Marvel 1975.07 - Captain Marvel #39

Captain Marvel #39

Title: The Trial of the Watcher

Writer: Steve Englehart

Artist: Al Milgrom

Regulars: Rick Jones

Guests: The Watcher (Uatu), Atul, Ingu, Emnu, Aron, Council of Watchers

Flashbacks: Fantastic Four (Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm, Ben Grimm)

    Silver Surfer, Warlock, Thor, Captain America

    Molecule Man, Mandarin, Super Skrull, Porcupine, Melter, Electro, Galactus, Overmind, Leonard Tippet, Dormammu, Loki, Tempus

Captain Marvel follows the Watchers back to their homeworld. They want to send him back, but he says that if Uatu (the Earth's Watcher) is on trial he wants to be present to speak for the defence. They disagree and freeze him in a shroud of stasis (TM). When they've left, Captain combines his energy with Rick Jones, and the shroud explodes. There are only two witnesses: a young Watcher called Aron and a rackcat called Mad-Eye. No, I've never heard of rackcats either, but Steve Englehart throws the word at us like it's something every child should have learnt in first grade. It's a creature that looks like a leopard, but it has antlers.

Captain Marvel and Rick Jones are now standing side by side in the positive world. The rackcat attacks Captain Marvel, but he's strong enough to drive it away. Aron just watches. Captain Marvel flies in pursuit of Uatu and the other Watchers, carrying Rick Jones. Mad-Eye wakes up and follows them. Captain Marvel and Rick Jones arrive in a huge council of Watchers. In the centre stand Uatu and his accuser Emnu.

Emnu begins by stating that it's the sacred duty of the Watchers never to interfere. Then he lists a series of events where Uatu broke his pledge as a Watcher.

Fantastic Four #13.

Fantastic Four #20.

Fantastic Four #29.

Avengers #14.

Strange Tales #134.

Fantastic Four #48, #49, #50.

Fantastic Four #72.

Thor #165.

Avengers #101.

Avengers #118.

Giant-Size Fantastic Four #2.

Avengers #128.

Captain Marvel #39 was written in 1975, long before the days of the Internet. Today there are online databases where we can look up the appearances of the Watcher with a few clicks. Back then people had to rely on their knowledge of comics. Maybe there were notes on sheets of paper flattering around the Marvel bullpen. Otherwise the writers had to carry the knowledge around in their heads. My thanks to Steve Englehart for putting the list of the Watcher's appearances together. It's questionable whether Avengers #14 is relevant, because only the reader sees the Watcher. We can assume that he was also standing watching every other Avengers mission, even if he wasn't explicitly  drawn in the comics.

I believe this is the first time we've been told that the Watcher was responsible for the star over the Avengers Mansion in Avengers #128.

Not even Steve Englehart is perfect. He forgot to mention three other appearances of the Watcher. No, I'm not saying I'm cleverer than him. Sitting at my computer in 2023, I have access to one of the aforementioned databases.

Fantastic Four #60 – This is a case like Avengers #14 where the reader alone sees the Watcher observing the Fantastic Four. Maybe it's slightly more relevant, because the Watcher admits in his soliloquy that he feels tempted to intervene.

Avengers Annual #2 – The Watcher sends the Avengers back home when they're stranded in an alternate universe. There are disagreements among Marvel fans whether the Watcher is just an inhabitant of our universe (Earth-616) or someone who stands above it, observing all universes. The former alternative makes more sense, but if there are Watchers in every alternative universe, they have to coordinate with one another when a Watcher watches or enters a parallel universe.

Marvel Team-Up #7 – The Watcher helps Spider-Man and Thor defeat Kryllk, who had stolen one of the Watcher's artefacts in order to mess up time. I don't think Steve could possibly have forgotten this story, because it was the most recent interference of the Watcher. It's possible that he deliberately omitted it because it was a messy story that didn't make much sense.

Now let's get back to Captain Marvel #39 and  the Trial of the Watcher. Captain Marvel says that the Watcher always interfered in order to help Earth, not harm it. While he's speaking, Mad-Eye enters and attacks him. Aron enters the room to watch the battle, but he also gives advice on how to defeat Mad-Eye. The older Watchers chide him. Rick Jones leaps into action and bangs the nega-bands on either side of the rackcat's head, knocking him unconscious.

Captain Marvel resumes his speech in the Watcher's defence. He says that doing good is better than doing nothing. Emnu is unmoved, and proclaims the Watcher guilty.

"Mar-Vell, you admire action, and you have led this youth (Aron) to admire it as well. But action breeds reaction, which breeds reaction, which breeds reaction; and no action is worth a mote of dust to infinity. Too much is happening for any one thing to matter, Mar-Vell. Your life, to my mind, is neither good nor bad, but merely true. Everything that happens is true. Truth is all that concerns me. If I take action, allying myself with one position, I must lose sight of the truths that oppose my position in reaction. I cannot then know all the truth".

That's a powerful speech by Emnu. Uatu replies:

"You are correct, Emnu. I came to a point where the continuous kaleidoscope of action and emotion spread before me became intoxicating. There were billions and billions of stories, and I yearned to become involved. I did. I aided my heroes and marked their important events, as with the Madonna-Star. It made me feel a hero, and I enjoyed that. But it bothered me that I dared do no more, so when Mar-Vell became protector of the universe, taking the life I longed for, I allowed those who joined me in opposing him to enter my house. And each succeeding action bred, indeed, another. This led me to disgrace. I have learned my lesson. I shall not do wrong again".

Effectively, Uatu confesses that it was selfishness and pride that inspired him to do good.

So what's the punishment? There isn't one. Emnu pats Uatu on the shoulder, and they part ways. A punishment would be inappropriate, because it's an action. The Watchers don't act, they watch.

I can see arguments for and against the passivity of the Watchers. It's a subject that philosophers can write books about, so I shan't show myself up by attempting to speak for or against the Watcher.