Intermission 2: Mind Wars
Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I am doing wrong (to correct it.
Notes, the parenthesis indicates languages other than Japanese, in this case, English.
Tokyo, Japan
Supergirl Museum
"What kind of consequences? He is Superman! He is the best example of a hero, isn't he?" Shinji asked, vehemently.
"He is. Because he holds himself to the highest standard possible." The Phantom Stranger answered. "For Kal-El was raised to be, more than anything else, a good man. For him, Power and Responsability (1) are the same thing."
The Stranger gestured, and the image on the screen faded to black. "Supergirl's story is intricately entwined with, not only Superman's, but also his enemies. Therefore, context is needed to understand her. The most insidious and persistent of all of Superman's enemies was Lex Luthor," (2) The screen lit up again, showing a bald, robust man, wearing an expensive tailor made suit, smiling as he presented some kind of trophy to an unknown man in an off-the-rack three piece suit, wearing glasses and with a surprised expression on his face (3) both posing for the cameras. "Luthor was a venal, petty and self-entitled man. There was nothing he wouldn't do in the name of a little bit more power. He carefully cultivated a façade of a generous philanthropist to hide his true nature. But Superman's arrival deprived him of the title he was most proud of, Favorite Citizen of Metropolis. Even since their first encounter, Luthor dedicated his life to destroy Superman, uncaring of the lives he ruined in the process. However, Hate and Pride always have a steep price. For several months, Luthor wore a ring with a green gem, but it was not a simple trinket. That green gem was a piece of kryptonite, and by wearing it constantly to keep Superman at bay, Luthor poisoned himself. He eventually lost his hand to a very aggressive, untreatable cancer, and that same radiation poisoning would kill him." The Stranger paused. "We will return to Luthor'a desperate actions to cheath Death later."
The image changed again, there was a strange man in the image, wearing a suit that might have been elegant fifty years earlier had it actually fitted him. His long hair unkempt and his eyes red with exhaustion, darting around constantly, as of looking for a route of escape. "This is Milton Fine, also known in the show business as the Amazing Brainiac (4). His circus act would have been a simple matter of cold reading (5) and basic acting; except that Fine really had latent mental powers. He suffered constant migraines, and nightmares about a benevolent scientist who had lost his body testing a teleportation device. In trying to find some relief, Milton Fine drank constantly, weakening himself more and more with each passing year." The man's room was full of booze bottles, most of them empty. A blonde woman berated him, clearly worsening his migraine.
It was obvious that the man drank heavily, Shinji felt a fleeting moment of deja-vu, remembering Misato's place, that first day in her apartment. The Stranger continued. "This state of matters continued until Milton Fine was possessed by a copy of Vril Dox, the supposedly dead scientist of his nightmares, now revealed as a cruel would be conqueror. The combined being kept Fine's stage name of Brainiac."
Superman fought Brainiac in the circus, demolishing stands and tents, while both performers and visitors fled for their lives. Hikari could almost feel the fear of the occupants of the Ferris Wheel, covering her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide open in horror. Superman managed to stop the Wheel from rolling away, and set it down gently on its side. Some bystanders helped to free the scared occupants from their safety bars.
Brainiac was ready to attack Superman, but the blonde woman threw a whiskey bottle to the back of the psychic's head, distracting him for long enough, and Superman knocked him out. "Once subdued, Milton Fine was sent to an insane asylum, to treat what was thought to be nothing more than a meltal breakdown. But not too long after Superman's return from Superboy's world, the Brainiac personality reasserted control over his human host, and escaped from the asylum. He went on a killing spree to obtain human brain fluids. This grisly harvest would serve to stabilize Brainiac's hold over Milton Fine's body (6). Confronted by Superman, Brainiac used his telepathy in an attempt to control the hero, but the rage and grief he carried over the events in the pocket dimension overwhelmed Brainiac's mind, paralyzing his body."
