Green Lantern (vol.2) #115 (1979)

Green Lantern (vol.2) #115 (April, 1979)
"The Vengeance of the Crumbler!"
Story - Denny O'Neil
Penciller - Alex Saviuk
Inker - Dave Hunt
Letterer - Ben Oda
Colorist - Adrienne Roy
Editor - Jack C. Harris
Cover Price: $0.40

I ever tell ya the one about The Crumbler?  Well, yeah... we chatted him up yesterday.  Today we're going to go a bit deeper... maybe see if we can figure out just what makes him tick.

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We pick up right where we left off... Hal's 24-hour charge has ended, leaving him mask-less (yet somehow still in his Green Lantern uniform... thanks, Comics Code).  He, Ollie, and Dinah head back over to where that tree kabonged him last issue to find his power battery.  He excuses himself to recite the oath... because, this is (apparently) a very private thing for him.  Who knew?

Reenergized, Hal set out to track the Crumbler!  Well, he wants to... but Ollie suggests he settle his tea kettle and hobble on back to the hospital until he gets over his concussion.  Surprisingly enough, Hal takes this advice!

And so, Ollie and Dinah hop into their rented hooptie and barrel down the only road outta town that hasn't been shut down due to snow.  As luck would have it, it's not long before the roll up on ol' Tuttle... because, ya see... his car broke down.  That just doesn't seem to happen enough in comics... I love it!  We've got this diabolical villain pulled off on the side of the road with the hood up.

Ollie, being the cautious fella we know him to be, decides to... well, put the pedal to the metal and roar toward him!  This unfortunately alerts the baddie... who quick-changes into his gaudy gear...

... which includes his "crumbly glove"!  He touches down on the bridge they're standing on, and sends the Arrow-Bus crashing into the icy drink below.

Under water Ollie's instantly kayoed, which leaves their lives in the capable hands of Black Canary (whose wig manages to stay on the whole time!).  She wisely grabs a phosphorous arrow from Ollie's quiver, and uses it to melt their way out from certain death.

Back at the hospital, Hal tries in vain to get his release.  The Doc just ain't feeling it.  Moments later, Ollie and Dinah are wheeled in... at which point, the doctors realize they've exceeded their superhero quota... and tell Hal to split.  Weird.

We rejoin the Crumbler as he arrives in Star City.  He's there to see a Dr. DeLimmel... a psychologist.  Now, here's where things get a bit wishy-washy.  Turns out our man has some pretty hardcore daddy issues.  Ya see, he grew up wanting to pursue science... however, his pop pressured him into chasing money.  I didn't realize these were mutually exclusive concepts... in fact, I thought the opposite was true?

Anyhoo... this led to the young Tuttle conducting his experiments in secret... and the creation of his crumbly-glove.

Just as he's about to continue his tale of woe, DeLimmel cuts him off.  His sessions only go twenty-minutes.  Yikes!  Not much "head-shrinking" can be done in twenty-minutes.  Ol' doc must love getting his co-pays.  As you might imagine, Tuttle ain't happy to have the brakes pumped on his story... so, he crumbles a couch... and threatens to crumble the clinician!

He starts ranting about how the Doc's no different from his father... and goes on about how he's going to fix everybody's wagons!  He proceeds to crumble things at every step.  Luckily, Hal Jordan has finally arrived to save the day... or at least learn just what he's up against.  A Star City Officer informs our man that the Crumbler's holed up in an office building... and has already "put the whammy on" three of the six support pillars inside.  Hundreds of office-worker lives are at risk.

Hal's all, "no big"... and sends an emerald beam toward the baddie in the building.  However... it kinda peters out before it reaches its destination.  Hal blames this on his concussion, and realizes he's going to have to figure out another way.

And so, he wills up a bullhorn... and attempts to negotiate.  The Crumbler claims that all he wants is an apology from his father... and everything will be copacetic.  Meanwhile, Ollie gets some bad news about his Pretty Bird... and even goes so far as to begin praying for her to come around.

