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.
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.
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