* (one of five stars)
Summary
Miguel surfaces from his (failed) attempt to save Father Jennifer, only to discover Atlantean warships descending on Alchemax Tower. The Public Eye deploys to protect the Tower and Miguel realizes that he's in the middle of the two warring sides. Miguel acknowledges that he feels a "cursory loyalty" to Alchemax (given that he's the CEO), but, conversely, also feels, as Spidey, that he owes Alchemax "even less than nothing." Given the latter, he wonders why he's leaping to Alchemax's defense and concludes that maybe, "deep down inside, there are some things [he] really [does] care about." As he approaches the Tower, an Atlantean declares that it belongs to Attuma, Monarch of Atlantis, and that anyone who tries to enter will be executed. Miguel engages in one-sided banter with the axe-wielding Atlantean, distracting him long enough to leap over him, grab the handle of his axe, and use his momentum to fling the soldier into an approaching one. Miguel then leaps onto the original soldier's now-vacated skysled and heads to his office. He frets that the Public Eye isn't trained to fight a war and that Alchemax employees aren't soldiers capable of repelling this sort of assault. He therefore prioritizes evacuating the Tower, but finds himself in confrontation with another Atlantean as he arrives at his office. This one rails that Miguel's "people" have encroached on Attuma's sovereignty, but, more importantly, desecrated "the Holy Sarcophagus of Prince Namor." The two grapple as Miguel tells the Mr. Exposition that he doesn't know anything about the desecration. The Atlantean doesn't accept Miguel's assertion that he knows nothing about it and exposits that these events are in accordance with some sort of prophesy that says the waters will rise, the "guardians of the false prophet" will be killed, and, by dawn, the surface world will cease to exist. Their struggles is interrupted when they are peppered with "razor-sharp vanadium darts;" Miguel turns to discover that they were fired by the Vulture, who stands atop a pile of bodies. Referring to the "scraps" (meaning the bodies) of his "surf and turf meal" (heh), he tells Miguel to scram while he feasts on Father Jennifer, lest Spidey become his dessert.
Elsewhere in AlchemaxTower, Conchata leads a contingent of Public-Eye officers fighting off Attuma's hordes. One officer expresses fear over the fact that the hordes keep coming and Conchata tells him that, if they don't stop them from overrunning the Tower, everyone will die. She fires her gun, but it's empty, so she uses it as a blunt weapon to fend off an Atlantean's attack with his axe. The Atlantean tells her that she's stronger than other females of her species; telling him that she's also crazier, she then kicks him into the horde behind him. She declares that the Atlanteans should leave her son's company if they know what's good for them. The narrator informs us that she's exorcising some demons in the fight, fantasizing that it's Tyler on the other end of her fists. Meanwhile, Tyler himself makes his way through the halls, predicting that the Tower will fall within the hour, but observing that he'll be on the way to Mars. A dying Public-Eye officer asks for Tyler's help, but Tyler runs over him with his wheelchair instead. An Atlantean tells him to halt, but then decides not to waste ammo on a "cripple." Tyler taunts him and the Atlantean pulls out a knife; he lunges to attack, telling Tyler to pray to his gods. Tyler hits a button in his wheelchair, firing a rocket into the Atlantean's gut; as he passes the burnt carcass, Tyler informs the dead Atlantean that he's an atheist.
In Miguel's office, Miguel demands that the Vulture release Father Jennifer, since she's never done anything to him. The Vulture tells Miguel that he's wrong, since she's undermined his Downtown operation for years with her "peace, love and understanding." Miguel offers himself instead, saying that he's just as responsible for getting in the Vulture's way. The Vulture agrees, but says that he wouldn't be as succulent. He then reveals that he knows Miguel's identity. Miguel tries to pretend that the Vulture is wrong ("been hittin' the homo sapien sangria a bit hard -- ain'tcha, Wings?"), but the Vulture says that he's got it on good faith from a little "goblin." Miguel reels at the revelation that Gabe is involved with the Vulture and told him his identity. He pledges to find Gabe, but, before he can do anything about it, the Vulture informs Miguel that he's rigged every floor of Alchemax with remote explosives. Miguel realizes that he has to bring his confrontation with the Vulture to a close, given that his shoulder is still smarting from where one of the Vulture's darts hit him; moreover, the Vulture announces that the entire place is going to blow in ten minutes. Accordingly, Miguel webs up the Vulture's mouth and hurls him from the Tower. Miguel realizes that he doesn't have time to remove 100 detonators in less than eight minutes. Father Jennifer comes to consciousness and removes the dart from the back of Miguel's shoulder. Miguel tells her than they have to evacuate the Tower, not only because of the invading Atlanteans, but also because of the Vulture rigging the building with "two tons of explosive thermite!" Miguel tells her to keep praying and then activates the public-address system, announcing, as the CEO, that everyone needs to evacuate the building immediately. Father Jennifer is horrified at the carnage around them and Miguel says that it's all in the name of some jihad. Noting that it doesn't say a lot about religion, Miguel hears a commotion behind a nearby door. It suddenly opens and an Atlantean is hurled into the hallway. Conchata steps from the door and Miguel welcomes her; Conchata informs him that she expects to be paid overtime.