Hal visits with Tuttle, Sr. and, not gonna lie, it's a pretty icy chat.  This fella is a real jackass... refusing to apologize to his "snotty" son, and not even giving a rip that hundreds of office workers are about to buy the farm.

Hal returns to Star City just as the building begins to sway a bit.  This causes one of the workers to... fall out a high window.  Yeah, I know.  If you're in an upper level of a swaying building, what the hell are you doing by the window?  Luckily, Hal catches her on a construct-mattress.  He then asks an officer to take him into the basement of the building, because... he's got a plan!

From here... it's academic.  Hal grabs the baddie from below... then punches him in the face.  That there's the sweet sound of anti-climax.

Hal leaves Tuttle in police custody... and suggests they treat him with kid-gloves, because in some ways he's as much a victim in this as anybody.  Yeah, tell that to the office lady who just took a header out the window.  Hal then heads back to the hospital and hears some good news about Black Canary.  In the back of his head, however, he questions if his concussion might result in him being unable to perform his Green Lanternly duties.  Well, maybe it's you Hal... then again, maybe it's something else entirely!

--

Well, whoever said humanizing villains was a post-Crisis concept?  Well, maybe nobody actually said that... but it's what I've always thought.  Here we have the Crumbler... and he's got issues with his father.  Yeah, it's cliche... but, let's face it... most times comic writers play armchair psychologist... it's going to be cliche.  And it's almost always going to be centered on the villain's parents.

While cliche, it does show that there was some actual thought put into this Crumbler character.  It's almost as though there were plans for him to become a mainstay in the Lantern rogues gallery.  That's what makes it so weird... because in the past two days, we've discussed half of the Crumbler's appearances... ever!  He only pops up two more times before hitchhiking his way into limbo.

I could almost see him making a face-turn, and maybe joining Hal... perhaps taking on his (cartoonishly evil) father.  Hell, Tuttle, Sr. might make a more interesting bad guy than the Crumbler himself!

Speaking of polarizing personalities... let's talk Ollie.  Remember yesterday where I commented on his unbending constitution?  Where he'd even turn on his hard-travelin' homeboy Hal if they had different views on something?  Well, here he actually shows a willingness to bend.  With his Pretty Bird in danger, he even turns to prayer!  That's the kinda thing I was talking about yesterday.  Ollie may be an ass... but there's an undeniable charm to him as well.  He's rough and unflinchingly rigid... but when Dinah's in danger, he's putty.

Then there's Hal.  When I came into the Lantern books as a fan, Hal was Parallax.  Everything I knew about Hal was that he was "boring"... and while I (now) disagree with that concept as a whole... I gotta say, he is the most uninteresting part of this issue.  He's basically just the wall that the story bounces off of.  Things happen around him... and at him, but he just doesn't feel like an integral part of the story.

The climax... was lacking.  I mean, it was a socko ending.  Hal punched the Crumbler... the end.  He could've done that right off the bat... but it's like he knew "We've got six more pages to fill!" or something.

Overall... despite the weak ending, this was a fun read.  The Crumbler is a super weird villain, with some amazingly dangerous powers... which open up a load of possibilities, most of which will (sadly) never be explored.  Worth a read... but I wouldn't recommend breaking the bank.

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Green Lantern (vol.2) #114 (1979)

Green Lantern (vol.2) #114 (March, 1979)
"The Crimes of the Crumbler!"
Story - Denny O'Neil
Penciller - Alex Saviuk
Inker - Dave Hunt
Letterer - Ben Oda
Colorist - Adrienne Roy
Editor - Jack C. Harris
Cover Price: $0.40

It's been a little while since we checked in with our emerald allies... let's see how they fare against... the Crumbler?!

--

I feel like this is how most conversations will Ollie begin...

