Flash (vol.2) #164 (September, 2000)
"Lightning in a Bottle"
Writer - Geoff Johns
Penciller - Angel Unzueta
Inker - Doug Hazlewood
Letterer - Gaspar
Colorist - Tom McCraw
Editor - Joey Cavalieri
Cover Price: $2.25
I swear I must be in some sort of perpetual 2005 or so. I look at this cover (and most covers, admittedly) and think to myself... yeah, that was about five years ago. Then horrible reality sets in, and I actually do the math... sometimes requiring fingers and toes... and realize that these books actually hit shelves over half a lifetime ago!
Come to think of it, if we were to track back five years from today... we'd already be in the "bloom is off the rose" era of The New-52! Time is a helluva thing.
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We open with the Flash being slammed onto a desk at the Keystone Police Station. He protests that he is, ya know... the Flash, but none of the officers have ever heard of him. Yeah, this is gonna be one'a those stories. Anyhoo, the officers get a positive ID on our man, and deduce that he is Wally West, a 26-year old school teacher (and track coach) from Blue Valley, Nebraska.
Wally breaks away, and makes a b-line to the door. Shockingly he learns pretty quickly that these either, (a) these officers have super-speed or (b) he's moving in slow motion! They slap the cuffs on him and give him a wrap in the ribs with their billy club. He counters with a kick, knocking the riot helmet off of an officer... revealing him to be Mick Rory... Heatwave! Of note, the kick also leaves a bit of gross gray goop on Rory.
The officers finally wrestle West down... and as they beat him unconscious with their batons he sees some televised news report discussing the tenth anniversary of the death of Aquaman!
Wally's tossed in a cell, and he's still passed out. While out, he dreams of a giant (and demonic) Jay Garrick... who tells him Keystone City belongs to him.
He is awakened by a visitor. He initially thinks it to be his (new at the time) wife, Linda. It turns out to be a sorta-familiar social worker named Fiona. Hey, there's only one Fiona we know in Flash circles. Anyhoo, she gives him a glass of water and starts asking him questions. Her face vacillates between kindness, indifference, and evil. She asks what the lightning bolt on his chest means.
From here we get a bit of a history lesson on the Flash family and legacy. We start with Jay huffin' the hard water... onto Barry and his serendipitous lightning strike, and his time until the Crisis... and finally, onto Wally's own bolty ballet. Turns out this was all in his head, because Fiona has grown impatient waiting for his answer. It also turns out that the water he just drank was spiked with truth serum!
Fiona appears to be trying to convince Wally that he is quite insane... and that he's really just a school teacher from Blue Valley... and he's also single... and still lives with his mother! She leaves Wally with his thoughts, and he has the sudden realization that he's wearing all the proof he needs to assure himself he hasn't lost his mind. He removes his left glove revealing his wedding band!
Just as he's about to proclaim that he is, in fact, the Flash... he hears a familiar voice outside his cell window. It's... Barry Allen, and he's (as usual) running late for a date with Iris. Ya gotta remember, this was a time where we heard a whole lot about Barry... but didn't really see him.
Wally attempts to rev up and vibrate through the cell wall... and, is unsuccessful. It's revealed throughout the issue that Wally isn't tapped into the Speed Force, but he does have some residual connection. The ruckus draws the attention of Rory, who threatens to shove his stick... somewhere. Well, actually, we never find out where he was planning to shove it because before he can finish his thought, he gets plastered with ice! The frozen Heatwave gets his head punched clean off his body, and it's revealed that Wally's savior might just be... Captain Cold?!
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Well, that was the start of Geoff Johns' "run" (like I'm ever going to resist an easy pun) on the Flash!
Annnnd, it was a pretty good issue. Full disclosure, the Johns run was the first time I ever put Flash on my pull-list. Not that what came before wasn't any good... but this was the first "jumping on point" I was able to find during my "salad years" of spending ridiculous amounts of money on comics because I had lucked into a really good job while not yet having many bills. In fact, it took me forever to track down many of the issues that led up to this run! Actually, still missing a few.
