The L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons) (September 1999 – February 2000)

Tags

Aquaman, Avatar, Batman, Big Barda, Bill Clinton, Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, Fate, Golden Age Blue Beetle, Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner), Judomaster, L.A.W. Captain Atom, Martian Manhunter, Nightshade, Orion, Peacemaker, Plastic Man, Rama Kushna, Sarge Steel, Steel, Superman, The Flash, The Question, Wonder Woman, Yves Fortè

Writer: Bob Layton
Pencils: Dick Giordano
Inks: Bob Layton
Colors: Tom Ziuko
Letters: John Workman

The L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons) was a six-issue mini series published by DC Comics starting in September 1999 and running to February 2000. The series logo on each of the six covers spotlighted one specific member of The L.A.W., with the first issue featuring Blue Beetle. The following five issue covers featured old Charlton characters the Question, the Peacemaker, Nightshade, Judomaster and Captain Atom. The six covers, when lined up, formed one complete picture. And everybody got a new costume!

So what was the world like in September 1999? Bill Clinton was in the White House with Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street. Rescuers were still searching for survivors of the İzmit earthquake (there were just over 17,000 dead from the 7.6 magnitude quake in Turkey). Greece was hit by an earthquake and multiple aftershocks. If you had a time machine and a hankering to go to the movies, you might catch American Beauty, The Sixth Sense, or The Iron Giant. Of course, you might also see Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, or Wild Wild West, so it’s sort of a crapshoot.

The basic story of L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons): the team was formed in response to the disappearance of the JLA after they were attacked by the Avatar (who used to be Judomaster’s sidekick “Tiger”).

After causing the Justice Leauge  to disappear along with their Watchtower, Avatar then attacks a European Space Agency launch facility. During the attack, Captain Atom shows up to stop him, but he is quickly defeated and captured by the Avatar (way to fail, Cap). The Avatar keeps Captain Atom trapped within a large crystal that contains his powers, which he needs to carry out his plan.

Nate references his wife Plastique, which I love, even if it is something of a continuity headache.

Senior Advisor of Metahuman Affairs, Sarge Steel, is asked by President Clinton to go to the Swiss Alps (where the Peacemaker Project is located). The Peacemaker Project has a wide variety of information; specifically, information regarding the Avatar and the disappearance of the JLA. As Sarge Steel is arriving, the Avatar’s Ravanans are attacking the Peacemaker Project. With the help of the new Peacemaker, Mitchell Black, they are able to defeat Avatar’s henchmen before too much of the base is destroyed.

During the fight at the Peacemaker Project, the Blue Beetle and the Question are investigating a group of Avatar’s followers. They meet up with Judomaster who was going out on his own to correct a wrong that he had committed (although the particular “wrong” is not revealed, we do learn Judomaster was sent away from Nanda Parbat by Rama Kushna). The three heroes are attacked by Avatar’s group of followers and they flee in Blue Beetle’s Bug. While fleeing, they are contacted by Sergeant Steel to come and meet him in the Swiss Alps.

When they arrive at the Peacemaker Project’s base, they discover that Nightshade is also there, recovering from a procedure that Fate had performed to remove a succubus that was inhabiting her body. She has developed new powers as a result of the procedure. She can now easily travel through shadows and use them to form a shadow cyclone as a weapon against the Avatar’s Ravanans. She is able to prevent the Ravanans from capturing French Ambassador Yves Fortè.

During a battle with Avatar and his Ravanans, Peacemaker, Blue Beetle, The Question, and Judomaster are defeated and Judomaster is taken back to Avatar’s base. While they are detained, Judomaster reveals to the group that the Avatar is actually his former sidekick, Tiger.

Nightshade is able to locate the missing JLA and the Watchtower by utilizing her new powers. She is able to free them from the stasis that the Avatar had placed them in and the JLA help her repel the attacking Ravanans. The JLA return to Earth to battle the remaining Ravanans while Peacemaker, Blue Beetle, and The Question travel into outer space to destroy the targeting system that the Avatar has in place to destroy all of the military outlets in the world. Blue Beetle successfully shuts down the system and averts a major catastrophe. Judomaster then meets with the Avatar and, knowing that he is beaten, the Avatar gives up his mission.

The L.A.W. are able to free Captain Atom and all of the members go their separate ways. (When Cap emerges from the crystal, he is wearing his “Kingdome Come” costume.) The Blue Beetle decides that he is going to take some time off from being a super-hero for a while so that he can better understand who he truly is.

