Olympus: Rebirth

[shakalooloo]

Although, when DC says 'Rebirth' this time, it's not related to their 'Rebirth' branding of a few years ago. No, this is fallout from recent Themysciran events, including Hippolyta leaving the mortal plane.

After popping in to Olympus to meet the new neighbours, she takes herself down to the Underworld...







Michael W. Conrad & Becky Cloonan: script, Caitlin Yarsky: art, Jordie Bellaire: colours, Pat Brosseau: letters

Comments

[numeronone]

Oh that whacky Dr. Manhattan.

[windleopard2]

Not a bad display of cunning.

[nyadnar17]

Right?!

[blues32]

...how is this clever? She was offered a choice. One of three options. He never put himself on the board. He set the rules of the game. If someone offers you the contents of one of three boxes, you can't select their wallet.

[shakalooloo]

He said 'you can save one soul.' He separately displayed three souls. He did not specifically state that the soul choice must be made from the three displayed. He heavily implied it, but never outright commanded it.

Therefore, Hippolyta is correct technically, the best type of correctness.

[blues32]

He gestured to the souls in question. Clearly he was referring to them and them alone. He also said that she can rescue one soul. Not to mention he also says what her choices are. He gave her THREE choices. No more than that.

[shakalooloo]

He offers her to rescue one soul. Then he reveals two that are available. He does NOT say 'you may rescue one OF THESE THREE souls'. His intent is clear, and she is totally abusing the spirit of his statement, but by the strict terms of what he said, he did not put any of the other souls of the Underworld off-limits.

[blues32]

It really doesn't work unless the Gatekeeper is under some form of binding agreement. Was there a part not scanned where he swore by the River Styx or something? It feels like such a stretch and one the Gatekeeper could easily refuse to abide by. No sort of judgement type god would rule in Hippolyta's favor here.

[shakalooloo]

No, there was no binding agreement, but I presume any argument between mythological beings in the Hellenic afterlife is going to have some form of catch-all pedantic wording clause in effect at all times. These are the same folks who made a massive fuss over the number of seeds in a pomegranate, after all.

[blues32]

That was because there was a deal that if Persephone ate anything in Hades, she would remain there forever. As she only ate three seeds and not the whole fruit, Demeter protested this and Zeus decreed that for three months a year, Persephone would remain in Hades. So it was Zeus had made the decision. And Zeus had already been bribed by Hades in the first place, so this was the best he could do.

A deal between a mortal and...whatever the Gatekeeper is, with no vows involved, has no binding strings. The gods tended to punish mortals who outsmart or out do them anyway.

[shakalooloo]

Hippolyta is now a god. She bunks down with the cool kids in Olympus.

[blues32]

Not a very important one if she can't force some bizarre Gatekeeper thing to stop messing around. This sounds like something she should be taking up with Hades.

[shakalooloo]

The gods are dicks, what can I say?