Interludes After the Sixth Angel, Part 3

Note, the parenthesis indicate languages other than Japanese, in this case, English, German, Ancient Greek, and Interlac.
Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I'm I doing wrong (to correct it).

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi/Ikari Apartment
Present Day, Evening

"I don't know what should I do. Advice would be welcome, Shinji." Rei's soft voice startled Shinji back into the real world, he had been so focused on his music he hadn't noticed her presence until she spoke.

"B-what? Uh… What do you mean, Rei?"

"I feel like I should be doing something to show my appreciation for…" she waved her hand awkwardly. "You play very well."

"Did you like it?" Shinji asked, somewhat incredulous. He had learned to play the cello to have something to do; but he didn't consider himself any good.

"Yes." She answered with her tiny smile.

Shinji frowned. He realized his headache had gone while he played, unknowingly, for Rei. "If you like a performance, be it music, teather, dance, the usual way to show it is by clapping. If it was very, very good, sometimes people whistle too."

She blinked twice and nodded. She started to clap, slowly and with a bit of clumsiness, as she wasn't used to that particular activity. "I apologize, I do not know how to whistle."

Shinji smiled warmly at her while he put the bow and chello back in their case. "Don't worry, it wasn't that good, really."

New York
S.T.A.R. Labs
August the 16th, 2014

"(How cute! He thinks you are his gramps!)"

"(…but i'm not, doctor forest…)"

"(Don't worry, Buddy; just humor him for a while.)"

"(…Yes, doctor forest… …come, andy….)" The janitor, Norman Blank, offered a hand to the blond child his boss, Dr. Myra Forest, had brought with her to work. Obediently, the toddler grasped the hand of the man, and the two went to the vending machine.

Dr. Forest knew Norman since the man had started work in S.T.A.R. Labs, about ten years before. He was friendly and eager to please. He had a slight deterioration in his brain. And Myra had made sure that he would have a job for as long as she worked in S.T.A.R. Labs. She tried to keep him around, he was extremely careful and methodical in his job, and he rarely asked questions. Before Norman, or Buddy, as he preferred to be called, could take the child out, the kid flung the toy he had been chewing on, and a few drops of his saliva splattered on a glass slide. No one noticed the event.

"(Very well.)" She turned back to his boss. "(Now, where were we? Ah, yes. This is the control system for a very special satellite. It blends a finely tuned Artificial Inteligence, with an experimental remote electrosurgery unit. This will revolutionize battlefield treatment for soldiers. Just imagine, sir, a surgeon that can go anywhere in the world without delay!)"

Mr. Henson, the chief administrator of the branch, wasn't impressed. "(Quite interesting, I'm sure, but I'll need to see a test.)"

"(Of course, see. This is subject O-636, a perfectly healthy lab rat.)" She held up a white rat, the animal was a young adult, in the best physical conditions a rat could be. "(The AI already has its cell structure on file, and will be able to reconstruct any damage inflicted.)" Carefully, Dr. Forest injected some anesthetic in the rat's body. And, once the animal was unconscious, deftly cut its tail with a scalpel.

"(Brother Eye?)"

An electronic voice responded. "(Yes. Dr. Forest? How can I be of assistance?)"

Mr. Henson raised an eyebrow, and before Dr. Forest could speak, asked. "(Brother Eye? What kind of name is that?)"

"(Ah, well; you see, sir.)" Dr. Forest smiled sheepishly, "(The official designation is Project Sky Surgeon, but one of the boys in programming decided to play a joke on us, inserting a little code in the main programming; instead of AI, it hears the word "Eye", and the same kid has the habit of calling his co-workers "brother", hence, "Brother Eye", it seems the AI likes the name. It has asked to be referred to as Brother Eye instead of Sky Surgeon. The informal nomenclature doesn't impact on its performance.)"

"(Ok. Go ahead.)" The man nodded magnanimously.

"(Very well, Brother Eye, Start the regeneration process when you are ready.)"

"(Starting, Dr. Forest.)"

She smiled at her boss. "(Please pay attention to the wound, sir.)"

Before Mr. Henson's eyes, an energy field coalesced around the rat, instantly, the tail stump started to glow, and also, to grow back. A few seconds later, the rat's tail was complete again.

