This file created by Jess Nevins, jjnevins@ix.netcom.com. Kingdom Come #2 Annotations (corrections and additions are of course welcome - post them to rec.arts.comics.dc.universe, or send them to me at kalkin@sunspot.tiac.net) Unless noted otherwise - by quotation marks and/or question marks - the names of the new characters, and new names for old characters, have been confirmed by Waid and Ross at various store signings and conventions and in the card set. Cover First row: Hawkman, Green Lantern, Power Woman, Superman, Norman McCay, Wonder Woman. Second Row: Flash, Aquaman II, Red Arrow, Red Robin, Troia. Third Row: Aleea Strange, Midnight II, Captain Comet, XTC, Robotman, Golden Guardian, Hourman II, Tornado, Ray. Last Row: Red Tornado I, Lady Marvel, King Marvel, Human Bomb, WHIZ, Bulletman, Bulletgirl, Starman VII, Power Man, Sandman IV, Red Tornado III, Living Doll, Avia, Atlas, Atom- Smasher. Power Woman is the adult, _Kingdom Come_ version of the heroine Power Girl, formerly a cousin to Superman. Michael Starsinic notes that she is wearing her old, pre-Crisis/Zero Hour-style belt buckle; in current DC Continuity she wears a belt buckle with an Atlantean motif - the starburst symbol of her grandfather, the Atlantean mage Arion. As we'll find out, Aquaman II is actually Garth, the former Aqualad, who worked as the sidekick to Aquaman I. Similarly, Red Arrow is actually Roy Harper, formerly Speedy, the sidekick to Green Arrow, and currently seen as Arsenal. Red Robin is Dick Grayson, formerly Robin, the sidekick to The Batman. Troia is Donna Troy, formerly Wonder Girl, the sidekick to Wonder Woman. Aleea Strange is the daughter of Adam Strange, a DC space hero, and Alanna (who has never had a last, patronymic/matronymic name, as far as I know) of the planet Rann. Midnight II is the _Kingdom Come_ version of the Golden Age hero Dr. Mid-nite. Captain Comet was a mutant space hero for DC during the 1950s (years before the X-Men were a gleam in Stan Lee's eye). XTC is the daughter of Supergirl and Brainiac-5 of the Legion of Super-heroes. Supergirl and Brainy were in a relationship in the Legion, once upon a time, and it's nice to see that acknowledged here. Credit to David J. Snyder, who informed me of XTC's parentage, which in retrospect is obvious, given her skin color and costume. David Goldfarb, Bill Jennings and David J. Snyder also note that her name is almost certainly a nod to prog-pop band XTC, who recorded the songs "That's Really Super, Supergirl" and "Braniac's Daughter" (the latter under the pseudonym The Dukes of Stratosphear). Robotman, here, is a future version of the Teen Titan Cyborg. Golden Guardian is a future version of the DC hero The Guardian; the character's name was originally the Guardian, but during Jack Kirby's run on _Jimmy Olsen_, back in the early 1970s, the character was brought back as the Golden Guardian. The Tornado is the _Kingdom Come_ version of the former Justice League hero Red Tornado, a heroic android who later became a sort of air elemental; he was last seen in the pages of _Primal Force_. In one of those strokes of genius that only true keepers of the obscure, arcane, and trivial can appreciate, Waid and Ross have included here a futuristic version of Red Tornado I - that is, the *first* Red Tornado, the one who was going to be a member of the JSA until her pants tore. The first Red Tornado, back in 1939, was Ma Hunkle, who grew disaffected with the crime in her neighborhood and put on a costume (which included a soup pot as a helmet) and fought crime. Lady Marvel and King Marvel are the grown-up, _Kingdom Come_ version of Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr., the Fawcett heroes. WHIZ is a new character here; we'll see him again on page 21. He is, as Ray Randell pointed out, perhaps a variation on the DC character Air Wave, whose gimmicks were radio-oriented; WHIZ are also the call letters of the radio station at which Billy Batson, the human identity of Captain Marvel, worked, as well as the name of the magazine in which Captain Marvel first appeared. As Tony Pi points out, WHIZ's lightning motif (and his colors) suggest a connection with Shazam. At the San Diego Con Alex Ross confirmed that WHIZ is the child of Lady Marvel and King Marvel. Bulletman and Bulletgirl were heroes from the Fawcett line of comics, the same company that published Captain Marvel in the 1940s; Bulletman was recently introduced into DC Continuity in the _Power of Shazam_ book. Power Man is a new character here, although based on an earlier DC character, as explained in the notes to issue 3. Sandman IV is a new character; he has the costume of the Garrett Sanford Sandman was created during the 1970s by Jack Kirby in a memorable, if short-lived, series; the character was also brought into mainstream DC Continuity, first in the pages of _Infinity, Inc_, and more recently in the new _Sandman_ book. According to Alex Ross, Sandman IV is the grown-up version of Sandy the Golden Boy, who in the Golden Age was the sidekick to Wesley Dodds, the original, Golden Age Sandman. Living Doll is a daughter of Doll Man and Doll Girl, who were heroes during the Golden Age in the pages of _Feature_. The figure on the cover between the Sandman IV and Avia, is Red Tornado III. Ray Randell points out that, according to Ross, Red Tornado III is the protege' of Tornado. Avia is the daughter of the heroes and Fourth World gods Mister Miracle and Big Barda; this is reflected in her costume, which is a combination of Scott Free's and Big Barda's. Thad Doria and David Goldfarb also noted that Avia was the wife of Izaya Highfather, the mother of Mr. Miracle. Atom-Smasher, a new character in _Kingdom Come_, is (beneath his mask) the former hero Nuklon (the son of the Golden Age Atom's goddaughter - thanks to Alan Turniasky for correcting my error here); as Scott Casteel, among others, pointed out, Atom-Smasher has a costume somewhat similar to the Golden Age Atom's. The Sketchboard card has this to say about Atom-Smasher: "`One of my favorite of Alex Ross' redesigns. The hero formerly known as Nuklon - and the godson of the original Atom, Al Pratt - has amalgamated his mentor's costume into his own new look.' - Mark Waid" John B. Sterner III echoes a number of people's observations that the lighting on the cover - all of the characters are lit from below on each cover except for one - the Spectre on the cover of issue #1 and Norman McCay on the cover of this issue - obviously means something; there have been a number of conflicting interpretations as to the reason for this effect. Information on the new characters here - including their names - is courtesy the people who spoke to Alex Ross and Mark Waid at store appearances. p 1 We've seen this image before, as a prepublication publicity poster from DC. It takes on a more ominous meaning now that we have a context in which to put it. The quotations here are from the _Bible_ - the book of Revelation, once again: 8:2, 8:3, 8:5, and 8:6. As Michael Cavanagh points out, this is a nice visual foreshadowing of page 5 - the Justice League members in McCay's vision here are flying through the flames of the torch of the Statue of Liberty. And as Dean Velasco points out, this quote leaves the implication that the seven angels are the seven Justice League members we see on page 5. p 3 The figure ranting and raving atop the damaged Statue of Liberty is the Americommando. Most familiar to modern readers as the penultimate villain in _The Golden Age_, the Americommando debuted in _Action Comics #1_ as Tex Thomson, who travelled the world with his sidekick Bob Daley, fighting crime and encountering the bizarre and grotesque. In _Action Comics #33_ Tex put on a domino mask, took up a whip, and began fighting crime and costumed criminals (including a Chinese cyclops named Gorrah) as Mr. America; in _Action Comics_ #54 Mr. America went behind enemy lines and fought the Nazis as the Americommando. The Americommando returned to America in _Action Comics_ #74 and was not seen again until brief cameos in _All-Star Squadron_, thirty years later. Although Mr. America and the Americommando were somewhat colorless and two-dimensional characters, little in those adventures indicated that Tex Thomson would become the fascist seen here - although, as Johanna Draper points out, this might well be a commentary by Messrs Waid and Ross about the changing view of America in the world's eyes, or simply the changing nature of America's view towards the world itself. His assistants, the Minutemen, were not a part of Tex Thomson's original entourage. However, the original, Golden Age Hourman had three sidekicks who were named the Minutemen, which may be what Waid and Ross are referring to here. As a few people pointed out, it is