Quasar # 23

Now, in the empty void there is an energy wraith that appears to be a still armless Quasar. Kid Reaper appears next to him as they assess the situation, Kid Reaper admits that this has never happened to him before and he has no idea what this place is. Quasar realizes that dead or alive, he still has a responsibility to Eon and the universe, no matter form he is in. He realizes that the energy manifestation of his starscaped cape can send him wherever he wishes to go. So, he travels through it and re-appeared in the Eonverse.

Duringthis time, Ghost Rider appears as the Stromberg Mansion to avenge Quasar's death and fights and defeats Maelstroms minions. He then fights Death-urge to a standstill.

Once there, Eon directs him to Maelstrom but asks that Quasar kill Eon before Maelstrom can steal cosmic awareness from him. Explaining that if Maelstrom is able to learn the secrets of the universe, then there is no telling the damage he could do. Thinking that Eon is the one animating him, Quasar figures he’ll probably cease to exist once Eon is dead, so Quasar asks Kid Reaper that once Quasar is dead to contact the Avengers and have them kick Maelstrom’s butt.

Quasar quickly arrives at the base of Eon’s brain, which is about the size of a moon, where Maelstrom reclines in a chair and has created various probes into the grey matter. Maelstrom hears Eon explain where Quasar should fire a blast that would result in immediate death for Eon. Maelstrom howls in rage at the sudden re-appearance of his adversary and attempts to blast him into nothingness, but since the energy-wraith Quasar is made from the same energy type that the Quantum-bands produce the beam passes harmlessly through him. Quasar responds by heeding his mentor’s wishes and firing a bolt of energy right into Eon’s Brainstem.

As the smoke and dust clears Quasar is shocked to find himself still in existence and Maelstrom is fully enraged by this turn of events. It’s then that Quasar finds that as his last act, Eon passed cosmic awareness to him. Maelstrom attempts to threaten Quasar into giving up the gift, but Quasar rightfully notes that there’s nothing more Maelstrom can do to harm him. Maelstrom sadly agrees and then quantum-jumps to high earth orbit; Quasar follows. Maelstrom uses his mastery of kinetic energy to halt the Earth’s rotation, which would hypothetically wipe out all life on the planet within minutes. He then offers Quasar a choice. He will free Earth if Quasar gives him the secrets of cosmic awareness. Quasar realizes that Maelstrom would only wreak even more devastation across the universe. Unable to make the decision to sacrifice the Earth, Quasar retreats into the Quantum-zone. Maelstrom summons Deathurge after dispatching Kid Reaper and explains that he had already stolen cosmic awareness from Eon when Quasar killed him; he just wanted Quasar to give his up.