Issue(s): Quasar #56
Cover Date: Mar 94
Title: "Nuke me with the new"
Credits:
Mark Gruenwald - Writer
John Heebink - Penciler
Aaron McClellan - Inker
Mike Rockwitz - Editor

Review/plot:
What a corny cover, and not just because the villains are called Skeletron and Insidio.

This issue starts off with a gathering of all the New Universe characters. So between the cover and this, i'm ready to close the book right now.

Click to expand the world outside your window.

Nightmask warns the others that beings are coming from outside their universe. His claims are bolstered when an unconscious Kayla Ballantine appears in front of them.

Kayla's disappearance is noticed on the Stranger's world. The Stranger now has the Starbrand.

It turns out that half of the Stranger's planet, the half with everyone in it, has been transferred to the New Universe as a side effect of removing the Starbrand from Kayla.

Skeletron slips away and returns to his Starblasters. He learns that Insidio is holding most of the other heroes prisoner with the intent of performing experiments on them. Skeletron orders them killed instead. But the killing is stopped by Black Bolt, who is teleported in by Lockjaw. Soon all the heroes are free and fighting back.

Skeletron decides to destroy the entire ship to make sure they all die.

Meanwhile, Quasar (who seems to have escaped from Skeletron between issues) gets the Watcher to confirm that Kayla is on the planet below, and flies down to find her. He's attacked by the New Universe characters, who are primed to be ready for an invasion.

The issue ends with the other heroes about to crash land, Quasar fighting the New Universe characters, and Skeletron vowing to absorb all the Starbrand energy from the New Universe Earth.

Guys, everything about this really sucks.

Quality Rating: D

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This is part ten of Starblast. The story continues directly and concludes in Starblast #4.

References:

• Some of the New Universe characters met Quasar in Quasar #31.
  
• Nightmask met Kayla Ballantine in Starblast #3.

Crossover: Starblast

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A