The reason for the wikipediaish entry for this series and lumping it all into one entry is simple: this is a Captain Atom blog, not a Charlton Comics blog. Don’t get me wrong, I love the old Charlton books. But Captain Atom hardly figured into this series at all. There is lots of Blue Beetle action though, including a dream sequence that features the Golden Age Dan Garrett Blue Beetle.

Dick Giordano and Bob Layton’s art is superb and Bob’s story is pretty good. If this had turned into an ongoing series, I certainly would have picked it up. I give The L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons an A.

Captain Atom next appears in JLA Showcase 80-Page Giant #1.

(All characters and images belong to DC Comics and I am not making any profit off this blog.)

 

 

 

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Convergence #8 (July 2015)

Tags

Andy Kubert, Barbara Gordon, Batman, Blue Beetle, Brad Anderson, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Carlo Pagulayan, Dick Grayson, Dr. Fate, Eduardo Pansica, Ethan Van Sciver, Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Green Lantern (Guy Gardner), Green Lantern (John Stewart), Jason Paz, Jeff King, Jill Thompson, John Romita Jr., John Starr, Judomaster, Nightshade, Peacemaker, Peter Steigerwald, Scott Hanna, Scott Lobdell, Stephen Segovia, Supergirl, Superman, The Flash, The Question, Tomeu Morey, Tony S. Daniel, Travis Lanham

“Last Stand”

• Writers:  Jeff King, Scott Lobdell
• Pencils:  Stephen Segovia, Carlo Pagulayan,Eduardo Pansica, Ethan Van Sciver
• Inks:  Jason Paz, Scott Hanna, Trevor Scott,Stephen Segovia, Ethan Van Sciver
• Colors:  John Starr, Peter Steigerwald
• Letters:  Travis Lanham
• Cover Artists:  Andy Kubert, Brad Anderson, Tony S. Daniel, Tomeu Morey, Jill Thompson, John Romita, Jr.

Going into Convergence, I said I was going to wait until it was over to review it.  As Captain Atom’s role in the actual mini-series was limited, I decided not to.  Besides, as a kid I was always told if I couldn’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.  And I’ve found very little “nice” to say about this series.  I understand what DC Comics was doing here but I didn’t like it.  From 1935 – 1985, the DC Universe was never “rebooted.”  Since 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, we’ve had Zero Hour, Final Crisis, Flashpoint, and now Convergence.  Why are they so trigger-happy with that reset button?  I’ve decided I’m done with DC for a while.  If they bring back Captain Atom or Firestorm, I’ll buy them.  But that might not ever happen (however, if the Legends of Tomorrow TV series is a success, Firestorm may be back in a big way, and the door was left open on The Flash for a season 2 Captain Atom appearance).

The Bronze Age Captain Atom appears in the background four times in this issue, although his costume coloring is slightly wrong.

That last panel seems to indicate that the original Charlton heroes do indeed “evolve” into their Multiversity counterparts.  This means we already know their fates and Captain Atom is dead once again.

(All characters and images belong to DC Comics and I am not making any profit off this blog.)

The Multiversity: Pax Americana #1 (January 2015)

Tags

Blue Beetle, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Frank Quitely, Grant Morrison, Iron Arms, Jae Lee, L.A.W., Nathan Fairbairn, Nightshade, Patrick Gleason, Peacemaker, Rob Leigh, Sarge Steel, Sentinels of Justice, Silver Age Captain Atom, The Question, Tiger, Vincent Deighan

“In Which We Burn”

• Writer:  Grant Morrison
• Pencils & Inks: Frank Quitely
• Colors:  Nathan Fairbairn
• Letters:  Rob Leigh

Yes, I am a fan of Grant Morrison.  Yes, I am a fan of Frank Quitely.  I mean, I have EYES, don’t I?

The concept of DC Universe’s “multiverse” was scrapped as a result of the 1985 maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths.  But, as with all things in comics, it was not to stay dead.  After the events of Infinite Crisis there was another maxi-series entitled 52.  It was in the pages of 52 that DC revealed that the multiverse still existed.  The Multiversity was a limited series of one-shots set in the DC Multiverse in The New 52. The one-shots in the series are written by Grant Morrison, each with a different artist. The Multiversity began in August 2014.  This issue was published November 19, 2014.

This issue takes place on Earth-4 (The Charlton Universe) and opens with the rather gruesome assassination of the President of the United States by Peacemaker (aka Christopher Smith).  Chris has been captured and is being questioned by government suits.  But the Peacemaker isn’t talking.