also, more likely, another reference to _The Watchmen_; the Minutemen were the WW2 heroes group in that miniseries. Sean MacDonald points out that it might also be a reference to the patriotic Fawcett hero the Minuteman. The "Minutemen" might also be a reference to the 1960s right-wing paramilitary outfit the Minutemen, who believed that the US was infested with Communist infiltrators and that an underground army had to be formed to carry out a guerrilla war against the dreaded reds. Perhaps it's only me, but the Americommando's costume here seems quite similar to that of Judge Dredd, the stern, take-no-nonsense futuristic British lawman. Neil Barnes adds that Dredd's Mega-City One is on the East Coast of the old US, and still features the Statue of Liberty - but Mega-City One's Statue of Liberty is over-shadowed by a larger statue of a judge - the Statue of Justice. Michael Denton also sees some of Erik Larsen's Superpatriot in Americommando's costume. The familiar phrases in the Americommando's speech - "wretched refuse," "poor, tired, huddled masses" - are cobbled from the famous speech by Emma Lazarus which is engraved on the inscription of the Statue of Liberty: "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door." Mighty, inspiring words, and to see them twisted in the mouth of such as the Americommando is angering - which is, no doubt, as Messrs. Waid and Ross desired. Note the graffiti on the Statue of Liberty; that seems quite in keeping with Lobo's characterization. Also, as Brad Lile astutely noticed, the Statue seems to have had her heart torn out - more symbolism. Juice Fritzius points out that the Minuteman in panel 3 has a tied-on goatee. p 4 The three figures parachuting into battle against the Americommando are, if anything, even more obscure than Red Tornado I; they are futuristic versions of, respectively, Red Dugan, Whitey Smith, and Blooey Blue - otherwise known as Red, White and Blue, agents of G-2, Military Intelligence. Red, White and Blue's first appearance was in _All-Star Comics #1_; they were regulars in that magazine until edged out by a bunch of nobodies known as the Justice Society of America. More obscure than Red, White and Blue it may not be possible to go (unless it's Sandra of the Secret Service or the first Ultra Man) - Messrs Waid and Ross, you have my compliments and fanboy awe for including them. p 5 Enter the new Justice League - from the top, the Ray, Wonder Woman, Hawkman, Superman, Power Woman, the Green Lantern, and the Flash. The Flash has never had the ability to fly - but Johnny Quick did; like Mort Meskin's Johnny Quick, the Kingdom Come Flash has the appearance of being in several places at once. This is our first look at the Ray. The Sketchboard card has this to say about him: "`This isn't really a redesign as much as a return to Lou Fine's streamlined original from 1940 - right down to the exposed ears that were seen in the earliest stories. The only addition I made to the costume was to give it a shiny chrome finish. I figure this is Ray Terrill, son of the original. He's probably about forty in _Kingdom Come_, but like his dad, he ages very well.' - Alex Ross." p 6 Another indication that the Green Lantern is Alan Scott is that his green construct is a scoop; both Alan Scott and Hal Jordan (the Silver Age Green Lantern) used their rings to create simple forms - scoops, shields, domes, and fists - while the current DC Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner, uses his ring to create anime'-like armor, robots, and dinosaurs. As a few people - Chris Blakeley and Jonathan Woodward among them - have pointed out, the Flash and the Lantern seem to be smiling at each other in panel 3; this could be pleasure at working together again, as well as an homage to the friendship which has traditionally existed between these two characters, or simply a sign of their pleasure at not having to work in the shadows any more. The Flash in particular must be pleased at no longer having to be alone; his "loneliness of the long-distance runner," as worded in the card set, must be dispelled by working with his old friends. Neil Hogan notes that the S insignia is now gone from Superman's cape. p 7 The Braintrust seen here being knocked out by the Red Robin (whose costume, as Alex Ross pointed out in an interview, is a mix of the traditional costumes of Robin and The Batman) are new characters, I believe. The Americommando mentioned them on page 3, panel 4, and their comments here would seem to indicate that they are the ones in control of the Minutemen, rather than the Americommando. As Melody Womack, among others, pointed out, Red Robin's boots, lack of outside trunks, and cowl-modeling suggest that his costume is based on the Michael Keaton movie version of The Batman. The card set has this to say about Red Robin: "The death of his wife Starfire sent Nightwing into retirement. But as superhuman anarchy reaches critical mass in _Kingdom Come_, Superman coaxes Dick Grayson back into action. At his new leader's behest, Grayson even reclaims his boyhood identity of Robin, melding it with aspects of his former mentor, Batman. `It's a transparent gesture on Superman's part to needle Batman.'- Mark Waid." Nightwing going into retirement after his wife's death is undoubtedly a conscious move on Waid/Ross' part to parallel the fate of the Earth-2 Batman, who went into retirement after his wife, Selina Kyle, was killed. p 8 Hawkman's taloned feet, clearly visible (for the first time in the series) in panel 1, are another indication that he has truly become a hawk-man. Several people, Michael Denton among them, have noted that two of the Minutemen are dressed like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Lee Rosen points out that Hawkman's attack on Red, in panel 1, is somewhat on the vicious side; Hawkman impales him, then brains him with a mace. Perhaps it is, as Mr. Rosen said, a symptom of the darkening of even the most noble of heroes - or perhaps Hawkman knew all along that Red is a robot. p 9 The U.N. Building which the Justice League is headed for, in panel 4, was seen on page 6 of issue #1; its model is the Hall of Justice, from the _Superfriends_ tv cartoon. As Jonathan Woodward notes, the "red glare" referred to in the first caption of panel 1 are likely be a reference to the American national anthem; Michael Grabois notes that it's a double reference, for the national anthem as well as Superman's heat vision. p 10 Superman's word balloons have a heavier black outline than any of the other characters; this is subtly effective, to me, in conveying the force and impact of his statements, as well as the symbolic weight of his words and his presence. What the Justice League is proposing to do here - take charge, "if necessary, with force," of the rogue vigilantes and metahumans - is somewhat similar to the _Squadron Supreme_ miniseries that Marvel published in 1985, where the Squadron Supreme - who were themselves analogues for the Justice League of America - were forced to assume control of the United States after a prolonged series of bad events. The Squadron's efforts came to a sorry end; whether the _Kingdom Come_ Justice League's attempt at enforcing order is similarly doomed remains to be seen. (David Goldfarb points out that the Squadron's Batman analogue, Nighthawk, gathered together a group of villains to oppose the Squadron, and ended up defeating them in a climactic battle) As Michael Cavanagh points out, the reporter's statement "the second coming of Superman" reinforces the Superman-Christ connection. Thad Doria notes that Roger Stern introduced the notion of a religion, in the DC Universe, claiming that Superman was the second coming of Christ. p 11 Phil Sheldon, from the miniseries _Marvels_, makes an appearance here. The reporter's words, in panel 2, provide foreshadowing of the story we are to see later in this issue - why Superman left Metropolis and retreated into his Fortress of Solitude. Note the name of the Secretary General of the UN, in panel 6: "Wyrmwood." A "wyrm" is a snake, or dragon; wormwood is a plant which yields a bitter oil, and means "something bitter or grievous." Worse still, in the book of Revelation we find: And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were bitter. (8:11-12) It seems highly likely that Secretary General Wyrmwood will be playing an unpleasant role in the events to come. Kevin Maroney adds that "Chernobyl" means "wormwood" in Russian. p 12 The Spectre's questions to Norman McCay ("What do *you* see? What do you *hear*?") may seem to be rhetorical, but as we shall see in issue #3, the Spectre knows as little of the future as we, the reader, and is in fact being led to it by McCay, and not vice-versa. p 13 Superman is flying into