This file created by Jess Nevins, jjnevins@ix.netcom.com. Kingdom Come #3 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. All descriptions, unless specifically noted otherwise, are done moving left to right and top to bottom within a panel or a page. Cover Front row: Tula, Blue Beetle, Red Hood, Flash IV, Green Lantern/Jade, Batman, Captain Marvel, Black Canary III. Second Row: Phantom Lady II, Spy Smasher, Darkstar, Fate, Nightstar, Condor, Lightning, Oliver Queen, Dinah Queen. Third Row: Steel, Menagerie, Ralph Dibny, Mr. Scarlet, Obsidian, Wildcat III, Nuculoid. Last Row: Batbot, Deadman, Huntress III, Cossack, Ace the Bathound, Batwoman, John Jones, Mysteryman, Zatara II, Samurai, Dragon, Batbot, Creeper. Tula is the daughter of Aquaman II (Garth, formerly the Teen Titan Aqualad); her mother is Deep Blue, recently introduced into the DC universe in _Aquaman_. Deep Blue is in turn the child of Tsunami and Neptune Perkins, the World War Two heroes formerly with the Young All-Stars. (Thanks to Elayne Wechsler-Chaput and Leah Adezio for this information) The card set describes her as "seafaring malcontent and daughter of Aquaman II." The Blue Beetle shown here is Ted Kord (last seen in issue 2) in his battle armor; the card set states that "his high-tech suit of armor possibly incorporates the original scarab's power." Red Hood is Lian Harper, the daughter of Red Arrow (Roy Harper, formerly Speedy) and the mercenary/villainess Cheshire. Flash IV is the daughter of Wally West (and presumably his current love Linda Park); given the grouping of the old Teen Titans with Superman and their children with Batman, that would seem to confirm that the Flash seen with Superman is Wally West. Flash IV's costume is very similar to the costume that Wally West wore as Kid Flash, while he was with the Teen Titans. The card set describes her as "currently the most human bearer of the name." Phantom Lady II is the _Kingdom Come_ version of the GA heroine. As Mark Coale notes, she seems to be visually based on Bettie Page, the 1950s pin-up queen. The card set describes her as "a literal phantom of the original." Darkstar is Robert Long, the son of Donna Troy, aka Troia, and Terry Long, her first husband. He is wearing the uniform of the Darkstars, the galactic police force created by the alien Controllers; Donna Troy was a member of the Darkstars (the card set describes him as "inheritor of her Darkstar role"). His blond hair is inherited from his father. As Donald MacPherson notes, in an alternate DC future Donna Troy's son became a dictator named Lord Chaos, who had long, curly hair, just like Darkstar. Al Schroeder and Marc Singer also note that Robert Long's uniform is a combination of the Darkstar uniform and the caduceus, the symbol of Mercury - fitting, given Donna Troy's mythological background. Steel is the _Kingdom Come_ version of the DC hero Steel. Alex Ross said at the Chicago Con that the _Kingdom Come_ Steel is a version of the character if he'd come under the influence of The Batman after Superman retired, rather than being influenced only by Superman, as he was/is in current DC continuity. (Thanks to Randy Patton and David J. Snyder for correcting my errors here). Ralph Dibny is the _Kingdom Come_ version of the DC hero the Elongated Man. The card set describes him as "formerly the Elongated Man, now just stretched out." Mr. Scarlet is the _Kingdom Come_ version of the Golden Age hero of the same name, seen in various Fawcett comics and recently introduced into the DC universe in the pages of _Power of Shazam_. The card set describes him as "a blue- collar bruiser with bright red skin." Cossack is a new character; the card set describes him as "champion of Russia, from the Batmen of many nations." As with Samurai (see issue 2, page 17), Cossack would seem to be from the "Batmen of Many Nations;" I don't believe that Cossack appeared in that story, though. Mysteryman may be a new character; Chris Gumprich and Hunter Rose point out, however, that there was a Silver Age Batman story, in _Detective Comics_ #245 in which Batman teamed up with a green-suited hero called Mysteryman. The hood of that Mysteryman (who was later revealed to be Commissioner Gordon) is quite similar to the one seen here. The card set describes Mysteryman as "one of Batman's fellow crimefighters," which certainly leaves Mysteryman's real identity ambiguous. As was pointed out by Waid/Ross at various Cons, while the original Teen Titans - Flash (Wally West, formerly Kid Flash), Red Arrow (formerly Speedy), Red Robin (formerly Robin, formerly Nightwing) Aquaman II (formerly Aqualad), and Troia (formerly Wonder Girl) are siding with Superman, their children - Flash IV, Red Hood, Nightstar, Tula, and Darkstar - are aligned with The Batman. As James E. Heath pointed out, all of the characters on the cover are lit from below, with the exception of Captain Marvel and Deadman. Symbolic, as he said, of intimate connections with higher powers, perhaps? p 1 The Biblical quotation accompanying Norman McCay's vision of Captain Marvel is Revelation 10:3. As Donald MacPherson points out, this is an indication that Captain Marvel's role in the story is about to become important - even paramount. p 2 The Spectre once again points out to McCay that his role in _Kingdom Come_ is as the divine judge; those events that are played out in the pages of this series are, in a very real sense, only the preliminaries to the Spectre's final judgment - and given the character, that judgment will indeed be final. McCay's role, conversely, is to lead the Spectre to that judgment; while the Spectre is McCay's spirit guide, in somewhat the same way that Virgil led Dante through Heaven, Hell and Purgatory in the Divine Comedy, the Spectre's knowledge of the future is as limited as McCay's. They are companions in this respect, rather than mentor and student. "Ragnarok" is the Norse twilight of the gods, the final apocalyptic battle in which the Norse gods will die. Interestingly, one man and one women survive Ragnarok, and they go on to raise a new race of gods in a world of complete love and peace. Waid and Ross might be implying, through the Spectre's use of this word, that an archetypal Adam-and-Eve couple may survive the coming battle - perhaps Superman and Wonder Woman (or, as Just Joe suggests, maybe Nightstar and Ibn Al Xu'ffasch)? This follows a similar implication in issue #1 in the Fortress of Solitude scene. p 3 As most everyone but me originally got, Superman's Gulag is visually based on the Hall of Doom, the headquarters of the Legion of Doom in the _Challenge of the Super-Friends_ cartoon. The fact that the Gulag is a visual double of the Hall of Doom, and that the Spectre himself (a divinely appointed instrument of vengeance) calls the prison a "gulag" (originally a Russian acronym for the Soviet department responsible for "corrective labor"), with all the connotations that word has gathered, is indicative of the way in which the moral centers of the series - Superman, Wonder Woman, and their fellow heroes in the Justice League - have lost their moral edge, and come much closer to the moral gray zone inhabited by their opponents. Tony Pi notes the padlock design on the fins - quite fitting for a prison. pp 4-5 The inside of the Gulag; a considerable contrast to both the exterior of the Gulag and the Kansas milieu in which it is placed. Panel 1: unknown (slightly opaque silhouette from issue #2, page 29, panel 2 - possibly the _Kingdom Come_ Shadow Thief), Man-Bat/Jeepers?, unknown (in red - Jason Fliegel suggests perhaps the KC Hawk), unknown (in blue - Jason Fliegel suggests perhaps the KC Dove), Black Manta, Insect Queen?, Charaxes? "St. George's Dragon," Blue Devil II?, Demon Damselle, "Goldwing," Phantom of the Fair, Stealth II, Shade? (lower-left-hand-corner of the panel), and "Gulag-Bot" (my name for it). The figure peering out from between columns in the lower right hand corner of Panel 1 is probably the _Kingdom Come_ version of the GA villain Rag Doll, although