Warning: SPOILERS for Annihilation - Scourge: Beta Ray Bill
In Marvel history, some unlikely pairings have resulted in some great team-ups: Scarlet Witch and Vision, Iron Fist and Luke Cage, and Green Lantern and Green Arrow, just to name a few. The recent pairing of Beta Ray Bill and Lockjaw following the Death of the Inhumans is one pairing we can get behind.
In Annihilation - Scourge: Beta Ray Bill, the worthy Korbinite is currently scouring the galaxy, protecting people who need it. His journey takes him to Gyrax, a peaceful planet that’s attacked by a space dragon. Bill defeats it by phasing through its innards with the help of Lockjaw, the teleporting Inhuman dog. The two have made quite the pair and are celebrated as heroes on Gyrax with a statue being erected and more feasts than Bill could ever want.
The duo is set to leave Gygax, when Baluurian ships emerge out of the sky, bringing with them monsters that inhabited the Negative Zone. To make matters worse, a Cancerverse version of Doctor Strange uses his magic to change all the inhabitants of Gyrax into Cancerverse monsters. Strange summons the Wrath of the Vault of Argento and has the monster shoot at Bill. Lockjaw jumps in the way and absorbs the full brunt of the blast.
Lockjaw cares for Bill and put himself in the line of danger to save him. Bill appreciates his injured companion’s sacrifice, and calls him “braver” and “more foolish” before going after Strange. Filled with rage, Bill takes down Strange with Stormbreaker and frees Gyrax from the hex. However, things get worse almost immediately when The Sentry, the man that caused two super-zombie outbreaks, shows up.
Bill’s efforts to take down The Sentry don’t go as planned. He gets kicked around before deciding to throw Stormbreaker at him, which sends The Sentry back into The Negative Zone. Bill is zapped of his power and starts reverting to his original Korbinite form. As he appears to be dying, Lockjaw teleports to him and saves him. With his hammer gone, Bill and Lockjaw head to the Negative Zone in order to retrieve Stormbreaker.
The duo’s friendship is just a joy to watch. Bill and Lockjaw might not have been acquaintances for very long, but they clearly trust each other quite a bit and are willing to put everything on the line to help one another. Lockjaw taking the blast for Bill, Bill losing his Stormbreaker in order to save Gyrax and Lockjaw, and the big teleporting dog saving Bill after he loses his powers are all extremely heartwarming. It’s an unlikely pairing that’s done extremely well (that will have readers wishing these two deserve a book together). Who wouldn’t want to see Lockjaw and Beta Ray Bill travel across the galaxy to protect those who need it?
