Brainiac 1983 Part 3 of 3: "Showdown!"

[skjam]

To recap from the previous two posts, Brainiac has unexpectedly mutated from a green-skinned humanoid to a skull-faced robot bent on destroying Superman because it's his best path to killing God. He destroys a couple of planets and brainwashes the survivors into being his warriors. Superman himself barely escapes alive after being depowered, captured and vivisected.

Now we turn to the final chapter of this revamp, Action Comics #546 (7 pages of 23), with special guest stars The New Teen Titans and the Justice League of America.





We open in the Fortress of Solitude, where Superman is consulting his SuperComputer, for all the good it's doing him. It just keeps giving him "insufficient data" messages. But if Superman had sufficient data, he wouldn't need to consult the computer.



Superman reminds himself and the reader as he flies to Metropolis that not only is Brainiac a serious threat now, but Vandal Savage has been engaging in a war of nerves with the Man of Steel. Supes sure could use some relaxing time as Clark Kent right now.

But that bath will have to wait, as Jimmy Olsen is ringing the doorbell of Clark's apartment. He has a message from Morgan Edge, as Clark hasn't been answering his phone. Seems that Lana Lang is about to start her live Mid-East interview and Edge wants WGBS news anchor Clark Kent on hand to hold down the home desk. (The Perry White subplot is not mentioned.) Jimmy mentions that Clark's been kind of erratic in his work attendance lately, and Edge already fired Steve Lombard, wouldn't want that to happen to you. Clark isn't so sure about that.

At the TV studio, Morgan Edge complains about Clark Kent's habit of disappearing without notice or explanation beyond "it's personal", and threatens Clark's salary. Clark suddenly drops the mild-mannered act, informs Edge that he likes neither having fingers pointed in his face nor being threatened, and that he is leaving because there's something more important that he has to do. Edge threatens to demote Kent to the Little League beat, but the reporter is already out the door. Faced with a management decision, Edge puts Jimmy Olsen in the anchor spot for this emergency. (Apparently, Jimmy does fine as we don't hear back on this.)

In the nearby storage closet, Clark changes to Superman. Good as it felt, the real reason he snapped at Edge is because he's spotted Brainiac's ship headed to Earth with its contingent of alien warriors. This time, Superman's going to need help, and he spells "help" J-L-A. On the Justice League satellite, Superman finds Barry (Flash) Allen and Wally (Kid Flash) West discussing Wally's future. Wally wants to stay a Titan full time, but worries it will interfere with college. Barry's all for college, but knows that Wally has to make his own decisions. Superman informs them that he needs the JLA ASAP, and Wally offers the Titans' services as well. Superman agrees, saying "I'd use Bozo the Clown if he'd help." Sadly, Bozo is on a mission to the Q-83 dimension, so it's just the New Teen Titans. Good thing they all happen to be hanging around Titans Tower in case Wally needed help on his history finals.



Since Marv Wolfman was also writing the New Teen Titans at this point (and they were huge back then), we may presume all of them are in character here. Starfire notes that the Citadel was able to fight off Brainiac, and since Superman is more competent/powerful than all of them put together, shouldn't he be able to do the same? Superman explains the "upgrade" issue. Oops, looks like Brainiac's arrived, and his first target is New York City.

It's go time! While our heroes realize that the alien warriors are brainwashed victims of Brainiac, they can't worry about that right now, stopping them has to take priority. The assembled heroes kick butt. But the real issue is Brainiac in his headship. Starfire decides that a frontal assault is a good idea, forgetting about the force shields that are Brainiac's stock in trade. Her starbolts simply bounce back at her. Good thing Wally is there to break her fall by spinning really fast.




Cut to the home of xenophobic military man humble farmer Sam Lane and his wife Ella in Pittsdale. Their daughter Lois Lane is visiting, and Sam calls her into the living room because Lana Lang (who they refer to as "that girl") is on television. It turns out that Lana's interviewing Ali Kyamm and Prime Minister Ben-David together, an unprecedented coup. Except that Lois was the one who set it up for herself to do. Now Lois understands! Superman tricked her into coming here to the farm so that Lana could steal her story! "That miserable witch!" Lois bursts into tears.