"(As an extra, we are preparing a process to enhance the subject's physical prowess, strength, agility, stamina, even the processing power of the brain. At this point, Brother Eye has started to work on the modifications needed to boost a single rat up to the level of an average cat. Temporarily, of course; we have no intention to create super-rats. Brother Eye can revert the enhancing process anytime; however, any regeneration is permanent, unless the subject is wounded again. We think that the same enhancing process could be refined to work on humans, although it could be very draining for the subject. So it should be used sparingly. At this point, it is merely theoretical; but I estimate Brother Eye could do the calculations in a matter of a few months; provided it had the necessary data.)"

"(Impressive, Dr. Forest. I'll greenlight the funds to push this technology forward. Now,)" he fumbled with his cell phone."(If you excuse me, I have a very important reunion.)"

"(Yes, sir! Thank you!)"

"(Ah, could you start the sequencing of the next batch of subjects? I think we will need a few tests in a couple of monts.)"

"(Of course. I'll load the samples in the sequencer right now.)"

Germany
January the 8th, 1966
Kiehl Manor

"(Herr Doctor Kiehl)?" A small and mousy man entered the lobby of the mansion, guided by a hulking butler. "(I found it.)"

Lorenz Kiehl waved the man into his study, dismissing the butler. "(Does it work?)"

"(I'm not really sure, it was badly damaged. It has… hum… repaired itself up to a point, but I didn't want to risk imprinting on it. I think you should try. Or a man designed by you.)"

Kiehl nodded, guiding his guest to the study. They pulled opposite chairs, and sat down. Kiehl put a think set of eyeglasses on, his eyes were worse every year. He had made discreet enquiries, and had obtained one of the discarded robotic bodies used by Cliff Steele. His scientists were reverse-engineering the optic sensors. However, not a single member of his pet scientists was on the level of Niles Caulder. He sighed, and hoped they could manage to adapt the sensors into a useful device, even if it wouldn´t be as compact as Robotman´s eyes.

The man pulled a little package from his suitcase. There it was, wrapped in simple brown paper. One of the most powerful alien devices ever found on Earth. Deceivingly small. A technology centuries light ahead of anything the Human Race could currently achieve; Earth tech wasn´t even able to analyse the thing! And still… it was easy to use, adaptable, and even somewhat self-aware.

"(To whom did this belong, Anders?)" he grumbled.

"(We are not sure, sir.)"

Kiehl nodded again. "(Let's see if it still works. What do I have to do?)"

"(Well… according to some reports, the owner must project his own emotions into the device. But I must warn you. We do not know if this one is still imprinted onto its previous owner or if it is ready for the next.)"

"(Hmph.)" Kiehl took the little device from the hands of his agent. Carefully unwrapping it. It was a rectangular box, about the size of a deck of cards. Maybe a bit larger. He put it on the table, and studied it with a magnifying glass. With a start, he noticed a series of symbols on the sides, they were an exact match for the ones in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

"(Leave me, Anders.)" He looked at the small man. "(Your fee will be deposited into your account this evening at the most.)" He took the phone and instructed someone on the other side to make the deposit immediately. Anders stood up, bowed, and left the manor silently.

Kiehl watched intently the little box for several minutes. His nose started to bleed. He didn't pay attention to that.

Long minutes passed, a single "Ping!" was heard in the study.

Outside Kiehl Manor, Anders stepped into a car and drove away. Once he was far enough, a purplish light enveloped his body, and when it dissipated, his feeble and meek form had been replaced by a tall and slender feminine body.

She laughed softly. Her laughter was like the ring of silver bells. "(Soon, my love. Soon we will be reunited.)" she said, in a language older than the oldest human civilization. She shook her long silky mane of thick hair, black as the darkest night; and, with a small tinkling light, disappeared.

Tokyo-3
Katsuragi/Ikari Apartment
Present Day, Later

"I think you must be very patient with her, Rei."

"She slapped you. Three times." Rei's face wasn't as placid as usual. Shinji had seen that particular expression on her face only once. And he had been slapped before seeing it.

