“See, I could have told you what too much booze does to a guy. Why I finally quit.”
Secret Wars II #5
Marvel (November, 1985)
“Despair!” WRITER: Jim Shooter PENCILER: Al Milgrom INKERS: Steve Leialoha (including cover) & Joe Rubinstein COLORS: Many Hands LETTERERS: Joe Rose & Rick Parker EDITOR: Bob Budiansky
While walking along a train track, the Beyonder almost gets hit by a train, but he breaks it up, only saving the people at the last minute. There he meets “Boom-Boom” (she hates the nickname but she hates “Tabitha” more), a mutant who can create delayed explosions, on her way to the Xavier School. The two bond over a campfire as she talks about how her dad beat her for being a mutant and his loss at wooing Dazzler. When the reach the school, the X-Men and New Mutants immediately attack Beyonder when they see him, ignoring Boom-Boom who runs off scared. Re-uniting with the Beyonder, Boom-Boom is taken to the station that the Celesials stand at, which has become a tourist trap for the galaxy. He ends up scaring Boom-Boom by forcing a fight with the Celestials to show off. Once back on Earth, she’s still scared enough to call in the Avengers. Losing another friend, the Beyonder allows himself to be pummeled by Earth’s mightiest heroes, who finally take pity on him and let him leave, hoping he’ll just go home.
What they got right: I think the Beyonder’s tale works best when he’s hanging out with other people. Vinnie a few issues ago and Boom-Boom here really connect with him. Beyonder even imitates some of Boom-Boom’s style and it’s quite natural to see him do so.
What they got wrong: Frankly, I’d read a whole series about Beyonder and Boom-Boom exploring life and the galaxy. Beyonder still needs to learn that people like to earn their victories, plus he’s kind of a hothead. Boom-Boom played off him better than anyone else and until he threatened the universe to provoke the Celestials to attack him, they got along real well.
Recommendation: There aren’t enough issues that really work for me when it comes to this miniseries. This was one of them, however, and if they ever pitched a Beyonder & Boom-Boom road trip comic I’d so be in. Give this issue a look, even if I can’t recommend the miniseries as a whole.
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