Credits: Rob Liefeld (plot), Robert Napton (script), Mark Pajarillo & Paul Scott (pencilers), Norm Rapmund & Jonathan Sibal (inker), Kurt Hathaway (letters), Laura Penton & Extreme Colors (colors)
Summary: Prophet and Kirby convince Cable that Crypt is actually Domino’s kidnapper. Using Prophet’s technology, the trio follows Crypt’s trail to the end of time. While investigating Kang’s hideout, they come across the Cosmic Cube. Cable refuses to touch it, which forces Kang and Crypt to attack. With Domino’s life in jeopardy, Cable agrees to hand the Cube over to Kang. Kang is immediately consumed by the Cosmic Cube and trapped inside. Crypt escapes, and the heroes return to the DOCC station with Domino. Prophet sends Cable and Domino home, knowing that they’ll meet again.
Continuity Notes: Cable says that he’s responsible for placing the Cosmic Cube at the end of time. This is, perhaps, a reference to an X-Force story Rob Liefeld never got around to. Cable’s also, apparently, the only person who can touch the Cube without being harmed. He claims that he allowed Kang to hold it because he knew the energy would consume him.
Creative Differences: Blaquesmith has a copyright notice in the indicia, but he never appears in the comic.
Review: You know, if Badrock/Wolverine didn’t suck, this didn’t have to suck either. The only advantage over the first issue this one has is the art, which seems to be handled mostly by Mark Pajarillo. He’s a nondescript Image-style artist, but he’s at least working on the level of an Ian Churchill. I have no idea who Paul Scott is, but if he’s responsible for the Liefeld-esque pages in this issue, he’s the most loyal Liefeld clone I’ve ever seen. I honestly wonder if Liefeld drew a handful of these pages uncredited, since they’re virtually identical to his style (and by “style,” I also mean his crude anatomy and nonexistent backgrounds).
The plot is just as nonsensical this time, as the Cosmic Cube shows up as a convenient plot device. Why exactly Cable can touch the Cube when no one else can is never explained, and there’s also the question of why Cable waited so long to hand it over to Kang. If he knew the Cube would just consume Kang, why did he see the Cube, turn back, get into a fight scene, and then finally give Kang what he wanted? If Kang knew that only Cable could hold the Cube (which is why Domino was kidnapped in the first place, to lure him to Kang’s base), why did he just grab it when Cable handed it to him? Did he think Cable gives off some magic energy that enables others to touch the Cube? I realize I’m criticizing the plot holes in a mid-90s crossover with a forgotten Liefeld character, but this one is weak even by the standards set by the other Extreme crossovers.
It's funny because Paul Scott IS Rob Liefeld. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteReally? I wonder why he did the first issue under his own name and the second under a pseudonym.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure Paul Scott is a Liefeld pseudonym? When I did a search this site was the very first one that came up. The only credits I see for him other than this issue is as an inker for a few issues from the Marvel UK line.
ReplyDeleteevanmcb might have been making a joke because they're so similar.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you pointed out most of the nonsense in this. From Letters pages, it seems like I'm the only one who cares about things making sense.
I just read it myself. I also wondered how Kang was going to kill Domino if Cable didn't give him the cube. If he gave his men the order, surely they would have killed her when they saw Cable trick Kang.
So Kang was trapped in there, never to be heard from again huh? I'll bet. A death in a two-universe crossover won't stick.