Inhumans: Attilan Rising #5... We need to talk about that ending!!! (SPOILERS)

[redrunner97]

Whoa... Just whoa.

I've read every single issue of Secret Wars so far (yes, I'm bragging ). As for the ones this week, I strategically decided to hold off Inhumans: Attilan Rising #5 until I got the rest out of the way, because I'd enjoyed the other four issues so much. Up until I closed this book, my favorite of the event so far was X-Men '92. But one single page changed that for me; now it's hands-down Inhumans: Attilan Rising! I mean I sat in silence, literally with my jaw dropped before I could even turn the page after that huge WTF moment!!

spoilers:

After Medusa and Black Bolt fail to launch their attack against Doom, a very human Blackagar enters the mists and exits not knowing the might of his Inhuman abilities. Without knowing that his voice suddenly became one of the universe's greatest weapons, he begins to speaks and completely disintegrates Medusa right before his very eyes. He then charges toward Doomstadt and the (slightly confusing) ending shows what appears to be another version of Black Bolt at the throne of Attilan, as Doom tasks him with putting an end to a rebel group, this time led by a non-powered Medusa... Very uncanny indeed! http://oi58.tinypic.com/351tv8x.jpg

end of spoilers

So what did you think of the ending (and the book as a whole), and did you have another interpretation of the final page?
I've seen a couple different opinions about what was being implied, already.

[Von]

Incredible. I just finished the issue and said "Whaaa!?".

No, Quicksilver: "I did not see dat comink!"

It seems to me that spoilers:

Doom set up the domain of Attilan to broadcast the pacifying signal over all of Battleworld. As such it was a priority for him to keep a close eye on it to make sure that the signal remained up. So if and when the citizens wake up to the tyranny and destroy the tower, he simply remakes it. However, I'm still wondering why he felt it necessary to recreate a scenario whereby there was always a rebel cell opposing the baron. What was he testing to find out?

end of spoilers

Charles Soule has been one of my favorite writers since "God of Thunder". The
art team on this was spectacular - John Timms told the story beautifully, the
inking was super sharp and the colors popped off the page in every panel - so
my jaw was dropping all the way through 5 issues - that crazy twist at the
end was just the final getsuga tensho that knocked me out.

I've read most of the big titles in Secret Wars and this was definitely one of
my favorites as well.

[harashkupo]

The coloring stole the show for me. That panel with Black Bolt blitzing island Doom was simply amazing.

[Byakko]

I love how the comic seems to set-up how 'fragile' and 'weak' Doom's rule and system is...then subverts it Matrix-style.

Though I wonder like, what part of the 'timeline' we're in. Are these events from the past (as in earlier in the 8 years Battleworld's existed), or Doom has enough power to twist the timelines and memories so well that the new 'status quo' at the end of the comic is effectively what's been the status quo for years?

[Tofali]

The Quiet Room and Queen's says it all. I freaking loved it.

[Lucena Soares]

The Quiet Room and Queen's says it all. I freaking loved it.

Amen to that!

[Prof. Warren]

That ending was killer! Definitely shows just how omnipotent Doom is.

[redrunner97]

Yeah, he's definitely got more of a grasp on this world than some of the other books would lead you to believe.

Needless to say, Doom will be a true force to be reckoned in the end!

[Tofali]

When Doom was looking at BB and saying fascinating in that chilling way i wanted to kill the evil SOB lol! but at the same time i loved his omnipresence in this context. (Out of Secret Wars thou i'll forever dislike Marvel's use of this character) Soule's use of Doom's character was minimal but memorable in telling a story about Medusa and Black Bolt.

[idisestablish]

spoilers:

However, I'm still wondering why he felt it necessary to recreate a scenario whereby there was always a rebel cell opposing the baron. What was he testing to find out?

end of spoilers

I think it's purely for curiosity and entertainment value for him. They never stand a chance, so why not? It's like TV for him, lol.

[shgs]

I think it's purely for curiosity and entertainment value for him. They never stand a chance, so why not? It's like TV for him, lol.

Plus, as a scientist it obviously would be fascinating to see how similarly it always plays out no matter how many times he keeps tweaking the variables.

[marvelprince]

He has the Beyonders powers, they treated life as an experiment. I see Doom doing the same here. Something about conflict on Battleworld must give him power or something because he always sets up "obstacles" to himself. I put obstacles in quotes because Battleworld is built on conflict (look at the name) and engineered in a way to facilitate it, but real threats to Doom are just wiped out (ala Korvac and Strange).

[RAINMESS]

He has the Beyonders powers, they treated life as an experiment. I see Doom doing the same here.

This!
Is he becoming the thing that he killed ?

[teamhawkeyes]

Wow. That ending was great. Doom exerting his omnipotent nature in one single snap of his fingers. And just the "back to the beginning" nature of the whole thing with Medusa being the un-terrigenesis-ed Inhuman bar owner. Short hair like BB's speaking at the end of issue #1. So good.

[Knight of DC]

Holy damn, that was good. And it really, when you think about it, says much about what Charles Soule thinks of Black Bolt and Medusa. Think on it: Doom switches the field and implies that every time he resets the experiment, the same result happens. Black Bolt (king/rebel) and Medusa (rebel/queen) eventually find each other again and love each other, come what may. In it's own way, it's an assurance, given the state of their marriage and family post-SW. Brilliant.