Writer Sam Humphries
Penciler Paco Medina
Inks Juan Vlasco
Colorist David Curiel
Letterer VC’s Joe Caramanga
The Planet Cor. Light years from the armpit of the Cosmos. Quill is in a bar, interviewing a horse shaped alien. The horse fella is still troubled, two weeks after the situation. Quill wants information on Mister Knife. He wants to stop him, and that is a Peter Quill Promise.
The Planet Kymellia III. Inside the Ghostmare Vaults.
Mister Knife has a team that does his killing for him. The Slaughter Squad. Nux Vomico, the Snark. Delphinia, the Exiled Centaurian. Misa, the Shi’ar Hunter. Czar Doon, the Badoon. Father Diablo, the Priest from Planet X. Raksor the Skrull.
Two horse guards stand before the vault. One of the guards says some horse puns or horse related comments. “Great horse” “In the name of Whitemane” Misa opens her mouth and kills these two with hot fire. A third horse guard comes out and shifts into Raksor, getting a big introduction.
Quill buys himself and the horse guy another round.
The next wave of guards are known as, The Kymellian Steel Brigade. I am ashamed to mention to mention that it wasn’t until I read the word, Kymellian, for the second time that it finally dons on me that this is the alien race that gave Power Pack their powers.
One of the brigade states, Steel your heart and harden your steel, which for some reason, I really like. I like how it starts and ends with ‘steel’ and how heart and harden sound similar enough.
Quill gets phone call and interrupts the story. It is our favorite intangible X-Man, Shadowcat! Kitty is not pleased that it has been two days since their last cancelled date.
I like how Kitty stands up for herself. She may not need to be a man’s top priority but she doesn’t want to be more invested in a new relationship than the guy. If he isn’t going to make time for her, she is out. Quill sets up another date with her, in two days.
Kitty mocks the “Peter Quill Promise” so now we know it doesn’t have much weight.
Quill explains he was having girl problems but the horse guy doesn’t care. I wish he was given a name. The horse guy implies the brigade is the toughest gang in the galaxy, Quill disagrees as he is a member of the toughest gang in the galaxy.
The squad straight kills the brigade. Now that no horsies are in the way, the squad makes their way to a giant Jupiter like sphere in the room. Father Diablo extends his shadowy essence and moves the sphere. The sphere, once moved, reveals The Unseen Chamber.
Quill doesn’t believe the story anymore, and forces Lucien – that’s the horse narrating the story. Lucien swears an oath that he is telling the truth by lifting his right hand up like we would do before taking the stand.
Back to the story, the squad enters the chamber. Once there, they see . . .
The Black Vortex! The item of the upcoming same titled crossover that starts in February.
They have been instructed to not look directly at it. Nux, the more idiotic of the group, disregards that suggestion and stars right at it and loses his mind. Once he touches the glass, he dies.
We are finally introduced to Mister Knife, who doesn’t look as cheesy as the name implies. We actually saw him on the cover to Legendary Star Lord 3.
Mister Knife instructs them to pack up the Black Vortex.
Quill doesn’t believe Lucien’s story, at all. Lucien points a gun at Quill. Quill knew Lucien was really Raksor. A cloaked figure rams an axe through Raksor’s hand and into a table. When ‘Lucien’ performed the oath, he should have put his fist over his heart. Quill dated a Kymellian for two weeks, so he knows the horse race well.
This also explains why Raksor got such a big introduction.
Issue ends with the cloak figure being revealed to be Drax!
Next issue is Date Night with Kitty and the Slaughter Squad!
. . .
My pal, shadowkitty over at the X-Books forum, posted this from Sam Humphries’ Tumblr page
What I like most about this is that this isn’t going to be too expensive at all! Good job, Marvel!
Shadow and Flame with Magik 