CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE 1940S NEWSPAPER STRIP

(PLUS BONUS SPIDER-MAN!)

Writer & Artist: Karl Kesel
Colorist: Ben Dimagmaliw | Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Assistant Editor: Rachel Pinnelas | Associate Editor: Lauren Sankovitch
Editor: Bill Rosemann | Executive Editor: Tom Brevoort
Digital Production Manager: Tom Smith 3 | Digital Coordinator: Harry Go

If there was ever a perfect way to do a webcomic for a superhero, this has to be it. Over the years, going all the way back to their earliest days on America Online, Marvel has engaged in periodic webcomics, but -- to the best of my recollection -- they have most all been done in a regular comic book format, or with silly animated effects. But, someplace in between all that, Karl Kesel found a formula that worked astoundingly well, to the point I don't know why all superhero webcomics aren't done this way! Somewhere around 2009/2010, Kesel wrote and drew a serialized comic strip starring Captain America, which was posted daily at Marvel.com -- and the results are stupendous.

It helps that Kesel has a love for the genre -- he says as much in his afterword to the collected strips, but he needn't have done so. His enthusiasm is fully evident in every daily installment. As readers of this blog know, I've developed quite an interest in newspaper adventure strips myself over the past few years, and for the most part Kesel produces a masterful pastiche of same.

The story, presented as an "arc" in a ongoing strip, sees Captain America and Bucky brought to a top-secret facility where the government is pursuing various means in search of a new type of super soldier. Cap is subjected to a battery of tests, but things go off-track when it appears the Red Skull has infiltrated the base. The FBI's Red Skull expert is called in to investigate, and Cap and Bucky find themselves joining in to get to the bottom of a series of disappearances and apparent acts of sabotage.

SUPERMAN #20 & ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #443

“DOOM IN THE HEARTLAND!”
Story & Pencils: John Byrne | Inks: Karl Kesel & Byrne
Lettering: John Costanza | Coloring: Petra Scotese
Assistant Editing: Renee Witterstaetter | Editing: Michael Carlin
Kibitzing: Paul Kupperberg

The Plot: Jonathan and Martha Kent arrive at Lana Lang’s home, where she reveals Supergirl to them in the back yard. Later, Superman arrives in Smallville and changes to Clark Kent for a picnic with Lana. But soon, he finds himself involved in a battle between the Doom Patrol and Metallo. Lana overhears a radio broadcast and decides Superman is in trouble. She reveals herself as Supergirl and takes of to go aid him.

But Superman defeats Doom Patroller Cliff “Robotman” Steele, who had been under Metallo’s thrall, and the rest of the Doom Patrol helps him to take out the villainous cyborg. Metallo explodes, and though the heroes find most of his parts, his head remains unaccounted for.

Sub-Plots & Continuity Notes: The fates of Jonathan, Martha, and Lana go unrevealed this issue; one moment they’re speaking with Supergirl, then the scene cuts away and “Lana” is actually Supergirl for the rest of the story.

In Metropolis, Maggie Sawyer meets with her medical examiner, who tells her a recently deceased man was “scared to death” while we readers are shown a voodoo doll in the foreground.

SUPERMAN #18 & ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #441

“RETURN TO KRYPTON”
Story: John Byrne | Inks: Karl Kesel | Lettering: Bill Oakley
Coloring: Petra Scotese | Assistant Editing: Renee Witterstaetter
Editing: Michael Carlin | and Special Guest Penciller: Mike Mignola

The Plot: Hawkman and Hawkwoman fly Superman to the former location of Krypton. There, Superman gets into a lead-lined spacesuit and flies outside, where he relives some of Krypton’s past and then hallucinates an alternate timeline in which Jor-El saved the people of his world and brought them all to Earth, only to watch as they enslaved the planet. Ultimately, Jor-El kills nearly all the other Kryptonians with an engineered plague, before coming face-to-face with the final living members of his race: Lara, ruler of Metropolis, and her son by Jor-El, Kal-El. Superman then awakens and the Hawks fly him home, where the Kryptonite radiation has passed.

Sub-Plots & Continuity Notes: During his hallucination, Superman sees Jor-El find a cure for Kryptonite poisoning. Remembering the formula, he attempts to duplicate it after returning to Earth, but finds the resultant mixture inert.