"Luthor's men stole Brainiac, so he could be studied, dissected, and used in Luthor's vendetta." In the flickering light of the projector, they saw a high-tech hospital room, with a much changed Brainiac laying on a platform. Instead of the black suit he wore as a circus performer, his body suffering the effects of a long dependency on alcohol, now he wore a black and pink jumpsuit, had lost much of the flabbiness he carried in the circus, and his long brown hair had been shaved off, except for a top knot. "In this supposedly inert state, Brainiac attacked Superman's mind, trying to force him to release his hidden dark impulses, but Brainiac failed to account for Superman's deep convictions, guilt, and recent trauma." (7)
The scene changed to a dark bedroom, clearly in the middle of the night. Shinji and Hikari saw a powerfully built man toss and turn, a restful night denied to him. "The execution of the three Phantom Zone criminals is not the only weight on Kal-El's soul. Also the deaths of several hundreds of people, the entire population of a little town; whose brains had been collected by a misguided alien, who believed that putting living brains in a disembodied gestalt would save their souls (8)."
He showed them a ship full of glass cylinders, each one containing a human brain, all of them clearly dead, and the grieving figure of Superman, his eyes unfocused by grief and incredulity. "At this point in time, Superman believes the gestalt used his body to disconnect the life support systems that kept their brains alive. He is mistaken. The collective knew Superman would try to keep them alive, and despite his good intentions, the collective longed for release from their existence. They simply paralyzed Superman, while they… ended their suffering."
Hikari looked at the sad scene, gulped, and spoke with barely a whisper. "…That's the same thing SEELE wants…"
"Their means differ, but the goal is alike, Miss Horaki." The Stranger conceded.
She wrapped her arms around her body, as if trying to fend off a cold gust of air. "It's horrible…" she said, closing her eyes. Carefully, Shinji squeezed her shoulder in support.
The trio kept a respectful silence, mourning the deaths and suffering they had witnessed. Finally, Shinji asked, "What happened then?"
"When Superman found out about the Gangbuster persona, he self exiled to space (9), where he wouldn't harm anybody. Eventually, weakened by the lack of yellow Sun energy, the source of his powers, Superman was captured by a petty tyrant, Mongul (10), and forced to fight as a gladiator on Mongul's mobile space fortress, Warworld."
On the screen, Superman fought for his life against a hulking alien gladiator. The hero's blue uniform was gone, and in its place he wore a garment made of leather strips and golden pieces of metal, with the tattered rags of his red cape set diagonally around his torso. His hair and beard grown a couple of inches long. "Superman refused to kill his opponent, Draaga, who believed himself dishonored by Superman's mercy."
"In the end, Superman's example inspired a revolt of slaves, breaking Mongul's hold over Warworld, and he found the help he needed to repair his psyche. A kind alien, known only as the Cleric, had kept a kryptonian artifact for thousands of years; the device was known as the Eradicator, and the Cleric used it to restore Superman's mind. His purpose fulfilled, the Cleric died in peace." (11)
A lonely asteroid floated serenely in deep space, on it, a curiously shaped alien waved goodbye towards Superman's receding silhouette in the distance. A simple headstone marked a grave, Superman's emblem was the only epitaph. "Superman returned to Earth without any other problems, and resumed his life.
"Meanwhile, under Luthor's orders, Brainiac was subject to several surgeries, to turn him into a weapon under Luthor's control. A painful and deadly brain tumor was excised. That tumor was the last refuge of Milton Fine's mind and soul, there was no grave for that unfortunate man."
Hikari looked down in mute sympathy, a tear running down her cheek; while next to her, Shinji trembled in impotent anger. "I hate that guy." He growled.
"Luthor thought himself untouchable by justice." The Phantom Stranger mused. "Still, his legacy, or at least some parts of it, endures to this day. His influence is still felt in the modern world, as his hate for Superman and other heroes led to many scientific breakthroughs. For example, the systems that raise and lower Tokyo-3's buildings were created by Lexcorp scientists, and more than a few components of the Evangelion Units are made by that company."
"So he did something good for the world, after all…" Shinji shook his head.
"Incidentally, yes. But had Superman not appeared, he wouldn't have had any desire to advance the sciences, unless he first profited economically." After a moment, the Stranger continued. "Brainiac turned the tables on Luthor, subverting Luthor's staff and equipment to further his own goals; first and foremost, a renewed body, based on Dox's original body, better suited to handle the mental powers thanks to a series of cybernetic implants connected to his brain."
