This is another fine mess you've gotten us into Marv!
- -- Rick Jones
Appearing in "The Trial of the Watcher"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- The Watcher (Uatu) (Main story and flashback)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Watchers
- Fantastic Four (Recap)
- Thing (Ben Grimm) (Recap)
- Human Torch (Johnny Storm) (Recap)
- Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards) (Recap)
- Invisible Woman (Sue Storm) (Recap)
- Red Ghost (Ivan Kragoff) (Recap)
- Super-Apes (Recap)
- Molecule Man (Owen Reece) (Recap)
- Avengers (Referenced)
- Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) (Referenced)
- Kang (Recap)
- Electro (Maxwell Dillon) (Recap)
- Super-Skrull (Kl'rt) (Recap)
- Porcupine (Alexander Gentry) (Recap)
- Melter (Bruno Horgan) (Recap)
- Mandarin (Recap)
- Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) (Recap)
- Galactus (Galan) (Recap)
- Thor (Odinson) (Recap)
- Him (Adam Warlock) (Recap)
- Over-Mind (Grom) (Recap)
- Leonard Tippit (Recap)
- Captain America (Steve Rogers) (Recap)
- Loki (Recap)
- Dormammu (Recap)
- Executioner (Skurge) (Recap)
- Cobra (Klaus Voorhees) (Recap)
- Tempus (Recap)
- Celestial Madonna (Referenced)
Races and Species:
- Kree (Main story and recap)
- Watchers
- Humans (Main story and recap)
- Rackcats
- Gods (Mentioned)
- Taa-ans (Recap)
- Skrulls (Recap)
- Zenn-Lavians (Recap)
- Eternals of Eyung (Recap)
- Faltine (Recap)
- Asgardians (Recap)
- Asgardian-Storm Giant Hybrids (Recap)
- Frost Giants (Recap)
- Orangutans (Recap)
- Baboons (Recap)
Locations:
- Watcher's World
- Temple of Justice
- Negative Zone
- Heaven (Referenced)
- Pama, Kree Galaxy (Mentioned)
- Kree-Lar (Invoked)
- Milky Way (Only in flashback)
- Solar System (Only in flashback)
- Earth (Only in flashback)
- United States (Only in flashback)
- New York (Only in flashback)
- New York City (Only in flashback)
- Midtown (Only in flashback)
- Fifth Avenue (Only in flashback)
- Avengers Mansion (Only in flashback)
- 42nd Street and Madison Avenue (Recap)
- Baxter Building (Recap)
- Fifth Avenue (Only in flashback)
- Midtown (Only in flashback)
- New York City (Only in flashback)
- New York (Only in flashback)
- Earth Orbit (Recap)
- Moon (Recap)
- Blue Area of the Moon (Recap)
- Watcher's Citadel (Recap)
- Blue Area of the Moon (Recap)
- Moon (Recap)
- United States (Only in flashback)
- Earth (Only in flashback)
- Solar System (Only in flashback)
Items:
- Captain Marvel's Suit and Nega-Bands
- Fantastic Four Uniforms (Recap)
- Sub-Atronic Time Displacer (Recap)
- Captain America's Uniform (Recap)
- Mjolnir (Recap)
Vehicles:
- Silver Surfer's Surfboard (Recap)
Events:
- Avengers/Defenders War (Recap)
Synopsis for "The Trial of the Watcher"
Captain Marvel follows the Watchers' teleportation beam back to their homeworld. Mar-Vell insists on speaking in Uatu's defense at his trial, but the other Watchers refuse to acknowledge him and imprison him in a stasis field so he can't follow, then leave him in the jungle clearing where they arrived. Mar-Vell and Rick plan to switch in hopes of disrupting the field, but Mar-Vell can't even move his arms enough to clash the Nega-Bands. Instead, they put their minds together in an extension of their newfound ability to switch through will alone and ultimately free themselves from each other as well as the field.
Their feat is witnessed from the shadows by a young Watcher named Aron as well as a jungle predator called a Rackcat. The Rackcat attacks as soon as Mar-Vell and Rick separate, forcing Mar-Vell to fend it off before they can search for the trial. The Rackcat pursues them persistently and Aron continues to observe out of fascination.
Mar-Vell and Rick find the Watchers' Temple of Justice just as the trial begins. Emnu concedes to let them stay for the trial as long as they observe the Watchers' code and explains how his race's original indulgence in interfering with other worlds even with good intentions had brought about catastrophe for those they sought to help. He then reads off the numerous charges of interference Uatu had been guilty of in Earth's recent history, ending with his direct assault against Captain Marvel. Mar-Vell attempts to persuade the Watchers to reconsider their code considering all of Uatu's interference had been helpful and that he doesn't hold their earlier conflict against him.