Stately Wayne Manor, home of Millionaire Bruce Wayne - otherwise known as The Batman. As Superman descends into the Batcave beneath Wayne Manor, however, we see that time has not treated the Manor or the Batcave well. Note the bulletholes in the wall beside the famous grandfather clock in panel 2. In panel 3 we can see two models of the Bat-Knights seen in issue 1 of _Kingdom Come_. In panel 4 we see several off the familiar Batcave artifacts - the giant penny, the T-Rex robot, and the Joker's giant playing card; in the right foreground we see another Bat-Knight and in a grotto in the left background we can just make out what looks like the Batplane. Superman's walking on the water of the flooded Batcave in panel 5 is still another indication of the Superman-Christ connection. p 14 Enter The Batman. He may not be wearing the cowl now, and may be confined to some sort of mobile life-support system, but Bruce Wayne was never much more than a disguise for the Batman, even more so than Clark Kent was a cypher for Superman. Now, with his mansion destroyed and his public identity revealed, Bruce Wayne seems to have disappeared altogether, leaving only The Batman. The card set says this: "After Bane and Two-Face unmasked him and laid his home to waste, Bruce Wayne reinvented the legend of the Batman. Faithful retainer Alfred Pennyworth was dead. Tim Drake had joined the CIA, and Dick Grayson had retired. But Wayne persevered, developing a high-tech operation to make Batman's presence in Gotham City stronger than ever." Note the "Bruce" mug by Batman's left arm; Alfred (Bruce Wayne's faithful butler) may be dead, but that mug is a very Alfred-esque touch. Note also the liver spots on Batman's left hand; this is an older Batman, clearly - but a figure to be wary of nonetheless. Bane and Two-Face, mentioned in panel 2, are two of Batman's worst enemies; Two-Face (formerly Assistant DA Harvey Dent) is dominated by a dualistic, good-evil compulsion, while Bane is the villain who broke The Batman's back in a much- ballyhooed series a few years ago. Although they seemingly destroyed Wayne Manor, they weren't enough to stop The Batman. Perhaps Bane broke Batman's back yet again, which is why Batman now wears his power armor/life support system? As Michael Denton points out, the life-support system is reminiscent of Darth Vader's in the _Return of the Jedi_. Andrew McLean, among others, point out that perhaps the armor is simply needed to cope with the results of the constant stress that the Batman put on his system over the years. The card set says this about Batman's body armor: "Batman now wears an exoskeleton. The rigors of a crimefighter's lifestyle - years of hand-to-hand combat - have taken their toll on Batman's too-human body. `What doesn't kill you,' says artist Alex Ross, `_doesn't_ make you stronger.' In _Kingdom Come_, the Batman identity is a full-time one; he wears the legend of Batman like a cloak and cowl." Batman is obviously keeping track of Gotham City from his control center here - we get several views of Gotham City from his command post, and we can see several of the new Bat- Knights lined up in the background. Note, in the lower right hand screen in panel 3, the grinning face of The Batmite, a mischievous imp who bedeviled The Batman for many years during the 1950s. According to Superman and the Batman, Arkham Asylum, Belle Reve Prison, and Blackgate were blown up by Genosyde. Genosyde is a new character here; Arkham Asylum is where the criminally insane supervillains of DC Comics, which include almost all of The Batman's Rogues Gallery, are sent; Belle Reve Prison was the major holding facility for supervillains in DC Comics, and was the Louisiana home for the Suicide Squad; and thanks to Chris Eckert I now know that Blackgate is where Gotham sends its "sane" criminals. The upshot of this exchange, however, is that The Batman clearly doesn't have to worry about most of his Rogues Gallery any more... p 15 The Bat-Knights can fly - and, appropriately, they form giant bats as they patrol Gotham, rather than giant birds or hawks. The card set says this about the Bat-Knights: "Despite Batman's injuries, his determination to make Gotham City safe remained. With the help of Ted Kord, aka the Blue Beetle, he developed robots to take his place on the streets." One further layer of Biblical allusion is The Batman's statement that "right now, the metahumans have the keys to earth's kingdom." Which is, I'm certain, a deliberate reference to Matthew 16:19, in which Jesus says to Simon Peter "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Batman's stated ambition to wrest control of the "keys to earth's kingdom" shows either vaulting ambition or frightening hubris - or both. Dave Stein points out that this sequence, with Batman giving orders to the patrolling Bat-Knights, is almost an exact copy of a scene in a _Darkwing Duck_ episode. Go figure. p 16 Batman and Superman debate Batman's methods here, in much the same way that the regulars of Rec.Arts.Comics.DC.Universe debated the Batman's methods after the publication of the first issue of _Kingdom Come_. I'd judge the discussion here a draw. Superman's comment - "You're willing to turn ordinary citizens into a superstitious, cowardly lot" - is ironic, hearkening back to Bruce Wayne's words, in _Batman_ #1: "Criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot, so my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. I must be a creature of the night, black, terrible...a...a...A Bat!" The two Bat-Knights guarding the stairway leading from the Batcave up to the light is resonant, I believe, with the lair of the jackal-headed Egyptian god Anubis, who judged the dead and whose underworldly headquarters' entrance was guarded by two jackal-headed figures, in much the same way that the Bat-Knights stand guard over the entrance to the Batcave. Batman, in this light, can be seen as an analogue for Anubis. Michael Denton notes that there is a Christian tradition that Jesus descended into the underworld after his death to minister to saints sent their prior to his birth. In this light, and given the equation of Superman with Christ throughout _Kingdom Come_, that would make Batman less of an anti-hero and more of a tarnished hero in need of redemption. Batman's comments here about his allies are a foreshadowing of the coming, Apocalyptic conflict; we can see the outline of his allies in that same panel. Bat-Mite is visible, as Chris Eckert caught, in panels 4 and 5, spying on the proceedings. Peter Li points out that one of the screens in panel 4 shows the lamppost in Crime Alley where Bruce's parents were killed. Scott Rogers notes that the original, 1930s-style Batmobile is visible in panel 4, as is the Wayne Foundation (Batman's home and hq in the late 1960s and early 1970s). Johanna Draper notes that the "Star City" mentioned by The Batman here is where the hero Green Arrow was originally located. p 17 Enter three of The Batman's allies, all heroes: Ted Kord (the Blue Beetle), Dinah Queen (Black Canary), and her husband Oliver Queen (Green Arrow). Ted Kord's characterization here, as a knowledgeable scientist, is a welcome change from the more recent Giffen Justice League Blue Beetle, which portrayed Ted Kord as something of a ninny. Kord's appearance - as a bespectacled man going slightly to pot - is somewhat similar to the appearance of the Nite Owl, in _The Watchmen_, who was in turn originally based on the Charlton Comics Blue Beetle. Kord's weight was also a feature of the Justice League Blue Beetle. Oliver Queen's appearance here has evoked comparisons to Sean Connery and Patrick Stewart; the traditional Green Arrow has always had a full head of hair, but the balding _Kingdom Come_ Oliver Queen seems pretty clearly based on Frank Miller's version of the hero in _The Dark Knight Returns_ miniseries. The lineup of The Batman's allies is as follows, reading left to right, top to bottom: First Row: Fate, Lightning (obscured by panel three; she was last seen in issue #1), and Samurai. (Credit must be given to David Goldfarb for catching the latter two figures). Second Row: Spy Smasher? (far left - I'm basing this guess on the glasses which are -just- visible), Wildcat III, Obsidian, Black Canary III, Condor, Red Hood. Third Row: Ralph Dibny (kudos to Chris Eckert and Thad Doria for i.d.ing him), Zatara II, Green Lantern/Jade, the new Batwoman & Ace the Bathound, Menagerie, and Dragon. Fate is the _Kingdom Come_ version of the mystic, hero, and Lord of Order Dr. Fate; the card set describes it as "the Helmet of Nabu, a talisman that no longer needs a human host." Wildcat III is the KC version of the Golden Age hero Wildcat; the card set describes him as "a man-panther with the original's spirit." As