Rick Jones CAPTAIN MARVEL and Marlo Chandler Appreciation 2019

[Dermie]

Comixology has a Kree sale going right now, and both of PAD's Captain Marvel series are included. I adored Avengers Forever and bought the entirety of PAD's first Captain Marvel volume, but for whatever reason I never bought volume two.

Any fans recommend it? How does it stack up to the first volume?

If you enjoyed the first volume, I would recommend it. Its more of PAD continuing the story of Genis and Rick. That said, there IS a significant tone shift, which some readers didn't care for. All through the first volume, Genis struggled to control his Cosmic Awareness and its overwhelming input into his mind. In the 2nd volume, we see what happens when Genis' finally fails--and is driven mad.

This takes the book in a darker direction, and some readers had mixed reactions to this development and how long it plays out for. But personally I enjoyed it a lot--it is an entertaining ride. The only reason it is a separate volume anyway is because of the "U-Decide" contest between PAD, Quesada and Jemas, which was basically a sales boosting stunt.

[K7P5V]

If you enjoyed the first volume, I would recommend it. Its more of PAD continuing the story of Genis and Rick. That said, there IS a significant tone shift, which some readers didn't care for. All through the first volume, Genis struggled to control his Cosmic Awareness and its overwhelming input into his mind. In the 2nd volume, we see what happens when Genis' finally fails--and is driven mad.

This takes the book in a darker direction, and some readers had mixed reactions to this development and how long it plays out for. But personally I enjoyed it a lot--it is an entertaining ride. The only reason it is a separate volume anyway is because of the "U-Decide" contest between PAD, Quesada and Jemas, which was basically a sales boosting stunt.

Agreed. I always thought that whole "U-Decide" fiasco tainted the final product. But, as you said, it was still entertaining. One comes to expect such things from Peter David.

[Adset]

Much appreciated! They had a .99 sale going plus BOGO, so I got #1-25 for under $12.50. Couldn't pass it up. Going to do an Avengers Forever/PAD's first Captain Marvel volume re-read, then start this.

[K7P5V]

Much appreciated! They had a .99 sale going plus BOGO, so I got #1-25 for under $12.50. Couldn't pass it up. Going to do an Avengers Forever/PAD's first Captain Marvel volume re-read, then start this.

Have a wonderful time, my friend. Looking forward to reading your thoughts soon.

[Adset]

Finished the second volume.

I liked it. You're absolutely right about the seismic shift in tone. I'm not sure how many writers could have pulled that off, but PAD did it. He basically stripped (most) of the humor and supporting cast away. There were a few things that seemed to happen off-panel without much explanation, but it was a solid read the whole way through and it only underscores my confusion as to why I never picked this up back when it was being released.

#24, and what Genis did to defeat his son, man. It's 12 hours later and that's still stuck with me.

Any excuse to re-read Avengers Forever is also welcomed.

[Dermie]

Its just a shame it ended when it did. With the insanity arc over and Genis onto a new path; Marlo and Moondragon back in the book; and the addition of Phyla--the series was just starting to shift into a new direction with a bit more of the humour back and a bit less of the darkness (although as you pointed out with issue #24, it still got pretty dark at times). I would have loved to have seen where PAD would have gone next now that he had the family back together and all on the same side again. Ah well.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Incredible Hulk #353 Mar 1989
"Down and Out in... Las Vegas"
The Hulk has reverted back to Bruce Banner for the first time in three months.
Bruce is woken up by the sound of someone banging on the door of the Hulk's apartment.
With no memories of what happened, Banner is disorientated and confused. T
rying to get out of bed, Banner trips over the Hulk's massive purple robe.
He lands in front of a message left for the Hulk, leaving him to wonder who Mr. Fixit is and why the need to call someone named Marlo.
The men outside hear Bruce's tumble and thinking it is his alter-ego begin opening fire. Bruce quickly scrambles under the bed for cover.
The men who enter the room are from the Maggia who are trying to get a foothold in Las Vegas
but have been impeded by the Hulk on the behalf of his enforcer the mobster named Michael Berengetti.
One of the hit men is about to look under the bed when one of his allies points
out that Mr. Fixit couldn't possibly fit under the bed, earning Bruce a reprieve.
After the men leave, Banner decides to call this Marlo woman to try and figure out what's going on.