When the Rackcat and Aron catch up, the Rackcat continues its assault on Mar-Vell while the Watchers stand by in non-interference. Aron offers to help, saying he believes that Mar-Vell doesn't deserve to die, but Emnu refuses to allow it. With no other option, Rick risks his own life to help Mar-Vell incapacitate the Rackcat. Afterward, Mar-Vell makes one more plea to the Watchers to consider that saving his life was worth the act of interfering. Uatu confesses that he only wanted to help and that attacking Captain Marvel was out of envy for his role as Protector of the Universe. He promises never to interfere again and Emnu accepts the promise, ending the trial. Rick Jones is left flabbergasted that Uatu could get off so easily.
Notes
- Plot by Englehart and Milgrom, script by Englehart, "research" by Isabella.
- Key elements of Uatu's nature is presented this issue. He has had feelings that he was the protector of the universe (rather than Captain Marvel) and that watching the heroes of Earth also inspired him to do heroic acts to save the planet from danger. His acts of heroism, however, broke his "Watcher's Code". This issue, Uatu recognizes his shortcomings and vows not to break his code again.
- In this issue, Emnu is mistakenly referred to as "Emmu"
- This issue does not contain a letters page.
Trivia
- This issue revealed that Uatu sent the star of the Celestial Madonna that appeared in Avengers #129.
See Also
Footnotes
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- Comics
- 1975
- 1975, July
- Bronze-Age
- Captain Marvel Vol 1
- Marv Wolfman/Editor-in-Chief
- Al Milgrom/Cover Artist
- Klaus Janson/Cover Artist
- Gaspar Saladino/Cover Artist
- Steve Englehart/Writer
- Al Milgrom/Writer
- Tony Isabella/Writer
- Al Milgrom/Penciler
- Klaus Janson/Inker
- Phil Rachelson/Colourist
- June Braverman/Letterer
- Len Wein/Editor
- Richard Jones (Earth-616)/Quotes
- Mar-Vell (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Richard Jones (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Uatu (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Mad-Eye (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Watchers/Appearances
- Aron (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Ingu (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Atul (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Emnu (Earth-616)/Appearances
- Ikor (Watcher) (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Fantastic Four (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Benjamin Grimm (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Jonathan Storm (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Reed Richards (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Susan Storm (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Ivan Kragoff (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Super-Apes (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Peotor (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Igor (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Owen Reece (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Avengers (Earth-616)/Mentions
- Janet Van Dyne (Earth-616)/Mentions
- Nathaniel Richards (Kang) (Earth-6311)/Minor Appearances
- Maxwell Dillon (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Kl'rt (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Alexander Gentry (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Bruno Horgan (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Mandarin (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Norrin Radd (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Galan (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Thor Odinson (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Adam Warlock (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Grom (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Leonard Tippit (Multiverse)/Minor Appearances
- Steven Rogers (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Loki Laufeyson (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Dormammu (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Skurge (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Klaus Voorhees (Earth-616)/Minor Appearances
- Tempus (Temporal Limbo)/Minor Appearances
- Mantis (Brandt) (Earth-616)/Mentions
- Kree/Appearances
- Homo sapiens/Appearances
- Rackcats/Appearances
- Gods of Earth/Mentions
- Taa-ans/Minor Appearances
- Deviant Skrulls/Minor Appearances
- Zenn-Lavians/Minor Appearances
- Eternals of Eyung/Minor Appearances
- Faltine/Minor Appearances
- Asgardians/Minor Appearances
- Asgardian-Storm Giant Hybrids/Minor Appearances
- Frost Giants/Minor Appearances
- Orangutans/Minor Appearances
- Baboons/Minor Appearances
- Planet T-37X/Appearances
- Negative Zone/Appearances
- Heaven (Paradise)/Mentions
- Pama/Mentions
- Milky Way/Appearances
- Sol/Appearances
- Earth/Appearances
- United States of America/Appearances
- New York (State)/Appearances
- New York City/Appearances
- Fifth Avenue/Appearances
- Avengers Mansion/Appearances
- 42nd Street/Minor Appearances
- Madison Avenue/Minor Appearances
- Baxter Building/Minor Appearances
- Earth Orbit/Minor Appearances
- Luna (Moon)/Minor Appearances
- Blue Area of the Moon/Minor Appearances
- Watcher's Citadel/Minor Appearances
- Captain Marvel's Suit/Appearances
- Nega-Bands/Appearances
- Fantastic Four Uniforms/Minor Appearances
- Sub-Atronic Time Displacer/Minor Appearances
- Captain America's Uniform/Minor Appearances
- Mjolnir/Minor Appearances
- Silver Surfer's Surfboard/Minor Appearances
- Avengers/Defenders War/Minor Appearances