"Rei, take it easy. I want you to be her friend too. She is one of us."

"She slapped you." Rei insisted.

"I know. It isn't the first time I've been slapped over a mistake."

Puzzled, Rei looked at him, understanding came to her an instant later. She blushed.

Shinji continued. "Look, Rei." He took her hands between his. "Asuka felt she had valid reasons to slap me. So did you. Heck, even Toji did the same! And we are friends now, right?." She nodded. "I don't want you both fighting. So I have to ask you to keep a cool head and think instead of reacting to her. We will need each other in battle. And I want all of us to be friends away from the fights. Please, Rei, try to be her friend. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is as alone as we are. As we were before. Now, we both have friends. And they are important to us, aren't they?"

Rei stared at his eyes. Shinji had never lied to her. And she trusted in him. In the recent past, she had come to value the time she spend with him and his friends; now her friends too. Toji was a bit too loud for her taste, but she knew he meant well. Kensuke and Hikari were more subdued, but each one had a vibrant sense of life. She wondered how would the Second Child be, once they knew each other better.

"Very well. I will try. But I will not stand idle if she tries to harm you."

"Thank you, Rei."

And right at that moment, when they were holding hands and looking intensely at each other's eyes, they heard a soft click and were hit by a bright light from the door. Misato had arrived, cellphone in hand, smiling like the cat that ate the canary.

"Oh, yes! I knew it! There's romance in the air! Go on, kiss already!"

Shinji gasped and his face went from pale to purple in two seconds flat, a new record. "It's not like that, M-M-Misato!"

"Captain Katsuragi. You have interrupted a private talk," Rei said, completely calm, "and for the record, there is no romantic involvement between Pilot Ikari and myself. We are only friends."

"Really? Because you looked very cute together." She smiled again.

"That might be the case, but things are very different. Be so kind to erase that picture from your phone. It would cause undue stress on Shinji." Her eyes gleamed. "That could affect his synch ratios."

Misato's face fell. "Aww… Do I have to?"

"Yes. Should things evolve in the direction you expect, we will notify you immediately."

Shinji had a coughing fit. That was one road he would never take. Rei was his sister, in the name of… He didn't know who could he swear by, even in his own mind. He decided to look for a good phrase that some hero had used at some point. Although at the moment, the only one to come to his mind was that the second Flash used to say "Flash fact!" after revealing he had taken advantage of some obscure scientific fact to defeat a villain or solve a problem.

In the end, after a long session of give-and-take, Misato did erase the photo. But only after managing to get a solemn promise from both of them that she would be the main maid of honor should they marry. Not necessarily to each other, Shinji insisted.

A Possible XXVIth Century
Ruins of NERV-2 (Nevada)
Evangelion Unit-04 Cage

The thundering voice of the silver effigy boomed again, causing a cascade of dust to fall over the two explorers. "(Are they gone?)"

Both Kamandi and Canus covered their ears. The voice tried to whisper. "(Oh, right. Sorry.)" Somehow, it spoke again, at a more reasonable volume. "(I had the silly thing at full volume. Better?)"

Cautiously, Kamandi uncovered his ears, and helped Doctor Canus to stand. His friend´s earing was so sensitive the words of the giant would have been a torture for him. Canus shook his head several times, trying to shake off the buzzing inside his head.

"(Please, don't be scared. I won't hurt you.)" The giant tilted its head. "(Are the gorillas really gone?)" Kamandi kept a hand on Doctor Canus' shoulder, ready to drag him down the stairs if necessary. Keeping one eye on the giant, he looked down. There was no trace of the gorillas, except for a few discarded rifles and clubs.

Kamandi shouted, "(They are gone from this place, but I don't know if they are hiding in the next cave!)"

"(Could you go check? Ah, and you don't have to shout. I can hear you quite fine.)" Kamandi looked at Canus, who still clutched his head. The scientist nodded. "(I think she won't harm us. Had she wanted to, she could have done so already.)"

A few minutes later, Kamandi came back, he had several rifles tied up in a sling at his back. "(No sense leaving these for them, should they come back.)"

By then, Doctor Canus had recovered from the deafening words of the giant. And was comfortably sitting on the platform. To Kamandi's amazement, the silver giant was bobbing her head, singing a song. Doctor Canus was following it with eager enthusiasm.