This issue is drawn by Mike Mignola, who had also illustrated the Byrne-scripted WORLD OF KRYPTON mini-series in late 1987.

SUPERMAN #16

“HE ONLY LAUGHS WHEN I HURT!”
Story & Pencils by: John Byrne | Inking by: Karl Kesel
Coloring by: Tom Ziuko | Lettering by: John Costanza | Editing by: Michael Carlin

The Plot: As bizarre occurrences—soap suds falling from the sky and a popcorn storm in the subway—occur in Metropolis, Lois Lane is kidnapped by a man calling himself the Prankster. In actuality Oswald Loomis, a children’s TV host, the Prankster has perpetrated these strange pranks as a way to gain publicity before his show can be canceled. Superman eventually locates Loomis, rescues Lois, and arrests the villain. However, the Prankster escapes custody, crank-calls Lois, and has a good laugh over the day’s events.

Sub-Plots & Continuity Notes: This is the first appearance of the Prankster post-CRISIS. Though I know nothing about the character’s original incarnation, he at least looks pretty much exactly like I remember from an old Superman storybook I had as a child.

Morgan Edge, president of Galaxy Communications, makes his post-CRISIS debut here. My understanding is that pre-CRISIS, Edge was the head of Intergang, Metropolis’s premiere mob as created by Jack Kirby in the pages of JIMMY OLSEN. It’s also my understanding that pre-CRISIS Intergang was supplied with technology by Darkseid. Here, Edge appears to be a media mogul rather than a crime boss, but we do see that he has a connection with Darkseid at one point when the villain visits him in his office to gloat about how well his plan is going.

ACTION COMICS #597 & SUPERMAN #15

“VISITOR”
Writer/Penciler: John Byrne | Inkers: Leonard Starr & Keith Williams
Colorist: Tom Ziuko | Letterer: John Costanza | Editor: Michael Carlin

The Plot: Following the Manhunters’ attack on Earth, Lois Lane travels to Smallville to investigate Lana Lang. She discovers the crashed Manhunter ship on Lana’s property and finds Lana and Superman chatting behind the house. The trio goes inside, where Lois asks Superman point blank if he is Clark Kent. Clark’s parents arrive just then and spin a tale about discovering Kal-El’s rocket and raising the child in secret alongside their son, Clark. Furious, Lois leaves.

Clark shows up at the Smallville Hotel to speak with Lois, but she’s just as angry with him as with Superman. The next morning, Lana approaches Lois and takes her out to lunch to plead Clark’s case. Later, back in Metropolis, Lois visits Jose Delgado in the hospital, and Superman shows up as well. Lois departs, giving the Man of Steel the cold shoulder.

Sub-Plots & Continuity Notes: Lois travels to Smallville for the first time in this issue and meets Lana and Jonathan and Martha while there. Superman and Lana explain the MILLENNIUM storyline to Lois, and she agrees to sit on the story.

SUPERMAN #14 & ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #437

“LAST STAND!”
Story & Pencils: John Byrne | Inks: Karl Kesel
Colors: Tom Ziuko | Letters: John Costanza | Editing: Michael Carlin

The Plot: Superman and Green Lantern pursue the Manhunters’ leader, Highmaster, into another dimension. The heroes are separated and Green Lantern catches up with Highmaster, falling into a ploy to reveal to the villain the location of the Guardians of the Universe. But Superman arrives before Highmaster can kill the Guardians, who recharge Green Lantern’s power ring, allowing him and Superman to work together and defeat Highmaster.

Sub-Plots & Continuity Notes: This issue continues directly from the main MILLENNIUM series, with Superman and Green Lantern as the last heroes standing after all Earth’s other defenders were beaten by Highmaster. The story’s final page advises readers to follow the duo back into the pages of MILLENNIUM for the event’s conclusion.

My Thoughts: Though it’s an issue of SUPERMAN, this feels more like a typical installment of ACTION COMICS, featuring a stand-alone team-up between Superman and another hero. It’s a quick, breezy read (as are many of Byrne’s issues of ACTION), and while it’s decent on its own, one can’t help feeling it’d feel more momentous after reading the prior issues of MILLENNIUM.

