Quasar #35
Empire of Dust
Operation: Galactic Storm is over and Quasar has just finished resigning from activity duty on the Avengers, a necessity to focus on his role as guardian of the universe.[1] As he heads to his workplace at the Four Freedoms Plaza, Quasar spots an ambulance caught in traffic and helps it get to St. Vincent’s hospital, saving a life in the process.
Arriving at Vaughn Security Consultants, Quasar changes into his civilian identity of Wendell Vaughn. He asks to speak to his partner Ken Tanaka in his private office. There he tells Ken that he won’t be able to devote his time to his Earthbound business and has decided to make Ken the head of the company. Ken is happy to do so but is reluctant to work from his office as long as there is a dimensional portal behind the bookshelf.[2] Wendell shows that the portal has long since been closed, much to Ken’s relief. As Wendell leaves to go back up his apartment, Ken tells him to check in on Kayla who has been having a rough time lately.
At that moment, at Kayla’s home on Long Island, the police are taking away the Angler after he attacked her in her home. Kayla can’t explain how the Angler was knocked out and is deeply upset by the experience.[3][4] After answering police questions she goes back inside. There, her alcoholic father berates her and demands that Kayla quit her job at the Four Freedoms Plaza, blaming it for what happened. When she refuses to do so, her father tells her to pack up her things and move out. As Kayla is trying to figure out where to go from here she is visited by her co-worker Holly Steckley who offers to let Kayla move in with her, solving her temporary homelessness problem.[5]
Meanwhile, Wendell returns to his apartment and finds his roommate Makkari there reading the paper.[6] Explaining that he will be leaving Earth for some time, Makkari decides to tag along so they can go on adventures together. Quasar agrees to take him along but wants to stop by Holly’s place to talk to her before they take off for space. When they arrive at the Ballentine house on Staten Island, only Kayla’s father is home. He’s unhappy to be interrupted and tells Wendell that Kayla left and he has no idea where she went, then slams the door in his face. With no time to spare, Quasar heads for space with Makkari, and they are joined by Her who also invites herself along for the ride.
They head into the devastated Kree galaxy where Quasar hopes to come to the aid of the people refugees from the war with the Shi’ar.[7] Arriving at the empire’s throne world of Hala, they slip past the space defense systems and discover that the casualties were incredibly high. When they then go to find the Supreme Intelligence, they discover that his massive head is no longer contained in its floatation tank.[8] Their investigation is cut short when they are confronted by Starforce, a team of enhanced Kree and Shi’ar operatives charged with defending the region. Their leader, Deathbird, tells Quasar that he and his companions are trespassing in a region under martial law. When Quasar explains that they are here to provide humanitarian aid, she tells them to leave or be put under arrest. Realizing that they aren’t getting anywhere, Quasar uses his quantum jump ability to teleport himself and his companions off planet to avoid an unnecessary battle.