Dave Van Domelen, among others, has pointed out, Wildcat III's new "costume" might be a physical transformation into a cat-man, similar to Hawkman's transformation into a bird-man. Obsidian is the son of the Golden Age Green Lantern and the Golden Age villainess Thorn, and brother to the heroine Jade - in _Kingdom Come_, Green Lantern/Jade. The card set describes Obsidian as "son of Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern, and Harlequin, and still the Prince of Shadows." This raises the question as to whether Molly Mayne, in _Kingdom Come_, was the mother of Obsidian and Jade, or if Waid and Ross made a continuity slip-up. Black Canary III is a new character; the card set describes her as "daughter of Oliver and Dinah Queen, and the Golden Age Black Canary's granddaughter." The Sketchboard card has this to say about her: "`I like to think this is the daughter of Dinah Lance and Oliver Queen - one of my favorite comic-book couples. Her parents are retired by the time of _Kingdom Come_, so she carries on for both. That's why she wears a crossbow on her wrist and high-tech wings to fly. How this fits in with Oliver's other child, Connor Hawke, remains a mystery...' - Alex Ross" Condor is the _Kingdom Come_ version of the GA hero Black Condor. The card set describes Condor as "current inheritor of the Black Condor mantle." Red Hood is a new character, sorta - her identity will become clearer in issue 3. Samurai is a new character here; the card set describes him as "champion of Japan, from the Batmen of many nations." This is a reference to _Detective_ #215, from January 1955, "The Batmen of All Nations," in which the readers saw Batman's foreign counterparts, including the Knight and Squire (from England), the Legionary (of Italy), the Musketeer (of France), the Ranger (of Australia), and the Gaucho (of "South America.") I don't believe this Samurai was seen in that issue, though. Black Canary III is the daughter of Dinah Queen (Black Canary II) and Oliver Queen (Green Arrow). Menagerie is the future version of Garfield Logan, the Changeling, of the Teen Titans; the card set describes him as "now only able to create the shapes of imaginary beasts." Zatara II is, as the card set describes him, "son of the late Zatanna and grandson of the original Zatara." Zatara was a Golden Age sorcerer Zatara and one of DC's first heroes; Zatanna is a magician heroine currently active in the DC universe. Green Lantern/Jade is the daughter of the Golden Age villainess Rose and the Golden Age Green Lantern, Alan Scott, and inheritor of his power. The Sketchboard card has this to say about Jade: "`One of the most intriguing things about a project with the scope of _Kingdom Come_ is all the stories you don't have room to tell. By their very appearance, characters like Jade raise millions of questions that the readers have to answer for themselves. How and when did she supplant her father as Earth's Green Lantern? Has that caused a rift between them?' - Mark Waid" Batwoman is a new take on the old DC heroine; the card set describes her as "Batman admirer from the Fourth World." Perhaps the KC Batwoman is one of the Female Furies - Lashina? Ace the Bathound is the KC version of the old DC hero Ace the Bathound, based on Batman's canine companion during the 1950s. The card set describes Ace as "otherworldly bat-hound, and Batwoman's steed." Dragon is a new character; the card set describes him as "champion of China, from the Batmen of many nations." This origin is similar to the Samurai's, above. Note the Bat-mite spying on The Batman behind his chair in panel 1 and in the lower right of Panel 4. p 18 Panel 2 shows Batman and Superman in scenes quite similar to the covers of their debuts, in _Detective_ #27 and _Action_ #1, respectively. And as Chris Blakeley pointed out, the scene featuring Wonder Woman in panel 3 is very reminiscent of the cover of _Wonder Woman_ #1; on the cover of _Wonder Woman_ #1 Wonder Woman is wielding her lasso, rather than the spear seen here. David Goldfarb points out that Wonder Woman here is in her old costume - single-pointed tiara, no loincloth, and eagle chest insignia - a costume which she has never worn in current continuity. The card set confirms that Ross intended these scenes as homages to those original covers. The Spectre refers here to Wonder Woman as "Eternal Princess of the Amazons;" this statement will take on more significance later in this issue. As Norman McCay says, it is indeed "hard to tell" if Superman and Batman are friends - pre-Crisis, they were best of friends, but post-Crisis they only respected each other. It's hard for characters to keep this straight, but harder still for comic book readers. p 19 More recruits join the new Justice League: from left to right, we see the Ray, the Flash, Power Woman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Troia, the Golden Guardian, Red Robin, Robotman, Hawkman, Green Lantern, and Midnight II. The hand-holding between Wonder Woman and Troia, her former sidekick, is a _very_ nice touch. Note that Superman is shaking hands with the Golden Guardian, the futuristic version of the Golden Age hero The Guardian. The Guardian was created by Jack Kirby as a thinly- veiled imitation of the Marvel character Captain America - which Kirby created (along with Joe Simon - thanks to Keith Baird for correcting my mistake here). Since Superman and Captain America are both the apotheosis of the heroic ideal, it's nice to see them grouped together, and their obvious pleasure at meeting each other. As Gregg Allinson points out, in the post-Crisis DC Universe both the Guardian and Superman operated in Metropolis, and teamed up on several occasions, so that perhaps Superman is greeting an old friend. Note also the grouping of Hawkman, the Green Lantern, and Midnight II. These three were members of the Justice Society of America. Panel 2 shows us the new Justice League in combat: Hawkman, Green Lantern, Superman, and the Flash, in combat against Red Tornado III (seen on the cover of issue #2), Phoebus (last seen in issue #1), Starman VII, and XTC (seen on the cover of issue #2). Jim Cowling points out that Starman VII seems to be able to hurt the Flash without any visible power effects; this is, as he noted, close to the gravity-wielding powers of the Legion of Super-heroes Star Boy, as is the _Kingdom Come_ Starman's costume. Alex Ross, at the Chicago convention, stated that Starman VII is in fact the LSH Star Boy, Thom Kallor. Again, there's obviously some interesting backstory here for which, regrettably, there is no space here. The Sketchboard card has this to say about Starman VII: "`In my original conception, he is the adult Star Boy, transplanted from the thirtieth century.' - Alex Ross. `Silent, aloof, is he Jack Knight or someone else? If he is the heir to the Starman mantle, how come Star-Spangled Kid has the cosmic rod now?' `Alex was clearly inspired by the costume of the Legionnaire called Star Boy, but he took it to an awe- inspiring extreme.' - Mark Waid." p 20 More combat in panel 1: Starman VII, Red Tornado III, Superman, Hawkman, the Green Lantern, Phoebus, Red Robin, XTC, and Flash fighting four unknown characters - an off-green robot, a red-and-white three-eyed robot, the blue-sleeved arm to the left, and the white-and-black figure to the right (who I call "Black Claw" in the notes to issue 4). The logos on the children's shirts in panel 2 are the logos of the new Superman and, perhaps, the Flash; as the narrator says, the people are embracing the new Justice League - through their marketing, perhaps, or simply through the sort of child-like hero-worship most comic book fans went through, once upon a time. Jim Cowling points out that XTC's costume has a hidden "Superman-S-Shield" design, which would fit, given XTC's parentage. p 21 The figure that Wonder Woman swats away here is Cathedral, a new character that we saw on the cover of the first issue. The character that Cathedral is choking and about to spear is WHIZ (previously seen on the cover). p 22 Enter the -real- badguys. The man who chokes the secretary is Vandal Savage, the million-year-old man and a long-time enemy of the Green Lantern and the Flash. The man watching this killing, and calmly smoking a cigarette, is the King of Spades, former leader of the Royal Flush gang, a group of supervillains who menaced the Justice League. (Note the card that the King has just drawn in a one-handed cut, and, as Dean Velasco caught, the card- and gambling-related metaphors in his speech) Lex Luthor enters in panel 4; Luthor is, of course, the greatest of Superman's enemies. The Spectre's bristling at the sight of Savage's murder of Luthor's secretary is natural, as the Spectre's brief is to avenge murder. p 23 The