A major event, promoted in Marvel Age, that ties into several ongoing publications that only sell moderately well but that touch very different corners of the market.
The cosmic (Quasar), the classic (Namor and F4), and fans of team-ups (Secret Defenders). And fans of doctors.
I like that line. I do not like that all the members of Alpha Flight now have generic uniforms, making it hard to tell that the dude above is Northstar.
In the Quasar ongoing, Mark Gruenwald brought the Star Brand power source into the 616 from the failed New Universe. Here, he tries to import more of it. The results weren’t a huge success, but it wouldn’t be the last time Marvel tried to preserve its copyright–Warren Ellis would do it again, and much better, about ten years later in the “white event” New Universe reboot.
Anyway, in his own comic, Quasar has been trying to figure out what to do with the Star Brand, to make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Others are aware of the power source, too…
I like the way Jean says what we’re all dreading: “Another Infinity event that will further ruin Thanos as a character??”
Anyway, the Star Blast ends up going to, of all people, Quasar’s secretary/girlfriend, Kayla Ballentine. And suddenly, everyone in the galaxy wants to get a hold of her. Including the Shi’Ar.
But by no means only the Shi’Ar. Just about the entire Marvel Universe shows up across the issues of this event.
Kayla gets abducted, along with The Watcher, by a gang of space hoods called the Starblasters (who we later learn were hired by The Stranger, because he wanted the Star Brand and needed take out Watcher so he wouldn’t tattle). Quasar assembles a rescue team, while on Earth, Dr. Strange gets some Secret Defenders to fight some of the Starblaster Robots left behind.
The whole thing also overlaps with Thor’s Blood and Thunder, making it even more complicated than it needs to be.
And EVERYONE is in it.
By the end of it all, Starblast #4, Kayla gives the Star Brand power to the Stranger and Stranger brings the New Universe version of Earth to the 616–but it is covered by a barrier so that nobody can escape or visit it.
So it’s entirely cut off. And I don’t think much is done with it for a long time.
Now what was the point of that? Only to rob Quasar of his girlfriend…