"(It's the end of the world as we know it.
 It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.)" Sang the giant.

"(And I feel fine!)" chorused Canus, smiling.

"(Hey, doc. Your friend is back.)" She said. Canus looked like he would have liked to keep on singing.

Near the door, Kamandi checked on the rifles ammo. "(Empty.)" He checked another. The last three rifles still had some ammo left. "(I'll unload these and keep the bullets for the best two of the bunch.)"

He looked up at the giant. "(Thank you. Those gorillas would have killed us.)"

"(Any time, cutie. Now, I would really like to stretch my legs, be a dear and go back a couple of doors. There's a panel by the frame. It should be working. Press the red button and then the numbers 3-7-2-6.)"

Kamandi did as asked. A heavy steel door descended with a hiss, blocking the frame completely. It reminded him of the bunker he had grown up; and also, of his dead grandfather.

When he got back, Doctor Canus was busy asking a lot of questions to the giant. She seemed happy to talk to the scientist. Kamandi was curious too. "(What's your name, giant? I am Kamandi, and my friend here is Doctor Canus.)"

"(Wait, just let me get out of here first.)"

Canus and Kamandi looked at each other. If the giant moved out of her confinement, she could bring the whole place down over their heads.

With a hiss, the giant tilted her head forward, and the plates on her back slid over themselves. A white tube came out from the back. Canus gasped, and Kamandi almost dropped the rifle he had on his hands. The tube opened, and from it, a brown-haired girl, with red rimmed eyeglasses and dressed with a strange pink suit, waved at them.

She jumped down to the platform with a grace worthy of the leopard people. She glomped the astonished Kamandi. "(Hi, cutie, I'm Mari Illustrious Makinami!)" She hugged Kamandi, her eyeglasses askew on her nose.

Dr. Canus' fur stood on end as soon as the plug had opened.

A Possible XXXIst Century
Frontier of the Almeracian Empire
Legionnaires Diplomatic Mission

A heavy set man sat on a plush chair, surrounded by his closest friends. Despite the difference in age, he was considered a friend by most Legionnaires. The group had grown from a well-intentioned ideal mixed with a publicity stunt for polititians, into a respected force for good.

The Legion of Superheroes had been contacted by Lois Max-El, third of that name, current Empress of Almerac. She asked the Legion to investigate a strange derelict floating in the Empire's border with the United Planets. Apparently, a giant robot had been found floating in space, near a mercantile route. As the markings it showed had been identified as of old terran origin, Lois III decided to open channels with the UP, specifically with Earth.

"(Mr. Brande.)", Triad started respectfully, she had many reasons to be fond of her old boss. "(The almeracian representative asks permission to board the cruiser.)"

"(Send him or her the most respectful regards from Earth, the United Planets, the Legion and myself, my dear child. And grant them permission to board.)"

A few minutes later, a knock was heard on the pressurized outer hatch. Star Boy, checked the viewer. Mildly surprised to see a girl of an apparent terran age of 16 years, flying through space, without any life supporting systems, under her own power! "(Whoah! She just came to knock on our door! I knew almeracians were though, but I didn't know how much.) Triad elbowed him in the ribs. "(Erm… opening the hatch.)"

An honour guard, consisting of Gates, Superboy, and Brainiac 5, on the right side of the entrance; while Apparition, Ultra-Boy, and Sensor, stood at the left, with the least humanoid, Gates, an insectoid; and Sensor, an ophidian, at the far end of the line. This was at the suggestion of Sensor, who was next in line for the throne of her planet. Gates was grumbling something about entitled sentients lording over other life-forms. A sharp word from Sensor reminded him that causing a diplomatic incident could start a war, where the oppressed people would end up fighting.

R.J. Brande, being the official representative of the UP, stood at the end of the group.. The almeracian representative entered the reception room, she was tall compared to an earthling, her long red hair was tied in a complicated ponytail; except for a rebellious spitcurl on her forehead, deep blue eyes, a haughty expression on her perfect face, and was wrapped in a long scarlet cloak than hanged down to her knees, hiding her body. She wore blue pants and red boots.

