Sam Alexander is now the
Nova Knight, champion of
Eshu and his memories remind us how he got to this position. Those memories only start with him and his 'sister'
Wasp being found by Eshu. The winged elfin Wasp could already shrink and fly but Sam then found that he could channel power from a crystal that Eshu carried. The trio bonded as a 'family' as they explored the land and Eshu built a kingdom where
Modred the Mighty joined them as court wizard.
What ex-member of the
Nova Corps Sam has forgotten apart from being a Champion is that Eshu is the team's enemy the self-styled
Master Of The World. And that Sam and
Nadia Pym fell into this world with
Man-Thing in
#23.
Nova Knight is currently leading Eshu's
Serpent-Men army against
New Crystalium, home of the
Crystal Warriors and source of many of the crystals which give Eshu his power base. The foe is led by
Prince Crystar (who has lost his left arm) and his right-hand man one-eyed archer
Warbow.
The battle is going badly for the Crystal Warriors when a loud screech announces the arrival of the other Champions with Man-Thing riding on the back of Amka Aliyak in the form of a giant white eagle. The reinforcements launch into an attack on the Fangs Of The Serpent, and Crystar leaps to fight Nova Knight. But in a brief skirmish he loses his sword-arm and then his head to Sam's crystal-empowered sword.
Ms. Marvel (here known as the
Mystic Marvel) is still on the back of
Snowguard (
Snowgore) when spy
Wicked Wasp unshrinks from hiding in the bird's feathers and zaps her. Snowgore shakes them both off but then rescues Marvel with her talons and buffets Wasp with a wing.
(
Lady)
Ironheart, the only 1 to remember them being the Champions, sees Nova Knight fighting more Crystal Warriors and calls out to him "Sam". He gets a memory flash of telling her (and the others) his secret identity (
#22) after losing his
Nova power (
Infinity Countdown: Champions #2). But this just reignites his joy in his current power and determination not to lose it. So he attacks her with his sword and she is only saved by a force shield conjured by Mystic Marvel.
Meanwhile
Brawn(
hammer) tackles Eshu riding atop a giant crocodile. His warmaul smashes Eshu's palanquin, crumples the crocodile and sends Eshu tumbling down.
Riri Williams is shocked to hear Sam call Eshu 'father' and his anger ignites his crystal sword, drawing more raw power from the crystals in New Crystalium.
The explosion of energy is felt by those nearby (including
Spider-Man (
Shadow-Spider) who haven't found cause to mention before), and by the
Swamp Queen who the team left fighting Modred last issue. And also by other denizens of the realm. We see
Arkon,
Thundra,
Black Knight,
Goleta the Wizardslayer,
Becca the Earthgirl plus
Tyndall and
Velanna.
The mystic shield between Ironheart and Nova Knight crumbles. But
Viv Vision (
Vivid Vessel) merges herself with the armoured warrior, and light pours from Lady Ironheart's
Mace Of Light And Truth. Immediately the Champions are transformed back to their real forms and costumes with their memories restored. Only Sam resists. He remembers
Scott Adsit of the Nova Corps taking back the Nova helmet which gave him his powers (
InfCount:Champs#2 again), and fears that without any powers he is nothing. Riri remembers
Thanos saying *she* was nothing as he destroyed her previous armour (
IC:C#2 yet again). She says that it's not the powers or the armour which makes a hero. He remembers Ms Marvel telling him she's so glad they're friends (
#22 again). And he breaks the sword which dissolves his armour. And the Champions are back.
The Serpent army is defeated and New Crystalium is saved. Sam apologises for killing 2 Crystal Warriors (Crystar this issue and
Stalax in
#25). Warbow says they can revive them by fusing their crystals back together. Wasp also apologises for fighting against her team. Viv separates from Ironheart. Snowguard talks Man-Thing into sending them all home ...
... and they appear on the lawn where Sam Alexander's mother
Eva and sister
Kaelynn are wondering if they'll ever see Sam (or his missing father) again.
Later in the
Champions Mobile Bunker Riri is worried about what
Miles Morales said when he was Shadow-Spider, how he preferred to work alone. But Spider-Man assures her he's not going to quit the team. Then she chats to Viv Vision who asks Ironheart if she *liked* being merged with her. And then kisses surprised Riri who pushes her away. The abashed
synthezoid hurriedly leaves through a wall ...
... and reappears in a room with
Amadeus Cho (Brawn), Amka Aliyak, Nadia Pym and
Sparky their synthezoid dog. They discuss their recent adventure (and Wasp throws in her journey to the
Microverse to rescue
Ant-Man in the recent
Ant-Man & Wasp mini-series). Ms Marvel (the only team member not to have revealed her secret id) enters the room and says their adventure in the medieval Weirdworld has inspired her to get them to try the Mansions & Manticores (obviously Dungeons & Dragons) role-playing game, which the video-gamers among them have never heard of.
Sparky wanders off through the walls. He picks up the abandoned
Siege Parallel jewel (which helped them get to Weirdworld in
#25). But he is attacked by the
Ultron spider-bug (which followed them home from the
IC:C mini-series and hasn't been seen since
#22) and it takes him over.
Give that special marvelite a timely gift