Quasar #40
Null and Void
This story takes place during the events of Infinity War #5…
Quasar has been convinced to use the Ultimate Nullifier in order to stop the Magus, a powerful entity trying to dominate the universe. He focuses his mind on using the device because the wrong move could obliterate him from existence. When he finally works up the nerve to activate the weapon, a sphere of null space appears before him and begins to grow larger. Unfortunately, rather than destroying the Magus’ stronghold, Quasar is swallowed up instead.
Meanwhile, the Black Fleet continues their invasion of the planet Scadam. In orbit, the only opposition is the artificially created Her who could not stand by and allow this genocide from happening. Not far away, the Mourners watch the proceedings from their ship. With them is the Eternal known as Makkari, and he wonders why Fath and his followers are not doing anything to help. Fath reiterates that their sole purpose is to mourn the passing of life. As Her fights for her life, she believes that this battle was fate and liking the sound of that, decides to call herself Kismet from now on.
While on the planet surface, Earth women Kayla Ballentine and Holly Stackley try to find shelter from the constant bombardment from the Black Fleet. They are also struggling with the fact that the strange power Kayla has found herself paired with miraculously resurrected her after she was atomized by an energy weapon.[1]
Elsewhere, Quasar has found himself in a strange white void filled with catatonic souls drifting in the nothingness. Asking one of the people where he is, Quasar gets no response. Deciding to investigate further, the hero uses his Quantum Bands to key in to a powerful energy source in the area and goes looking for it. As he goes, Quasar finds that this place reminds him of the Dimension of Manifestations, the domain where cosmic entities obtain fractal bodies to interact with the physical world.[2] When Quasar reaches his destination he is horrified to find the living embodiment of Oblivion.[3] Oblivion is unhappy to see Quasar so soon, and explains to the hero that he is far worse than dead, he has been completely nullified. Quasar then demands to be freed and is willing to fight if that’s what it takes. Oblivion is happy to oblige, but he doesn’t engage in direct battle. Instead, he summons an avatar to fight on his behalf. His chosen combatant turns out to be Kid Reaper, Quasar’s own personal manifestation of death itself.[4]
Kid Reaper looks forward to fighting Quasar and begins attacking with complete abandon. Quasar defends himself with his Quantum Bands, using them to create protective armor. Clashing with the little imp, Wendell realizes that he liked it better when Kid Reaper acted like his sidekick.
Back in the world of the living, Captain America and the assembled heroes of Earth are trying to make sense of what happened to Quasar. Thanos doesn’t mince any words and explains that the young hero was wiped out by the Ultimate Nullifier. Cap and the others want to mourn the loss of their friend. Thanos scoffs at this, finding such sentimentality pointless in the face of the threat posed by their mutual foe.[5] Thanos is confident that they will defeat the Magus, and begins laying the seeds for his next plans. To that end, he contacts Marvel Boy, who has been trapped in Eon’s dimension since his resurrection.[6] Pretending to be Eon himself, Thanos tells him that Quasar is dead and Marvel Boy must become the next protector of the universe. Marvel Boy is eager to take the job and so Thanos opens a portal to bring him back to Earth.
Back in the void, Quasar has been on the defensive but is getting nowhere in his fight with Kid Reaper. Deciding to change tactics he tricks Reaper into striking Oblivion with his scythe. While Oblivion is not amused, this doesn’t do much of anything and the battle continues. Getting fed up with the endless battle, Quasar then decides to flee and flies at top speed into the heart of Oblivion itself.