They saw a different Brainiac, tall, wiry and muscular, with a blonde goatee and green skin. A dome covered the top of his bald head, several strips of metal radiated from the dome, ending on small circular protrusions around his head; the implant followed the vertebrae down his back. "And the second, a space ship, capable of faster than light travel. Luthor would have analyzed that technology, but As Brainiac left no records behind, there was nothing Luthor could use. Brainiac returned to space, and his return would take several months." (12)
"…Kami…" both pilots gasped at the image of Brainiac's ship. It looked like the head of a monstrous robot. Shinji guessed its body would be about the size of an Evangelion, maybe a bit taller; It had a dome made of semitransparent hexagons, its face looked like a robotic skull, supported over a ring of short tentacles, and at the bottom, three big engines lifted the vessel towards the sky.
"Um…" Hesitantly, Hikari raised her hand. "What happened to Supergirl? Was she still recovering?"
"Yes. Superman's adoptive parents took care of her; raising the maleable alien just as if she was a human child. During this peaceful period of her life, Matrix began to grow into the person she was meant to be." In a sharp contrast to the conflicts just seen, they saw Matrix tending to the farm animals, it would have been a very normal image, if not for her bright pink skin and undefined facial features. "And it is here that Supergirl re-enters into Superman's life. By touching the Eradicator, Matrix absorbed many of Superman's memories (), and the experience was so powerful, she came to believe herself the true Superman, assuming a grey and black copy of Superman's uniform. In a misguided attempt to protect her new family from what she saw as an impostor, she fought the true hero, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Finally, Superman calmed Matrix down, who realized she herself had become a threat, and much as Superman had done, Matrix followed his steps into exile, still in the form of the dark Superman." (13)
The screen showed the trail of destroyed buildings, trees, and even an old quarry turned to fragments. Hikari looked sadly at the lonely figure looking at a framed picture in the ruins of a farmhouse. Matrix put the picture back in its place, and flew away, tears in their eyes. She couldn't help but feel pity for the innocent artificial creature. Despite the destruction, Matrix was not malicious, only misguided. She glanced at the Stranger, who nodded minutely at her. His meaning was clear.
"On Earth, Luthor's body began to fail beyond his means to compensate, and he faked his death in an accident, supposedly testing a new aircraft design. In truth, Luthor was taken to a secret base, where his still healthy brain was removed from his body, and implanted into a younger, stronger body; a few differences were made to this new body. He was taller and slimmer, and safe from baldness, a sore spot for such a vain man." (14)
They saw Luthor emerging from a tank, with the body of an athlete, long red hair, and a short beard, without a moustache. His eyes were cold and calculating. Shinji's jaw dropped as he felt an unsettling moment of deja-vu. "He looks like…" he swallowed, "he reminds me of Commander Ikari."
"They do have some things in common." The Stranger noted, "both preferred to keep their bad deeds in the shadows, work through intermediaries, and would not hesitate to do whatever they deem necessary to fulfill their ambitions. Though Luthor had a tendency to sacrifice his subordinates with alarming regularity, something Commander Ikari does rarely."
The image changed to a parade. Luthor, in his new body, smiled and waved at the crowd. "Luthor's people had created a new identity for him, in the guise of a previously hidden son, supposedly raised in secret at the other side of the world, in Australia (15). It took Lex Luthor the Second just a short time to establish himself as Metropolis benefactor, entrenching himself into the social fabric of the city, and even denouncing his "father", privately, to earn the trust of Superman and his allies, especially the press and the police. Meanwhile, In an eerie echo of Superman's exile," the Stranger gestured at the screen, and the scene changed. "Matrix followed his steps, and was captured by the Warworld master, brainwashed into his service." (16)
"Brainiac!" The two pilots gasped as they saw the wiry green man laugh at the ease with which he had controlled Supergirl's mind.
"Indeed. New master and indisputable tyrant of Warworld. Bent on a route to Earth, seeking revenge and conquest."
"However, in his haste to conquer Earth, Brainiac made two crucial mistakes. Warworld's route passed through the Almerac Empire, and attacked the Throneworld itself, to force its ruler, Princess Maxima, into his service."
"Wait," Shinji turned around, facing the Stranger. "Maxima? Wasn't she the one who..?"
"Yes. She tried to force Superman to marry her. Almerac is a warrior nation, and status is achieved via combat. She fought Superman to test his potential as a mate, and father of her dynasty. She was extremely surprised when he rejected her advances. She fought him several times, but now to avenge her bruised ego.