"(Greetings, Legionnaires,)" she said, with a husky voice, barely a murmur, Brande got the impression that she was not shy, but simply hadn't the need to raise her voice. "(My name is Lana Max-El. In the name of her royal majesty, my beloved cousin; Her Royal Empress Lois III, I welcome you to Almeracian territory. I trust your…)" she stopped mid sentence, looking intently at Superboy.

The young hero, looked sideways at Brainiac 5, his eyes asking silently '(What did I do this time?)'

Lana seemed to appear next to Superboy, her brow furrowed, looking deeply into his eyes and then to the S insignia on his chest. A spark of fury appeared in her eyes. "(Why are you wearing the crest of the royal family? How dare you?)" She flung her cloak open in a single movement, revealing the very same insignia on her own tunic.

Superboy raised his hands trying to be as diplomatic as possible. "(Whoa! Your ambassadorness! I got permission from the big boy himself! We're cousins! Well, adoptive cousins, but it was his idea!)"

Lana put her hands on Superboy's temples. "(I shall verify such a bold claim! Stand still!)"

The other Legionaires were almost ready to defend their friend, but Sensor raised her mechanical arms, and softly hissed. "(No! Let her check!)"

Superboy's eyes glazed, his legs bucked under him for a second; while Lana held his head firmly in her hands. "(W-w-w-w-wooow…!)" he exhaled, smiling. A few seconds later, the almeracian released him, and to everybody's surprise, knelt before a wobbly-legged Superboy, bowing her head deeply. "(My apologies, mylord. I had not realized I was in the presence of the lost young prince. I beg your forgiveness.)"

Superboy smiled that goofy smile he had whenever he didn't want people to realize he was very, very out of his deep and tried to cover it. "(Uh… rise… erm… miss…)"

Gates sent Brainiac 5 a private message through the telepathic earplugs, "(So, does this means Kon-El is actually part of the decadent ruling class or what?)" he clicked his beak, enjoying the chance to watch what he knew would inevitably happen next.

Brainiac 5 facepalmed.

Olympus
Zeus' Throne Room.
February 20th, 2009

"(I thank you for your welcome, Lord Zeus.)" The Phantom Stranger bowed his head fractionally. He was one of the few entities who could visit Olympus unannounced and get an audience with Zeus. He was also one of the few entities not born or raised in Olympus who wasn't the least disoriented by the Escher-like construction of the place. Floors, walls and ceilings were practically interchangeable.

"(Stranger. What do you want?)" The Lord of Olympus asked irritably. "(There are many matters that demand my attention.)" Never one to go directly to the point, even in important matters.

The Phantom Stranger raised a hand. "(This is a grave matter we should discuss in private. Am I allowed..?)"

Zeus nodded brusquely, and both disappeared from Olympus and reappeared in the Quintessence Plane. Surrounded by darkness, and accompanied only by the image of the Earth, floating serenely.

"(Speak, Stranger. And you better have a very good reason to interrupt me.)"

"(It has come to my attention that all of the problems we have faced since Second Impact have been deliberately staged. Including the Second Impact itself.)"

"(WHAT?)" A lightning bolt appeared in Zeus's hand. "(Explain yourself!)"

"(Second Impact was not an accident.)" The Stranger extended his hand, and an image appeared between them, Adam as he appeared just before his explosion. "(This is an ancient being. I haven't been able to determine his origin, but his partial awakening was the detonant for Second Impact.)" He replayed the catastrophic event for Zeus.

"(Such power…)" Zeus gaped, horrified. "(It's… It's…)"

"(It's still a danger. Alongside with another similar being that has been inert so far. Should either or both wake, life on Earth would be forfeited. Even the gods would be consumed.)"

Zeus crushed the lightning bolt in his hand. "(Unacceptable! We must stop such an event from happening!)"

"(I am working on that, Lord Zeus.)" The Stranger moved his hand again, and the image changed. "(I have found that these texts detail the events surrounding Second Impact. I have a partial translation, but it´s full of mistakes, omissions and speculation.)" A few pages of the Dead Sea Scrolls appeared before the Lord of Olympus. "(An accurate translation would be of great help to stop a Third Impact.)"

