Text Play: Pokémon Xenoverse #21

Hello, and welcome back to the Eldiw region! This is entry #21 in my Text Play of Pokémon Xenoverse! 

Now, before we begin, I would like to warn you (as is tradition) that I will be spoiling this game.

I highly recommend playing the game for yourself first before reading this. You can download it here. And with that out of the way, let's get started! 

Last time, we had to start grinding up a new team to take on Dahlia and that X Rapidash that whupped us like a government mule back in entry #19. Sadly, because I was not able to dedicate a lot of time to grinding the team, I wasn't able to take Dahlia on again. As a result, this is going to be a very short entry.

You see, I have to do a lot of grinding in order to prepare my new team to face Dahlia and that X Rapidash again. And I did not get as much time to do that as I had hoped. Not to mention, I had chosen Aron to be part of my Pokemon team to face Dahlia and that X Rapidash. And as it turns out, the X Rapidash has an attack called Weather Ball...that can really wreck it.

Yeah. This part of the game has become a real pain for me. I do apologize for that. I do hope that next time, I can finally put Dahlia behind me. Wish me luck! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, weara amask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Pokemon Obtained:
(Sunflare Canyon)
- Lairon (evolved from Aron)
- Avalugg (evolved from Bergmite)

Spider-Man 2099 #1

Since September is Hispanic Heritage Month, I thought a good way to cap the month off would be to review a comic starring a Hispanic/Latino superhero. And one of my favorite characters in that group is one Miguel O'Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099.

Mr. O'Hara has graced the...well, pages of this blog before. All the way back in 2014, I wrote down my thoughts on the first issue of his 2014 series. The format was a bit different than what I do today, but I'm still proud of it. I should talk a little bit about 2099 before we begin here. Back in 1992, Marvel Comics had started a new imprint based on the idea of what the Marvel Universe would be like in the future. It had originally been a single series called The Marvel World of Tomorrow that was being developed by Stan Lee and John Byrne. Eventually, the one series became a whole line. 

Spider-Man 2099 was one of four titles that debuted at the line's formal launch in 1994, the others being Doom 2099, Punisher 2099, and Ravage 2099 (the only one of these four series that was about an original character, not a futuristic take on a pre-existing Marvel character). The line would be a success, and the 2099 universe would expand further, leading to more series that focus on futuristic versions of other characters, like Hulk, the X-Men, and Ghost Rider.

The line would start to flounder with changes in the industry, as well as Marvel firing Joey Cavalieri (who was the editor of the line) as a cost-cutting measure. Cavalieri was apparently quite popular with the creative teams of the books, and many of them quit in protest. Despite the line's death, the world of 2099 remained a beloved part of the Marvel Multiverse (Marvel's been back-and-forth on whether 2099 is the actual future. It was, but then it was designated Earth-928). In fact, to celebrate the line's 25th anniversary in 2019, Marvel released a series of one-shots that told stories about the 2099 heroes, including a Conan the Barbarian 2099 (Marvel had gotten back the comic rights to Conan at the time). 

Much like Peter Parker can be considered Marvel's mascot, it can be argued that Miguel O'Hara is this for 2099. He is definitely the most famous of the 2099 heroes. He's appeared in cartoons, video games, crossed over with Earth-616 the most (His 2014 series actually explored his life during a time he was trapped there), and he has appeared in the Spider-Verse movies, voiced by Oscar Isaac. 

But all heroes have a start, so how did Miguel get his? Was it a high point in web-slinging, or did he get a faceful of wall? Let's find out in Spider-Man 2099 #1!  

The story begins high in the skies of Nueva York. Times may change, but some things never do. Mainly teenagers getting into trouble. A group of them are in a flying car, not a care in the world. They're not worried about any authorities. After all, at this height, there are a lot of crosswinds blowing, and the cops hate flying at this altitude because of them. Huh. Says a lot about the cops' flying cars.