Hikari quoted, in English, "(Heaven has no rage, like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury, like a woman scorned.)"
Shinji's brow furrowed. "Are you sure? I've always heard it as '(Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned)'."
She shrugged, "It's a misquote. I saw a documentary comparing both versions. The original is from a play." (17)
"Can we continue?" The Stranger asked calmly. Shinji had the fleeting impression the man was actually amused.
Both nodded. "During his attack against Almerac, Brainiac captured Metron, one of the New Gods, who sent his Mobius Chair to Earth, to warn the heroes about Brainiac's imminent attack. The chair was an importante resource to coordinate the heroes who would oppose Brainiac. The second mistake was sending his ship ahead, to distract, soften, or even kill Superman. A demoralizing tactic that not only didn't work as Brainiac intended, it provided proof of the oncoming threat. In response, Superman organized all the heroes he could contact." The macabre ship sunk into Metropolis Bay, after a brief but intense attack on the city."
"Though he still mistrusted Luthor, Superman was willing to join forces with him, and used the Lexcorp tower as a meeting point for the heroes who answered to his call."
A powerful group of heroes stood on an empty room at the top of an 'L' shaped skyscraper. It reminded Shinji of the gathering at the Monitor's base. He recognized more than a few heroes, but other es were unknown to him. Excitedly, he pointed them to Hikari, "Look! Those are the Metal Men! Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Captain Marvel, Fire, Ice, Guy Gardner and Rocket Red! I think that's the Crimson Fox! Is that Dr. Fate? I though it was a man (18). That must be the Elongated Man! That's Batman over there! He must think things are really bad if he's away from his own city! They are in the Justice League International! (19) Wonder Woman! The Flash!"
"Wait!" Hikari pointed at a couple in the center of the room, "Those look a bit like Mr. Miracle and M'Raia, from the circus!"
"Yes! They are the original Mr. Miracle and his wife, Big Barda. The ones at the circus are his successor and their daughter!"
Shinji hesitated, "There are others I don't recognize." He scratched his head.
The Phantom Stranger gestured with a hand, and the image went still, the colors fading. As he named them, the heroes recovered their normal color for a few moments. "The Forever People, five earthling teenagers adopted by the New Gods, Mark Moonrider, their leader; Beautiful Dreamer, precognitive; Red Bear, strong and resilient, Vykin the Black, techno wizard; and Serifan, bearer of the Cosmic Cartridges. (20)" He paused, "Agent Liberty (21), former government agent, now independent hero. Kilowog (22), trainer for the Green Lantern Corps; Valor (23), exiled from his planet and with the same powers as Superman; the Thorn (24), dark and violent side to a gentle girl; the original Gangbuster (25), restored to perfect health; Starman (26) bearer of cosmic level power; the Guardian, clone of a 1940s hero; Metamorpho (27), the Element Man, able to change his body into any element or substance contained in a human body; Deathstroke (28), mercenary and killer for hire, and Nightwing (29), formerly Batman's sidekick, now an independent hero, leader of his own heroic group, the New Teen Titans (30). Unfortunately, his fellow Titans were unavailable at this moment."
"That's Robin?" Shinji beamed. It was the first time he would watch his personal hero in action! Inner Robin perked up and began to take extensive notes.
"He was Robin for a long time, yes. But he shed that mantle and grew into his own persona." The Stranger noted. "However, there is one hero missing from that mighty conclave."
They saw as Captain Marvel pointed out the panoramic windows. Outside, Brainiac's ship hovered in plain view, holding an unconscious man in one of its tentacles.
Shinji advanced one step, as if about to jump to help the heroes. "Aquaman!" (31) He said, as the skull-faced ship attacked. A beam of light struck the tower, blowing the windows in an explosion of glass shards. By reflex, both teenagers raised their arms to protect their faces.
Author Notes:
(1) It is quite close to Spider-Man's motto, but without the guilt.
(2) The post-Crisis version of Luthor debuted in a cameo in Swamp Thing issue 52 (Sept, 1986). He was properly introduced in The Man of Steel miniseries, issue 4 (Nov, 1986).
(3) No other than Clark Kent! Receiving the Award. I don't remember the exact issue to be precise about the real name of the award, it is known as the "Baldie" due to its done-like shape.
