Failing to carry out the mission of infecting the people on Earth with the deadly bacteria, Ronan orders Mar-Vell to kill Logan!
The Mark of The Metazoid!
The issue begins with Captain Marvel and Namor battling under the sea. However it is a video playback of their fight from last issue being shown aboard the Kree ship Helion. Mar-Vell stands trial accused by Yon-Rogg of being a traitor to The Kree for not allowing the lethal bacteria from a crashed rocket to spread across New York. Ronan The Accuser attends via video link to pass judgement. Yon-Rogg accuses Mar-Vell of treason and asks Medic Una her opinion. Una defends the man she loves by mentioning his previous heroic deeds and Yon-Rogg hints she is blinded by her feelings and her opinion shouldn’t count. Mar-Vell is enraged and demands Yon-Rogg complete his case against him and not target Una. Yon-Rogg then proclaims Mar-Vell to be un-Kree – the highest offence possible. Ronan considers the evidence and says he is concerned and angered by some of Mar-Vell’s actions, however due to his previous record and future usefulness, the decision is to let the Captain’s future actions judge his destiny. Mar-Vell thanks Ronan and says he must deal with Jeremy Logan who knows his secret. Ronan orders Mar-Vell to kill Logan before he wakes from his coma but Mar-Vell suggests this would raise suspicion so using a mind eraser is agreed on. As Mar-Vell departs for Earth, Yon-Rogg swears the Captain will still meet an Earthen grave.
Elsewhere, a communist submarine passes underwater off the coast of Florida releasing its cargo – a grotesque, hulkish creature called The Metazoid. The creature’s thoughts reveal he was a convicted traitor who was given the option of going through an experimental procedure to increase his strength and aiding in a mission to advance his Communist states space program. The traitor agreed but the experiment turned him into the monstrous Metazoid. Now, in exchange for his freedom and being returned to normal, The Metaozid must kidnap US missile expert Walter Lawson. The creature heads towards his target and questions himself whether doing evil deeds are worth the price of freedom. Meanwhile his target is being interrogated by The Cape’s Head of Security Carol Danvers, who demands of Walter Lawson to know why his personnel file didn’t contain any photos of him. Mar-Vell had destroyed any photos of the real Lawson and makes a sexist remark about Danvers and walks away.
Lawson enters Chester Fenton’s taxi and asks to be taken to the hospital. Unknown to the chatty duo, The Metazoid has detected Lawson and silently climbs on the roof. Having been ordered to leave no witnesses, the creature waits for an opportunity to find Lawson alone. Lawson arrives at the hospital with the aim of erasing Jeremy Logan’s memory. Lawson reaches Logan’s room and uses the Kree Mind Eraser but suddenly The Metazoid bursts through the walls. The monster begs Lawson not to resist capture as he doesn’t want to harm him but the scientist dives out the window wondering what such a beast wants with Lawson. The noise attracts hospital security and as The Metazoid fights them off Captain Marvel arrives. Mar-Vell’s blows are ineffective as his fists stick to the creature’s skin like dough. After freeing himself, Mar-Vell uses his Uni-Beam to no avail. Then, grabbing the creature’s arm the Kree invader flies into the sky. All along Colonel Yon-Rogg watches in delight from the Helion, hoping his rival meets his end.
The two fighters battle in the sky as The Metazoid sticks to Mar-Vell with his glutinous skin. Eventually the creature overpowers the Man of Kree and as they crash to the ground, The Metazoid twists his body beneath Mar-Vell’s, absorbing the impact of the fall. Mar-Vell lies stunned as The Metazoid hopes this good deed can balance out the evil crime he has to commit. As The Metazoid walks away, Captain Marvel rises and after clearing his head realizes the creature’s cell structure is similar to a former Kree enemy who were defeated using x-ray cannons. Mar-Vell lures his adversary to the hospital’s radio lab and as The Metazoid approaches, he is blasted with an x-ray machine, causing his death. Standing over his lifeless foe, Mar-Vell ponders why The Metazoid didn’t kill him when he had the chance. Finally, Mar-Vell retrieves the mind eraser from Logan’s hospital room and as he rockets off into the sunset, wonders why must he destroy everything that comes between him and a mission he’s not sure he believes in.
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