Quasar #50
Horizon of Holes
In the swamps of the Florida Everglades, the Man-Thing — guardian to the Nexus of All Realities — becomes dimly aware that a doorway has opened in the middle of the swamp. This is a cosmic event of such magnitude that various mystics including Doctor Strange, Moonglow, Doctor Druid, Jennifer Kale, Shawnman and Modred the Mystic all sense it.
This has happened at the moment that Kayla Ballentine had transferred the power of the Star Brand to her roommate Holly Steckley. This turned out to be a big mistake as Steckley was actually a Deviant named Eriskingal who had been spending the past few months trying to befriend Kayla in order to steal the Star Brand and use it to become the master of the multiverse.[1] After explaining how she originally took on the Steckley identity to steal Quasar’s Quantum Bands, she changed tactics when she learned that Kayla had an even greater power.[2] She offers Kayla a place by her side, but it is a hard pass.
Meanwhile, Wendell Vaughn — aka Quasar — is at a Wisconsin hospital waiting for the doctor’s prognosis on his mother’s recent cancer treatment. The doctor tells Lisa that the treatment was a success and she is expected to recover. After the doctor leaves, she tells her son that he should focus on his job as protector of the universe and not to worry about her. Asking her son to change into Quasar, she tells him how proud she is of him and sends him on his way. On his way back to New York, Quasar calls Epoch and apologizes for the way he acted the other day because he was upset about his mother’s cancer diagnosis.
He then heads to his former security firm at the Four Freedoms Plaza to check in on his friends and is happy to find Kayla Ballentine there.[3] While this is happy reunion for both, Kayla quickly tells him everything that has happened to her over the past month: from getting the Star Brand, to being abducted by aliens, to being tricked into giving the Brand to Eriskingal. Wendell realizes that he must have accidentally transferred a portion of the Star Brand on to her after he used it to escape a distant universe. Kayla also mentions that she might have killed Kismet during their battle together. Quasar goes into the East River to look and confirms that she is still alive, having retreated into a restorative cocoon.
Meanwhile, Eriskingal arrives at the Florida Everglades to enter the Nexus of All Realitites. She is attacked by the Man-Thing, but she easily blows apart the muck monster with the Star Brand. Once inside she soon arrives at multiversal crossroads and begins looking through portals into other realities. After satisfying her initial curiosity, she then uses the Star Brand to send a message across the multiverse to proclamate that she is now the master of the multiverse.
In deep space, this is sensed by the Silver Surfer who heads to the nearest portal to the Nexus to investigate. This is on a distant world where the portal way is protected by an alien called Anakalak who refuses to allow the Surfer passage and blasts him away.
Back inside the Nexus, Eriskingal’s announcement has drawn representatives from the Congress of Realities, a group of nexus beings charged with protecting their domains and maintaining the cosmic balance.[4] She tells them that with her power she can disrupt the status quo.
Meanwhile, Quasar and Kayla arrive outside the Nexus and find Jennifer Kale working on restoring the Man-Thing.[5] After a round of introductions, Quasar then tries to enter the portal but it closes before he can pass through. Moments later, the Squadron Supreme’s Whizzer arrives on the scene. He was dispatched to check things out from Moonglow. With the portal to the Nexus now closed, the two heroes return to Jennifer Kale who figures the only way they will be able to get the portal to re-open will be to finish reassembling the Man-Thing.
Back in the Nexus, Eriskingal tries to convince the other nexus beings to go independent and regain their individual rights. At first they are too scared to break away, but when Eriskingal threatens to destroy anyone who rebelle against her, they all agree to lend her their combined power. This prompts the Living Tribunal to appear with Master Order and Lord Chaos. The Tribunal warns them not to do this as they will upset the cosmic balance of the universe. Eriskingal is unconvinced, figuring that the Tribunal is only warning them in order to maintain his power over the multiverse. As Eriskingal then shows off her power by using the Star Brand to shrink Master Order and enlarge Lord Chaos in order to intentionally tip the balance.