In the hanger, Tyler approaches the ship that'll take him to Mars. He exposits that the Board of Directors scoffed at him when he proposed the Mars colony, preferring that he build New Atlantis instead; they apparently even laughed him from the board room. He notes that he's the one laughing now since, by the time that he's on Mars, Earth will be "little more than a glorified puddle." Thinking himself the clever one, he prepares to board, when a laser blast destroys his wheelchair. Realizing that he has a broken rib, Tyler screams, "Don't you know who I am? I'm Tyler Stone." The Atlantean standing over him tells him that he knows, because an executioner always knows his victim. He says that he knows that Tyler was responsible for building New Atlantis and that he'll die at his hands. (He also announces that he's General Dagim.) Tyler tells himself that he refuses to die for someone else's mistake, particularly when he's so close to escaping, and warns Dagim that, if he pulls the trigger, he'll give him new meaning to the word pain.
Summary
Miguel surfaces from his (failed) attempt to save Father Jennifer, only to discover Atlantean warships descending on Alchemax Tower. The Public Eye deploys to protect the Tower and Miguel realizes that he's in the middle of the two warring sides. Miguel acknowledges that he feels a "cursory loyalty" to Alchemax (given that he's the CEO), but, conversely, also feels, as Spidey, that he owes Alchemax "even less than nothing." Given the latter, he wonders why he's leaping to Alchemax's defense and concludes that maybe, "deep down inside, there are some things [he] really [does] care about." As he approaches the Tower, an Atlantean declares that it belongs to Attuma, Monarch of Atlantis, and that anyone who tries to enter will be executed. Miguel engages in one-sided banter with the axe-wielding Atlantean, distracting him long enough to leap over him, grab the handle of his axe, and use his momentum to fling the soldier into an approaching one. Miguel then leaps onto the original soldier's now-vacated skysled and heads to his office. He frets that the Public Eye isn't trained to fight a war and that Alchemax employees aren't soldiers capable of repelling this sort of assault. He therefore prioritizes evacuating the Tower, but finds himself in confrontation with another Atlantean as he arrives at his office. This one rails that Miguel's "people" have encroached on Attuma's sovereignty, but, more importantly, desecrated "the Holy Sarcophagus of Prince Namor." The two grapple as Miguel tells the Mr. Exposition that he doesn't know anything about the desecration. The Atlantean doesn't accept Miguel's assertion that he knows nothing about it and exposits that these events are in accordance with some sort of prophesy that says the waters will rise, the "guardians of the false prophet" will be killed, and, by dawn, the surface world will cease to exist. Their struggles is interrupted when they are peppered with "razor-sharp vanadium darts;" Miguel turns to discover that they were fired by the Vulture, who stands atop a pile of bodies. Referring to the "scraps" (meaning the bodies) of his "surf and turf meal" (heh), he tells Miguel to scram while he feasts on Father Jennifer, lest Spidey become his dessert.