However, these kids would witness a sight: Our man Miguel, swinging like Peter Parker and Miles Morales before him. And being chased by the police, who in this time have become known as the Public Eye.

"I'm webslinging in the proper lane, for Pete's sake!" 

These company-owned eyeballs threaten to use lethal force on the futuristic webslinger, but he's easily able to evade them. And their threat is all talk. The megacorp known as Alchemax preferably would like to have our man alive. Despite their best efforts, Miguel is able to evade the Public Eye, and give it a nice bruising by causing one of their flyers to crash in front of a crowd. Two members of the Eye pursue him on foot, but Miguel is able to escape in a mall.

Page 9, Panel 6

"Blast it! We don't know his favorite shops!"

The scene then shifts to Babylon Towers, a high-rise building. A man walks into an apartment, where he takes a rest. His resident AI, Lyla, informs him of the day's conditions. Weather and the like, and thankfully, she doesn't put out any soulless "drawings".

Lyla tells him there are some messages for him. One from a man named Tyler Stone.

Page 11, Panels 2-3

As shown in the panels, Miguel would rather put his head in a food processor than deal with Stone. infinitely less painful. Next is his brother Gabriel. Gabriel is Miguel's brother, and the two have been at odds thanks to Miguel's corporate raider. Gabirel thinks it's a very nasty job, and considering the cyberpunk dystopia that is Marvel 2099, he's...not wrong.

Finally, there are messages from his fiancee Dana. She's been trying to call him, as he seems to have vanished.

Page 12, Panels 2-3

Yeah, that black eye she clearly has can lead to some...dark implications about her relationship with Miguel. 

Anyway, Miguel orders all the messages to be dumped. Lyla points out that he hasn't been acting like his old self for the past few days. He hasn't even made any entries in his personal journal. This seems to get Miguel's interest, so he tells Lyla to take his story down. 

Miguel O'Hara was once a regular man, but a brilliant one. He also had a bit of a rebellious and arrogant streak. He is shown arguing with a man named Aaron, who tries to pull rank on Miguel. After all, Miguel may be the head of this genetics project that Alchemax is working on, but Aaron is the one who answers to Stone, therefore Miguel also has to answer to Aaron. But Miguel isn't worried. The project has been very successful so far, in the test animals indicate anything. The project's goal is to create corporate spies with the abilities of various animals. And Miguel has found some inspiration in one of the heroes of the past: Spider-Man.

Page 14, Panel 2

It makes a bit of sense. When he was bitten by that radioactive spider as a teenager, Peter Parker became stronger. Faster. More agile. His spider-sense allowed him to detect danger around him. Not to mention his ability to cling to surfaces. A power-set like his would make a spy very formidable. And not just in combat. Miguel teases Aaron, acting like the man is too stupid to understand simple concepts. It's here that Tyler Stone himself makes an appearance. 

Stone wants to get some human test subjects in on the program. However, Miguel is reluctant. Just because the genetic enhancement process is working on the test animals does not mean that it will work well on humans. Caution needs to be taken here. However, Stone is too adventurous to consider it. Alchemax wants results, and their patience is limited. They bring in their first human test subject, a prisoner named Sims. Sims volunteered because he doesn't want to grow old in jail.

Page 14, Panel 7

Sims is placed in the genetic alteration chamber that Miguel admits was inspired in design by an old movie. And it becomes very appropriate once the test is done.

Page 16, Panel 2

After that disaster, Miguel tends his resignation. Stone seems strangely okay with this, considering the resources Alchemax used to train Miguel and his father before him. Stone convinced Miguel to have a toast to Miguel's future. But there's a twist. Stone poisoned the wine.

He tricked Miguel into taking an extremely addictive drug called Rapture. Rapture is a legal hallucinogenic drug that has been used by Alchemax employees. The drug is so addictive that without regular doses, a user could die. I imagine he's referring to the withdrawal symptoms. Rapture's are probably so extreme that a user's body can't handle them. And since Alchemax is the only legal distributor of the drug...yeah. Miguel is stuck with the company. 