But! Superman and Green Lantern use some cool teamwork to beat Highmaster — the Guardians supercharge GL’s ring while Superman zaps the villain with heat vision to change him from yellow to red, thus allowing the ring to actually work on him — and Byrne gets to throw in the Green Lantern oath, which I know I’d certainly want to do if I was featuring the character in a guest spot in my comic.

SUPERMAN #13

“TOYS IN THE ATTIC”
Story & Pencils: John Byrne | Inks: Karl Kesel
Lettering: John Costanza | Coloring: Tom Ziuko | Editing: Michael Carlin

The Plot: An armored truck is robbed by toy soldiers, while Superman arrives at Maggie Sawyer’s office. Two British agents brief Superman and Maggie on W. Percival Schott, a renowned toymaker now out for revenge on the company that let him go. Schott has systematically murdered the various directors of the company with cutting-edge toys, and has now targeted the company’s owner, Lex Luthor. Superman saves Luthor from assassination and locates Schott’s lair, but finds the toymaker gone — apparently kidnapped.

With no leads to pursue, Superman returns to the Daily Planet, where he’s confronted by Lana Lang. Lana reveals herself as an agent of the extraterrestrial Manhunters, and flies back to Smallville with Superman on her trail.

Sub-Plots & Continuity Notes: Though they refuse to reveal their names, the British agents in the opening pages are clearly John Steed and Emma Peel, of THE AVENGERS television series. They note that a British heroine named Godiva, who Superman has apparently met, tried to capture Schott but failed.

Luthor complains to his doctor about pain in his hand; this will eventually be revealed as the onset of Kryptonite poisoning from the ring he wears. Also, as Superman leaves Luthor’s office, he calls attention to the ring, recalling that Luthor wasn’t wearing it in SUPERMAN 10 because he had already placed it inside the Booster Gold robot he set against the Man of Steel in ACTION COMICS 595. And, miraculously, there are actually footnotes to both of these issues!

SUPERMAN #12 & ACTION COMICS #595

“LOST LOVE”
Writer/Penciler: John Byrne | Inker: Karl Kesel
Colorist: Tom Ziuko | Letterer: John Costanza | Editor: Michael Carlin

The Plot: Superman responds to a telepathic summons from a merman named Ronal and arrives at the coast near Metropolis. Ronal asks Superman to tell him about his past with Lori Lemaris, and Superman obliges, explaining how, as Clark Kent, he met Lori, a wheelchair-bound student, while he was in college, and soon fell in love with her. But Lori turned out to be a mermaid and eventually returned to the sea in search of her lost home, Atlantis.

Years later, after meeting Aquaman, Clark learned the location of Atlantis and sought Lori out. But as they embraced, Lori was knifed in the back by a mad fisherman, and Superman raced her to the undersea city. She recovered, but fell in love with her doctor, Ronal, during her convalescence. Some time later, Superman learned that Lori had died defending Atlantis.

Sub-Plots & Continuity Notes: The story is mostly one long flashback, aside from the framing sequence with Ronal. I know Lori Lemaris was a recurring character in the pre-CRISIS Superman comics, but I have no idea how much of this version of her story is newly devised by Byrne.

As noted above, it’s said that Lori perished in defense of Atlantis, but there is no footnote or other explanation detailing where or how this happened.

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #433 & SUPERMAN #11

“GANGWAR PART TWO: A TRAGEDY IN FIVE ACTS”
Dramatized and Choreographed by: Marv Wolfman and Jerry Ordway
Inked by: Bob Smith | Lettered by: Albert de Guzman | Colored by: Anthony Tollin
Edited by: Mike Carlin

The Plot: A series of vignettes follows Jimmy Olson, Lois Lane, Perry White, Jose Delgado, and Lex Luthor though their interactions with Jerry White. First, Jimmy is inside a convenience store when it’s robbed by a gang including Jerry. Superman catches most of the group, but Jerry gets away. Later, Lois visits Jose to find him arguing with Jerry. Jerry leaves to go warn “the boss”, a portly older man, that Lois was spying, but Superman interrupts their meeting before the boss can have Jerry beaten.

