“Yesterday’s” Comic> Prime #4

“Blast it, I’m not a Skrull! We aren’t even part of the Marvel Universe yet!”

Prime #4

Malibu Comics/Ultraverse (September, 1993)

“Heroes”

WRITERS: Gerald Jones & Len Strazewski

ARTIST: Norm Breyfogle

COLORIST: Keith Conroy

LETTERER: Tim Eldred

EDITOR: Chris Ulm

Prime ends up in a fight with Prototype, which causes a fire. The heroes shift gears to help, but the Prime body starts breaking down and he’s forced to flee, leaving Prototype to finish rescuing people. Kevin’s dad reveals he knows what’s happening to him but won’t tell him right now. The next day Kevin tries to use Prime to get close to Kelly by suggesting he knows something about the hero, but the discussion is interrupted when some demon from Mantra’s comic uses a He-Man knockoff as a template for a new body and starts raising chaos to prove his worth to his master, but Kevin isn’t in a position to become Prime. He and Kelly are in a position to get squashed.

What they got right: We get more hints into the mystery surrounding Prime. Kevin is struggling with problems in his life both with and without Prime’s influence.

What they got wrong: I can see another reason Marvel wanted the Ultraverse: heroes fighting each other. It also seems an odd place to crossover with not one but two other Ultraverse titles, especially when Mantra’s tales are even further removed from Prime’s situation than Prototype’s.

What I think overall: I’m not as enthused by this as the previous issue but I’m still curious enough to see what happens. I’m curious when the reading list will point me to a different title for awhile. I’m still not invested in returning to Mantra, where apparently one of his enemies wants to marry her or something, and given they’re enemies of the guy who snatched her body…I admittedly have questions. Just not strong enough ones to bother looking into it.