The sickened Miguel heads back to his home, where Dana is working out, with the help of Lyla. He's still under the effects of Rapture, and it's making him see monsters everywhere.

She tries to help him, but in his haze, he ends up accidentally elbowing her in the eye. This was why she was shown in the holocall with the black eye earlier. This helps shock Miguel back into reality. Dana has some friends who can get Rapture on the black market so he can still quit Alchemax, but Miguel doesn't want to be an addict. So, he has a plan of his own.

That night, he sneaks into Alchemax. One of the things that makes Rapture so addicting is that it bonds to the user's DNA, making it literally a part of them. Miguel's solution is to use his genetic imprinter to put his pre-Rapture DNA back into place (He had been using his own DNA as working material in the past). As he works on this, someone comes along to sabotage the experiment. 

Page 22, Panels 1-2

Aaron Delgato is sick and tired of Miguel's insults, and sabotages the experiment, hoping it will kill him. It doesn't end up working out...as Miguel lives...but he now has spider DNA incorporated into his own. Aaron tries to pretend that he's busted Miguel for wrecking equipment, but his horrified to see what he unintentionally turned the scientist into. 

I enjoyed this comic. I do admit, it's primarily setting up things, but that's perfectly fine for a premiere issue. We do get a great look at the character of Miguel O'Hara in this story. The man has a bit of arrogance, but he does have scruples. And like Peter Parker before him, he has a bit of a smart mouth, which in my opinion, is practically a requirement for a Spider-Man. 

Godzilla Minus One Trailer, My Thoughts

Let's look at the trailer!

"Where's Ultraman when you need him?!"
"He hasn't been created yet!"
"...awww, nuts!"

Man, Godzilla must hate trains!

Well, it ain't Batman, lady! 

"GODZILLA HUNGRY! NOM NOM NOM!" 

Godzilla really hates Japan, doesn't he? I mean, the dude just loves messing that country up!

(seriously)  

World Gorilla Day

Happy World Gorilla Day!

This day was started in 2017 to raise awareness for gorilla conservation. Gorillas are a critically endangered species, mainly due to the destruction of their habitats in Africa. However, conservation efforts have been helping them out greatly. For example, according to National Geographic, the mountain gorilla has been noted to have a population of over 1,000 in the wild. That's a record for them. 

Gorillas are the largest of the primates. The males can weigh over 400 pounds and reach up to five feet in height. Genetically, they are humans' closest relatives, sharing 95-99% of our DNA. Like humans, they also share unique fingerprints. No two gorillas have the same fingerprints. In the wild, a gorilla's life span is around 35-40 years on average. However, gorillas in zoos can live nearly twice that long. The oldest known gorilla, Ozzie, died in January 2022 at 61 years of age. 

Gorillas live in groups called "troops". Heh, I now am thinking of a gorilla in a military uniform playing drill sergeant, ha ha. Gorillas are fascinating critters.

I meant to do these for World Red Panda, Manta Ray, and Rhino Days, but they slipped by me, unfortunately. Maybe I'll do something belated for them. 

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Strange Tales #178 (February 1975)

In the Marvel Universe of the 1970s, there was an interest in the cosmic side, the area of the Marvel Universe beyond Earth. Roy Thomas, Neal Adams, and the Buscema Brothers helped bring Earth into the Kree-Skrull War. But the one most associated with the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe was writer/artist Jim Starlin. 

Starlin broke into the industry in 1972, working on Amazing Spider-Man. From there, he would go to Iron Man's book. It would be here that he introduced two characters that would become household names decades later: Drax the Destroyer and Thanos. From there, he would go to Captain Marvel's book. It would be here that he would begin working on a star-spanning cosmic saga that would touch several titles. During this time, he would also bring fame to another character that would play a role in his saga, and like Drax and Thanos before him, would become a household name thanks to the MCU: Adam Warlock.

