Labyrinth: Coronation 11

Solicitation: "Maria finally reaches the gates of the Owl King’s Castle—but did she make it before the clock strikes thirteen?"
==Story==
* Story by Simon Spurrier
* Written by Ryan Ferrier
* Illustrated by Daniel Bayliss with Irene Flores
* Colors by Joanna Lafuente
* Letters by Jim Campbell
* Character Designs by Kyla Vanderklugt and Daniel Bayliss
===Synopsis===
Maria and her companions pause at the gates of the Owl King’s castle, brainstorming how to cross the monster-filled moat. Maria can only think of using her magic chalk but Sir Skubbin stops her, as the chalk is almost used up and Maria will likely need it in the final confrontation against the Owl King. At that moment the goblin gondolier appears, offering them a ride. Maria quickly realizes that the gondolier keeps appearing at convenient times in her journey through the Labyrinth. Suspecting the gondolier is a trap, Tangle tricks the gondolier into giving them a ride to “Anywhere but the castle”, with Skubbin offering his signet ring in payment. The gondolier agrees, and the group begins crossing the moat. 
As expected, the gondolier attempts to trick the group by taking them directly to the castle, only to be tricked himself when Skubbin reveals he no longer has his signet ring. With that small victory, Maria and her friends race off into the Owl King’s castle. 
Beetleglum watches Jareth and Sarah’s confrontation in the Escher Room through a crystal. Beetleglum expresses regret for having to hide his past from Jareth. 
:“All I wanted is for you to trust me. I know that sounds odd… considering all my secrets… but if you knew I had tinkered with the last King’s betrayal, you’d think yourself at risk of the same. Just know sire, that all I’ve done, I’ve done for the sake of making you happy. All I wanted was harmony, sire. In here and in the Labyrinth. The more you dealt with them… the more I need to keep you from the curse of dealing with humans”. 
Maria and her companions are stopped by a large metal door bearing a metal insignia of a gryphon wielding a sword. The gryphon suddenly springs to life, and attacks the group. Unbeknownst to Maria, Young Beetleglum is still being pursued by Septimus. Young Beetleglum activates a lever, hoping to escape through a secret door. The lever causes the metal door to fall, crushing the gryphon and allowing Maria to continue moving through the castle. 
Maria makes it to the Owl King’s throne room, with only a few minutes to spare. Before Maria can collect her baby, the Owl King snaps his fingers and mechanical arms reach out and grab her baby. 
:“You thought it would all be so simple? That everything would just tie itself up in a bow, didn’t you? Hmm. That sheer ignorance is what brought you here in the first place”. 
More mechanical arms reach out and grab Maria, preventing her from confronting the Owl King. Septimus arrives, and before he starts attacking Maria’s friends he reports to the Owl King that Young Beetleglum, who has managed to escape, is a traitor who let them in. Skubbin faces off against Septimus, and Tangle attempts to stop the Owl King only to have their vines become tangled in the Owl King’s machinery. 
Eventually Skubbin manages to free Maria from the Owl King’s machinery, and she finally faces the Owl King. 
:“You’ve taken my son, but I've taken just as much from you and this Labyrinth. So you hold onto one last, fleeting fact… you have no power over—”
Suddenly, the clock strikes 13. In the present, Beetleglum watches as Sarah tells Jareth “You have no power over me”. Jareth transforms into an owl and flies away from Sarah. Seeing this, Beetleglum goes back to contemplating Jareth and the Labyrinth. 
:“Hmm. Every ending has a… beginning, though. Doesn’t it? Patterns. Everything repeats. Rebirth. The hearts of brave humans — unvanquished yet by powerful kings. Playful goblins, inspired by the ambitions of humanity. Sigh – But it’s the exceptions to it all that stand out… the times when certain victory gave way to the foulest defeats”. 
Maria stands in front of the Owl King and attempts to use the magic chalk, but it doesn’t work. The Owl King gloats that Maria has run out of time, and that it’s she who no longer has any power. The Owl King opens up a portal to the human realm, and orders Septimus to throw Maria into it. 
:“Beyond this window is the dung heap from which you came. Unfulfilling and unremarkable. You fit right in perfectly. Where you belong”.
The Owl King turns a key, and directs his machine to begin stealing the life of Maria’s baby.
==Covers==
Labyrinth Coronation textless cover 11 Fiona Staples.jpg|Fiona Staples cover
Labyrinth_Coronation_011_B_Preorder-768x1181.jpg|Cory Godbey cover
==External links==
* Comic Book Roundup Review Aggregator
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Category:Labyrinth Coronation