Jimmy Attempts To Read All Of Secret Wars Part Nineteen

No theme to this edition, just trying to catch up.  After the break I’ll look at Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #1, Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #2, 1602: Witch Hunter Angela #1, 1602: Witch Hunter Angela #2, Inferno #2 and Inferno #3

Also, if you are like me and haven’t read all of Johnathon Hickman’s Avengers run leading up to Secret Wars, be sure to take Tom’s Road To Secret Wars course at gabbinggeekuniversity.com.  The reading materials are online here: Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7.

And that course is a prerequisite to the other parts of this series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #1

You know you’re popular when you have a whole domain dedicated to you.  Most of the domains are based on past Marvel crossovers but the Hala Field is a new creation featuring Jenny favorite Captain Marvel.  Carol Danvers is the leader of and only super powered member of The Banshee Squadron.  A bunch of hot shot military pilots nicknamed the “Carol Corps” for obvious reasons.

While on a training exercise the Carol Corps come upon a breach of the domain barrier wall.  The Hyrda Empire is invading!  The Corps prepare to attack, but are unneeded when a platoon of Thors arrive and decimate all the Hydra forces.  Shocked, the Corps return to base.

Captain Marvel stays behind to survey the carnage and meets up with Kit, the former Hala Field resident and now member of the Thor Corps.  As the two fly back to Marvel’s base, Kit says that, “All-Father Doom forged my hammer from a star in the sky.”  Carol finds this interesting since…Battleworld has no stars.  She is familiar with the shape called a star, but even the concept of a star being in the sky is completely foreign to her.

When Carol gets back to base she asks her Corps about what Kit said.  They dismiss it as “Thor talk” except for one.  One of the Corps is heavily using science to question things such as “Where does light come from?”  and what is out there off planet besides a giant void?  Asking these questions is considered blasphemy to God Doom.  But they are all growing suspicious, even Carol.

Later that day the Corps are sent to destroy an incoming ship.  Marvel’s commander says that Doom himself has sent word that the ship is full of rouge Ultrons and is to be destroyed.  Moments before the Corps accomplish their mission, Carol notices a man on the ship.  She rescues him from the freezing water and wreckage and brings him back to base.

The Corps now all realize that it wasn’t an Ultron ship.  Carol decides that she and the Corps should take on a new secret mission: to see what’s on the other side of the sky.

Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #2

The next day Carol returns to the ocean wreckage of the “Ultron ship” and discovers a piece of the ships call sign, “Albatros”.  She returns to base and checks in on the man she rescued last issue.  He finally awakens and we learn he is Captain James Rhodes.  He doesn’t manage to share much more information before passing out again.

The Corps sneak in one of the bases doctors to look at Rhodes and a lengthy discussion about trust and Doom and blasphemy ensues until the doctor admits that based on her tests, and contrary to legend, Captain Marvel was not created by magic…but something else.

The next day the Corps begin secretly retrofitting their jets to be able to clear the void.  Meanwhile, Carol is getting some answers from a recovering Rhodey.  His ship was obviously not full of Ultrons.  Rhodes and his crew are from the domain of Limbo.  (The domain where the X-Men lost to the demons of the Inferno crossover.)  Rhodes can’t understand why Doom would allow the demons to go unchecked, taking over more and more of his domain.  So he and his crew set out in their ship to get some answers.

The Corps are ready for their mission and plan to leave in the morning, but one of them decides not to wait.  Sneaking into the hanger and taking one of the modified planes out.  Things don’t go well as the plane explodes almost immediately after take off.

1602: Witch Hunter Angela #1

Remember how great the original Neil Gaiman written 1602 was?  Well, this really doesn’t live up to that.

The focus here is on Gaiman (and Todd McFarlane, gotta give him credit, don’t want Gabbing Geek getting sued) creation Angela, who wasn’t around during the original 1602 since she was too busy over at Image Comics fighting Spawn.  (It’s a long story.)

As it turns out, the James of domain King James’ England is James Howlett, aka Logan aka Wolverine, but also a “witchbreed”.  And with Angela being a “witch hunter”…things don’t work out so well for him.  With him dispatched and one Charles Javier set to assume the throne, Angela and her partner Serah head out to hunt a more dangerous breed of creatures: Faustians.

The first they encounter and slay is former soldier James “Bucky” Barnes.  His death draws the giver of his powers, The Enchantress, to Angela.  She doesn’t stick around long, but tells Angela that before they can kill three of her “Faustians”, her partner Serah will be dead.

1602: Witch Hunter Angela #2

Angela and Serah continue their quest to hunt down and kill any Faustians.  Angela is wary of The Enchantress’ warning from last issue, but Serah is not afraid as she does not believe the prophecy.

In their travels the duo save a group of players, the Gardiner’s Men, from a collection of beasts magically transformed by The Enchantress.  They are in fact the 1602 versions of the Guardians of the Galaxy.  They are on their way to perform at the wedding of Anne Weying and Edwin Brocc.  And if you are aware of the punny nature of some of these 1602 names, and the current incarnation of the Guardians pre-Secret Wars…you can kinda guess where this is going.

Angela and Serah accompany the troupe to town and at the wedding Angela notices that the bride has been enchanted, an elixer used to brainwash her into marrying Edwin.  When Angela confronts him she discovers that he is a Faustian.  He transforms into a monster with large teeth, a massive tongue and claws dripping…venom!  (Surprise!)

With the help of Serah and the Gardiner’s men, Angela slays the beast.  Which means two Faustians have been killed…and The Enchantress foretold that Serah would be dead before the third Faustian was struck down.

Inferno #2

In an attempt to gain the loyalty of the Goblin horde for Colossus, Madelyne Prior casts him down into the masses alone to fight his way out.

“Goblin loyalty is no simple thing.  Equal parts fear and respect.  They need to know what happens when this man’s back is against a wall.  They need to watch him claw his way back from the brink.”

And claw his way back he does, with the help of his sister’s discarded Soulsword.

Meanwhile in the Goblin Queen’s prison, Domino has made a new friend.  The Goblin Queen’s son Cable.  When the two bond over their affection for big guns, Cable frees her to play with him.  Domino uses the opportunity to attempt a rescue of Colossus, but after a brief skirmish all hands realize they are on the same side.  Well, that may be stretching it, but they have mutually beneficial goals.

 

As Colossus and his goblin army begin their attack, Darkchild reveals she has a new toy of her own.  After yanking out the captive Nightcrawler’s soul, he is now a demonized teleporting monstrosity.

Inferno #3

For the second time since the missions to rescue his sister began, Colossus reaches the top of her tower.  Only this time, she is not there.  She has taken her new demonized version of Nightcrawler to teleport outside the protective dome to attack the X-Men.  With no other way out of the dome, Colossus and Domino have no way back to stop her.

Madelyne Pryor is not too upset.  With Illayna gone, she can assume the throne uncontested…as long as the X-Men manage to take the Darkchild down.  Which is easier said than done.  She takes out X-Man after X-Man on her way to the source of the protective dome that keeps her kind locked in Limbo.  Her and Nightcrawler make quick work of Beast and Dr. Strange and the barrier is brought down.  Allowing her demon hordes to escape and swarm the city.

But in the end the real winner here may be…Mister Sinister?