Writer Brian Michael Bendis
Artist Valerio Schiti
Colorist Jason Keith
Letterer VC’s Cory Petit
Black Vortex, Chapter Two
Lockheed appears for the first time in this crossover! Hopefully not the last!
Everyone stands in awe of Gamora’s new enhanced form. I like how Quill’s narration jokes about how out of touch he is with today’s popular culture.
Gamora makes short work of the Slaughter Lords.
Storm dares to give Magik a suggestion, but since it makes sense, Illyana follows through and teleports the heroes away.
Magik teleported them to the moon of Spartax. Hank doesn’t want to destroy it, he wants to study it.
Pryde and Quill start having an agrument, he wants to use the Black Vortex and Pryde doesn’t. This continues the Earth fraction not wanting to use it and the space travelers wanting to use the cosmic mirror.
Kitty wants some assistance from Carol but she also wants to use the Black Vortex. Carol makes the excellent point of how Gamora is walking around and seems fine. Kitty turns to Illyana and she is hesitant to make a decision. Magik’s point is that, out in space, the stakes are at an all time high so the additional power is an asset. Drax does want to destroy it, so there are some people on both sides that differ from their teammates. Beast gets a thought.
Pryde cites the Phoenix Force and Rocket has the best response ever to someone hearing the word, Phoenix. He and I are so tired of hearing about the Phoenix. Jean offers to take a vote but Quill shuts that down, whoever wants to use it should be allowed to use it.
Gamora mentions, Thanos, which he alone makes using the Black Vortex a necessary tool. Thanos took on most of the Avengers and won that outcome until Silver Surfer distracted him.
Beast starts staring into the Black Vortex, I’m trying out different words for it so that I don’t keep calling it by its name or refer to it as a mirror.
Beast becomes enhanced and gets a red fishbowl over his head. How does it change your clothes?
Mister Knife’s Flying Fortress. J-Son is thinking over what his next steps should be, as Thane talks to his pale ghost friend person – who I really want to learn more about. Also in the room is a Brood Emissary, which the Brood were scary when they were nude but wearing a red cloak? Makes this one seem even creepier.
J-Son can’t believe his son is forcing his hand, yet again. J-Son has made up his mind and addresses his guests. He tells the Brood he can leave, he will still hold his end with the Brood Queen. He threatens to kiss the next Brood Emissary that she sends. The ghost friend wants Thane to kill J-Son, that would fix several problems.
The ghost friend states that Thane has all of his father’s strengths and none of his defects – namely, a crush on Death.
There is a handy two page trade recommendations if you want to know everything there is for this team of Guardians of the Galaxy, probably as next issue is the big 25th issue anniversary. Which is part of Black Vortex, so I should be getting a copy. The trades are – Annihilation Ombinus / Annihilation : Conquest Omnibus / Guardians of the Galaxy by Abnett & Lanning : Complete Collection Volume One / War of Kings / Guardians of the Galaxy by Abnett & Lanning : Complete Collection Volume Two / Realm of Kings / Thanos Imperative / Rocket Raccoon & Groot : Complete Collection / Avengers Assemble by Bendis / Guardians of the Galaxy : Cosmic Avengers / Nova Vol 1 : Origin / Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 : Angela / Trial of Jean Grey / Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 : Guardians Disassembled / Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 4 : Original Sin / Rocket Raccoon Vol 1 : Chasing Tale / Legendary Star Lord Vol 1 : Face It, I Rule / Captain Marvel Vol 1 : Higher, Further, Faster, More – which is a lot of trades at 18! I keep being told, this many years later, that Annihilation was very good. Though those same people are not huge fans of Bendis’ take on the Guardians.
Beast now fills like he can see everything in the universe, everything makes sense. He now believes he can fix everything that he ruined, which is a great deal. I wish Bendis took the time here to have Beast explain how he can send the All New X-Men back in time. The Incusions, from what I’ve read, we haven’t lost any known universes.
Kitty wishes that Beast didn’t take this advantage. Beast calls it an evolution, so that works for me too. Kitty now really doesn’t want to use it. Which I see her point, don’t do anything that Beast does! Beast can’t believe they don’t want to evolve and Gamora is right there with him.
X23 jumps at the Black Vortex.
Beast lashes out and strikes her with an energy attack, so he can do that now. So clearly there is an edge that comes over you when you evolve. Beast, at least, looks shock at what he did. Rocket now doesn’t want to evolve.
Nova lands on this moon, so we are getting closer to having our full cast, he is responding to the distress signal. This must be a sight for him, seeing a green lady he doesn’t know, holding a large purple mirror.
Issue ends with Gamora forcing everyone to stare into the mirror and we get to see what their evolved states look like.
Lockheed is a giant dragon, which is pretty cool. Agent Venom looks like Captain Universe Spider-Man. Storm looks like what we saw in Black Vortex Alpha. Rocket looks to be the height of a grown man. Carol seems to have lost her nose and become an elderly lady, so that isn’t great. I’m not sure how that lady is with the star on her chest? I can’t figure out who is missing. X23 gets a brown and tan costume. Drax seems to be even larger. Is that blue energy lady suppose to be Kitty? No wonder she doesn’t want to get evolved, that is horrible. Angel looks like Archangel, which makes sense. Lastly, Magik gets even more clothes on her, so that is pretty impressive.
Two chapters in, and this is still pretty good, great team dynamics. Humphries gets the ball back in Legendary Star Lord 9.
Shadow and Flame with Magik 