The White Room

The Blue Marvel has returned to Earth to take Quasar’s place as protector of the universe.[1] However, his violent treatment of criminals has made him a threat to the Avengers. Before he can kill Captain Marvel for interfering with his execution of a criminal, the Blue Marvel is confronted by Thor, Hercules, and the Black Knight.

While the Knight and Hercules free Captain Marvel, Thor clashes with their foe. Finding himself quickly outnumbered and outmatched, the Blue Marvel decides to retreat and uses his Quantum Bands to teleport away. Hercules laments that Quasar is no longer with them as he could have helped them track the Blue Marvel down.

At that moment, Quasar wakes up and is surprised to discover that he is still alive. He is in a strange realm sitting at a table with a group of individuals on either side of him. Asking where he is, one of the individuals — the Stygian Starbender, the first guardian of the universe — tells him that he is in the White Room. As it turns out, this domain is where all previous protectors of the universe go when they die. Nobody is certain why, but everyone has their theories. One former guardian named Andwella figures this is punishment for daring to use a limitless power source like the Quantum Bands and having the hubris to appoint themselves defenders of the universe. Another former protector disagrees, suggesting that this is a purgatory where they have to wait for some epic final battle that will come some day in the future.

Quasar, who is not a very spiritual person, finds all of these theories improbably because he doesn’t believe in an afterlife. He tells them all that he figures he must be hallucinating or is somewhere in the Dimension of Manifestations.[2] He begins probing them all with questions, but none of the other former guardians can recall how long they have been trapped her, nor can they remember how long Quasar has been among them, or if anyone was sitting at his place before his arrival.

Back on Earth, the Punisher has just barged into the drug operation of a mobster named Gene Durante. He goes in with guns blazing and nows down Durante and his men. As he confirms his kills, the Punisher is visited by the Blue Marvel who likes the way the vigilante operates and asks if they can work together. Frank Castle is uninterested in taking a sidekick and tells the Blue Marvel to get lost. Figuring that he just doesn’t have the right presentation to be the Punisher’s partner, the Blue Marvel uses his Quantum Bands to create body armor and weapons out of quantum energy in an effort to impress Castle.

Meanwhile, on the planet Scadam, the Black Fleet’s genocide of the planet continues unabated following the destruction of the Grand Executioner. Searching for survivors are Earth women Kayla Ballentine and Holly Steckley. They find a dying man named Durand, who explains that he was the one who sought to bring Kayla here so they could use the power of her Star Brand to save their world. He apologizes for putting their lives in jeopardy and soon dies of his injuries. Angry by all the death and destruction, Kayla finally lashes out causing a massive bolt white energy that wipes out the entire Black Fleet in a single blinding flash.[3]

Back at the White Room, Quasar is surprised when the plant before him transforms into Eon, the cosmic entity he was once charged with protecting.[4] Eon tells Quasar that he has the power to free him, all he has to to is extinguish Eon’s spirit. He insists that a ritual sacrifice is the only way to get free, but Wendell refuses to take a life, even if it means being imprisoned for all eternity.

On Earth, the Punisher runs into the police who have arrived to arrest him for his many crimes. Frank tries to make a run for it but the Blue Marvel arrives and shatters the gathered officers so Castle can escape.

At that moment, Quasar receives another visitor in the White Room, a winged man with a flaming crown and sword claiming to be the Angel of Vengeance. Quasar doesn’t buy this, thinking it is another manifestation of Eon. Regardless, the Angel offers to free him from his purgatory, all he has to do is name the person responsible for putting him in this state so the Angel of Vengeance can kill them. However, Wendell still refuses to take a life to get free, even if it is the one who put him in this place.

Back on Earth, the Punisher is furious that the Blue Marvel harmed police officers for doing their job and warns him that if it happens again, he will kill the hero and walks off. Furious over being rejected, the Blue Marvel prepares to attack when he is contacted by his master, Thanos. The Mad Titan who warns his minion that someone is trying to resurrect Quasar and teleports him to the White Room. There, the Blue Marvel blows the Angel of Vengeance away, causing his flaming sword to land in Quasar’s lap. The Blue Marvel then introduces himself to Quasar as the new guardian of the universe and shoots his predecessor point blank in the face.

Recurring Characters

Quasar, Punisher, Blue Marvel, Avengers (Thor, Black Knight, Hercules, Captain Marvel), Kayla Ballentine, “Holly Steckley”, Black Feet, Stygian Starbender, Andwella, Eon

Continuity Notes

1. Going to get all the Blue Marvel/Quasar shenanigans out of the way:

   • Everyone in this story believes that this is the original Marvel Boy, Robert Grayson. Who previously appeared in Marvel Boy #1-2 and Astonishing #3-6. However, this is actually an Eternal named Thelius who was slated to become a replacement for Grayson. See Agents of Atlas #3 and Marvel Boy: The Uranian #1-3.

   • Thelius had previously died in Fantastic Four #164-165 and his Quantum Bands went to Wendell Vaughn who became Quasar, as detailed in Quasar #1.

   • Since then, Thelius was resurrected by Thanos in Quasar #26-27. He was trapped in Eon’s pocket dimension until issue #40.

   • During this time, Quasar is believed to have died after attempting to use the Ultimate Nullifier against the Magus during the Infinity War. In reality, Quasar had been nullified and exists as a wraith. See Infinity War #1-5 and Quasar #38-40.

2. Quasar humble brags about being in the Dimension of Manifestation. That was in Quasar #37.

3. Kayla was accidentally given the Star Brand by Quasar in Quasar #31. She and Holly were then kidnapped and brought to Scadam in issue #36-37.

4. That was Quasar’s main job as protector of the universe. See Quasar #2-25. It ended with Quasar having to kill Eon in order to prevent Maelstrom from destroying the universe.