Elayne Wechsler- Chaput may be right when she says it's Raggedy Andy. Man-Bat/Jeepers? may be the _Kingdom Come_ version of one of two characters. The Man-Bat was DC villain and Batman opponent who could transform himself into a half-man, half-bat creature. Jeepers was a Fawcett character and opponent of Captain Marvel; he was an intelligent bat-monster and stooge of Mister Mind and served in Mind's Monster Society of Evil. Black Manta is the _Kingdom Come_ version of the DC character (originally a male) and enemy of Aquaman I; we get a better view of her on page 7, panel 1. Insect Queen? is, presumably, the _Kingdom Come_ version of the Silver Age DC heroine Insect Queen (the super identity of Clark Kent friend Lana Lang). Rick Hodge suggests that this might be the KC version of the DC villainess the Queen Bee. Charaxes? may be the _Kingdom Come_ version of the revamped Killer Moth; "Charaxes" was the name of the post- Zero-Hour-transformation Killer Moth. "St. George's Dragon" is the dragon with a St. George's shield on his chest, last seen in the bar in issue #2. "Goldwing" is, as best I can tell, a new character. Stealth II appeared on the cover of issue #1. Her colors change as she moves from background to background; here she is black/silver/grey, while later, on page 33, she has a golden color. Several people noted that the "Gulag-Bot" seems to be based on the Kryptonian Battlesuits, which we saw on page 25 of issue #1, in Superman's Fortress of Solitude. Shade? is, presumably, the _Kingdom Come_ version of the DC hero Shade, the Changing Man - not the Vertigo version, but the traditional, heroic character who appeared in his own comic in the 1970s and in the pages of _Suicide Squad_. As Donald MacPherson noted, we can see the yellow grid of Superman's holographic technology on the top of the Gulag's dome, while the architecture of the Gulag is obviously derived from the Greek buildings of Wonder Woman's home, Paradise Island. There is an ironic, inner conflict here between paradise and prison. Similarly, while the Gulag's interior is pastoral and placid in appearance, the uppermost level of the Gulag is ringed by arches similar to those ringing the Colosseum in Rome - a perhaps deliberate symbolic equation between those unfortunates forced to fight in the Colosseum, and the metahuman inhabitants of the Gulag? Panel 2: Scott Free is the civilian identity of the hero Mr. Miracle; he is the child of the Fourth World New Gods Izaya Highfather and Avia. His mustache-less beard is similar to the beard of Izaya Highfather. As Donald MacPherson notes, his role as a jailer, rather than as an escape artist, is "consistent with the various role reversals we've seen in _Kingdom Come_ so far." Donald also notes that the circuitry/tech-gear on his left arm could be a new configuration of the Mother Box, the sentient computer that guided him through many of his adventures. Someone whose name I didn't get pointed out that the KC Scott Free is visually similar to Scott Beaderstadt. John M. Gamble notes that Scott Free here is the "spitting image" of "Bill Higgins, Fermi Lab guru, well-known at Chicago SF conventions (and) also drawn as one of the Heterodyne Boys in Phil Foglio's _Stanley and His Monster_." Of the characters in the viewscreen panels: Killer Moth?, Magog (see page 6, panel 2 below), the Fiddler?, Demon Damselle, Barda, "Hu'" & Pinwheel, unknown (Mark Coale suggests the Hellgrammite), Fudo/B'wana Beast? (see page 6, panel 1 below) and Barda. Killer Moth? may be the _Kingdom Come_ version of the DC villain and Batman enemy Killer Moth (pre-_Underworld_ transformation) - that is, if the character I've identified as Charaxes? is not Charaxes. Rick Hodge points out that this character may be the old Batman villain the Firefly. Fiddler? may be the _Kingdom Come_ version of the Golden Age DC villain the Fiddler; he's the only character in comics (that I know of) whose motif is playing a violin or fiddle, so this identification is not that wild a guess. Barda is a very changed Big Barda, the New God, heroine, and wife to Scott Free. The eyepatch is a new addition for her, but she has Barda's mega-rod and, as Kenneth Jennings points out, the red hexagons on the belt and the black arm- and wrist-bands with golden circles that Barda always wore. Gustavus also points out the similarities between the physical build of this character and that of the DC Big Barda. And her appearance in issue 4 clinches her identity (at least in my eyes). "Hu'" is the unknown woman in green in the lower left hand corner of panel 2, the one who blasted Red Arrow in issue 2, page 31, panel 2. She has an ideogram tattooed over her left eye which Tony Pi translates as meaning "orphaned, alone, abandoned." Michael Liu says, of this ideogram, that it "in truth means `fox.' The Chinese ideogram for those two characters are similar: they have an identical right portion and a similar radical on the left. The left radical for `orphaned' means `child,' but the left radical on the woman's face means `canine,' which makes the character `fox,' not `orphaned.'" I'm going to hereafter call her "Hu'" ("Hu'" meaning "fox" in Mandarin). p 6 Panel 1: Colombia (from the _Rocky Horror Picture Show_), Black Mongul (last seen on the cover of issue #1), Riff-Raff (from the _Rocky Horror Picture Show_, and looking very much like Max Schreck's Nosferatu), "Goldwing," unknown (Jason Fliegel suggests perhaps the Batman villain Night-Slayer), unknown woman (Jason Fliegel suggests perhaps the Batman villainess Nocturna), Catwoman II, Tokyo Rose, unknown (on horseback), Barda?, Blue, "Gulag-Bot," unknown (with sunglasses and a black-and-white spade on his chest; Rick Hodge suggests perhaps the Ace of Spades from the Royal Flush Gant), Fudo/B'wana Beast?, unknown (Thad Doria guesses that, based on the chainmail and the red cape, this character is the DC fantasy hero Nightmaster - although the cigar is, as far as I know, a new touch). Fudo/B'wana Beast may be one of two characters: either the _Kingdom Come_ version of the African DC hero B'wana Beast, or a Fudo, a Buddhist guardian spirit. Kudos to Thad Doria and Rob Harris for pointing out the Fudo link. Panel 2: The repentant Magog; judging from the fallen wineglass, he is dealing with his captivity and his guilt no better than he dealt with his freedom. Although, as Just Joe points out, he isn't really confined to his cell, based on the freedom of movement that the other prisoners have. Panel 4: unknown (on horseback, from panel 1), Norman McCay, Spectre, "Gulag-Bot," "Iron Butterfly," Oggar?, Swastika, Goat-Man?, White, Superman, Ibac?, 666, Mr. Banjo?, Herkimer/Sylvester?, King Kull?, Demon Damselle, and unknown (with cigarette). "Iron Butterfly" is, as Thad Doria points out, visually quite similar to the robot in Fritz Lang's _Metropolis_, which in turn was the model for the robot villain Mechanique. Michael Cavanagh completes the reference by noting that the blue wings were added on to the figure for the cover of the first Iron Butterfly album. Oggar? may be the _Kingdom Come_ version of Oggar, who was originally a Fawcett character, the "World's Mightiest Immortal." Oggar put up quite a fight against Captain Marvel across six issues - a minor record for Captain Marvel opponents. Ibac? may be the _Kingdom Come_ version of Ibac, who was originally a Fawcett character. Ibac sold his soul to the devil in exchange for great power, but who never managed to best Captain Marvel; later, Ibac served in the Monster Society of Evil under Mr. Mind. Mr. Banjo? may be the _Kingdom Come_ version of Mr. Banjo, originally a Fawcett character who was a spy for the Axis and enemy of Captain Marvel. Herkimer/Sylvester? may be the _Kingdom Come_ version of one of the Crocodile Men of the planet Punkus - the two most prominent of which in Mr. Mind's employ were named Herkimer and Sylvester. They were a part of the original Monster Society of Evil. King Kull? may be the _Kingdom Come_ version of King Kull, originally a Fawcett character and enemy of