Solo Avengers #18
When You Wish Upon a Star!
Hawkeye is outside Avengers Compound practicing his archery skill when he is visited by the Texas Twister. He has come seeking help finding the real Shooting Star, reminding Hawkeye how she was recently replaced by a demon named Riglevio.[1] Since the Avengers have kept the demon contained at their headquarters, the Twister has come to get permission to interrogate the monster.
Seeing how personal this mission is for him, Clint decides to give the Texas Twister access to Riglevio. Taking him down to the holding cell, Hawkeye warns the demon not to make any wrong moves as he has notched an iron tipped arrow. Twister goes into the holding cage and shocks Hawkeye by kissing the monster. Suddenly, Riglevio changes back into Shooting Star.
Confused, Clint asks what’s going on and Texas Twister explains everything. Before forming the Rangers, he and Shooting Star performed together as part of a rodeo. The Twister had fallen in love with Star but was afraid to tell her how he really felt. Then, his powers began to fade and the Twister feared that if he lost his powers she wouldn’t want him around anymore. That’s when Riglevio appeared before him and offered to restore his powers for a price. The Texas Twister agreed, but when Reglivio came for his soul, he refused to surrender it. Unphased by this defiance, Riglevio instead took possession of Shooting Star’s body and then cast a spell to prevent anyone from revealing the truth.
With Shooting Star now free, Clint wonders what happened to Riglevio, he and Shooting Star suddenly discover that the demon hopped from her body to that of the Texas Twister. The demon then uses the Twister’s powers to go on a rampage. Hawkeye quickly takes Shooting Star to where they had been storing her costume and guns before going out to face the possessed Texas Twister alone. Trying to shoot someone who can create tornados proves to be difficult, but ultimately Hawkeye ropes the possessed hero to a palm tree using a bolo arrow. When Hawkeye threatens to shoot the demon through the heart, Riglevio calls his bluff, knowing that Avengers do not kill.
However, Shooting Star soon arrives and promises to make due on the threat, saying that Texas Twister would want him to put him down if he couldn’t be freed. Riglevio surrenders and promises to leave Texas Twister’s body. Hawkeye then forces the demon to take possession of a jockey statue, trapping the demon forever. In the aftermath of the battle, the Texas Twister and Shooting Star are happily reunited. Seeing how ruthless Star was earlier reminds Clint of his estranged wife, Mockingbird.[2]
Recurring Characters
Hawkeye, Texas Twister, Shooting Star, Riglevio
Continuity Notes
Riglevio was revealed to have taken Shooting Star’s place in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #9.
Hawkeye’s marriage to Mockingbird has been in trouble since the events of West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #17-23. Bobbi was kidnapped by the Phantom Rider and when she got free she left him to die. When Clint learned the truth in issue #35, he was upset because she violated the Avengers code on killing instead of supporting his wife when she was sexually assualted. The two split up in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #37, but have been trying to work on their relationship since last issue.
Topical References
Hawkeye makes a reference to the weather report he saw on Good Morning America. This is not necessarily a topical reference since this news program airs on ABC a television network that is owned by Marvel parent company Disney.
Will You Won’t You Will You Won’t You —?
Pamela Douglas has found herself in a fantastic situation: The mind of her cousin — Heather Douglas, aka Moondragon — is living inside her own body. Needing a new body for herself, Heather has helped Pamela reach the Saturnian moon of Titan, home of the Eternals.[1] As they wait for ISAAC — the Titanian world mind — to finish creating Heather’s new body, Pamela has been getting to know the Eternals and their society. She has entertained herself by engaging in movie trivia contests with ISAAC and playing chess with the Eternal leader, Mentor. However, the latter of which is for the benefit of Isaac Christians — aka the Gargoyle — whose own soul is trapped within a mystical ruby as well. Heather’s new body is nearing completion and Pamela will have to help facilitate Heather’s psychic birth into the cloned body. Pamela has also been spending a lot of time with an Eternal named Demeityr. Although he is 700 years old, he is is naive but she is taking him a liking.
Soon, the time comes for the cloned baby to be born and the cousins used their combined mental powers to transfer Heather’s mind into the new body. After this is done, the Priests of Pama insist on taking Heather back under their care so she can be properly retrained in their disciplines. Heather, however, flat out refuses as her new body will age to maturity faster than normal and she wants to seek out her own destiny. The Priests insist, pointing out all the damage she caused when she was corrupted by the Dragon of the Moon. However, Isaac Christians surprises everyone by pleading for Heather’s case. Eventually, everyone relents and allows Pamela, Heather, and Isaac leave in their ship to seek out a new destiny among the stars.
No sooner are they are on their voyage, Heather senses a great danger and warns Pamela to turn on the cloaking device. Unfortunately, it is too late and they are caught into a tractor beam and pulled into a massive planet sized ship. Once inside, they are confronted by an incredibly tall insectoid creature, confirming her fears: That they have been captured by the Dance. Being led through the ship, Heather explains to the others that the Dance are an alien race whose actions are bizarre and unpredictable. They have been known to go to a world and plant a tree, or wipe out an entire continent, or move a stone from here to there. The going theory is that they have some kind of view of the pattern in which the universe needs to follow.
Soon they learn that the leader of the Dance is leading them to a massive plasma column that will kill them if they don’t do something quick. Heather tries to keep Pamela focused, explaining that she has the same mental power but with none of the years of training and discipline that Heather had to undergo, but doesn’t know who. Channeling this power, Pamela is able to fly free from the plasma column unharmed. At the same time, Pam’s desire to have someone she cares with her teleports Demeityr to the Dance’s ship. The whole time the Dance only watch silently. Deciding that they need Demeityr on their travels, Pamela and the others leave. However, they wonder if the universe is ready for two Moondragons.[2]
Recurring Characters
Pamela Douglas, Moondragon, Gargoyle, Demeityr, Mentor, The Dance
Continuity Notes
Moondragon’s body was destroyed after she was corrupted by the Dragon of the Moon in Defenders #152. This was the same story where Gargoyle’s physical body was destroyed.
It states here that this story will be continued in a future issue of Solo Avengers. I’ll save you the trouble, it is in issue #20.