By this time, the Silver Surfer has managed to gain access to the Nexus and is heading in to investigate. At the same moment, Quasar and his allies have finished re-assembling the Man-Thing, causing the portal to re-open so he can enter the Nexus as well.
When the arrival the Living Tribunal and Eriskingal are locked in battle, however they are both equally matched. The Living Tribunal instead decides that they should decide things by selecting champions to fight on their behalf. They agree on using Quasar and the Silver Surfer as their avatars. However, to ensure that neither one throws the fight, they decide to keep which side each combatant is representing a secret. However, as Quasar and the Surfer fight it out, Quasar notices that Lord Chaos grows larger whenever he lands a successful blow. Realizing that he is Eriskingal’s champion, Quasar allows the Silver Surfer to beat him to a pulp in order to win the fight for the Living Tribunal. Quasar is badly pummeled until the Tribunal names the Surfer as a victor.
As Eriskingal has lost, the Living Tribunal takes the Star Brand from her. He tells Quasar that the Brand is too powerful to be allowed to remain in this reality and he will be taking it away.[6] Happy to be rid of the Star Brand, Quasar and the Silver Surfer part company. When Quasar returns to Earth he discovers a collection of Earth’s heroes — which include Doctor Strange, the Squadron Supreme, Doctor Druid’s Shock Troop, Moondragon, Aquarian, Talisman, Shaman, Modred the Mystic, and Adam Warlock — all standing by in case they were needed. Kayla sees that Quasar was really put through the wringer, but he assures her that even though he lost the fight the universe is finally safe.
Recurring Characters
Quasar, Man-Thing, Jennifer Kale, Kayla Ballentine, Lisa Vaughn, Ken Tanaka, Silver Surfer, Whizzer, Living Tribunal, Master Order, Lord Chaos, Ereshkingal, Congress of Realities, Sleepwalker, Doctor Strange, Shaman, Talisman, Modred the Mystic, Epoch, Thing, Human Torch, Squadron Supreme (Hyperion, Power Princess, Doctor Spectrum, Skylark, Moonglow), Adam Warlock, Moondragon, Aquarian, Shock Troop (Doctor Druid, Shadowoman, Blazing Skull, Living Mummy)
Continuity Notes
Kayla was given the Star Brand in Quasar #31. She passed the power on to Eriskingal last issue. The Deviant had been posing as Holly Steckley since Quasar #30. Also mentioned is their prolonged trip to the planet Scadam between issues #36 to 47.
Mention is made of how the Holly Steckley was an identity previously used by Moondragon. Moony used the identity because she hoped Quasar would be DTF with her. He wasn’t. See Quasar #11-26.
The top of the Four Freedoms Plaza is destroyed here. It was blown up by a gamma bomb in Infinity War #2. It will be repaired in Fantastic Four #385.
Among the various Nexus beings that make an appearance some of them resemble fictional characters from other sources, but drawn slightly off or colored different in an obvious attempt of making them legally distinct to from the intellectual property they represent. They include:
Cartoon characters Ren & Stimpy who, at the time this story was published, had an officially licensed comic book published by Marvel Comics at the time. It ran for 44 issues between 1992 and 1996.
There is an entity that looks like Starro the Conqueror, a villain of DC Comics’ Justice League of America who first appeared in Brave and the Bold #28. However, in this story Starro is coloured orange instead of his trademark purple.
A third character is rendered partially emerging from a portal but we only see his hand and part of his cape. The intent is that this character is Todd McFarlane’s Spawn, who first appeared in (you guessed it) Spawn #1 from Image Comics. The way his hand is reaching out is reminiscent of a scene from Spawn #10. This is a nod to the following scene from that issue…
This is about as subtle an iron lung.
5. Quasar and Jennifer recount that last time they met. This was in Marvel Comics Presents #29.
6. Although the Living Tribunal takes the Star Brand away here, it still manages to make its way back to Kayla Ballentine. She will discover that she still has the power next issue.
