Shadow and Flame with Magik

Writer Sam Humphries

Artist Alti Firmansyah

Colorist Jessica Kholinne

Letters VC’s Joe Sabino

Cover Yasmine Putri

I was really hoping that the Action Figure variant was going to be this Kitty Pryde but it makes sense that Quill gets the first action figure variant.  I’m hoping she gets the next one.  This comic isn’t quite the ride I thought it was going to be.

As of Secret Wars 2015 4, Quill is still with the Proper Marvel Universe Characters – Spider-Man, Black Panther, Reed Richards, Captain Marvel and Thor.  So I’m not sure how Quill separates from the main group, to make this issue possible.  Maybe issue five explains that.

Issue opens in a nightclub.  The bartender wears a shirt that resembles Black Bolt’s symbol.  Quill is a lounge singer.  In this region, no one knows Disney songs, so he comes off like a genius.  Quill recounts the end of the universe, he doesn’t quite understand how all of this happen.  We are suppose to ask Reed, if we want answers.  He says that “in the chaos, he got separated” so that might be all the explanation that we get.  Not sure how Secret Wars 2015 4 delayed this title, so much, as it seems like this one page doesn’t spoil nor tie in, to the series, at all.

Quill is in Manhattan, so it must be on that region of Battleworld.  A lady offers to buy him a martini, but he turns it down.

Outside, a Drax with a hair style that will put Conan O’Brien’s hair to shame, it is so high!  Drax calls Quill “Steve Rogers” as it was the first name Quill could come up with.  Doom’s goons are looking for him, so he has to go by a different name.  Drax knew a Steve Rogers, from a few domains over.  Which is an odd comment, as I thought no one was suppose to know about the other domains.  This Drax likes to tell jokes like how the proper one likes to fight.

We get to the co-star of the title!  Look at that dress, it is clearly inspired by the Proper Kitty Pryde’s cosmic upgrade.  There have been interviews stating that this is suppose to be the Age of Apocalypse Shadowcat, but I’m not sure if that is obvious, with this issue.

Kitty Pryde is here to meet with someone.  That person is . . . Gambit, the Collector!!  Gambit has ordered a St. Croix.  Which Google only tells me there is a bottled water but maybe I’m not doing a search right.  Kitty wants to keep this, strictly business.  Gambit states that she is an agent of Valeria Von Doom’s Foundation, so that makes sense, as AoA Shadowcat was leading Generation Next.  This does make me want to track Runaways better, but she wasn’t mentioned or seen, in the first issue of that series.

Shadowcat is after an anomaly, and Gambit wants his reward.  He hands her a lock of hair, the origin of the hair is unknown.  She also calls this “Doomforsaken Manhattan.”   Since the Foundation doesn’t know the origins, it proves that the Gospel of Doom may not be completely true.  The students of the Runaways title, come from various regions – so they know what is up.  Plus, Valeria lives with God Doom, so she sees him – all the time.

Gambit’s reward?  Longshot empowered blades, made from his very own bones!  That’s pretty intense!  Gambit takes back the lock of hair, apparently.

Quill is about to start his next set, we see that Strong Guy is part of her band.  Not sure who the wolf guy is and maybe that is Polaris, with the green hair?

Quill starts to sing, Once Upon A Dream, from Sleeping Beauty.  Which is the song he sung, before proposing to the Proper Kitty Pryde.

Thanks to YouTuber LordDaine, for hosting this video!

Which is something that you get, when you have the same writer write the Secret Wars Tie In series, that wrote Quill’s last series.  Good for you, Humphries!

Quill then sees Kitty Pryde!

I love reading Quill’s mental commentary.  Kitty is the best lady in the galaxy.

Firmansyah does a good job of recreating many of Paco Medina’s moments.  I’m surprised her wearing the banana costume didn’t make it.

Quill leaves the stage, so fast!

Gambit tries to make a move on Kitty but she pops some metal claws – so that should be enough to prove she is AoA Shadowcat.  How she isn’t dead, is beyond me but I’m also cool with it.

Gambit and Kitty did hook up, once in New Avalon but Kitty is quick to tell him – that was a mistake.

Quill tells Gambit to back off.  Gambit isn’t happy that Kitty brought someone.

Kitty doesn’t recognize this blonde fellow.  I really do wish that we saw Gambit take back the lock of hair, I feel like this is an important story beat, but wasn’t shown.

Gambit charges the champagne bottle and throws it at the non-couple.  Drax, is the club owner.  Gambit quickly throws the Longshot blades, so he didn’t get to keep them long.

Strong Guy is the drummer of the band.  Storm is at the club, she was enjoying a drink.

Kitty wants Gambit to be stopped, but he is too quick.  Kitty is worried about the backlash of Valeria, who for all purposes, is the daughter of God Doom.  So I would be afraid of her wrath, as well.  The hair is gone as are the blades.  Quill doesn’t pick up on the importance of what is happening.

Quill, gets caught up in the moment, and kisses Kitty.

She does not like that!  His face gets punched, so hard!  His blood falls on the machine, that detects origins.

Issue ends with Kitty learning that Quill is a living anomaly.  She handcuffs him to her and starts running towards Doomgard.  The last place Quill wants to be!

Such a great first issue!