We open with Hal returning from space with his big rig...  remember, he was an over-the-road trucker at this point.  He's met by his old chum Ollie Queen, who informs him right off the bat that this'll likely be a contentious visit.  Ya see, Arrow's ticked off that Hal would take a trucking job to haul some dangerous liquid gas into the mountains.  Hal suggests he only took the job because, as Green Lantern, he could ensure its safe delivery.  As usual, that's not a good enough answer for Ollie.

... and this is how most conversations with Ollie end.

Hal takes off into his six-hour trek, and begins chugging up a mountainside.  Ollie's words seem to have gotten to him, as he's still running them through his head!  A quarter-mile ahead, a garishly dressed geek looks to test his powers of... crumbliness?  He approaches a bridge with a bulldozer parked on it... and with (just) one touch, he causes the bridge to crumble to particles.  This is where his partner-in-crime, gravity steps in... 

The bulldozer plummets, and begins careening down a steep slope... before slamming directly into Hal's rig!

In the confusion, Hal slips into his working clothes and gets the situation under control.  We can see that the tanker he was hauling has been pierced... releasing some of that dangerous gas into the air.  A worker runs up to check on things... and of course, he's got a big fat stogie hanging out of his mouth.  Hal politely informs him that he might wanna git'.

Hal wraps the dinged-up tanker in some emerald energy for safe-keeping... then recharges his ring to ensure he's got a full 24-hours to try and get it patched up.  Unfortunately, just as he finishes the oath... a tree falls on him!  Well, it's just not his day, is it?  We soon see that this wasn't an accident... the same gaudy villain from earlier was behind kayoing the Lantern.  While on the subject, Hal sure does seem to get "kayoed" a lot, doesn't he?  Also worth mentioning... if a tree falls on a Green Lantern, it does in fact make a sound... "KRAK".

We shift to Star City, where news of the tanker crash has found its way to Black Canary.  She alerts Ollie, and before we know it they're in a borrowed car and up into the mountain.  Once there, they meet one Alexander Percy Tuttle... ya know, of Tuttle Industries.  Only Tuttle I know tought Zack Morris how to drive... and I think he led the Bayside Glee Club too.  Anyhoo, this dude's a bit of a ponce... and he orders the heroes to evacuate his land.

Green Arrow heads off to visit his pal Hal in the hospital.  He's still in and out of consciousness, and dealing with a whopper of a concussion.  The doctor foolishly tells Ollie that his staff has had trouble trying to remove Green Lantern's mask... to which Ollie's all "don't do that."  He knows, however, that once Hal's 24-ring charge runs out... that mask's coming off regardless.  Also, the force field around the damaged tanker.  Uh-oh!  We can see here that Ollie's not the only once checking on Hal... our crumbly villain is also loitering about!

Speaking of whom, once outside Ollie catches a glimpse of the baddie.  I mean, how could ya not?  Just look at this guy!  He fires a net-arrow at the bum... and is surprised to see it crumble at his very touch!

Ollie decides to approach him on foot... and they face off on the roof of the hospital.  Turns out that this was a bad idea... the Crumbler (that's actually what he calls himself) touches the roof below, which sends Ollie falling back into the hospital.

We rejoin Hal as he gets out of his hospital bed.  He tries warning the nurse about what's about to happen with the tanker... but she just puts him back to bed.

Who's a naughty Lantern?  Are you a naughty Lantern?

We rejoin Ollie as he returns to the work-site (where the workers are warming themselves next to a very convenient fire).  We learn from Dinah that this Tuttle is quite the bum... he's not the richie-rich he wants us to think he is... in fact, he's on the verge of bankruptcy!  Whodathunkit?  A corporate-ish guy in a Green Arrow comic being made to look both evil and incompetent... never saw that coming!  Speaking of Tuttle, he attempts to kick the heroes off his land once again... but this time, things get physical.  I think we're up to at least two charges that can be filed against Oliver at this point.