Mankind Liberation Front will play a major role in the coming events. They are, moving around the table from left to right, Vandal Savage, the King of Spades, Lord Naga (aka Kobra, a would-be world-conqueror who most recently bedeviled the Suicide Squad and the Flash), Lex Luthor, Ibn al Xu'ffasch (heir to the empire of Ra's Al Ghul, one of The Batman's greatest enemies and another would-be world-conqueror), Selina Kyle (formerly Catwoman I, another member of The Batman's Rogues Gallery and a long-time potential flame of The Batman) and Edward Nigma (the Riddler, another member of The Batman's Rogues Gallery). Kobra speaks of having integrated "another" 120 vigilantes, including the Arkham and Belle Reve survivors. The coming conflict will not be a pretty one. After several days of fannish speculation, Justin Mohareb cleared up a puzzle (and beat me to the punch by a matter of hours) in consulting with an Arabic speaker and noting that "Ibn Al Xu'ffasch" means "Son of The Bat." This ties in to the long-running romance, or potential romance, between Talia Al Ghul (Ra's Al Ghul's daughter) and The Batman; here, obviously, the relationship took a more fruitful turn. Waid and Ross confirmed at the San Diego Con that Ibn Al Xu'ffasch is in fact the character who appeared in the graphic novel _Son of the Demon_, where Talia and The Batman did conceive a child which was later given up for adoption. According to Waid and Ross, he was tracked down and recruited by Ra Al Ghul's men to run Ra's empire after the latter's death. (Carolina Lithgow-Bertelloni points out that the _Son of the Demon_ is, post-Zero Hour, no longer in continuity) Daniel Frank and Melody Womack (keeper of _Feline Fatale_) point out that Selina is wearing the same style dress and same hair style that she wore in her first appearance, in _Batman_ #1, as The Cat - the first villainess in comics. Chris Eckert, Just Joe and Neil Hogan point out that Edward Nigma's glasses here are made up of two question marks. There are a number of parallels between _Kingdom Come_ and _The Watchmen_; one, that Randy Patton (among others) has raised, is Superman's abandonment of his human persona and Dr. Manhattan's gradual detachment from human affairs, and the reaction of those around them - the Comedian's fear that a dehumanized, amoral Manhattan may doom humanity and Luthor's conviction that the metahumans have become a separate race, with separate morals, apart from humanity. Loki Carbis notes that the name of the "Mankind Liberation Front" is quite similar to the "Mutant Liberation Front," the Marvel Comics group of mutant terrorists. It is also quite similar to the "Animal Liberation Front," a real- life group of Animal Rights activists (or terrorists, depending on your point of view). p 24 Interestingly, Edward Nygma's comments and questions here seem to indicate that he's not really in the same class, morally speaking, as these other figures; he lacks their ambition, but also has a somewhat more objective viewpoint on what they are doing. They are Villains, in the grand style, while he is simply a thief. p 25 Vandal Savage's comment, "I never dreamed they'd return. Not in a million years" is somewhat ironic, given his lifespan. Luthor's fit of pique at the mention of Superman's name is fitting, given the numerous defeats Luthor has suffered at Superman's hands over the decades. The "boy" that Luthor refers to, who is serving Luthor as a waiter, is "the Captain of the Lightning and the Thunder" - aka Captain Marvel, the Fawcett (and now DC) character who is in some ways the epitome of superheroic innocence. His seemingly-willing servitude to Luthor is perhaps the clearest indication of the depravity of the Kingdom Come world; his fall from grace will be further explained in issue 3. Dean Velasco notes that Captain Marvel's wisdom is not that of the normal person, but rather the wisdom of Solomon, who in the Old Testament often equated wisdom with righteousness. This is a good point, and pokes a damaging hole in my theory that Waid is making a point about wisdom not always being the same as goodness. Tony Pi suggests that there may be more to the relationship between Lex and Cap here than just an alliance. David Goldfarb notes that Alex Ross is painting Captain Marvel here to look like Fred MacMurray, who was CC Beck's original model for Captain Marvel; Dave Van Domelen added that MacMurray, in the movie _No Time For Love_, played a caped superhero in a dream sequence; those two observations prompted me to recall MacMurray's turn as a bad-guy in _Double Indemnity_, which might be the MacMurray reference on which Waid and Ross were basing the _Kingdom Come_ Captain Marvel. Johanna Draper notes that Ross has drawn Captain Marvel in panel 5 with squinty eyes, which was always a trademark of CC Beck, the co-creator of Captain Marvel. p 26 This page, and the following three pages, must have been a dream for Waid to write, and either a dream or a nightmare for Ross to paint. At the metahuman rave/bar, we see (from left to right): Panel One: an aging, fat, unshaven Lobo (wearing a "Bite me, Fanboy" t-shirt), Vril Dox II (former leader of L.E.G.I.O.N. - thanks to J. Crowhurst for solving this puzzle for me), Ultra the Multi-Alien (a pilot who was transformed in an accident into a being of four separate alien parts - thanks to Mark Coale for correcting my original mistake here), Super Village People Hero, Black Canary III, an African-American woman in a black leather outfit with the Blackhawk crest - perhaps the new Lady Blackhawk (the Blackhawks were World War Two airmen, and Lady Blackhawk, a relatively recent addition to their ranks, was their only female member), a figure wearing crossed bandoliers and a helmet (also bearing the Blackhawk crest), Solomon Grundy (the malevolent failed wood elemental most recently seen in the pages of _Starman_ - he seems to be working as a bouncer here - possibly a reference to the Incredible Hulk's stint as a bouncer in his book, some years ago; as David J. Snyder points out, the _Kingdom Come_ Solomon Grundy seems to have been visually based on Lurch from the _Addams Family_), "Tala?" (a demon sorceress who is the long- time enemy of the hero the Phantom Stranger - it's been speculated that this might also be Raven, of the Teen Titans, or Star Sapphire, the enemy of the Green Lantern, or Shadow Lass of the Legion of Super-heroes - until I hear definitively otherwise I'm sticking with "Tala?"), Obsidian, and Lightning (seen previously in issue #1 of _Kingdom Come_). Overhead we see Demon Damselle (also seen in issue #1), (perhaps) Menagerie, and the Phantom of the Fair (a Golden Age villain who fought the Golden Age Sandman, Wesley Dodds, who weappeared in issue #1 - credit to Jonathan Woodward, Thad Doria and Juice Fritzius for i.d.ing the Phantom) hanging from the ceiling. Behind the bar we see the Weather Wizard (a weather- controlling enemy of the Silver Age Flash) joking with Jayna, one of the Wonder Twins (from the _Superfriends_ tv cartoon; the Wonder Twins were recently introduced into DC continuity in the pages of _Extreme Justice_). David Goldfarb notes that "Tala?" is wearing the costume that the mutant weather-goddess Storm of the X-Men wore in the early years of her career. Juice Fritzius notes that the shadow on the wall between the trenchcoated man and the Lightning seems to have the profile of the long-time Hawkman enemy the Shadow-Thief. Panel Two: The Icicle (making ice for his drink), Brother Power (a pacifist dummy and puppet elemental), The Question (a faceless vigilante first seen in Charlton Comics), Mr. X (haunted hero and architect of the independent comic _Mister X_), Rorschach (the grim-n-gritty [tm] vigilante from the miniseries _The Watchmen_, who was originally based on The Question), unknown (with Spider-Girl mask), Ultra the Multi- Alien, Zan (the other Wonder Twin waiter), Nightstar, Avia, Human Bomb (a Golden Age hero), Cesar the Somnambulist, Spectre, Norman McCay, Pinwheel (last seen on the cover of _Kingdom Come_ #1), unknown woman, an aged Creeper (a weird DC hero; the card set describes him as "aging, wretched screwball superhero," which seems to sum him up quite well here), and Deadman (a revenant/ghost hero who possesses the living to pursue the guilty). Nightstar is the daughter of Red Robin - aka Robin and Nightwing II - and Starfire of the Teen Titans; we saw her in issue #1. The Sketchboard card has this to say about Nightstar: "`She is the offspring of Nightwing and Starfire, with the best attributes of both parents. We don't see her mom in the story - my thinking was that she may be dead. This adds to the generational tensions, which exemplify the whole central conflict of our story. Starfire's death may also have contributed