Quasar #14
Journey into Mystery Part Two: The World My Laboratory
An alien entity has just kidnapped the Squadron Supreme, other-dimensional heroes stranded in Quasar’s home reality.[1] Quasar then contacts Eon to get more information about their kidnappers. He wants to go after the Squadron and rescue them but is worried that the cosmic threat he has been chosen to stop isn’t going to come while he is gone. Eon assures him that the threat hasn’t appeared yet. Before leaving Wendell has Eon summon the astral projection of his father, Gilbert, so he apologize for their earlier argument and that he’ll talk when he gets back. Quasar notices that his father’s astral avatar is standoffish and attributes it to the fight they had recently.[2]
With his personal affairs dealt with, Quasar uses his Quantum Bands to create a rudimentary craft so he can carry both Hyperion and Makkari out into space. Once in Earth orbit, Quasar then uses his bands to create a quantum jump so they can catch up with the rest of the Squadron Supreme and their mysterious kindapper.
Meanwhile, in deep space, the Overmind has forced the mind-controlled Squadron Supreme to the massive world owned by the enigmatic Stranger, Overmind’s mortal enemy.[3][4] Once they land on the planet, the Overmind dispatches the Squadron to secure the main citadel of the Stranger. He tells Power Princess that their enemy, the Stranger, is not currently present and that the only inhabitants around are aliens that his foe has kidnapped over the years as part of his mysterious experiments.
By this time, Quasar, Hyperion, and Makkari have appeared in the orbit of the Stranger’s home world.[5] Landing on the planet surface, they discover that it is a massive alien world with various different ecosystems spread across its face. With a lot of ground to cover, Quasar uses his Quantum Bands to create energy beacons so he and his allies can keep in touch as they search the planet individually.
As Quasar looks around he enters the habitat that contains the Ethicals, who are trying to establish a code of ethics for all life in the universe. Learning that they are prisoners on this world, Quasar offers to free them, but they turn down his offer, saying it would not be ethical.[6] In another habitat, Quasar finds a man who resembles the Stranger who is undergoing a painful vivisection on an operating table. The alien explains that he is actually Jakar and that the Stranger imprisoned him for daring to impersonate him.[7] Jakar insists that the only way to end his agony is for Quasar to kill him, but the hero can’t bring himself to willingly take a life. Jakar then blasts Quasar with eye-beams that send the hero flying into another habitat where he is nabbed by another giant — Ego-Prime — who decides that Wendell will make a tasty snack.[8]
Elsewhere on the planet, Makkari is searching other habitats. After brief encounters with Woodgod,[9] and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,[10] he wanders into the habitat where the Star-Dancer is being kept. Makkari is instantly attracted to her but learns that she is a prisoner on this world and that she has been separated from her lover while they were leaving Earth.[11] Makkari asks for her assistance to get out of this habitat — which resembles a starfield in space. While she is able to do so, he cannot pull her into the next habitat but soon has to abandon his attempt as he is being attacked by an energy being.[12]
On yet another part of the alien world, Hyperion conducts a search of his own. After encounters with Alpha the Ultimate Mutant,[13] the Futurist,[14], and the Creature of Cosmos,[15] he finds himself in a strange alien sewer. There he is attacked by the Dekkamite Power Platoon.[16]
By this time, the Overmind and the enslaved members of the Squadron Supreme have arrived in the Strangers control room. There they learn of Quasar, Hyperion, and Makkari’s presence on the planet. When the Overmind tries to take control of their minds as well, he is annoyed to discover that something is blocking him from doing so. Instead, he enthralls all of the captured aliens on the planet and orders them to destroy the three intruders.[17]
Meanwhile, back on Earth, at the office of Vaughn Security Consultants, Wendell’s secretary Kayla Ballentine tries to keep their newest hire, H.D. Steckley, out of the boss’s private office. Steckley insists that she needs more room to work and wants to use Wendell’s drawing board. She eventually forces her way in and Ken Tanaka tries to calm Kayla down, pointing out that Steckley is sure to get fired for disobeying orders. Little do they know that Steckley didn’t want into the office to work, but snoop around. Her attention is quickly drawn to the lone bookshelf, aware of the portal that exists behind it.[18]
Elsewhere in space, the Stranger has discovered yet another Watcher that has died of mysterious causes, the 10th one he has found recently.[19] As he ponders how this could be, the Stranger suddenly becomes aware that there are intruders on his home planet. However, he decides to ignore it as he has more pressing concerns.
Recurring Characters
Quasar, Squadron Supreme (Hyperion, Power Princess, Doctor Spectrum, Whizzer, Skylark, Moonglow, Shape, Haywire), Makkari, Eon, Ken Tanaka, Kayla Ballentine, “H.D. Steckley”, Overmind, Stranger, Gilbert Vaughn (corpse), Ethicals, Jakar, Ego Prime, Woodgod, Four Horsement of the Apocalypse (War, Famine, Pestilence, Death), Star-Dancer, Trikon, Alpha the Ultimate Mutant, Futurist, Creature of Kosmos, Power Platoon, Bi-Beast, Mercurio, Starlight, Presence, Dragonfly, Threkker, Starman, Stardust
Continuity Notes
The Squadron Supreme (per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005 #1) hale from Reality-712. They ended up stranded on Earth-616 (the Prime Marvel Universe) following the events of Squadron Supreme: The Death of a Universe #1 and last issue.
