This is the fourth part in an eight part series reviewing Quasar: Cosmos In Collision issues 19-25.
• Part One - Introduction
• Part Two - Quasar # 19: Cosmos In Collision Part 1
• Part Three - Quasar # 20: Cosmos In Collision Part 2
• Part Four - Quasar # 21: Cosmos In Collision Part 3
• Part Five - Quasar # 22: Cosmos In Collision Part 4
• Part Six - Quasar # 23: Cosmos In Collision Part 5
• Part Seven - Quasar # 24: Cosmos In Collision Part 6
• Part Eight - Quasar # 25: Cosmos In Collision Part 7

Quasar #21
Cosmos In Collision Part 3
Apr 1991

Quasar Issue #21
Cosmos In Collision - Part 3
"Arms And The Man"
April 1991

Writer: Mark Gruenwald
Penciler: Greg Capullo
Inker: Keith Williams
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Paul Becton

Quasar #21 starts off with another great cover by Capullo and Williams. This one is much more subdued and ominous with the shadow of the Cosmic Assassin falling across our hero and his friends. The pure white background really make the characters pop, and the Assassin’s shadow falls only on Quasar an Makarri, a bit of foreshadowing (if you’ll pardon the pun) of what is to come in the issue.

The prolog continues the recent exploits of the Cosmic Assassin who now possesses the powers and station of Anomaly. He offers his services to Oblivion and explains his plan to collapse the Universe into a single anomalous point. Oblivion points him toward Eon to gain Cosmic Awareness. Deathurge appears after the Assassin departs and finally realizes why Oblivion had dispatched him to serve the Cosmic Assassin so long ago (this would be back in the Marvel Two-In-One days). This is Gruenwald again utilizing the great depth and breadth of the Marvel Universe.

Gru then cuts back to Wendell and company as they are attending Dr. Gilbert Vaughn's funeral. Despondent, angry, and grief-stricken, Quasar casually reveals his identity to his co-workers. Thermo, a minor super-villain, buzzes the building, and Quasar savagely beats him until Makkari interrupts and calms him down. Gru does an excellent job on characterization here with Wendell. Gru shows him as sad, angry, and depressed. His lashing out at Thermo and the shame he feels (“Dad would be so ashamed of me.”) are spot-on and reveal quite a bit about him. Also, one thing people tend to forget about Quasar is that he's a top-notch, hand-to-hand fighter due to his S.H.I.E.L.D. training as well as lots of additional training by Captain America.

Gru deftly lulls the reader into thinking that the worst has passed and that things might start to get better as everyone is invited to the mansion of Malcolm Stromberg. Gru does a superb job of building tension here with events rapidly spinning out of control. His use of quick cuts and thought balloons build the suspense to a crescendo that Capullo and Williams execute wonderfully in an 11-panel page (story page 17). The skillful use of more obscure Marvel characters like Weird Sisters (Truth, Charm, and Beauty), Helio, Phobius, and Gronk really add to the richness of the story...particularly Phobius and his handling of Moondragon. Yes, H. D. Steckley is Moondragon. I realize I am revealing this in discussion here even though her identity isn’t revealed to readers until next issue. While her role is important, it’s not nearly as important as that of the Cosmic Assassin, so please forgive the minor spoiler.

Finally, the Cosmic Assassin reveals himself…Maelstrom.

Once again we’re treated to the genius of Mark Gruenwald. Maelstrom is a minor villain from Marvel-Two-In-One that menaced the Avengers and Eternals briefly. Gru used that back story (Maelstrom’s battle with the Avengers is the reason that he was hyper-enlarged back in prolog 1 in Quasar #19.) and built on it. He took established bits and pieces of the Marvel Universe and put them together in new and interesting ways, and somehow made the insanity make sense…genius.

Quasar #21
Page 30

Maelstrom's speech on his origins was a clever way for Gru to fit in his back story, and it also assisted in building suspense. Moondragon and Makarri release the suspense, but events then spin wildly out of control. Makkari's death coupled with the shock ending of Wendell's arms getting cut off really made this a cliff-hanger of an ending. In fact, even though that final page is particularly grisly, there’s more to it than that. Not only does it demonstrate that Maelstrom is a viable threat for Wendell (and particularly nasty piece of work in his own right), but it does something else. It shows the lengths to which Quasar would go to protect his friends. He was willing to give up his arms to keep them safe. Let me say that again…he let his arms be cut off to protect his friends. Think about what that would mean for a second.

Yeah.

It’s one thing to risk death, but quite another to accept pain, disability, and disfigurement to protect others.

“Arms and the Man” is an excellent issue that really gets to the core of what Cosmos In Collision is about.

Interestingly enough, there aren't many feats of super-heroics or action and those that are included seem to be downplayed quite a bit. Again, this is Gru constructing his story for maximum impact. These quieter, more character-driven scenes serve as a nice counterpoint to the grand cosmic action later in CIC.

Will

  

  

  

  

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