to Dick Grayson's return to a modified Robin identity...' - Alex Ross." Brother Power's presence in the bar is perhaps the saddest indication of just how far the world of _Kingdom Come_ has slid into depravity and sin. Rorschach seems to be breaking one of Brother Power's fingers, in much the same way that he (Rorschach) harmed a low-life criminal during an interrogation in _The Watchmen_. Of course, Brother Power, not being truly alive, is impervious to pain - but this is an Elseworlds, so I shouldn't nitpick. Cesar the Somnambulist is a character in the classic German Expressionist film _The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari_. Cesar was played by Conrad Veidt, who in turn played The Man Who Laughs in the silent film of the same name. The Man Who Laughs was the visual template Bob Kane used for the Joker. Credit is given to Kevin L. Gilbert for i.d.ing Cesar and noting the Veidt connection. To quote Mike Gallaher about the Spider-Girl mask: "...not even a real comic book character, as far as I know, but rather a ubiquitous Halloween mask of the 1960s. Every time you'd go looking for a good superhero mask and costume at the Five and Dime, you'd find this imitation heroine that wasn't a real character, but was always for sale right next to the Batmans, Wonder Womans, and Supermans....after decades of seeing that thing at every Halloween sales spot throughout my childhood, I am absolutely certain that's what (Ross) intended to paint." Edward Mathews and Robert Faires also note that the mask, or a face painted with the same design, appeared on the cover of "The Joker" album by the Steve Miller Band. Jonathan Woodward points out that, given how much the Wonder Twin waiters look like Vulcans here, this might be a reference to the Mirror Universe of Star Trek, in which Vulcans act as servants. As a few folks, David Goldfarb among them, have pointed out, the Human Bomb's beer is "Q" brand, rather than "DC" brand; the Human Bomb was originally a Quality Comics character. Dean Velasco points out that Deadman is not simply wearing a deathly white mask, but is in fact skeletal; Deadman has traditionally been portrayed as a somewhat decayed human, but in the 1990s he has become more skeletal. Finally, in another moment of demented genius, we get to see the Human Bomb playing "pull my finger." I won't explain this - if any of you don't know what that means, get a junior- high-school boy to explain it to you. Panel Three: Ultra the Multi-Alien, Zan, Nightstar, Human Bomb, Spectre, Norman McCay, Creeper, and Deadman. Panel Four: I'm not even gonna try to identify everyone here. There do seem to be some notable figures in this mass, though: Tommy the Pinball Wizard, and Tina Turner's Acid Queen from the play/film _Tommy_ (credit to Thad Doria and Sean Donnelly for i.d.ing them); the stretched-in-five-directions Plastic Man (a Golden Age hero); and the large figure wearing chains and pulling on one of Plastic Man's legs, who may be the DC villain Dementor. I believe the band playing at the top of this panel is The Beatles - I think the lettering on their drum is similar to what the Beatles used in their first American concert. Chris Eckert notes that a figure wearing the jacket and helmet of the current DC Ray appears near the stage on the left. Michael Denton adds that hovering above him seems to be the non-DC hero the Rocketeer. The architecture and decor of the club are, as Michael Cavanagh points out, very Giger-esque. He also notes that the band onstage is the Beatles, "circa 1964...matching grey suits, two guys standing off to our left at one mike, so close that the only way they could do it while playing instruments is to have one right-hander (George) and one left- (Paul), the drum logo with the T extending downwards, and -- the giveaway for musicians -- the amps are Vox AC-30s." Greg Sheets notes that the logo on their drum was used throughout their touring career (early 1960s through late 1966), and that the drumskin appears in the beginning of their film _Let It Be_. He also says, "the stances are a dead giveaway, too. Clearly, from left to right we see Paul (feet close together, knees slightly bent), George (feet close together, with the left foot apparently tapping--George tended to alternate between his feet when tapping to keep time, and often did little dances during his guitar solos) and John at the stage-leftmost mic alone (as always--feet well apart, tapping vigorously with the left foot pointed off to the side). Take a look at the Beatles' appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, or at the climax of A Hard Day's Night. Plus they're clearly wearing Beatle boots." p 27 Panel One: the new, African-American Lady Blackhawk, a Durlan (a shape-changing alien with twin forehead antennae who are seen in the future of the _Legion of Superheroes_), unknown (decorated with moons and stars - we see more of her on page 28 below), Jayna, Weather Wizard, Patrick Macnee (as John Steed of the television show _The Avengers_), Diana Rigg (as Emma Steed on _The Avengers_), Captain Cold (a member of the Silver Age Flash's Rogues Gallery), Superman, helmeted Blackhawk (from page 26), Black Canary III, unknown creepy- looking robot, Nuculoid (last seen in issue #1 of _Kingdom Come_), Joker's Daughter (last seen in the previous issue), Mr. Scarlet (the _Kingdom Come_ version of the old GA Fawcett hero, who we'll see more of in the next issue), Ultra the Multi-Alien, Metamorpho (the element-bodied DC hero), and Solomon Grundy. I -love- the spittakes at the sight of Superman. Panel Two: Human Bomb, Weather Wizard, unknown in Spider-Girl mask, John Steed, Superman, helmeted Blackhawk, Captain Cold, and Black Canary III. Note the pictures over the old-fashioned cash register - one of Captain Cold, the Weather Wizard, and Captain Boomerang - three buddies from the Flash's Rogues Gallery - and an autographed (as Leonardo Rizzi caught) glossy of the Silver Age Flash, Barry Allen, the enemy of the Rogues Gallery who they nonetheless respected. Panel Five: Black Canary III, Golem, Nuculoid, Superman, Joker's Daughter, Mr. Scarlet, "Tala?" The Golem was the title character in the landmark 1920 German horror film _The Golem_ - Kevin L. Gilbert spotted and explained this one. p 28 Panel One: The Gay Ghost (another obscure Golden Age hero, he was the ghost of an English lord who haunted the Nazis during WW2 and was later renamed the Grim Ghost), Super Village People Hero #1, Super Village People Hero #2, Marvin (from the _Superfriends_ tv show - kudos to the folks who recognized him, including Sean MacDonald, Jim Cowling, and Scott Casteel), Super Village People Heroes 3, 4, 5, and 6, and Atom-Smasher. Right foreground: an aged Virman Vundabar (faithful lackey to the Apokoliptian harridan Granny Goodness), Mr. Hyde, and Spy Smasher (the anti-Nazi Fawcett hero who was recently introduced into the DC Universe in _Power of Shazam_; the card set describes him as "an independent operative in the post-Cold War world"). As David Goldfarb pointed out, Marvin is drinking a "HB" brand of beer; he was created by Hanna Barbera studios. As Scott Casteel usefully pointed out, although we were all shocked by the juxtaposition of Marvin and Lobo on the facade of Planet Krypton in issue #1, it seems that Marvin has hung around with Lobo long enough to try to become like him. Dean Velasco points out that Super Village Person Hero #2 - the "Indian" - has wings, which would imply that he's a member of the same race as Dawnstar, a member of the Legion of Super-heroes. The "Mr. Hyde" standing between Virman Vundabar and Spy Smasher may be DeSaad, the sadistic torturer and faithful servant to the Apokoliptian tyrant Darkseid; Kevin L. Gilbert argues that based on this figure's costume and most especially the shape of his head, he is Mr. Edward Hyde as played by John Barrymore in the 1920 version of _Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_. Or perhaps he is John Barrymore as DeSaad. Panel Three: Vril Dox II, Lobo, Gay Ghost, Superman, Atom- Smasher, Virman Vundabar, Mr. Hyde, Spy Smasher, Creeper, and the outline of Oliver Queen (credit to Jonathan Woodward for catching this). Panel Four: unknown woman with moons and stars (from page 27; she might be a female version of the Tattooed Man, the Green Lantern villain, except I'd expect her to have a greater variety of tattoos if that was the case), Mister Talky Tawny (the lovable talking tiger who appeared in the Captain Marvel Fawcett comics during the 1940s and who was recently introduced into DC Continuity in the _Power of Shazam_ book), OMAC (the One-Man-Army-Corps, a Kirby creation and originally a man, rather than the woman seen here), the Spectre, the African-American Blackhawk, Jayna, Superman, Icicle, Ambush