What Wendell doesn’t know is that his father actually suffered a deadly stroke in issue #12 and that Eon is using his power to re-animate Gilbert’s corpse. Quasar will remain oblivious to this due to his strained relationship with his father until he learns the truth in issue #20. Eon decided to reanimate Gilbert Vaughn so Wendell wouldn’t have to deal with the loss of his father on top of everything else. This decision is not received very well when the truth comes out. It’s later revealed in Quasar #24, that Maelstrom (the threat Quasar has been selected to stop) was responsible for his father’s stroke.
The Overmind has mind-controlled the Squadron Supreme due to the fact that he had previously done so in the past in order to conquer their Earth, as seen in Defenders #111-115.
At the time of this story, the Overmind — who is a composite of the Eternals of Eyung — believes that the Stranger is a composite being created from their mortal enemies, the Gigantians, per Fantastic Four #113-116. It’s later revealed in Quasar #16 that the Stranger is not the Gigantian composite and that he accidentally killed it when encountering it gestating in space and since took up the Gigantian cause for… reasons? It’s not entirely clear why, but that’s part of the Stranger’s mystique.
Here, Quasar recalls that his fellow Avengers recently encountered the Stranger. This was in Avengers #316-318, when the Stranger assisted the team in stopping Nebula from either gaining ultimate power and/or destroying the entire universe.
The Ethicals were first and last seen in Machine Man #12.
Jakar previously posed as the Stranger in Captain America #149-150.
Ego-Prime was grown out of material taken from Ego the Living Planet. TL;DR version, it was all part of some huge scheme by Odin to create the New Gods. When last seen, Ego-Prime’s energies were stolen to create said gods and appeared to vanish. Check out Thor #199-204 and 300 for all the details.
Woodgod was a human/goat hybrid created by geneticists back in Marvel Premiere #31. His story was later told in Marvel Team-Up #53-55 and Incredible Hulk #251-253 and 256.
These Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were last seen attacking Earth in Giant-Size Fantastic Four #3. The Alien Appendix in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #5 reveals that they are not the Biblical Four Horsemen, but members of the Axi-Tun race.
Star-Dancer was last seen in Marvel Two-In-One #79. Her beloved was the golden age hero known as the Blue Diamond. When they were last see, she took him into space so they could have a romance among the stars. What happened to Blue Diamond is never explained here. He is seen again attending the android Human Torch’s funeral in New Invaders #9. Star-Dancer is never seen again, so her fate and the status of her romance with the Diamond is (as of this writing in March, 2022) unrevealed.
This is the Trikon, a powerful energy being that once threatened the Inhumans. See Amazing Adventures (vol. 2) #9-10 and Inhumans Special #1.
Alpha the Ultimate Mutant was created by Magneto in one of his many quests to conquer humanity. However, Alpha evolved beyond being a simple slave and used his power to defeat Magneto and then find his destiny in the stars. See Defenders #15-16.
The similarly powered Futurist was a scientist who managed to hyper-evolve himself. After a fight with the Fantastic Four he decided to find his own destiny among the stars. hyper-intelligent beings aren’t very original is what I’m saying. See Fantastic Four #215-216.
The Creature of Kosmos was accidentally brought to Earth by Vernon Van Dyne and was later seemingly destroyed by Ant-Man and the Wasp in Tales to Astonish #44.
The Power Platoon are missing Dekkamite soldiers who got their powers from Earth’s sun. Who they are and where they came from was detailed in Quasar #4.
We are then treated to a splash page of various entities that the Stranger is holding captive on his world. Other than the ones mentioned in footnotes #6 through 16, they include:
Stardusk: An alien named T’urin G’ar who was last seen in ROM Annual #1 where he had his ass handed to him by the titular Spaceknight and tossed into space.
The Presence and Starlight: two Russian operatives mutated by radiation who (like Alpha and the Futurist) decided to find their destiny in the stars. See Defenders #52-55, 61-65, Incredible Hulk #258-259, and ROM #45.
The Captive, aka Threkker, who was banished from Earth in Captain America Annual #3.
Dragonfly: A short-lived member of Count Nefaria’s Ani-Men in X-Men #94-95. She was last reported to have escaped from Muir Island in X-Men #104.
Mercurio the Thermoptic-Man: Was a pain in the ass to both Thor and Captain Marvel. See Thor #204-205, 214-216, and Captain Marvel #51.
The Bi-Beast: A two-headed android created by the Avians on Earth. Frequently clashed with the Hulk. See Incredible Hulk #169, 214-216, and Thor #315-316.
Fusion: Twin-brothers Hubert and Pinky Fusser were merged together into this unique entity in Amazing Spider-Man #208.
Lastly, there is also a cameo by DC Comics Starman, aka Will Payton, who appeared in his own 46 issue series from 1988 to 1992. Not sure what his significance here is since I’m not really that well versed in Starman lore.
H.D. Steckley is actually Heather Douglas, aka Moondragon. She has taken on this disguise to try and romance Quasar, as she has come to view him as her perfect mate. The name “H.D. Steckley” is derived from her initials and her mother’s maiden name. This is all detailed over the course of Quasar #21-25.
Next issue it is revealed that a logical fallacy regarding the Watcher’s oath of non-interference is causing members of their race to commit suicide under the false belief that their observations are also affecting the lives of those they watch. It’s revealed in Quasar #22 that this germ of an idea was implanted into their minds by Maelstrom, the cosmic threat that Quasar is supposed to stop. He had done so to prevent the Watchers from observing his scheme to collapse the entire universe and potentially warn someone who could stop him.