I spoke about time being a helluva thing in the preamble, and it changes the way you look at things. When looking back, I hardly think about Johns as "the Flash guy" anymore... now, to me he's "the Green Lantern guy" or more precisely, "the Hal Jordan guy". Oddly enough, it's his Flash work that I enjoy more! To be fair though, they're both playing for second when put up against his Justice Society of America!
Anyhoo... onto the issue itself. It's your basic Twilight Zone type of story with a tinge of Alice in Wonderland. Nothing we haven't seen before, but it's done well enough. We get a nice bit of Flash history here... from the appearance of Rogues, to Wanted/Deceased posters around the Police Station, to even... Fiona?! That's a reference I'm sure I didn't get the first time around... and it made me to a double-take here!
Angel Unzueta's pencils were really good as well. I'll admit, I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't (Johns' usual "running" buddy) Scott Kolins, but Unzueta is certainly no slouch! Speaking of art, can't go wrong with a Brian Bolland cover!
Overall, a great turn-of-the-century issue of the Flash. The start of one of the best remembered (and best-aged) runs with the character. Well worth checking out... though, I will say this does feel a bit "for the trade" (it's a pretty quick read), so you might get more satisfaction just grabbing the collected edition... which is called Flash: Wonderland. Unsurprisingly, this issue (and run) is also available digitally.
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Justice Society of America (vol.3) #18 (October, 2008)
"One World, Under Gog - Part III: War Lords"
Story - Geoff Johns & Alex Ross
Pencillers - Dale Eaglesham & Jerry Ordway
Inkers - Mick Gray, Kris Justice & Nathan Massengill
Colorist - Hi-Fi
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor - Harvey Richards
Editor - Michael Siglain
Cover Price: $2.99
Well... last time we checked in with our Golden-Age pals, Gog was "giveth-ing"... which is usually followed by another line. Will that other shoe drop here? Let's find out!
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We open with some warlords invading a Congolese settlement... which is a big no-no, especially if there's a several story tall Gog in the area. He heads off to look into... and quell the situation. Upon arrival, he is "greeted" by a barrage of futile gunfire to his shins. The Justice Society inserts themselves into the proceedings, hopeful that they can maybe get the warlords to cool their jets before Gog decides to make a more permanent "statement".
They are pretty successful in doing so, though at one point Hawkman gets a bit of a wild hair up his wing-helmet and goes in for the kill. Flash (the interim JSA Chairman) zips over to calm him down... telling him they are there to trying to stop a war... not ignite one!
While this is going down, we hop over to check out some Society-centric vignettes. We can see dreamy Damage trying to put the moves on Judomaster, Ma Hunkel putting Sandy to bed, and all the way on Earth-2, Power Girl being... ya know, pretty dang confused.
Back in the Congo, the gang breaks away to try to figure out what they ought to do about Gog. They also recount the "blessings" he's bestowed over the past little while. Curing Starman's schizophrenia, which might be more of a curse than anything... curing Dr. Mid-Nite's vision, which too, might be a bit of a "monkey's paw". Most members of the team are a bit incredulous... however, Lance things Gog's aces, after all... as of yet, he hasn't actually done anything wrong. Citizen Steel is also a bit of a Gog-booster... but we know he just wants to be "blessed".
While the Society chats, things get a bit contentious. Superman-22 tells Hawkman that they need to not resort to lethal force... which, as you might imagine, ain't something Hawkman wants to hear... especially from someone he views as a "guest". Green Lantern tries to reason with Carter, telling him that as long as they have a U.S. Marine on their team (Lance), they are representing the United States... and so, can't be leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. Speaking of Lance, it's now that he volunteers to "walk with Gog."