Captain Marvel. King Kull was the last survivor of a prehistoric race of Beastmen. C. Boldman points out that the hologram of Superman seems to sport a double-S hair curl, rather than the traditional single-S curl. p 7 Panel 1: White, Joker's Daughter, Swastika, "Cape?," Man- Bat/Jeepers?, 666, Superman, Black Manta, Demon Damselle, Stripes, Von Bach. "Cape?" is my name for the character on the edge of the Colosseum above Superman's first word-balloon. I have no clue who or what s/he is. Panel 2: Stripes, Mr. Banjo?, Herkimer/Sylvester the Crocodile Man? Stripes' "Who bagged Eclipso...who toasted Ra's Al Ghul?" certainly implies that these more violent "heroes" did achieve one thing - the deaths of some of the more dangerous villains. Eclipso was a villain of various powers who was recently revealed to be a warped version of the Spectre; and Ra's Al Ghul, mentioned in passing in issue #2, was one of The Batman's most dangerous enemies. As well, here and on the rest of the page, Stripes and 666 actually make some valid points in attempting to rebut Superman's argument. Again, in _Kingdom Come_ the moral boundaries between Superman and the imprisoned metahumans is not nearly so well-defined as they originally appeared. Just Joe he notes that the "Who bagged Eclipso?" line further establishes the distance between Superman and the new breed of hero; Superman spent his life helping to stop Ra's and Eclipso from criminal acts, while the new kids simply stopped Ra's and Eclipso from being. This is true; but Superman and the Justice League, by imprisoning the amoral new heroes without due process and seemingly without much legal justification, are violating any number of the prisoners' rights - and that is a very slippery slope to start down. Panel 3: The Slaughter Brigade, mentioned here by 666, are new characters. Panel 5: "Gulag-Bot," Oggar?, 666, and Goat-Man? Goat-Man? may be the _Kingdom Come_ version of the Goat- Man, originally a Fawcett Character who was a minion of Mr. Mind in the Monster Society of Evil. Panel 6: Stripes, Von Bach, "Iron Butterfly," 666, Charaxes?, White, Joker's Daughter and Stealth II. p 8 Panel 1: Captain Comet, "Gulag-Bot," and Barda. Panel 2: Von Bach, 666, Joker's Daughter, Spectre, Norman McCay, Captain Comet, "Gulag-Bot," Barda, Stripes, and, in flight, Shade? and "Goldwing." Von Bach calls Captain Comet a "Pig-dog," a hard insult in German (Stefan Ullrich notes that "schweinhund" should actually be "schweinehund;" Dirk Bansch points out that the phrase "schwein(e)hund" is "rarely used except in cliched war movies...normally you would use just "schwein!"). The word on Von Bach's left forearm is "hass," the German word for hate. In issue 2 we saw the German word for love on Von Bach's right forearm. Robert Mitchum's demented, evil preacher, in the film version of _Night of the Hunter_, had the words "love" and "hate" tattooed on his right and left hand (in somewhat the same manner that the _Kingdom Come_ Mr. Terrific has "good sport" on his hands in issue #1). Given the depth of detail Ross and Waid have poured into this issue, the similarity cannot be coincidental. Panel 4: Von Bach, Pinwheel, unknown (grey animal), unknown (in silhouette), Cathedral, unknown (in silhouette, with red cape), Trix, King Kull?, Herkimer/Sylvester?, 666, Swastika?, Stripes, Ibac?, Terry LaBan, and Kabuki Kommando. Terry LaBan - who I was originally told was Glenn Carnagey - is the artist/writer of the comic _Cud_ - hence the t-shirt underneath the vest. Donald MacPherson guesses that the grey animal may be the _Kingdom Come_ Copperhead, a serpentine villain who fought The Batman. Von Bach is being blasted off his feet by Captain Comet, who is a powerful telekinetic, among other things. Panel 5: Terry LaBan, Captain Comet, King Kull?, Von Bach, and Kabuki Kommando. Von Bach (in German): "No threat, Kosmonaut." Kabuki Kommando (in Japanese): "He's heavier than he looks." (Thanks to Tony Pi for translating this) Von Bach's statement - "No threat, Kosmonaut" - is, in my view, directed not at Terry LaBan, but rather at Captain Comet; given the meaning of the word "Kosmonaut" (a Russian word for astronaut), it seems to apply much more to Captain Comet than to Terry LaBan. Stefan Ullrich notes that Mr. Waid was apparently using an English-German dictionary published in the German Democratic Republic (the pre-unification East Germany); "kosmonaut" was the GDR word for astronaut. Dirk Bansch points out that the the phrase should be "Keine Drohung, Kosmonaut." p 9 Panel 1: Terry LaBan, Von Bach, Kabuki Kommando, White, Columbia, Blue, Manotaur, Barda, "Gulag-Bot," Stripes, Thunder, Swastika, Stars, Oggar? Flying is "St. George's Dragon." Von Bach (in German): "I will kill that guy." Kabuki Kommando (in Japanese): "Don't get mad at me...get mad at him!" (Thanks to Tony Pi for translating this) Dirk Bansch points out that "kerl" should be capitalized. Panel 4: Swastika, Phantom of the Fair, "Cape?," Stripes, "Goldwing," Man-Bat/Jeepers?, Oggar?, Stars, Sylvester/Herkimer? "St. George's Dragon," Kabuki Kommando. The discontented and angry looks on the prisoners' faces is another indication of how high the tensions are running in the Gulag. Panel 6: Red, Lex Luthor, Captain Marvel. How Red escaped capture is a question that may perhaps never be answered. Moreover, Luthor's control over Red seems to imply (as Dave Van Domelen as suggested) that Red, White and Blue's attack upon the Americommando and the Minutemen in the beginning of issue #2 was perhaps engineered by Luthor, possibly with the sole intent of getting White into the custody of the heroes so that Luthor could monitor the prisoners; ideally, Luthor is crafty and forward-looking enough to pull this sort of maneuver off. The card set says that "Lex Luthor has created an army of superhumans to capitalize on worldwide chaos - as when he empowers the android trio of Red, White and Blue to spy upon Superman's gulag." This would seem to imply that perhaps Luthor planned ahead, as suggested. As well, there's a multi-layered symbolism in this panel. The imprisoned metas are being watched by both Scott Free, their jailer, and Lex Luthor, who wishes to exploit them. Luthor is being watched by McCay and the Spectre, who will judge Luthor. Luthor in turn is being watched by Ross, their creator (for this comic, at least), and by the readers, who are exploiting him (in the sense that we are using the comic for our own entertainment and enlightenment). It may be far- fetched, but, given the statement Ross and Waid made in the first two issues about the state of the comics industry today, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Ross and Waid may be making a statement about the comic's audience and our complicity in creating the shallow, violent, grim-n-gritty (tm) "heroes" that Magog represents. p 10 The Cosmic Conference. We see the Zeus, Phantom Stranger, Shazam, Ganthet, and Izaya Highfather. Zeus is, of course, the leader of the Greek pantheon of Gods. He is also, as Mark McConnell pointed out, one of the sources of Captain Marvel's powers, as well as being one of the gods that the Amazons of Themyscyra worship. Rob Harris notes that his portrayal here is similar to his appearance in the Greek myth sequence of _Fantasia_. The Phantom Stranger is a character of some mystery and stature within the DC universe; his precise origin has never been determined, and theories range from the Wandering Jew to a fallen angel. Shazam is the aged wizard/god who granted Captain Marvel his powers. Ganthet is, in current DC continuity, the last remaining Guardian of the Universe, the group of figures who acted as universal overseers and who gave the Green Lantern Corps their powers. Izaya Highfather, mentioned earlier as Scott Free's father, is the leader of the New Gods of New Genesis. His seeming contempt for humans is a new wrinkle to the character, and, as the Spectre points out, not - perhaps - to be taken seriously. The "grand life equation" that he speaks of is presumably the opposite