Later still, Lois presents a story to Perry White which includes reference to Jerry as a member of the gangs that have recently plagued Metropolis. Perry goes to visit his son in prison, but Jerry gives him the could shoulder. After being escorted to a darkened room, Jerry is harassed by a gang of inmates, but Superman appears and saves him—however, at some point after the Man of Steel departs, Jerry is beaten anyway.

As Lex Luthor receives a humanitarian award, Jose Delgado accosts him. Luthor’s private security catches up with Jose and prepares to kill him, but Superman intervenes. Later, Luthor meets with one of his scientists about Project Synapse, a plan to create a “super soldier” to challenge Superman, but declares the project a failure when only one of the test subjects survives.

SUPERMAN #10

“THE SUPER MENACE OF METROPOLIS”
Story & Pencils: John Byrne | Inks: Karl Kesel
Coloring: Tom Ziuko | Lettering: John Costanza | Editing: Michael Carlin

The Plot: At the Daily Planet, Clark Kent’s X-Ray vision acts up, followed by his heat vision. He hurries out of the building and into the sky, where he’s attacked by a being calling itself Klaash. Superman battles Klaash, but his malfunctioning powers lay waste to Metropolis in the process.

Finally, when he realizes that Klaash isn’t visible to anyone other than him, Superman deduces that Lex Luthor has been using a satellite to make his powers act up. He disables the satellite and returns to Luthor, than brings Luthor to Maggie Sawyer for questioning—but when Luthor’s attorney reveals that the satellite and Klaash project were manufactured legally as part of a government contract, and when Luthor accepts partial responsibility for the incident and promises to repair all damages, Maggie has no choice but to let him go.

Sub-Plots & Continuity Notes: Clark recalls that his battle with Rampage was ten days ago, and wonders if all the excess energy he absorbed from her is the cause of his power fluctuations.

For those keeping track of time passage, recall that three days passed at the end of the Rampage issue, during which the “Pocket Universe Saga” took place. Which means that in the past seven days, Superman has (at least according to the story order presented in the MAN OF STEEL trade paperbacks) fought the Fearsome Five, teamed up with the Metal Men, battled Doctor Stratos, fought the Joker, been involved with Luthor's plot to turn troubled teens into a criminal army, and been captured by Sleez. But of course, a week passed during the Fearsome Five story, which presumably means all this other stuff took place in between the cracks of that story, even though none of it was mentioned (since it hadn't happened yet).

SUPERMAN #9 (BACKUP STORY)

It was brought to my attention by reader David P. in the comments to this past Monday's look at SUPERMAN #9 that I had not covered the issue's backup story, "Metropolis 900 Mi". I admitted that the Joker story felt a bit short to me when I read it, but I didn't actually go back to count pages and verify. Well, it turns out that this popular tale was inexplicably omitted from the MAN OF STEEL vol. 6 collection reprinting the issue! Not cool, DC. Not cool at all.

Anyway, I managed to find scans of all seven pages online, so here in a special Wednesday bonus post is the missing material from Monday's review:

“METROPOLIS 900 MI”
Story & Pencils: John Byrne | Inks: Karl Kesel
Letters: John Costanza | Colors: Tom Ziuko | Editors: Michael Carlin & Andrew Helfer

The Plot: At a small diner called Ralli's, nine hundred miles outside Metropolis, Lex Luthor presents a waitress named Jenny with an offer to move to the city with him for a month in exchange for one million dollars. Jenny chews Luthor out, but he tells her he'll be waiting in his car outside for ten minutes. The other waitresses discuss the offer with Jenny and, in their own ways, suggest she take it. Jenny makes a phone call to her husband, but hangs up before telling him anything -- then she's told by another waitress that Luthor has left before the ten minute deadline expired.

Sub-Plots & Continuity Notes: Luthor brags that he owns "ninety percent of the state" as he hits on Jenny. He also says that he's had eight wives -- something mentioned previously by Lois in THE MAN OF STEEL, but which I think I forgot to note here at the time.

At the story's conclusion, Luthor orders his driver, Cynthia, to return him to Metropolis and "Project Overload", which we'll learn more about when we get to SUPERMAN #10 in a couple weeks.

