Issue(s): Secret Wars II #6
Cover Date: Dec 85
Title: "Life rules!"
Credits:
Jim Shooter - Writer
Al Milgrom - Penciler
Stephen Leialoha - Inker
Bob Budiansky - Editor

Review/plot:
We saw the Beyonder take on the Celestials last issue, and in this one he's confronted by just about all of Marvel's cosmic entities.

The impetus is that he's decided to become a Champion of Life. He's created a huge headquarters for himself and has been zipping around getting involved all over the world. The Beyonder is befriended by a reporter named Dave, a comic book fan.

The Beyonder says he doesn't really need Dave's help but it makes Dave feel good about himself so he lets him run the organization that tells the Beyonder where he is needed.

Captain America and Mr. Fantastic show up to express concern that the world will eventually come to rely on the Beyonder, which would result in a loss of free will.

Dave suggests that the heroes are just jealous that the Beyonder is doing what they try to do, but better. The heroes are unable to convince the Beyonder to stop.

Eventually the Beyonder realizes that at his power level the only way being a Champion of Life makes sense is if he eliminates death entirely.

Mephisto doesn't approve of that idea, so he attacks, to no avail.

Then the rest of the cosmic beings show up to beg the Beyonder not to do it...

...but he does.

Earlier, the Watcher showed up at the Molecule Man's apartment (in hands-down the most legitimately funny scene in the series)...

...to beg the Molecule Man to intervene against the Beyonder. Molecule Man refused at the time...

...but when the Beyonder eliminates death, he shows up. He doesn't do much more than get snippy...

...but then Dave has a change of heart.

The Beyonder responds that he can only restore Death by creating a new cosmic Death-entity, and Dave agrees to be the vessel.

After his experiences here, the Beyonder decides he'll try helping but on a smaller scale to see if that will satisfy him.

Man, Al Milgrom sure sucks any majesty out of Marvel's cosmic beings, huh? Beyond that, this was a more tolerable issue in the series. The true consequences of eliminating death are surprisingly unexplored, but we've seen it in a thousand Twilight Zone style stories anyway so i guess why bother? Captain America and Mr. Fantastic are much more in character this issue than last, at least.

I can't help think that the "Dave" character, established as a comic book fan, is a satirical target for Shooter in this issue, but the nature of the satire, if any, is really beyond me.

We also learn that the Molecule Man was a bit of a momma's boy...

...with obvious parallels to Owen's current relationship with Volcana.

Also in this issue, the Beyonder helps Power Pack deal with a gang that found one of Jakal's guns...

...and the Beyonder-created creature called Kurse battles Beta Ray Bill under the mistaken assumption that he's Thor. Bill escapes by reverting to "human" form. The battle happens mostly off-panel.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: The official tie-ins are Power Pack #18, Thor #363, Micronauts: The New Voyages #16, Cloak and Dagger #4, and Power Man & Iron Fist #121. Kurse's appearance in Power Pack #18 takes place soon after the end of this issue. And a note: despite what i wrote in the comments, i've decided to list Death as a Character Appearing here. See the Considerations on issue #7 for more details.

References:

• The Beyonder decided to become a Champion of Life after meeting Dr. Strange in Doctor Strange #74.
  
• Owen Reece became the Molecule Man in Fantastic Four #20.
  
• Dr. Doom opened the Molecule Man's mind up to his true potential in Secret Wars #11.
  
• The Beyonder created Kurse in Secret Wars II #4.

Crossover: Secret Wars II

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Not sure why the Living Tribunal's body is colored white.

I like to think of this issue when Thanos gets resurrected. Do you think he knows that the entity he loves used to be a human dude named Dave?

(Hmm, just noticed, you don't have Death as a character appearing)

The MCP doesn't list Death as appearing in this issue (although they do for #7). I thought it might be related to later retcons where the cosmic entities reveal they were all just toying with the Beyonder, but i studiously avoided those retcons in realtime so i thought i would wait and see.

In the great powers of the universe panel, the big brown naked guy is Kronos, a disembodied Eternal; Zuras and Mentor's dad. For some reason, he tends to show up for this sort of thing - see The Infinity Gauntlet.

Incidentally, it's strange, isn't it, that of all the Elders, it's the Gardener who always shows up for these lineups...

The Eternal called the One Above All is also shown with the rest of the cosmic gang, but isn't listed as a character appearing.

Thanks, Dan. The MCP doesn't list him, but it does look like a partially miscolored One Above All, so i've added him. I originally thought he was just a "generic" Celestial. I do have trouble telling them apart.

By the way, he is a *Celestial*, not an Eternal, right?

BU - I don't think it's so strange that the Gardener shows up so frequently. The rest of the Elders are usually too busy plotting and scheming to take over the universe. They can't be bothered to show up to these regular meetings. :)

Hey fnord:

Just saw your comment. Yeah, you're right - the One Above All is a Celestial. I must have had Kronos on the brain when I typed out my comment.

I can't help think that the "Dave" character, established as a comic book fan, is a satirical target for Shooter in this issue, but the nature of the satire, if any, is really beyond me.

I wonder if Dave, wanting death to come back, be seen as Shooter saying that comic book fans don't really know what they want until it's gone? The Death of Jean Grey might be an example of this but I'm not sure if there was a demand by fans to have her back or was it Shooter slyly telling her she's going to be coming back...or I'm really over-thinking things. Probably the latter.

I didn't realize it at the time, but some of the stuff in this issue (the way the major powers gather together) is reminiscent of What If #32 (original series), where they do the same thing in the battle against Korvac.

I do agree that the best scene in the whole series is Molecule Man's irritation at the Watcher.

Someone really needs to do a count of Watcher appearances where actually doesn't interfere.

I loved this issue- a real mind trip, especially with Dave rebooting into a new Death.

They just released a Secret Wars-themed Handbook. It's mostly based around the event that just wrapped up, but there's a few entries on the 80's Secret Wars. In the Secret Wars II entry, they gave the reporter's full name as Dave Shooter. Heh.

Random thought; OK, so the Beyonder realizes that flat-out destroying Death is a bad idea, but why not remake Death, put Death on a chain? It'd be a way for him to do something heroic that only someone of his power can do without breaking things too badly.

Wait, isn't there another entity behind One Above All and Kronos? It looks like a tentacular silhouette, it kinda looks like Supreme Intelligence...