Random Happenstance

A week or two ago, I picked up a batch of McFarlane DC figures, which I don't always since I don't usually love the scale, but he was doing a Metron and I didn't have the DC Universe Classics version. It would've been more expensive, but I wonder if I shouldn't have held out for the DCUC: McFarlane's Metron doesn't sit as well, the chair feels a smidge small, and is open/unfinished on the back side. Now granted, McFarlane probably figures who's going to open that thing, and who would even display the back side; but it still feels like you're getting about half of the Mobius Chair. (There is a chase version in black, for reasons.) Also, for those of you keeping track, this is like the third bald McFarlane figure I've bought largely for their chair, after Black Adam and Lex Luthor, although they were both seriously marked down--wait, is Metron bald under his little hood-cap-whatever? Also, I forget why Lex was in, as Vixen put it in a year-end post, "Darkseid-Superman cosplay", but he's got at least part of that going in today's book, which was sitting in the blog pile for some time because I had five issues and no goddamn idea what order to read them in, if any. From 2016, Justice League: Darkseid War: Lex Luthor #1, "The Omega Judgment" Written by Francis Manapul, art by Bong Dazo.

I'm really not up on New 52-era Justice League, but I think this was from a stretch where Lex was, at least in practice, a member of the League: I could be wrong on the reasoning, but I think his argument was, earth was his home and he could defend it just as well if not better than any stupid Kryptonian, especially since he wouldn't be encumbered by stuff like "morality" or "laws," so nyah. I don't know if they fully committed to the bit, and made Lex an official, card-carrying member; or if they left it open so when the inevitable backslide came they could say he was never "really" a Justice Leaguer. This issue, with Darkseid allegedly dead, Lex had the Omega power; and was being instructed by a woman named Ardora, who may have been one of the "Lowlies." She wanted Lex to use the power against those still enforcing Darkseid's rule, but also makes it clear she would stand beside Lex, but not beneath him. Lex then wonders if others would follow him, what did he need her for, and tries to use the power to murder her. Not being in control of it yet, he blows up most of a rock face, leaving him hanging off a cliff.

There are several flashbacks this issue, that try but maybe don't quite explain why Lex is the way he is: his dad leaves him to get himself out of a dry well after he falls in, telling him only the weak ask for help, "the strong find a way to succeed." Later, Lex tries to browbeat Perry White into killing a story, and is furious at Perry's defiance. (Luthor also says he had asthma as a child, which I'm not sure has been mentioned before or since?) Later still, Lex lets himself fall, rather than let Superman save him: I'm not sure how Lex made it out of that one, unless Superman still saved him regardless. Ardora tries to get Lex to simply ask for help, but ultimately has to go a step further, and jump off the cliff and fall with Lex, which ultimately gets him to accept help and opens him up to the Omega power, saving them both. Ardora tells him, gods need not be alone, and introduces Lex to his army...of Parademons! (They look impressive, but remember, as usual, conservation of ninjutsu rules apply: one Parademon is a terrifying, implacable ogre. An army of them are creampuffs.)

I grabbed four other Darkseid War books from the dollar bins, but didn't get the Darkseid War Special, which is probably the conclusion--no, looks like it ran in the regular book from #46 or so to #50. Shoot, I think I have some JL #50's, but not that JL #50? Oh, comics.