The woman in question is Marlo Chandler, the Hulk's girlfriend,
who at that moment is working at Sweat Recreational Rehab running an aerobics class.
Her mind is focused on Mr. Fixit and why he has been ignoring her attempts to contact him
that she doesn't realize that she has run her class late until a co-worker points it out.
She then calls and end to the class and heads home. While at a nearby casino,
a man once kicked out of the Coliseum for shooting a slot machine is trying his luck again here.
Although he thinks he might be in luck this time, he is packing heat and willing to shoot up a slot machine.
However, as he pulls the arm on the slot machine a strange man in a flowered shirt and bandanna stands close by.
The man apparently hits the jackpot and begins picking up all the coins from the machine, cheering his good fortune.
But, this is all in the man's mind as nobody else sees his fortune in winnings and assume that he has gone crazy.

At that moment, Michael Berengetti gets news on the failed hit on Mr. Fixit while out for dinner with his wife.
Deciding that this needs to be dealt with right away, Berengetti orders his car be pulled around front.
As the driver starts the engine he sets off a car bomb.
Rushing outside to find out what the commotion is about, Michael realizes that someone is trying to off him as well.
He manages to pull his wife to safety just moments before the restaurant explodes as well.
Meanwhile, Marlo Chandler gets a call from Bruce Banner, who introduces himself as "Bruce Bancroft" a "close friend" of Mr. Fixit.
Marlo quizes him on the color of Joe Fixit's skin as well as the location of a rather intimate birthmark.

When Banner is able to answer both of these questions correctly not without some embarrassment, she is convinced that he is a "friend".
When she agrees to meet him, Bruce tries to get dressed but all the clothing is far too big for him.
He takes the Hulk's private elevator down to the casino lobby. He is quickly spotted by security who finds a normal looking man,
in oversized clothes, and no shoes, emerging from Joe Fixit's private elevator. Banner manages to slip past security

and runs into Marlo outside. When she asks why he is wearing such large clothing he tells her he'll explain it later and they take off in Marlo's car.

Elsewhere in the city, the stranger approaches an elderly couple who have been married so long they hardly acknowledge each other.
Through some feat, this man make the elderly couple appear as though they are in their prime of their lives and they begin to passionately kiss.
While at a police station, Michael Berengetti and his wife are being questioned by police about the attempt on his life.
Berengetti refuses to talk, choosing to deal with the situation on his own.
With the casino no longer safe, Michael and his wife decide to head out to a hotel outside of town.
Meanwhile, Marlo and Bruce arrive at her apartment and she asks him what his connection to Joe Fixit is.
Bruce tells her that he is the Hulk's "half-brother", which Marlo finds hard to believe.

Bruce then learns that he is in Las Vegas and is shocked, when he reads a week old newspaper,
how there are still unanswered questions regarding the gamma bomb blast in Middletown.
Marlo leaves Bruce to catch up on his "memory gaps" while she goes out to shop for some food for them to eat,
she tells Bruce that she expects answers when she gets back. Bruce continues to read and wonders what happened to his wife Betty
and his friends Rick Jones and Clay Quartermain. He is horrified when he discovers that 5000 people were killed in the Middletown blast.
Fearing that he might change into the Hulk while in a distressed state, he rushes to the bathroom
and downs a bunch sleeping pills in order to stave off possible transformation.

Not far away, Marlo begins to question her wisdom in bringing this strange man into her home,
but can't help but do so in order to learn what happened to Joe.
At that moment, Berengetti and his wife and stopping by Marlo's apartment to hide out.
The pair sit on the couch and discuss their next moves unaware that Bruce Banner is sleeping in the other room.
Suddenly, the Maggia hitmen come crashing into the apartment to finish off their job.
However, their arrival coincided with sundown and when Bruce transforms into the Hulk, "Mr. Fixit" is there to save his boss.
Fixit makes short work of the hitmen, but when he tries to kill one of them, Michael orders him to stop.
He then begins demanding answers at to where Joe has been this whole time.
The two exchange harsh words, but the Hulk tells his boss that he is going to get rid of the hitmen then they are all leaving.
As the Hulk leaps from Marlo's apartment with the hitmen in hand, he is observed by the strange man in the flowered shirt.
This man decides that he is going to bring light and happiness into the life of the Hulk.

