Jor-El Man Of Action!

[superfangirl1]

Superman 80-Page Giant 2011

Non has been lobotomized for opposing the council but before that happened he was able to give Jor-El security access to the mining facilities. With Zod's military forces in pursuit Jor-El is in a race against time.

Retrieving a sample of Krypton's core Jor-El prays he can use it as evidence to present to the council.

Comments

[bluefall]

Mn. Y'all know how the Gotham books lately have been kind of putting an emphasis on Martha for the first time ever, and giving us stories about how active and badass and important to Gotham she was and the daring and principled things she did while she was alive? Sort of fleshing out the Wayne backstory, like, we all know Thomas was this great doctor, but turns out Martha was funding free clinics and spitting at extortionists too and Bruce gets his cunning from his mother as much as he gets his respect for life from his dad?

Yeah, that's pretty cool, isn't it?

[sadoeuphemist]

Well clearly Lara (that's her name, right?) was busy tending to the needs of the children! She was fulfilling her wifely duty!

Actually I don't know what that involves in Krypton. For all I know they just seal the kids up in a bubble and that's it for the day.

[bluefall]

If so, those are pretty involved bubbles. Look how wiped out she is by the task!

[jlroberson]

"Hard day, dear?"
"Brutal, brutal! I had to stare at the bubble ALL DAY."

[saralakali]

That can't be Lara. Lara was a brunette. That woman is a blonde.

[bluefall]

Hey, right you are! Clearly it's his sister-in-law from Argo, watching the baby for the day while Jor does his SCIENCE thing and Lara fights ninjas.

[superfangirl1]

I would read that in a heartbeat. :)

Allow me to compound the tragedy

[galateus]

Kinda like how the Superman books in the pre-Crisis Bronze Age did something exactly like that, making it explicit that Jor-El was a big dweeby nerd and Lara was the bold, iron-willed superhero type in their relationship?

Re: Allow me to compound the tragedy

[bluefall]

... yeah that's some pretty thorough compounding there. -_-

Evidence!

[galateus]

Oh hey, I found it: 1980, Superman Family #193, aka 'What If Krypton exploded a generation earlier?'



Apparently it's pre-Crisis canon that Kal-El was born of Clark Kent/genderflipped-Superman AU slash.

i read my first comic in 2002, how is it possible i miss the bronze age this much?

[bluefall]

Now you're just taunting me.

I know right?

[galateus]

BRB, looking up "Tales of Krypton" stories to post from now until forever.

[icon_uk]

For all the added drama this is supposed to add, I have to say I much prefer either the original "Arrogant/Scared Science Council refuse to listen to Jor-El" version or even the "STAS "Brainiac was actually lying to the Council, but they believed their AI over Jor-El".

All this does is just make most of Krytpon's ruling class pretty much amoral and complete dicks to boot, and I don't think that adds to my enjoyment one iota.

[mrstatham]

It wouldn't be the first time that a government ignores some irrefutable evidence in favour of their own beliefs. After all, Jor-El still has some manner of association with Zod, Ursa and Non here, who were extremists. So given Jor-El's a scientist, they could easily say "Oh, it's clear you've put this together to support your extremist views, Jor-El!" This doesn't really invalidate the 'Council won't listen to Jor-El' line of thinking, either. It does make them look more dickish, and it does add some blame to the destruction of Krypton, really.

That's the same reason I don't think I really like the 'Brainiac'-caused destruction of Krypton either. Giving Superman someone who exists to blame for the destruction of his planet just doesn't work for me.

[icon_uk]

It wouldn't be the first time that a government ignores some irrefutable evidence in favour of their own beliefs.

Oh, absolutely not, agreed.

This doesn't really invalidate the 'Council won't listen to Jor-El' line of thinking, either.

Invalidate no, but it does change the motivation, since it's now a petty political situation (and if nothing else Krypton was supposed to be above such things) rather than a purely scientific disagreement.

[mrstatham]

To be honest, I think this story is a little ridiculous in itself. It's seriously bizarre, I believe, that none of the Council would wonder why Jor-El wades through the fire of a good few security guards, risks his life, and other stuff, if he doesn't really believe it. Surely it'd be worth a look just to say 'Oh hey, Jor-El's wrong?' or even better, why doesn't Jor-El go straight to the Council with what is clearly a big old hunk of glowing green rock - Given it's clearly different than the white crystals we've gone back to that Johns and Co favour?

[fifthie]

It wouldn't be the first time that a government ignores some irrefutable evidence in favour of their own beliefs.

Al Gore: the Jor-El of global warming.

[mrstatham]

Cue Jor-El and a really cool slideshow, plus a scissor-lift.

[redkingcrab]

Oh, cool, we're telling this story again.

[mullon]

I wonder if he'll be able to save his son in time.

[louisadkins]

This strikes me as best summed up by "ain't broke; don't fix it."

[louisadkins]

HAI GIZE!

I KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO DO NEXT!
"JOR-EL, NEEDING FUNDING FOR HIS PROJECT, DECIDES TO SELL HIS SON ON THE INTERGALACTIC BLACK MARKET TO DARKSEID, BUT MISTAKENLY PUTS HIM UP FOR ONLY 19.99 (+S&H) [THE S&H IS IMPORTANT] ON 'E-BAY' WHERE MA KENT 'ACCIDENTALLY' CLICKS THE 'BUY NOW' BUTTON. HE THEN TAKES OUT A LOAN BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF S&H HE JUST MADE TO FINANCE HIS PROJECT SUCCESSFULLY.

What do you think!

[hyperactivator]

I've always thought that the fact that Krypton ended this way could be a major motivator for Lex Luthor.

Krypton didn't die because it lacked resources to escape or foreknowlage of the danger but of pride and stupidity. And what is a bigger threat than attractive stupidity?

[aaron_bourque]

I hate the idea that Krypton was turning into Kryptonite before the explosion.

[mrstatham]

I was always under the impression that it got irradiated by the planet's own explosion, and like Superman himself, was maybe irradiated moreso by a yellow sun.

[aaron_bourque]

There was a story in . . . the 90s? Or late 80s, at least, that had a retcon that the planet's core was becoming poisonous to the natives.

[psychopathicus_rex]

Yeah, this is well-written action and all, but it strikes me as, well, somewhat unnecessary. I mean, one of the beautiful parts of the Superman origin is its SIMPLICITY. Jor-El goes to Science Council, says 'Krypton go BOOM, we must vamoose', they laugh at him and do nothing, Krypton DOES go boom, cities fall, everybody dies, and Kal-El goes bye-bye for Earth. How exactly does making Jor-El a two-fisted man of action add anything to this? We already know he's going to fail, and we already know that the Science Council aren't going to listen - what's the point of adding fresh complications to a story everyone already knows the outcome of?