Special Extravaganza Issue! This issue marks the end of "Solstice," the second act of the Bone saga, and Cartoon Books is celebrating with an all-out extravaganza issue! This issue will feature a special cover without the Bone logo which highlights the central characters and figures of the on-going saga. Bone #37 also unveils a pivotal link in the story thus far with the resolution of one of the story's central mysteries, why everyone is seeking "the one who bears the star," as well as a shocking development which no Bone fan will want to miss!
Lucius Down relates to Gran'ma Ben his meeting with The Hooded One, that she is in fact her now- undead sister Briar Harvester. Gran'ma Ben tells him that despite pleading with the council of dragons at Deren Gard, they refused to get involved in the fight, meaning the valley folk must face her and her Rat Creature armies alone. The villagers argue over whether or not to hand Phoney Bone, “the one who bears the star”, over to The Hooded One to appease her, and in the confusion Phoney slips away, leaving his star-bearing shirt behind. Gran'ma Ben goes after him, catching up with him in the mountains, but Roque Ja, who has been tracking them, catches up and she and Lucius get into a vicious brawl with the colossal mountain lion. Thorn and Fone meet up with them and enter the fray, but she and Phoney get knocked out and taken away in Roque Ja's jaws. Fone Bone, also knocked out in the battle, sees in his dreams the Great Red Dragon, who hands him the royal medallion and orders him to save Thorn.
Some time later, at the ancient temple high in the mountains, The Hooded One prepares to sacrifice Phoney to the Lord of the Locusts. Phoney insists it must be a case of mistaken identity, but Briar reveals what led her to believe he was a person of great power; a huge inflatable likeness of Phoney, a runaway balloon from his disastrous election campaign back in Boneville, has drifted into the valley. With its fierce expression and the banner reading “Phoncible P. Bone will get you” (the end torn off; intact it read “...will get your vote”, Phoney explains), Briar took it as an omen that he would be the Veni-Yan-Cari, the Awakened One. Gran'ma Ben arrives on the scene and confirms Briar's mistake. The locusts that supported Briar's shrivelled body leave her, a punishment by the Lord of the Locusts for her mistake. The locusts swarm on and try to enter Thorn, but Fone Bone drives them away with the royal medallion. Awake again, Thorn leads the others to safety away from the collapsing mountain temple, drawing her cloak around her head like a Veni-Yan warrior.
