"The Black Vortex" is a 2015
comic book
A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...
storyline published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
involving the
All New X-Men
''All-New X-Men'' was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in November 2012, with the launch of Marvel NOW!. The series centers on the five original X-Men, brought from the past to the present to confront their future counte ...
and the
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Guardians of the Galaxy are a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Comic book teams 1969 team
The 1969 version of the Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), Guardians of the Galaxy were the origi ...
.
Plot
Prologue
Star-Lord
Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan, the character first appeared in '' Marvel Preview'' #4 (January 1976). The son of human Mered ...
(Peter Quill) tries to avoid the Slaughter Lords and those hunting him for a bounty posted by Mister Knife, while attempting to maintain a long-distance relationship with
Kitty Pryde
Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (January 1980) and was ...
. He is eventually caught by ex-Spartax warriors led by his half-sister, Victoria. Together they concoct a plan to turn him in on the prison planet Viderdoom, collect the bounty, and then steal the remaining funds from Blight, the jailer.
The Slaughter Lords approach
Thanos
Thanos () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 (cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Devia ...
' son
Thane
Thane (; previously known as Thana, List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city located on the northwestern side of the list of Indian states, state of Maharashtra in India and on ...
with an offer to join Mister Knife, but Thane has disavowed violence and become a minister. Mister Knife secretly kills the congregation in a plot to enrage Thane into joining his cause. Mister Knife later captures Star-Lord while he is teleconferencing with Kitty Pryde, and Star-Lord learns that Mister Knife is actually his father,
J'Son, the dethroned emperor of Spartax.
Kitty Pryde rescues Star-Lord by throwing herself from her ship and phasing through his flying fortress. She grabs Peter Quill while phasing both of them through the bottom of the fortress, landing back in her ship. At first, she is angry that Quill is back to his pirating ways. Learning that he sends everything to an orphanage on Spartax, Pryde decides that she will help him steal the Black Vortex from Mister Knife.
Main event
Twelve billion years ago, an ancient race called the Viscardi were visited by a
Celestial. He gifted them with a mirror known as the Black Vortex. Those who "submit" to the Black Vortex gain Celestial power, and with this immense power the Viscardi attacked each other toward
extinction
Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
. There was only one survivor, Gala, and the Vortex was lost.
Eventually
Mister Knife locates the Black Vortex after visiting a Celestial graveyard. Kitty Pryde and Star-Lord decide to steal it before Mister Knife uses it on himself and Thane. However, he uses it on his Slaughter Lords. Kitty and Star-Lord recruit the
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
,
Nova
A nova ( novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. All observed novae involve white ...
, and the
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Guardians of the Galaxy are a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Comic book teams 1969 team
The 1969 version of the Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), Guardians of the Galaxy were the origi ...
to prevent the Slaughter Lords from retrieving the Black Vortex. Greatly overpowered when the Slaughter Lords attack, Gamora, Beast, and Angel submit and tip the balance of the battle. The team then fight among themselves, and
Ronan the Accuser
Ronan the Accuser is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #65 (August 1967). In his comic book appearances, Ronan is d ...
steals the Vortex.
Gamora, Beast, and Angel are enraged and attack Hala, the
Kree
The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are an List of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and have a scientificall ...
empire's capital planet. The team split into three groups: one battles Gamora, Beast, and Angel; the second stays on Spartax to distract the Slaughter Lords; and the third team speaks with the Kree
Supreme Intelligence
The Supreme Intelligence, also known as the Supremor, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Dis ...
. The Supreme Intelligence demands that Ronan stand down until their star fleet can return, but Ronan uses the Vortex. He is successful in repelling Gamora, Beast, and Angel, but is banished by the Supreme Intelligence. The Slaughter Lords and Mister Knife use this opportunity to sneak into Hala to steal the Vortex, and the floating fortress unleashes a massive barrage that destroys Hala. The heroes narrowly escape, and Nova acquires the Vortex from the Slaughter Lords.
The Collector
''The Collector'' is a 1963 thriller novel by English author John Fowles, in his literary debut. Its plot follows a lonely young man who kidnaps a female art student in London and holds her captive in the cellar of his rural farmhouse. Divided ...
follows Nova to Earth and attempts to steal the Vortex, but Nova goes to Spartax and unknowingly returns it to Mister Knife who empowers Thane. Thane then uses his super-powered "Living Death" and engulfs Spartax in amber. Mister Knife allows the
Brood
Brood may refer to:
Nature
* Brood, a collective term for offspring
* Brooding, the incubation of bird eggs by their parents
* Bee brood, the young of a beehive
* Individual broods of North American periodical cicadas:
** Brood X, the largest br ...
to invade Spartax and use its citizens as hosts. His plan was to take out the two largest empires, Spartax and Hala, allowing the Brood to spread, then use it to take over the galaxy.
Cyclops, Iceman, and Groot are captured by the Slaughter Lords but are able to escape and steal the Vortex. They give themselves cosmic powers and pass the Vortex to
Captain Marvel. She is confronted by a super-powered Thane and Mister Knife and resists the temptation to use the Vortex, instead using the mirror surface to reflect Thane's Living Death blast at Mister Knife, encasing him in amber. Gala then returns, defeats Thane, and attempts to destroy the Black Vortex before it can corrupt anyone else. Captain Marvel is able to return the Vortex to the team, and they debate who should use the power one more time to save Spartax. Jean Grey offers, but everybody is worried about a repeat of the
Dark Phoenix
"The Dark Phoenix Saga" is an extended X-Men comic-book storyline published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byrne, the storyline first appeared in ''X-Men'' #129 (January 1980). It focuses on the superhero Jea ...
. Star-Lord contemplates but knows if he is super-powered he will waste his potential. Kitty Pryde volunteers to shoulder the burden. Gala agrees to it being used one last time.
Kitty Pryde gains cosmic powers and uses her phasing ability to phase out the entire planet of Spartax from the amber, except for the Brood, which are then destroyed. The Slaughter Lords retreat afterwards. Cyclops, Iceman, Groot, and Beast return their cosmic powers, but Gamora, Angel, Kitty, and Ronan keep theirs. Star-Lord then proposes to Kitty. Gala takes away the Black Vortex. The Collector collects the amber-encased Mister Knife. The
Ebony Maw then attaches himself to the cosmically powered Thane.
In the aftermath, Ronan vows to rebuild the Kree Empire. Victoria, Star-Lord's half-sister, meets with the Collector. She strikes a deal with him in order to secure Mister Knife's body, but secretly steals the last remaining seed of the Kree Supreme Intelligence.
Titles involved
Collected editions
In other media
* The Black Vortex storyline was added as an add-on mission in the Facebook game ''
Marvel: Avengers Alliance'' in June 2016.
* The Black Vortex storyline was adapted as a four-part story arc in Disney XD's ''
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Guardians of the Galaxy are a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Comic book teams 1969 team
The 1969 version of the Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), Guardians of the Galaxy were the origi ...
''.
This version of the Vortex is owned by Thanos, serves as a prison trapping victims inside their own thoughts, and contains several alternate dimensions with different animation styles.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Black Vortex, The
2015 comics debuts
2015 in comics
Comics set on fictional planets