Deciding to go elsewhere to provide help, Quasar contacts Epoch and asks to be directed to the closest populated planet. Instead, Epoch tells them that there is a starship nearby that is inhabited. Going there to see if anyone needs any help, Quasar recognizes the ship as the one belonging to the Mourners a religious sect that mourn significant loss of life across the universe.[9] Boarding the ship, Quasar and his companions meet with the Mourner’s leader Fath. He explains he has come to mourn the loss of the many Kree who died during the war. They invited in to the service where a Mourner named Wayopex the Interdite is trying to commune with the souls of the deceased as part of a religious ceremony. However, Waypoex suddenly screams out, telling the gathered Mourners that he cannot find their souls. Fath can’t understand why that is and begins an investigation. Watching all this, Quasar finds it all beyond him since he is not a very spiritual person.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, the Angler is being locked up in the Vault. This is much to the amusement of another prisoner named Quagmire who was certain that Angler would get caught soon after his escape. After the Guardsmen leave, Quagmire is visited by a mysterious figure who offers to break him out in exchange for a favor. Eager to get out, Quagmire tells the man to keep talking.[10]
Back aboard the Mourner’s ship, Quasar is contacted by Epoch who finally has information about the H.D. Steckley. She says that it is not Moondragon, but before she can say anything else Quasar cuts her off because he wants to know what happened to the souls of the Kree war victims.[11] Epoch isn’t certain, but detects a massive power source some 50 parsecs away. Quasar teleports himself, Makkari, and Her out to investigate and they appear the massive form of the Soul-Eater![12]
Recurring Characters
Quasar, Angler, Makkari, Her, Epoch, Starforce (Deathbird, Ultimus, Korath the Pursuer, Shatterax), Ken Tanaka, Kayla Ballentine, “Holly Steckley”, Soul Eater, Captain America, Devon Ballentine, Lightmaster (voice), Quagmire, Chief Examiner (unidentified)
Continuity Notes
Quasar resigned from the Avengers in Captain America #401. Want to follow more on Operation: Galactic Storm? Jump to the bottom of the page.
Back when he was protecting Eon, Quasar had a portal to the pocket dimension where the cosmic being resided from Quasar #4 until it was closed following Eon’s death. See Quasar #23 and 27.
What Kayla doesn’t know is that she has been given the Star Brand, a powerful artifact from another universe. It was brought to this reality by our titular hero in Quasar #31 and unknowingly passed to her in that very same issue. Kayla won’t learn she has this power until issue #38 and won’t learn how until issue #49.
The Angler is targeting Kayla in convoluted plot to restore his lost humanity. See Quasar #51-52. Kayla recounts the last time she saw the Angler back in Quasar #3.
What Kayla doesn’t know is that this Holly Steckley is an impostor. As we’ll learn in Quasar #49-50, she is actually the Deviant known as Erishkigal. She took on the Steckley identity in order to try and steal Quasar’s Quantum Bands. Learning that Kayla has the Star Brand, Erishkegal decided to focus on stealing that instead.
Makkari is reading an issue of the Daily Bugle which has a headline reading “Canadian Hero Reveals He’s Gay” This is in reference to Alpha Flight member Northstar. At the time of this story, he came out as gay in Alpha Flight #106.
The Kree Empire was devastated by a Nega-Bomb. See Wonder Man (vol. 2) #9 and Avengers #347.
The Supreme Intelligence was seemingly slaughtered by the Shi’ar at the war’send in Avengers #347. The Supreme Intelligence managed to escape by downloading his mind into a temporary body that turns up in the sewers of New York. See Imperial Guard #1-3.
Quasar last encountered the Mourners when they put on a funeral for Eon in Quasar #26-27.
Yes, this is the same Quagmire from the Squadron Supreme’s home reality that appeared in Squadron Supreme #4-12. In case you’re confused as to how he ended up in the mainstream Marvel Universe (since no explanation is given here) he crossed over via a dimensional portal in Marvel Comics Presents #29. The entity who is offering to break out Quaggy is the Chief Examiner who previously appeared in Questprobe #1-3 and Marvel Fanfare #33. His identity is obscured in shadow here, but it will be revealed in Quasar #37.
Prior to being used by Ereskingal, the H.D. Steckley identity was used by Moondragon from Quasar #11-21 in an effort to get close to Quasar and convince him to become her consort. Quasar eventually turned her down in issue #26.
Operation: Galactic Storm Reading Order
Captain America #398, Avengers West Coast #80, Quasar #32, Wonder Man (vol. 2) #7, Avengers #345, Iron Man #278, Thor #445, Captain America #399, Avengers West Coast #81, Quasar #33, Wonder Man (vol. 2) #8, Avengers #346, Iron Man #279, Thor #446, Captain America #400, Avengers West Coast #82, Quasar #34, Wonder Man (vol. 2) #9, Avengers #347, Captain America #401, Quasar #35