Luthor's Choice

[arbre_rieur]

Four pages from ACTION COMICS 900's main story, the conclusion to Lex Luthor's "Black Ring" storyline...

Using his new godly powers, Lex turns the universe into a paradise.



However, the power comes with a catch.





Yeah, doesn't take a criminal genius to guess what he picks.

Comments

[icon_uk]

I think we have a new contender for the title of "Most awesomely, cosmically empowered, universe shattering example of supreme dickishness...."

Of course, the idea doesn't bear much examination as a plot point as I'm not sure how the "universal bliss" would work in a universe where there are those for whom bliss involves the destruction of everything.

The Joker's usual idea of bliss involves a dead Batman and an large pile of dead Robins, sorted by body part. Circe's would involve a dead Wonder Woman, so what would happen to them?

Plus, since when is entropy automatically a BAD thing? Were people who were dying in pain suddenly left with no pain, but now immortal in wrecked bodies as suggested here? Would they starve? Could they heal?

[arbre_rieur]

The thing is, if your powers to re-write reality are so great that you can end death and create a universal sense of bliss, you're powerful to take care of all those comparatively minor problems. Would they starve? You can make it so that they never even get hungry (except perhaps just hungry enough to make the pleasure of eating all that much more enjoyable)! You can snap your fingers and make it so their bodies don't have so much as a scratch.

[icon_uk]

You can snap your fingers and make it so their bodies don't have so much as a scratch.

You could, but given there's a guy lying there with a broken neck happily chatting with Death, apparently Luthor didn't.

[golden_orange]

This is, let's not forget, the same Luthor who moments later gives up the chance to make the entire universe blissful and content forever and ever and ever because he can't stand the fact that his mortal enemy will ALSO be happy and contented.

He's a bit of a cock, is what I'm saying.

(Also, he's only had that power for a few moments at this point -- he might not have figured out how or gotten around to it yet.)

[icon_uk]

(Also, he's only had that power for a few moments at this point -- he might not have figured out how or gotten around to it yet.)

Now there's an interesting metaphysical conundrum; Can omnipotence have a learning curve? :)

[freezer]

Now there's an interesting metaphysical conundrum; Can omnipotence have a learning curve? :)

If the original Infinity Gauntlet is anything to go by, yes.

[sherkahn]

Yes. Omnipotence does not equal omniscience.

[icon_uk]

Sorry, I meant to type "Omniscience" :)

[cainofdreaming]

It's the old conundrum about infinities. Are there things bigger than infinite? I mean, numbers divisible by two are infinite, they just go on and on. But all the numbers are also infinite and encompass the aforementioned.

So it depends on how the universe in question sees this. In Marvel cosmicdom they have degrees of omniscience/-potense, and the example above has been used to describe it. It hasn't really been established how it works in DCU proper, I think.

[screamsheet.wordpress.com]

There are many questions that could in theory have been answered had Lex actually gone through with it and created a perfect universal Utopia like he was apparently able to. But because his hatred for Superman surpasses even his cake-lust, we shall never know what might have been.

[sir_mikael]

And that's terrible.

[featheredserpent]

Somewhere, out there, Lobo just nuked a planet after everyone came to and he discovered the daisy chain in his hair.

[blackruzsa]

I have a feeling Despair had a bad moment when everything turned blissful. And Death did have a day off before.... not that it ended well for anyone, that time.

I can't blame Luthor. Did he mention omniescence along with his omnipotence? Because if he didn't have that, I can excuse him for making the very human choice.

Plus, eternal bliss may be good on paper but it makes it so that life isn't life anymore. A bit screwy, really.

[golden_orange]

I can't remember if it's mentioned directly, but it does seem to be heavily implied that it's both.

And personally, since that 'very human choice' is still 'denying the entire universe eternal happiness for no other reason than to spite one man' (and for all the debate about eternal bliss versus the necessity of suffering, that's all it boils down to here), I honestly can't really see Luthor's actions here as anything laudable.

Ooo... I just realized something.

