In this explosive continuation to the Black September retrospective, Jesse and Chris dive into one of the most controversial titles of the Marvel/Malibu relaunch: Mantra: Infinity. The gloves are off as they explore the strange, shocking, and somewhat disturbing directions this series took in its attempt to reboot a fan-favorite character—and why it’s still talked about (and side-eyed) 30 years later.

The episode kicks off with background on the original Mantra—Lucas, the immortal male warrior reincarnated into the body of Eden Blake—and how that identity crisis played into early Ultraverse lore. But with Mantra: Infinity, all of that changes. Jesse and Chris unpack a story that replaces Eden with a new teen protagonist, Lauren, who’s suddenly thrust into magical chaos involving a reality-warping event, a possessed little boy (Gus), and a whole lot of mystical devastation.

The hosts don’t shy away from the issue’s more problematic elements either. From bizarre “bad girl” tropes to highly questionable depictions of teen characters and a jarring tone shift, this issue proves to be one of the most uncomfortable—and unintentionally fascinating—entries in the Black September line. With critiques of story choices, art, tone, and editorial direction, this is a no-holds-barred breakdown that Ultraverse fans and 90s comic buffs won’t want to miss.