Guardians of the Galaxy 55 was cover dated December 1994 and was on sale October 1994, sharing the spinner racks with Backlash #1, Classic Star Wars: Return of the Jedi #1, Giant Size Prototype #1, Hulk 2099 #1, Mobfire #1 and Timewalker #1.
An eye like Mars to Threaten and Command was written by Michael Gallagher, inked by Steve Montano and pencilled by a returning Kevin West and opens with Ripjak kicking Talon who was hunting him.
After a brutal tussle which injures both Talon and Yondu and leaves Aleta with her light energy ripped from her, Ripjak simply leaves, Yondu had already called for help, but Ripjak is already on his way to Aran IV.
Vance uses the Martian technology to look at Ripjak’s history and how the plague tore through Martian society, leaving them desperate enough to remove the corpse of Spider-Man (first mentioned last issue) and attempt to use his radioactive blood to immunise their people. After being horrifically mutated by Peter Parker’s spider DNA infused blood, Ripjak awoke to find all of his people already dead.
After the Guardians learn this, Ripjak contacts them and tells them that they can’t survive with this information and blows up the facility remotely.
Ripjak lands his ship on Aran IV and proceeds to destroy the whole planet in an extended four page sequence, before his ship flies away.
Notes:
Another filler issue, but at least there were a couple of nice moments.
More subplots are furthered with the Talon’s insubordination thing becoming more of a defining character trait.
The connection between Ripjak and Spider-Man is interesting and the plague story gives a bit of pathos to Ripjak.
There’s a return the idea that Yondu’s crest relates to his people’s mating, when Yellowjacket touches it, he freaks out and refers to her as an immoral woman,
Ripjak blows up both the building the Guardians are in and the planet of Aran IV for a reason we still do not know and there is a painstaking description of the planet’s ultimate destruction, it’s an odd place to take such a long time and it costs some drama.
Overall a good issue, there are a few nice moments where Vance can’t show too much concern for Aleta and Yellowjacket watching it all unfold.
NEXT TIME: Guardians of the Galaxy vs Ripjak: Round 2
Standing Guard 