Sequart.com	Annotations to Marvel 1602 #2
first posted on 11 September 03
	JULIAN DARIUS
Read The Continuity Page covering Marvel 1602 (and other Marvel universe-spanning work). More on Neil Gaiman Neil Gaiman Chronology	Part Two / Issue #2 This issue was cover-dated December 2003 and published on Wednesday, 10 September 2003. It runs 22 pages and carried a $3.50 cover price. The cover depicts various characters in a hedge maze. In the center is Virginia Dare, who is also central to this issue’s narrative. Above her can be seen Rojhaz, her Native American companion. At the top left is Peter Parquaugh, Nicholas Fury’s assistant. Nicholas Fury himself is below Parquaugh, to the left of Virginia Dare and the maze’s center. On the left edge of the image is Queen Elizabeth I. Doctor Stephen Strange is at the bottom. Above Doctor Strange but below Virginia Dare is a bald man who is probably one of the assassins seen in the issue, judging from his sulking and his pointy ears, though he is not dressed as such. Based on the plot of this issue, the emphasis of the image is uniquely on intrigue -- specifically, the search for the two assassins who we learn in this issue (on page 19) have been sent to kill Virginia Dare and Queen Elizabeth I. Page 1 A bit of time has passed from the previous issue. Nicholas Fury’s brief letter here reminds readers of the previous issue’s events, reminiscent of the “previously” pages in many of Marvel’s titles at the time. Note the faux-antiquated, formal style of letter-writing employed here. “My finest agent” refers to Matthew Murdoch, dispatched by Fury in the previous issue. Fury has only encountered Mudoch in darkness in accordance with Murdoch’s preferences, as seen in the previous issue, though why Fury would write the queen of this fact -- which would seem to undermine the queen’s confidence in Fury -- remains unclear. “The Strange weather” was seen at the beginning of the previous issue. Again, why he would have to write the queen to inform her of this remains unclear.
This is the first mention by any character in England of Virginia Dare’s arrival. In the previous issue, no indication was given that Nicholas Fury or Queen Elizabeth expected that ship’s arrival. Some time has indeed past: in this time, presumably, Virginia Dare has arrived and made contact with the English.	This is the first mention by any character in England of Virginia Dare’s arrival. Though she was seen in the previous issue en route by ship, and though Doctor Strange saw her in a trace-induced vision, no indication was given that Nicholas Fury or Queen Elizabeth I expected that ship’s arrival. This is not necessarily a contradiction, however, as some time has indeed past: in this time, presumably, Virginia Dare has arrived and made contact with the English. Carlos Javier was referenced in the previous issue, but not seen. That he has been the subject of discussions between Nicholas Fury and Queen Elizabeth I is new information. “The honor” in Fury’s closing is the honor of having been knighted, and thus the right to call one’s self “sir.” Page 2 Panel 3: The sign reads “Master Carolus Javier’s Select College for the Sons of Gentlefolk” above its Latin motto, read and translated by Fury here. In the normal Marvel universe, the sign outside of Professor X’s mansion reads “Xavier’s School for Gifted Mutants.” The openness of that sign, in contrast to the sign here, was long explained by the fact that Xavier’s mental powers obscured the school’s sign, appearance, and nature from the outside world. This changed in the normal Marvel universe not long before 1602 was published: Grant Morrison, during his then-ongoing run on New X-Men, had made Professor X reveal the school and his mutants to the world. While the Latin is convincingly translated, the word “mutantur” -- translated here as “change” -- provides the origin for the English verb “mutate” as well as “mutants” (the normal Marvel universe equivalent of “witchbreed”). Note that the spelling of "Carolus" on the sign here -- whereas Fury has just written “Carlos” the page before -- may be indicative of the various spellings found acceptable in the Renaissance, including for proper