Adam Warlock first debuted in Fantastic Four #66-67 (September-October 1967), created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. At that time, he was known only as "Him", an artificial man created by a group of scientists known as the Enclave intended to be a "perfect" being. His true first steps to become a major figure in the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe occurred at the hands of Roy Thomas and Gil Kane in Marvel Premiere #1 (April 1972). Inspired by the soundtrack of Jesus Christ Superstar, Thomas had intended on using Him as an allegory of Christ. He and Kane redesigned the character in homage to the Billy Batson Captain Marvel. 

Afterwards, Jim Starlin would revive the character, giving him adventures that were more cosmic in scope. And the start of that era is part of the comic we're looking at this week. So, is this iconic era getting a strong start, or is it an early stumbling block. Let's look at Strange Tales #178!

The cover is a Jim Starlin piece. It's pretty cool. It depicts our man Warlock front and center, clad in his original Billy Batson Captain Marvel-inspired look. Behind him to his right is the looming face of the Magus. And on his left is a woman doing some kind of space dance pose.

"Who is Adam Warlock?"
Writer: Jim Starlin
Penciler: Jim Starlin
Inker: Jim Starlin
Colorist: Jim Starlin
Letterer: Annette Kawecki
Editor: Len Wein
Editor-in-Chief: Marv Wolfman

The story begins with a being named Sphinxor from the Pegasus star system. I'm assuming he means one of the stars that form the Pegasus constellation.

“They wanted the Cryptkeeper, but his asking price was WAY too high.”

He'll be our narrator for this little tale. And he wants to regale us with a bit of history. The history of the being once known as Him, but now known as Adam Warlock. Warlock was an Earthling, but he was not born as most Earthmen are. He was an artificial being created by a group of scientists known as the Enclave in Fantastic Four #66 (September 1967). They wanted to create the perfect being. In the next issue, he rebelled against the Enclave. He would next cross paths with Thor himself. 

“THOU WILLST GET DRESSED!”

In Thor #165-166 (June-July 1969), the then-Him had desired a girlfriend. He chose Jane Foster, Thor's then-main squeeze. Naturally, the God of Thunder didn't take too kindly to this (didn't help that Foster didn't want to be Warlock's lady), and they fought.

This brawl ended with Warlock going into space, meditating on those events. The cocoon he used ended up in the claws of another figure you may know of thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: The High Evolutionary. Unlike the alien of the MCU, the Evolutionary of the comics is a human scientist known born Herbert Edgar Wyndham. It would be Wyndham who would name him "Warlock", as well as the Soul Gem that our resident golden boy would wear on his brow. Warlock would help the Evolutionary save the artificial world known as Counter-Earth.

Let me explain. Counter-Earth first appeared in Marvel Premiere #1 (April 1971). There have been a couple of them, but the High Evolutionary created the first one. It was an artificial world created by the High Evolutionary that was populated by humans in an attempt to create a "purer" world. This world would be menaced by another creation of the Evolutionary's: the Man-Beast. Fun fact, Warlock's first name "Adam" was given to him by some natives of Counter-Earth. 

Thanks to said Man-Beast, Counter-Earth would end up much like our world, with all the problems and madness it contains. This happened in Marvel Premiere #1-2 (April-May 1971), as well as Warlock #1-8 (August 1972-October 1973). Warlock would then go on to cross paths with the Hulk in Incredible Hulk #176-178 (June-August 1974). Warlock would undergo his first death and resurrection during that time. But after the adventure was over, Warlock felt space beckon to him, and went off to wander the stars. And we're finally done with the recap of Warlock's history up to that point.

The story begins proper with a young woman running for her life.

She's being chased by a group of aliens. Unfortunately, the woman twists her ankle and falls. It seems like there is no hope left for her. However, she ended up landing near Warlock.

“She also kicked my brother Jim in the nards.”