Bug (the wacky teleporting nemesis of Superman), Lightning, Catwoman II (seen on the cover of issue #1), Captain Boomerang (because of his hat; David Goldfarb is sure that it's Oberon, the dwarf sidekick to Mister Miracle), Plastic Man, and "Dementor" (my purely-affection-driven guess is the Gorilla Mob Boss of Gotham City, although this figure obviously lacks the GMB's suit; Chris Blakeley guesses Gorilla Grodd). Panel Five: Solomon Grundy, Superman, unknown, the Black Racer (the Fourth World Harbinger of Death), Ultra the Multi-Alien, Blue Devil II (last seen on the cover of issue #1), and Metamorpho. In response to questions as to why the Black Racer would be hanging out in a metahuman rave bar, Dave Van Domelen succinctly said, "A bar full of drunken superhumans sounds like one-stop shopping for an angel of death." p 29 Panel One: Blackhawk, Icicle, "St. George's Dragon," (my name for this figure) Jayna, Golem, Mr. Scarlet, Joker's Daughter, "Tala?", Gentleman Ghost (the ghostly enemy of Hawkman - thanks to Dean Velasco for clearing up the question of GG's ontological status), Solomon Grundy, Superman, the Phantom of the Fair, Demon Damselle (flying overhead), unknown (with stars and moons, from page 28, panel 4), Metamorpho, and Ultra the Multi-Alien. Panel Two: Cesar the Somnambulist, Phantom Lady II (a new character who will appear in issue #3), Pinwheel, unknown (possibly the Green Lantern villain the Shadow Thief), Norman McCay, 666 (from issue #1), Deadman, Ambush Bug and Lightning. Panel Three: Lightning, Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes, Swamp Thing (heroic DC plant elemental), the Shadow (classic pulp vigilante of radio, books, movies and comic books), the Question, Rorschach, Obsidian, Ambush Bug, 666, Zan, Nightstar, Avia, Deadman, Norman McCay, and (maybe) the Acid Queen. Deadman is clearly reacting to McCay's presence throughout this scene; as a spirit, Deadman can see other spirits. As Jonathan Woodward pointed out, both Deadman and the Spectre were murdered as part of their origins. Panel Four: The Question, Obsidian, Nightstar, Zan, Avia. Panel Five: Avia, Atom-Smasher, Icicle, Deadman, Spy Smasher, Nightstar. One of my favorite touches of this entire series is Deadman waving bye-bye to Norman McCay, and McCay's startled half-wave in return, in panel six. p 30 The Justice League of the World, in their new satellite home, Green Lantern's Emerald City of New Oa. Working counterclockwise around the table from Superman: Superman, Power Woman, Ray, Captain Comet, Aleea Strange, Hourman II, Golden Guardian, Sandman IV, Robotman, Red Arrow, Aquaman II, Troia, Red Robin, and Wonder Woman. Standing, working counterclockwise: Flash, Atom-Smasher, Hawkman, Midnight II, Avia, XTC, Phoebus, Starman VII, Green Lantern, Red Tornado III, and Tornado. Note the giant Green Lantern symbol on the table. This is our first good look at Red Arrow. The Sketchboard card has this to say about him: "`This is Roy Harper, the former Speedy, who has finally come to terms with his heritage, hsi mentor - and the mission they share. Obviously, this is a nod to Neal Adams' original redesign from the `70s, with Roy's color scheme transposed.' - Mark Waid" The Justice League had a satellite home once before, during the 1970s. One hopes that the GL's New Oa does not come to a similar fate as the JLA's satellite hq. Some people have speculated on this scene as being either an homage to the Last Supper or to King Arthur's Round Table; given the assemblage, I would tend to think it's closer to the Round Table, especially because the poses of the figures are wrong for it to be the Last Supper. Jonathan Woodward came up with a very nice interpretation of this scene: he quotes from Revelation 4:1-6 - "After this I looked, and lo, in heaven an open door!...At once I was in the Spirit, and lo, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne! And he who sat there appeared like jasper and carnelian, and round the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald. Round the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders....And before the throne there is as it were a sea of glass, like crystal" - and then notes that, besides Superman, there are 24 people at the meeting table. Good call, JW. As Dean Velasco caught, all of the original Teen Titans (Dick Grayson/Red Robin, Donna Troy/Troia, Garth/Aquaman II, and Roy Harper/Red Arrow) are seated together, except for Wally West, the _Kingdom Come_ Flash. Ross pointed out at the Chicago Con that while the original Titans are with Superman, all of their children are siding with Batman. The Sketchboard card has this to say about Hourman II: "`Rex Tyler is the son of the original Hourman, and I've taken a simplified, graphic approach to his outfit. Since I loved the classic yellow and black look, i didn't want to lose that in the updating. In fact, all of the new incarnations of the Golden Age greats wear costumes that hearken back to their original incarnations.' - Alex Ross. `The single best costume redesign since the Silver Age of comics.' - Mark Waid." p 31 The Justice League On The Road To Baghdad and Tokyo: Panel One: The Justice League, fighting in a vaguely Middle Eastern city - could be Baghdad, Qom, or New Delhi, or even somewhere in Eastern Europe or Russia, given the Orthodox crosses on the tops of the minarets (as Chris Blakeley and David Goldfarb pointed out): Superman, Avia, Hourman II, and Green Lantern, fighting an unknown figure in red armor (a new member of the Rocket Red Brigade, perhaps?), Ibis the Invincible (the sorcerous hero of the Fawcett group, recently introduced into the DC Universe in _Power of Shazam_), and Shiva (the Hindu god of destruction, last seen on the cover of issue #1). Panel Two: Tokyo: Red Arrow, Power Woman, Superman, Aquaman II, Troia, Red Robin, and the Flash fighting a giant robot (I don't think the robot is supposed to represent anybody, although he certainly looks distinctive enough), Tokyo Rose (a new character, last seen on the cover of issue #1), Kabuki Kommando (swinging a halberd; last seen on the cover of issue #1), Samurai (seen on page 17 as one of The Batman's allies; we'll also see him on the cover of issue #3 and in issue 4), and an unknown woman in green and black (perhaps the new Dr. Light, or the villain Cheshire; this character appears again in issue 3, page 4, panel 2). Note that both Aquaman II and Troia are down, and wounded; these "rebellions," as the narrator calls them, are growing increasingly vicious. Again, the former Teen Titans are teaming together in this scene. Chris Eckert, John Crowhurst and Chris Sypal point out anime' hero Astro Boy (original Japanese name: "Tetsuwan Atom" - "Mighty Atom") on the screen behind Power Woman. Atan812 points out that Tokyo Rose is visually extremely similar to Chun-Li, aka the Crimson Rose, from the arcade game _Street Fighter II_. p 32 The fallen figure in front of Superman and Wonder Woman in panel three is Von Bach, who we last saw on the cover of issue #1. The word written on his right arm - "liebe" - means "love" in German. Von Bach was originally supposed to be named "Laibach," but (supposedly) threatened legal action by the German heavy goth band of the same name put a stop to that. The figures in panel 4 are presumably new, although one of them - Germ-Man - appeared on the cover of issue #1. "Hass," written on the right arm of one of the fallen, means "hatred" or "detestation"; Dirk Bansch corrects my original note and says that, when the double s is printed in block letters, it is not replaced with the "B" symbol (which Keith Baird notes is called an "ess-tsett.") p 33 The King and Queen of Atlantis speaking with Superman and Wonder Woman are the former Aquaman (the aquatic Atlantean hero-king) and Dolphin (a nautical heroine who can currently be seen in the pages of _Aquaman_). Mr. Waid pointed out in an interview that he'd thought of the Dolphin-Aquaman I pairing before Peter David created it in the current run of _Aquaman_. Mr. Waid also wished to make the Arthurian similarities with Aquaman I obvious, pointing out the first name of Aquaman I - Arthur - and the fact that he was in fact a real king, like the legendary Arthur. King Arthur here seems to have both of his hands; the current incarnation lost his left hand in battle and had it replaced with a harpoon hook. Dean Velasco points out that King Arthur's statement that they are "being burdened with the surface world's refuse" is a reference to the 1970s and 1980s Aquaman, who was often indignant at the way his oceans were treated as a dumping ground. Dean also points out that Dolphin's silence here is consistent with her traditional characterization. Robert Faires notes that the sea horse on King Arthur's tunic