Elsewhere in AlchemaxTower, Conchata leads a contingent of Public-Eye officers fighting off Attuma's hordes. One officer expresses fear over the fact that the hordes keep coming and Conchata tells him that, if they don't stop them from overrunning the Tower, everyone will die. She fires her gun, but it's empty, so she uses it as a blunt weapon to fend off an Atlantean's attack with his axe. The Atlantean tells her that she's stronger than other females of her species; telling him that she's also crazier, she then kicks him into the horde behind him. She declares that the Atlanteans should leave her son's company if they know what's good for them. The narrator informs us that she's exorcising some demons in the fight, fantasizing that it's Tyler on the other end of her fists. Meanwhile, Tyler himself makes his way through the halls, predicting that the Tower will fall within the hour, but observing that he'll be on the way to Mars. A dying Public-Eye officer asks for Tyler's help, but Tyler runs over him with his wheelchair instead. An Atlantean tells him to halt, but then decides not to waste ammo on a "cripple." Tyler taunts him and the Atlantean pulls out a knife; he lunges to attack, telling Tyler to pray to his gods. Tyler hits a button in his wheelchair, firing a rocket into the Atlantean's gut; as he passes the burnt carcass, Tyler informs the dead Atlantean that he's an atheist.
In Miguel's office, Miguel demands that the Vulture release Father Jennifer, since she's never done anything to him. The Vulture tells Miguel that he's wrong, since she's undermined his Downtown operation for years with her "peace, love and understanding." Miguel offers himself instead, saying that he's just as responsible for getting in the Vulture's way. The Vulture agrees, but says that he wouldn't be as succulent. He then reveals that he knows Miguel's identity. Miguel tries to pretend that the Vulture is wrong ("been hittin' the homo sapien sangria a bit hard -- ain'tcha, Wings?"), but the Vulture says that he's got it on good faith from a little "goblin." Miguel reels at the revelation that Gabe is involved with the Vulture and told him his identity. He pledges to find Gabe, but, before he can do anything about it, the Vulture informs Miguel that he's rigged every floor of Alchemax with remote explosives. Miguel realizes that he has to bring his confrontation with the Vulture to a close, given that his shoulder is still smarting from where one of the Vulture's darts hit him; moreover, the Vulture announces that the entire place is going to blow in ten minutes. Accordingly, Miguel webs up the Vulture's mouth and hurls him from the Tower. Miguel realizes that he doesn't have time to remove 100 detonators in less than eight minutes. Father Jennifer comes to consciousness and removes the dart from the back of Miguel's shoulder. Miguel tells her than they have to evacuate the Tower, not only because of the invading Atlanteans, but also because of the Vulture rigging the building with "two tons of explosive thermite!" Miguel tells her to keep praying and then activates the public-address system, announcing, as the CEO, that everyone needs to evacuate the building immediately. Father Jennifer is horrified at the carnage around them and Miguel says that it's all in the name of some jihad. Noting that it doesn't say a lot about religion, Miguel hears a commotion behind a nearby door. It suddenly opens and an Atlantean is hurled into the hallway. Conchata steps from the door and Miguel welcomes her; Conchata informs him that she expects to be paid overtime.
In the hanger, Tyler approaches the ship that'll take him to Mars. He exposits that the Board of Directors scoffed at him when he proposed the Mars colony, preferring that he build New Atlantis instead; they apparently even laughed him from the board room. He notes that he's the one laughing now since, by the time that he's on Mars, Earth will be "little more than a glorified puddle." Thinking himself the clever one, he prepares to board, when a laser blast destroys his wheelchair. Realizing that he has a broken rib, Tyler screams, "Don't you know who I am? I'm Tyler Stone." The Atlantean standing over him tells him that he knows, because an executioner always knows his victim. He says that he knows that Tyler was responsible for building New Atlantis and that he'll die at his hands. (He also announces that he's General Dagim.) Tyler tells himself that he refuses to die for someone else's mistake, particularly when he's so close to escaping, and warns Dagim that, if he pulls the trigger, he'll give him new meaning to the word pain.