Hooray, Warlock is here!

The aliens explain that the woman is a heretic, an infidel, and she didn't look both ways before crossing the street. As such, the Universal Church of Truth has called for her to be...cleansed of her sins, if you know what I mean. Naturally, our man Adam doesn't take too kindly to that. And since this is a space superhero story, that means it's time for a good old fashioned super-brawl.

Warlock is doing well, easily thrashing these aliens, but the tides are turned thanks to a big brown bruiser known as Borgia. In the intergalactic pro wrestling circuit, he was called "Big Borgia".

“GOOD GAWD ALMIGHTY! THAT KILLED HIM!”

Borgia is a powerhouse, able to out-muscle Adam. Which makes sense. At this point, Adam could not access all of his power. As such, to get past this big bruiser, Adam has to use the Soul Gem that resides upon his brow. Sadly, this fight allows the alien men to...cleanse the young woman. The aliens teleport away before Adam could truly unleash his fury on them. However, he needs to know more about this crazy situation that he's found himself in. But the only one that can tell him anything is dead. But that's not quite the problem that you'd think. He uses the Soul Gem to temporarily reanimate the woman, so she can tell him what the deal is with these Universal Church of Truth guys.

It's time to learn the tale of the Universal Church of Truth.

5,000 years ago, a being known as the Magus appeared and set himself up as a living god. At first, the Church preached values that seemingly could be embraced by any sentient species: "love thy neighbor", "judge not lest ye be judged", basically don't be a mean jerk to others, that kind of thing. However, this church had a darker side to it. They were rather...aggressive in bringing people into the faith, and for those living in worlds controlled by the Church, it was little more than a dictatorship. And it was forcing even more worlds under its boot. Warlock wants to know more about the Magus himself. And the Magus himself is happy to answer.

“For the last time, I am NOT the Big Giant Head!”

The Magus sends a horde of aliens to overwhelm our man, but it doesn't work. The giant head then seemingly swallows Adam...inviting him to learn the Magus's secrets. 

It was decided that the Magus should never get ideas from Coney Island again.

The Magus tells Warlock not to fight him, as well...he is everything Warlock is...including everything Warlock hates. Adam then puts it together. The word "Magus" is from Latin. It derives from an Ancient Greek term meaning "magician". And what's a synonym for "magician"? That's right: Warlock. The Magus is Warlock. At least, a possible future version of him. Warlock then wakes up.

It would be easy for him to dismiss all he saw as a dream, but the corpse of the woman he met earlier is proof enough that it was cold reality. It leaves our man with a conundrum: how can he beat his future self without becoming his future self? However, the Church still needs to be stopped, and only Warlock can do it. 

I really enjoyed this comic. I imagine some would not like the recap of Warlock's history in the beginning, but I think it's important to help show how we got here. Also, as a bit of a Marvel history and continuity buff, it's really cool to see Warlock's journey from his birth in the pages of Fantastic Four to this point. This tale is mostly recap and setup, but it works for getting readers ready for the Magus Saga, in my opinion. It also helps establish that Warlock is rather different from many other Marvel superheroes in the 1970s. He's a being trying to find his purpose, a place in the universe, and he also has the heart of a hero. I personally wouldn't have revealed that the Magus was Warlock's future self this early, just hinted at it. 

In my experience, Starlin is more known as a writer than an artist, but his art is spectacular here. It really is. It reminds me of George Perez in many ways. It's very detailed, and a has a rather strong sense of storytelling. There are parts where he uses panels to help convey motion, and it's really cool.  

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2014 trade paperback Warlock by Jim Starlin: The Complete Collection.

September 21st

It’s September 21, dudes!

Hope you had a great day!

Eternals #9 (June 1986)

It's that time again! it's time to rejoin the Eternals in what it promises to be their greatest battle against their long-time enemies: The Deviants! Last time, Sersi threw a party, and the Eternal/Deviant war ended up crashing it. So, what happened next? Let's find out in Eternals #9!

