Issue(s): Avengers West Coast #82
Cover Date: May 92
Title: "Shi'Ar hatred!"
Credits:
Roy Thomas & Dann Thomas - Writer
David Ross - Penciler
Tim Dzon - Inker
Richard Ashford - Assistant Editor
Nel Yomtov - Editor

Review/plot:
Thor #446 ended with Shia'r Empress Lilandra agreeing to recall the Nega-Bomb and press for peace with the Kree, but something has obviously changed her mind since then.

The Avengers don't seem to have noticed that she's changed her mind. Captain Marvel instead focuses on requesting that the Shi'ar move their stargate. If you're going to commit genocide, at least please don't pass through Earth's solar system to do it.

But thanks to the (less than subtle) manipulations of Prime Minister Araki, the Avengers wind up getting arrested instead. Thor continues to play the brash one of the group, so he resists arrest, and soon all of the Avengers are fighting the Shi'ar Imperial Guard.

Despite the ending of Thor #446 seemingly being ignored, another aspect of that series, with Thor and Smasher bonding, is acknowledged here. The two initially avoid fighting each other.

But Smasher is still mad about Thor's abuse of Gladiator, so they do wind up fighting.

Living Lightning, meanwhile, decides that Araki's rantings have gone on long enough, so he zaps him. And Araki turns out to be a Skrull.

Lightning is lucky that this Skrull didn't disintegrate into ash like the previous Skrull agents that the Avengers have defeated, and this revelation convinces Lilandra to (again) consider proposing peace.

Exactly what role the Skrulls play in all of this is a little unclear. Ultimately, we learn that the Supreme Intelligence is orchestrating the Kree/Shi'ar War. So were the Skrulls just coincidentally also trying to instigate a war between their ancient enemies and the Shi'ar? That wouldn't be implausible, but it seems unnecessarily complex for this type of story event. The Skrulls did wind up acquiring the Nega-Bomb, but it seemed almost like an accident. Then we have the fact that Hobgoblin, who happens to be a shape-shifter like the Skrulls, was seen manipulating the Shi'ar even though he himself is part of the Imperial Guard, for reasons that haven't been explained. Was there meant to be a second thread in this storyline that didn't get fully developed? Maybe the Supreme Intelligence is using shape-shifters as dupes because they're useful.

Anyway, Lilandra frees Ultimus, one of the Kree Starforce, and sends him back to the Kree as a peace offering. But she notes that a potential problem is that the Nega-Bomb has already been stolen.

Quasar makes contact with the Avengers, having made it back from where he was stranded in Quasar #33, and he tells the Avengers that he's located the Nega-Bomb. Meanwhile, on the Nega-Bomb, Wonder Man struggles with the increasingly ridiculous Vision.

And in attempt to retain something of the identity of this book, we check in with Spider-Woman on Earth, who is worried about being away from her daughter, and who is secretly being observed by a group of spider-themed villains.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This is part sixteen of Operation: Galactic Storm. It continues in Quasar #34.

References:

• Thor and Smasher bonded in Thor #446.
  
• But Smasher is still mad about how badly Thor beat Gladiator in Thor #445.

Crossover: Operation Galactic Storm

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A