names. It is, of course, for this reason (and not some conspiracy) that Shakespeare spelled his name so differently throughout his career. Panel 4: Although the wild hair of this creature is reminiscent of Wolverine, the most popular X-Man (whose powers are his ability to heal quickly even from absurd wounds as well as his ability to extend metal claws through his hands from his metal skeleton), Wolverine was not introduced until the 1970s. In fact, the character here (identified as McCoy on page 5) is actually an analogue of Hank McCoy, also known as the Beast -- one of the original members of the X-Men. The character seen here most closely represents the Beast from the earliest X-Men issues: at the time of 1602’s publication, the Beast had long been changed into a blue, hairy creature of similar build -- and much greater intelligence. Panel 5: “Is it a man, or is it a beast? they asked” is a reference to McCoy’s normal Marvel analogue as the Beast. Page 3
Presumably, Javier and his witchbreed have been studying the origin of their powers -- suggested by Javier’s assertion to Fury, on the next page, that magic has nothing to do with their powers.	Panel 1: To the left of the image, we see a human skeleton hung in a manner suggestive of medical studies -- advanced for a time in which alchemy and witchcraft were indistinguishable from scientific study. Presumably, Javier and his witchbreed have been studying the origin of their powers -- suggested by Javier’s assertion to Fury, on the next page, that magic has nothing to do with their powers. Below the skeleton, in silhouette, are dinosaurs -- presumably a model, not the real thing -- that further suggest study of evolution. Note also the many “X”-shapes (suggestive of the “X-Men”) built into this image, from the windows to the weapons crossing the shields on the walls. Note that the knowledge of dinosaurs as seen here, as well as the evolutionary theme, demonstrates the advanced nature of Javier’s studies. While the notion of evolution was ancient, the idea of the biological evolution of a species was not popularly advanced until the 19th Century. Nor were unearthed dinosaur bones popularly considered part of large, single, extinct animals until the 19th Century. McCoy again uses the word “beast,” naming his normal Marvel universe incarnation. Panel 2: McCoy’s ability to hang upside-down, using his strong and agile feet, is typical of his normal Marvel universe incarnation as the Beast. Page 4
It remains amusing to me that, despite Xavier’s many awe-inspiring inventions (such as Cerebro, a device that expands his telepathic power), Xavier has never invented -- or cared to invent -- artificial legs or a wheelchair that runs on his brainwaves.	Panel 1: McCoy is here carrying Javier because Javier cannot walk. Professor Xavier, Javier’s incarnation in the normal Marvel universe, has been bound to a wheelchair since his first appearance. It remains amusing to me that, despite Xavier’s many awe-inspiring inventions (such as Cerebro, a device that expands his telepathic power), Xavier has never invented -- or cared to invent -- artificial legs or a wheelchair that runs on his brainwaves. Javier’s attitude about smoking, while true, was not typical of his time and may be intended to reflect his progressive nature, since it is closer to attitudes at the time of 1602’s publication -- in which, particularly in the U.S., the act of smoking was increasingly restricted and frowned upon, if not receiving of utter contempt. In the 1990s, the federal government along with several state governments sued the tobacco companies at a cost of many millions of dollars -- though the payment of the settlement was indefinitely postponed upon George W. Bush’s ascension to the Presidency in 2001. Restrictions on smoking in government buildings had expanded to the areas around them and to many private establishments, including restaurants and even bars in a number of locales. A government-funded anti-smoking -- actually more anti-cigarette company -- campaign entitled “Truth” had for some time been aggressively scattering domestic television and magazines with advertisements feigning a counter-cultural feel.