Suddenly, another squad of warlords begins attacking the tiny town. The Society rushes in just in time to see the baddies bodies start to contort. They fear that Gog has finally been pushed over the edge... to the point of murder. No, no, no... it's actually kinda worse than that. He transforms the warlords into fruit-bearing trees... so that they can provide both sustenance and shade to those they had wronged. The gang sees this as a fate just as bad as death... after all, there's no longer any brain function nor nervous system. Plus, I mean... who in the hell is gonna eat that fruit?
Mr. Terrific's T-Spheres reveal that... well, more warlords are on their way... this is tantamount to an ambush. At this point, Lance completely loses it... and rushes into battle, gun-arm-lance-glowing thing a'blazing! That is, of course, until he takes a launched rocket at short range. He slumps to the ground... dead! Dr. Mid-Nite attempts to operate, howwwwwwever, with his sight "blessing" he no longer has his "special vision"... which renders him pretty blind as far a super-powered surgeon goes.
Superman-22 starts yelling at Gog... blaming him for the loss of one of their own. To which, Gog smiles... and "fixes" poor, dead Lance. Making him reborn into... Magog! Uh-oh.
We wrap up this chapter back on Earth-2. We meet Physics Professor Michaal Holt who is on the phone with his wife, who is expecting. Upon entering his office he is greeted by... Power Girl, who desperately needs his help!
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Well, looks like Superman-22's prophecy has just come true! We've finally got ourselves a Magog. Really liked the way they did this. The Society were following Gog (in part) to ensure he didn't endow anyone with the Magog name, powerset, and destiny... and in so doing, they actually wound up delivering him the perfect candidate on a silver platter.
Let's talk about the butting of heads that we saw here. Of the Society we had two definite Gog-boosters in Lance and Citizen Steel. As mentioned in the synopsis, we kinda get why Steel would be for the giant purple god thing... he's in need of a blessing. Lance's isn't as well explained, but that kinda works. Lance is a marine, we'd have to assume he's used to working under others and really only giving his opinion when it's solicited. Eaglesham delivers some really great body language here, where Lance looks a bit pensive... but, staying in character, does not offer up his thoughts. His bloodlust toward the end did feel a bit out of nowhere... but, that's okay, I can't recall if we learn a bit more about him in coming chapters.
The cutaway scenes back to the brownstone were cute. Dreamy Damage trying to flirt with Judomaster via his English-to-Japanese dictionary was pretty funny. Sandy finally getting to sleep... in a bed, no less... was nice to see as well.
Let's talk Earth-2. I still have not read Power Girl's adventure in the Justice Society of America Annual, but will at some point in the next few days. From the bits we get here... it looks as though Earth-2 already has a Power Girl, which could get interesting. Also we get to meet the Earth-2 Mr. Terrific. We know that "our" Mr. Terrific is a widower, however this one is not only still married, but is an expectant father to boot! I'm looking forward to seeing how much this changes his character and perceptions of the world around him. Definitely some great breadcrumbs here!
Overall... like I've been saying, this is a wonderful (and dare I say, "must read") series... buuuut, you're probably going to want to do so via collected edition. Don't get me wrong, I'm always going to prefer the single-issues, but even I gotta admit you're going to experience a much more satisfying read getting it in one big "gulp".
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Action Comics #581 (October, 1981)
"If I Can't Be Clark Kent... Nobody Can!"
"Catastrophe by Calculation!"
Writers - Martin Pasko & Bob Rozakis
Pencillers - Curt Swan & Alex Saviuk
Inkers - Frank Chiaramonte & Vince Colletta
Colorists - Gene D'Angelo & Tom Ziuko
Letterer - Todd Klein
Editor - Julius Schwartz
Cover Price: $0.60
We are currently less than a week away from our SIX-HUNDREDTH daily post here... sooo, howsabout we check back in on the story we discussed for our Five-Hundredth?
Looks like Spider-Man wasn't the first blue-and-red wearing superhero who had a clone saga come home to roost!