As Chris is lead out of the interrogation room, he passes Senator Warren Eden, who is discussing this turn of events with his daughter Eve (Nightshade).  Eden tells his daughter that Peacemaker’s actions have essentially killed the idea of a “super hero” and made the term a dirty word.  Warren advises his daughter to savor her time as a super hero, as he is putting certain plans into motion.  The government had two super heroes on the payroll, but Peacemaker has killed the President and Captain Atom is missing in action.  The government needs a convincing exit strategy to distance itself from the heroes.

Elsewhere, Blue Beetle has been tracking the Question with his Bug.  The Question is trying to run from the Bug, but Beetle points out that is impossible.  The Question tells Beetle he’s barking up the wrong tree by chasing him, that he is trying to find the murderer of Nora O’Rourke and solve the mystery of “algorithm B.”  He refers to this as “The Yellowjacket Case” (four unsolved murders of four prominent scientists).  Beetle tells him there is no Yellowjacket case and for Question to be reasonable.  “His people” are all over the Question.

Blue Beetle says he made peace with the government but the Question contends that Beetle is going about crime-fighting all wrong.  The Question pulls a device out of his coat and activates a crane that Beetle has conveniently parked the Bug under.  The Questions tells Beetle he should never rely on technology and takes off.  He ducks into a subway station where he is then confronted by Nightshade.

The Question quickly overpowers Nightshade and hops onto a passing train.  But before he does so, he tosses her one of his calling cards.  It bears a question mark that has been augmented to resemble the symbol for infinity.

The Question then goes to the crime scene where Nora O’Rourke was murdered.  She was apparently Chris Smith’s girlfriend.  He had left early that day when someone crept into his apartment, picked up a heavy statue, and crushed Nora’s head with it.  That killer may look familiar to fans of Charlton comics.  He appears to be Captain Atom’s old enemy Iron Arms.

This is when Captain Atom enters the story (the same Captain Atom that Warren Eden said was missing in action).  He is at some science facility working on a particle accelerator, apparently some time prior to the president’s assassination.  The scientists are working in the control room as Cap is reading a comic book.  He is commenting on how he can read the story any way he chooses, flipping through it backwards or starting in the middle, and there is nothing that the characters in the story can do about it.  He can perceive time any way he wishes but they are limited in their perceptions.  The characters are unaware of his scrutiny.  It is hard to tell if he is talking about the comic book, the scientists he is with, or even us as the readers.  The scientists switch on their device (just as Cap says he can “read” their “thought balloons” and knows what they are planning.  Once the device is activated, Cap vanishes, the comic books bursts into flames,  and one of the scientists announces that Captain Atom has left the universe.

There is another man in the control room; a man whose face we do not see but can assume is Sarge Steel because he has a metal hand.  He pulls a gun on the scientists, who argue they did everything he asked.  They opened a black hole inside Allen Adam’s skull.  This does not sway Steel, who shoots them all dead.

We then cut to Nightshade visiting her mother.  Mom seems a little on the senile side and bitter about her ex-husband.  Nightshade tells her mom that Allen Adam is helping her dad to harness the power of a black hole so the empire will no longer rely on oil.

The scene switches to Chris and Nora having a discussion about someone named Harley (the President’s father and comic book writer) as Sarge Steel beats the living hell out of someone.  The story is kind of hard to follow as it isn’t presented as a linear path.  It is as if we are reading the comic the way Captain Atom sees the world.  The scene does reveal that Peacemaker had plans to run away with Nora after he did “what had to be done.”

The next scene is night on a rooftop.  The Question is standing over a man who is pinned under a fallen sign.  The Question reveals this man is not the high-level mob fixer he pretended to be but an undercover dirty cop on the payroll of the Vice President.  He lays a revolver on the floor in front of the prone man and begins to drone on about an eight-stage color coded system of development that all societies must pass through.  The cop begs the Question let him go (an exposed wire from the sign is sparking nearby and the cop is in a puddle – he fears he will be electrocuted).  The cop tells him that his orders come from the Sarge and that he really doesn’t know anything.  All he knows are rumors – about Captain Atom being killed and something about a secret formula.  The Question leaves the man to die on the rooftop.

Cut to the past, and Nightshade, Peacemaker, Tiger, Blue Beetle, and the Question are meeting with a government official.  They are sporting new “uniforms” and Tiger is unhappy about the changes.  Peacemaker welcomes them all to the Justice League of America (which prompts Blue Beetle to ask, “How about the Sentinels?”).  President Harley then enters the room and tells them their trademarks and code names belong to the U.S. government now.  When the Question complains, the President leans in and asks, “Are you in the box or out of the box, Mr. Sage?”  This reveals that the government knows the Question’s alter ego, but the comment about the box implies that Vic Sage is gay, I guess.

Later, when President Harley reveals the team at a press conference, he announces that their leader is Captain Atom.