In fact, Marvel Comics had a recent history on the matter, including a corporate policy that characters would not be shown smoking within Marvel’s comics.	In fact, Marvel Comics had a recent history on the matter, including a corporate policy that characters would not be shown smoking within Marvel’s comics. “Truth” advertisements had not only recently been featured in Marvel’s comics on the pages devoted to advertising but had actually appeared within the comics themselves, typically on billboards and the like in the backgrounds. This lead some more observant readers to speculate that this was a sort of product placement like that practiced in the movie industry -- in which companies pay to have their products prominently placed within the movie, including some rather obvious examples (such as bottles being conveniently turned to display the labels or even shots consisting of close-ups of the logos on products in a room before the camera pulls back to establish the scene). Javier’s usage of the term “weed” need not denote marijuana, as it does today in conventional slang, as tobacco might also be called a weed. Fury makes this clear in panel 5 on this page, using the word “tobacco.” Nonetheless, the suggestion that Fury is using marijuana is raised, at least in the reader’s mind, by the choice of Javier’s words. Panel 2: The irony of Javier agreeing with James VI of Scotland is that Javier is and harbors witchbreed, while James VI was famous for opposing witchcraft. In fact, James VI did oppose tobacco as referenced here: the 1604 essay “A Counterblaste to Tobacco” was attributed to him. Note that Fury compliantly tosses away not only his tobacco but his pipe, a sign of his respect for Javier or at least his recognition of Javier’s importance. Tossing away the pipe as well -- and tossing both into a fire where the pipe’s contents will, after all, burn -- may simply be artistically convenient, allowing the artist to avoid depicting Fury actually putting out his pipe. Panel 3: If Fury is compliant towards Javier, Javier is considerably bolder in pretending that his deceptive sign provides adequate cover for witchbreed. Panel 4: “Our Angel” is the winged witchbreed liberated from the Inquisition in the previous issue, the 1602 equivalent of the Marvel character called the Angel. Panel 6: “Omnia mutantur” quotes Javier’s sign seen on page 2. Javier’s assertion seems to be that the witchbreed are, in fact, genetic mutants as in the normal Marvel universe. Page 5 Panel 1: “My mutantur” makes explicit the connection between witchbreed and mutants that Javier’s sign (on page 2) suggested. It also resonates with the idea of mutants as the future, that they represent the next step in human evolution, a theme of the X-Men franchise. In fact, in the normal Marvel universe, mutants are also referred to as homo superior -- as opposed to homo sapiens. The cloaked statue in the courtyard is reminiscent of Destiny, a DC character that Gaiman appropriated as one of his seven immortal siblings called the Endless (and also including Dream, Death, Destruction, Delirium, Desire, and Despair) in his famous DC series, The Sandman. Panel 2: Javier’s musings here refer to the Danger Room, a room that in the normal Marvel universe is a part of Professor Xavier’s mansion and is used to train the X-Men through realistic simulations. Panel 3: This shot, in which a team of characters is introduced through a group shot and a series of word balloons, has long been a conventional one in American super-hero comics. Most specifically, it mirrors the final (also tier-wide) panel on page 8 of (the original) X-Men #1, in which Professor X introduces the newly-arrived Jean Grey to the other members of the team. This mirroring is enhanced by the fact that the characters here are analogues of those original X-Men (though the order they are introduced is different): Roberto is Bobby Drake, a.k.a. Iceman; Scotius is Scott Summers (called Slim Summers in the original X-Men #1), a.k.a. Cyclops; McCoy is Hank McCoy, a.k.a. the Beast; Werner is Warren Worthington III, a.k.a. the Angel; and Grey is Jean Grey, a.k.a. Marvel Girl (who, in the original, had just arrived, spurring the introductions). These characters are seen in costume for the first time here. These costumes are heavily reminiscent of the X-Men’s original costumes, which were also yellow and blue, albeit in a different pattern. The design in the center of the belts here seem almost to be an “X” placed over two a horizontally divided space like a belt buckle. Note that John Grey is solely identified as “Grey,” suggesting for one familiar with the normal Marvel universe that “John” is actually a girl like “his” analogue, Jean. Note also that Werner being in costume and being called “our newest addition” further suggests the passage of time between issues.
