At last, the conclusion of the final Amethyst mini series. The cover shows Amethyst soaring above Topaz Keep.

The text on the cover says “The Last Enchantment!” and the title of the issue is “After the Fall.”

The issue opens at the Diamond Vatican, the rebuilt dwelling of the diamond priests. All remaining houses of the Gemworld have gathered together to judge Mordru. They are not in a good mood.

Several houses have been ravaged by Mordru’s magic. Garnet in is ruins, Sardonyx is buried under the sand, Aquamarine was drowned in the sea, and even worse things happened to Topaz and Turquoise.

Mordru offers no words in his defense and the lords and ladies of the Gemworld render a unanimous verdict, including Mordru’s mother and father.

Guilty! Lord Ruby comments that Mordru’s death has been called for.

Amber is talking to her mother, asking if it is good to die honorably like Donal. Turquoise flings herself over her dead son’s grave and tells her daughter to leave her alone. Amber bursts into tears and Turquoise comforts her. Amber asks why Wrynn killed Donal.

They are interrupted when Topaz returns with news. Wrynn/Mordru will live, but he will be exiled from the Gemworld forever. Elsewhere on the Gemworld Emmy is having issues with the wizards from the house of Emerald. They’ve dressed her in a royal gown, but she refuses to rule her former kingdom.

Carnelian and White Opal lounge outside in a garden. They hear Emmy’s screams of frustration and comment that she must take after her mother. Carnelian says that he is a coward because he loves Amethyst, but hasn’t told her of his feelings. He asks if Amethyst has spoken of him. Opal says “Amethyst speaks of all men — for all men. She cannot love thee, nephew.” Amethyst’s power inspires awe in both men. She’s standing on a hill looking down on burnt-out corpses of Gemworld creatures. She isn’t happy with the judgment of Mordru. She says that the Gemworld has been wounded to the heart, but “The scars are mine!! As will be the reckoning!!” She disappears in a flash of purple light.

Garnet and Aquamarine watch Emmy run away, trailed by green wizards. Aquamarine comments that Emmy will neglect her filial duty if she doesn’t accept the role of Queen. Garnet says that she can’t know anything of honor since she grew up on Earth. Aquamarine evokes the earth saying “People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones” because the Gemworld gave birth to Mordru.

Amethyst appears in Mordru’s cell, saying that Donal’s spirit cries out for vengeance. Mordru asks her to kill him, but she has a different punishment in mind. She will bury him alive for all eternity.

Amethyst is really getting around. She appears before Emmy next. Emmy asks Amethyst to return her to Earth, and Amethyst says that Emmy will return to her home with a companion.

A whisper wakes Lady Turquoise, cautioning her to let Topaz sleep. Amethyst and Emmy have come to take Amber away.

I find the characterization here simply unbelievable. I don’t care if Amber is a magical child that Topaz found in the woods, I find it really odd that a child would be so casual about leaving the only parents she’s ever known. Also, while Turquoise is really depressed, I do think it would be more true to her character to attempt to pull a knife on Amethyst or something even if she knows that it would be a futile gesture.

Amber seems excited about going to Earth with Emmy. Emmy tells Turquoise she’ll take good care of her daughter. Turquoise asks why Amethyst has to take Amber, and Amethyst says “Earth must have its balance between order and chaos. The end of my time as Amy Winston tipped that balance and it must be restored.” She says “Farewell — come daughter.” Emmy says “OK Mommy — Hold tight Emmy” and they all disappear into a purple mist. Topaz mutters the name Amethyst in his sleep. Turquoise kisses him and says that everything can wait until morning.

Turqouise, Topaz, Garnet, and Carnelian are breakfasting together. Topaz reveals that he found Amber as a baby in White Opal’s forest. Garnet asks whose child she was. He gets a surprising answer, as a giant spectral Amethyst appears to say that Amber is like her, born from the Gemworld! She goes on to say that she regained awareness of Amethyst’s consciousness along with the other souls of the Gemworld.

The being formerly known as Amethyst proclaims “I am the Gemworld, and Chaos will never have me!”

The Gemworld has shifted in the universe. Amethyst returns to White Opal’s forest. She comments that he’s returned to the woods, and he says that is his place in the world, “I am the gardener, am I not?” Amethyst asks if she frightens him. He says “Why lassie, I knew thee when!” She smiles. He turns away, promising to make her supper if she minds her manners. They then have to get to work cataloging the new stars. He turns back to see that Amethyst has assumed her previous form as a transparent statue clutching a gemstone.

Opal says that he’ll miss her, and gets to work on his tasks in the forest. On Earth, Emmy is dealing with Amber’s fashion foibles and thinking about school registration. Emmy asks Amber not to call her Auntie Em, because “your home is right here — not somewhere over the rainbow.” A purple pendant appears on the mantle, and somewhere Amethyst smiles.

Thousands of years pass as the old monuments on the Gemworld crumble and new structures are built. One person knows of the Gemworld’s past.

It is Mysa, the White Witch from the Legion of Super-Heroes. This is how the Gemworld was hooked into larger DC Comics continuity. The Gemworld became the Sorcerer’s World which provided the Legion with the semi-mystical heroines Dream Girl and the White Witch. Mordru is a villian with a fear of being buried alive who often pops up to annoy the Legion.

While this final mini-series had nice art, I thought that the characterizations really lost the charm of the earlier mini-series, and the semi-archaic language made everything seem more stilted than necessary. The only thing I really enjoyed was the warmth between Amethyst and White Opal and the knowledge that Carnelian wasn’t dead.

Thanks for sticking around and reading my Amethyst recaps! I’m a little stunned I was able to make it through all three mini-series. But I’m not going to stop here! I’m still intending on doing a couple posts about Amethyst and magic in the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Also, if I manage to summon up the mental strength I will explore the strangeness that was the Gemworld’s influence in The Weirdoverse, a group of comics from the mid 1990s. If you thought Keith Giffen couldn’t do much worse to Amethyst before, you have not yet experienced the horror that occurs when people from the Gemworld appear in The Book of Fate. Topaz shows up on Earth acting like a crazy dude and takes refuge in a sewer. Amethyst wears a very uncomfortable outfit and starts hanging out with some unusual companions.

The 90s were dark times for comics, my friends. Dark times indeed.