Cover: Mike Manley & Stan Drake

Quasar #9

Apr 1990 · Marvel · 1.00 USD; 1.25 CAD; 0.60 GBP

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“Have Brain, Will Travel”

★ 1st appearance — Captain Atlas

About this Issue

Quasar #9 is the debut of two characters who would go on to play significant roles in Marvel's cosmic mythology: the Kree warrior Captain Atlas (Att-Lass), who later appeared on screen in the 2019 film Captain Marvel, and M.O.D.A.M. in her first fully transformed, named incarnation — the A.I.M.-engineered female counterpart to M.O.D.O.K. The issue also delivers early cameos by Crossbones and King Cobra, making it a snapshot of Mark Gruenwald's habit of weaving the broader Marvel universe into his cosmic sandbox. As the closing chapter of the series' first nine-issue run, it set the template for what Quasar would be: a book where Kree intrigue, A.I.M. scheming, and street-level villain appearances collide in deep-space-adjacent adventure.

In "Have Brain, Will Travel," Quasar finds himself caught in a high-stakes game of deception when the Kree agents Minerva and Atlas secretly enlist A.I.M to replicate the Quantum-Bands. With Mike Manley’s dynamic art and Mark Gruenwald’s sharp storytelling, the issue unfolds as Quasar outmaneuvers MODAM, a cunning A.I.M. creation sent to capture him—only to turn the tables and hand her over to the authorities. The cover by Mike Manley and Stan Drake captures the tension perfectly, making this a standout moment in the series.

writer Mark Gruenwald · artist Mike Manley · inker Danny Bulanadi · colorist Paul Becton · letterer Janice Chiang · cover Mike Manley, Stan Drake

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History

Quasar #9 was written by Mark Gruenwald — then Marvel's executive editor and one of its most continuity-devoted writers — and penciled by Mike Manley, who had taken over art duties from the series' original Paul Ryan/Danny Bulanadi team. Gruenwald launched the Quasar ongoing series in late 1989 after years of championing Wendell Vaughn as an underused asset; his seniority at Marvel gave him substantial creative freedom to populate the book with new characters of his own design. The issue's title story, 'Have Brain, Will Travel,' introduced both Captain Atlas and the fully realized M.O.D.A.M. as recurring threats, establishing two antagonists who would resurface throughout the Kree-related storylines that defined Marvel cosmic comics in the early 1990s.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance of Captain Atlas (Att-Lass), the Kree special operative and later member of the Kree superteam Starforce — created by Mark Gruenwald and Mike Manley.
First full appearance of M.O.D.A.M. (Mental Organism Designed for Aggressive Maneuvers) under that name and in her final transformed form; her pre-transformation appearances as an A.I.M. agent and as S.O.D.A.M. occurred in West Coast Avengers #36 and Solo Avengers #16.
Written by Mark Gruenwald and penciled by Mike Manley; cover by Mike Manley; inked by Danny Bulanadi; editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco.
The story 'Have Brain, Will Travel' depicts Kree agents Att-Lass and Minn-Erva (Doctor Minerva), disguised as civilians, contracting A.I.M. to replicate Quasar's Quantum-Bands, with M.O.D.A.M. sent to capture Quasar and steal the bands for them.
Crossbones (Brock Rumlow) and King Cobra (Klaus Voorhees) appear in cameo roles; Crossbones had been created by Gruenwald and Kieron Dwyer just months earlier in Captain America #359–360 (1989).
Captain Atlas was later adapted for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portrayed by Algenis Perez Soto in Captain Marvel (2019), where the character appears as a member of the Kree Starforce.
The issue is collected in the Quasar Classic Vol. 1 trade paperback (2007), which compiles Quasar #1–9 alongside material from Avengers Annual #18 and Marvel Comics Presents #29.
Cover date: April 1990; on-sale date: February 13, 1990; 21 story pages.