“And now, Sir Nicholas, let us watch them fight” recalls the many friendly fights of the early X-Men (and 1960s Marvel in general), generally used to add light-hearted action to the issues in which they appeared.	“And now, Sir Nicholas, let us watch them fight” recalls the many friendly fights of the early X-Men (and 1960s Marvel in general), generally used to add light-hearted action to the issues in which they appeared. Note, in this regard, that we are not treated to -- or patronized by -- a showing of the actual fight. The cavalier tone of the quote that ends the scene may also be read as suggesting Javier’s privilege, using his pupils as entertainment for a guest. Page 6 Panel 1: “Bleeding Heart” is today an expression for someone who irrationally sympathizes with tales of woe, especially by the poor or by racial and ethnic minorities; the term can be used as a slur of those with left-leaning politics. Note Peter Parquaugh’s shadow as he approaches. Panel 3: The idea of the silent panel is that time is elapsing as Rojhaz does not speak. Panel 4: Here Rojhaz has reached out suddenly and grabbed Peter Parquaugh’s hand. Panels 5-6: Rojhaz does indeed seem to be hurting Parquaugh, given the compressing of Parquaugh’s hand as seen in panel 6 and the fact that Rojhaz is lifting Parquaugh off the ground by that hand. This is more than overbearing: this is rather awful. Page 7 Panel 1: As discussed in the notes to the previous issue, the Roanoke colony indeed may not have survived its first winter.
Rojhaz’s manhandling of Parquaugh really is rather “savage.”	Panels 4-8: Again, Rojhaz’s manhandling of Parquaugh really is rather “savage.” Page 8 “Lombardy” is an area in Northern Italy, which suggests that Matthew and Natasha have made remarkably quick progress. In fact, “Lombardy” is an error on Gaiman’s part. After noting the addition of annotations to issue #2 in his blog on 25 September 2003, Gaiman made the following self-deprecating parenthetical addendum: (Incidentally, it was only after the book went to press that I noticed that I’d bubble-headedly typed Lombardy when I meant Picardy in 1602#2 [sic], and that no-one had caught it, which is going to make following Matt’s trip across Europe rather difficult for any annotators. Calais, not Milan. Sorry about that, I’m an idiot, and I’ll fix it in the collection.) Panels 1-2: Murdoch here continues “The Ballad of the Fantastick” from page 7 of the previous issue. (See notes to that page.) The song here continues to provide clues as to the disposition of the 1602 equivalent of the Fantastic Four. “Sir Reed,” obviously the analogue to Reed Richards (a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic, leader of the Fantastic Four) was briefly referenced as having died by Sir Nicholas Fury on panel 2 of page 26 of the previous issue, though this is the first time “Sir Reed” is referenced in the ballad. Murdoch’s lyrics in the second panel here suggest that the 1602 equivalents of the Fantastic Four have been stranded somewhere. See also page 12, panel 3, in this issue. Panel 1: Note the use of objective narration for the first time. This narration will continue throughout this scene, which ends halfway down page 11. Murdoch “smells her” due to his enhanced senses. Panel 2: The notion that Matthew Murdoch is a poor singer seems universal; it was also shared by those in the Moor’s Head in the previous issue (pages 7-9), who refused to pay Mudoch and objected that “The Ballad of the Fantastick” was “a song of ill-omen” (page 7, panel 3). Natasha here is the 1602 equivalent of Natashsa Rominov, the Russian known as the Black Widow. She has most been linked to Daredevil over the years -- including some time in the 1970s in which she regularly co-starred in the comic Daredevil and even had her name featured on the cover from #92-107 (though the comic’s official title was never changed) -- so her association here with Daredevil’s 1602 analogue has historical resonance. Panel 4: In case there is any confusion, the top balloon is Matthew’s; the lower connected ones are Natasha’s. Panel 5: In their normal Marvel universe incarnations as Daredevil and the Black Widow, Matthew and Natasha were indeed lovers -- and retained a sexual tension to their subsequent meetings. Page 9 Panel 4: The red splotches and grainy area to the right of the panel indicate the transition to a flashback but also suggest Matthew’s lack of vision, connecting it to a visual effect that reminds us of blood and thus of injury. The same technique will be repeated in reverse on the bottom of the next page. Panel 5: The captions here and following continue to objective narration of the first panel on the previous page -- and are not what Murdoch is saying (as we will be told in the first panel of page 11). Matthew having “no fear” connects to his normal Marvel incarnation as Daredevil, whose tagline was long “The Man Without Fear!” (Nicholas Fury made a similarly resonant comment in the previous issue on page 11, panel 5.) Page 10 This page tells the origin of Matthew Murdoch’s powers. In the normal Marvel universe, Matt Murdock / Daredevil also acquired his powers as a boy when a truck carrying radioactive waste spilled is contents, permanently blinding him but also dousing him with power-granting radioactivity. The ooze with the “green glow” here, in a cave, obviously acts as the 1602 equivalent of that artificial radioactivity.
