From: teo33398@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Doctor Zero)
Subject: Infinity War...Geez...
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 18:02:55 GMT
Keywords: Reality, Gem, whereabouts, turkey, ham, cheese, killer-nazi-clowns

	After being so greatly dissillusioned about the suckitude of Cool
World (I was really looking forward to see it, but now...nevermind), just a 
few ramblings on the current location of the Reality Gem and the Infinity
War in general.

Infinity War:  This was a BAD idea.  Not just bad in the sense that it was
  a stupid mistake that brought all the characters together ONE MORE TIME to
  fight another stupid battle on the edge of the universe.  No, this goes a 
  little further.  I have lost any respect that I ever had for Jim Starlin and
  most of my respect for Marvel.
Jim Starlin was brilliant in the Thanos Quest.  It is one of my favorite 
  pieces of comic art.  (Yes, I am comparing it to Sandman and Watchmen, sue
  me.)  Thanos was a fully realized character.  What happened between then
  and the Infinity Gauntlet, I don't know.  The Marvel universe, when given
  to Starlin to play with, degenerated into a cosmic sandbox, with all of the
  immortals suddenly deciding that open conflict and use of direct force was
  the best way to deal with Thanos.  Now with the Infinity War, Starlin is
  bringing in too many stupid characterizations to ignore.  Thanos is acting
  like an imbecile, and Warlock and the Infinity Watch, currently the most 
  powerful beings in existence, are behaving like children, taking an "I'm
  really gonna pummel you NOW, you mean guy!" attitude.  Only with issue #3 of
  Infinity War (I I don't buy them, but I have a dummy collector friend that
  buys everything Marvel) do we see that the Magus is actually planning any of
  this, but it comes a little too late.  It doesn't feel right.
Another problem with Starlin's writing is his characterization of the great
  powers in the Marvel Universe, or the Cosmic Big Guns.  He seems to treat 
  them, not as the immortal beings that control a field of reality, and have
  for a LONG time, but as creatures that are human, and have the same human
  frailties.  I'm sorry, but that doesn't wash.  Eternity, no matter WHAT it
  had seen in the future, would not simply become catatonic, and even if it
  did, I guarantee you, the universe WOULD notice.  Death would not come out
  and speak directly to Thanos, and if it did, it wuold not spout some "Oh
  Thanos, I'll love you forever if you just kill Adam Warlock" garbage.
  Eternity would not go on some silly hissy-fit after being denied the Infinity
  Gems, and Galactus is not so stupid abou the ways of the universe that he
  would need to enlist Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme or not.  The Cosmic
  Big Guns are NOT the humans with big powers that Starlin makes them out to
  be, and seeing them portrayed like this is rather pathetic writing.

As to the whereabout of the Reality Gem...hmm, haven't given it much thought.
  I figured it was in Thanos' possession (he's purple, it's purple, why not?),
  and that would have been a good place for it.  Thanos was content and should
  have stayed where he was left at the end of the Infinity Gauntlet. However...

(SPECULATIVE SPOILER)

I have the sneaking suspicion that the Gem was given to the Good Half of Adam
  Warlock (no, I don't like this Good Half/Bad Half mumbo-jumbo either), and
  at the very last second, right when Captain America, the last of Earth's
  Defenders, is about to do direct battle with the Magus himself (the surfer
  will swoop down and grab the Gauntlet, and miss!!!  And...oh, waitaminit %} )
  Glinda the Good Half will come down and set everything right.  Ho-Hum.

Done right, it could be a Marvel-Crisis on Infinite Earths, and would clear out
  a lot of dead (and stupid) weight.  But since Marvel is doing so well (just
  read in the WS Journal that they bought Fleer for $256 million), this would
  hurt sales; no deal.

A cool idea would be to have had the reality Gem personify itself and set about
  the Marvel universe correcting mistakes, but hey, I just read 'em...
-- 
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"Hand in hand is the only way to land..."    The Cure
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