Excalibur
“Cross Time Critters”
Writer Skip Dietz
Art Paco Diaz Luque
Letters Jon Babcock
Colors Ashley Posella
Cover Dated Late February 1995
This was the second to last issue of Marvel Comics Presents, so that is why the stories were either solo adventures or second to last chapters. Though, I do suspect that they were getting rid of all of their inventory stories, as the series end was nearing.
This story takes place just before Excalibur 42, which came out in October 1991. This issue and Excalibur 86 came out in February 1995
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Category:1995,_February
So this story was sitting in a vault for almost three and a half years.
The Technet have invaded the Excalibur Lighthouse base. The only one in the basement, is Lockheed.
Lockheed holds his own against Ferro.
I like Posella’s choice to darken Lockheed, right before he spits hot fire.
Lockheed also torches Gatecrasher’s hair. Which caused me to flip back a page but I still couldn’t tell what hair was burnt.
For this, Gatecrusher opens a portal and Lockheed and Devil Dinosaur trades places.
I’ve been a fan of Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy since I first read Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1998. Such a fun comic and the pair of Kirby characters, are even more fun.
The Technet have no defense against Devil Dinosaur as he makes very short work of them.
Moon Boy is more than happy to make friends with a smaller purple dragon. He doesn’t quite understand where his buddy went.
I wish the Technet were better introduced, so I didn’t have to keep looking up the characters. Ringtoss gets a ring around Devil Dinosaur’s mouth. Now Gatecrasher can switch the two reptiles again.
Lockheed gives away Kitty’s sunglasses so that Moon Boy will give him a delicious meal. Moon Boy thinks he now looks like Boom Boom, who he met during the Fallen Angels miniseries. Really glad that someone is keeping that miniseries alive . . . not!
I like that now that Moon Boy has Devil Dinosaur back, he now misses his new found friend.
Kitty phases into the basement and sees that Lockheed has taken out the Technet. They are getting back to their feet and she challenges them to another round. They leave, as they are pretty smart.
Kitty isn’t sure where Lockheed got rid of her sunglasses, but that’s okay. I wouldn’t mind an extra page of Kitty telling Kurt the adventure and him being proud of Lockheed.
This was a fun eight page story.
. . .
There are three other stories, in this issue.
Vengeance, that is on its penultimate chapter – though I can’t tell how many chapters it had
On the flip side, of this issue –
Lunatik, also on a penultimate chapter.
Nick Fury also had a story.
Shadow and Flame with Magik 