The fight... well, it doesn't exactly "rage", but it continues long enough for Tuttle to squirm out of his poncy clothes, revealing himself to be... dun dun dunnnnn... The Crumbler.  He reveals that he set up this project specifically to fail... ya know, insurance money and all that.  I, for one, never saw this coming.  Especially not in a Green Arrow comic!

Dinah suggests that Tuttle is a sick man in desperate need of help.  Before they can get him committed, however, Green Lantern stumbles up to finally deliver the warning that the tanker's about to go boom.  Ollie's all "then recharge your ring, bozo", to which Hal's all "can't... concentrate..."  C'mon Jordan, I can recite the Green Lantern Oath in my sleep!

Just then, the force field begins to fade.  Fearing the liquid gas would hit the flames of that conveniently-located fire, Green Arrow jumps into action!  He, uh, throws snow on the fire... case-closed.  Amid the distraction, however, The Crumbler escapes... destined to crumble another day!  Perhaps even... tomorrow.

--

I feel like I say this a lot but... damn, Ollie's annoying.  I mean, it's so weird... he's arguably being used as the "conscience" of the super-hero community, and I'd wager acting a bit like an author-insert... at least insofar as statements he makes... but there's not even a modicum of restraint (or even calibration) used in how he attempts to raise his points.

If you were to hand this issue to "the uninitiated", they'd likely take one look/listen at Ollie, and consider him a strawman liberal... a parody liberal... a conservative's idea of what a liberal is.  There's no subtlety with him.  He comes across like the college freshman home for Thanksgiving break.  He's so unbending... to the point of dismissing logic, and even turning on his friends.  Whether you agree with anybody's politics or not, nobody really likes an ideologue.  Well, maybe politicians do... but in the real world, I'd like to think otherwise.

Let's talk logic for a moment.  Now, picture it... hauling a tanker full of dangerous liquid gas up a mountain.  Who better to perform this task than a superhero?  Ollie's annoyed that Hal took the gig... but neglects to consider that... that load's getting delivered whether Hal drives the rig or not.  For safety's sake, a Green Lantern behind the wheel really is best for everyone.

Of course, that turns out to be exactly the case here... the tanker is hit by a falling bulldozer, and it's only by the grace of Green Lantern's ring that half the mountainside didn't go boom.  I mean, the Crumbler was always planning on sabotaging the thing.  Had Hal turned down the gig, his plan would've worked... and a lot of folks probably would have died.

Now, I know it sounds like I really dislike Ollie here... but, as weird as it may sound... I really kinda dig him.  I mean, he's annoying as hell... but there's this strange charm about him.  I wouldn't invite him over... and if I saw him in the supermarket, I'd probably hide a few aisles over... but, he is (somehow) charming.  If only convenient-corporate-corruption wouldn't show up everywhere he goes!

Then... there's the Crumbler.  Talk about charm, right?  Okay, not really.  But, I do have a weakness for these odd little villains.  Poor guy won't be around long... but we'll try and give him his due.

Overall... a fun little issue.  Ollie acts like a jerk, Hal gets kayoed... what more couldja want?

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Superman #363 (1981)

Superman #363 (September, 1981)
"The Dying Day of Lois & Lana!"
"A Night in the Life of Bruce (Superman) Wayne!"
Writers - Cary Bates & Bob Rozakis
Pencillers - Curt Swan & Rich Buckler
Inkers - Frank Chiaramonte & Joe Giella
Letterers - Todd Klein & Milt Snapinn
Colorists - Adrienne Roy & Jerry Serpe
Editor - Julius Schwartz
Cover Price: $0.50

Today we're going to follow up on the events of Superman #362.  You remember... that's the one where Lois and Lana were exposed to the same bio-nano-bacterial whooziwatzits that claimed ol' Eben and Sara... er, that is, Ma and Pa Kent.

It was only thanks to Lois and Lana being in the prime of their lives that they survived the effects this long... now, we must ask... can they make it another issue?

