Aquaman (3) #26
Title: Twilight
Cover Title: Icebreaker!
Cover Date: November 1996
Crossover: Final Night
Writer: Peter David
Pencils: Jim Calafiore
Inks: Peter Palmiotti and Phyllis Novin
Colors: Tom McCraw
Lettering: Albert De Guzman
Asst. Editor: Eddie Berganza
Editor: Kevin Dooley
Cover: Jim Calafiore and Peter Palmiotti
Cover Price: $1.75
Continuity: IN
OVERVIEW:
The sun eater has arrived. The oceans are freezing over. Arthur has dispersed his troops, and is updating Nuada on the situation. Dolphin is recovering, but Koryak's wounds run deep.
Dolphin and Koryak discuss Kordax's death, including the fact that neither of them saw the body.
As Arthur reflects on what Kordax told him, he suddenly realizes that many sea creatures cannot survive if ice is covering the oceans. Arthur runs to the portal to check on Porm, then rushes to help her. But Porm has met some kind of danger, and Arthur is delayed a bit.
The ship is angry at Arthur, it sensed his awareness of its control. It tries to control him through pleasant images, then by reminding him of what it had done for him, then it violently rejects him. It expels Arthur, Koryak, and Dolphin from the ship, a quarter mile over the ice of frozen oceans.
They land safely, and the ship flies off in a huff.
They make their way slowly toward Porm and her pod, helping others along the way and reassuring panicked fish. He gets to Porm too late, though. Two dolphins tell Dolphin that a man with lightning in him killed all the other dolphins. Dolphin finds Arthur holding Porm's body.
As Arthur grieves, Dolphin notices Japanese writing spelling "revenge" in blood on the ice, and a lightning bolt branded on Porm's body.
Arthur vows revenge.
COMMENTS:
The Final Night is quite nasty. This is one of the few books that shows the massive environmental damage it does. I mean, the seas freezing over is a very big deal.
Koryak and Dolphin discuss Kordax, and Koryak asks Dolphin if she saw his body. She has to admit that she didn't. Is Kordax still alive?
Aquaman and the ship have a big fight, and I don't blame Aquaman for reacting to the ship's images the way he does, but the ship has the upper hand.
Porm's death... hurt. Peter David fleshed out the character better than any other animal in comics.
In the letter col one writer brings up the progression of Aquaman into nastiness, and we are promised that "Aquaman's not becoming the underwater Lobo." I should hope not.
CONCLUSION:
This is a very painful story. But its also a very good jumping on point, as long as you know that the Earth is being destroyed by a Sun-Eater in the Summer crossover...