Old Man Quill #3

Writer – Ethan Sacks

Artist – Robert Gill

Recap – “When Peter Quill’s strategic miscalculation left his planet undefended, the Universal Church of Truth destroyed Spartax. Blaming himself, Quill spent years in self-imposed exile, unable to spur himself to any action except days spent drinking to forget when he couldn’t sleep them away. But the Guardians of the Galaxy have spurred him into one last mission – and chance for redemption: Return to Earth to retrieve an object to stop the Universal Church of Truth. The Earth’s had a rough go of it since he’d last been there, with Doctor Doom currently overlord of the Wastelands that remain after the super villains took out the planet’s heroes. Faced with injustice on such a scale, Quill has taken action against the oppressors as he encounters them on the local level, gaining him some notice in the Wastelands even as the Church picks up his trail to Earth…”

Chapter Three: “Run with the Pack”

Scavengers in the Wastelands encounter the Shi’ar Imperial Guard and are laid waste to by the spacefaring villains. Gladiator rallies his troops to search for Quill and the Guardians of the Galaxy and kill them before they can find the artifact.

Meanwhile, the townspeople of Horse Creek celebrate Peter for stopping the Wrecking Crew. The heroes are given drinks at the local watering hole for saving the local’s lives as well as instilling hope once again in those that thought it was lost for good. The celebration is cut short when the Ghost Rider Gang show up to collect a bounty on Peter’s head. Peter stops the three individuals by himself as the Guardians look on. He is about to shoot the female gang member before he changes his mind and tells her to leave. The bartender gives Peter a thank you gift for saving the people in the bar: one of the Two -Gun Kid’s legendary firearms.

That night, Peter wakes from a nightmare and he and Gamora talk. He wants to know why the Guardians came back for him after a long hiatus and their falling out. Gamora tells Peter he deserves a second chance and that he is the last great hope in saving Earth. Just as the two bury the hatchet, the Ghost Rider Gang show up en masse and subdue the heroes.

The Guardians are imprisoned in Fisk Lake City by the Taskmaster. They are brought before the villain who has plans in store for the heroes. They are to battle in a gladiator arena to the death. Their opponent stands revealed as the legendary kaiju Fin Fang Foom. Rocket mutters under his breath that they are f*%$ed.

A quarter of the way through the maxi-series and the Guardians still can’t catch a break. I have a feeling that the Shi’ar Imperial Guard will be the distraction that helps the Guardians escape their predicament at the end of this issue. I’m still trying to figure out what the artifact that will stop the Universal Church of Truth is and who will get to it first. It was revealed to be stored in the Baxter Building. Could it be one of Reed Richard’s inventions or a mighty weapon proudly displayed in Emperor Doom’s throne room?

Next Issue – FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE, PETER QUILL! Captured by TASKMASTER, PETER and the GUARDIANS find themselves in the pits of his battle arena! So if Peter wants to save Earth…first he’s got to defeat FIN FANG FOOM! PLUS: The return of a fan-favorite WASTELANDS character! In Stores March 25, 2019.