Story by Peter David. Art by Jeff Purves and Terry Austin.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Avengers Forever #4 Mar 1999
"Running Out of Time"
Piloting Kang The Conqueror's replica Sphinx time-machine through the non-space of "The Timestream" (think: Star Wars "hyperspace effect"),
the Avengers attempt to evade Immortus's reality-destroying Forever Crystal.
Having decimated Kang's Chronopolis refuge, the time-lord aims to murder Avenger associate, Rick Jones, for undisclosed reasons.

Tiring of Libra's cryptic "assistance" and generally frustrated, Hawkeye lashes out at the blind criminal/supermonk.
Feeling he is no longer wanted or needed, Libra turns a corner and takes his leave of the heroes.
Having chased off their guide, the Wasp chastises the Archer.
Fortunately, the dual Dr. Hank Pyms (older Giant-Man and mentally-damaged Yellowjacket)
intuit Kang's crazy sci-fi/ancient Egyptian dashboard, detecting three "chronal anomalies".

Surmising these as potential hotspots of Immortus activity, the Avengers break off into mini-squads.
Utilizing Kang's smaller Chronosphere modules, they investigate with a sense of the "upper hand", believing the Limbo Lord unsuspecting them.

Staying behind and out of reach, Rick reluctantly becomes "home base".

Giant-Man and the demoralized Captain America conduct a search into a disturbance in the first half of the twenty-first century (Earth-9930).
Arriving in wartorn Manhattan, Cap swiftly urges proceeding with an active stance,
lending aid to the people on the street fending off alien invasion.
Fighting against the cybernetic Skropsmen, Cap finds his blindspot open.
Miraculously, two throwing stars eliminate a potential attacker. Turning, a group of Avengers stand revealed.

The team of this era is an unlikely gathering of survivalists, consisting of Killraven (timely thrower of stars), the Femizonian warrior Thundra,
traditional villain Crimson Dynamo and "mainstay" Avengers: Living Lightning and Jocasta,
visibly pregnant and bearing a resemblance and powerset closer to that of the Vision.
Leading this eclectic bunch is an aged and weathered Black Panther,
explaining that the newcomers may have just arrived in time for mankind's final struggle.

Appearing in Tombstone, Arizona in 1873, Hawkeye, Yellowjacket and Songbird seek out another irregularity.
Disguised in clothing of the era, the trio head into town to find Kang The Conqueror
harassing Old West gunfighting heroes, Kid Colt, Rawhide Kid and Two-Gun Kid.
Through some quick realization, Songbird removes her party from the scene, clarifying that they are witnessing a previous Avengers adventure.
Rationalizing that the scenario will be resolved through its natural course of events,
they return to the nearby cave where the Chronosphere is stashed- only to find it missing...

The Wasp and CAPTAIN MARVEL materialize in suburban California, 1959.

Getting into contemporary attire, they peruse a local newsstand, finding word
of Presidential-hopeful, Richard Nixon, campaigning a fairgrounds celebration.

Speculating that Immortus may have designs on the contentious politician, Wasp shares her ideas with the alien Captain.
However, their conversation is also overheard by an innocuous attendee with a secret agent-like watch communicator.

Maneuvering through the crowd and finally glimpsing Nixon, Captain Marvel's "cosmic awareness"
unexpectedly triggers, exposing the Vice President to him as a shape-shifting alien Skrull agent!

Looking for a safe place to change into fighting gear, the duo duck into a convenient tent.
Noting their actions is the mysterious stranger, performing a costume/identity swap of his own.
Captain Marvel and the Wasp's tent is then ripped down by a quintet of heroes calling themselves... The Avengers?!

