Secret Wars II #4Issue(s): Secret Wars II #4 Review/plot: Ugh. She kills herself after the Beyonder leaves her, but he returns and resurrects her. When she tells him she loves him "because of what you do for me... what you do to me! You bring me ecstasy like no one else could!" the Beyonder decides that's like a business deal so he leaves her again, but not before freaking her out by showing her that he could just as easily take a female form. Ing is left heartbroken but at least she doesn't kill herself again. Scanning all possible humans, he chooses Dazzler on the grounds that she's a mutant, "perhaps the most powerful ever to walk the planet". Most of the rest of the issue is spent wooing her. He even drops in on Alpha Flight.. ...rescuing Talisman from Shaman's pouch as payment for pulling an engagement ring out of it. He also fakes an attack from the Avengers. When none of that works he tries mentally forcing her to love him... ...but he doesn't like how that goes so he releases her. Almost as an aside in this issue, while taking a little flight in his car, the Beyonder "quickly scanned the desires of every living creature on Earth" and found a few that don't fall into the "basic and predictable patterns". One is Algrim the Elf (previously referred to as Algrim the Strong), the Dark Elf that seemingly fell to his death fighting Thor during the Ancient Winters saga. The Beyonder restores Algrim and grants him "far more power than before". He'll soon be re-named Kurse, but not in this issue. Beyond him, there's a few more people that interest the Beyonder. The only good thing about this issue is the Beyonder's love of his Car Cuisinart. Everything else was crap. Crap crap crap. Al Milgrom may not be the greatest penciler or writer, but he's written some decent stories. I wonder what he thought when he got this plot to draw? What did Bob Budianksy think when Shooter turned this garbage in? I guess you can't tell the boss how awful he is. Ugh. This series has been bad all along, but i think Shooter trying to write "romance" really killed it (same as Dazzler: The Movie?). Milgrom is no romance artist either. An absolute bomb. Quality Rating: D Chronological Placement Considerations: Dazzler appears here between Dazzler #39-40, and this issue continues directly in Dazzler #40 for both Dazzler and the Beyonder. The official tie-ins for this issue are Dazzler #40, Alpha Flight #28, ROM #72, and Avengers #261. I actually have Avengers #261 occurring prior to this issue, however. References:
Crossover: Secret Wars II Continuity Insert? N My Reprint: N/A Inbound References (9): show CommentsThere was one other clever thing in this issue. Note the Beyonder's wording about the Silver Surfer- "he believes that an impenetrable barrier holds him here". This is the first clue that Galactus's barrier doesn't work the way the Surfer thinks it does. Posted by: Michael | July 3, 2012 11:30 PM I wonder if Marvel was considering re-vamping the Silver Surfer series earlier than 1987? It's odd for the Surfer to appear here; he barely figures into the Secret Wars II story. But then again, neither does Ronald Reagan. I suppose when i do get to the Surfer series, they'll explain why Dr. Doom was affected by Galactus' barrier back in FF #60 if it was only psychological as implied here? Posted by: fnord12 | July 6, 2012 2:54 PM It wasn't psychological. And yes, the explanation does explain why Doom was affected by Galactus's barrier. Posted by: Michael | July 6, 2012 7:46 PM There was indeed supposed to be a Silver Surfer 12-part maxi-series drawn by John Buscema released about this time. Sharon appears to have walked in from Howard Chaykin's "American Flagg!" . Posted by: Mark Drummond | July 14, 2012 7:43 PM OK, I've been doing some research. According to this website, the 12-issue limited series was originally supposed to take place on Earth: Posted by: Michael | July 14, 2012 8:21 PM You've got a duplicated image here - instead of Dazzler being mind-controlled you re-used the picture of the Beyonder stalking her. Posted by: S | August 1, 2012 2:17 AM Fixed the image. Thanks. Posted by: fnord12 | August 1, 2012 9:06 AM I wonder if Beyonder and Dazzler's quiet place is supposed to be the butte where Phoenix and Cyclops had their romantic moment and she took off his glasses. Probably not, but Shooter would know that issue, and it evokes that scene. Whether it is or not, Byrne's version did not look like the work of someone with a broken hand. (I hate to keep trashing Milgrom, but these pages, besides being awful in general, are below *his* standards.) Posted by: Todd | August 11, 2013 5:31 AM If Marvel ever lets me write "Dazzler," even though she isn't a superhero and shouldn't be treated as one, I'm going to have her get pissed at someone and say "You're talking to a girl who f*cked the Beyonder!" to prove how baddass she can be when she has to. Posted by: ChrisW | April 9, 2014 9:09 PM If they didn't want SW II to look so bad, they shouldn't have kept using scenes that Byrne would also draw in the individual books. It