Purple Reign, Part Two

The House of M continues from House of M #5…[1]

Private Genis-Vell of the Kree Army arrives at the scene of a battle at the Valhalla Mountain Research Facility in Colorado. There, Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) leds the charge against a radical group led by the human Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker. Fighting alongside him are the Radioactive Man (Chen Lu), as well as three mutant traitors, the time displacer Flashback (Gardner Monroe) and Strucker’s twin children, Andrea and Andreas Von Strucker.[2]

Genis is uncomfortable at the sight of Captain Marvel as she once saved his father from the hands of the evil Yon-Rogg.[3] He also wonders why the Strucker children are fighting alongside their father when they are mutants.

Before Genis can fire on them, he is attacked by Flashback. Monroe can call upon versions of himself from the timestream to create an army to attack his foes. When he tries to employ this technique here, something happens and both he and Genis-Vell are pulled into the timestream. There, the Kree soldier sees a glimpse of another world. One so very different, but somehow it feels right. Here, Genis was more powerful and someone of great importance. He fought alongside a team of heroes, the Thunderbolts. He also sees a glimpse of Baron Zemo, whose existence will determine the fate of the universe. Worse, Genis is destroying it![4] Only Genis-Vell returns to the scene of the battle, with Flashback nowhere to be found.

That’s when Captain Atlas arrives on the scene with more troops and annihilate Baron Strucker. His twin children prepare to avenge their father’s death, but are both shot in the head and killed.[5] These shots came from a mercenary named Erik Josten who is part of a human fighting unit called the Howling Commandos.

With the battle over, Private Genis-Vell is examined by medics who discover that there is photonic energy coursing through his body. Josten is unimpressed with the young soldier, particularily since he was so easily ambushed. However, Genis feels that there is something changing inside him, but he keeps silent about it.

Josten then compares notes with Captain Marvel. Carol tells him that Baron Strucker was claiming to be working with the Human Underground Resistance. Erik is surprised since he never saw Strucker joining up with such a cause. Carol is just trying to be objective, she explains that with all the changes that have happened in the world over the last few decades she can understand how humans are coming to fear their eventual extinction. When Erik asks what they should do about that, Carol says they need to fight for what’s right and takes off. Josten, however, wonders who gets to decide what’s right and what’s wrong. Watching Captain Marvel go, Genis suddenly becomes aware of a secret long kept. His father, Mar-Vell, insisted that there was never anything romantic between him and Carol before he met Genis’ mother. Now he knows that is not true and he can also experience the feelings his father and Carol had for one another. Genis is horrified to discover that now he seems to know everything and hear the thoughts of everyone around him and wonders how he might control such power.

Elsewhere, human lobbyist Zebadiah Killgrave has brought the Kree’s Judge Advocate Ronan to meet with some of the greatest minds that the Earth has to offer. This group is led by the mutant inventor named Forge and they are hard at work trying to discover the cause of strange photonic surges. Among the other scientsists are the humands Wendell Vaughn and Abner Jenkins. Jenkins spots Ronan being shown around and asks Wendell what the occasion is. Vaughn explains that the Kree have come seeking to allies in their war against the Shi’ar.

Meanwhile, Erik Josten meets with Timothy “Dum Dum” Dugan. They are plotting a scheme to wipe out every Kree on the planet because they pose a threat to what remains of humanity. They meet with James Sanders, whose speed powers have been kept secret from the mutant ruling class. They have brought him a sample of Kree blood, which will help them create their weapon. Sanders just got word from Jenkins through their morse code system and something that the Kree have brought with them is turning out to be a threat to all of reality.

At that same time, Genis-Vell keeps on seeing images of a reality that never was. He sees images of his father from a reality that never existed. Where he was bonded to the nega-bands when his hair turned from white to blonde.[6] Genis also sees himself carrying on his father’s legacy.[7] Confused by everything he has seen, Genis-Vell takes off into the air. This is witnessed by Ronan and Forge. A scan of Genis reveals that he is somehow flying without the aid of his propoulsion boots. In fact, he is somehow folding photons in order to achieve independent flight. Ronan orders his soldiers to follow after Private Genis. Meanwhile, Genis is seeing more images of a world that shouldn’t exist. His father died of cancer, and standing by on his death-bed is a young Earthling named Rick Jones. Genis recalls how he was close to Jones as well.[8]

These memories cause Genis to crash land in a cemetery and he is surprised to see that he has landed before the grave of Rick Jones, who has been dead for years.[9] Genis grows upset and begins flaring with energy as he rages, because none of this feels right.

This flare of power is detected by Forge who reports to the others (Dugan, Josten, and Killgrave) that it seems as though all of reality suddenly collapsed and then expanded again. Ronan soon arrives and tells them that this was caused by Private Genis-Vell and if they don’t stop him soon, the entire universe could cease to exist. As the Kree take off to find their AWOL soldier, Zebadiah suggests to his fellow humans that they take this threat and use it as an opportunity. They go back to the bunker where Sanders has completed a compound that can put a Kree into a hibernation like state. The only challenge they have now is figuring out how to administer it.

Josten, Dugen, and Jenkins then race out to a nearby cave where they have stashed a Sentinel robot that they have repurposed. The current crisis has tipped their hand, but Josten tells the others that if the human race is to survive, it needs to start fighting back.