Before we head in to our spoilery-synopsis, I wanna congratulate C.B. Cebulski on his promotion to Marvel Editor-in-Chief.  A few more decisions like this, and I might just have to start buyin' from them again!

--

We open with a few pages of recap... which, we don't need to go terribly deep into.  For the full deal, just click here... if you just want the quick and dirty... well, Lana's archaeologist father found some ancient knick-knacks... one of which (a vial), Lana drops.  From it sprung a puff of nasty microbes... which infected the LLs.  Clark did some studying... and realized it was the same gunk that killed his folks.

Now that we're up to date... we join Clark and Lana as they deliver a televised news report chatting up the elder Lang's discoveries.  Lana notices that Clark's mind is elsewhere, and asks him what's up.  He brushes her off... like he always seems to do, before rushing off to the Fortress of Solitude.  As a last-ditch effort, he decides that he'll simply send Lois and Lana to the Phantom Zone for awhile, giving him more time to hunt down a cure.  When he fires up the projector... it surprisingly, goes boom!

Turns out, the Phantom Zone Criminal Trio have been watching this entire thing go down... and decided they'd concentrate their willpower to blow up the Projector... something I didn't know they could do from "the inside", but I guess we'll allow it.  They did this, of course, so that Superman's plan would go toes up... and so hours later, so would Lois and Lana!

Clark returns to Metropolis... and, feeling as though he has no other tricks up his sleeve, takes Lana out for one final date.  Ms. Lang can tell that he's acting a bit different than usual...but he plays it close to the vest.

After dropping her off, he decides to turn to the one man who might be able to help him out... in case the cover didn't spoil it for you, it's Lex Luthor!  As he approaches the State Penitentiary, he catches a pair of would-be escapees to boot!

Lex examines the vial... and thinks on it.  Yeah, he could come up with a cure... but, would he?  Well, short answer... no.  He even goes so far as to fling the vial across the cell.  Superman catches it... even though, had he allowed it to shatter, Luthor himself would've been infected... and, duh... he'd have no choice but to concoct a cure.

Feeling as though he's completely licked... Superman visits with Lois Lane, to take her on a final date she'll never forget.  Well, considering she's going to die within 24-hours, that might be faint praise.  He catches her watching a romance flick from the 1930's that takes place in Paris (we can tell because the on-screen dialogue refers to the city as "gay Paree").

Superman takes Lois in his arms, and does that super-spin thing.  This allows the pair to travel back in time to 1930's Paris.

The next day, the WGBS staffers are concerned when Lois, Lana, and Clark don't show up to work.  Turns out that Superman has another plan.  He takes the ladies to the Fortress of Solitude so they can... die in peace.  Well, that doesn't sound like much of a plan.  As the gals intermittently sweat and shiver, Superman actually does think up a plan.  Well... if he could travel into the past... why not try the future?  Ya know, like he does all the time!

Quick as a cricket, Superman arrives in the 88th Century... where he immediately destroys a meteor heading straight toward "Floating Metropolis".

Turns out that this was a bit of an error.  The future Metropolitans... where everybody is bald (maybe Lex does eventually have his day!), they advise Superman that they were pulling that meteor in to mine its minerals.  With that bit of nonsense out of the way, Superman asks the chrome-dome trio about curing the microbe disease.  They tell him they're not allowed to interfere in the past... ya know, nothing we haven't heard before.  They do, however, inform him that a cure is coming... and soon!

He heads back to the present... and suddenly it comes to him!  He attempted to give a blood transfusion to his parents while they lay dying... however, his blood was never infected... which means, his Kryptonian blood never created the necessary antibodies to cure the disease.  Sooo... he recalls that the microbes got "under his skin" last issue... and so, now it should stand to reason that his blood could heal the ladies.  And whattayaknow... it does!