Kids, don’t put glowing green slime in your mouths like this. It’s far, far more likely to kill you than give you powers, okay?	Panel 4: Kids, don’t put glowing green slime in your mouths like this. It’s far, far more likely to kill you than give you powers, okay? Panel 6: Matt Murdock’s experience of heightened powers while blind in the hospital as a child -- simultaneously more aware of the world and imprisoned in a world without sight, all filtered through the pathos of a child -- was used by writer and artist Frank Miller to significant effect in his work on Daredevil (though that experience was admittedly referenced by previous writers) and formed the basis of a memorable scene in the 2003 Daredevil movie. Page 11 Panel 1: The disputes and warfare between the Irish and the English are quite longstanding.
There were indeed far more places men could go where women could not -- at least safely. Such has been the case since time immemorial, and we should do well to remember that it is only in the modern period that (the loose cultural ritual of) dating was invented and that an average woman walking alone (without the protection of class) could expect not to be harassed or assaulted by men whose biological, objectifying sexual drive was and remains a matter of public record.	Panel 2: In truth, while there were places a woman could go where men could not, there were far more places men could go where women could not -- at least safely. Such has been the case since time immemorial, and we should do well to remember that it is only in the modern period that (the loose cultural ritual of) dating was invented and that an average woman walking alone (without the protection of class) could expect not to be harassed or assaulted by men whose biological, objectifying sexual drive was and remains a matter of public record. Panel 3: Natasha’s knitting, in the form of a spider web, recalls her normal Marvel analogue as the Black Widow. Her dialogue here -- “something to keep my hands busy” -- further lays emphasis upon this connotative visual. Panel 4: Latveria, in the normal Marvel universe, is the fictional European nation that is run by the villain named Doctor Doom. Doom’s word balloons are given their own style of text. The innovation of giving select characters their own typefaces, while other precedents exist, was pioneered with the Endless in Neil Gaiman’s classic DC comic book series, The Sandman. It was adopted by Marvel Comics for characters such as Iron Man and Thor in the mid-to-late 1990s. Page 12 Panel 3: “That unfortunate quartet” is another reference to the 1602 analogues of the Fantastic Four, the subject of Matthew Murdoch’s ballad. Here we seem to confirm that, whatever fate has befallen those characters, Otto Von Doom was behind it -- which makes sense, given that Doctor Doom is the arch-foe of the Fantastic Four. Panel 4: This is the first time that we see Otto Von Doom, referenced in the previous issue. His appearance here is quite similar to his normal Marvel incarnation. Note, however, that his face is not visible under his hood, which in his normal Marvel incarnation covers a faceplate or metal mask, which in turn covers a scarred face. While Doom was called, in the previous issue, “the Handsome,” this image deliberately leaves open the possibility of that metal mask or that scarring -- though when we see Doom’s face in issue #4, it is neither masked nor scarred. Page 13 Panel 4: This is Petros, seen in the previous issue on page 19. Though we have not yet seen him use his powers, we know that, as Pietro Maximoff in the normal Marvel universe, he is the super-hero (and former super-villain) known as Quicksilver, who has the power to run -- and generally to move -- at super-speed. Page 15 Panel 2: While Virginia Dare is an historical figure, no records preserve about the death of her mother -- or, indeed, of her mother’s life after the first few days of the Roanoke colony. Panel 3: Peter Parker, like his 1602 equivalent Peter Parquagh, also lived with his aunt and uncle because his parents had died. His aunt and uncle were Aunt May and Uncle Ben: it was Uncle Ben’s death, at the hands of a (normally-powered) criminal who Spider-Man had an earlier chance to stop, that