By this time, Genis-Vell has bisected time and space across five hundred kilometers of Earth.[10] The Kree, humans, and mutants all send armies to try and stop him but they are not powerful enough. When Ronan arrives he tries to reason with Genis, but he unleashes a powerful burst of energy that sends them all flying back. Genis is conflicted because he isn’t sure if this reality is right for the planet Earth, but it feels right for himself. That’s when he is blasted aside by the reprogrammed Sentinel piloted by Erik Josten.

As the two fight, Genis-Vell’s photonic energy emissions cause half of Josten become his past self, the hero known as Atlas. Genis tries to explain the situation, that he can see what was, what is, and what will be. Genis knows what Josten has come to do and reveals what his fate could be: He could spare Genis and risk the destruction of all reality. Or, he could use his bio-agent to kill Genis. This in turn will expose his treachery to the Kree and the human underground will collapse in the fallout. He tells Erik that in the previous reality he was a flawed man of inconsistent morality, but on this one, he could die a martyr, a hero to his people even though all hope will be lost.

Erik wonders why, if Genis knows everything, he can’t make the decision himself. Genis responds by saying that he feels like he has always made the wrong call. Erik calls him a coward and then unleashes the bio-toxin. This puts Genis-Vell into a catatonic state, allowing the Kree to take him back. Ronan is now aware of the bio-toxin that was used against his people. Forge tries to blame it on the humans, but Ronan waves this off, saying that to the Kree, everyone on Earth are human. By this time, Erik Josten has been AWOL from his post, and Dugan and Killgrave play dumb. Killgrave suggests that this is the work of the Human Underground plotting against them.

When Zebadiah compares himself to mutants, likening his way with words as a mutant power. After Forge and his people leave, Dugan scolds Killgrave for ratting Josten out. Zebadiah is disinterested, as he wasn’t about to let Erik ruin all of their hard work.

… The House of M continues in Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #85.

Recurring Characters

Private Genis-Vell, Captain Marvel, Forge, Mister Hyde, Sunder, Peepers

Continuity Notes

1. This story takes place in the House of M reality. In House of M #1, Earth-616 found itself replaced with a new reality. Per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #5, this has been designated Reality-58163. As one reality overwrote the other, the memories of the true reality still exist and are buried in the minds of everyone in this reality. This will ultimately lead to reality being restored in House of M #8.

2. Andreas Von Strucker is depicted here wielding a sword. This is a clue to the identity of the Swordsman who has been appearing since New Thunderbolts #2. His true identity will be revealed in New Thunderbolts #17.

3. Carol Danver’s origins here are the opposite to how she got her powers on Earth-616. As per Captain Marvel #17 she was saved by Mar-Vell, not the other way around.

4. What Genis is seeing is, of course, Earth-616 and its future. These visions are foreshadowing Thunderbolts #100, where Baron Zemo will battle Genis to the death.

5. Here, Andreas Von Strucker is shown wielding a sword, another clue that he is the new Swordsman who first appeared in New Thunderbolts #2.

6. These are more references to the Earth-616 version of Mar-Vell. Mar-Vell received his Nega-Bands in Captain Marvel #16, was bonded to Rick Jones in the following issue. However, his change in hair colour happened in issue #29 of that series.

7. On Earth-616, Mar-Vell died on cancer in Marvel Graphic Novel #1. Genis was born via artificial semination and was originally named Legacy, as in he was taking over his father’s legacy. See Silver Surfer Annual #6.

8. Rick Jones was shared his existence with Mar-Vell between Captain Marvel #17 through 51. He was later bonded to Genis-Vell from Avengers Forever #12 to Captain Marvel (vol. 5) #25.

9. Rick Jones’ tombstone states that Rick died in a tragic accident. As of this writing (October, 2023) it has never been specified how Rick died. My money is that he died in the gamma bomb explosion that Bruce Banner saved him from on Earth-616. Check out Incredible Hulk #1.

10. Genis is divided into four previous aspects of himself. We see him in his first Captain Marvel uniform, circa Avengers Forever #12, the Kree military uniform that he started wearing from Captain Marvel (vol. 5) #3-18, and lastly his Photon costume that he has been wearing since New Thunderbolts #6.

House of M Reading Order

House of M #1, 2, Fantastic Four: House of M #1, Spider-Man: House of M #1, Iron Man: House of M #1, House of M #3, Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #83, Uncanny X-Men #462, Mutopia X #1, Spider-Man: House of M #2, House of M #4, Cable & Deadpool #17, Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #84, The Pulse #10, New X-Men (vol. 2) #16, Fantastic Four: House of M #2, Iron Man: House of M #2, Uncanny X-Men #463, House of M #5, New Thunderbolts #11, Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #85, Mutopia X #2, Spider-Man: House of M #3, Black Panther (vol. 4) #7, New X-Men (vol. 2) #17, Fantastic Four: House of M #3, Iron Man: House of M #3, Exiles #69, Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #86, Uncanny X-Men #464, Mutopia X #3, Captain America (vol. 5) #10, Exiles #70, Spider-Man: House of M #4, New X-Men (vol. 2) #18, Wolverine (vol. 3) #33, Uncanny X-Men #465, House of M #6, Mutopia X #4, House of M #7, Wolverine (vol. 3) #34, Exiles #71, New X-Men (vol. 2) #19, Wolverine (vol. 2) #35, Spider-Man: House of M #5, House of M #8, Decimation: House of M - The Day After #1