The Empty Man is everywhere and everything. What little hope we thought we had in ridding him from our world seems obliterated now. His power is all-consuming and we learn more about why defeat doesn’t seem to be in the cards anymore, regardless of what Monica and the group wishes.
Note: This recap may contain spoilers!
Langford carries the issue with his recall of what he went through and what truths he uncovered about The Empty Man. Transcending and embracing the truth of the infection was a theme that rang true throughout the storyline. The Empty Man no longer needed a body to contain him. He has permeated the world around him and his spread must be contained. With that knowledge, Langford went looking for him in hopes he could destroy The Empty Man and save humanity from his destruction.
The world Langford found was not pretty, nor was it hopeful. He had to travel through muscle, flesh, and blood to reach the inner, desolate world of The Empty Man. Death and turmoil is everywhere, showing the potential future humanity had to look forward to if The Empty Man was not contained. Langford sees evidence that others have tried to kill The Empty Man prior, but they had all failed. However, the lack of success of others makes him more determined to be the one to finally put down The Empty Man and bring hope back to a world spiraling into darkness.
His determination fuels him, despite his own shortcomings. Langford’s future doesn’t look very bright either. He’s dying and he knows it. The fleshy blob creatures that accompany Langford now are part of him, his disease. He threw them up one day and they’ve been with him ever since. Quite a morbid origin story, but they don’t help Langford defeat The Empty Man any more than his own determination does because he discovers a horrible truth. Langford did finally get to meet The Empty Man and he shot him, killed him, but it did nothing. Well, more like it changed the world for the worse.
Despite how it looks now, with the world descending into chaos, Langford assures the group that The Empty Man doesn’t want an apocalypse. He wanted to create, not destroy, but it went wrong when he drew in the minds of others. The destruction is everything he didn’t need, didn’t use, but it’s much more than that. Langford says that to kill The Empty Man, they have to kill the world along with him. Every living soul is The Empty Man. He is everything and everyone. We are all The Empty Man and he has been with us all along.
Quite an interesting twist and something to ponder as we move forward in this series. Can they bring humanity back from the brink? For now, it doesn’t look likely, but perhaps a miracle is waiting for them somewhere. They’ve just got to be strong enough to sustain themselves and find it.
Rating: 3 / 5 Stars
