Issue(s): Death Metal vs. Genetix #1, Death Metal vs. Genetix #2
Cover Date: Dec 93 - Jan 94
Title: "Offspring"
Credits:
Simon Furman - Writer
Paco Diaz - Penciler
Robin Smith - Inker
Bambos Georgiou - Editor

Review/plot:
Ok, let's get out the Marvel UK random encounter chart. Ok, i rolled a 17, that's Death Metal. And he'll be fighting... ok, a 7, that's... Genetix. Got it. Publish that sucker.

This story starts with Death Metal sneaking up on Diamond Lil and Madison Jeffries.

We then flash back to the fight from Death Metal #2. It turns out that during that fight, Death Metal found out that Jeffries could control metal.

And that's useful to Death Metal, who is still trying to kill himself. Jeffries' powers aren't enough to work on Death Metal's magical metal (sourced from the demon Charnel), but it's a start. So he extracts some DNA from Jeffries.

Meanwhile, Genetix are fighting a techno-magickal entity called Mainstream, who was sent by Mys-Tech.

I don't know, guys. I guess this is a general thing about thongs. But there's a point when a "butt floss" costume really does become butt floss in a literal sense, and you've crossed way past what is generally thought to be sexy and into grossness. And that's before you get to the fact that Genetix are constantly fighting in sewers. I mean, we're well beyond the usual "that costume isn't practical for fighting" complaint; i'm wondering how it even works as eye candy. I just want to get the whole team HVAC suits. But i'm kind of afraid of how the artists might sex those up.

Anyway, if you can peel your eyes away from Stinger, you'll see Vesper and remember that her power also involves being able to control machines. She manages to wipe out Mainstream. But then Death Metal shows up, targeting her.

He also takes DNA from her.

When he gets close, she uses her power to hack into him. But that just makes her realize what Death Metal is doing. She sees that he's a killing machine and that he's trying to find a way to kill himself. So she stops resisting, and then gets knocked out.

The problem is that she's also learned how Death Metal plans to use this DNA. He's going to use the DNA to impregnate a woman, Krista Marwan, who he selected from an AIM database.

The plan is for the child to grow up to be powerful enough to destroy him.

That's gross, and of course Death Metal has to be extra skeevy about it with the "daddy's home". For what it's worth, the Argon side of Death Metal is not happy with these actions, but he's not in control long enough to do anything about it.

Genetix show up to try to rescue Marwan. Shift tries teleporting Death Metal away, but he has his own teleportation abilities and comes right back.

As the fight continues, Marwan realizes that her power is empathy, and she can sense Argon's sadness in Death Metal.

So she decides to go through with the pregnancy.

However, she decides to go through it on her own, without Death Metal's "protection". And he agrees and leaves. Some months later, the book ends with Marwan closer to giving birth.

My pitch to Marvel is a series called Pregnant Forever. In the spirit of Avengers Forever, it will pluck from time all the female characters who have had pregnancies where the children turned out to be demons or other such unwanted horrors. The only problem is i think my cast will be too big: Krista Marwan, Ms. Marvel, Snowbird, Marrina, Scarlet Witch, and Victoria Montesi. And i'm thinking Domini and the Golden Angel as the villains. Or maybe they're also part of the team, and Lyja the Lazerfist, jealous that she's only pregnant with a bomb, is the villain. And we'll do a cameo by Misty Knight, who just had a "regular" phantom pregnancy (in 2011).

Anyway, i do like the idea of a protagonist who has to go to great lengths to try to kill himself. But everything else about this sucks. And as i noted in the entry for Death Metal #1-2 the other problem is that Death Metal finds a "solution" to his problem here, but in Death Metal #3-4 he'll find a reason to go on living after all. It's not clear whether these issues are supposed to happen in between Death Metal #2-3 or after Death Metal #4, but either way there seems to be an inherent contradiction. Or else one panel after Death Metal #4, he thinks to himself, "Oh shit, now what do i do about Krista's baby?".

Quality Rating: D

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: It's said to have been "one week" since the fight with Alpha Flight in Death Metal #2.

References:

• Death Metal fought Alpha Flight in Death Metal #2. Also see that story if you're wondering who Argon is.
  
• Genetix's origin is in the Codename: Genetix series.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A