of the Anti-Life Equation which Darkseid (Izaya's opposite and arch-enemy) seeks and which will give Darkseid control over all life; Thomas Howard corrects my original observation and notes that something similar to it was mentioned in _New Gods_ #1. Through the simple move of making the Cosmic Overlords much, much larger than McCay and Deadman, Ross and Waid successfully give Zeus, Izaya, the Stranger, Ganthet and Shazam the appearance of being truly powerful beings, cosmic in scope. This is a subtly managed effect, but a very well executed one, I think. And as Just Joe pointed out, placing them beneath Earth illustrates their symbolic position; they are extremely powerful, but at the same time they are servants of humanity, rather than our masters. Interestingly, it is Shazam who is pleading humanity's case with the other cosmic powers. Zeus has traditionally (in the DC universe, at least) kept himself apart (mostly) from humanity's affairs, but each of the other entities have involved themselves in the goings-on of the Earth. The noticeably-quiet Phantom Stranger was more often a detached observer than an active participant, but Ganthet and the other Guardians of the Universe, through their Green Lantern Corps, often took an active role in Earthly happenings. As well, Shazam seems to be pleading his case more on behalf of Captain Marvel than for humanity; and Ganthet, who might be thought to have some sort of attachment to Earth or the happenings upon it - Jade, the new Green Lantern, is directly involved in this conflict - refuses to take part. p 11 The spirit with whom Norman McCay speaks is Deadman, formerly the aerialist Boston Brand who was made into the agent of a higher power (as he says in panel 5) after his death. As several people pointed out, Deadman's chatty, goofily- sarcastic manner is a change from his original, angst-ridden conception but is relatively close to the way in which he has been portrayed in the 1980s and 1990s, since Alan Moore wrote him that way in _Swamp Thing Annual_ #2. Many folks also pointed out that his skeletal appearance here is a change from his original portrayal but in line with his more recent appearances. Rob Harris notes that his appearance here resembles the medieval illustrations of Death as a skeleton, with strips of flesh and muscle hanging from the bones. The card set has this to say about Deadman: "`Deadman is best summed up by my favorite line from _Kingdom Come_: "I always loved to travel." Whether he's a roving carnival performer or a ghost possessing body after body - that says it all.' - Mark Waid. "`He once clung desperately to his human form, but this skeletal look represents Deadman's final acceptance of his fate.' - Alex Ross." p 12 The "Rama Kushna" that Deadman mentions in panel 1 is the name of the "Eastern Deity" that allowed Boston Brand's spirit to live on and fight evil after his death. Deadman's comments on the evolution of the Spectre's character is in line with the character's history. As Elayne Wechsler-Chaput points out, the Deadman's down-to-earth (so to speak) nature is counterpointed with the Spectre, whose character has become even farther alienated from humanity than any of the cosmic beings with whom he is discussing matters. p 13 The Brainiac Superman mentions here was one of Superman's deadliest enemies, an alien robot (pre-Crisis). Superman mentions that he buried part of Brainiac on Argo, which is a reference to Argo City, a piece of Krypton which survived the planet's destruction; it is most notable as being the birthplace of the pre-Crisis Supergirl, but has recently appeared in DC Continuity. As Michael Denton notes, this is somewhat poetic justice for Brainiac, who (in pre- Crisis continuity) stole Kandor, Krypton's capital, from Krypton before the planet exploded. Donald MacPherson notes that Superman, in panel 3, refers to his secret identity as another person - further evidence of the disassociation between Superman and his past. As a few people pointed out, while Wonder Woman is restricted to a breathing apparatus and helmet, Superman needs only a radio and earpiece to speak with Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman here slips up and calls Superman "Clar--Kal" - another indication, perhaps, that Wonder Woman, like the Batman, is having a hard time dealing with the erasing of Superman's civilian identity and his reversion to only his "super" identity? Michael Hazlett notes that both Superman and Wonder Woman were holding on to her lasso of truth in this scene - we can presumably take what they are saying at face value. p 14 Donald MacPherson usefully notes that Wonder Woman's trial, described here, can be seen as a parallel to the trial of Magog. The freeing of Magog went against all of Superman's morals, so he rejected the verdict, and the society which produced it, and left. The verdict of Wonder Woman's trial went against all of her efforts, so she adjusted her outlook, unlike Superman. p 15 The "cestus" Wonder Woman refers to in panel 1 was a hand covering of leather bands, often loaded with lead or iron, that was used by the boxers of ancient Rome (and, as Mark Coale points out, by the Silver Age Hawkman). Several people (but not me, originally) caught the (in retrospect obvious) symbolism of Wonder Woman's actions and Superman's actions in this sequence. Superman throws a small rock against several asteroids, knowing exactly where it will go and causing no damage. Wonder Woman throws a larger rock and shatters an asteroid; her control is not nearly what Superman's is. Superman then uses Wonder Woman's golden lasso to rope together the asteroid that Wonder Woman has just destroyed; he mends what she has broken. This mirrors their discussion, in which Wonder Woman's more militaristic tone is opposed by Superman's pacifistic argument. In a sense, Wonder Woman and Superman have switched places from their original, Golden Age conception; in Superman's early appearances he was rough and exercised little restraint with his enemies, while Wonder Woman was always precise in her violence and seemed desirous of peace, rather than combat. p 16 Waid and Ross must have known that this page would remind some readers of the events in _Miracleman_ #15, one of the grimmest issues of a superhero comic ever (Miracleman, originally a thinly-veiled British copy of Captain Marvel, waged a fierce battle against his ally-turned-enemy Kid Miracleman; most of London was leveled during the battle, which was preceded by Kid Miracleman's massacre of most of London's citizens in the most gruesome ways that Alan Moore could think of - as a reviewer for the _Comic Journal_ said, the issue should have been wrapped in brown paper). Unfortunately, as we saw then and see now, this sort of slaughter would be all too real a possibility. The fact that we see characters from the Fawcett line of comics - perhaps the most innocent of the Big Three superhero publishers - makes this all the more sobering, and frightening. Panel 1: Mr. Atom, Captain Nazi, Mr. Scarlet, Bulletman, Black Adam?, and a robot ship. The running figures are Fat Billy Batson, Freddy Freeman, Jr., Billy Batson, Uncle Dudley, Hill Billy Batson, and Mary Batson, holding on to a Hoppy, the Marvel Bunny doll. Mr. Atom was originally an indestructible robot, powered by atomic energy, who proved to be Captain Marvel's toughest opponent. Captain Nazi was the Aryan, Nazi version of Captain Marvel, although not as tough (goodness being equated with toughness in the Fawcett comics). His costume here is somewhat different from his original, Fawcett costume - a lighter shade of green, and the swastika chest emblem is horizontal, rather than being point down and in a circle. Black Adam? may be the _Kingdom Come_ version of the Fawcett character and Captain Marvel opponent Black Adam, who had been Captain Marvel's Egyptian predecessor but had become corrupted by his power. His costume here is different from the one he originally wore - armored leggings and an Egyptian- style wrap around his waist. He