Quasar #58
Distant Running
For months, Makkari has been training on the planet of Grosgumbeek to increase his super-speed in order to complete in a galactic race to determine who is the fastest being in the Milky Way galaxy.[1] He has been trained by the elderly Grosgumbeekian known as Huyenneyuh who is now dying. Racing to be by his master’s side, Huyenneyuh tells the Eternal that he has learned everything he could teach and is now ready to compete against the Elder of the Universe known as the Runner.
After his master passes, Quasar uses a portal to transport himself to the location of the big race. There he is reunited with “Buried Alien” the man who beat him in the earlier race. Still unable to remember who he is, “Alien” is now finding a new place for himself in this universe and has now started calling himself Fastforward.[2] At first, the Runner doesn’t want to give Makkari a chance since he lost the last race until Fastforward convinces the Runner to give Makkari a shot. The Elder of the Universe decides to give the super-fast Eternal a chance to beat the slowest time on a qualifying track. Makkari easily beats that time and is allowed to enter the race.
Meanwhile, Quasar has been blocked from reuniting with his girlfriend, Kayla Ballentine, after the Living Tribunal locked away the alternate Earth she was on in order to protect this universe from the taint of the Star Brand.[3] He has come to the Dimension of Manifestation, where abstract concepts obtain physical bodies, and demands that the domain’s Prime Minister, Anthropomorpho, take him to the Living Tribunal right away.
At that same moment, the Runner’s race begins. Among the various aliens is a rabbit named Fooferah who has only gotten this far by cheating and begins using trickery to knock other runners out of the race. Flashforward notices Fooferah’s cheating and races back to stop him, leaving only the Runner and Makkari in the race. The pair are neck-and-neck as they hurtle toward the finish line, but ultimately Makkari wins the race and is crowned the fastest person in the Milky Way. After celebrating his victory, Makkari takes a portal back to Earth. However, when he goes to tell his friends on Earth about his huge win, he is shocked to discover that everyone — from Ken Tanaka, to Captain America, to his fellow Eternals Sersi, Thena, and Ikaris — are all forzen in time. Makkari then returns to the scene of the race to find out what happened. The Runner and the Judicator are there and explain to Makkari that because he has reached the ultimate speed he is now stuck moving at such a rate that the rest of the universe around him appears to have ground to a stand-still. Horrified to learn this, Makkari is willing to do anything it takes to be able to interact with his friends and family again. Hearing this is the Grandmaster, who offers to restore Makkari to normal if he wins the upcoming pangalactic race that is scheduled to occur in another 3000 years. However, Makkari refuse to take the deal.
Meanwhile, Quasar is allowed an audience with the Living Tribunal who is meeting with Eternity and another cosmic being.[4] He pleads with the Tribunal to allow him to be reunited with Kayla Ballentine, saying it is unfair that he went through all the effort of trying to rescue her from the Starblasters only to have her locked away on an alternate Earth. The Living Tribunal reiterates that, due to the foreign nature of the Star Brand, this alternate Earth needs to be contained in order to maintain the universal balance and prevent further contamination. However, the Tribunal is sympathetic to Quasar’s plight and offers him an opportunity to be reunited with Kayla. However, this will come at a heavy price: Quasar will have to live out the rest of his life locked away on the alternate Earth and give up his role as protector of the universe.
Back on the race world, Makkari sits on the bleachers to lament over his fate when he is visited by Fastforward. He understands Makkari’s situation even though he doesn’t remember much about his past he still knows that he left behind a wife and friends back home. He offers to help Makkari find a cure and the two race off to together.
Meanwhile, Quasar has made up his mind about what to do. Unable to give up his role as guardian of the universe he makes the hard decision of leaving Kayla behind. Before leaving the alternate Earth he uses his Quantum Bands to write “Goodbye, Kayla. I am sorry. Q.” in the night sky.
Recurring Characters
Quasar, Makkari, Runner, Fastforward, Grandmaster, Anthropomorpho, Living Tribunal, Judicator, Captain America, Sersi, Ikaris, Thena, Ken Takana,
Continuity Notes
Makkari lost the earlier race back in Quasar #17. He went to Grosgumbeek to train back in issue #47.
Fastforward was last seen in Quasar #17. Although it’s never outright stated, Flashforward was intended to be Barry Allen, DC Comics Flash character. At the time of this story, Allen had been dead for years after sacrificing his life in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8. Here he refers to his home reality as a “Distant Cosmos” a subtle not to DC Comics.
The whole situation with the New Universe and Star Brand is complicated:
This would be the New Universe (aka Reality-148611 per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universe 2005 #1)
When Quasar was trapped in the New Universe, he used the Star Brand to get back home and accidentally transferred it to Kayla in Quasar #31. She had been hunted and hounded by all sorts of alien beings that wanted to steal that power from then on.
Ultimately, the New Universe’s Earth was brought to Earth-616 in Starblast #4, prompting the Living Tribunal to seal it away last issue.
The Living Tribunal acts as though the Star Brand is unique to the New Universe and does not exist in the Prime Marvel universe. This has since been refuted in Avengers (vol. 5) #7, (vol. 8) #26, and Marvel Legacy #1. An explanation as of this writing (April, 2022) has yet to be provided. I have a theory on that here.
Seriously, who the fuck is this guy? I’ve looked everywhere and there is no mention as to who this might be. Maybe it’s the source of the Psi-Hawk power from the New Universe? That would make some sense considering the Earth-616 version of Psi-Hawk was later recruited to save the Multiversal Eternity in Ultimates² #6, 8-9 and Ultimates #100.
If you have any insight (like any citations that prove who this is) shoot me an e-mail.
