If I had read this issue of Mr. Majestic as a little kid, it would have fucked me up. It would have been one of those Major Life Moments. Taking a complete 180 from last issue, we get a story about Majestic's son, Majestrate.
When the Kherans came to Earth, they travelled in suspended animation while their minds were stored on crystals in case something went wrong. When Majestic's ship crashed, he was fine, but his son--the ONLY child brought along--was killed. However, he still had the crystal with Majestrate's mind on it and he's finally found a way to bring him back.
Majestic travels to Otherspace, collects pre-dimensional star-stuff from a sleeping star and uses that to animate a robotic version of his son and combine that with the boy's mind. And it works. After thousands of years on Earth all alone, Majestic has his son back.
And everything is great. Majestrate adopts the name Junior Majestic and joins his father in protector the world. He becomes a media darling. Everyone loves him, although Desmond is a little jealous.
That is, until an Australian man turns into a black hole and they realise that the universe is collapsing in on itself because of the star-stuff Majestic took. Bringing back his son has doomed everyone.
When Majestrate learns this, he decides immediately to sacrifice himself by sealing the hole. And he does. And all that's left is a robotic skeleton. The issue ends with narration:
"A PLANET... A UNIVERSE WAS SAVED TODAY. BUT THERE IS NO CELEBRATION. INSTEAD, THIS IS A DAY OF MOURNING.
"FOR ON THIS DAY...
"...MR. MAJESTIC WEEPS"
and a shot of Majestic in a chair, right hand gripping the arm, left hand over his face, we can see his eye through his fingers.
The issue still kind of hits me, because Casey, Holguin and McGuinness do such an amazing job of building to Majestrate's death. They build to the moment of his rebirth, sell just how goddamn amazing the world is for Majestic now that his son is back and then handle his death with great skill. Part of what makes it work so well is McGuinness' art, as he draws this cute little kid who doesn't look more than seven, proud and determined to save the world because it's what his dad would do. The kid doesn't even hesitate, it's Majestic that tries to stop him, until Majestrate convinces him that it's got to be done.
One of the most heartbreaking comics I've ever read.
Phoenix #5 annotations
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