(4) The pre-Crisis Brainiac was an extremely advanced android, with a penchant for shrinking and bottling cities! He debuted in Action Comics issue 242 (Jul, 1958). The Milton Fine version of Brainiac debuted in Adventures of Superman issue 438 (Mar, 1988).
(5) Cold reading is a technique used by magicians and con men to gain information from their victims by making leading questions (ussually answered with either Yes or No), or discarding possibilities. The game "Guess Who?" Is a simple version of a cold reading.
(6) Adventures of Superman issue 445 (Oct, 1988).
(7) Revealed in Action Comics, issue 647 (Nov, 1989).
(8) Adventures of Superman Annual 1 (Sept, 1987)
(9) The Exile story-arc started in Adventures of Superman, issue 450 (Jan, 1989), and ran sequentially through all three Superman titles in 1989 (Action Comics, Superman, and Adventures of Superman).
(10) Mongul debuted in Adventures of Superman, issue454 (May, 1989); already in control of Warworld. The pre-Crisis version of Mongul debuted in DC Comics Presents, issue 27 (Nov, 1980), looking for the means to control Warworld.
(11) Supermán issue 33 (Jul, 1989)
(12) The Brainiac Trilogy story arc in Action Comics, issues 647 to 649 (Nov, 1989 to Jan, 1990).
(13) Action Comics, issue 644 (Aug, 1989)
(14) Lex Luthor faked his death in Action Comics issue 660 (Dec, 1990)
(15) Lex Luthor the second was first mentioned in Superman, issue 53 (Mar, 1991), and debuted in Action Comics, Issue 670 (Oct, 1992).
(16) The Panic in the Sky story-arc began in Action Comics, issue 674 (Feb, 1992) and ran through the Superman titles until its end in Adventures of Superman, issue 489 (Apr, 1992). It has been collected several times. The most recent not only includes the main storyline, it also includes several issues dealing with the aftermath.
(17) The play in question is The Mourning Bride, by William Congreve. It premiered in 1697.
(18) At this point in time, Dr. Fate is a composite entity, and manifests physically as a woman. Technically, Nabu, the Lord of Order who powers the Dr. Fate form, is asexual.
(19) Before the Panic in the Sky event, the Justice League International had been disbanded and has not yet reorganized as the Justice League of America.
(20) The Forever People debuted in their own title, issue 1 (Mar, 1971)
(21) Agent Liberty debuted in Superman, issue 60 (Oct, 1991)
(22) Kilowog debuted in Green Lantern Corps, issue 201 (Jun, 1986)
(23) Lar Gand, alias Valor, alias M'Onel, debuted some time after the Invasion event, in 1989. So far, I haven't been able to locate the exact issue. His entry in Secret Files and Origins marks his first appearance as Legionnaires Annual 2 (Sept, 1995). Though his Pre-Crisis version debuted with the name Mon-El, in Superboy issue 89 (Jun, 1961)
(24) Thorn debuted in Booster Gold issue 2 (Mar, 1986). Her pre-Crisis version debuted in Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane, issue 105 (Oct, 1970)
(25) Gangbuster debuted in Adventures of Superman, issue 428 (May, 1987).
(26) Starman (Will Payton) debuted in Starman, issue 1 (Oct, 1988). Note: Will Payton was not the first Starman, though I think he was the first to have his own book.
(27) Metamorpho debuted in The Brave and the Bold, issue 58 (Jan, 1965).
(28) Deathstroke, the Terminator debuted in New Teen Titans, issue 2 (Dec, 1980).
(29) Nightwing debuted in Tales of the Teen Titans, issue 44 (Jul, 1984). Though he had a long career as Robin, debuting in Supermán, issue 76 (May, 1952). Note this is the Silver Age Robin. The Golden Age Robin debuted in Detective Comics, issue 38 (Apr, 1940).
(30) The original Teen Titans debuted in The Brave and the Bold, issue 54 (Jul, 1964), the New Teen Titans debuted in an insert in DC Comics Presents, issue 26 (Oct, 1980).
(31) Aquaman debuted in Adventure Comics, issue 211 (Apr, 1955). The Golden Age version debuted in More Fun Comics, issue 73 (Nov, 1941)