Seven Soldiers: Zatanna #3 is an issue of the series Seven Soldiers: Zatanna (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 2005. It was published on July 27, 2005.
Synopsis for "Three Days of the Dead"
At a cemetery, a mystical bus arrives, and appears to let out spirits into the graveyard to rest. The bus driver calls for the last passenger to get off, but he stays, as he still has one last stop to make.
Zatanna and Misty have come to blows with an obscure villain named the Tempter, who has "tempted" a weight-loss group into eating themselves to death. The two squabble over their perspective relevance, but not before Misty exorcises him with her Magic Die.
As the two drive around Los Angeles, they encounter Ali-Ka-Zoom, who has come to them for his cabinet. Even though Cassandra Craft had bought it for $20,000, Ali believes that the cabinet could be replicated for much cheaper, and that burning the original will give him enough energy to finish his "objective".
As the group burns the cabinet, Ali explains that long ago, he and six others were part of a team of crime solving adventurers; with their last adventure having led to their demise.
Ali leads them to a mansion owned by an individual whom he refers to as "Kid Scarface". Once they enter, they see the remains of a bloody struggle that had recently occurred on the grounds.
As they walk through numerous corpses, they see a group of Sheeda attempting to restrain an injured Vanguard. Misty commands them to stop, compelling the Sheeda to bow down to her. Misty uses her Die to translate Vanguard's speech, who explains that the mansion was attacked by a "Celestial Huntsman" who killed Vincenzo Baldi.
Ali kneels beside the lifeless body of Vincenzo, telling him that he came back. As Ali leads Vincenzo's soul to the mystical bus, he tells Zatanna that her best hope lies with the "Seven Unknown Men of Slaughter Swamp".
Once Zatanna and Misty leave the mansion, they come face to face with Neh-Buh-Loh carrying the Cauldron of Rebirth. Neh-Buh-Loh recognizes Misty, referring to her as "Princess", and Misty reveals to Zatanna her true origins:
Misty Kilgore is actually the daughter of Gloriana Tenebrae and princess of the Sheeda Empire. After deposing her husband Melmoth, Gloriana had intended to use the Cauldron of Rebirth to live forever, having no need for a princess. Misty was imprisoned in Castle Revolving, and forced to spin a cobweb dress causing her to lose her memory. Gloriana then ordered Neh-Buh-Loh to kill the princess, and cut her brain out. However, Neh-Buh-Loh was moved by her beauty and symmetry, and allowed the girl to escape.
Neh-Buh-Loh explains that they must leave, as he will not spare her a second time. As the two fly away on Vanguard, Misty tells Zatanna that her mother is coming to invade Earth, and they must stop her at all costs.
Appearing in "Three Days of the Dead"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Bus Driver of the Dead
- Gwydion
- Kid Scarface / Don Vincenzo (Appears only as a corpse)
- Zatara (Mentioned only)
- Hawkman (Mentioned only)
- Superman (Mentioned only)
- JLA (Mentioned only)
- Cassandra Craft (Mentioned only)
- Newsboy Army (Mentioned only)
- Terrible Time Tailor (Mentioned only)
- Gloriana Tenebrae (Mentioned only)
- Seven Unknown Men
Locations:
- Los Angeles, California
- Slaughter Swamp (Mentioned only)
Items:
- The Cabinet of Ali Ka-Zoom
- Cauldron of Rebirth
- Magic die
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is part 12 of the Seven Soldiers storyline and the story continues in Seven Soldiers: Klarion #3
Trivia
- The Mystical Bus and its Driver are meant to be references to the entity known as Charon, the ferryman of Hades in Greek Mythology who transports souls to the land of the dead.
- Ali mentions that there is nothing in the cabinet but "a deep hole" where they "dropped a foolish boy once". The incident referring to Ali-Ka-Zoom's mysterious cabinet, is revealed in Seven Soldiers: Manhattan Guardian #4.
- In Don Vincenzo's mansion, Misty sees a "cloud that has a face of a dead guy". What she saw were the remains of Strato, who had died in Shining Knight #4.
- Misty's origin with Gloriana includes numerous elements from the Cinderella fairytale: the Evil Queen, the step-daughter, and the Huntsman, as well as the spinning wheel.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Zatanna Recommended Reading
- JLA: Zatanna's Search
- Justice League of America (Volume 1)
- Adventure Comics (Volume 1)
- Supergirl (Volume 1)
- Zatanna Special #1
- Zatanna (Volume 1)
- Day of Judgment (Volume 1)
- Reign in Hell (Volume 1)
- Zatanna: Everyday Magic
- Seven Soldiers: Zatanna (Volume 1)
- Zatanna (Volume 2)
- Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell
- Mystik U (Volume 1)
- Seven Soldiers (Volume 1) Recommended Reading