Back to Superman, who arrives at the Fortress of Solitude. The SuperComputer is still out, but this time Superman is able to pick up an electromagnetic anomaly and realizes the trouble is caused by sunspots. Oh yeah, he dumped those red-sun torpedoes into the yellow sun last issue. But that gives him an idea.



Note the subtle foreshadowing.

Superman flies into space, and Brainiac follows, knowing that the Man of Steel would hardly just cut and run from his favorite planet.

Back on Earth, Flash falls to a stray shot. Just a flesh wound, though. Starfire goes berserk, and the Wonder Sisters realize this combat is only buying time unless Superman can come up with something.

Out in space, Brainiac snags Superman with a tractor beam. Supes realizes he won't be able to break free in time, so he reverses course directly at Brainiac's ship. If the force shields aren't raised, he can break right through the hull and smash Brainiac that way.




Brainiac warps the hell out of Dodge on randomizer so that Superman can't follow him. But it's still a victory of sorts, and it was brought to you by spinning around really fast. Superman thinks about putting additional circuitry in the Fortress to detect Brainiac and shield against sunspots.

Back on Earth, Superman congratulates Wonder Woman, who's standing on a heap of defeated warriors. She humbly does not take credit, the aliens just suddenly stopped fighting. Turns out the brainwashing wore off when Brainiac left the solar system. Superman assures the aliens he'll find someplace to for them to live. Although Brainiac will surely return, the heroes will try to be ready for his next attack.



Your thoughts and comments?

suggested tags
char: Brainiac
char: Changeling/Gar Logan
char: Firestorm/Ronnie Raymond
char: Hawkman/Katar Hol
char: Raven/Rachel (?)
char: Superman/Clark Kent
char: Terra/Tara Markov
char: Wonder Girl/Donna Troy
char: Wonder Woman/Diana Prince
char: Zatanna Zatara
creator: Gil Kane
creator: Marv Wolfman
group: Justice League
group: Teen Titans
publisher: DC Comics
title: Action Comics

Comments

[theanswer]

And now the modern Brainiac can be defeated simply by dropping him in an icky pond full of germs.

[hatman]

There's no problem that can't be solved by spinning around really fast!

Except, of course, for that computer problem. Which, I have to say, is impressive. Superman's computers are so advanced, they created the Microsoft BSOD in 1983!

[cmdr_zoom]

And the actual terms used for what he's doing are about as accurate as, say, TRON (from the same year).

[theanswer]

Cyborg's inner thoughts: "Awful lot of honkies... I sure hope some kind of editorial hammer diversifies this cast."

*flash some 20 years later to Brightest Day*

Cyborg's inner thoughts: "God damn it."

[skjam]

Almost every person in that splash panel has been dead at some point between now and then, but the only one who's currently dead is Katar Hol. (His memories surviving in Carter Hall don't count.)

And only one of the people in that panel is an active Justice Leaguer as of this writing!

[kamino_neko]

And it's not even one of the ones who's a Leaguer in this panel.

[ulf_boehnke]

I am a bit tired, but I think this is the first time that I've noticed that "Katar Hol" sounds like "Carter Hall".

I can't be that dense, can I?

[skjam]

Nah. It just was never important to know. Especially after that whole continuity snarl hit.

[ulf_boehnke]

I guess that must be it. Thanks.

[skjam]

Oh, and the Justice League didn't get its first black member until shortly after, with the advent of the Detroit League. (Also its first Hispanic member and (depending on the writer) first Roma member.)

[btravage]

Last time I checked this isn't Europe. Here Roma are just considered white.

[thatnickguy]

Heh, okay, I laughed at that. Although, I don't entirely agree. I think Vixen, Steel and the entire cast of the Milestone universe would like to have a word with you.