[bewareofgeek]

Remember in #894 when Death talked about "lovely bliss forever"?

Foreshadowing!

Re: Ooo... I just realized something.

[kamino_neko]

It's been mentioned several times through the storyline. The whole bit with Vandal Savage was because Savage had heard a prophecy that Luthor would give him perfect happiness.

[thehefner]

It's really starting to annoy me about how nobody anywhere is talking about this amazing story, focusing instead on the whole "Superman denounces his citizenship" back-up.

This was the second greatest part of this story. I'd wanted to post the very greatest, but it would have maxed out the scan limit here. Namely, the entire section on Lex tormenting Superman, who--as an alien godlike being--couldn't possibly understand loss.

In that scene, Lex going from seeming like the most badass character in the world to the callous dickhole he always was. The heartwrenching irony is that he honestly had no idea that he's genuinely hurting Clark, and when he does learn... oh, it's so great.

That's the moment we learn that, thank to the Kents, Superman is more human than Lex could ever be or even understand. I wanted to hug the issue right there.

[screamsheet.wordpress.com]

Yep. The Superman renouncing his citizenship thing is something everyone's complaining about without actually having read the issue. Which is a shame, because the meat of the issue is this story, which is awesome.

Throughout Lex Luthor's entire run in Action Comics, I've been fascinated by the fact that such a good story can be told without following what I always thought was a key rule of writing: have a sympathetic protagonist.

Lex Luthor has been a warped, deluded human being through this entire thing. We've seen him ordering a man murdered for hitting him (after unjustly being fired). We've learned that his sexual fantasies apparently involve doing bizarre things to his Loisbot - not Lois herself, but the robot. Lex has been just so warped in this story that it's fascinating to read. Now he makes the ultimate dick decision, knowingly throwing away eternal bliss over his grudge against Superman (driven on in no small part that he thought that Clark Kent had been laughing at him for years).

Lex has been completely unsympathetic through this entire story, but in a way that's been fascinating to read. It's a shame the tale had to end.

[miramira]

See, it might just be because I'm getting my info out of context, but the snippets I've seen and heard - this included - leave me feeling very meh. Lex being an unsympathetic, delusional jerk for whom the status quo will always revert to and revolve around the fact that he hates Superman is...not exactly newsworthy. Superman not thinking "the American way" works for him any more? Sure, that'll probably revert at some point, but there's at least potential for some development that could go new and interesting places.

Also, there's a lot of literature out there that's built around the concept of unsympathetic protagonists. If you want recommendations, I'm sure people can and will oblige.

[screamsheet.wordpress.com]

In my opinion, it really works better in context.

This story really shows Lex's delusions in a pretty fascinating manner. Of course, it also helps that he's got the Lois-bot around for most of it, since she's awesome.

[blunderbuss]

Could you post it over two posts so you don't hit the scan limit? Because I'm really, really interested now.

[schala_kid]

Oh yes that whole thing was fucking beautiful, and when Lex finds out that Superman=Clark and instantly make sit about him when he yells "YOU HAVE BEEN LAUGHING AT ME!" again missing the point.

Oh and I really hope when he comes back he retains the knowledge that Clark is Superman, seriously fucking brilliant stories can come out of that.

[drmcninja]

I still can't get over how cute Death has been recently. I think I love her.

[icon_uk]

Careful, that's how Thanos got started...

[drmcninja]

But look where he ended up! Omnipotent twice, the avatar of death, and her boyfriend/manslave! I'm gonna call that a win!

[espanolbot]

That's pretty much a point in-universe as well. I think that I read that the idea is that when people die, a cheerful, empathetic and attractive woman is meant to make the realisation that characters are dead less horrible.

For example, when the Waynes or Jonathan Kent or Stephanie Brown (before the retcon) or Lian Harper died, who do you think would be a better person for them to meant after they passed on?

Death, or a foreboding and scary figure like the Black Racer looming over you?

This also has the sideeffect of characters who are still alive suddenly getting huge crushes on her and her moral counterparts when she manifests once a century. Like that Italian soldier in her short story in Endless Nights.

