The Wedding of Ray Palmer and Jean Loring (JLA #157)

[tcampbell1000]

By request! 11 and 1/3 pages of 34, including one double-paged spread, plus a "scorecard" included in the original comic to make sense of the penultimate image.

The issue begins with the love goddess Mauri, AKA The Siren, at home, before jumping over to the Palmer-Loring couple.





...Wow.

Moving on.





The Siren starts working the classic mind-control Ponzi scheme: take over superheroes' minds, use those superheroes to take over more superheroes, repeat until unopposed. Most of the resulting "action" is more boring than you could possibly imagine, but there is one moment of unintentional comedy involving Aquaman, and one amazing sequence that demonstrates which of the Dibnys is more of a natural fighter.







"I'LL TEAR YOU APART!" Kinda surprised Superman didn't snap out of it then and there, because we all know how into spunkiness he is, and that's a level of grit that would impress Lois Lane herself.





Wait, Vixen? I thought she wasn't even created until 1984!

As you might guess, this confrontation does not go well for the Siren, who ends up shut up with her fellow gods at the bottom of the ocean, never to be mentioned again, not even in WHO'S WHO. Much as I can take or leave the action, there's a nice, not-bad bit of theming here: the hardworking, patient, sometimes painfully unsure love of marriage versus the toxic "love" of crude gods.

But hey, we've still got Ray and Jean in crisis and only a few pages to deliver on the cover's promise of a wedding. However will we do that? Well, like this:






Nobody really likes a long ceremony, am I right?

Comments

[superfangirl1]

That panel composition make it look like Hawkman is a bridesmaid too. lol

So many red flags leading up to the actual wedding. That the spirits of the heroes came out to disapprove everybody judgement choices.

[super_fly]

And never the bride, mores the pity.

[shakalooloo]

And... they're all standing against the back wall of the church? There doesn't appear to be an aisle? The officiant seems to be staning some way away from the happy couple on his holy rondel?

[scorntx]

Wow.
There's so much to unpack about all that...

Starting to get a deeper impression as to why Jean might've had two breakdowns before this story's even started and another one decades later.
(And I'm guessing since this was the... 70s? *checks* 1978. Huh. Later than I'd expected... anyway, since this was 1978 that this was not in fact some subtle deconstruction of the various secret identity shenanigans superheroes had been up to for the last several decades, and the effect it might have on someone.)

Ray only tells Jean his secret the night before their wedding day, in a pretty over-dramatic way rather than sitting down somewhere private with her.
And admits he's been using his alter-ego to boost her career in the hopes she'd marry him at the end of it.
And then when she runs off starts thinking about himself again.
But no, clearly Jean is the one in the wrong for being upset at all this!

It's also a worrying sign that not only are all the bridesmaids superheroes encouraging Jean to forgive Ray for his behaviour, but that all the bridesmaids but one are other superheroes. And that exception is Ray's former assistant.
So apparently Jean has no friends or family? Not even other lawyers? College roommates? Casual acquaintances?
Yikes.

This was an education.
An unnerving and slightly horrifying one, but an education none the less.

(also... I'm really hoping what Hal was wearing was meant to be high fashion in the swingin' 70s, because otherwise... what is he wearing?)

[sabertoothlotus]

WHen the Phanotm Stranger shows up to your wedding, it's probably not a good sign.

[dan_ingram]

"He's like the Watcher, but less obtrusive."

[zachbeacon]

*notices cosmic observer at wedding*

I knew I should have asked for a prenup.

[zachbeacon]

I am 90% sure all of Hal's personal belongings are stuffed in a locker at Ferris Aircraft and that is the nicest thing he had in there.


At least Jean not having any friends means no one is asking why a random professor invited two billionaires, a famous reporter*, a mystery solving couple, a princess, and THE KING OF ATLANTIS. If a head of state showed up at your wedding, I think people are going to want to ask questions.

*Maybe? I feel like Clark's level of celebrity is often inconsistent.

[super_fly]

Why is Superman running with everyone else?
His smashing through the wall pose is super awkward.
Ralph Dibny: Way off from the rest of the team for some reason but still really wanted to be in the group shot.

[lordnorj]

If Siren's power doesn't work on non-humans why is Superman taking her orders?