[theanswer]

They would if they were being used. ;)

[skjam]

Steel was in War of the Supermen (but his daughter had a bigger part), and Static was in Where Young Heroes Go To Die Teen Titans until recently. Vixen I'll give you as back on the shelf for the last half-year or so, along with the rest of Milestone.

[thatnickguy]

Heh, touche. =p

[halloweenjack]

I really love that cover, with Superman's cape looking like wings.

[jkcarrier]

Ah, I remember the days when it was actually a rare treat to see a bunch of heroes teamed up like this. Love that art! Gil Kane was like 100 years old when he drew this, and still kicking ass.

The dialogue on that "meet and greet" page is kind of clunky.
Zee: So hey, Raven, last time I saw you, your dad was trying to destroy the universe. How'd that work out?
Raven (in "Teen Titans Go!" voice): FINE.

And what's up with poor Ollie, stuck in the corner there behind the machinery? Looks like Kane forgot to draw him, and somebody went in afterwards and added him in.

[tacobob]

He was only 57 at the time! He wasn't that old! :D I got to meet the guy about a year or so before he passed on. What a classy guy! Before he signed my book (An rather old GL book he did..I think it was issue #16 or something.) he did a quick scan of some books he was about to sign. He noticed the date and SIGHED ever so dramatically..As in going, "MAN! I'm Old!"

One thing I didn't know that he's from freaking Latvia! He's from the country DOOM built!* I better check his Marvel stuff. Bet it was all PRO-DOOM.






*Yeah yeah, I know. Doom's country is Latveria*

[xammax]

Odd. Maybe I missed the explaination; but how in a JLA/Teen Titans team up are neither Robin nor Batman there?

[star_of_airdrie]

thinking the same thing - a father/son camping trip perhaps?

[skjam]

Robin's there--you can see him on the cover just below Superman's thigh. I just didn't happen to pick any of the pages that featured him. (Likewise, Terra only appeared on that one page I posted, we have to presume that she was hanging out off-panel up till then.)

Batman, on the other hand, is off leading the Outsiders and will not officially return to the Justice League until partway through the Detroit period.

[xammax]

Ahhh your right there he is. As for Batman makes perfect sense. Although it sadly denies me my wish to see a conversation between Starfire and Batman. The woman his son loves, and the man she blames his (Dick) fault upon.

Admit it you want to read it too.

[star_of_airdrie]

of course we do... there are hours of interesting things to be said there

[tacobob]

Remember, this is the time before Bats was useful in epic battles like this. I think it Crises where everyone else was fighting the Antimonitor and he was stuck with the lame heroes (Dolphin, Robin, Gypsy, etc) and he was there to offer the others HOPE. Big whoop. He could of at least brought some chips..and some Sprite.

(Someone posted this pic before..Just forgot where it's at.)

the eighties.

[nefrekeptah]

Needless thought balloons shoehorned in otherwise dynamic fight scenes, people describing what they are doing as they do it, really bad pseudo-science, and a supremely overpowered Superman.

These are all the things from old DC comics that I don't miss.

[saralakali]

Note the subtle foreshadowing.

Were you referring to Terra's thoughts? Because that's not foreshadowing, that's just writing her in character. The issue of NTT where they debuted the costume she's wearing in that panel was the one in which she was revelaed to be a mole.

[skjam]

Oh, okay. It's been a long time and I missed that cue.

[recognitions.livejournal.com]

Aha I think my favorite bit from this whole issue now is Supes lecturing Wally about going back to school. And man, Gil Kane could be hit or miss in his later years, but he nailed this one. I love the first panel on page 20 where he actually makes Brainiac's robot skullface look worried.

[freddylloyd]

Rereading this comic book a few months ago (I find myself with two copies) made me appreciate George Pérez's talent with a crowd scene. He can fit everyone in, even huge casts of characters, as in this two-group team-up.

As folks noted above, Robin hardly shows his face in this issue, despite being the Titans leader. Terra suddenly pops in near the end; I remember being surprised there was no earlier sign she was along for this ride.