The living trophies of the Fortress of Solitude

[galateus]

Following up on the Bronze Age tour of the fortress of solitude, here are the silver age debuts of some of Superman's weirder living trophies from that post.

Apparently, by the Bronze Age Superman had named this adorable, yet dangerous little guy the 'bravado beast'. He'd also quit calling it his pet and started keeping it locked in a tiny glass cage with all the others, and would "just as soon donate [it] elsewhere". Which is hopefully not a euphemism.

The Martian dancing plant being an extra-galactic spore is new information, just like the Venus butterfly being from Betelgeuse.

I don't know why Superman didn't include the lightless flower from the dark world in his tour down memory lane; he included just about everything else alive from these issues. Perhaps something terrible has happened to it? (Probably Lois. She just wanted to see what it *looks* like...)

And suddenly, Supergirl changed outfits at super-speed to green.

tags:

era: silver age, char: superman/clark kent, char: supergirl/kara zor-el, char: lois lane, title: superman's girl friend lois lane, title: action comics

Comments

[darkblade]

Those must be big aliens to use a coin the size of Superman's head.

[icon_uk]

You'd think, but remember this entry on currency from "The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy."

"The exchange rate of 8 Ningys to one Galactic PU is simple enough. However, since a Ningy is a triangular rubber-coin ,6800 miles along each side, no one has ever collected enough to own one PU. Besides which, if you did ever own enough, you would have a great deal of trouble exchanging them, as most banks refuse to deal in small change.""

[darkblade]

Now I'm sad about losing Douglas Adams again. :(

[auggie18]

Is it just me or is the Supergirl in the panel where she uses her x-ray vision to see the flower identical to the last panel Supergirl, sans the girl?

I would love to see some of these guys in the modern age. Particularly the Bravado Beast.

[jlroberson]

"Hey Sinestro? You got a pet?"
(Sneers) "Pet? I have no need for--"
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY."

[jlroberson]

Basically, SA Superman considered anything non-humanoid to be a potential pet. Now I'm wondering about the logistics of his bringing them back. And the first few, where he forgot they don't breathe oxygen.

[darkblade]

Now I'm imagining Hal taking him to Oa on somekind of superhero business and he tries taking the whole Green Lantern Corps home as pets.

[jlroberson]

"Wow! You dressed up a chipmunk in a GL outfit! Can I have it? Can I can I?"

[darkblade]

"And one of those funny bald things in the robes."

[jlroberson]

"Let's go, Kal."
"But--but--it's the perfect blue to go with my Xylonian One-Eyed Blue Beast."
"The what?"
"Xylonian One-Eyed Blue Beast. Caught him last week. He's adorable. Eats right from my hand."
"That--that was the president of Xylon. You KIDNAPPED him! Now they're having a civil war! That was YOU?"
"Oh come on, Hal, he had twelve legs. Next you'll be telling me this fly on my neck is a Green Lantern."
"NO DON'T--"
SMACK

"...What?"
"Let's just...go."

[darkblade]

"Come on now you're going to make me set my mating pair of Thanagarian Hawks free."
"...Thanagarian Hawks? You kidnapped the Hawks? Damnit Kal! Aren't you supposed to be a hero or something?"

[autumn_lily]

Considering it's Hal he's talking to, he'd probably ask to see some type of footage...

[box_in_the_box]

And then: tentacle rape.

[darkblade]

It's only rape if Lois didn't expressly beg Superman to let his pet do that with her first. Which we all know she did.

[jlroberson]

And then from the next room, Superman then hears, "OOPS! I broke it!" and wanders back in dread.

He was still smarting from having to explain to the people of Kandor the bottle-dropping incident.
http://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/448172.html

[darkblade]

Why do you think they all bare such grudges against him on New Krypton?

[jlroberson]

"Oh right, you're the one that kept us like an ant farm and let your girlfriend bat the bottle around. Yeah. Guys? Everyone look REALLY HARD at him."

[lamashtar]

Once you've seen one, I think anybody would want their own tiny city in a bottle..

[autumn_lily]

Nah, she'd dress up as the monster so that way she'd have Superman exactly where she's always wanted him. And after, she'd force him to marry her.

[pallas_athena]

Tentacular threesome, by the look of it!

[kamino_neko]

That metal-eating monster could be useful...sic it on Luthor...let it eat his armour...and his stores of kryptonite, then laugh merrily as the now-naked Luthor is hauled off, ranting like a madman.

[psychopathicus_rex]

I was thinking it could be useful as a sort of bomb-sniffing dog. If it's so fond of Kryptonite, Supes could take it along in situations where encountering Kryptonite was likely - then, if they DID find some, he'd just go 'Oh, look! Who's that Kryptonite treat for? Is it for YOU? Yes, it IS! Who's a good li'l Metal-Eater, then? Who is it? It's YOU, yes it is! Eat hearty, boy!' Then he'd let him off the leash, and CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP MNYUMYUMYUM. No more Kryptonite.

[iskander]

Hmmm, still no "living wheel". I will have to dig that out.

[mystery]

I checked for that one, too! I have it somewhere if you don't. Or maybe it's an additional appearance. Can't get enough of that poor living wheel!

[psychopathicus_rex]

One wonders why Supes would keep the Bravado Beast running loose, given that, y'know, HE'S ALWAYS WEARING YELLOW. I mean, he's never in his Clark Kent togs in the Fortress - it's always the Superman outfit, and it's not like he can count on Lois always being there to act as a human shield. True, it's not something he has to WORRY about - he's Superman; it can't hurt him - but you'd think he'd grow tired of getting attacked all the time.
Also, having read the earlier post, I note that he trades up Metal-Eaters as time goes on. There's a Kryptonian beast called a Metal-Eater that he encounters in an earlier (I think) story, and those appear to be what the latter kind are, but here, they're something entirely different.