also has an eye-beam power, which the original, Fawcett Black Adam lacked. The robot ship does not have an exact duplicate in either the DC or the Fawcett universes, but does incorporate elements from two significant characters. The post-Crisis Brainiac (mentioned by Superman on page 13, above) flew a massive metal ship, complete with tentacles; the ship, whose appearance was quite similar to the robot ship seen here, was in the profile of Brainiac. This robot ship, however, seems to bear the profile of Dr. Sivana, originally a Fawcett character and arch-enemy to Captain Marvel. The robot ship seems to be holding the corpse of someone or something in two of its tentacles - perhaps Pinky the Whiz Kid, the partner of the original Mr. Scarlet, or Bulletman's partner, Bulletgirl, or Commando Yank? Fat Billy Batson was a Fawcett character and civilian identity of one of the Lieutenant Marvels (and member of Captain Marvels Squadron of Justice), three children named Billy Batson (Fat Billy was a porky Brooklynite) who read about Captain Marvel in the comics and decided to see if they could get superpowers by saying the magic word "Shazam." They did, and became the Lieutenants Marvel, sidekicks and assistants to Captain Marvel. Freddy Freeman, Jr. was the lame (literally - he had to make use of a crutch) civilian identity of Captain Marvel, Jr., who in _Kingdom Come_ is King Marvel. Billy Batson, seen here wearing his traditional red shirt (and unfortunately being blown apart), is the civilian identity of Captain Marvel. Uncle Dudley is - well, to make a long story short, he's someone pretending to be Mary Batson's uncle and pretending to be one of the Marvels. He was modeled originally on W.C. Fields, but was much mellower. Hill Billy was the civilian identity of Hill Marvel, one of the Lieutenant Marvels. Mary Batson is the twin sister of Billy Batson who shared Billy's ability to turn into a superbeing; Mary Batson would say the magic word and turn into the heroine Mary Marvel. The doll Mary Batson is holding is a Hoppy the Marvel Bunny doll; Hoppy the Marvel Bunny was reading an issue of _Captain Marvel Adventures_ (or was it _Whiz_?) and decided to see if saying the magic word would work for him. It did, and he became Captain Marvel Bunny, the World's Mightiest Bunny. As Rob Harris pointed out, the silver arms of Bulletman and Bulletgirl are a reference by Ross to the 1970s Bulletman doll, which was a part of the G.I. Joe line of action figures. The Bulletman doll had no connection to the Fawcett character, but looked like him - with the exception of the silver arms, something that the original Bulletman lacked. Panel 2: Freddy Freeman (in silhouette, being thrown back by the force of an explosion), Black Adam?, Bulletman, Spy Smasher, and the corpses of Billy Batson, Hill Billy Batson, Mary Marvel, and an unidentified individual in an overcoat (who might be the Fawcett hero Radar). The newspaper headline identifies the enemy that is fighting the Fawcett heroes - the Monster Society of Evil. In the early 1940s the alien Mr. Mind gathered together the greatest assemblage of evil superbeings ever seen - the Monster Society of Evil. Captain Marvel defeated them, but only after almost three years of continual fighting. Interestingly, Mr. Atom and Black Adam were never part of the original Monster Society of Evil; their inclusion here significantly increases the threat and menace of the Monster Society of Evil. The newspaper is called the "Fawcett Journal," most likely a reference to both Fawcett City, the home to Captain Marvel in the DC Universe, as well as to Fawcett Comics, the original publishers of the adventures of Captain Marvel et al. Panel 3: Steranko, in his _History of Comics_, referred to Mr. Atom as "a grim parable in comic form." Captain Marvel first encountered Mr. Atom after he (Mr. Atom) had destroyed a world in a nuclear war; here we see Mr. Atom beginning to do the same thing. Panel 4: There are some interesting parallels between this scene and the brainwashing scene in _A Clockwork Orange_. Both Billy Batson (here) and Little Alex (in _ACO_) were restrained - Little Alex by physical manacles, Billy Batson by the worms and chemicals Luthor has been putting into his brain. The films shown to both characters are of horrible scenes, each perverting things near and dear to the characters' hearts - Alex and Beethoven, Billy and his Fawcett friends. Alex is brainwashed to turn him from an Ignoble Savage into a decent, peaceful citizen. Billy is brainwashed to turn him from an innocent, even noble child to a frightened, obedient thrall. p 17 Continuing with the Fawcett theme...the "Sivana" mentioned here is Doctor Thaddeus Sivana, the greatest of Captain Marvel's enemies. As Luthor says, Sivana is the quintessential mad scientist; his stated goals were "1 - To become the Rightful Ruler of the Universe in fact as well as name. 2 - To humiliate, discredit and ultimately to kill Captain Marvel. 3 - To spread horror, terror and nastiness throughout the cosmos." Yeechang Lee points out that the equipment behind Luthor "would be at home in every grade-B mad scientist flick ever made, complete with bubbling chemicals, electric sparks, old-style rotary dials, and a generally cobbled-together look." Thad Doria also notes that the lab seems similar to Sivana's vault, which was seen in the story "Sivana's Good Intentions," in which Sivana stored every one of his inventions that might actually help mankind. (Sivana really was delightfully evil). Waid, in the card set, implies that "Luthor may have taken the technology against Sivana's will - perhaps even over his dead body." Luthor removes a worm from Captain Marvel's ear, then replaces it with another, quite similar worm. This is a reference/homage to Captain Marvel's other archfoe, Mr. Mind, a sentient worm from outer-space. In the original GA series there was only one Mr. Mind, and he did not occupy anyone's body; the current _Power of Shazam_ book has made Mr. Mind into a telepathic alien race of worms who control people's bodies by taking over their minds, in much the same way that Marvel is shown to be possessed here. Andrew Farrell points out that Luthor removes the worm from Billy's right ear and replaces it with one in Billy's left ear, implying that the worms are burrowing through poor Billy's brain. Note the hanging bat in panel 6. His glowing red eyes seem to indicate that this is not a real bat, but one of The Batman's surveillance devices. p 18 My guess would be that Batman, through the red-screened watch on his wrist, was watching Luthor via the batbot seen on the last page. This, and Batman's statement of "don't double- cross me" to Luthor, indicate that The Batman has not gone into his alliance with Luthor unsuspectingly. The two characters at the near end of the ramp, in the lower-lefthand corner of the panel, seem to be two of Kobra's guards - they have snake-wrapped staves and cobra-like headdresses. Thanks to Donald MacPherson and Thad Doria for i.d.ing them. p 19 Sitting at the table are Oliver Queen, Dinah Lance, Ted Kord, Selina Kyle, Edward Nigma, the King (with his back to us), Lord Naga, Vandal Savage (with his back to the reader), and Ibn Al Xu'ffasch. In silhouette we can see Wildcat III, Black Canary III, Ralph Dibny, Huntress III, and Captain Marvel (standing behind Ibn Al Xu'ffasch). Keith Baird and Peter Li point out that Luthor's command center is a duplicate of the War Room in _Dr. Strangelove_. Austin Loomis notes that the Legion of Doom also had a War Room in their Hall of Doom. Yeechang Lee points out that Ollie is drinking from an espresso cup, which is appropriate for someone who has made Seattle his home base. Note the grouping of the figures here; they may be allied, but Luthor's group (former criminals all) clearly have no love lost for Batman's allies (former heroes or children of heroes). Donald MacPherson and Just Joe note that the "K-bomb" - a bomb containing kryptonite, the element deadliest to Superman - has only been referred to