SUPERMAN #9 & ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #432

“TO LAUGH AND DIE IN METROPOLIS”
Story & Pencils: John Byrne | Inks: Karl Kesel
Letters: John Costanza | Colors: Tom Ziuko | Editors: Michael Carlin & Andrew Helfer

The Plot: A fake Superman robs the Metropolis Diamond Exchange. When Superman responds to the robbery, the imposter reveals itself as a robot with a nuclear bomb in its chest. Superman flies the robot into space, where it explodes, then returns to Metropolis to find that the Joker was behind the robbery. Joker calls on Superman with Jimmy Olsen’s signal watch, revealing that he’s captured, Jimmy, Perry White, and Lois Lane, and is holding them hostage in lead-lined coffins around the city. But Superman easily determines the coffins are empty, then tracks down the Joker, saves his friends, and brings the Clown Prince of Crime to jail.

Sub-Plots & Continuity Notes: Clark receives a package in the mail at the Daily Planet, containing his mother’s scrapbook which was stolen by agents of Lex Luthor in issue 2. Soon after, in Smallville, Lana Lang is approached by a strange probe which knocks her out.

Upon returning to Earth after disposing of the bomb, Superman attempts to fly and falls flat on his face, furthering the sub-plot about his powers periodically acting up.

Maggie Sawyer puts in an appearance, allowing Superman to explain to her that he and Batman are not friends. Moments later, Superman notes that Jimmy created his signal watch himself, and muses that the young man is destined for great things.

ACTION COMICS #590 & SUPERMAN #8

“BETTER LIVING DYING THROUGH CHEMISTRY”
Story & Pencils: John Byrne | Embellisher: Dick Giordano
Letters: John Costanza | Colors: Tom Ziuko | Editors: Michael Carlin & Andrew Helfer

The Plot: The creature called Chemo is reborn at a chemical plant in Metropolis, and assaults the Metal Men at their headquarters. Superman becomes involved, and together the Metal Men and the Man of Steel defeat their foe.

Sub-Plots & Continuity Notes: Incredibly, this issue features the first appearance of Lois Lane in post-CRISIS ACTION COMICS — and also the first appearance of Clark Kent in anything more than a brief flashback!

Reference is made to the CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS, as it’s noted that Chemo somehow existed in multiple universes pre-CRISIS, and this version of the creature is apparently an amalgamation of those various incarnations.

Superman knows the Metal Men and has also encountered Chemo before.

Metal Man Tin explodes near the end of the issue, and the group’s creator, Doctor Will Magnus, refuses to rebuild him. A note on the final page says to watch for upcoming Metal Men announcements, so presumably this was all resolved in a mini-series or relaunched ongoing or something.

My Thoughts: Well, it’s another stand-alone team-up issue, as I’ve come to expect at this point. I know literally nothing about the Metal Men — I’m pretty sure this is the very first comic I’ve ever read featuring them — but they seem kind of cool, though possibly a bit overly “Silver Age-y” by the standards of the eighties. (Not that I’m complaining; I like Silver Age-y and I like what I’ve seen of the Metal Men — they just feel a little out of place next to Byrne’s other stories from this era.)

SUPERMAN #5 & #6

“THE MUMMY STRIKES” | “THE LAST FIVE HUNDRED”
Writer/Penciler: John Byrne | Inker: Karl Kesel
Colorist: Tom Ziuko | Letterer: John Costanza | Editors: Andrew Helfer & Michael Carlin

The Plot: (Issue 5) Clark Kent arrives at the Daily Planet to learn that Perry White has lost contact with Lois Lane in South America. Clark leaves, changes into Superman, and flies to the archaeological site where Lois is on assignment. There, he learns that the research team has uncovered evidence of a civilization which predated mankind. As they explore the subterranean site, a giant mummy comes to life and attacks. Clark separates himself from the group and fights back, eventually shutting the mummy down, then feigns injury as Lois and the archeologists find him.

(Issue 6) Clark awakens to find that Lois and all the archeologists have been possessed by representatives of an ancient race which lived on Earth prior to humanity. These beings now plan to resume their rule of the planet, and the “mummy” is actually robot built to house their five hundred minds. Clark changes to Superman and the robot attacks. He fights against it and the ancient minds possessing Lois and the others return to the robot to aid its battle.