Captain Atom has trouble focusing on the task at hand because he is being distracted by a conversation he will have in the future (this is some trippy Dr. Manhattan level stuff – which makes perfect sense when you think about it).

The conversation is actually in the past. Cap is in a park interacting with a dog.  He’s surrounded by strange statues of people in distress and is talking to the dog.  Governor (not-yet-President) Harley is about to meet with him but Cap’s handlers warn him that Cap has been heavily sedated since “the U-235 incident.”  The scientist tells Harley that the statues were once people and he should warn them immediately if Cap’s speech becomes disorganized, anxious, or aggressive.  Another of Cap’s handlers thought it would do him good to be reunited with his pet dog.

Cap disassembles the dog, thinking the “pieces would explain the whole.”  When he realizes he has just killed his pet Butch, Cap begins to cry.  He asks for more sedatives and asks when he will go back to normal.  He then wonders aloud what it would be like if Butch was both alive and dead and suddenly there is a brand new Butch standing next to the old, dead one.  He then says it isn’t the same.  Harley introduces himself to Allen Adam.  Cap says it must be hard work being the president, to which Harley responds he is not.  Harley brushes it off and asks Cap to walk the gardens with him.  Harley says they are a world famous masterpiece of design and organization.

So it was Harley that “inspired” Allen Adam to use his powers as Captain Atom.

Cut to some 2005. A terrorist has crashed his plane on the White House lawn and taken President George W. Bush hostage.  He plans to kill the president.  He stomps and spits on the American flag.  Governor Harley is also present, confident, and a little cocky.  Peacemaker and his drones show up and take out the terrorist’s men.  Harley warns the terrorist that this is just the beginning.  Some day there will be more Peacemakers.

On the streets, the Question and Blue Beetle are confronting a heroin dealer and arguing.  The Question tells Beetle he could use his money to build homeless shelters and try to cure society’s ills rather than constructing a giant flying Beetle.  He force-feeds the dealer a substantial amount of heroin and leaves him tied to a light post.  The Question brings up Yellowjacket (America’s first superhero) and his fate. Yellowjacket has vanished and no one knows what became of him.

We then see a young man (clad in a yellow jacket) visiting the grave of Governor Harley’s father.  He sits and waits for a considerable amount of time.  Captain Atom appears and tells him, “The door has one side and opens both ways.  Let me show you.”

The man in the yellow jacket is then forced to confront a memory.  He was young, snooping in his father’s studio late one night.  He found a scrapbook of newspaper articles about Yellowjacket and a revolver.  Then Yellowjacket himself comes through the window and the boy shoots him dead.  It was his father, and the little boy was future-president Harley.

This was pretty awesome.  It gives us an idea of what Watchmen might have been like if Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons had been allowed to use the Charlton characters.  While visually beautiful, it doesn’t really compare to Watchmen, though.  I love Frank Quitely but I love Dave Gibbons style even more.  Also, I always thought the name “Frank Quitely” was a crazy coincidental name (Quite Frankly, Frank Quitely) but never gave it much thought.  I did not realize it was a pseudonym used by Vincent Deighan.  I give the art an A and the story an A.  I am a sucker for Grant Morrison.

Captain Atom by Fred Hembeck

Tags

Blue Beetle, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Fred Hembeck, Judomaster, Nightshade, Peacemaker, The Question, Thunderbolt

Check out what popped up on Fred Hembeck’s tumblr page.  It’s a  2010 drawing he did of the Charlton heroes (Captain Atom, The Question, Nightshade, Thunderbolt, Judomaster, Blue Beetle, and Peacemaker).  Fred Hembeck is a cartoonist best known for his parodies of characters from the major comics publishers.  Of this drawing, he said, “I have a soft spot in my heart (and my head) for these guys, no Question about it!”

DC Universe: Legacies #5 (November 2010) and #10 (April 2011)

Tags

Allen Passalaqua, Blue Beetle, Brad Anderson, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Firestorm, Gary Frank, George Pérez, Jesus Saiz, Jon Sibal, Judomaster, Karl Story, L.A.W. Captain Atom, Len Wein, Modern Age Captain Atom, Nightshade, Oracle, Peacemaker, Red Tornado, Rob Leigh, Scott Koblish, The Question, Thunderbolt, Tom Chu

DC Universe: Legacies was a ten-part history of the DC Universe that spanned five generations, starting with the dawn of the Mystery Men to the modern era.  With the rebooting of the DC Universe and the advent of the New 52, it has become moot.  The Bronze Age Captain Atom and his old pals from the Sentinels of Justice (along with Judomaster, Thunderbolt, and Peacemaker) make an appearance in issue 5.  This panel was penciled by George Pérez, inked by Scott Koblish, and colored by Allen Passalaqua with text lettered by Rob Leigh.