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We open with Superman crawling through a ventilation shaft at the Fortress of Solitude. The Fortress has vents? I wonder how the plumbing is! Anyhoo, he doesn't remember how he got there... but knows that he's definitely in the wrong place right now, as his day as Clark Kent should've already begun. He runs into the door to the Fortress... and nearly breaks his shoulder! Uh-oh. Gotta wonder what the best case scenario was there... Superman blowing the door off the hinges? Anyhoo... he now realizes he's powerless, and instead of worrying too much, he hitches a ride to Metropolis on the back of a Superman Robot.
We join Clark in Metropolis where he considers it odd how he's not worried about his amnesia and power-loss. Yeah, I consider that odd too. Anyhoo, Perry White calls him into his office to discuss a lead on a story. Turns out a chartered plane just crashed... with WGBS anchorman Dan Reed and a J. Robert Arngrim onboard. Arngrim? Where have we heard that name before?
Meanwhile somewhere in deep space, Superman is fighting a giant alien. B-b-but, how can that be?
While he captures the beastie, Clark reads through the Arngrim file... and recalls that he was there on the day the Superman Pavilion opened! Heyyy, I remember that... back during Action Comics #500 (not that we get a helpful footnote or anything), Lex Luthor trapped Superman and planned to replace him with... a clone!
It all starts flooding back for "Clark"... it's only compounded when he looks out the window and sees Spider-Man swinging by Superman flying by! As the real Clark Kent heads into the Daily Planet building, the "Clark" we've been following thus far slips out. Real Clark is confused when Lois heads up and talks to him as though he's been there all day.
That night Superman returns home to his apartment... and finds, in his closet, a masked (and angry) individual wearing what appears to be a power-pack. A fight breaks out... and Superman is shocked to find that this baddie has similar powers... and voice to his own. The bad guy refers to himself as The Doppelganger! Superman severs the Dupe's power-pack... rendering him powerless. Atop a jewelry store, the two men talk... and it is confirmed that the faux-Clark is... the clone! Wow, this is over a decade before bringing back clones was fashionable!
We find out what happened to him following the events of Action Comics #500. Superman took the clone back to the Fortress and checked in with Batman about what to do with him. Batman, rightfully, reminds him that the clone has all of Superman's powers... and what's more, all of his memories. He's bad news, and needs to go. Superman feels that sending him to the Phantom Zone would be cruel and unfair. After all, it's not the clone's fault that he's in this situation... he didn't ask to be born, dad! And so, he... get this... locks him in a glass coffin "suspended animation cabinet", which he fills with gas. Yeah, that's so much better than the Phantom Zone.
The whole thing's moot though... the Super-Clone was feigning unconsciousness, and broke out of the cabinet. He attempts to escape through the vent shaft and sets the cabinet to overload... and explode! The gases then fill the air vent he is crawling through... putting him to sleep for several months. Superman, the real one, believed that the explosion disintegrated the clone... however, he was just sleeping. Moving up to today... upon realizing that he is the clone, Duperman (somehow) returned to the Fortress and cannibalized a Superman Robot to make his power-pack suit. Ya follow all that?
Okay, with all of the exposition out of the way, Superman uses the jewel on the jewelry store sign to hypnotize the dupe... and then leaves him in his apartment until he can figure out what to do with him. But, get this... the Super-Clone was just faking it! No sooner does Superman leave, than the dupe vanishes.
The next day... we've got the opening of the Superman Museum... I swear one of these things open every year! Anyhoo, while Superman cuts the ribbon... an Earthquake strikes, and the building comes down. Wouldn'tcha know it, it's the dupe... in a repaired power-pack suit. Superman gives chase... following the dupe back to his secret hideout... wait, what? Yeah, I guess in the few hours he's been out he's already set up a secret hideout in a cave.
Superman flies in, and right into a trap. This secret hideout just so happens to be equipped with a Kryptonite ray. The Dupe threatens to kill Superman... then take his spot. He finds that he enjoys living as Clark Kent... so, after killing the Real Steel Deal, he will make a single appearance in the blue and reds, just to announce his retirement... and from that point on, just live his life as a mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper. He offers Superman an "out"... if he relinquishes his Clark Kent persona, he will allow him to live.
