Guardians of the Galaxy #24 had a cover date of May 1992 and was on sale in March 1992, sharing the spinner racks with Aquaman #6, Captain America: The Movie #1, Cool World #1, Excalibur #50, Lobo’s Back #1 and Nomad #1.
The Coming of the Keeper was written and pencilled by Jim Valentino with Steve Montano on inks and opens with Aleta (Now trapped in the body of Dark Starhawk) trying to have a conversation with her fiancée Vance Astro (Major Victory), who is having an understandably difficult time being with a girl who is now trapped in the body of the b@$+@£d who stole her away from you. The fact that the b@$+@£d in question is a man doesn’t help. There are a couple of person to person scenes fleshing out the relationships and how they stand. Talon and Yondu get to know one another better, Nikki and Charlie-27 reaffirm their platonic friendship, Tarin and Gabrielle wonder if there is even a Comandeers team left after all that has recently happened and then there is an alarm.
The Silver Surfer/Keeper has arrived. He races towards Earth to beat Galactus there and there is a brief recap of his origin and some of the past that took place after the 20th century. As he arrives in Earth’s atmosphere, his is immediately attacked by the Guardians of the Galaxy, still seeing the Surfer as an enemy from their battle with him in Silver Surfer Annual 4. (Follow this link https://liverpoolmunky76.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1034&action=edit)
Taking none of it, the Keeper halts the battle and then meets with the Guardians to make peace. There is then a bit of filling in of the blanks, where Galactus returned to feast on Earth and along with Firelord and Dargo, the Future Thor, they held him back. This cost the Herald Nova her life and the chance for the Silver Surfer to save his homeworld Zenn-La.
The Eon, a mentor figure and the entity who chooses the protector of the universe arrives and tells the Guardians and the Keeper that Galactus is not heading to Earth at all, but to the three inhabited worlds orbiting the star Centauri. Yondu gasps as he is from Centauri IV. The team decide in an instant to go and stop Galactus, no matter what.
Notes: A welcome return to Jim Valentino on art, though a lot of it seems rushed. The story is another soap-opera before action, like 21 before it, but this sets up a more epic story.
There’s more of Vance being freaked out by Aleta being a man, showing the difference between the Earthborn Vance and the Acturan Aleta, only Starhawk is unsurprised by his reaction.
This is the last issue showing Vance’s coat, which shrunk and is now just gone. It shows up again in issue 28, but not again after that.
There’s mention of Martinex and his plans of a new group and Nikki reflects on her treatment of Replica, seeds that grow into something else down the road. Talon also shows that he has some mystical abilities, something else that will be explored later.
Yondu’s crest or as he calls it a Tahlei, is stated as being compressed hair follicles and it is hinted that it is connected to attracting a mate, like bird plumage.
This sets up the double sized 25th issue and it does so well and has me excited for the next issue.
Next Time: And now: Galactus.
Standing Guard 