Marvel 1976.05 - Captain Marvel #44

Captain Marvel #44

Title: Death Throws!

Writer: Steve Englehart

Artist: Al Milgrom

Villain: Supreme Intelligence, Drax the Destroyer, Null-Trons

Regulars: Rick Jones

Flashbacks: Thanos, Moondragon

At the end of the last issue Drax threw Captain Marvel towards Deneb IV's moon, making him burn up as he enters the atmosphere. He regains consciousness, but he's helpless to stop himself. Then he remembers that Rick Jones drew power from his nega-band, so he tries to do the same. It works. He stops his fall and replenishes his strength. He resumes his fight with Drax, much stronger than he was before. His blows weaken the Destroyer enough that he can throw him down to Deneb IV's moon. Drax also burns, but unlike Captain Marvel, the flames don't hurt him.

Meanwhile, Rick Jones has removed his protective helmet, encouraged by Fawn. He lies dying, and Fawn runs away. Rick is broken-hearted, because he thought Fawn loved him, and now she's killing him. Drax falls to the ground and sees Fawn running. She touches him, and he suddenly knows that Thanos isn't dead. He also knows where Thanos is. Captain Marvel arrives and wants to continue the battle, but Drax tells him that their fight isn't important any more. He has to fight with Thanos.

As Drax leaves, he says that the girl reminds him of his daughter. Captain Marvel is confused, because he can't see a girl. Fawn touches him, and he knows where Rick Jones can be found. Captain Marvel also knows that Rick isn't dying because of the atmosphere, it's because he weakened Rick by draining all the energy from the nega-band. They're still connected, and they share their power. Mar-Vell recharges Rick's nega-band, even though it weakens himself.

The metal horse is working now. It was never broken, it was only temporarily deactivated by the intervention of the Supreme Intelligence. Together with the unconscious Rick Jones he flies to Deneb IV. The planet has recently been devastated by a war. Nobody is alive. He places Rick in a life-support chamber in a deserted hospital.

Captain Marvel flies over the planet's surface to investigate. He finds Null-Trons, killer robots from the early years of the Kree empire. He didn't think they were still used. They don't just conquer planets, they destroy all life. When they see a plant, they stop fighting Mar-Vell and destroy it first. This was probably programmed as a result of the Kree's dealings with the Cotati. Then they say that the creature standing next to Mar-Vell is dangerous. He can't see anyone next to him, but they see Fawn. She touches him, and he regains his strength. He also feels that Rick needs him.

Mar-Vell returns to the hospital, and Rick's body has gone. He's attacked by a large army of cyborgs. They knock him out and carry him into an underground chamber. When he wakes up he sees Rick, still comatose in his life support chamber. The leader of the cyborgs is a Null-Tron with a human head attached. He/it says he wants Captain Marvel's help in defeating the Null-Trons on the surface. He also says that Mar-Vell and Rick have a brain disease making their two minds merge into one.

Steve Englehart has written a lot of slow-burning philosophical stories, especially for Doctor Strange. This issue shows that he can also write thrilling action stories.

We still haven't seen the other four scenes from Captain Marvel #41. We'll get to them eventually. I hope. There's also the mystery of Fawn. Who is she, and why is she invisible to Captain Marvel?