In the hallway outside the hanger, Father Jennifer tells Miguel that he's gotten them in a fine mess, but Miguel tells her that the transport ship is located there; it just happens to be behind enemy lines. Miguel finally breaks into the hanger and leaps onto Dagim as he fires on an annoyed Tyler, who takes the blast "square in the gut at almost point-blank range." Miguel beats on Dagim as he realizes that Tyler couldn't survive that sort of blast, even with his life-support chair. Father Jennifer prepares to enter the hanger, but Conchata stops her, saying that she needs to ask her something. Conchata asks if Father Jennifer knows Gabriel and Father Jennifer says that she does, wondering if Conchata knows about his "other self." Conchata tells her that she's afraid something's wrong with him and has been ever since he broke his cyberspace addiction. She asks Father Jennifer to help him if they survive and, on cue, she's suddenly shot through the chest. The narrator informs us that a violent thought has never "found purchase in [Father Jennifer's] heart and mind" until now and she shoots the Atlantean who shot Conchata. She bends over Conchata as the detonator timer hits 2 minutes and Conchata, realizing that she's dying, asks her to tell her sons that she loves them; she dies with the image of her sons flashing in front of her eyes. Father Jennifer goes to tell Miguel, who's unmasked and holding a dying Tyler in his lap. Miguel asks if Conchata's gone and Jennifer confirms that she is. Tyler croaks out, "First your -- hak hak -- mother -- and now me...this is just not your day -- koff koff -- is it, son?" He tells Miguel that they're cut from the same cloth, with their actions destroying the people closest to them whether they intend to do so or not. The clock hits one and Jennifer tries to get Miguel to leave. Miguel hesitates and tells Tyler's now-dead body that he's wrong, that he's no longer an "egocentric, punk kid who doesn't give a shock about anyone but himself." He says that he has a real opportunity to do something with his abilities, something that Tyler never did with his wealth, power, and prestige. He concludes by saying that he's got a chance to make a difference in the world and is nothing like Tyler. He and Jennifer then depart the Tower in the ship as it explodes.
The Review
It has become clear to me that this series, as we knew it, ended in issue #44. Picking up a theme that I started exploring in my review of "Fantastic Four 2099" #6, it's almost like we're dealing with a different version of the 2099 Universe here, where Attuma replaced Roman as the head of the Atlanteans in the middle of their invasion of New York. If you think of it this way, essentially ignoring issue #44 (and the Venomization of Roman), it sort of works. The problem, of course, is that it's not true, leaving us with a mess of conflicting plots and sub-plots.
I will try to wrap up my thoughts on this series in a separate post. Here, I just want to take a moment to lament what the hijacking of this series by the unnamed cross-over event denied us in terms of character developments and dangling threads. Coming off the Venom and Goblin arcs, we were presented with a new status quo for several characters that clearly needed to be explored. We needed to see how Miguel adjusted to his new role as CEO of Alchemax and lost role as guardian of Downtown as well as how he handled the death of Dana and the disappearance of Xina. Beyond just Miguel, we had several paths of possible outcomes for Gabe that needed to be explored, possibly even setting up a moment where he had to choose whether he was going to step into the role of guardian of Downtown (and whether he was going to do so just to impress Kasey) or if he was going to continue to be motivated solely by his need for revenge against Miguel. We even probably would've been treated to Conchata and Tyler circling one another like prize fighters as Tyler tried to find a way to oust Miguel.
David started this process in the New Atlantis arc in issues #43-#44, where Miguel started using Spidey similar to how Tony Stark uses Iron Man. This process didn't have to last too long. Marvel still could've told the story that it tells here; it just would've given more time to its authors to plan for this sort of cataclysm. However, because Marvel canceled the entire 2099 line, the authors are clearly forced to abandon their ongoing stories in order to get all the characters on the same page; hence, we see, in "Fantastic Four 2099" #8, the 2099 heroes flee to the Savage Land with the survivors of the Earth's flooding. In the end, we're denied an emotionally satisfying ending and left with a inferior-quality product. It's sort of like waking up one day discovering that all your Transformers became Go-Bots.
I originally gave this issue two stars, since, despite all its faults, it at least somewhat flows. But, the obvious problems detailed in the next few sections makes it clear that it really only merits one star.
I originally gave this issue two stars, since, despite all its faults, it at least somewhat flows. But, the obvious problems detailed in the next few sections makes it clear that it really only merits one star.
The Good
I loved Conchata as a Atlantean-bustin' bad ass.
The Unknown
1) We never really learn here why Attuma took over Atlantis or where he got the sort of weaponry that the Atlanteans deploy here. It's entirely possible that it was explained in "Doom 2099" or "Fantastic Four 2099." But, as I mentioned in "The Review" section, I realized that Marvel really should've treated this entire arc as a cross-over event, like "Fall of the Hammer." But, they didn't. Given the lack of context provided about events that have occurred in other books, it's really difficult to follow the story here without getting distracted by the various unknowns.
