The Black Vortex
- Superhero
- Crossover
All New X-Men
Captain Marvel
Nova
"The Black Vortex" is a 2015 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics involving the All New X-Men and the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Plot
Prologue
Star-Lord (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. 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.[1]
The Slaughter Lords approach Thanos' son Thane with an offer to join Mister Knife, but Thane has disavowed violence and become a minister.[2] 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.[3]
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. 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, Nova, and the Guardians of the Galaxy 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.[4] The team then fight among themselves, and Ronan the Accuser steals the Vortex.[5]
Gamora, Beast, and Angel are enraged and attack Hala, the Kree 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 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 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.[6] Thane then uses his super-powered "Living Death" and engulfs Spartax in amber. Mister Knife allows the Brood 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.[7]
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.[8] 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.[9] 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. 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.[10]
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.[11]
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.[12]
Titles involved
Number | Title | Issue(s) |
---|---|---|
Prologue | ||
Legendary Star-Lord | #4–8 | |
Main series | ||
Part One | Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Alpha | #1 |
Part Two | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 3) | #24 |
Part Three | Legendary Star-Lord | #9 |
Part Four | All New X-Men | #38 |
Part Five | All New X-Men | #39 |
Part Six | Guardians Team-Up | #3 |
Part Seven | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 3) | #25 |
Part Eight | Nova (vol. 5) | #28 |
Part Nine | Legendary Star-Lord | #10 |
Part Ten | Cyclops (vol. 3) | #12 |
Part Eleven | Captain Marvel (vol. 8) | #14 |
Part Twelve | Legendary Star-Lord | #11 |
Part Thirteen | Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Omega | #1 |
Collected editions
Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex | Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Alpha #1, Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 3) #24–25, Legendary Star-Lord #9–11, All-New X-Men #38–39, Guardians Team-Up #3, Nova (vol. 5) #28, Cyclops (vol. 3) #12, Captain Marvel (vol. 8) #14, Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Omega #1. | July 2015 | 978-0785197706 |
In other media
- The Black Vortex storyline was added as an add-on mission in the Facebook game Marvel: Avengers Alliance in June 2016.[13]
- The Black Vortex storyline was adapted as a four-part story arc in Disney XD's Guardians of the Galaxy.[14][15] 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
- ^ Legendary Star-Lord #2
- ^ Legendary Star-Lord #7
- ^ Legendary Star-Lord #8
- ^ Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Alpha #1
- ^ Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 3) #24
- ^ Nova (vol. 5) #28
- ^ Legendary Star-Lord #10
- ^ Cyclops (vol. 3) #12
- ^ Captain Marvel (vol. 8) #14
- ^ Legendary Star-Lord #11
- ^ Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Omega #1
- ^ Legendary Star-Lord #12
- ^ Morse, Ben (2016-06-21). "Go Inside Avengers Alliance: Spec Op 35 | News". Marvel.com. Retrieved 2016-07-01.
- ^ "'Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout!' Will Feature Distinct Animation Styles in Cosmic 'Black Vortex' Story Arc". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
- ^ Sorrentino, Mike. "Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout leaps into 8-bit, Claymation and more". CNET. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
External links
- "Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: Black Vortex Alpha Vol 1 1". Marvel Database.
- "The Black Vortex Reading Order Checklist". How To Love Comics. 31 January 2015.
- v
- t
- e
- Alpha Flight
- Children of the Vault
- Immortal X-Men
- Wolverine
- X-Force
- X-Men
- X-Men Red
- X-Men Unlimited
- A+X
- All-New X-Factor
- All-New X-Men
- Amazing X-Men
- Astonishing X-Men
- Cable and X-Force
- Children of the Atom
- Classic X-Men
- District X
- Excalibur
- Extraordinary X-Men
- Generation X
- New Excalibur
- Fallen Angels
- Hellions
- Marauders
- New Mutants
- New X-Men
- 2001 series
- 2004 series
- NYX
- Professor Xavier and the X-Men
- Rogue & Gambit
- Spider-Man and the X-Men
- S.W.O.R.D.
- Uncanny X-Force
- Uncanny X-Men (Uncanny X-Men #94)
- Way of X
- Weapon X
- Wolverine and the X-Men
- X-Corp
- X-Factor
- X-Men Blue
- X-Men Gold
- X-Men: First Class
- X-Men: Legacy
- X-Men: The Hidden Years
- X-Statix
- X-Treme X-Men
- Young X-Men
- Agent X
- All-New Wolverine
- Cable
- Cable & Deadpool
- The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix
- The Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix
- Mr. & Mrs. X
- Old Man Logan
- Wolverine: Origins
- Wolverine: The Best There Is
- Wolverine: Weapon X
- X-Men Black
- X-23
- 2005 series
- 2010 series
- 2018 series
- X-23: Target X
universe titles
- Exiles/New Exiles
- Mutant X
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men
- Ultimate X-Men
- X-Men 2099
- X-Men '92
- X-Men Forever
- X-Men: The End
- X-Men: The Manga
- X-Nation 2099
- List of X-Men limited series and one-shots
- House of X / Powers of X
- Star Trek/X-Men
- The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans
- X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula
- X-23: Target X
- "Second Genesis"
- "The Dark Phoenix Saga"
- "Days of Future Past"
- "The New Mutants"
- "God Loves, Man Kills"
- "From the Ashes"
- "Mutant Massacre"
- "The Fall of the Mutants"
- "Inferno"
- "Days of Future Present"
- "X-Tinction Agenda"
- "Muir Island Saga"
- "X-Cutioner's Song"
- "Fatal Attractions"
- "Bloodties"
- "Child's Play"
- "Phalanx Covenant"
- "Legion Quest"
- "Age of Apocalypse"
- "Onslaught"
- "Operation: Zero Tolerance"
- "The Hunt for Xavier"
- "The Twelve"
- "Ages of Apocalypse"
- "Eve of Destruction"
- "House of M"
- "Decimation"
- "X-Men: The 198"
- "Civil War: X-Men"
- "Deadly Genesis"
- "Endangered Species"
- "Messiah Complex"
- "Divided We Stand"
- "Manifest Destiny"
- "X-Infernus"
- "Messiah War"
- "Utopia"
- "Nation X"
- "Necrosha"
- "Second Coming"
- "Curse of the Mutants"
- "Age of X"
- "Schism"
- "Regenesis"
- "X-Termination"
- "Avengers vs. X-Men"
- "Battle of the Atom"
- "Trial of Jean Grey"
- "Death of Wolverine"
- "AXIS"
- "The Black Vortex"
- "Inhumans vs. X-Men"
- "Hunt for Wolverine"
- "Extermination"
- "Return of Wolverine"
- "Age of X-Man"
- "House of X and Powers of X"
- "X of Swords"
- "Hellfire Gala"
- "Devil's Reign"
- "X Lives of Wolverine and X Deaths of Wolverine"
- "Judgment Day"
- "Dark Web"
- "Sins of Sinister"
- "Contest of Chaos"
New X-Men story arcs |
|
---|
- Mutant Genesis
- Revolution
- Morrison Era
- ReLoad
- Decimation
- Regenesis
- Marvel NOW!
- All-New, All-Different Marvel
- ResurrXion
- Marvel Legacy
- Fresh Start
- Dawn of X
- Reign of X
- Destiny of X
- Fall of X
- From the Ashes
- Categories Titles
- Storylines