Our Bronze-Age-ish Superman experience tells us... we're not done yet!  We've got ourselves a wacky backup... this time starring, Superman: Bruce Wayne?  Well, if we stop and "just imagine" for a moment... let's say Kal-El's ship crashes in... Gotham City?  The Waynes adopt the boy, and name him Bruce (which, I would assume... means the real Bruce was never born... but what do I know?).  Bruce grows up, becomes Superman, and eventually marries... Barbara Gordon?

After the wedding... Bruce decides to share his Super-secret with his blushing bride... annnnnd, she's not all that happy.  She pleads with him to consider dedicating his brilliant mind to things like science.  She tells him that being Superman, he can only save one-life at a time (yeah, I know...), but as a scientist, he could cure diseases... feed the poor... all'at.  And so, he retires!

Some time passes, and we rejoin the Waynes as Barbara receives a phone call.  It's Chief O'Hara with the news that her father, the Commissioner, was shot dead!  He even says, "If only Superman hadn't retired!".  Wow... talk about a super-guilt trip, right?

Bruce hears Barbara cry out and rushes to her side.  She spills the beans, and he decides to not only readopt his super-identity... but also go back to the past to stop the Commish from getting shot!  More time travel?  Ay yai yai.  Anyhoo, back in the past... Jim Gordon still gets shot.  The bullet passes right through Superman, as though he were a phantom.  He does learn, however, that the murderer was Lew Moxon.

Returning to the present, Superman tells Barbara what just occurred... and promises to track down Moxon.  She's all... not so fast, kemo sabe, and proceeds to dig in her closet... producing her Batgirlwoman costume.

Together, they track down Moxon... and chase him right into the path of a moving truck.  Lew gets squished... Babs feels guilty... but Superman assures her that this was all in cards for ol' Lew.

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All's well that ends well!

Sure, it's all a bit convenient... it's all a bit clean, but enjoyable none the less.  The wife and I recently watched this miniseries on cable called The Sinner.  It was... okay... but it was a mystery program where, without fail, every single clue led directly to the next.  There were no dead-ends, no wild goose chases... the entire thing was a ridiculously convenient linear breadcrumb trail from start to finish.

That's kinda what we get here.  One thing leads neatly to the next... and at the end of the day, everyone goes home happy.  Not the worst thing in the world... and actually resulted in a fairly enjoyable story.

I appreciate that even at his most desperate... Superman wouldn't allow Luthor to infect himself.  Even though that would very likely result in a cure being concocted... he still couldn't risk his arch-enemy's life to do so.  That really rings true as "Superman" to me.  Of course, we'll have to ignore the potential lives risked due to all of his mucking about in the timestream... but, c'mon.

The time-travel stuff always kinda rubs me wrong.  I mean, now that he has "the cure", why not go back to give a super-transfusion to Ma and Pa?  Anytime we play fast and loose with the timestream... ehh, I kinda de-invest.  Thankfully, the time-travel aspect wasn't the main focus of our resolution here.

Then... there's that back-up.  Wow, there are like no rules when it comes to Superman backups.  So weird... but also so fun.  Full disclosure... I have a hard time investing in Elseworlds stories.  Knowing that, at the end of the day, they don't matter... because they "never happened" really hinders my level of interest.

Plus, it feels like anytime I read one, half of the book is predicated on establishing and qualifying the setting as "real".  To me, this leaves us with a rushed story... with little in the way of consequence.  Here... we get a single-page to introduce the concept... and from there, we're off to the races!  I can get on board with that.

The story is... rightly silly... also, pretty convenient.  I did kinda roll my eyes when Superman used time-travel again... but I was pleased when it didn't quite work the way he had hoped.  Overall though... fun was had.

In sum... this was a good time!  Being as though this hit shelves long before "writing for the trade" was a thing, you don't even really need to read the previous issue before diving in to this one.  The first few pages give a pretty thorough synopsis of what came before.  The back-up story was also quite fun... and makes for a neat little package to check out.

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