DCU: Legacies #5

In DC Universe: Legacies #10, the Modern Age Captain Atom is seen at Sue Dibny’s funeral (his pals Red Tornado, Blue Beetle, and Firestorm are there along with many others).  This page was penciled by Jesus Saiz with inks by Karl Story and colors by Tom Chu.

DCU: Legacies #10

Later in this issue is a back-up story entitled “Snapshot: Redemption!”  Written by Len Wein with pencils by Gary Frank, inks by Jon Sibal, colors by Brad Anderson, and letters by Rob Leigh, this story is labeled “From the super-secret blog of Ted Kord, a.k.a. the Blue Beetle.”  In the telling of the history of the Blue Beetle, the rarely-seen L.A.W. Captain Atom pops up, along with Oracle, Judomaster, and Peacemaker.

DCU: Legacies #10

DCU Heroes Secret Files & Origins #1 (February 1999)

Tags

Blue Beetle, Bob Layton, Captain Atom, Dick Giordano, Judomaster, L.A.W. Captain Atom, Matt Brady, Nightshade, Peacemaker, Sarge Steel, The L.A.W., The Question, Tom McCraw

This Who’s Who type entry for The L.A.W. was written by Matt Brady, penciled by Dick Giordano, and inked by Bob Layton, with colors by Tom McCraw.

It lists the members of The L.A.W. (Judomaster, Captain Atom, Sarge Steel, Peacemaker, Blue Beetle, Nightshade, and the Question) as well as their individual first appearances.  Cap was rarely seen in this costume.  The text of this piece is printed below.

“When the mysterious Avatar, believed by his followers to be the reincarnation of the Hindu Destroyer God, begins a campaign of terror against the world’s space programs, Captain Atom is captured – unknowingly becoming a part of the Avatar’s master plan.  Ordered by the president to stop the crisis at all costs, Sarge Steel recruits Nightshade, Blue Beetle, and the mysterious new Peacemaker to stand against the Avatar and his forces, the Ravanans.  Coming at the crisis from different sides, Judomaster and the investigative reporter Vic Sage (secretly the faceless crimefighter known as the Question), team with Steel and the others against the Avatar and his forces.

Can these heroes, collectively known as the L.A.W. (Last American Warriors), stop the Avatar and find the missing Captain Atom before the end of the world?

From Captain Atom’s quantum powers, to Blue Beetle’s techno-wizardry, to Judomaster’s martial arts mastery, the L.A.W. wield a varied arsenal of powers and abilities.”

Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 (March 1986)

Tags

Adam Strange, Alexander Luthor, Animal Man, Anti-Monitor, Aquaman, Atomic Knight, Batgirl, Batman, Black Bison, Black Lightning, Black Orchid, Blue Beetle, Blue Devil, Brainiac, Bug Eyed Bandit, Captain Atom, Captain Comet, Captain Marvel (Shazam), Clayface, Cyborg, Darkseid, Deadman, Demon, DeSaad, Doctor Fate, Doctor Light, Doctor Occult, Dolphin, Dove, Earth-1 Superman, Earth-1 Wonder Woman, Earth-2 Superman, Earth-2 Wonder Woman, Electrocutioner, Elongated Man, Felix Faust, Firehawk, Firestorm, George Pérez, Global Guardians, Green Arrow, Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Guardians of the Universe, Harbinger, Harlequin (Molly Mayne), Hawk, Hawkman, Huntress, Jerry Ordway, John Costanza, Kamandi, Kid Flash, Kole, Lady Quark, Lois Lane, Lori Lemaris, Madame Xanadu, Martian Manhunter, marv wolfman, Metamorpho, Negative Woman, Pariah, Peacemaker, Phantom Stranger, Power Girl, Prince Ra-Man, Psycho-Pirate, Rip Hunter, Robin (Dick Grayson), Sargon, Shade the Changing Man, Silver Age Captain Atom, Starman, Steve Trevor, Sunburst, Superboy, Superman, Ten Eyed Man, The Flash, The Spectre, tom ziuko, Tommy Tomorrow, Vigilante, Vixen, Warlord, Wildcat, Wizard (William Zard), Wonder Girl, Wonder Woman, Zatanna, Zatara

“Final Crisis”

• Writer: Marv Wolfman
• Penciler: George Pérez
• Inker: Jerry Ordway
• Colors: Tom Ziuko
• Letterer: John Costanza

This is the epic conclusion to DC’s mega-crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths.  Captain Atom is featured prominently on the cover, front and center, battling the Anti-Monitor.  He appears in eight different panels in the book, and even has some speaking parts (no small feat in this monster of a series).