spurred Spider-Man to use his powers for good, inspired by Ben’s phrase, “with great power comes great responsibility.” (Although it is worth noting that Peter Parker toyed with a life of crime in his earliest appearances, even after Ben’s death.) In the normal Marvel universe, Peter Parker’s parents, who are largely ciphers, did indeed work for U.S. spyman Nick Fury -- an employment that led to their deaths. Panel 4: Peter’s Uncle Ben, in this continuity, seems to still be alive. Panel 5: The silent panel indicates a pause in the conversation through communicating the passage of time, which in the medium of comics is expressed spatially with panels. Page 16 Panel 1: In his normal Marvel incarnation, Peter has some capacity for invention, as he invented the devices on his wrists that shoot webbing and augment his spider-powers. Panel 5: Dr. Strange does not seem to know why he will need these objects any more than he knows -- as revealed in the following two panels -- why he needs to go to the palace. In fact, as seen in the opening of the following issue, the net will be used to capture Virginia Dare’s griffin form, while the candles and chalk will be used in the ritual that will transform her back to her human form. Page 17
The words “miracles” and “marvels,” used in opposition here, have particular resonance for 1602.	Panel 1: The words “miracles” and “marvels,” used in opposition here, have particular resonance for 1602. In the Grand Inquisitor’s recitation here, “miracles” are caused by God whereas “marvels” are evil. In terms of the Marvel universe, the word “marvels” is not only intrinsically positive because of its relationship to the company’s name, but also because the term was explicitly applied to Marvel’s super-heroes in the trailblazing 1993-1994 mini-series entitled Marvels. Written by Kurt Busiek with painted art by Alex Ross, Marvels in some sense is about the term “marvels” or how we make sense of super-heroes -- exactly what the Grand Inquisitor is doing here. In Marvels, the term ultimately takes on a sense of wonder, of imagination and childlike innocence. As mentioned in the introduction to these annotations, however, “marvel” and “miracle” also refer to the history of Marvelman, which became Miracleman after Marvel Comics exerted legal pressure to prevent the British character from being published as Marvelman, despite having existed prior to Marvel Comics adopting the name “Marvel Comics.” The company formed to pursue the disputed copyright to Miracleman, to which Marvel Comics’ profits from 1602 were to be given as part of the agreement that led Gaiman to create the mini-series in the first place, was called Marvels and Miracles. As such, the use of these two terms in opposition here finds connections not only within the narrative but with the history of 1602 as a project. Page 18 Panel 1: Presumably, this scene occurs after Javier and Fury have watched the fight that Javier ordered at the end of page 5. Page 19 Panels 3-4: Here a single image is split into two panels -- a technique popularized by Frank Miller, particularly in his seminal Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. The single image here, formed by combining the two panels, is itself a montage of two images, imperfectly divided by the border between panels. The idea here is to suggest with artistic layout the usage of Javier’s powers. In the normal Marvel universe, Professor Charles Xavier has great powers of telepathy and can read minds as his 1602 analogue does here. Page 20 Panel 3: Queen Elizabeth I considers Virginia Dare to have been “named after us” because, by this point in her life, the cult of Elizabeth as English version of the Blessed Virgin Mary, complete with mandatory worshipful love of Elizabeth, was in full swing. See notes to the preceding issue, page 8, panel 1. Elizabeth I’s reference to the weather is to the storms mentioned at the beginnings of both this and the preceding issue. Apparently, the storms have calmed since Fury was writing on the first page of this issue, and Elizabeth superstitiously connects this to Virginia’s visit. Panel 4: Elizabeth I’s assumption that the American native must be Virginia Dare’s servant is not out of line with the times.
