AVENGERS #389

Stan Lee presents a tale of the mighty Avengers
"MESSAGE FROM HOME"
Story: Bob Harras & Terry Kavanagh | Script: Bob Harras
Guest Penciler: Fabio Laguna | Guest Inker: Scott Koblish
Colorist: Mike Thomas | Letterers: Bill Oakley & N.J.Q.
Boss: Ralph Macchio | Bigger Boss: Mark Gruenwald

The Plot: A Shi'ar ship emerges from the stargate in Earth's solar system and launches a probe toward Earth. Soon, in Manhattan, Deathcry battles a group of Federal agents in Mandroid battlesuits over a canister from the probe's landing site. The Avengers arrive and assist Deathcry in defeating the Mandroids, but the canister goes missing during the fight.

Henry Peter Gyrich arrives and accompanies the group back to their mansion, where he tells them that Shi'ar probes have come through the stargate to Earth four times recently, and that Deathcry was found at the latest landing point. Confused and angry, Deathcry runs away after Quicksilver expresses concern over her possibly withholding information from the Avengers. Gryrich orders the group to turn Deathcry over to the government, then departs. The Avengers head out in search of Deathcry, except for Hercules -- who remains behind in her room to greet her when she sneaks back into the mansion.

Hercules shows Deathcry that he retrieved the canister during the Mandroid fight. It contains a holographic message from K'rin, the woman who raised her. The message is corrupted, and all Deathcry and Hercules can make out is that K'rin loves Deathcry and is trying to tell her about her destiny. Meanwhile, in Shi'ar space, Lilandra is distressed to learn that the message was sent, and hopes that Deathcry will never receive it.

Continuity Notes: Black Widow reminds Gyrich that agent Sikorsky has been the Avengers' U.S. government liaison since Gyrich was reassigned to Starcore -- prompting a footnote from editor Ralph Macchio telling readers that it was "so long ago, even we don't remember." I think Sikorsky was an invention of Roger Stern during his days writing AVENGERS, but I don't know anything about Gyrich working for Starcore.

Hercules identifies Deathcry once more as the Avengers' "guest", so she apparently isn't a member despite her own dialogue in the VISION mini-series.

Bob Harras does his best to reconcile Deathcry's recent depiction as a teenager with her arrival as a hard-hearted warrior -- essentially, she was pretending when she first appeared, to cover for her insecurities over being exiled to Earth. (I can't help wondering now if Deathcry was perhaps Steve Epting's idea? Because her characterization and even her age seemed to change immediately after he departed.)

Lastly, there's no comment on the fact that the Shi'ar are seemingly using the stargate regularly again after their promise to shut it down during "Galactic Storm".

Assemble: No. ("Avengers Assemble!" count: 11 in 56 issues to date.)

My Thoughts: This is where I was going to stop. I had (and still have) no interest, at least now, of reading the much-maligned "The Crossing" event -- plus, Bob Harras jumps ship partway through that story, and as I started this as an "Avengers by Bob Harras & Steve Epting" thing, finishing it out without either of them doesn't seem too exciting. And seeing "The Crossing" branding on next issue's cover told me this would be the place to shut it all down.

But apparently next issue is just a prologue to "The Crossing", and has little to do with it. So I'm in for one more. Next week, we'll wrap things up (for real) with AVENGERS #390.

As for this installment? It's okay if you like Deathcry -- and I kinda do! Though I enjoyed her more in the early going, when she was that hard Shi'ar warrior. I'm less enamored of her as a Jubilee clone. Still, though, I feel like Harras had something planned for her, but his leaving the title meant that whatever it was never came to pass. Some quick Googling informs that she was killed during one of Marvel's fifty "Annihilation" events, was resurrected during the "Chaos War" event, and then died again, as I think was the case for everyone who came back during that story. What a waste!

(Though on the plus side, apparently she was confirmed as Lilandra's niece, and thereforce by implication, Deathbird's daugther, during "Chaos War".)

I realize a lot of people think Deathcry is dumb, but what can I say? I just like the Shi'ar in general, so I have little issue with a Shi'ar superhero. I just wish her creators had more time to work with her!