Tick. Tick. Tick. The countdown to doomsday continues in The Power Fantasy, as Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard build toward a cataclysmic confrontation of catastrophic proportions that is sure to leave devastation, destruction, and degradation in its wake. With seemingly nothing to stop them from literally going nuclear, it seems the Atomics are doomed to destroy each other and themselves, even if they are convinced that they are acting for the greater good and in the interests of humanity at large.
Last issue, in The Power Fantasy #14, we saw Eliza barely holding herself together, overly concerned with Hell and the possibility of Hell being a real place that she might go one day after she dies. Previously, Eliza experienced visions of salvation and thus was convinced that her soul would be spared from the fate of eternal damnation. However, in The Power Fantasy #15, we learn that these visions were given to Eliza by Etienne. Now that Eliza knows the visions were fake, and there is no salvation coming for her, she believes that all hope is lost, and that she must pay for her sins with fire and brimstone.’
In The Power Fantasy #8, Eliza gained access to the powers of Hell for benevolent reasons, and now she is paying the consequences for that action. She goes as far as seeking absolution of her sins from the Pope, but even that is not enough to save her soul. Even the other Atomics recognize what a futile effort it is. As Dev/Magus says to Valentina, “She’s praying to a God who isn’t there to save her from a Hell that definitely is”. Valentina tells him that the stasis tube idea he came up with shows potential as a solution that can help Eliza, or at least give them time to devise a more permanent solution.
Eliza seeks absolution for her sins. Credit: Image Comics
In one scene, Magus and Eliza discuss Eliza’s fate, with Eliza feeling rather hopeless and Magus trying to be encouraging as he assures Eliza that he will find a way to save her. Throughout the conversation, Eliza’s appearance shifts back and forth from normal to demonic. It’s a moment that is both terrifying and tragic – the fate that awaits Eliza is visually telegraphed on her face, as Magus desperately attempts encouragement trying to convince Eliza to hold on to hope that somehow her forecasted fate can be averted somehow.
Another big moment from the issue comes later, when Isabella and Masumi have a heart-to-heart which ends with Isabella telling Masumi that she was wrong. It’s a nice moment of forgiveness between two characters who have had a fraught relationship throughout the run of the comic, and is a shining example of the great work that Kieron Gillen has been doing with characters, and character relationships throughout The Power Fantasy. Isabella forgiving Masumi, despite everything that has happened between them, is perhaps one of the most hopeful and optimistic moments in the entire book so far.
The issue ends with yet another Atomic seemingly, and permanently, removed from the chess board. As the book marches forward, the cast continues to dwindle down, leaving us a small but solid cast bringing us into what may be the end, at least for now, for The Power Fantasy. We know from solicitations that a fight is brewing for the next issue in The Power Fantasy #16. Image has also told us that #16 is the “end” of a story arc, but could it be the end for the title as well? As Kieron Gillen writes at the end of #15, “Next issue is a killer ending, perhaps with extra emphasis on the word “killer”,” which gives us some indication that the next issue will be a bloodbath of sorts. Gillen also discusses whether the book will continue beyond #16, confirming that there will be a break for an undetermined amount of time. Regarding the future of the title, Gillen states:
“The biggest reason for having at least a break after issue #16 is just exhaustion. Don’t expect #17 to come out in March, basically. We’ll fill folks in on what we’re doing next time – as I said, we like to have a firm plan, and we really are thinking where we want to go next – and still, if we want to at all”.
Since the beginning of its run, The Power Fantasy has been one of the strongest and most consistent books being published right now. It is a major accomplishment and a testament to the talents of the entire creative team that the book has maintained the same quality across more than a dozen issues without losing steam or suffering from a decline in the character of the storytelling. Perhaps a lengthy break after #16 is best if The Power Fantasy is to maintain the same level of excellence we have come to expect from Kieron Gillen, Caspar Wijngaard, Clayton Cowles, and Rian Hughes since the series launched in August of 2024.
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