In a series of panels overflowing with word balloons -- generally considered a poor move because of how it upsets pacing and becomes a kind of exchange of dialogue, as if a written play, without giving any facial responses or concurrent actions -- this panel is the worst.	Panel 5: In a series of panels overflowing with word balloons -- generally considered a poor move because of how it upsets pacing and becomes a kind of exchange of dialogue, as if a written play, without giving any facial responses or concurrent actions -- this panel is the worst. Note how ridiculously small the figures have to be in order to fit in the word balloons, which utterly overwhelm the panel. In fact, the would-be assassin can be seen in silhouette in the bottom-left of this panel -- though that fact, and the fact that the entire panel is shown from a bird’s eye view, from just behind and to the side of this threatening figure, is lost on us due to the balloons. As might be the sense of the height of the room. Such a sequence leaves the impression that the issue was truncated, that it really needed to be another page or two longer, but that the publisher did not permit that option since it would lessen the space for advertisements. Such truncations are typical of a medium in which, regretfully, a specific page count is generally imposed from before the writer begins his work. Whatever one’s feelings on these aesthetic matters, however, it is worth pointing out how this panel is working -- or failing to work -- and what is really being shown in this potentially obscure image, which the eye naturally wants to pass over. Panel 6: American natives were indeed brought to court. Actually, almost anything having to do with the New World -- the most widely distributed probably being travelogues and descriptions of American native customs, had proved tremendously popular for over a century by 1602. Page 21
The depiction here of Elizabeth I as superficial is not necessarily out of line with historical fact.	Panel 1: The depiction here of Elizabeth I as superficial is not necessarily out of line with historical fact. While the court was a place of intrigue, it was also a place of entertainments. Note also that this depiction is not without precedent: consider the hilarious depiction of an utterly superficial if not nearly brain-dead Elizabeth I in the excellent British historical comedy series Black Adder. Panels 5-6: Here Rojhaz is grabbing a serving tray and throwing it like a discus. This is unmistakably similar to the way Captain America throws his shield in the normal Marvel universe. Panels 7-8: The “camera” -- or the point of view -- for these two panels is exactly the same. What we are not shown is that, between the two panels, the shield has continued beyond the panel border, where it has presumably hit the villain, who then is shown tumbling downward into our view. Page 22 Panel 2: The marks on the villain’s face have been caused not by the plate Rojhaz threw but by the claw of the creature seen in the final panel -- though the characters on the ground cannot know this. Panel 4: Here the image responds to the question by answering it, showing us Virginia -- or the creature she has transformed into. On page 21 of the previous issue, Virginia Dare made comments suggesting that she had the ability to change into a dangerous being and that this process was beyond her control. (See notes to that page.) The Hulk in the normal Marvel universe would similarly transform due to emotional stress, and being carried suddenly into the air certainly qualifies. Note, however, the great difference between this elegant though forceful, winged creature and the giant, wingless, muscle-defined creature that is the Hulk.
It has been very funny, I am now noting shortly after the publication of this issue, to watch ludicrous suggestions as to the normal Marvel universe equivalent of this creature, and thus of Virginia Dare.	It has been very funny, I am now noting shortly after the publication of this issue, to watch ludicrous suggestions as to the normal Marvel universe equivalent of this creature, and thus of Virginia Dare. After reading this scene, suggestions ran from the Falcon (Captain America’s black sidekick for some time), the Owl (a villain), and Snowbird (an obscure heroine) -- as well as an occasional vote for the Hulk, obvious to anyone aware of the entire Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde strain throughout the literature of metamorphoses, as I might dare to call it. After this scene, Virginia Dare could reveal herself to be a major Marvel character other than the Hulk and she would still be an analogue for the Hulk.
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