once before, in the Amalgam Comics _Super-Soldier_, in which a combination of Superman and Marvel's Captain America appears. _Super- Soldier_ was written by Mark Waid, as is _Kingdom Come_. p 20 Panel 1: John Jones, Tula, Flash IV, Darkstar, Red Hood, Nightstar, Zatara II, Batman, Obsidian, Green Lantern/Jade, Wildcat III, Black Canary III, Ralph Dibny, Huntress III, and Oliver Queen. Note the groupings of the characters - the children of the Teen Titans are again together. As Marilee Stephens noted, Waid and Ross have changed the sexes of the kids of each of the Titans - all four of the original male Titans had daughters, and Donna has her son. Green Lantern/Jade's chest symbol is that of the Green Lantern Corps; she is the new Green Lantern. (Thanks to Elayne Wechsler-Chaput for this information) This is our first good look at Flash IV. The Sketchboard card has this to say about her: "`Simply put, I always thought Kid Flash would look cute as a girl. This is Wally West's daughter, and like the Flashes before her, she carries on the traditions of the Flash lineage. Her look incorporates elements from all her predecessors, including Jay Garrick's lightning-shaped pants and boots.' - Mark Waid" Panel 2: Lex Luthor, Captain Marvel, and Ibn Al Xu'ffasch. The large red dot on the map of the US in the background is presumably the site of the Gulag. This is the only page in the series so far when Batman directly refers to Ibn Al Xu'ffasch as his son. Interestingly, he does this in an exchange in which he and Ibn Al Xu'ffasch are discussing youth's tendency to rebel against their elders, which was taken by some readers as a premonition of a coming conflict between Ibn Al Xu'ffasch and Batman himself. Panel 3: (moving clockwise from the far left) Lord Naga, Vandal Savage, Norman McCay, the King, Ibn Al Xu'ffasch, Nightstar, Tula, Ted Kord, Zatara II, Flash IV? (behind Batman's head), John Jones, Green Lantern/Jade? (behind Oliver Queen's head), Obsidian, Black Canary III, Darkstar, Ralph Dibny, Wildcat III, Huntress III, Captain Marvel, Dinah Queen, Batman, Selina Kyle, Lex Luthor, and Edward Nigma. I very much like the body language of Nightstar and Ibn Al Xu'ffasch in this panel. Another nice touch is the interaction between Black Canary III and her parents. p 21 Alas, poor John Jones - the Martian Manhunter (he was literally from Mars), who has been credited with starting the Silver Age of comics, and who is one of the noblest and most respected of DC's heroes - as Batman says, he "fought the good fight longer than any of us." His fate, described here, is a sad one - but then, this isn't a very happy future. Conversely, the compassion shown for John Jones by the Batman is very nice, and fitting, and is a side of The Batman not shown nearly enough. The Spectre "unveiling" John's real identity is a very nice effect. It bears repeating that this is a lovely looking book, in addition to being a really fun read. Austin Loomis notes that the Manhunter, in human form, was traditionally known as John Jones - as the Spectre says, "In this form? An Everyman." p 22 For facial expressions this is perhaps the best page of the series, at least so far. Wildcat's wide-eyed glance at Captain Marvel, Ralph Dibny's typically silly expressions - then his recoiling from Captain Marvel, the hurried conversation between Flash IV and Green Lantern/Jade - a continuation of the traditional friendship between these two characters' predecessors, the mutual admiration/attraction of Ibn Al Xu'ffasch and Nightstar, and Zatara II's glance at the departing Spectre, are all wonderful. As Yeechang Lee points out, Marvel's interest in Canary's crossbow is natural; Marvel is a little boy at heart, "and what little kid can resist playing with a cool-looking set of arrows?" p 23 That is the Living Doll perched on Superman's shoulders; she was last seen on the cover of issue #2, and is the daughter of the heroes Doll Man and Doll Girl. As Donald MacPherson notes, the Living Doll's position is quite reminiscent of the way the Ray Palmer Atom used to sit atop his teammates' shoulders in the early days of the Justice League of America. In Panel 3 we see the original Teen Titans gathered together yet again. The discussion in panels 3 and 4 is, as Marilee Stephens and the Redheads said, quite similar to childrens' discussions behind their parents' backs, as well as recalling the clashes in the Teen Titans between Speedy and Robin. Jacquelyn Koh Lian Ngee points out that Batman has a son on both sides - Xu'ffasch in the MLF, and Dick Grayson in the Justice League. She goes on to speculate that perhaps Robin's statements here were an effort to throw discord in the ranks of the Justice League, and that Dick Grayson is actually Batman's mole inside the Justice League. This theory didn't pan out, but I found it an interesting one. RJ points out that the star chart/navigational device in panels 3-5 is very similar to the navigational device on _Lost in Space_. David Gross notes that in panel 5 the Flash is both with the Titans and watching Superman and the reader. p 24 As Donald MacPherson pointed out, Power Woman's bad temper here (threatening to beat up an old man? for shame) is similar to her temperament in the DC universe. This panel is also an indication of the tension level inside the satellite; things are grim, and everyone seems to know it. Kevin Lafferty observes that the voyeur symbolism of the series can also be seen in this sequence - in his words, "the placement of Norman as voyeur and narrator is a plot device, but it could also be a device which signifies the reader's relationship to the book (and, since the series is about comic books, the relationship of the reader to comic books in general). I hadn't thought about it too much until the Flash pulled Norman into his world. I found that scene exciting, because it took the silent voyeur (Norman, or by extension the reader) and planted him suddenly into the story, where the characters suddenly demanded to know who he was and what he wanted. (Also, when the Flash spots McCay, he - the Flash - is looking virtually off the page and at the reader)." p 25 Panel 1: Upper Row: Atlas (an old Jack Kirby character, last seen on the cover of issue #2), Green Lantern, Bulletman, Bulletwoman, King Marvel, Lady Marvel, Whiz, Tornado, Red Tornado III, Red Tornado I, Ray, and Phoebus (legs only). Ground level: Hawkman, Power Woman, Norman McCay, Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Atom-Smasher, Midnight II. This is the first really good look we've had at King Marvel, and it quickly becomes apparent why he's named as he is - he's now a dead ringer for Elvis (The King) Presley. This is not merely whimsy on Alex Ross' part, however; the historical truth of it is that Captain Marvel, Jr. was Elvis Presley's favorite superhero. Moreover, Elvis based his stage costume on the Captain Marvel, Jr. costume as an homage. Thanks to Thomas Howard and Ed Mathews for that neat bit of trivia. Jonathan Woodward points out that when Power Woman was about to punch out McCay, on page 24, a strand of her hair got caught in her mouth; in this panel she is seen picking it from her mouth. Alex Ross, clearly, has a splendid eye for detail. Panel 2: Aleea Strange, Sandman IV, Starman VII, Hourman II, Robotman, Norman McCay, Red Arrow, Aquaman II, Troia. Interestingly, McCay, who to this point has been a relatively articulate character, loses coherence, and is reduced to spouting broken phrases and Biblical quotes. The strain is obviously showing on him, as well. Panel 5: Power Woman, Power Man, Superman, Golden Guardian, Norman McCay. Power Man was, in DC continuity, an android who for the space of one issue replaced Batman as Superman's partner in the pages of _World's Finest_ #94. Thanks to Jonathan Woodward for identifying his first appearance. Michael Grabois, Donald MacPherson, and Larry King note that contrary to what I'd originally written, Power Man actually showed up again in the 1980s, in _World's Finest_ #271. Rick Hodge notes that