the controls on this ship?”
“Aye, Thor,” Loki responds. “I have.”
“Good,” Thor replies with a nod. “We must needs return the ship to Asgard, as Odin did command. I will need thee to pilot the ship,” Thor continues, as he walks along the command console, “after thou hath shown me where one item is located.”
Loki smiles, his eyes flashing with his own hidden schemes. “I am ever at thy service, brother.”
“Thor,” Firelord asks, “I would like to accompany you to Asgard, if I may. I need to retrieve Air-Walker from the planet below, and see if I can work on restoring his consciousness, which I have learned is kept here, in the ship.”
“Thou art most welcome to do so,” Thor responds, placing his hand on Firelord’s shoulder. He then turns to the Surfer. “And thee, Norrin?”
“Not this time, Thor,” Surfer replies. “I was on a quest when I was waylaid by Ego***, and I would like to complete that.”
[***As we learned in Thor (this series) #17, after he was discovered by the Warriors Three and Vizier in #16.]
“Understood,” Thor replies. “But thou art ever welcome in Asgard. Forget that not.” Behind Thor, unseen by him, Loki rolls his eyes.
“My thanks, Thor,” the Surfer replies. “I enjoyed working with you again. If I can do anything for you, let me know.”
“Well-said, Norrin,” Thor responds. “I wish thee well in thy travels.” He then turns to Loki, as Norrin starts to walk away. “Loki, about that matter we spoke of earlier?”
EPILOGUE
T |
hor teleports through space, arriving before Ego, the Living Planet. Ego’s visage looks tired, and he is still recuperating from his battle with Thor.**** As Thor appears before him, the planet’s face reacts with surprise, its brow upturning at the sight of the thunder god.
[****That epic battle took place in Thor #18-19 (this series).]
Thor lands on Ego, feeling the soft terrain on his boots once again. Thor notes to himself that the terrain on Ego is quite different than on any other planet he has traveled, constantly shifting and moving, although slightly.
“What brings you back here, Thor?” Ego’s human form asks, appearing before the thunder god. “I did not expect you to return here, after our conflict.”
“I sought to avoid that conflict, Ego,” Thor returns. “I hath no argument with thee.”
“Why have you returned now?” Ego asks. “Our battle drained me, and I have been focusing on my recuperation.”
“Aye,” Thor replies. “That is well.” As he talks, he removes a pouch, which was connected to his belt. “I hath thought much of our recent encounter, Ego. While I was on orders from Odin to return this ship, I was no unsympathetic to thy desire to have what it contained.”
“I take it the battle is over,” Ego comments, “and the Collector is defeated?”
“As thou hath relayed it, so is it so,” Thor returns. “The ship that once belonged to Galactus is now on its way to Asgard, as Odin did will it.”
“Perhaps that is for the best,” Ego agrees. “I—and many of the other planets did have concern that the weapons and planet-consuming technology might fall into the wrong hands, or some other madman might take up Galactus’ insane mission.”
“Thy concerns were well-founded, ‘twould seem,” Thor recounts. “Air-Walker was prepared to do precisely that. But…thou doth converse with other planets?”
Ego allows himself a slight smile. “Only the ones who are interesting.”
Thor shakes his head, handing over the pouch to Ego. “I will pursue that no further,” he replies. “I hath been thinking of thy comment about kinship. I understand now that thou hath a certain kinship with other worlds, and may be interested in learning about the worlds that Galactus hath consumed…”
“Learning about some, perhaps,” Ego replies, taking the pouch from Thor, and opening to see that a CD is inside, “but for others, which were taken from me some time ago, perhaps reminiscing.”
Thor nods. “Do with them what thy wilt,” Thor comments. “I leave them with thee.”
“My thanks, Thor,” Ego says with genuine appreciation. “Since we first met, and you defeated Galactus*****, I have never held antipathy towards you. Even though we met again, and battled, when I was struck by temporary madness******, I did not hold that against you. I thank you for bringing this to me. Know this, thunderer, from this day forward, Ego considers you a friend.”
[*****In the classic Thor #160-161.]
[******Which transpired in Thor #225-227.]
“Well-said, Ego,” Thor replies. “May we never met again in battle.” He then starts to levitate, as he takes to the air. “But now, I must away. Asgard doth call for my return, and I must not delay it any longer. I wish thee well, Ego.”
The End
THE HAMMER STRIKES!
Sometimes it’s more difficult to end a storyline than the whole process of putting it together. This is true for my current storyline. I’ve really had a lot of fun with THE COSMIC VACUUM. I’ve really enjoyed handling these characters, and having them interact. There are so many things that could be done with a storyline like this, that it would likely take up several more issues. I hope that everyone was satisfied with the conclusion, and that the next storyline will be an enjoyable one. I’d like to thank Cory for the Editor’s Choice Award, given to Thor #22. His letter follows…
The Mighty Thor #22 by Jeff Melton!