The Unknown
1) We never really learn here why Attuma took over Atlantis or where he got the sort of weaponry that the Atlanteans deploy here. It's entirely possible that it was explained in "Doom 2099" or "Fantastic Four 2099." But, as I mentioned in "The Review" section, I realized that Marvel really should've treated this entire arc as a cross-over event, like "Fall of the Hammer." But, they didn't. Given the lack of context provided about events that have occurred in other books, it's really difficult to follow the story here without getting distracted by the various unknowns.
2) I'm not really sure what Tyler was planning to do in his confrontation with Dagim. He threatens Dagim with pain if Dagim kills him, but how would he accomplish that if, you know, he was dead? Did he plan to haunt him? Also, he seemed annoyed with Miguel interrupting his "plan" when Miguel leapt on Dagim, but, again, he didn't really seem to have one (or, at least, a viable one). Was the plan to play dead?
3) We never learn what was happening on Mars. Captain Pike, in the last issue, implied some sort of problem at the colony, but, since Tyler never makes it there, we don't hear about it again.
The Meh
Gabe telling the Vulture Miguel's identity really isn't all that shocking. I know that we're supposed to feel that way, but it just isn't. First, Gabe was crazed with hatred for Miguel, so it makes sense that he'd break this bond of trust, since it's the most important one. But, given that the entire Earth is on the brink of ending, it's unclear to me why Miguel would care too much. In fact, one of my problems with this issue and issue #45 is that the stakes are a lot lower than the ones depicted in "Fantastic Four 2099" #6 and #8. Miguel seems just to be fighting for Alchemax, when, really, the entire Northern Hemipshere has apparently been flooded. It again speaks to the poor coordination within this soft cross-over event.
The Bad
1) Given that the entire Atlantean invasion was more or less inspired by the desecration of Namor's tomb, you'd think that we would've been given a little more detail regarding the events of "X-Nation" #4 than just "the guardians of the false prophets were slain." Who did desecrate Namor's tomb? Did it really merit an invasion? Were the Atlanteans merely taking advantage of the raising sea-waters caused by the oncoming planetoid? Or, were they inspired by the prophesy? I can't believe that we're left without answers to these questions, given that the entire status quo of the 2099 universe revolves around them. Again, they might've been covered in other titles, but we merited at least some mention of them here.2) Along those lines, it remains clear that Raab and Kavanagh were instructed to write this issue for readers who didn't regularly read the title, given moments like Miguel contemplating his role as Alchemax CEO as he headed for the tower. But, again, we can be beaten over the head with information that a regular reader would already know, but we can't get more detail about "X-Nation" #4?
The Really Bad
1) The Vulture, some low-life thug from Downtown, managed to evade Alchemax security for enough time that he could put explosives on all 100+ floors. Really? The Atlantean assault hasn't been going on that long for me to believe that the Public Eye was so distracted that it didn't notice. After all, Father Jennifer didn't know anything about it and she was clearly with the Vulture the whole time. Plus, how did Miguel know that it was "two tons of explosive thermite?" Is he just doing the calculations in his head? This whole plot was so deus ex machina that I just more or less stopped caring whether it made sense.
2) OK, so, they're facing down death and Conchata decides that it's the right time to talk to Father Jennifer about Gabe? Really? "Hey, I know we're a minute from getting into a nice, safe ship, but let's pause here in the war zone so I can express my worry over my sons.
2) OK, so, they're facing down death and Conchata decides that it's the right time to talk to Father Jennifer about Gabe? Really? "Hey, I know we're a minute from getting into a nice, safe ship, but let's pause here in the war zone so I can express my worry over my sons.
The Terrible
The dual murder of Conchata and Tyler is mind-boggling. Both characters have played central roles in the drama that unfolded throughout this series and they both held the potential to play even greater and more fascinating roles, with Conchata in the thick of things at Alchemax and Tyler plotting from the outside. I'm not sure what the future of Alchemax is in this new status quo, but I'm sure, even if it was dissolved, Conchata and Tyler would've found some other arena to play out their war. Killing off the two was completely unnecessary. In fact, by killing both of them at the same time, it reduced the impact of each death, which in and of itself would've been shocking.
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