the Power Man costume originally appeared in the "Atom Man vs. Superman" serial. The verses Norman McCay are quoting here are from, as usual, the book of Revelation - 8:7, 9:2, 14:7 - the same verses he quoted in issue 1, page 16, in the sermon which frightened his congregation. Panel 6: Robotman, Human Bomb, Norman McCay, Red Arrow, Troia, Aquaman II, Superman, Red Robin. As a few people pointed out, Robin's "Holy GOD!" is a sly homage to and use of Robin's traditional way of expressing his excitement - viz, "Holy knit-one purl-two!" "Holy invisible commander in chief!" etc. It's also a very good way of punctuating the gravity of the situation. And, as Yeechang Lee pointed out, it occurs in the same panel as Superman's dismissal of Pastor McCay's warnings of the impending Armageddon. p 26 Panel 2: Avia, Hawkman, Norman McCay, Red Robin, Power Man, Power Woman, Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman. The manner in which everyone looks at McCay in this panel, realizing that his seemingly incoherent ramblings might actually be the truth, is a very nice touch. Panel 3: Superman, Red Robin, Wonder Woman, Power Woman, Atlas, Flash, Green Lantern, Bulletman, Bulletwoman, King Marvel, Golden Guardian. Wonder Woman's interrupting Superman seems to belie her claim below, on page 27, panel 2, that Superman was not reacting confidently or in an unqualified manner. Wonder Woman seems to be reacting against Superman's leadership style, rather than to any orders he might give. Panel 4: Red Robin, Hawkman, Superman, Power Woman, Power Man, Wonder Woman, Midnight II, Golden Guardian, Atom-Smasher, XTC. A further, perhaps ridiculous comparison may be made in this panel between Superman/Wonder Woman and Martin Luther King/Malcolm X. Wonder Woman's "by whatever means necessary" echoes Malcolm X's "by any means necessary;" both are taking a more militant position and are opposed by the more pacifistic (Superman and MLK). Panel 6: Just Joe points out that McCay's flesh-tones disappear as soon as the Spectre pulls him back out of reality. p 27 Wonder Woman's comment here that Superman was not reacting in a "confident and unqualified manner" seems - to me, anyway - to be more her objection to his leadership style than a valid criticism of his leadership itself. On page 26 he is reacting, I think, confidently - he's about to issue an order - but not in the autocratic manner in which Wonder Woman seems to see leadership residing. p 28 Secretary Wyrmwood's words here are a barely-veiled threat against Superman. He seems to be living up to the connotations of his name. p 29 Panel 1: Zatara II, Oliver Queen, Dinah Lance, Captain Marvel, Darkstar, Nightstar, Batman, Huntress III, Ibn Al Xu'ffasch, Lord Naga, Red Hood, Lex Luthor, Green Lantern/Jade, Flash IV, Wildcat III, King, Edward Nigma, Tula, Selina Kyle, Vandal Savage, Obsidian. Another nice touch here is Nightstar's leaning on the back of Batman's chair - an affectionate gesture between granddaughter and grandfather. Just Joe notes that Flash IV is "putting her glasses back on; she knows that the game is afoot." Just Joe also points out that Selina's interest in Wildcat's tail is natural, given her background; it makes sense that she would be interested in observing a human-feline hybrid at close range. Just Joe further notes that Nigma is reaching his arm out to Selina, perhaps protectively or to remind her to pay attention to what Luthor is saying. p 30 Nightstar's whispering to Ibn Al Xu'ffasch, in panel 4, is somewhat curious; she seems to be warning Xu'ffasch that things are about to fall apart for his side, yet on page 31, panel 2, she seems somewhat surprised at the turn events have taken. This may have been obvious to everyone else, but it was only after repeated readings that I understood that Batman, in panel 2, is stepping on Billy Batson's throat to keep him from saying the magic word and changing into Captain Marvel. Anthony Sebro pointed out that Batman's line that he hates "wild cards" is a clear reference to the now-deceased Joker. Ollie's line "You're KIDDING me! All this time, we've been in MORTAL FEAR of BILLY BATSON?" is not only a good line for a laugh, but in keeping with the irascibility of the DC Continuity Oliver Queen. Susan Leipzig notes that the "THWAM!" from Batman's blow might be a tribute to the 1960s Batman show and its amusing sound effect words. p 31 Another page full of lovely little touches: Nightstar seeming to protect Ibn Al Xu'ffasch from Darkstar; Selina forearming Tula (more than one dance in that old dame yet), Selina's cat running for it, King's fear as Obsidian envelops him, and Flash IV taking Edward Nigma for a spin, the shreds of clothing flying as Wildcat III tears into Vandal Savage, and Obsidian tipping his hat and grinning after dealing with King. The exchange between Darkstar and Batman in panel 1 would seem to indicate that Batman's side were ready and waiting to spring the ambush on Luthor's forces. Nightstar, though, seems shocked to have to protect Ibn Al Xu'ffasch; either Darkstar did not know that Ibn Al Xu'ffasch was Batman's mole within the MLF, or Nightstar was unaware of Batman's plans and is instinctively moving to protect Ibn Al Xu'ffasch. I tend towards the latter explanation. (Of course, Nightstar might also be shocked at what Darkstar, who is virtually her cousin, is about to do to someone she obviously finds attractive) Robert Lysak wonders if Obsidian's tipping his hat here, in panel 5, and a similar gesture by Zatarra II on page 34, is a reference to _The Sting_, where a conspirator would tip his/her cap to let the other conspirators know that their part was accomplished. p 32 Note the shape of Ted Kord's remote control. We can also assume that the newly-activated Bat-Knights did away with Kobra's guards, seen in panel 2. This sequence reminded me of Hank Pym's demolition of Egghead and the Masters of Evil in the _Avengers_, where Egghead had Pym build a "Longevity Machine," after which Pym used it to single-handedly wipe out Egghead and all of the Masters of Evil. Any resemblance between that sequence and this one, of course, is likely coincidental and probably exists only in my brain. p 33 In the finest tradition of comic books, Batman takes this opportunity to lecture Billy Batson on what he, Batson already knows - but of which most of the audience is probably ignorant. p 34 Note the smoke and Batman's fading away, which is presumably the result of Zatara's transporting Batman to the Batcave - we can see Zatara snapping his fingers. Yeechang Lee notes that Zatara II keeps taking his hat off and putting it back on, and surmises that he's fidgeting out of nervousness - "quite appropriate for someone who's among the youngest there, and who no doubt feels the weight of his heroic heritage." Mike Denton points out that Zatara calls the Batman "Batman," rather than "Bruce" - a measure of respect for his stature and prestige. Xu'ffasch's appearance with Batman's group in this panel lends some weight to the argument that he (Xu'ffasch) was Batman's mole inside the MLF; I remain unconvinced, though. This, alas, is one more question to which we seem destined to never know the answer. p 35 As a number of people noted, the pastor is sitting on Wonder Woman's bed, seeming to watch her change. The role that Wonder Woman's sword will play is likely to be a significant one, given the way in which Superman's vulnerability to magic is foreshadowed (perhaps) here. p 36 Panel 3: Alloy, Green Lantern, Super-Beatle, Avia, Human Bomb, Snapper Carr, Super Mike Nesmith, Red Robin, Super Mickey Dolenz, Super Davy Jones, Super Peter Tosh, Aquaman II, Troia, Wonder Woman, Bulletman, Superman, Robotman. Snapper Carr was originally the teen sidekick to the Silver Age Justice League of America. Mike Nesmith, Mickey Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tosh were, of course, the tv stars/musicians The Monkees. As Dave Van Domelen and Johanna Draper noted, there were actually episodes of _The Monkees_ in which the quartet