Superman eventually realizes the covetous creatures will fight over his body if he feigns defeat, and when they do so, the robot explodes. In the aftermath, Superman flies Lois home, assuring her that he already returned Clark to Metropolis.

SUPERMAN #4

“BLOODSPORT!”
Writer/Penciler: John Byrne | Inker: Karl Kesel
Colorist: Anthony Tollin | Letterer: John Costanza | Editors: Andy Helfer & Mike Carlin

The Plot: A maniac calling himself Bloodsport shoots up a diner occupied by Jimmy Olsen, who summons Superman to help — but by the time the hero arrives, Bloodsport is gone. Superman tracks Bloodsport to a bowling alley, where the madman is on another spree. Superman nearly stops Bloodsport until a new gun materializes in his hand and tags the Man of Steel with a Kryptonite bullet. Jimmy arrives and gets Superman to the hospital, where doctors remove the Kryptonine shrapnel.

Meanwhile, Lex Luthor, the man behind Bloodsport’s weaponry, realizes his experiment has gone haywire and dispatches his men to deal with the crazed vigilante. Superman catches up with Bloodsport first, but the latter’s weapons are still too much for the Man of Steel to handle alone. Luthor’s security forces soon arrive, but Bloodsport makes quick work of them as well. Finally Superman realizes Bloodsport is teleporting his guns in from another location and disables the teleporter by ionizing the air around the villain.

Bloodsport is about to kill himself and destroy ten blocks of Metropolis with a bomb when Jimmy arrives, having deduced Bloodsport’s true identity based on his words and the fingerprints on one of his guns. With Jimmy is Bloodsport’s brother, Michael. He convinces Bloodsport to stand down, and the massacre ends at last.

LEGENDS #5 & #6

“LET SLIP THE DOGS OF WAR!” | “FINALE”
Plotter: John Ostrander | Scripter: Len Wein
Penciler: John Byrne | Inker: Karl Kesel w/Dennis Janke (issue 6 assist)
Letterer: Steve Haynie | Colorist: Tom Ziuko | Editor: Mike Gold

The Plot: (Issue 5) Billy Batson sees a girl he had befriended hit by debris from a riot and finally changes back into Captain Marvel. Moments later, he’s spirited away by Doctor Fate. In Star City, Fate grabs Black Canary. He plucks Guy Gardner from Los Angeles, then the Blue Beetle from Chicago. In Gotham City, Fate grabs Batman. In New York, Captain Boomerang is captured by a gang of Gordon Godfrey’s rabid followers, and Fate takes Flash and Changeling before they can pursue. Finally, Doctor Fate appears in the White House as Superman confers with President Reagan and Vice President Bush. He grabs the Man of Steel as well, and they depart.

Elsewhere, G. Gordon Godfrey stirs up his mob in Metropolis and shows off the captive Captain Boomerang on TV. Amanda Waller orders Task Force X to either rescue or kill Boomerang before he blows the cover off their team. In Washington, D.C., Godfrey continues to speak to his followers, until Doctor Fate arrives with his team. On Apokolips, Darkseid prepares for the final act of his plan, while in Gotham City, a determined Robin leaves his hospital room.

(Issue 5) On Apokolips, Darkseid and the Phantom Stranger continue their chat, while on Earth the heroes battle Godfrey’s war dogs, soon augmented by a troop of parademons from Apokolips. Godfrey snags Doctor Fate’s helmet and makes a run for it, while not far away, the Suicide Squad rescues Captain Boomerang. Meanwhile Wonder Woman appears to help Guy Gardner against a war dog, while human agents of Godfrey storm the White House and attempt to assassinate the president — but J’onn J’onzz impersonates the commander-in-chief to thwart the intruders.

Eventually all the otherworldly threats are eliminated and the heroes are left to face Godfrey’s foaming mob. But the arrival of a number of children, spared from Godfrey’s power of suggestion, causes the adults’ frenzy to waver and wear off. Desperate, Godfrey dons Doctor Fate’s helmet, hoping to use its power to save himself, but it instead overwhelms him, reducing him to a gibbering mess.