The cover is a Keith Pollard piece. It's pretty cool in my opinion. It depicts Ikaris and Thena clashing with energy beams while Zuras strikes a pose behind them. It feels like the cover of a fantasy novel.

"You Say You Want a Revolution?"
Writer: Walter Simonson
Penciler: Sal Buscema
Inker: Danny Bulanadi
Colorist: George Roussos
Letterer: Rick Parker
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story picks up from the events of the last issue. Kro and Thena have fled, and Ikaris is enraged.

Ikaris wants Thena's head, but all Sersi wants is for the group to get out of her apartment and go wreck someone else's.

She finds it kind of sweet that Thena and Kro love each other. And she has a party to run. REO Speedwagon will be there. 

Naturally, the Eternals' resident party animal doesn't want the whole Deviant/Eternal war to wreck it. Ikaris, being a calm and reasonable sort...🙄...just flies off. He plans to head to the Eternals' home of Olympia. He vows there will be a reckoning next time they find Thena and Kro. In his rage, he leaves Margo Damien behind. Remember her? Ikaris's girlfriend? Yeah, Ikaris doesn't remember her either. But Ghaur has found her. And he shows her a pretty crystal in his hand. And she is utterly hypnotized by it.

“I heard diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but this is ridiculous.”

The leader of the Deviants decides to take her to Lemuria. When they arrive, his ally Ahqlau is amused that he brought her here. He explains that since Margo is Ikaris's girlfriend, she is useful to them. They can use his love for her to bring him to heel. He tells Ahqlau to put her in a device that will disguise her as a Deviant. As she leaves, he contemplates the crystal in his hand. As he talks to himself about how Ikaris taking up the role of Prime Eternal and its potential effects on his plans, the green-robed figure figure is shown to be overhearing this, and heads away as if he's got someone to alert.

Back in Olympia, Ikaris is brooding on a chair. He wants Thena, and he wants her bad. However, the Eternals' advanced technology is unable to find her. It's like she disappeared off the face of the Earth. Spooky.

So, where are Kro and Thena. They're right here.

“I told you we should have taken a right at Spokane, Thena!”

Their exact location is unrevealed, just they're in a place filled with mighty engines that pulse with power. Knowing those two, they're likely in Olympia's sewer system or something. Anyway, Kro is grumbling about how things are going for him. There is someone who knows where they are, and the warlord seriously is considering killing the person to keep himself and Thena safe. After all, dead people tell no tales.

Thena is against this, saying the person helping them is under her protection. Kro points out that Deviants are naturally a treacherous sort, and slaying their host would alert both the Eternals and the Deviants to their location. Back on Olympia, Ikaris finds the late Zuras's Prism of Knowledge from all the way back in issue #1. It's transmitting an incomplete message. Ikaris picks up the Prism and it starts to tell a tale.

Once upon a time, there was a Celestial regarded as the greatest of them all. 

“I’m pure 24 karat awesome, baby!”

However, during the time of the Second Host, it was discovered that this mysterious Golden Celestial had committed a very heinous crime. So heinous it caused a war between this Celestial and the others, as shown in Eternals #18 (December 1977). This fight was witnessed by some Eternals, who swore to secrecy about it. Presumably, Zuras may have been one of said Eternals. The renegade Celestial wasn't destroyed. In fact, it's believed that Celestials cannot be destroyed. Something was taken out of the Celestial and put in a vial. The Celestial's true name was forgotten, and he's only now known...as the Dreaming Celestial.

“Nobody went near the pyramid since. Because he can’t stop sleep-talking.”

This vial contained the Dreaming Celestial's heart, and it was placed in the Pyrmaid of the Winds. Yeah, that's what Ghaur was after earlier. Ikaris sees this as absolute proof of Thena's traitorousness. He calls for the other Eternals.