Zeus examined the image. "(I don't recognize the letters, are these some kind of prophecies? I'll have to ask the… the Graeae.)" He shuddered. Consulting the blind seers was always tricky, expensive, and fraught with danger. Not even the Father of the Gods took such a step lightly.

"(We need to find what these texts say. I don't have access to the originals, only to copies I made myself. The originals are hidden even to the sight of ones like us. Along with the cabal that is using them and a few of their puppets.)"

"(How did you..? Doesn't matter; guard your secrets. I'll see what the Graeae say.)"

"(Thank you, Lord Zeus. I'll ask the others for their council too.)"

"(Do it immediately. This can't be allowed to happen. I'll contact the other Sky Fathers and see if they know something. This is beyond any singular Pantheon. Maybe the Amazons… No. They are spread thin guarding an overflowing Tartarus.)" A flash of sadness passed through Zeus' eyes.

"(She resides in Elyseum, doesn't she? Your daughter?)" The Stranger's voice was soft and soothing to Zeus ears.

"(Yes. And her comrades in arms are with her; how could I deny them the honor? They who fought by her side, even the ones who died away from her. I asked Hades to reunite them. Except for one. One who was lost to the mists of time before the wave of death; the one who holds her heart and gave her his. She still waits for him. And she will wait until the end of time if I know her.)" There was a hint of pride in Zeus´ voice.

The Stranger nodded once. And Zeus was back in his palace.

Tokyo-3
First Municipal Junior High School, Class 2-A
Next Day, Before Class

"Well… yesterday was quite a fun-filled day, right, Shinji?" Toji sat on the edge of the seat next to his friend. "Red turned out to be a complete demon. Pity. She's a real looker."

Shinji continued his study of the wood grain on his desk. "I guess she has a short fuse, doesn't mean she's a bad person."

Kensuke added his two cents. "At least we won't be seeing her much. Surely NERV will send her to college or something. Sorry for you, you still have to see her at work."

"Yeah," added Toji. "Real nice package, but full of…"

"Suzuhara! Sit straight!" Hikari Horaki had entered the classroom. Toji obeyed without thinking. Kensuke facepalmed.

"Class Rep! Ah, sorry, I was just talking to Shinji." He smiled awkwardly at her. "Er… Ah, I want to thank you for the food you gave us yesterday, it was delicious."

Hikari's frown softened, "R-really? How… how nice of you to say that…" She blushed cutely.

Shinji and Kensuke exchanged a significant look. Both knew Toji and Hiraki liked each other, but neither was really bold enough to actually say it.

While the pair stammered and tried to actually talk to each other, Shinji and Kensuke decided to give them some space. Kensuke looked around and noticed Ayanami's seat was empty. "Hey, Shinji, what about Rei? Usually she is here before us."

"She had to go to NERV for a check-up. Misato gave her a ride to NERV very early, she left me a note in the kitchen table."

"OK, I was a bit worried, she has missed a lot of school days. Even before the Angels came." Kensuke

"Yeah…" Shinji had his own suspicions about why Rei had to miss school. Maybe it was due to her own mixed heritage, being half-human might carry some health problems. He made a mental note to ask the Phantom Stranger about that next time he showed up.

The bell brought him out of his thoughts, and Hikari barked her routine as the teacher entered the room. "Rise! Bow! Sit!" All the students obeyed instantly, almost like well trained soldiers.

"Good morning, students." The old teacher greeted them, putting his suitcase next to the desk. "Today we receive a new transfer student. You may come in, Miss."

An unmistakable German firebrand entered the classroom. She smiled angelically at the group, to the astonishment of the Three Stooges. She wrote her name on the blackboard, and introduced herself with a "My name is Asuka Langley Soryu, Charmed, uh?"

Toji pointed at her, trembling and stuttering. For a split second, Shinji had a goofy smile on his face, and then he relaxed into a placid expression, as if he was relieved of some burden. A detail Asuka noticed. '(Strange, he actually looks happy to see me.)', she thought. Kensuke, just looked on, amused by his friends´ antics.