[mullon]

I don't know, I always thought everyone being forced to be happy was a creepy idea. I'm surprised Superman went along with it.

[icon_uk]

It's not so much forced as presented with a new universal layour which promotes it happiness.

Though I am reminded of Delirium in a passing comment in a Sandman issue, when she comments that when a girl seemed sad, she made it so the girl could see bright pretty colours... then spoils it all by adding that she would ONLY bright pretty colours... forever and ever. Which is frankly horrifying..

[featheredserpent]

THE ONLY THING ON TV IS TELETUBBIES. 24 HOURS A DAY. ON EVERY CHANNEL.

[avantre]

So, if the Red Lanterns power is fueled (or focussed) by their Rage, shouldn't they have been falling in a powerless dive in their scene when the Bliss wave hit?

[icon_uk]

Not necessarily, you could achieve happiness THROUGH your anger. One does not preclude the other.

[blunderbuss]

Holy crap this is brilliant. The best kind of villians - hell, the best kind of characters - are the people who screw themselves over through their simple human failings.

I feel sad for that dude, tho. :/

[ebailey140]

Didn't Jim Shooter already do this one back in Secret Wars II in the mid-80s?

Though there, the consequences were that making the Universe into Paradise, no death or confict or hunger or anything bad, was creating the ultimate entropy. Everything would be at an eternal standstill, since there was no reason for individuals, or species, to continue evolving.

[tsunamiwombat]

That clip of Vandal Savage is very creepy/iconoable.

"Santa claus? Santa claus!"

He's looking very Von Trapp family in that, is what i'm saying.

[halloweenjack]

I thought that I was looking at Tony Stark for a second. I'm sure that Vandal has been shown smiling, but I've never seen it.

[big_daddy_d]

You know something...there's something I liked about this, yet hated. What I liked, it totally summarized what I thought of Lex Luthor and hell what others like Superman said about him. How he has such potential to be beneficial to the world. To do great things, yet his obsession and hatred holds him back. He had the opportunity. Got what he wanted, literally made the world better..and once again..his obession and hatred fucked it for him.

What I hated? That Lex will never learn his lesson until he's on his death bed. Perhaps not even then. Sometimes I pity the man.

[ravenous_raven]

Why pity him? He has 40 cakes for goodness sakes!


But in all seriousness, it's Lex's mortal failing. I'm not sure I hate it so much as I recognize and acknowledge it. Oh well.

[icon_uk]

What I hated? That Lex will never learn his lesson until he's on his death bed. Perhaps not even then.

"Perhaps"? Luthor will be in Hell trying to take over because "IT'S ALL SUPERMAN'S FAULT THAT I'M HERE!"

[darkblade]

Not pictured all of the Red Lanterns falling to their deaths for not being enraged enough to power their rings.

[silverzeo]

... just like Emperor Joker.... Was there more people touched by Lex's bliss? Like Krona's take over? Some muggers with an old lady and such?

[proteus_lives]

Ha, now I'm seeing Luthor/Death.

[icon_uk]

She can do better... a LOT better.

[recognitions]

Who would one pair her with, for that matter? It'd have to be someone who a) suits her personality and b) is immune to her um, talents. Maybe Squirrel Girl?

[silicondream]

Gotta say, this seems a bit out of character for Luthor. He's usually pretty good at long-term scheming and delayed gratification. Why not accept the power, send Superman on his way, and then spend a few years applying your divinely-enhanced genius to get around the "DO NOT USE THIS FOR EVIL" rule?

Jeez, he could at least threaten to renounce the power and leave the universe to misery unless Superman nobly kills himself. Worth a try.

[icon_uk]

Actively plotting evil might count in the "forbidden naughty list" the Phantom-Child built in to the power.

[starwolf_oakley]

Did this story also have Lex tell Superman "You don't deserve to be Clark Kent!"?

[kamino_neko]

Yes. 'I was happy to be rid of what I had for a father! But you... You got them! You're not human! You don't deserve to be Clark Kent!'