While back on the planet Scadam, Kayla Ballentine is trying to come to terms with the fact that she has come back from the dead. As Holly looks over her body, she discovers that Kayla has a tattoo of a star on the back of her head, something that was hidden by her long hair which is now slowly growing back. She figures that this was the source of the strange powers that the Chief Examiner was talking about and that it was what Kayla used to fight off the Angler.[7] Deducing that Kayla can do anything through sheer will, Holly suggests she try flying and sure enough when she can levitate off the ground with a thought. Picking up Kalya, they fly across the planet and find the Black Fleet are attacking a massive robot called the Chief Exterminator, the last line of defense for the planet Scadam.[8]
Meanwhile, in the null realm, Quasar’s attempt to impale Oblivion doesn’t work either. However, before his opponents can act, Quasar keys into the signal beacon he previously gave to the Contemplator.[9] He appears before the Elder of the Universe, but in his nullified state, Quasar can’t be seen or heard. That’s when Kid Reaper catches up with him. Quasar tries to reason with him, pointing out that — as his personal embodiment of Death — Kid Reaper will cease to exist at the moment of his death. However, Kid Reaper doesn’t care and stabs Quasar through the chest with his scythe. The Kid then tries to remove Quasar’s Quantum Bands but they suddenly disappear. They then re-appear in the physical world inside the cosmic embryo being cared for in deep space.[10]
Recurring Characters
Quasar, Makkari, Kismet, Kayla Ballentine, “Holly Steckley”, Contemplator, Black Fleet, Kid Reaper, Thanos, Marvel Boy, Avengers (Captain America, Thor, She-Hulk, Vision, Hercules), X-Men (Cyclops, Jean Grey, Archangel, Iceman), Thing, Human Torch, Caregiver, Origin, Chief Exterminator
Continuity Notes
Kayla was imbued with the power of the Star Brand when it was accidentally transferred over to her by Quasar back in Quasar #31. She was blown to bits in issue #38, and began reconstituting her body almost immediately.
Quasar last visited the Dimension of Manifestations in issue #37.
Quasar recalls his last encounter with Oblivion. That was in Quasar #25.
Quasar last encountered Kid Reaper the time he died in Quasar #22. Quasar obviously got better, as seen in the aforementioned issue #25.
Here, Thanos says that their only hope next is that Galactus will be able to defeat the Magus. Galactus will indeed go up against the Magus in Infinity War #6.
Thanos resurrected a number of former guardians of the universe, including Marvel Boy, in Quasar #26-27. While everyone thinks this is the Robert Grayson, he is actually an impostor created by the Eternals to take his place. See Agents of Atlas #3 and Marvel Boy: The Uranian #1-3 for the details on that.
Kayla first used her power to fight off the Angler who attacker her in her home in Quasar #34. She and Holly were kidnapped by the Chief Examiner in Quasar #36-37.
It’s mentioned here how the Chief Examiner went to Earth in the past to test and replicate the powers of Earth’s heroes in order to defend his home world from his Black Fleet. See Questprobe #1-3 and Marvel Fanfare #33.
Quasar and the Contemplator explored the Dimension of Manifestation in Quasar #37. There, Quasar gave the Elder of the Universe a signal beacon.
Quasar encountered this space embryo in Quasar #36. This entity is revealed to be Origin in Quasar #47, whom Quasar previously encountered in issue #18.
Infinity War Reading Order
Infinity War #1, Alpha Flight #109, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #7, Fantastic Four #366, Spider-Man #24, Captain America #408, Deathlok (vol. 2) #16, Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme #42, Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #67, Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme #43, Infinity War #2, Fantastic Four #367, Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #68-69, Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme #44, Guardians of the Galaxy #27, Quasar #37, Infinity War #3, Marvel Comics Presents #108-111, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #8, Fantastic Four #368, Alpha Flight #110, New Warriors #27, Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #4, Marc Spector: Moon Knight #41-42, Wonder Man (vol. 2) #13, Nomad (vol. 2) #7, Quasar #38, Daredevil #310, Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme #45, Infinity War #4, Alpha Flight #111, Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #5, Guardians of the Galaxy #28-29, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #9, Wonder Man (vol. 2) #14, Marc Spector: Moon Knight #43, Quasar #39, Infinity War #5, Sleepwalker #18, Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme #46-47, Fantastic Four #369, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #10, Wonder Man (vol. 2) #15, Infinity War #6, Fantastic Four #370, Marc Spector: Moon Knight #44, Alpha Flight #112, Quasar #40
