As a seasoned gamer and comic book aficionado with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the return of Crystar, the Crystal Warrior, in Deadpool Team-Up is nothing short of a nostalgic blast from the past! It’s like finding an old friend you thought was lost forever, only to discover they’ve been on an epic adventure all this time.
The tale of Crystalium persists. Over 40 years since the introduction of Crystar in the comic book The Saga of Crystar: Crystal Warrior #1 from 1983, the Prince of Galax re-enters the Marvel Universe through the pages of Deadpool Team-Up. The series, a five-issue miniseries, is penned and illustrated by Wade Wilson’s co-creator, Rob Liefeld. It features Deadpool collaborating with prominent Marvel heroes such as Wolverine, the Hulk, and Ghost-Spider, alongside classic Marvel characters like Crystar, Ral Dorn the Dragon Lord, and newcomers created by Liefeld, namely Lady Anime and Major X.
In Liefeld’s last Deadpool comic, Crystar makes his comeback for the first time since 2018. This was when his crystal form was broken during an attack on the Crystal Labyrinth by Eshu, the Master of Wierdworld, in the final issue of Jim Zub and Max Dunbar’s Champions series. Interestingly, Crystar’s army of Crystal Warriors has the power to bring back their leader, New Crystalium, by merging the magical crystals that brought Crystar back to life in The Saga of Crystar: Crystal Warrior #1.
“For everyone, there’s a specific comic featuring an obscure character they’ve longed for more of. In my case, I have several such comics, which I’ve retrieved from the depths of Marvel Universe’s lesser-known corners. Now, these characters are standing alongside Deadpool, right in the heart of a brand new, earth-shattering journey. This is some delightfully bizarre material and I can hardly wait to unveil it globally.”
Unlike Micronauts and Rom comics that were based on toys, Crystar’s story was developed by Marvel itself, licensing the likenesses of its characters and creatures to Remco Toys. (The Saga of Crystar)
The Saga of Crystar, Marvel’s Crystal Warrior
In the initial edition of Marvel Age, published around early 1983, a dazzling new comic book series starring Crystal Crusader was showcased. This debut issue was overseen by legendary creator Stan Lee and penned by Mary Jo Duffy, known for her work on Power Man and Iron Fist. The artwork was handled by Bret Blevins, who had previously worked on Marvel’s adaptation of Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal, with Vince Colletta inking it, a man well-known for his work on The Fantastic Four. The graphic design for this series was entrusted to John Romita Jr., an artist renowned for his work on Amazing Spider-Man and X-Men.
Ralph Macchio, Mark Gruenwald, and Jim Shooter were the masterminds behind the concept creation of Marvel’s comic series titled “Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars.” This Marvel production resembles a sword and sorcery saga, with characters like King Moltar the First, the wizard Ogeode, the crystal woman Ika, and the sorcerer Zardeth. The narrative revolves around three significant conflicts: the struggle between the demon lord Chaos and the forces of Order; a power struggle for the throne of the city of Galax on Crystalium between twin princes; and a battle between Moltar’s molten minions, the Magma Men, and Crystar’s Crystal Warriors, who were turned into crystal men by the Prisma-Crystal.
Michael Z. Hobson, Marvel’s former vice president of publishing, assigned Shooter with the job of creating a fantasy realm filled with “unusual creatures” and “bizarre monsters,” as Shooter himself described in an introductory letter for the first issue. If the Marvel Universe was like the world you see out your window, inhabited by vibrant figures such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, and Doctor Strange, then this imaginative realm would resemble nothing less than Jim Henson’s fairy tale “Dark Crystal,” George Lucas’ science fiction saga “Star Wars,” or J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasies “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit.”
In Marvel Age #1, Duffy stated that there was a shared sentiment editorially and in sales – a feeling that Marvel should delve into fantasy beyond just sword-and-sorcery stories. As a result, Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio (writers), and John Romita Jr. (illustrator) collaborated to create the initial concept for Crystar. Alongside Shooter and Doug Polumbaum from Marvel’s licensing department, they brainstormed character designs and concepts which were later refined by Duffy and Blevins.
So began the saga of Crystar. Deadpool Team-Up #1 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.
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2024-08-29 23:40