might well be a nod to the Aquaman animated series of the Sixties in which Arthur rode a giant sea horse (named "Storm;" Aqualad's sea horse was named "Imp" - thanks to Dean Velasco for providing that info). Wonder Woman traditionally has had no need for the helmet, as Johanna Draper notes; she had "oxygen-bearing earrings" with which she could breath underwater. Kevin Lafferty sees similarities between the helmet design here and those drawn by the great artist of the 1950s and 1960s Wally Wood. p 34 Given what the Spectre said on page 18 about Wonder Woman - that she was the "Eternal Princess of the Amazons" - her statement here that she has been stripped of her "royalty and...my heritage" seems somewhat curious - although, as Johanna Draper pointed out, Wonder Woman is the only member of the second generation of the Amazons. Wonder Woman has been stripped of her Amazonian heritage at least once before, though; Johanna Draper points out that traditionally Wonder Woman lost her heritage of immortality simply by leaving Paradise Island. As well, the post-Crisis Wonder Woman's mission was "to teach the ways of her just and peaceful civilization to a violent world." Clearly she failed in _that_ category. p 35 Troia and Red Arrow interrupting a potential moment of passion between Superman and Wonder Woman is a classic bit of comic humor. p 36 Loki Carbis, among others, note that Magog's actions here mirror those of Superman in issue #1 when we first see him. Both are repairing a barn in Kansas. As we'll soon see, the similarities between the two are many - both are the champions of Metropolis and symbolic leaders of their generations of metahumans. But, as Loki points out, Magog tries to do too much and the wrong way, and loses his temper when he fails, destroying what he has done and symbolically demonstrating where he differs from Superman. Greg Aaron speculates that Magog might actually be on the grounds of Ma and Pa Kent's farm, carrying their house/barn and symbolically attempting to shoulder the legacy of Superman. p 37 Interestingly, Magog seems to be winning the verbal exchange with Superman; perhaps Waid/Ross are making a comment about that sort of comic book dialogue, as well as the sort of comic book character that Magog represents? p 38 All of the magazines shown in the newsstand in panel 1, with the exception of Newstime and Metal Hurlant, were real pulp magazines that flourished in the 1930s and 1940s. The Joker here bears a great deal more resemblance to the chubby, middle-aged and balding Jack Nicholson Joker of the first _Batman_ movie than to the tall, lean Joker of the comics. The "Ninety-two men...and one woman" killed in the Daily Planet massacre - Joker-gassed to death, as we see in panel 2 - was the loss referred to in issue #1 by Wonder Woman; as we see, Superman lost his wife, Lois Lane, as well as his friends Perry White and Jimmy Olsen (still wearing his red bow-tie, and with his watch flashing, which was what happened when Jimmy turned on the Superman Emergency Signal to call for Superman's help). As Gregg Allison and Mark Semich point out, "Must there be a Superman?" seen here on the cover of Newstime magazine, was the title of a famous 1970s Superman story by Eliot S. Maggin, that appeared in _Superman_ #247. That story defined Superman for the 1970s. Gregg also pointed out that Clark Kent edited Newstime for a brief period. The Newstime cover itself, as Yeechang Lee notes, bears a great deal of resemblance to the cover of John Byrne's _Man of Steel_ #1. H. Jameel al Khafiz adds that the newsstand operator here is visually similar to the newsstand operator in _Watchmen_. p 39 Magog's murder of the Joker seems quite reminiscent to me of Jack Ruby's killing of Lee Harvey Oswald. Note that Superman, here in the past, is wearing his old costume, with the yellow background for the red S on his chest, as well as his ponytail. This, then, was the trial that drove Superman from Metropolis - Magog was acquitted of what was obviously murder. As Yeechang Lee succinctly put it, "How can the foremost protector of Truth, Justice and the American Way continue to protect a city whose citizens appear willing to condone blatant murder, a murder Superman himself would have been justified in committing, if anyone at all?" Donald MacPherson points out that Ron Troupe, who is credited here for writing the Planet article on Magog's acquittal, is a supporting cast member in the current _Superman_ comics. Just Joe and David J. Snyder note that the Inspector Henderson quoted in the article was a supporting character in the _Superman_ tv show and is now a supporting character in the comics. Finally, Donald MacPherson notes that Inspector Henderson was part of the Metropolis law enforcement community as far back as _Superman Family_, back in the 1970s. p 40 I'm not quite sure what the Spectre is pointing at, or pointing out, in panel 3; it seems that he's pointing at Magog, but for what purpose? p 43 "We are at war." And so Superman begins to lead his troops in the Justice League down the same road which led to Magog's downfall. Wonder Woman is shocked by this pronouncement, and with good reason; as Michael Denton notes, his comment here is a sort of reaction to her speech on page 35, panel 2, where she says "We are at war, Kal..." Given his misgivings there to her argument, his determined agreement with it here is surprising. p 44 The Justice League members putting together the super-gulag are, from the top: Green Lantern, Lady Marvel, Bulletman, Starman VII, the Ray, Hawkman, the Metal Man Alloy (last seen in the Kansas Incident in issue #1), King Marvel (the adult version of Captain Marvel's sidekick in the Fawcett and DC Comics, most recently seen in the pages of the _Power of Shazam_ book), Wonder Woman, Power Woman, the Flash, and Red Robin. As a few people have noted, Green Lantern is shooting green rays from both hands; previous Lanterns have been restricted to firing their power from their ring hands. The Gulag is being built on the ashes of Kansas. Alan Turniasky usefully points out that the original Armageddon happened in the plain of Megiddo, and that the heart of the Great Plains of North America is, in fact, Kansas. p 45 We see the Batman, Oliver Queen, Ted Kord, and Dinah Lance again - but aligning with Luthor's Mankind Liberation Front. Again, this does not bode well for the future of _Kingdom Come_. As a few people noticed (Loki Carbis among them), both Ollie and Dinah are shocked in panel 4 - they are looking at Luthor's valet and are quite surprised, even alarmed, by what they see. Just Joe notes Xu'ffasch's body language in this panel as he looks at the Batman - standing slightly stooped, and smiling sheepishly - somewhat like a proud child. Moreover, as Elayne Weschler-Chaput notes, Selina smiles at Nigma, Xu'ffasch and Bruce Wayne have similar faces, and Luthor says that Xu'ffasch was responsible for "negotiating" Batman's alliance with the Mankind Liberation Front; obviously Batman has somewhat kept in touch with Xu'ffasch, just as he didn't abandon Gotham City (in contrast to Superman). The following folks were very helpful in correcting my errors and otherwise giving me helpful additional information: Greg Aaron, fellow MSTie Gregg Allinson, Atan812@aol.com, Azrael@grfn.org, Keith Baird, Dirk Bansch, Neil Barnes, Andrew Black, Chris Blakeley, Loki Carbis, Scott Casteel (to whom I'm eternally grateful for his copious notes on the Chicago Con), Michael Cavanagh, Dwayne Chun, Gerry Clark, Mark Coale (source of all DC knowledge), Jim Cowling, J. Crowhurst, Michael Denton, Sean Donnelly, Thad A. Doria, Edward Douglas, Johanna Draper, Chris Eckert, Robert Faires, Andrew Farrell, Daniel Frank, Eric "Juice" Fritzius, Mike Gallaher, Kevin L. Gilbert, David Goldfarb, Michael Grabois (to whom I'm quite grateful for his notes on the San Diego Con), Eric Harding, Adam Hardy, Rob Harris, Michael Hazlett, Bill Jennings, Just Joe, H. Jameel al Khafiz, Kevin Lafferty, Yeechang Lee, Peter Li, Brad Lile, Carolina Lithgow-Bertelloni, Austin Loomis, Donald MacPherson, Sean MacDonald, Kevin Maroney, Edward Mathews, Andrew McLean, Bill Messick, Justin Mohareb, Hans Ongchua, Page, Asmin Pahare, Randy Patton, Tony Pi, S L Post, Jim Puga, Ray Randell, Scott Rogers, Lee Rosen, Michael Scheu, Mark A. Semich, Doug J. Shaw, Greg Sheets, Joel Shin, Marc Singer, David J. Snyder, Michael Starsinic, David Stein, John B. Sterner III, Sean M. Sullivan, Chris Sypal, Targfood@aol.com, Gregory B. Tiede, Alan Turniasky, Dave Van Domelen, Virgilio Dean Velasco Jr., Elayne Weschler-Chaput, Melody Womack, Andrew D. Woodard, Jonathan Woodward, and yun@netvoyage.net. Comments, criticisms, or additions, anyone? jess This file created by Jess Nevins, jjnevins@ix.netcom.com.