Captain Marvel #28
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeCaptain Marvel #28 (September 1973) delivers the first appearance of Eon, the ancient cosmic entity who appoints Mar-Vell as Protector of the Universe and grants him Cosmic Awareness — a transformation that fundamentally redefines the character and becomes the narrative spine of Marvel's Bronze Age cosmic mythology for decades to come. It also marks a pivotal escalation in Jim Starlin's 'Thanos War' arc (issues #25–33), the storyline that established Thanos as Marvel's premier cosmic villain and laid the groundwork for everything from The Infinity Gauntlet to the MCU's Avengers films. The issue's three-chapter structure assembles an unusually large cast — Iron Man, Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Black Panther, Drax, Rick Jones, and the Cosmic Cube — making it one of the most plot-dense single issues of the Bronze Age. In introducing Eon's concept of a 'Protector of the Universe,' Starlin seeded a role that would later pass to Quasar and anchor Marvel's entire cosmic champion mythology.
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Jim Starlin took over Captain Marvel with issue #25 (cover-dated March 1973) and immediately began weaving Thanos into an escalating multi-title saga; by #28 he was handling plot and pencils while Mike Friedrich scripted Chapters I and III, with Starlin himself scripting only Chapter II — making it the last issue before Starlin would assume full solo scripting duties on the title. Editor-in-Chief Roy Thomas oversaw the run, and an uncredited John Romita Sr. retouched several hero faces on the splash page, a common editorial-production practice of the era. Dan Green inked the interior pages, while Starlin and Pablo Marcos shared cover duties. The story was collected in multiple omnibus editions, including the Captain Marvel by Jim Starlin: The Complete Collection (2016) and The Thanos Wars: Infinity Origin Omnibus (2019), reflecting how thoroughly this arc has been reconsidered as foundational to Marvel's cosmic line.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Eon, the ancient cosmic entity created by Jim Starlin, who designates Mar-Vell as 'Protector of the Universe' and will later bestow Cosmic Awareness upon him — a role that subsequently passes to Quasar.
- Part of 'The Thanos War,' the nine-issue arc (Captain Marvel #25–33) generally considered the first major Thanos storyline and a cornerstone of Marvel's Bronze Age cosmic mythology.
- Thanos defeats Drax the Destroyer in Louisiana and acquires the Cosmic Cube in this issue, representing a major villain victory mid-arc.
- The Controller, acting as Thanos's agent, infiltrates Avengers Mansion and defeats Iron Man, Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Black Panther in sequence.
- Written by Jim Starlin (plot and Chapter II script) and Mike Friedrich (Chapters I and III script), penciled and colored by Starlin, inked by Dan Green; John Romita Sr. retouched Avenger faces on the splash page uncredited.
- Eros (later Starfox) appears in a vision or hallucination sequence — sources conflict on whether this constitutes a cameo or non-appearance; Key Collector attributes the 1st full Eros appearance to Captain Marvel #27, not #28.
- Scarlet Witch gives Captain Marvel a spare costume in this issue — a minor story detail that multiple sources note as a quirky Wanda Maximoff continuity point.
- The issue has been reprinted in numerous collected editions, including The Life of Captain Marvel (1985 and 1990 series), Marvel Masterworks: Captain Marvel Vol. 3, Captain Marvel by Jim Starlin: The Complete Collection (2016), and The Thanos Wars: Infinity Origin Omnibus (2019).
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Reprints
Reprinted in I Fantastici Quattro #106 (1975), I Fantastici Quattro #107 (1975), Strange #73 (1976), The Life of Captain Marvel #2 (1985), The Life of Captain Marvel #3 (1985), The Life of Captain Marvel #[nn] (1990), A Saga de Thanos #1 (1992), The Life and Death of Captain Marvel #[nn] (2002), Marvel Masterworks: Captain Marvel #3 (2008), Avengers vs. Thanos #[nn] (2013), Essential Captain Marvel #2 (2013), Die offizielle Marvel-Comic-Sammlung #24 (2015), Guardians of the Galaxy Solo Classic Omnibus #[nn] (2015), Drax: Guardian of the Galaxy #[nn] (2016), Captain Marvel by Jim Starlin: The Complete Collection #[nn] (2016), Marvel. Официальная коллекция комиксов #100 (2017), Marvel Gold. La Saga de Thanos #[nn] (2018), The Thanos Wars: Infinity Origin Omnibus #[nn] (2019), Captain Mar-Vell Omnibus #1 (2022), Οι 4 Φανταστικοί #12, Εκδικητές [Ekdikites] #2
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