The Marvel Universe is a world of the fantastic. It can also be a world that has to deal with the problems caused by other beings. This was the case for the Avengers back in the early 1990s. At that time, they had to deal with the effects of a war between two star-spanning intergalactic empires: The Kree and the Shi'ar.
I did talk about Operation: Galactic Storm a bit in my past review of Captain America #400 (May 1992). But if you need a refresher, here it is. Operation: Galactic Storm was a crossover event that involved the Avengers family of titles at the time. In a way, it was a spiritual sequel to the classic Kree-Skrull War storyline. In my opinion, it is an underrated storyline.
The cover is a Greg Capullo and Harry Candelario piece. It's pretty awesome. It depicts Quasar and Starfox standing defiantly as the Shi'ar Imperial Guard are about to attack the tomb of the legendary Kree hero Mar-Vell.
"The Tomb of Mar-Vell"
Writer: Mark Gruenwald
Penciller: Greg Capullo
Inker: Harry Candelario
Colorist: Joe Rosas
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Editor: Kelly Corvese
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco
The story begins with our man Quasar hanging around the sun. He was trying to intercept an alien warship, but it jumped into hyperspace. And in a bit of cosmic bad luck, the Sun decided to pull a Super Mario 3 and be a jerk, flaring up so that the Cosmic Avenger couldn't follow it.
Wendell worries that the warship's jump into hyperspace may have a negative effect on the sun. He decides to head to the Starcore space station and consult with the experts on board.
He learns from them that the sun had been flaring up a lot more than usual lately, and they believe that the warping around near the sun is causing it. Wendell offers to get the scientists on board to safety, but they turn him down. They have jobs to do up here, and they have delicate experiments that would be ruined if they were moved. Quasar gives them a special way to contact them if they need him. Just in case.
He gets a call on his Avengers ID card. Fellow Avenger Starfox (he cameoed in the MCU film Eternals, played by Harry Styles) told them that someone's been at the tomb of Kree hero Mar-Vell. Since he's the fastest Avenger (thanks to his ability to travel through the Quantum Zone), he wants to know if Wendell can check it out. While he heads out, Wendell takes the opportunity to call in to check on some things on Earth. At the time, his business got a new employee in a mysterious woman named H.D. Steckley. He believes there is a connection between her and the former Avenger Moondragon...
Back on Earth, Ken Tanaka and Kayla Ballantine, two of Wendell's co-workers at his firm, are discussing things. Kayla has been having some troubles due to her having basically insomnia. I can relate. A mysterious figure appears behind the two, but vanishes.
Quasar makes his way to the world that has Mar-Vell's tomb. He spots a spaceship nearby. He tries the neighborly thing first and knocks on the spaceship's hull. No answer, so he busts in like the Kool-Aid Man.
But it's nothing. The door opens, causing the Cosmic Avenger to fly into a wall. The ship is Starfox's, and Quasar came early.
The two head to the tomb, noting that someone is already inside. Quasar fishes them out.
Yes, Captain Att-Lass and Doctor Minn-Erva have decided to LARP Lara Croft. You may be familiar with these two if you saw the film Captain Marvel. Att-Lass was played by Algenis Perez Soto, and Minn-Erva was portrayed by Gemma Chan. Quasar recalls the last time he encountered them in Quasar #10. After that comic, they pledged never to enter his solar system again. Att-Lass points out that things have changed, as the Kree are at war with the Shi'ar. It's at that point that the Shi'ar elite group of superhuman enforcers, the Imperial Guard, attack.
Quasar puts up an energy dome to protect himself, Starfox, and the two Kree, but the Guard are heavy hitters and are managing to do some damage to the dome. Starfox tries using his power to stimulate the pleasure center of the brain to pacify them, but they seem to be resisting it. Looks like Wendell Vaughn has gotten himself into a bit of a pickle.
But enough space drama! Let's check in on the Avengers! At their West Coast compound, The Avengers are putting former Avengers associate Rick Jones in protective custody. His bodyguard will be Wonder Man, which Jones is not too thrilled about.
Back to Mar-Vell's tomb! The Guard manage to break through the dome. Quasar notices that Att-Lass is missing. He snuck back into the tomb while the two Avengers were distracted. Wendell goes after two of the Guard's powerhouses: Titan and Gladiator. However, he ends up flying right through them.
Wendell theorizes that they have the power to turn intangible. But if that was the case...why didn't they just reach through his protective dome? Could they be illusions...or ghosts?!
Wendell can't ponder this anymore, as the Guardswoman known as Manta hits him with a blast of pure light, seemingly blinding him. Quasar responds with making a suit of armor out of his Q-Energy, and then hits Impulse in his...face? Starfox is able to make Manta happy, and Minn-Erva discovers the source of the illusions is an invisible Magique. And down the Shi'ar sorceress goes.
With the battle over, Minn-Erva knocks out Starfox so she can go help Att-Lass. We then go next to the outskirts of the Kree Empire. A Kree scientist walks into a pool, grumbling the whole time about his scientific achievements being ignored by the Empire and how his work wasn't seen as "too buggy" and "cost-effective" enough. It's amusing to see that interstellar empires have bureaucrats and dopey leaders, too. The scientist ended up being assigned to head a munitions plant on some backwater world. One full of space rednecks.
Anyway, the scientist converted part of the plant into a lab so he could secretly continue his work. And now it's time to make himself into something more. A Kree supersoldier.
He transforms himself into a powerful being.
Korath the Pursuer is born. Back at Mar-Vell's tombworld, our man Wendell is able to take down Impulse. He notices that the rest of the Guard seems to have vanished. He bubbles up Manta, Magique, and Starfox, then goes down into the tomb. He discovers that Att-Lass has done a bit of grave-robbing.
He's holding the Nega-Bands that were once used by Mar-Vell. Att-Lass explains his mission. He was there to get the Bands, and make sure the Shi'ar don't get their claws on them. Quasar doesn't trust Att-Lass with the bands, either. Which is understandable, considering the Kree's actions towards Earth over the years. Minn-Erva tries to ambush Quasar, but finds herself caught in some tripwires Wendell made of Q-Energy. Sucks to be you, Minn-Erva.
Att-Lass takes advantage of the distraction to put on the bands and clink them together. The story ends with Quasar finding Rick Jones in the Kreeman's place...and with no protection from the rigors of space, he'll die in seconds...
I enjoyed this comic. I am a fan of Mark Gruenwald's Quasar run, and I think it's one of Marvel's hidden gems that more people should be aware of. It does feel somewhat self-contained, even though it (as is typical for Gruenwald) does reference and use past continuity...and it's part of a crossover event. Still, I never really felt lost, as
If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2006 trade paperback Avengers: Operation Galactic Storm Vol. 1 or the 2022 trade paperback Avengers Epic Collection Vol. 22: Operation Galactic Storm. Thanks for reading this blog entry!
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