He fills them in on Zuras's message, and tells them that's why she betrayed the Eternals. She was working with them to get the heart of the Dreaming Celestial. Makkari points out one flaw with the theory: The motive. Why did Thena betray them? The debate is tabled by a new arrival to Olympia: The green-robed figure.

“This isn’t my office!”

An enraged (as ever) Ikaris recognizes the figure. We learn here why he's called the "Forgotten One". A long time ago in a galaxy far away, the Forgotten One defied Zuras for some unrevealed reason. Evidently, it was seen as such a terrible action he was stripped of his name and exiled. The two end up briefly brawling. Despite the battering that he endures, the Forgotten One is able to reveal something to the Eternals: He knows what Ghaur's ultimate goal is: To become mightier than any Eternal. Mightier than any Deviant. Mightier than any being on Earth. His goal? To become a Celestial.

Ikaris realizes that he himself is not worthy of the rank of Prime Eternal due to his temper. The others point out that Ikaris is a hothead, but he was the Eternal that actually was trying to do something. Ikaris points out that the Forgotten one struck Kro at the Pyramid of the Winds and helped delay the Eternals...where? I looked back at previous issues to see what Ikaris was talking about, and I found nothing.

Anyway, it's revealed that Karkas knows where Thena and Kro are: they're underneath Olympia. How does he know this? Ikaris had asked earlier in the issue if Karkas had seen anyone enter Olympia when the Forgotten One arrived. Karkas said "no one unknown to [him]". Those were his exact words. And he was right. Thena and Kro are not unknown to him. He saw then enter Olympia. Ikaris goes to grab them. He wants Thena's head, but he's going to learn a lesson here and just get some answers. The Eternals capture the two.

The Eternals never quite grasped the game of “tag”.

Ikaris wants to know where the vial Kro stole from the Pyramid of the Winds is. Thena has no clue what he is talking about. Ikaris orders a nearby sealed door to be opened. It's a door to a chamber that has not been used since before Zuras became the Prime Eternal. Inside the chamber is the Hall of Eternal Judgement. Inside the hall is a gigantic Kirbyesque green machine. Both Thena and Ikaris enter the machine.

Once the two enter, they are greeted by what seems to be the specter of Zuras. 

“Wooooo…I’m a spooky ghost…”

He warns that if one fails in the challenge of the Prime Eternal's rule, they will lose their sanity. Ikaris understands, but challenges anyway. The two fire energy beams at each other. The chamber erupts with light, and the challenge ends. Ikaris stands tall and triumphant. To Kro's horror, Thena seems to be dead. However, she actually lives. She's weak, and she's lost her position as Prime Eternal, but she will live. Ikaris understands that she acted out of love and finds that he can't bring himself to punish Thena too harshly for it. As such, he exiles Thena from Olympia. Her power as an Eternal will be intact, for her to use as she wishes. She and Kro leave. 

Ikaris knows that Thena was telling the truth. Neither she nor Kro have the essence of the Dreaming Celestial. Which means Ghaur has it. And that's where the story ends. 

This issue is...an interesting one, as this is the first issue of this maxiseries that was not written by Peter B. Gillis, but Walter Simonson. Yup, he takes over writing duties for this issue from Gillis. Evidently, from what I understand, it was because Jim Shooter (Marvel's editor-in-chief at the time), was not too fond of Gillis's scripts. I find that to be a bit of a bizarre decision on Shooter's part. If he was not very fond of Gillis's scripts, why did he let eight issues of this series go on with his scripts? 

It now also has me wondering if some things here (and in future issues) were originally from Gillis or were altered by Simonson. I can understand why Shooter chose Simonson to take over. Simonson was doing what would become regarded as one of the greatest runs on Thor's book at the time, and I'm guessing Shooter figured since the Eternals were "god-like" beings, he'd be a good fit to finish things up here.  

If you want to read this, I recommend tracking down the 2020 trade paperback Eternals: The Dreaming Celestial Saga. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!