By Michael Gallagher & Colleen Doran
APPEARANCES:
Guardians of the Galaxy: Charlie-27, Major Victory, Nikki, Starhawk (Aleta), Talon, Yellowjacket; Hollywood (also in fb as Wonder Man), Main Frame, Tarin, Old Redd, Calligrapher (Irish mutant, in fb), Irish Wolfhound (Cuchulain, also in fb), Shamrock (Molly Fitzgerald, also in fb), Samhain; Badb, Macha, Morrigan (prev 3 bts in fb); Arnim Zola, Dr. Druid, Hawkeye, Hulk, Invisible Woman, Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Spider-Man, Thing, Thor, Valkyrie, Sean Fitzgerald (prev 12 in fb)
FLASHBACKS:
During the War of the Worlds as the Martians wipe out the super heroes in New York, the retired Dr. Druid takes the Book of Kells to a reclusive Irish mutant, the Calligrapher who has the omni-sight, the ability to see any recent and near future events and make it look pretty on paper. The Calligrapher updates the Book of Kells to include the War of the Worlds, hides the book and writes down a clue as to where the book is and is killed by the Martians. Shamrock retires from super heroics and becomes a grammar school teacher. Her father drugs her and hands her over the Arnim Zola to duplicate her powers for political gain. Shamrock defeats Zola and her father accidentally kills himself (repeats M/CP 24). During the War of the Worlds, Shamrock fights alongside the heroes in New York until she decides it’s a lost cause. She returns to Ireland to fight the Martians there, but is summoned by Dr. Druid who tells her that the Celtic War Goddesses Morrigan, Macha and Badbi say the Martians will conquer Earth. He tells Shamrock that her powers make her immortal, brings out the spirit of Cuchlain from Shamrock’s reserve of war victim spirits, gives Shamrock the Book of Kells and dies. Shamrock and Cuchlain will watch over the book until a new group foretold in the book come to claim it.
SYNOPSIS:
Captain America’s shield has been built into a monument; the monument is also a signal beacon for when Earth needs the Guardians of the Galaxy. As the Guardians leave Earth, President Tarin calls them with an emergency: Earth’s illiteracy rate is at 90% (she couldn’t have brought this up before they left?)! She says that if they could find the ancient Irish Books of Kells it would help a lot. The Guardians call Main Frame for a history lesson while on their way back to Earth, then tell him to shut up halfway through his story because they’re already back at Earth. Tarin gives the Guardians a clue as to where the book may be and Major Victory IMMEDIATELY figures out that the book is at Newgrange. At Newgrange the Guardians are attacked by Cuchlain, the Irish Wolfhound and Shamrock (yes, that one; Molly Fitzgerald) but everyone calms down when Hollywood arrives (because Shamrock recognizes him). The group is attacked by Samhain (the Celtic spirit of death), who wants to destroy the Book of Kells (to prevent the return of its biblical propaganda). Shamrock defeats Samhain by releasing all of her spirits to him at once. Overwhelmed, Samhain retreats. Shamrock and Cuchlain give the book to the Guardians and leave to re-introduce civilization to Europe. The Guardians give the book to Tarin and Hollywood learns that the rest of the Commandeers are dead. He leaves to find Dr. Doom. Major Victory visits Captain America’s shield.
NOTE:
Remember the 1993 Annuals and how they each introduced a new character and were polybagged with a trading card? Well, this Annual introduces the Irish Wolfhound and his card is #18.
It’s suggested that Old Skull from Killraven’s group of Freemen and Old Redd are related.
Some gripes:
Tarin mentions that she has a Literary Corps. THEY couldn’t figure out what the clue meant or where the book was? She HAD to call the Guardians just as they were leaving?
The Calligrapher could see any recent past and near future event. Why didn’t he see the War of the Worlds coming? And, you know, warn somebody? And how could he see that a new group of people would claim the book in 1,000 years in the future? 1,000 years isn’t exactly the “near future.”
Shamrock recognizes Hollywood as Wonder Man right away, even though she’s been living in a cave for 1,000 years. Major Victory (a super hero historian) and Yellowjacket (who just came from Wonder Man’s time period) both had to be told.
But hey! The art's nice.
So anyway, some chronology placements, these are all on the Killraven page:
BADB
GOTG@ 3-FB-BTS
CALLIGRAPHER
GOTG@ 3-FB
CHARLIE-27, CAPT. | 31ST CENTURY [JOVIAN]
…
GOTG 39 (36-38)
*GOTG@ 3
[GOTG 43]
NW 68
DOCTOR DRUID/ANTHONY LUDGATE
GOTG@ 3-FB
HAWKEYE/CLINT BARTON
GOTG@ 3-FB
HOLLYWOOD/SIMON WILLIAMS | 31ST CENTURY
GOTG@ 2-FB
*GOTG@ 3-FB
{GOTG 17}
…
GOTG 37
*GOTG@ 3
NW 68
HULK/BRUCE BANNER
GOTG@ 3-FB
INVISIBLE WOMAN/SUSAN RICHARDS
GOTG@ 3-FB
IRISH WOLFHOUND/CUCHULAIN | 31ST CENTURY
GOTG@ 3-FB
GOTG@ 3
IRON MAN/TONY STARK
*GOTG@ 3-FB
{GOTG 2-FB}
MACHA
GOTG@ 3-FB-BTS
MAIN FRAME/VISION | 31ST CENTURY
…
GOTG 35
*GOTG@ 3
MAJOR VICTORY/MAJ. VANCE ASTRO (nee ASTROVIK) | 31ST CENTURY
…
GOTG 39 (36-38)
*GOTG@ 3
[GOTG 43]
NW 68
MORRIGAN
GOTG@ 3-FB-BTS
MR. FANTASTIC/REED RICHARDS
GOTG@ 3-FB
NIKKI/NICHOLETTE GOLD | 31ST CENTURY [MERCURIAN]
…
GOTG 39 (36-38)
*GOTG@ 3
[GOTG 43]
NW 68
OLD REDD | 31ST CENTURY
…
GOTG 39
*GOTG@ 3
SAMHAIN | 31ST CENTURY
GOTG@ 3
SHAMROCK/MOLLY FITZGERALD | 31ST CENTURY
GOTG@ 3-FB
GOTG@ 3
SPIDER-MAN/PETER PARKER
GOTG@ 3-FB
STARHAWK II/ALETA OGORD | 31ST CENTURY [ARCTURAN]
…
GOTG 39 (36-38)
*GOTG@ 3
[GOTG 43]
TALON | 31ST CENTURY [INHUMAN]
…
GOTG 39 (36-38)
*GOTG@ 3
TARIN | 31ST CENTURY
…
GOTG 39
*GOTG@ 3
THING/BEN GRIMM
GOTG@ 3-FB
THOR [ASGARDIAN]
GOTG@ 3-FB
*THOR II/DARGO KTOR | 27TH CENTURY
GOTG 24-FB
VALKYRIE [ASGARDIAN]
GOTG@ 3-FB
ZOLA, ARNIM
GOTG@ 3-FB
This chronology placement is on the regular pages:
YELLOWJACKET II/RITA DEMARA
…
GOTG 39 (36-38)
*GOTG@ 3
[GOTG 43]
[GOTG 60]
…