Aboard Brainiac’s ship, Dolphin, Captain Comet, Rip Hunter, Animal Man, the Atomic Knight, and Adam Strange convince Brainiac that his memory was tampered with to make him forget the Crisis. Realizing that his power is inadequate to battle the Anti-Monitor, Brainiac sets course for the world of a more powerful being. On Earth, the Anti-Monitor’s image is seen in the skies all over the globe. He repeats that the Earth is now in the anti-matter universe. His past victories over positive universes are meaningless, he says, because of the super-heroes’ efforts to stop him. When he lists Supergirl and the Flash as casualties, Kid Flash freaks out and demands to know what has happened.

The Supermen scan the globe and watch the populace panicking. Harbinger appears, and teleports them to another destination, then gathers Dr. Light from Japan, leaving Sunburst to defend the country. When Dr. Light states that she caused Supergirl’s death, Harbinger replies that the battle had already killed Supergirl, and that the Anti-Monitor’s final attack merely gave her a swift death. In the skies, the darkness splits into a million shadow demons, which begin an all-out attack on humanity, and the super-heroes mass to resist them. The Global Guardians team with other heroes to free their native lands from the threat, but the demons’ numbers never seem to dwindle. The Phantom Stranger summons Dr. Mist to help revive the comatose Spectre. Below, Harbinger has gathered a large group of heroes, along with Pariah and Alexander Luthor, to lead a final assault on their nemesis. Alex creates a bridge between universes, and they depart near Apokolips.

Brainiac’s ship goes into stationary orbit around Apokolips, and he and his guests teleport to the planet, where Darkseid appears before them.

Back on Earth, the majority of the heroes are still battling the demons. The Dove is slain by a shadow-being as his brother witnesses.

In Dr. Fate’s Salem tower, the magically powered heroes have gathered to pool their shamanistic might. The Earth-2 Green Lantern (Alan Scott) and Dr. Occult form the nexus of their energy.

On Qward, in the anti-matter universe, Harbinger and the heroes arrive in the Anti-Monitor’s old headquarters. Kid Flash insists on joining them because of his mentor’s death. Suddenly, an image of the Flash appears to him—the last one Barry cast before his death. Wally follows the afterimage to where an insane Psycho-Pirate clutches at an empty uniform. Kid Flash knocks him out, and realizes that Barry Allen is truly dead when Lady Quark finds his ring. Pariah informs them that a great concentration of evil lies before them. They follow to find a towering Anti-Monitor, ready for the final slaughter.

In Atlantis, Aquaman leads his underwater legions against the shadows. Lori Lemaris saves a trapped Mera with a force beam. A demon closes in on her and kills her. In Chicago, Green Arrow of Earth-2 is killed by a shadow. In Philadelphia, Cyborg, the Son of Vulcan, the Vigilante, and the New Wildcat continue rescue operations.

In New Orleans, Shade the Changing Man witnesses the death of Prince Ra-Man. In Skartaris, Travis Morgan leads his forces against the black menaces. In Gotham City, both Clayface II and the Bug-Eyed Bandit perish at the hands of the demons. In Salem, the tide finally turns. The supernatural crusaders send their combined force in a net of energy to gather the demons from the Earth’s surface, and bind them helpless in space. Over the Earth, lives have been lost, including those of Kole, Huntress, and Robin, but other lives have been saved. For a moment, the survivors can take stock.

On Qward, the Supermen of Earth 1 and 2, Captain Atom, Lady Quark, Firehawk, Wonder Woman, and other tarot’s strike at the Anti-Monitor, but he ignores their blows, feeding on the energy of a nearby star, As Dr Light absorbs the energy of one of the binary suns they are between, the Anti-Monitor feels his power draining away. Alex begins to drain the anti-matter energy away from their enemy. Negative Woman uses her negative-self to bind the Anti-Monitor and inhibit him: then Harbinger leads all the energy-producing heroes against him, Dr. Light blasts him with the energy of a sun, and he falls into the ruins of his fortress. Alex creates a dimensional hole, large enough to enclose the Earth and return it to its proper universe. The heroes follow. The ball of bound demons hover and then fall on the fallen enemy. Thus, the Anti-Monitor absorbs his slaves energies and rises again, while the heroes start to give battle. Wonder Woman is caught in a withering flash of power, and is borne away to an unknown destination. Superman of Earth-1 and Lady Quark vow deadly revenge, but Kal-L knocks them out, and tells Superboy to take them back. Since he has no world and no wife to return to, the elder Superman has the least to lose. Then he confronts the monstrous Anti-Monitor, and batters him. Superboy sends Superman and Lady Quark back through Alex’s shrinking body, and turns to aid him. Superman continues his one-man war against the Anti-Monitor, striking telling blows, while the villain, his power waning, absorbs more energy from the anti-cosmos, and blasts him and Superboy. Darkseid, watching the conflict on a viewscreen, proclaims his planet to be endangered if the Anti-Monitor survives, sends a power burst at him through Alex’s eyes. The enemy, devastated, is hurled into the core of one of the binary suns. Superman, Superboy, and Alex are stunned to see the spectre of their enemy rising from the sun. Superman smashes into his foe’s fiery body, scattering him: the remains fall back into the sun and the star begins to implode.