Script by Roger Stern (plot) and Kurt Busiek (plot & script), pencils by Carlos Pacheco, inks by Jesus Merino

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

RUMOR: 'Weeds' Star Hunter Parrish Cast in 'Captain Marvel' in Undisclosed Significant Role
https://mcuexchange.com/rumor-hunter...aptain-marvel/

" ..the dude is a ringer for Mar-Vell and will surely please a lot of fans waiting to see a comic-accurate version on-screen."

Could be Mar-Vell, but could just as easily be an ex of Carol's, such as Michael Rossi or Michael Barnett. Could even be Wendell (Quasar) Vaughn, since he was a Shield agent and is tangentially connected to Mar-Vell. I'm not really expecting to see Mar-Vell in the film.

Turns out to be true. spoilers:

I thought to behold the fellow in Avengers: Endgame instead fighting Thanos but it is Justin Bieber

end of spoilers

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Incredible Hulk #354 Apr 1989
"The Sure Thing"
Marlo Chandler returns to her apartment to find it in shambles after the Hulk's clash with Maggia enforcers.
She is confused as she had left behind in her apartment "Bruce Bancroft",
the man who claimes he is her boyfriend, Joe Fixit's, "half-brother", unaware that "Joe" is actually the Hulk.
She finds a detective from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was waiting in her apartment, but she has no answers for her.

Meanwhile, in the shared mind of Bruce Banner and the Hulk, the Hulk is mentally bricking Bruce Banner in an attempt to shut him out for good.
Bruce protests, telling the Hulk that he has no right taking over his entire life.
Bruce then wakes up and finds that the Hulk has written "screw this up and I'll kill you!" written on the mirror.
Bruce is hardly phased by this threat and thinks the Hulk's first mistake was letting him on what matters most.
However, Bruce finds that the Hulk hasn't left him any clothing, so he is forced to steal some from a laundry cart before leaving.
In the next hotel room is Joe Fixit's employer, mobster Michael Berengetti
and his wife Suzi, who were brought here to get away from the Maggia hitmen.
As Banner is trying to hitch a ride back to Vegas, Berengetti tries to call Joe Fixit's room
and when there is no answer, Michael angrily decides to take his wife back to his casino.
When Berengetti returns to the Coliseum he finds the place empty.
He learns from his guards that the Maggia is keeping the tourists away and cutting off his supply lines.
Michael tells his man to tell him the rest up in his office and remarks how the current situation is a nightmare.
Overhearing this is the strange man in a flowered shirt, the only patron, who thinks to himself that dreams are his specialty.
At that very moment, a supplier to the Coliseum Casino decides to refuse to cut them off,
incurring the wrath of the Maggia who sends one of their enforcers to break up the place.

Back at Marlo's apartment, Ms. Chandler tries to clean up the place after the state it was left in.
She is unimpressed when "Bruce Bancroft" returns to her home. He tries to deflect her questions about what happened to her apartment,
saying that Joe Fixit was responsible but tells her that they need to talk elsewhere. Marlo sees that Bruce is troubled about something
and suggests that they go to for a swim at the health club she works at. Turns out a swim is just what Bruce needed to unwind.
He thinks about how kind and caring Marlo is and wonders what she sees in the Hulk.

When she joins him, he asks her just that and she explains that she feels sorry for him,
seeing that he wants to be loved but has been hurt before and is afraid to let someone in.

She tells Bruce that she won't hurt the Hulk, and Bruce believes her.

Back at the Coliseum Casino, Michael Berengetti surveys the damage done to the Hulk's room
and begins to feel as though their arrangement is no longer working out.
When he goes back out into the main lobby he is questioned by a LVPD detective who informs him that the Maggia
has set up shop at the Grand Royal Casino and is arranging a meeting with the of mobsters in town to discuss business.
Meanwhile, the Maggia has sent out their enforcers to kill any mobsters who refuse to come to the meeting.
While back at her apartment, Marlo has to explain to her roommate Mona
why their apartment is in shambles and whose wet swim trunks are in the sink.

