Day of Future Past is a Mutanimals issue, published in September 1992.
Appearing in Days of Future Past[]
Major characters[]
- Dreadmon
- Jess Harley / Leatherhead
- Jack Finney / Man Ray
- Glyph
- Jagwar
- Juntarra
- Mondo Gecko
- Null
- Screwloose
- Wingnut
Minor characters[]
Locations[]
- Astraea
- Desert
- Skull temple
Synopsis[]
Wingnut and Screwloose watch the sky as the sun sets, both feeling a sense of nostalgia. A flock of bats are leaving their caves, for what was called the “Elation of Wings” back on Huanu, Wingnut and Screwloose’s home planet. They are psyched to witness the show, but also sad not to be a part of it, as they can no longer fly. The pair return to their Mutanimals friends just as Jagwar is telling everyone that they are half-way to completing the Path of the Four Winds, which is also half-way to finding his mother, Juntarra.
Their journey will continue the next day as they head North to meet the Dragon and share in the ancient wisdom that he holds. Mondo Gecko is elated and tells the others that dragons are reptiles just the same as geckos and alligators. He says they’re practically cousins and asks Leatherhead for his agreement. Leatherhead responds in a teasing manner and Mondo jokes back, while Jagwar stares into the distance, praying for his mother to hold on.
Deep inside the skull shaped temple, down in the cavern below the desert, Juntarra finds her escape route blocked by Mr. Null, who introduces himself. Juntarra calls him a demon and draws her knife. She jumps at him, saying that she will call him Sister Null, indicating her intent. Null catches her by the throat and disarms her easily, telling her that she is rash and careless. He unceremoniously dumps her on the ground at Death’s feet and says that he is going to call her Stupid Juntarra. Angered, Juntarra jumps up and punches Death hard enough to knock his skull off and then grabs his scythe. She swings the scythe at Null and he jumps back, still amused, until the next swing cuts his cigar in half. Null grabs the handle of the scythe and for a moment they struggle for control of it, until Null punches Juntarra in the face.
Meanwhile, in the foothills leading to the North, the Mutanimals have happened upon a slaving operation. Jagwar is incensed by the view of a long line of men with heavy packs strapped to their backs being watched over by armed soldiers. The Mutanimals quickly jump the soldiers and take them down. Climbing to the top of a hill, Jagwar shouts to the enslaved men that they are now free. Dreadmon expresses surprise when the men drop to their knees and begin bowing. Jagwar explains that many rainforest peoples view Jaguars with great respect and consider them allies. He admits that when he was young, after his mother left, he let some tribes treat him like a boy-god. Dreadmon finds that to be an interesting concept and wishes he’d thought of it.
Later, the Mutantimals traverse a thin ledge on their way up a mountain. They finally round a corner to the place the Dragon is said to dwell, but it appears long deserted. They are suddenly surprised by a large, bearded dragon, smoking a cigarette through a cigarette holder. He greets them, stating he is the Dragon of the North and that his name is Glyph. Mondo is very nonchalant about the meeting and Glyph refers to him as “distant cousin”. Glyph takes a seat on the cliff’s ledge and tells them he has wisdom he must impart to them so that they might pass through the North and save Juntarra.
Jagwar immediately asks what Glyph knows of his mother. Glyph says that Juntarra spent many years with him, listening to a great many of his tales. She learned many things, but not all. He proceeds to tell them a tale, first telling them to look down in the valley below. It is some sort of graveyard of metal, filled with the parts of various spaceships.
Glyph begins his tale. Over four billion years ago, two scouts from two very different nomadic civilizations came into contact out beyond the planet Mars, this side of Jupiter – near the planet Astraea. One scout was a Gryph, an ancient race that owed its longevity to its aggressiveness and shrewd calculating ways. The other was the much younger race of Soomas, whose survival as due to their brash ways and sudden flashes of genius. Both of the scouts claimed Astraea in the name of his own race.
Both races had exhausted their resources during their travels and both needed Astraea’s resources in order to surprise. The Gryph pilot quickly shot down the Sooma, then the Soomas retaliated, turning the conflict of ownership into war. In a rash act, the Soomas unleashed its most powerful weapon upon the Gryphs. The weapon not only destroyed most of the Gryphs but also most of the Soomas – and nearly all of the planet Astraea as well. What little remains of Astraea forms the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars.
Even with Astraea lost forever, the last remaining Soomas and Gryphs continued their battle. They were the last of their two peoples, yet continued to battle and by the time they saw the Earth in their path, it was too late. The ships crashed and a lone victor crawled from the wreckage… a Gryph. That Gryph was Glyph.
Glyph leaves them with food for thought. The next day, Glyph sits on the cliff smoking and the Mutanimals explore the spaceship wreckage in the valley. They discuss the Dragon’s tale, coming up with various morals. Jagwar thinks perhaps if the Gryphs and Soomas had struck a truce, then maybe they could have shared Astraea. Mondo can’t see them striking a truce with Death, not after he kidnapped Juntarra. Man Ray agrees and thinks the Dragon’s tale may have been a moral fable and not history, since Astraea may have been taken from classical mythology as she was the Goddess of Justice.
Leatherhead interrupts to say he thinks the moral is to “walk tall and carry a big stick”. When the others look over at him, they see that he’s found a huge alien rifle from the cockpit of some wreckage. The others quickly arm themselves as well and move out. Several days latter though, they are dragging the weapons through the desert. Man Ray thinks that maybe they should split up since they seem not to be getting anywhere. An Eagle suddenly makes an appearance and Jagwar wonders if it’s the same one that warned Juntarra of the reaper.
The Eagle answers that it is and begins to change shape, transforming into a beautiful woman. She welcomes them to the last of the Four Winds, the East, and introduces herself as Azrael.