Honeymoon Of Vengeance!

 

Though lovers be lost love shall not;
And death shall have no dominion.

-- Dylan Thomas

Having seen two attempts by the powerful sorcerer known as Xandu the Unspeakable to use the even more powerful Wand of Watoomb against Dr. Strange, the Master of the Mystic Arts--only to see those attempts fail due to the intervention of the amazing Spider-Man--you would think Xandu would cease this waste of his life in futile power plays, particularly in light of the tragic revelation involving his former love, Melinda, whom he believed to be in a state similar to death due to unintentional exposure to the arcane energies released by one of his experiments. It was for her sake that he strove to obtain the wand in order to (apart from being drunk with power) use it to revive her--yet upon examining her mystically, Strange had the sad task of informing Xandu that she had been dead all along.

The resulting guilt hit Xandu hard at the time, with Strange and Spider-Man leaving him in a state of profound grief--but while grief can be a crucial factor in the healing process, it seems that Xandu has instead chosen to pursue a course of madness when we catch up to him nearly nine years later.

We've learned two important developments here right away: First, that Xandu has apparently recovered the wand once more (mostly due to Strange's carelessness in disposing of it, but I've already made my thoughts clear on that), and secondly, it's the Scarlet Witch he's set his sights on this time, rather than Strange. But rather than just holding guest-star status, we'll see that Wanda's role in Xandu's plan is crucial in terms of both seeking his revenge, and recovering from his loss.

As for Spider-Man, it's a strangely-enthralled Scarlet Witch who ambushes him and sends him to the dimension that Xandu had created for himself when he last faced the wall-crawler and Strange--but if that's so, then who is the woman who greets him on arrival and claims that identity for herself?

It only takes a stop at a pool of water to reveal to Wanda that her essence is now in another woman's body--and when Spider-Man recognizes just who that woman is (or was, as previously believed), this plan's instigator reveals himself. A very delusional instigator, who means to have Wanda assume her new role, like it or not.

Spider-Man does reasonably well against the horrors that Xandu sends against him--but it's the soulless body of the Scarlet Witch that the sorcerer finally sends to seize him that returns with him to Xandu's lair, where we learn that there is another player in this drama that no one expected to manifest, someone who wishes any innocents swept up in Xandu's mad plan to be spared.

As for Xandu, the irony here is that there is a happy ending to this affair which Xandu's sad fate ensures that he doesn't live to see.

As you might have guessed, it takes awhile (i.e., a few more stories over the years) for Xandu to truly meet his maker--and he winds up doing so in, of all places, the Bar With No Name, where many have gathered to pay their respects to the deceased Stilt-Man, but fail to realize that their bartender has arranged for anyone hoisting a brew to join him in death.

Can you spot the Unspeakable one in this tumult? (He really will be unspeakable shortly.)