Defenders: Beyond

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The man with the detached face is Jason Quantrell, specifically an agent of the Beyond Corporation possessing him. The Blue Marvel's encounter with him is from Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #5– 7. Hero's Evil Predecessor: As Galactus is to the seventh and eighth cosmos, so Omnimax was to the sixth. Only unlike Galactus, who doesn't remotely enjoy his job or the constant hunger (or people always trying to kill him), Omnimax does enjoy killing planets. Very, very much. Given that this is the second time you two are working together in recent memory, what can you say about the highlights of your collaboration? Mark: TOAA tells Tigra she’ll go home, “when the storyteller chooses.” And whaddaya know, “storyteller” is the credit that Ewing and Rodríguez share.

Loki is a character who seemingly changes with each use by a new creative team. What can we expect from this incarnation of the God of Stories? He is from the Seventh Cosmos. In Loki: Agent of Asgard #16– 17, he escapes the final incursion and the Multiverse's destruction (see Secret Wars) by going to the Outside.The Defenders is a "non-team" which is why the Blue Marvel says they are the Defenders, not a team. In Thanos #8– 10, it is revealed that Kosmos turned herself into a mortal called the Maker. The Maker is later killed by the Annihilation Wave (see Annihilation) and the Fallen One finds her corpse in Annihilation: Silver Surfer #3, meaning the Beyonder within her is now free. Karen Charm: It’s too bad about the soup, because I don’t have any silverware on me. Let’s just wait for it to cool down a bit, room temperature should be good, and we can see about using our hands. And as for meeting God, she just lives next door (you can tell from the orange cobblestone walkway). We could go over and see if she wants any soup. Finger-Painting With God If the consistency of this artwork is the price that has to be paid for not having a Defenders ongoing with this creative team, then I can’t even be mad. Every panel is brimming with details; every ink dot shadow, every rippling muscle, every flash of energy, all look incredible in Rodriguez’s own stylized fashion. The Verdict The Defenders each get to ask the One Above All their most pressing question. Taaia is still disturbed by the knowledge of her son’s inevitable future as Galactus, which will keep her from returning home. America Chavez is reassured that her sister is still out there, and Tigra will get to go home… eventually. Blue Marvel still has eyes planted firmly on the mission, and asks after what has brought them all so far. “The face of Eternity’s enemy.”

Comically Missing the Point: In issue 2, as the team enters Taaia's house, Betty comments something smells. Stephen thinks she's talking metaphorically, and starts waxing about the situation until Betty clarifies she means literally, something smells - there's a baby in the other room and he's soiled himself.Talk to us about the work that went into creating “The Mystery Map,” and how crucial it is to this series? The Beyonder says his signature "I am from beyond," from Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1 and throughout Secret Wars II. Inconvenient Summons: None of the ad-hoc team were given any heads up before Stephen calls on them, but Betty is especially annoyed since she and the Hulk were about to rescue Bruce Banner from the Leader. It'll be even more inconvenient down the line since the cost of using magic is steep. But Doctor Strange was desperate. In this issue, he mentions commercials and action figures, which is a reference to how the original Secret Wars was conceived to sell toys.

The Third Cosmos learning about the states of "being" versus "non-being" is a reference to the Lifebringer One and the Anti-All from Defenders (Vol. 6) #5. Anti-Magic: By saying the "cantrips of the Onyx King," nobody can do magic (or use powers not contained in their own bodies) for the next 30 seconds.Kether/keter (sometimes translated as “crown”) is the topmost sephirot. Above human comprehension, it’s often referred to as “absolute compassion.” In keeping with the concept of Kether, the Defenders – and readers – find themselves in the House of Ideas, face to face with “God” (who speaks in the language of Job). And as Loki is faced with the possibility of escaping the status quo (and of abandoning everyone else to it), we are asked to suspend our disbelief. To believe they have a choice. In cape comics, the status quo usually ensures that heroes stay heroic and villains stay villainous and no one ever dies. In the words of this Loki to his younger self, “the House always wins.” In the words of TVTropes.com, “Status Quo is God.” In Defenders: Beyond, we are playfully, poignantly offered another idea: Status Quo is NOT God. And if it’s not, what or who is God? The Blue Marvel encounters the Beyond Corporation in Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #5– 7. The Reveal: The mystery of just who is wearing the Eternity Mask is revealed in the final issue, with Dr. Carlo Zota shooting him and removing the mask to see his own face, courtesy of a time-loop.