By then, most of the boys were almost drooling, and the girls were split about 50/50, some glaring at her jealously and the others looking at her in awe and admiration. Asuka nodded to herself, satisfied she had made a big entrance to school life. As she had already graduated from college, she would have the time to completely own the school.

As it should be.

Author's Notes

Cliff Steele was a member of the original Doom Patrol. For my purposes, the Patrol (sans Beast Boy) was active from the early 60s to the late 70s. Cliff almost died in a car race accident, but his brain was transplanted into a robotic body by Niles Caulder, AKA the Chief. During the original Doom Patrol run, Caulder had to replace Cliff's bodies with alarming regularity. So, it would not be unconceivable that one or two could be eventually stolen.

I had no place for OMAC in my timeline, the World That´s Coming simply doesn´t fit in. Still, I do like the concept of OMAC, I think it's too good to not use it. So, there will be an OMAC, but not Buddy Blank, office drone for Pseudo People Inc. This Norman Blank is, maybe, the same Norman Blank from the DC Comics Presents Superman and OMAC (issue 61). However, as that Norman Blank had no lines and was very much a… blank, I decided to give him some characterization. The lack of capital letters in his dialogue is completely intentional, the man never raises his voice.

About Dr. Myra Forest, well, she is an alternate version of Professor Myron Forest, the creator of both Brother Eye and the OMAC process.

I always felt that Kamandi's connection to OMAC was terribly forced. Kamandi's grandfather just didn't look to me as an old Buddy Blank/OMAC. I admit I haven´t read the Kamandi comics, beyond issue 27 or so, in digital form; so I might end up contradicting canon.

As I have said before, the Legion of Superheroes is one of my favorite series ever! It always irked me that there was little continuity between the XXXth Century and the XXth, due to publishing necessities. I mean, it wasn't until the Invasion crossover that we got to see some of the alien races that pervade the Legion time doing something in the modern Earth! And some of the long lived entities are unheard of in the future (Pre-Crisis in Infinite Earths future, I mean)!

Post-Crisis, some characters, like Vandal Savage and Resurrection Man, (seen in DC 1,000,000), Ra's al Ghul (who actually appeared during the Reboot Legion era), have appeared in canon. But others, long lived or legacy characters that should have a presence then, simply aren´t shown, for example, the Spectre, Swamp Thing, the Phantom Stranger… They could be very well still be around in the XXXth/XXXIst Centuries or beyond.

There was a character from the JLA who was about to be shown as part of the supporting cast of the Legion; but it was only hinted, and then shelved. I'm retaking that very same idea here. But that will have to wait a while.

BTW, Darkseid got a big starring role in what could be considered THE definitive Legion story, The Great Darkness Saga; being the first character from the XXth century to actually leave a mark on the XXXth (apart from Superboy and Supergirl, of course). If you haven't read it, sorry for the spoiler! Back in the day it was originally published, the identity of the enemy was revealed at the very end of the story, in part four of five, masterfully done.

The reveal was on par with, say, Vader's secret in The Empire Strikes Back.

It was THAT shocking! I had to close the book after realizing who was the enemy. And then, reread all the previous parts to note the clues that pointed to the big reveal.

The story has been collected several times, but all of them go right for the spoiler in the cover! So, I really don't feel that bad about my own spoiler…

If you haven't read The Great Darkness Saga, do yourself a favor and get it. Any format will do. You'll enjoy it, I'm sure of that.

During the Reboot Era, the story was revisited in the Foundations arc. I´ll eventually reference that version of the story here.

I thought the Quintessence was a really interesting concept. Having the Phantom Stranger, Ganthet (the best known Guardian of the Universe), Zeus (representing the Greek Gods), Highfather (leader of the New Gods from New Genesis), and the wizard Shazam, as a group was mind blowing!

Not using the other Quintessence members in this story would be a waste.
In the flashbacks, the Phantom Stranger still has a long way to go before actually meeting Shinj in person.

BTW, the architecture of Olympus is drawn directly from the way George Perez handled it in his reboot of Wonder Woman. Completely mind-boggling design! M.C. Escher would have tipped his hat to Mr. Perez.

The daughter of Zeus will have a part to play in the future, I´m still working on the how and the when.