When Mona asks where Joe Fixit's half-brother is, Marlo tells her he had to leave but didn't explain why.
In reality, Bruce left because it is sundown and he has once more transformed into the Hulk.
Returning to his penthouse, he finds a message form Banner reading "Now You Owe Me!",
angering the Hulk, who then leaves to find Michael Berengetti. The whole time he is unaware
that he is being watched by the mysterious man who has been granting wishes all over Las Vegas.

At the Grand Royal Casino, Michael Berengetti tries to make his stand against the Maggia, to discover that
nobody is willing to stand by his side against these invaders. Everyone, except Joe Fixit, who arrives on the scene.
The Maggia are ready for the Hulk this time having called in a group of thugs who have had strength enhancements like Man-Mountain Marko.
As the Hulk begisn to fight it out with these strongmen, the mobsters do what comes natural to them: they start placing bets.
This soon spreads like wildfire as the Hulk begins clearing out the leg-breakers.
The Hulk eventually defeats all his attackers, netting a huge win for his boss, who is happy to have Joe Fixit back at his side.

Story by Peter David. Art by Jeff Purves and Marie Severin.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Avengers Forever #5 Apr 1999
"Past Imperfect...Future Tense!"
Floating outside time and space in Kang The Conqueror's replica Sphinx,

Rick Jones monitors three separate Avenger away-teams.
Each is investigating a point of "temporal disturbance" in hopes of gaining insight to the mysterious, yet aggressive, campaign of Immortus.

Giant-Man and Captain America fight alongside The Avengers of the early to mid 21st Century against an overwhelming alien invasion.
They battle in the streets of Manhattan down to the very last man, woman and child.
The Avengers take down a number of the Martian Walkers as the dronelike Skorpsmen retreat to the Mothership.
As the invaders take to the sky, Jocasta reports back to the Black Panther that all of their pursuit aircraft is destroyed.
Determined not to face extinction, T'Challa boasts rather bloodthirstily that they will somehow prevail.
He apologizes to his dear friend Cap for how things seem, sadly reinforcing the demoralized funk doubly time-ripped Steve Rogers is already exhibiting.

In 1959 California, the Wasp and CAPTAIN MARVEL stumble upon a shapeshifting Skrull agent impersonating
Presidential hopeful, Richard Nixon. Pulling out of a crowd to formulate a plan, the duo is dropped upon by a team calling themselves "The Avengers".

Momentarily taken aback, the Wasp tries to explain the situation to the heroes.
Confused and taking the anarchronists for Communist super-agents, the "50s Avengers" attempt to subdue.
A quick round of classic "misunderstanding brawl" ensues until 3-D Man and crew realize that they should just listen.

Together, the two groups of Avengers refocus on the Skrull impersonating the Vice President.

Outside Tombstone Arizona in 1873, Hawkeye, Songbird and Dr. Pym's younger, mentally-unstable Yellowjacket self,
deal with their Chronoshere being stolen from a remote cave. Suddenly, a cackling hologram of the alternate Kang actively contending
in this era taunts the heroes, detonating an explosive collapse of the cavern. Using her solid-sound powers, Songbird saves her teammates.
Emerging from the debris, Hawkeye chaperones a quarrel of the other two.
Catching their attention is a trio of horsebacked gunfighters appearing to be the Black Rider and The Gunhawks:
Reno Jones and Kid Cassidy. Erring on the side of avoiding an altercation, Hawkeye extends a friendly hand.

That evening, the two groups make camp under the stars. Hawkeye, an Old West aficionado, probes the gunslingers for details.
Through the course of his seemingly innocent inquiry, it's revealed that the cowboys are actually Immortus's own shapeshifting Space Phantoms!

Back in 1959 California, two FBI agents impede the Avengers' confrontation of the Skrull Nixon.
Still reeling from Venus's "love zap", Captain Marvel's cosmic awareness is still realigning.
Focusing, he fires photonic blasts at the agents, forcing them to revert to their true Space Phantom selves.
As the 50s heroes take it to the otherdimensional henchmen, Rick Jones advises Wasp
and Captain Marvel that disturbance activity in their timeline is escalating wildly.

"Nixon" concludes his speech. Exiting the podium, he is greeted by a bearded general.
Shaking hands, the "General" forces the Skrull to drop the disguise.
The alien is pelted with garbage, its death called for, as fear and hysteria grip the audience.
Calmly, "General Immortus" holds the Forever Crystal and walks the fairgrounds, culling the reality around him from existence.

