Issue(s): Captain Marvel #4
Cover Date: Aug 68
Title: "The alien and the amphibian!"
Credits:
Roy Thomas - Writer
Gene Colan - Penciler
Vincent Colletta - Inker

Review/plot:
Mar-Vell is still struggling with his morality, as he doesn't want to be responsible for the death of this planet but he wants to be a loyal Kree.

The space missile base where Mar-Vell works under his alias as scientist Walter Lawson has decided to launch a rocket into space "filled with various deadly bacteria!". They want to test the bacteria's reaction to cosmic rays. Oh yeah, that sounds like a great idea! How about we expose deadly bacteria to the same forces that gave the Fantastic Four their powers?!? Then let's expose some wild bears to gamma radiation! Why not? We're scientists! Wooooooo!

Anyway, luckily, the rocket fails and lands in New York harbor, instead. Namor, more focused here than in his own book, is on his way to New York to ask Reed Richards for help in locating Paul Destine, and generally feeling positive about the human race for a change. Mar-Vell manages to sneak off (increasing the suspicions of security chief Carol Danvers)...

...and become Captain Marvel. His orders are to allow the bacteria to escape so that the Kree can judge the Earth's susceptibility to germ warfare (the failure of the rocket was also due to Captain Yon-Rogg).

Mar-Vell runs into the Sub-Mariner and tells him to bug off, and they fight.

Mar-Vell doesn't want to kill everyone in New York but he doesn't want to get caught disobeying orders, either, so he manipulates Namor into destroying the bacteria launcher. Mar-Vell thinks to himself that Namor will be blamed for the attack.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 3 - formative Captain Marvel story

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place after Sub-Mariner #4, when Namor is led to believe that Lady Dorma is dead, and before #5 where he subsequently learns that she is not.

References:

• Namor is considering making peace with the surface men since he wouldn't be able to return to the Atlanteans even if his exile were revoked due to the death of Lady Dorma in Sub-Mariner #4.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Vince Colletta obliterates Clan's pencils here; a lot of the faces and figures look just like Coletta's erased-and-redrawn faces in Kirby's Thor stories.