They bravely await the end and Superman wishes that Lois could have lived to see their triumph. At that, Alex produces Lois from a void-pocket in his body where she had been sent to wait. She tells her husband that she had been to a tranquil world. Alex cannot return them to Earth but he can take them all to this beautiful world. Superman, Lois, and Superboy opt for that choice. The foursome vanish seconds before the exploding sun would have reached them.

Back on Earth, Lyla is explaining facets of the Crisis to Pariah and Lady Quark. Wonder Woman was returned to the clay which Aphrodite and Athena had given life, then spread across Paradise Island.

Time then continued to reverse itself, as the Amazons were returned to their original homeland before they fled Man’s World. Zeus brought the homeless Wonder Woman of Earth-2 and her husband Steve Trevor to Olympus, where they could live peacefully. The bodies of Robin of Earth-2, the Huntress, and Kole were never found. All those who died were mourned. In Keystone City, Jay Garrick determined that Kid Flash’s illness was in remission, his body chemistry being changed by a blast from the Anti-Monitor. He could again move at super-speed, though only to a maximum of Mach-1. Wally donned Barry Allen’s uniform, and announced, “From this day forth — the Flash lives again!”

The Great Disaster will not exist in the Earth’s future, but a lost child will he found in Command D. adopted by General Horatio Tomorrow of the Planeteers, and named Thomas. Jonah Hex will be torn from his era to fight in the future, while the Guardians of the Universe must face the first division in their ranks. Thus, Lyla concludes her tale, and Lady Quark and Pariah ask her to help them explore their new homeworld. They leave with her, honoring the memory of their benefactor, the Monitor. And, in Arkham Asylum, the staff discuss a new patient who seems beyond help, straitjacketed in a rubber-lined room. Roger Hayden, formerly Psycho-Pirate, gibbers about Earths beyond numbers, the Anti-Monitor, and the memories, which only he had been allowed to keep.

Beautifully drawn.  George Pérez and Jerry Ordway really had a way of making something with so many characters not look too crowded (in my opinion).  This issue set the stage for what would be my DC Universe (1985-2005).

(Thanks to the DC wiki for the synopsis.)

Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 (October 1985)

Tags

Alan Scott, Alexander Luthor, All-Star Squadron, Anti-Monitor, Aquagirl, Aqualad, Batgirl, Batman, Blok, Blue Beetle, Brainiac, Brainiac 5, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., Changeling, Cyborg, Deadman, Doctor Light, Doctor Sivana, Doll Man, Dolphin, Enemy Ace, Firebrand, Firestorm, Freedom Fighters, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Harbinger, Human Bomb, Huntress, Ibac, Jade, Jimmy Olsen, John Stewart, Katana, Kole, Krona, Lady Quark, Lana Lang, Liberty Belle, Lori Lemaris, Martian Manhunter, Mary Marvel, Metamorpho, Mon-El, Nightshade, Pariah, Peacemaker, Perry White, Phantom Lady, Phantom Stranger, Power Girl, Psycho-Pirate, Sea Devils, Starfire, Steel, Supergirl, Superman, Tawky Tawny, Teen Titans, The Atom, The Flash, The Question, The Ray, The Spectre, Uncle Marvel, Uncle Sam, Wildcat, Wildfire, Wonder Woman

“Beyond the Silent Night”

• Writers: Marv Wolfman, Robert Greenberger
• Penciler: George Pérez
• Inkers: Dick Giordano, Jerry Ordway
• Colors: Tom Ziuko
• Letterers: John Costanza

Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 12-part maxi-series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify their 50-year-old continuity.  The series was written by Marv Wolfman and illustrated primarily by George Pérez. The series did away with the old “multiverse” in the DC Universe, and featured the deaths of some DC mainstays (like the Barry Allen Flash). It was ambitious, gigantic, and a huge whopping mess that I personally have only just started to fully wrap my head around.