Captain Marvel and the Wasp return immediately to their Chronosphere as Rick frantically urges them to return to the Sphinx.

Captain Marvel engages the jump drive as the wave of white blank nothing comes upon them...

Script by Roger Stern (co-script) and Kurt Busiek (plot & co-script), pencils by Carlos Pacheco, inks by Jesus Merino

[Kurt Busiek]

Avengers Forever #5 Apr 1999
Script by Roger Stern (co-script) and Kurt Busiek (plot & co-script), pencils by Carlos Pacheco, inks by Jesus Merino

Roger Stern (co-plot) and Kurt Busiek (co-plot & script), honest.

I know a guy.

kdb

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

I'll take your word for it honest.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Fantastic Four #26 May 1964
"The Avengers Take Over!"
Continued from last issue...

Following his defeat, while battling the Hulk, the Thing pulls himself up and starts the fight anew as an army of soldiers and news crews watch.
Watching this on television, Mister Fantastic tries to go into action but is still too weak from his illness to do anything.
Out of concern, Sue calls for an ambulance and hands over the formulas that Reed had been working on, so the doctors can try to cure him.
Also at the hospital is the Human Torch, who has been patched up following his failed battle with the Hulk.
Realizing that the Hulk is still on a rampage, Johnny flames on and heads back into battle, despite his injury.

He catches up to the Thing and the Hulk, who are still brawling, and tries to lend Ben a hand.
When the Hulk swats the two away, the soldiers step in by firing a mortar shell at the Hulk, but he easily deflects the shot.
Johnny is winded after the conflict, and Ben tells him to stay put while he continues after the Hulk.
As he plods along, Ben shrugs off an attempt by reporters to interview him.
Meanwhile, the Hulk has retreated into the subway, where he commandeers a train to ride toward Avengers Mansion.
When he arrives, he finds that the Avengers are waiting for him, and a battle breaks out.
Outnumbered, the Hulk grabs Rick Jones

and then flees the scene, unaware that the Wasp is following him.

Back at the hospital, the doctors have succeeded in formulating an antidote that instantly cures Mister Fantastic.
The Fantastic Four regroup and head out to stop the Hulk, once and for all.
They spot the Hulk on the street as he is stunned by the Wasp, who is using her Wasp's sting in his ear.
Distracted, the Hulk is ambushed by the Avengers and the Fantastic Four at the same time.
However, the two groups are uncoordinated and get in each other's way. During the confusion, the Hulk bounds onto a nearby construction site.
After a brief squabble about who is best suited to stop the Hulk, both the Avengers and the Fantastic Four agree to work together.
This time, the two teams proved too much for the Hulk. In the ensuing chaos, Rick tosses a gamma-ray treated capsule into the Hulk's mouth.

This triggers a transformation into his alter-ego as he falls into the Hudson River. It's Bruce Banner who surfaces from the water
and is swept away by the current. In the aftermath of the battle, Rick is commended for his bravery

and the Avengers and Fantastic Four part company as allies.

Script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by George Roussos [as George Bell]

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Avengers #5 May 1964
"The Invasion of the Lava Men!"
The Avengers return to their mansion to inspect the damage caused by the battle with the Hulk;

Days later, a mysterious high-pitched sound destroys a computer in one of Tony Stark's factories in Long Island and Iron Man is informed;
Meanwhile, Giant-Man and the Wasp are conducting experiments inside of a large anthill;
They are also affected by the noise and manage to escape before the anthill collapses;
In his medical office, Don Blake reads about the effects of the noise in the newspaper;
Thor meets up with Captain America and Rick Jones, who are training, and they witness another shockwave;

The six heroes investigate the source of this new unknown threat;

Meanwhile, in an army base in the west of the country, a strange rock breaks the surface of the earth, and soldiers investigate.
Roster includes: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Wasp and Giant-Man. Appearance by the Hulk.
First letters page, letter to the editor from comics artist Alan Weiss.

Script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Paul Reinman