revealed their superpowers and became the costumed "Monkeemen." With Ross' eye for detail, their costumes probably looked something like what we see here. (David Tai and Johanna Draper confirm this) Panel 4: Ugh. From the top: "Goldwing," Charaxes?, Demon Damselle, Stealth II, Vigilante?, "St. George's Dragon," Black Manta, Von Bach (in silhouette, holding the broken body of Captain Comet), unknown (leaping or in flight), "Cape?" (seeming to throw a limp female body towards the ground), Black Mongul, Trix, and Hellgrammite?. Vigilante? may be the _Kingdom Come_ version of the DC cowboy hero Vigilante. Von Bach, unfortunately, was good to his word in killing Captain Comet. Heath Rosenbaum notes that Captain Comet is seen as ushering in the Silver Age, and that his positive beginning there "inversely parallels the negative emergence of the hostile youth taking over the KC universe." p 37 Panel 3: Avia, Human Bomb, Wonder Woman, Super Mike Nesmith, Super Mickey Dolenz, Red Robin, Super Davy Jones, Super Peter Tork, Aquaman II, Superman, Lady Marvel, King Marvel, Hourman II. King Marvel's resemblance to Elvis Presley is pronounced in this panel. Panel 4: Super Beatles, Troia, Red Arrow, Whiz, Living Doll, Tornado, Wonder Woman, Superman, unknown (bald woman), Aleea Strange (silhouetted on stairs), Norman McCay, Spectre. The Super Beatles' appearance here seems to be, as a number of people have called them, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band turned into Transformers. A number of people have speculated that the bald woman seen over Superman's left shoulder is John Jones. The woman has Jones' cape, green skin color, and bald head, but lacks his pronounced brow. Moreover, no explanation is given for Jones' defection from Batman's group to the Justice League. Yet another of the numerous nice touches in this series is King Marvel and Lady Marvel seeming to tell their son (daughter?) Whiz to stay behind - a logical move for parents on the brink of such a battle. p 38 We see Batman's bank of allies, again: Fate, Steel, Phantom Lady II, Mr. Scarlet, Spy Smasher, Batwoman and Ace the Bathound, Menagerie, Creeper, Samurai, Dragon, Condor. As Randy Patton notes, Steel is carrying a bat-headed axe; again, this shows how, in _Kingdom Come_, the character was influenced by The Batman, rather than Superman. A number of people pointed out that rather than flying around the Earth and descending into the Batcave, Superman took the most direct route - entering the planet through an Asian country (note the pagoda silhouette in panel 3), boring through the middle of the planet (note the magma streaming from his body in panel 4), and entering the Batcave from below. This is, yet again, an indication of the urgency of the situation, in both our eyes and (more importantly) in Superman's; Superman, noble character that he is, has always tried to do as little harm as possible. Only the gravest of situations would drive him to an action like this. p 39 Superman here is finally letting himself go - something that has rarely been seen in the comics. His speech might be described as a fit of pique; but Superman has been driven to the edge and is desperate, and this comes through in his plea to Batman. Just Joe notes that Batman has the layout of the Gulag on his viewscreen - he's studying up. As a few people pointed out, McCay, in panel 4, is looking (through the Spectre's cloak) at the events of page 40. p 40 Panel 2: Flying: Monkeeman, Monkeeman, unknown, unknown (with hawk-like wings), Bluejay?, Lady Marvel, King Marvel. Ground Level: Snapper Carr, unknown bald woman (from page 37, panel 4), Beatle-Transformer 1, Bulletwoman, Sandman IV, Bulletman, Beatle-Transformer 2, Robotman, Midnight II, Atlas, Avia, Wonder Woman, Aquaman II, Red Robin, Troia, Red Arrow, Hawkman, Starman VII, Alloy, XTC, Atom-Smasher. Bluejay? may be the _Kingdom Come_ version of the DC hero Bluejay, who was originally a clone of a Marvel hero and who later was a member of the Giffen Justice League. Batmite reappears again in panel 3. p 41 For my money the superheroic ideal and ethos has rarely, if ever, been summed up as well as Superman's speech in panel 2. Batman's expression - he is undoubtedly thinking about the death of his parents, the motivating factor that drove him to become The Batman - shows that Superman, at least in this panel, struck a nerve. The naked desperation on Superman's face in panel 3 is a marked change from the impassivity he has shown through most of the rest of the series. It is also a contrast to the more craven fear that showed up on Billy Batson's face on pp 30, 32 and 33. Superman's appeal to The Batman to join him and become "the World's Finest Team" is a reference to _World's Finest Comic_, in which Superman and Batman regularly teamed up, back in the pre-Crisis days. As Chris Blakeley notes, _World's Finest_ was in fact the first place that Batman and Superman teamed up. Batman's "so that's what that feels like" is an amusing reference (even he is smiling as he says it) to the many times that Batman disappeared during a conversation and left Commissioner Gordon talking to himself. p 43 I don't remember if this was a part of the original Legion of Doom headquarters or not, but the giant locks along the top of the Gulag is yet another reminder that what we are looking at, despite its pastoral inner appearance, is a prison. Aquaman II and Troia holding their ears at the sound of the explosion is another of Ross' many well-done touches. p 44 Panel 1: Silhouetted, in foreground: "Black Sun" (see my notes to issue 4, page 3), Dementor? (from issue 2), unknown, Pinwheel, Catwoman II, Germ-Man, Black Mongul, White, unknown, Trix, Swastika, Manotaur, Cathedral, Shadow-Thief?, Insect Queen?, Blue, Copperhead? (from page 8, panel 4). Background: King Marvel, Red Tornado III, Lady Marvel, Tornado, unknown, unknown, Red Tornado I, XTC, Alloy, Spiderman, Hawkman, Captain America, Atom-Smasher, Troia, Thor, Red Arrow, Red Robin, Aquaman II, Wonder Woman, unknown, unknown, unknown, Atlas, unknown, Monkeeman, Midnight II, Avia, unknown, Robotman, Super Beatle, Sandman IV, Dr. Strange, unknown (Blue Beetle?), Bulletman, Bulletwoman, unknown, Super Beatle, Monkeeman, Super Beatle, Monkeeman, Monkeeman. Panel 2: Mark Waid, in the card set, writes that "This is a classic Superman moment - one I always get a thrill seeing. I was evoking a scene from the _Superman II_ film, where he rockets to the Eiffel Tower to save Lois Lane. Of course, in that film the supersonic flight signals an end to trouble - but in _Kingdom Come_ the problems are only beginning." Thanks for various notes, corrections, contributions, and good thoughts to: Michel Alpert, Keith Baird, Dirk Bansch, Chris Blakeley, C. Boldman, Boneyard0@aol.com, Jason Borelli, Don Brinker, Michael Cavanagh, Mike Chary, Mark Coale (of course), John S. Danknich, Delfuego, Mike Denton, David Diano, Thad A. Doria, Johanna Draper, David Drewelow, Duggy, Elmeaux, Andrew Farrell, Jason Fliegel, John Forbus, Daniel Frank, Joe Gallagher, John M. Gamble, Matthew Gibson, Matt Gore, Michael R. Grabois, Grendel824@aol.com, Jack Grims, Chris Gumprich, Gustavus@iglou.com, Rob Harris, Jesse Hochstadt, James E. Heath, Rick Torgo Hodge, Thomas Howard, Jay J, Kenneth Jennings, Just Joe, RJ, Paul.Kaczmarek, Larry King, David Knott, Kevin Lafferty, Yeechang Lee, Susan Leipzig, Sonny Lemmons, Peter Li, Carolina Lithgow-Bertelloni, Michael Liu, Austin Loomis, Robert W. Lysak, Sean MacDonald, Donald MacPherson, Ed Mathews, Mark McConnell, Ed Mitchell, Jacquelyn Koh Lian Ngee, Charlie Nopper, Randy Patton, Tony Pi, Chris Rednour, Hunter Rose, Heath Rosenbaum, Wilben Santos, Al Schroeder, Anthony Sebro, Dselberg@tfgdirect.com, Joel Shin, Hal Shipman, Marc Singer, David J. Snyder, Marilee Stephens and The Redheads, Derek Stevenson, Joseph Sturgeon, David Tai, Alan Turniasky, Dave Van Domelen, the divine Elayne Wechsler- Chaput, Andrew Woodard, and Jonathan Woodward. jess This file created by Jess Nevins, jjnevins@ix.netcom.com.