The five Earths continue to merge, and the heroes on them fear for their friends and allies who have joined the Monitor’s aides in the war on the Anti-Monitor. The Spectre says not even his power would be effective in the anti-matter universe.  Alexander Luthor opens a portal between the Multiverse and the Ant-Matter Universe, through which Pariah guides Mon-El, the Supermen of Earth-1 and Earth-2, Lady Quark, Captain Atom, Jade, Green Lantern of Earth-2, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, the Ray, John J’onzz, Wildfire, Firestorm, Dr. Light, and Supergirl.

The Anti-Monitor strikes Superman, and his cry of pain is heard by Supergirl, who races to help him. She passes Pariah, who is digging himself out of rubble. The Anti-Monitor is about to kill Superman with an energy blast when Supergirl crashes into the villain.  She wails on the Anti-Monitor, but the villain is too powerful. He knocks Supergirl back and announces that he will kill her and Superman. Supergirl tears the floor from underneath him, causing his blast to miss Superman.  Dr. Light, watching Supergirl continue to beat on the Anti-Monitor, realizes the selfishness of her own life compared to Supergirl’s, and says she has shown her the true path. Superman calls for his cousin.  The Anti-Monitor beats Supergirl down, who falls dead as Superman screams her name.

The five Earths are for now out of danger. The time distortion has stopped, and the Earths remain linked.  The worlds receive the news of Supergirl’s death and a memorial service is held in Chicago.  Later, Superman leaves his Fortress of Solitude with the body of Supergirl, wrapped in her indestructible cape, and sets her free in space, promising to remember and miss her forever.

Again, Captain Atom’s role in all this is small.  But that is to be expected with a story this size.  Because Marv Wolfman’s task was so sweeping and huge, I give an A for story and definitely an A for George Pérez, Dick Giordano, and Jerry Ordway’s art.

Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 (September 1985)

Tags

Alexander Luthor, Anti-Monitor, Aquagirl, Aqualad, Aquaman, Azrael, Black Canary, Black Condor, Black Manta, Blok, Blue Beetle, Brainiac, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., Changeling, Dawnstar, Deathbolt, Doctor Light, Doll Man, Dolphin, Green Lantern, Harbinger, Hawkman, Human Bomb, Johnny Quick, Judomaster, Katana, Kole, Lex Luthor, Lori Lemaris, Martian Manhunter, Mary Marvel, Nightshade, Northwind, Ocean Master, Pariah, Peacemaker, Per Degaton, Phantom Lady, Power Girl, Psycho-Pirate, Star Sapphire, Starfire, Steel, Supergirl, Teen Titans, The Atom, The Flash, The Question, The Ray, Thunderbolt, Uncle Sam, Wildcat, Wonder Woman

“3 Earths! 3 Deaths!”

• Writer: Marv Wolfman
• Pencils: George Pérez
• Inks: Jerry Ordway
• Colors: Anthony Tollin
• Letters: John Costanza

Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 12-part maxi-series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify their 50-year-old continuity.  The series was written by Marv Wolfman and illustrated primarily by George Pérez. The series did away with the old “multiverse” in the DC Universe, and featured the deaths of some DC mainstays (like the Barry Allen Flash). It was ambitious, gigantic, and a huge whopping mess that I personally have never been able to fully wrap my head around.

At this point in the story, Azrael, Flash of Earth-2, Blok, Katana, and J’onn J’onzz (Martian Manhunter) materialize on Earth-4 before an anti-matter curtain in the American Midwest.  Captain Atom blasts Azrael, but is not fully in control of himself.

The Blue Beetle and the Question realize that they are being forced to attack the other heroes, but are unable to stop.  Katana, Blok, and J’onn J’onzz end up in a stalemate with the Blue Beetle, Judomaster, and Question.  Harbinger, existing simultaneously in Earths S, X, and 4, suddenly draws their universes away from the anti-matter and pulls them through her focused image.  Back at the lair of the Anti-Monitor, the Psycho Pirate suffers feedback from losing control over the people of those three Earths.  Harbinger manages to link Earths S, X, and 4 with the merging Earths 1 and 2.  Doing so, she ceases to exist as Harbinger, reverting to the identity of Lyla.

Not much to say about this one.  It was epic.  Cap only appeared on one panel of one page.  But I really like the way George Pérez drew him.  He’s the most down-to-Earth “humanistic” looking Captain Atom I’ve seen up to this point.  Because Marv Wolfman’s task was so sweeping and huge, I give an A for story and definitely an A for art.