"THE COSMIC VACCUUM" has been nothing short of one of Marvel 2000's
greatest epics up until this point in the story, and this penultimate issue
has been the best yet. I've been extremely excited about this story since
I read the first issue and Jeff gave me the downlow on it, and he is truly
delivering with his fast paced and energetic action, his extremely well
handled dialogue, and his balanced and engaging plots. While I was a bit
disappointed to see him sidelined this issue, Loki still played an interesting
role and I'm very curious as to what he's going to discover in Galactus's
ship. Though he also had a minor scene (setting up a future plot, I'm assuming),
I feel that Odin especially came off well in this issue, and of course Jeff
proves that he's the master of writing Thor. Whether it's dialogue, characterization,
or the character's diverse and ranged abilities and fighting styles, Jeff's
got it down, and this story is the perfect way to illustrate everything
that Thor's made of, and you just know that the Collector really has it
coming next issue!
My only complaint? The Silver Surfer's still getting his metallic booty
handed to him (though, admittedly, it is The Punisher doing the booty handing)
and it still seems that Jeff's writing him as a bit of the cosmic red-headed
step child. That's a shame, as Jeff does write everyone from Firelord to
The Collector extraordinarily well, and the Surfer's written pretty good,
too... y'know, even if he is getting his ass kicked. Though I've never been
a fan of present tense, Jeff does manage to mostly pull it off here, especially
as he tends to capture the immediacy and excitement of his stories very
well. I would be curious to see how Jeff writes in past tense, though, so
maybe next arc he could give a try?
Overall, there's a lot to love in Jeff's writing and in this particular
issue of Thor, with virtually no squabbles in not only the man's prose and
writing abilities but his story crafting abilities. So congratulations,
Jeff! You're the Editor's Choice for 11/06/06!
Cory Wiegel
Cory, once again, thanks for the support you’ve shown for this series. I certainly appreciate it. It’s an honor to have the coveted Editor’s Choice Award. As to past-tense, I prefer present tense in most of my stories, because of the action. I’m not opposed to doing past tense, and have used it at times in the past. I really appreciate your comments concerning the dialogue and the way these characters are handled, because I certainly believe in writing the characters in character.
This is something I look forward to every month at M2K. Jeff fills the cosmic-niche extremely well and his underlying plots make you crave more. I think Jeff's take on Loki is exactly what the character needs to stay alive in reader's minds. In fact, when the Tookies come around again I just may give my vote for best villain to Jeff's Loki!
Every fanfic site needs that powerhouse and Jeff provides for Thor very
well (the Surfer, too). Keep up the great work, Jeff! You've got a dedicated
reader in me (Thor was the first work of Jeff's that I read, and now I'm
going searching for more).
David Golightly
Thanks, David. I certainly appreciate the support. And thanks, too, for your comments concerning Loki. He really is an under-appreciated villain, and I’m glad that you enjoy the way I’m handling him here. He can be a real joy to write. David, in case you don’t know, is writing The Vault here at M2K, and it’s an enjoyable series for us fans of villain books. I certainly can recommend it.
Thor #21. It showed tremendous wisdom for the Surfer and even Firelord to take refuge behind the invulnerable Thor after the Collector unleashed his barrage of cosmic energy at Thor! One richochet may have disintegrated the hapless Surfer!
I like how Thor dealt with the Collector’s cosmic energy attack and reacted to his threat. Well done.
Page 2—“One power-mad cosmic bore is quite sufficient in one’s lifetime!” after Loki rolled his eyes: Hilarious! Loki’s contempt for the cosmics is amusing but accurate, after he once brought the Surfer to his knees and defied Galactus’ barrier with ease, as did the Hulk’s power.
Page 3—Well done bit with the shiver up the Surfer’s quivering spine. Well do I remember how he fled the Punisher for the first time in the 60s into the microverse, and how giddy and relieved he was to escape that ass-whupping.
Page 4—The Surfer is in serious trouble.
Page 5—Air-Walker, eh? The plot thickens.
Page 6—Interesting goings-on in Asgard. I wonder what unseen force felled these warriors?
Page 7—Good to see Thor’s invulnerability re-inforced after Owsley’s nonsense.
Page 8—The Collector is a nefarious little bastard, isn’t he? Great issue.
Loki is handled great, and the Surfer is treated like he was in his 60s series: at a reasonable level of power.
I’d like to see an all-issue Thor/Abomination fight, as well as Thor vs. the Glob. Thor vs. the Missing Link; Thor vs. Wendigo, and more battles like that.
Loki and the Leader vs. Thor and the Hulk might be a fun annual. I could see you having a blast writing that.
Rick Powell
Thanks for the review. I can tell you’re a Hulk fan, with all those Hulk villains you’d like to see him fight. I can understand that, though. I know I always thought a Hulk/Ulik fight would be a natural. As for the power levels, I certainly believing in portraying them accurately, and endeavor to do that here. I’m glad you’re enjoying the series.
Next issue, we find out the identity of the threat to Asgard, as the Asgardian warriors square off against the extremely powerful menace! More on Loki’s schemes, as his own plans start to unfold. Plus: Who freed Terrax, and what does he have planned for the former herald…and others? Action, suspense, and intrigue galore…all in the pages of THOR #24!
Jeff Melton
