Quasar #25
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No prologue this time. Instead we are treated to an absolutely beautiful full-page splash of Egma the Watcher as he explains what has happened up until this point. And while utilizing a Watcher for exposition has been done before, Gru brilliantly makes it part of the story as Egma is bringing newly arrived Watchers (and the reader) up to speed on recent events. One of the Watchers even recognizes Quasar as the one that saved them from the Oblivion Plague during the Journey Into Mystery arc in Quasar #’s 13-16. We then get a spectacular double-page splash of multiple Watchers observing the expansion of the super-massive black hole created by Maelstrom. And then, in a very clever use of panels that show sequential action, the Prime Host of the Celestials arrives only to watch impotently as the black hole expands faster and faster into the rest of the universe. Gru even includes a couple of nice character moments for Uatu and another Watcher. Uatu comments that if the Universe ending, he’s happy that it’s an ending of such spectacular beauty. He then promises to hold the other Watcher as they end their Watch together when they can no longer escape the pull of the black hole. Gru imparts a humanity to these ancient and powerful beings that few, if any, have ever been able to manage.

The action then switches back to Quasar who's berating himself for speeding up the expansion instead of stopping it. He finally adds hands to his energy form and mentions Origin with respect to the costume he’s wearing. Wendell refuses to give up, though, and dives once more into the breach and is compressed into Oblivion.

Gru takes us back to Stromberg's mansion and shows us again just how capable Moondragon is as she takes on all three Weird Sisters for a second time. After dispatching them, she is surprised by someone who seems to know her name. But, the identity of this person will have to wait as we again change scenes to Greenwich Village and Doctor Strange.

Gru shows us the strain that not only Doctor Strange is under, but the strain being put upon each and every member of the group of mystics keeping the Earth from tearing itself apart. This is, of course, when Deathurge chooses to attack only to be easily and happily dealt with by three members of the Squadron Supreme, Whizzer, Hyperion, and Doctor Spectrum.

Yet another scene-change…this time back to the super-massive black hole where Capullo and Williams pull off another beautiful splash. This splash contains a veritable who’s who of the cosmic characters…Galactus and his herald Nova, the Watchers, the Celestials, the Rigellians, and the Elan.

Within Oblivion’s realm, Quasar finds to his surprise that he has once again survived. This time, Oblivion and a reformed Maelstrom are responsible since they pulled him through into Oblivion’s realm right before he was able to reverse the black hole. Here, Maelstrom, now joined with Oblivion, prepare to attack Quasar. Infinity intervenes and joins with Wendell, and the battle of the avatars begins.

Gru now quickly cuts back to Moondragon and the new arrival, Sersi, back at Stromberg's mansion where Sersi quickly and easily deals with Helio, Phobius, and Gronk by turning them into a duck, rat, and a pig.

Another quick cut to show the Whizzer, Hyperion, and Doctor Spectrum handling Deathurge as the strength of the united mystics led by Doctor Strange is moments away from failing.

Now, the main event. Gru cuts back to Quasar as he battles Maelstrom. Quasar and Maelstrom seem to be evenly matched, but every second that passes edges the universe closer to destruction. Then, Gru utilizes the plot element he setup back in Quasar #18, that of Origin retroactively changing Wendell's costume (to the Masked Marvel version). This simple act renders Wendell a “temporal anomaly...a walking pocket of reality inversion.” Quasar utilizes his Cosmic Awareness to discover this, which fits perfectly as Gru always tried to show him thinking his way out of situations instead of simply using mindless violence.

Once he breaks Maelstrom’s concentration, the Bands consume him, and he is defeated.

Quasar, speaking to Infinity, says,

      “He disintegrated, Infinity!

      Since he was unworthy of the Quantum-Bands, it took great concentration to keep them from consuming him!

       The realization that I was the superior anomaly was enough to destroy his concentration, his confidence, and finally his life!”

With the Universe saved, Infinity demands that Oblivion agree to new terms, and Eternity and Death are summoned to make a new pact. Wendell returns to Earth and undoes Maelstrom's control over the Earth's kinetic motion. He then returns to his body and using the infinite power at his disposal restores his body to life and health with a new costume, one of his own design,

      “And for the first time I'm clad not in a costume S.H.I.E.L.D. gave me, or Eon gave me, or Origin gave me -- but a costume of my own design!

      This uniform signifies that the various stages of my apprenticeship are over. I have become my own kind of hero at last!”

Makkari is also returned to life as part of the bargain with Death and Oblivion.

Finally, Gru ends Cosmos In Collision with Kronos, jubilant at gazing upon the countenance of Infinity.

      “Truly life…in whatever form we manage to attain it…is boundless in its goodness.”

And that is the way to end a truly special cosmic epic.

Gru keeps all his plates spinning in the air masterfully with the quick cuts between Stromberg's mansion, Dr. Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum, the cosmic spectators, and Quasar. Again, just as with other issues of CIC the plotting here is top-notch. Capullo and Williams really display their skill as artists as they execute multiple splash pages and a killer double-page splash all while dazzling the reader with some top-notch clear and concise panel-panel story. An extremely strong issue on its own, Quasar #25 shines as the final chapter of Cosmos In Collision.