Superman refuses... and so, the dupe goes to fill him full'a Kryptonite... but hesitates. He just can't bring himself to do it. In his momentary hesitation, Superman uses his last erg of energy to blow the dupe's hand with his Super-Breath... luckily the "pump full'a Kryptonite" lever is right next to the "Disengage Trap" button!
A now-freed Superman takes the fight to the dupe... walloping him and sending him flying out of the cavern. The clone falls a great distance and lands in a tree. Our story ends with the revelation that WGBS's Dan Reed "survived" the plane crash. Lois is shocked, but Clark doesn't appear all that surprised. Ya see, this isn't really Dan Reed... he's actually quite dead. Superman hired some plastic surgeons to modify the Super-Clone's face to look like Dan Reed's... then hypnotized the clone to believe he was really Dan Reed! Yeah, that seems like a great plan...
That story might be over, but we're not done yet. Time for some Action-Plus, starring the Atom and Air-Wave! We open during the trial of supervillain The Calculator. A Professor Hyatt is on the witness stand, and states that the Calculator broke into his lab to steal his "Hurricane Harness".
The Calculator sits by his attorney, and whispers "Where is the Hurricane Harness?"... which is picked up by the... get this... Micro-Speaker he'd planted in Hyatt's ear... soooo, Hyatt answers the question, perhaps thinking the Prosecutor asked it? I guess?
The court goes into disorder... and the Calculator releases a Computerized Cacophony... in the form of the Space Invaders video game... which causes enough of a distraction for him to escape.
Ray Palmer, who is also present, uses the opportunity to shrink down. The Calculator throws him to the side on his way out... well, that was super-effective. Anyhoo, the Atom decides to make a phone call to his pal Hal in Dal...las. Hal Jordan that is... but not that one. We're talking Air Wave here folks!
After a pit-stop at the Watchtower, the two heroes confront the Calculator before he can swipe the Hurricane Harness... annnnd, it's pretty academic. Air Wave does his thing and shorts out the Calculator's... er, calculator. The end.
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Well, that was a bit of a surprise! I just grabbed this one because I thought the cover was cool... I had no idea we'd be following up the story from Action Comics #500! It wasn't until I read the word "Arngrim" that it started to flood back. I knew I'd typed that name before... and postulated that it might be an anagram for something sinister or something.
So, let's talk the Super-Clone... and the totally responsible ways in which Superman dealt with him. First, he locks him in a "suspended animation cabinet"... but doesn't stick around long enough to make sure it "took". That doesn't seem like something Superman would do. I mean, he just walks out of the room while the gas is filling the cabinet. Weird.
Then... there's an explosion, and Superman doesn't "sense" his dupe anywhere... but doesn't use his X-Ray vision to see if there might be a body hiding out in the vent shafts? That's just begging for trouble, right?
Even in the present day... he hypnotizes the one dude who can make his entire world unravel, and just leaves him sitting in his apartment while he goes out on his rounds. I mean, could there possibly be anything more important going on right now than dealing with a Super-Clone? I'm all for pulling cats out of trees, but, I dunno... a possibly hypnotized Duperman sitting in my apartment might trump that.
Then there's the ending... Superman hires plastic surgeons to make his dupe look like a dead anchorman. The surgeons didn't ask any questions? Mr. Reed's family didn't ask any questions? How strong was this hypnosis... if the last one was unsuccessful? Any day now, the dupe could remember who he "really" is... and make things very difficult for Superman. This whole thing seems morally ambiguous... just not right.
The back-up strip... was a thing that happened... and a thing that I read. Really, outside of the neat Space Invaders effects, not a whole lot to discuss here. The Calculator is handily beaten by the super-team of the Atom and Air Wave. Not bad... but not really much to say.
Overall, for the weird clone madness, I'd say this one's worth a read... especially if you're already familiar with the events of Action Comics #500. It doesn't look like this one has been made available digitally nor has it been collected.
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