CHRONOS #4 - June 1998

Reprise

Credits: John Francis Moore (writer), Paul Guinan (penciler), Steve Leialoha (inks), Ken Bruzenak (letters), Mike Danza (colors)

Outside of Time: Chronos emerges in Chronopolis for the first time, following Vyronis’ activation of the Time Masher. He’s greeted by Alex, now aged seventeen years, who’s working with Rip Hunter to undo the damage created by Vyronis. Chronos learns that he’s some form of temporal anomaly, which makes him the world’s only hope against Vyronis. Alex hands Chronos his displacement suit, which becomes his standard superhero outfit for the series, shortly before the all-powerful future version of Vyronis attacks. With Alex and her allies dead, Chronos teleports back to…

1464: In Florence, Chronos relives his disastrous choice from the previous issue, only now he turns against Vyronis. Vyronis tries to kill him, and in the process, Chronos is bathed in chronal energy after the tachyon generator explodes. Chronos makes a hasty wish to be anywhere but Florence, and suddenly appears…

Whenever Kamandi Is Supposed To Take Place: Chronos and Vyronis find themselves attacked by “Lion Men on ATVs.” Despite what the cover would lead you to believe, though, this scene is only three pages long. Chronos does break Vyronis’ Keystone, which will presumably be important later on, but really this scene exists as a dramatic demonstration of Chronos’ new powers, and as a continuity nod to DC fans. Chronos tests his powers by willing himself to return to fifteenth century Florence. He makes it back, is reunited with Alex, and is ready to face new adventures. But…

1998: David Clinton reminds us again that time isn’t something to be toyed with. He fades out of existence, for perhaps the last time.

So, four issues into the series, Walker Gabriel’s origin and status quo are (mostly) spelled out. He can travel through time, reaching specific eras and locations if he concentrates on objects representing that time and place. He isn’t a straight hero or villain, nor does he have a clear motive at this point. Why exactly he’s a temporal anomaly is the major mystery right now, and Moore’s resolution to the mystery will be his most creative use of time travel during the series’ run.

Paul Guinan’s art is just as delicate and remarkable this issue as it has been since the first issue, although I can see another example of the “camera” being placed too far back. When Chronos punches Vyronis on page nineteen, it should be a big deal. Vyronis has been screwing with Walker since the series began, and this issue opened with a super-powerful Vyronis from the future killing Alex in Chronopolis. Chronos hasn’t had a real physical confrontation with the villain yet, and since he isn’t a particularly physical character (as Walker says, he hasn’t hit anyone since he was eight), Walker punching Vyronis should feel like a big deal. Instead, the panel is a long, skinny one that works in a lot of background we’ve already seen, and shows Traven snatching a gun away from Fiorella. There’s no impact. Maybe Moore asked for all of that in the panel, but I have no idea why he would want the climatic “hero slugs villain” moment crammed in with any other information. At any rate, this is a strong closing chapter for the opening arc, and if there were ever a Chronos trade, this would make the perfect stopping point for the first volume.