In a Stranger Land

This story continues from Starblast #2…

In a distant universe, the one-time hero named Keith Remsen, aka Nightmask, awakes after months in a comatose state. He has had a vision of alien invaders from another world and upon awaking shouts “They’re comings!”[1]

In another reality, Quasar and his companions — Perun, Darkstar, Vangaurd, Binary, Captain Marvel, Black Bolt, Lockjaw, Hyperion, and Ikaris have commandeered a Shi’ar vessel to pursue Skeletron and his Starblasters and rescue Kalya Ballentine. She had been kidnapped so Skeletron could take the powerful Starbrand from her.[2]

Passing through a warp gate, the Shi’ar ship is caught in a trap left on the other side by the Starblasters. Quasar goes outside to investigate, joined by Starbolt, Voyager, and Moondancer of the Imperial Guard. They quickly examine the device holding the ship in place and destroy it so they can continue on their mission.

Meanwhile, Skeletron has brought Kayla to the Stranger’s prison planet in the hopes that the enigmatic cosmic being can transfer the Star Brand. Skeletron promises to give the Star Brand over to the Stranger in exchange for passage to the universe of its origins so it is ripe for plunder by the space pirates. The Stranger is very intrigued to learn more about this bizarre source of power and agrees to the terms.[3]

Back aboard Skeletron’s ship, the Starblasters pass the time by placing bets on a battle between their teammates Skar and Codabac. However, the brawl is interrupted by Nygorn who believes that they are wasting their time with petty pursuits when there is an entire alien world ripe for plunder right in front of them. However, the only one interested in plundering the Stranger’s world is Zardok who agrees to accompany Nygorn on the planet surface.

In the other universe, Keith’s awakening has brought Doctor Clow and his staff into his room to learn what he has been dreaming about since going into his coma. Keith tries to warn them that their world is about to be invaded from beings from another reality. Clow, unfortuantely, finds this notion preposterous and dismisses the warning. This deeply upsets Remsen who is satisfied to let Clow learn the truth the hard way.

While aboard the Shi’ar vessel, Quasar continues tracking the Starblaster’s ship. With some down time, he apologizes to Gladiator for taking over their ship, saying it was necessary for their mission and he will soon relinquish control once they get to their destination. He then goes down to the med bay to check in on Hyperion whose Eternal physiology and Shi’ar technology are quickly healing his broken neck.[4] He also checks on Manta, the Imperial Guardsman they were forced to fight and learned how her battle with Captain Marvel restored some of Monica’s lost energy transmutation powers.[5]

Eventually, our heroes arrive at the Stranger’s world, a place that Quasar is very familiar with. So are the Imperial Guard’s Solar Wind, Voyager, and Moondancer who were all prisoners of the Stranger until recently.[6] Gladiator tells Quasar and his friends that the Shi’ar can’t go any further as they have entered into a treaty with the Stranger, and denies Solar Wind’s request to go along with the Earth heroes. As Quasar and his team approach the planet, they are ambushed by Nygorn and the other Starblaster, who then try to prevent them from reaching the planet surface.

Back in the other universe, Keith Remsen realizes that nobody is going to believe his wild vision and decides that he has to take on drastic measures to save his world. For the first time in years he allows himself to go to sleep and summon his dream form of the Nightmask.

Simultaneously, the three Imperial Guardsmen who were once prisoners of the Stranger protest the decision by Gladiator to pull back. Their desire for revenge is so great, they decide to quit the Imperial Guard in order to get it. While Solar Wind, Moondancer and Voyager are able to turn the tide of battle against the Starblasters it is not without its casualties as Threkker reveals that he has killed Vanguard and intends to drain the others of their energies.[7]

By this time, the Stranger has succeeded in finding a way to remove the Star Brand from Kayla Ballentine. Pleased, Skeletron orders him to continue with the operation.

Meanwhile, Quasar is racing to the Stranger’s citadel praying that Kayla can hold on a little while longer while he goes to rescue her.

… This story continues in Starblast #3.

Recurring Characters

Quasar, Starblasters (Skeletron, Skar, Codabac, Nygorn, Zardok, Fabrikant, Threkker), Stranger, Perun, Vanguard, Darkstar, Binary, Captain Marvel, Ikaris, Black Bolt, Lockjaw, Hyperion, Imperial Guard (Gladiator, Smasher, Starbolt, Solar Wind, Neutron, Voyager, Moondancer, Manta), Kayla Ballantine, Nightmask

Continuity Notes

1. This reality is the New Universe, first seen in Starbrand #1. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Realities 2005 #1 designates it Reality-148611. Nightmask has been in a coma due to the trauma from the atrocities caused during World War III. See The War #1-4.

2. Kayla has been cursed with the Star Brand since Quasar #31. Skeletron and his crew kidnapped her in Starblast #1. Quasar and his team commandeered the Shi’ar ship last issue.

3. Here, the Star Brand is referred to as being a power source foreign to anything else that exists in the Prime Marvel Universe. However, the power of the Star Brand will/did exist on Earth-616 in the past and will appear again in the future. See Avengers (vol. 5) #7 and (vol. 8) #26 as well as Marvel Legacy #1. How someone like the Stranger could not know that the Star Brand previously existed in this reality is unexplained as of this writing (April 2022). I have a theory about that here.

4. Hyperion got his neck snapped in a one-on-one brawl with Gladiator last issue.

5. When Monica Rambeau first got her powers in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16, she had the ability to transform her body into any form of energy she desired. Sometime later, in Avengers #290-294, her powers dissipated in water causing her to lose a ton of body mass and forcing her to retire from heroics for a time. When Monica regained her proper health in Captain Marvel (vol. 2) #1, her powers had also changed. She was able to channel energy to fly, enhance he strength, and durability, but she was unable to transmute her body. The gained back the ability to channel different forms of energy in Starblast #2 but is still unable to transmute into energy herself.

6. Quasar and the three Imperial Guardsmen all had a very intimate visit with the Stranger’s world. See Quasar #13-16.

7. Vanguard isn’t actually dead here, traces of mutant energies will linger in his body for some time allowing his father, the Presence, to resurrect him in Avengers (vol. 3) #43.

Topical References

• ff

Starblast Reading Order

Quasar #53, Starblast #1, Quasar #54, Secret Defenders #11, Starblast #2, Quasar #55, Namor the Sub-Mariner #47, Fantastic Four #385, Starblast #3, Namor the Sub-Mariner #48, Quasar #56, Fantastic Four #386, Starblast #4, Quasar #57