In the aftermath, the gathered heroes decide to re-form the Justice League, while on Apokolips, Darkseid vows that his war against Earth’s legends is not over.

LEGENDS #3 & #4

“SEND FOR… THE SUICIDE SQUAD!” | “CRY HAVOC!”
Plotter: John Ostrander | Scripter: Len Wein
Penciler: John Byrne | Inker: Karl Kesel
Letterer: Steve Haynie | Colorist: Tom Ziuko | Editor: Mike Gold

The Plot: (Issue 3) On Earth, civilian aggression toward superheroes increases, while on Apokolips, Darkseid continues his conversation with the Phantom Stranger. The Flash and Changeling leave Titans’ Tower despite a presidential order for superhumans to sequester themselves. Meanwhile, Task Force X is assembled to attack Brimstone at Mount Rushmore.

While Jason Todd recuperates at Gotham Hospital, Billy Batson continues to mope over what he believes to be his role in the “death” of Macro Man. At Mount Rushmore, Brimstone kills Task Force X member Blockbuster, but his distraction allows the rest of the team to defeat the monster. On Apokolips, Darkseid prepares to release his War Hounds on Earth.

(Issue 4) In Star City, Black Canary tussles with Count Vertigo. In Gotham City, Batman ends a killing spree by the Joker. In Los Angeles, Guy Gardner stops Ms. Magnificent and her Pretty Boys from carrying out a jewelry heist. In Chicago, Blue Beetle thwarts a robbery by Chronos the Time Thief. In Salem, Massachusetts, Kent Nelson transforms into Doctor Fate and leaves his sanctum. In Washington, Rick Flag releases Deadshot and Captain Boomerang from Task Force X, and Boomerang promptly leaves. In Gotham, G. Gordon Godfrey incites a mob and requests volunteers to become Warhounds. In New York, the Flash and Changeling stop Captain Boomerang from carrying out a robbery.

And on Apokolips, Darkseid and the Phantom Strange continue to discuss the fall of the Earth’s Legends. When the subject of Superman comes up, Darkseid fires his Omega beams to Earth on a mission to transport the Man of Steel to Apokolips.

LEGENDS #1 & #2

”ONCE UPON A TIME…!” | “BREACH OF FAITH!”
Plotter: John Ostrander | Scripter: Len Wein | Penciler: John Byrne | Inker: Karl Kesel
Letterer: Steve Haynie | Colorist: Tom Ziuko | Editor: Mike Gold

The Plot: (Issue 1) On the planet Apokolips, the warlord Darkseid makes plans to destroy Earth’s superheroes. On Earth, a monster called Brimstone appears in New York and battles Firestorm, the Nuclear Man. Meanwhile, the Flash knocks out a criminal named Deadshot, then heads to Titans’ Tower to visit with Changeling. Elsewhere, Captain Marvel fights a rampaging Macro Man and inadvertently kills him, while in Washington D.C., Colonel Rick Flag is assigned the leadership of a team called Task Force X. Back in New York, Brimstone catches the attention of the time-traveling Cosmic Boy, who is quickly joined in fighting him by the Justice League of America.

(Issue 2) As the police clean up Macro Man’s remains, anti-superhero crusader G. Gordon Godfrey appears on the scene and begins to sway the populace into an anti-hero sentiment. On Apokolips, Darkseid reveals that Macro Man was actually his henchman Doctor Bedlam, who never died in the first place. Darkseid chats with the visiting Phantom Stranger about the nature of legends. On Earth, the Justice League fights Brimstone but is defeated. Elsewhere, Deadshot is recruited for Task Force X, while in Gotham City, Batman and Robin thwart an armed robbery, but Robin is set upon by a gang of enraged civilians.

In Chicago, the Blue Beetle is accosted as well, while Green Lantern Guy Gardner saves an airliner from crashing, only to be greeted by discontent from people on the ground. At Titans’ Tower, the Flash and Changeling speak with Cosmic Boy, while the villainous Professor Ivo plans revenge elsewhere. In Washington D.C., President Reagan informs Superman that until the anti-hero sentiment passes, he will order all superheroes “grounded”. Meanwhile, in Gotham, the police find Robin’s battered carcass after dispersing the people who had attacked him.