just proves how awful the art is here. As for Kurse, that's more "time-lapse" problems with this series. Kurse is going to walk across the frigging ocean, but he'll have time to get to New York, beat the crap out of Bill and battle Thor, all before issue #7. Too much happens in SW II that takes too long for it to work in conjunction with the rest of the MU. Posted by: Erik Beck | June 1, 2015 3:21 PM Crap crap crap. Fnord successfully sums up Secret Wars II in a mere three words :) Posted by: Ben Herman | January 15, 2016 1:16 PM I think Milgrim getting the gig was him being thrown a bone. Shooter saying, "Here, play nice; serve up the house style; be prompt and professional; and you'll get the gigs that pay royalties. Be a good soldier and get ahead." Shooter makes clear in this series, his approval of Captain America, Avengers, Thor... seemingly the titles with consummate professional writers at the helm, in his eyes. While this is far and away the worst issue, I think it's supposed to be. The whole series seems to just be Shooter's musings on the state of the MU. Any of the characters could drop a "meta-message". In this boring issue he is openly mocking the state of romance in the Marvel Universe (and some of the writers). A reader up thread mentioned that the, Dazzler on a mountain top, looked like a scene with Cyclops and Jean, and I couldn't agree more. And then, the Beyonder, as a stand in for the EiC, wanders into Alpha Flight. "Oh, you want Talisman out of the bag? Just enlarge the fricking thing!" But while the Beyonder does seem to be a stand in for Shooter, Shooter uses any character to get his thoughts across. The Beyonder goes on to say he should teach (issue #7, I think). This whole series is Shooter "teaching" how it's done! Which probably sealed the revolt against him. In one issue Peter Parker gets paid and says he will go goof off, because that's what free lancers do after getting paid. He gives anatomy lessons; costuming lessons; he shows how to write a drug smuggling organized crime book; makes fun of how Claremont MUST (author's emphasis) have Magneto teach the New Mutants; satirizes the "intense experience" that happens when to characters meet and instantly fight. You see and read all sorts of complaints registered against super hero comics. Like, "What did they eat on Battleworld?". "Oh, you want to see the Beyonder take a dump and eat? He doesn't know how yet! But we will show it." It's a funny book, if you just read it as commentary. Calling the Beyonder Frank (pssst... Miller), in the crime book is funny. Shooter is satirizing the fact that in his line of comics, he, as editor, now regularly deals with death, sex, prostitutes, realism, biting social commentary, costume changes, drugs, hackneyed exposition, bland love stories, forced marriages and more. And then he contemplates destroying it all to start is New Universe. Seemingly working with these contemporary writers and artists is annoying to him. It's an underrated series, for sure. That said, this issue is a chore to get through. Posted by: Yogi deadhead | January 15, 2016 7:36 PM Has it been previously suggested that Jim Shooter might have weird issues with women? First, his treatment of Dazzler in the graphic novel and then the despondent lover of The Beyonder. Posted by: Wis | December 10, 2016 8:13 PM Oh yes, it's been suggested. I would say that it's not "issues with women" so much as "issues in general." A comics forum I used to post at, someone made a brief but hilarious and insightful point about the nature of the Molecule Man's relationship with Volcana, particularly their reconciliation in #9. I'm not really a Jim Shooter scholar, but I would say the Absorbing Man and Titania were about as good as he got, relationship-wise. Posted by: ChrisW | December 12, 2016 8:28 PM There is a way to read "Secret Wars I" as Titania meeting the Absorbing Man [who knew what he wanted and went straight for it] versus the Molecule Man and Volcana [who had a really unhealthy relationship, and resolved it in a way that makes you shake your head in disbelief, in a way that levitating mountains and destroying galaxies is just something you accept as par for the course.] And then "Secret Wars II" made things even worse. And then the Beyonder hooked up with Dazzler. By this point, we are so far beyond the limits of human interaction that all I can do is support Dazzler because she's awesome. Just look at that opening scene with Sharon. There is no point where an alpha male (or just a guy who gets laid a lot) can look at and say "That's me." And Sharon comes off even worse. I don't use words like "objectification" very often, but Sharon is possibly the worst example of females in comics that I've ever read, and I'm a Claremont fan! At least Titania had her own perspective. So did Volcana. So did Owen and Crusher. The Beyonder meeting Dazzler deserved to be EPIC, but not in a good way. Mission accomplished. Posted by: ChrisW | December 14, 2016 12:04 AM Comments are now closed. |
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