Now that's a callback I never saw coming.

[thanekos]

So Adventure Comics 11, out this week, had a Robinson backup concerning "Mon-El's final task!"



See, way back in 2003's Human Defense Corps miniseries's second issue, we learnt a little something about the contents of the HDC labs:



(yes, that's a gorilla; the government's got an exchange program or something going on with Solovar's folk.

And as for the aggressiveness... well, let's just say the base's personnel are currently becoming the thralls of a certain mind-control starfish and leave it at that.)

And seven years later in AC#11, after ensuring the composition of the United Planets (and brokering an interesting deal with Jemm, Son of Saturn), he returns to Earth to meet with Jimmy Olsen:



save that same Daxamite:



(hair's the same, and everything. Well played, Robinson, well played.)

and drown a gorilla:



Ah, DC sapient gorillas: either Solovars or Grodds in the end.

Anyhow, he gives her his fixed-up old rocket (turns out she came to Earth following the legend of "Lar Gand, the Wanderer") and watches her take to the skies... and then things play out as inevitably they must.

(and oh yeah, the above slice-ups add up to about two pages.)

Comments

[queenanthai]

See, goddammit, James Robinson can WRITE. I can't figure out how CRY FOR JUSTICE happened.

[dorksidefiker]

Lots and lots of drugs?

[cuntfucius]

Editorial.

[ladyinred52]

It was bet. It had to be. Turn in the biggest shit you can without getting fired.

[01d55]

The terrifying rumors have it that Editorial asked for something even worse and Robinson toned the awful down.

[domino_blue]

I heard talks that they were going to destroy most of the fictional cities in which some of the heroes lives, until Jame Robison said no.

[eamelion]

That's what I heard as well. Every fictional city besides Metropolis and Gotham.

Horrible.

[domino_blue]

That would have been worse I know what they were thinking that not all cities had well distinct identities like Gotham and Metropolis but come on every one? I still think it was a bad idea to nuke Bludhaven.

[ladyinred52]

Not to mention Coast City would have been blown up...AGAIN.

[magus_69]

I've heard that as well, and I find it hard to believe. It would screw over too many superheroes, including Geoff Johns' pets.

[hero_of_lallor]

Good for him, as it is I like the star forest.

[queenanthai]

Yeah, DiDio wanted to kill Mia.

[thatnickguy]

Funnily enough, I probably would have been less pissed if Mia was killed, instead. She's on a limited lifetime, anyway.

[hero_of_lallor]

no, no, no Mia AS WELL

[galateus]

Uh, how so? Being HIV+?

People can live with that for a long time.

[aaron_bourque]

By being a woman in the DCU?

[aaron_bourque]

Then wouldn't Mark Millar have won?

[schala_kid]

Editorial, at first Cry for Justice was going to be an ongoing but then they made it a miniseries and then they told him to add a lot of shit he didn't want to (like Lian's death for example). Then when he got to JLA he wanted to put Mon-El, The Guardian, and Starfire in it but Editorial told him Mon had to go to the Legion and Starfire to R.E.B.E.L.S, and then The Guardian was dropped. So now he replaced Mon with Kara and Starfire with Jade.



.

[shadowpsykie]

Soo who's the blonde?

[kamino_neko]

Random Daxamite woman. No significance beyond the callback and having been inspired by Lar.

[icon_uk]

So will she assume the name Andromeda I wonder?

And gorilla's famously can't swim, they're built wrong for it.

[arbre_rieur]

Well, Robinson does say he reads every single DC Universe title. I guess it shows through in moments like this.

And did Mon-El just leave the gorilla to die? Not very spirit of Superman, that.

[hero_of_lallor]

He disavowed the spirit of Superman with the S costume and decided he wasn't good enough

[karthzon.livejournal.com]

Also, the gorilla deserved to die just for the glee he expressed at "probing" the female Daxamite, never mind actually having done it.

(Seriously, how can that exchange be read any other way?)

[ian_karkull]

The Human Defense Corps has a talking ape as head scientist... even in the DCU, fundamentalists are completely immune to irony.

[kiwibird]

Not just a talking ape, but a talking ape named Dr. Zaius. >.>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vb9fyyzxI4

[kamino_neko]

'Dr Zaius' was just a zinger. His name is Calomar.