Avengers #89
The Only Good Alien…
Now
In the city of Maimi, Captain Marvel tries to walk the streets unnoticed. Unfortunately, he is ambushed by Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, and the Vision of the Avengers. They try to convince Mar-Vell that he is in danger, but he refuses to believe them and attacks.[1] With his uni-beam to incapacitate Quicksilver and the Vision before leaping up onto a nearby rooftop. There he Mar-Vell is blasted into unconsciousness by Rick Jones. Although this was the right thing to do, Rick still feels like he betrayed Mar-Vell. They then race Captain Marvel to a nearby hospital where a decontamination chair is being set up for him. Mar-Vell is strapped in and the device activated. As the Kree warrior’s body is bombarded with energy, they all hope he will survive this process. Rick feels the most guilty about this, thinking back to how this all began.
Then
At the time, both Rick and Mar-Vell’s atoms were bonded. Having grown tired of sharing his life with Mar-Vell, Rick had ignored the Kree for months while his manager, Mordecai P. Boggs got him gigs for his budding music career.[2] During a performance in Bleecker Street, Rick was suddenly stricken with a massive headache. Postponing his show and rushing outside, Mar-Vell contacted him telepathically from his prison in the Negative Zone. The Kree insists that it was important as it as he may have found a way to separate themselves. Mar-Vell then showed off something he witnessed recently in the Negative Zone recently. Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four was trapped in the Negative Zone. Although he was terrorized by Annihilus, the ruler of the Negative Zone, Richards managed to escape.[3]
Believing that the Fantastic Four’s Negative Zone portal could be their salvation he insists that Rick go to the Baxter Building immediately. When he arrived, Rick realizes he just can’t barge into the Fantastic Four’s headquarters, he swaps places with Captain Marvel. Mar-Vell is barred from entering the elevator by security so he goes outside and flies up to the upper floors of the building and forces his way inside. His break-in sets off an alarm at Avengers Mansion, as the Fantastic Four are away from home. This roused the Vision, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch.[4] They arrive just as Captain Marvel was trying to figure out the controls to the Negative Zone portal. Communicating telepathically, Rick pleads with Mar-Vell to hurry up because he had the feeling he was being watched.
The Avengers try to stop him from opening the portal but they are too late. While Rick comes running through the portal he tells them to close it right away. However, they are too late to stop Annihilus from trying to cross over onto Earth. While Rick tries to shut the portal down, the Vision uses his density powers to block the insectoid’s path. When the portal is reacitvated, the Vision becomes intangible so that only Annihilus is sucked back into the Negative Zone. While Rick and the Avengers were distracted, Captain Marvel stole their Quinjet and fled. That’s when the heroes notice a geiger-counter has been giving readings off the scale. Learning of Rick’s former bond to Captain Marvel they theorize that the energies that allowed Rick and Mar-Vell to swap atoms is building up to critical mass, threatening life on the planet. Thus, while Captain Marvel abandoned the Quinjet in Florida, the Avengers and Rick went looking for him to not only save Mar-Vell’s life, but that of life on Earth.
Now
Rick’s recollection of the past comes to an end just as the process used to siphon the deadly radiation from Mar-Vell’s body has reached a critical juncture. The doctor needs to harness a great deal of solar power. As luck would have it, the Vision is powered by solar energy through the gem on his forehead. Even though it would put his life at risk, the Vision willingly offers up his life energies to save the life of the Kree warrior. The process is a complete success, but it leaves both Mar-Vell and the Vision in a coma. With nothing to do until they wake up, Quicksilver tells Rick they should go. However, Rick worries that Mar-Vell will never accomplished what he always wanted: to get back home.
Meanwhile, on the Kree homeworld, Ronan the Accuser has arrived in the sanctum of the Supreme Intelligence. Ronan has freed himself from imprisonment after his last failure and has come to usurp control of the Kree empire.[5] With his deadly foe Captain Marvel hanging on to life, Ronan remotely activates the Kree Sentry that has been held by NASA since it was last defeated.[6] The robot comes to life and easily smashes it way past the armed guards and makes it's way to the hospital with one mission: Kill Captain Marvel!
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Vision), Captain Marvel, Rick Jones, Annihilus, Supreme Intelligence, Ronan the Accuser, Sentry 459, Mordecai P. Boggs
Continuity Notes
Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are referred to as mutants in this story. However, they are not. As revealed in Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4, they were actually experimented upon by the High Evolutionary as infants. To cover up his work he made it so future genetic tests had the Maximoff twins register as mutants.
Rick and Captain Marvel had been bonded together since Captain Marvel #17-19.
This sequence of events happened in Fantastic Four #109.
It is mentioned here that the Fantastic Four are away at Whisper Hill. This is the home of Agatha Harkness who, at the time of this story, was the nanny to Reed and Sue’s son Franklin since Fantastic Four #94. The narrative mentions that the rest of the Avengers are away battling Psyklop, this happened last issue.
Ronan the Accuser was last seen in Captain Marvel #16.
This is Sentry 459, first seen in Fantastic Four #64. It has been held by NASA since it was deactivated by Captain Marvel in Captain Marvel #2.
Topical References
The hospital in this story is called Cape Kennedy Hospital. Cape Canaveral was renamed Cape Kennedy for a decade between 1963 to 1973 to honor the memory of President John F. Kennedy.
