I was thinking about DC's Elseworlds annuals when I pulled this one out of the box, but it was another Legends of the Dead Earth one. From 1996, Superman: the Man of Steel Annual #6, "The Never-Ending Battle" Written by Kurt Busiek, layouts by Paul Ryan, finishes by Joe Rubinstein.

On a far-off planet, under a red sun, young fisherman Kaleb is possibly the only survivor of an alien invasion, rescued by other aliens: a human-looking science team, that seem interested in him as well. He gets injured, along with a pretty science officer, but after they manage to escape Kaleb is healed remarkably quickly, under a bank of lights. The officer, Lang, was still injured, though: Kaleb had healed because he could be a potential Superman. Which hints at why his people were wiped out, by the Empire. (Not that one!) Kaleb gets the usual super powers, but the Empire ships aren't pushovers: they seem to know what his weaknesses would be. The commanding officer uses that as a teachable moment: Kaleb wasn't immortal, and victory wasn't assured, but he won't abandon them...mainly because of Lang.

The new Superman and Lang are a couple fairly quickly, as much as they can be during wartime; and are sent undercover to the center of the Empire, Metropole. Kaleb enters the annual games to become part of the Imperial Guard (not that one, either!) but is outed as Superman, then trapped by energy-draining cables and beat down. All according to plan, as that gets him to the emperor: Lex Luthor. The 60th, having transplanted himself to a new clone body over and over. This Lex was a bit on in years, and seems to think Kaleb was the original Superman reborn or resurrected again: he won't be fooled by the "death" of Superman again. But, Lex had assumed Superman would be working alone; and wasn't prepared for Lang and the others to help out. When the fight reaches a stalemate and more imperial reinforcements on the way, Kaleb hurts Lex the only way he can: destroying the new clone body he had just about cooked to perfection!

Superman and Lang had also stolen the "Krypton protocols" from Lex, and find another planet, of peaceful farmers living harmlessly under a red sun. Should they be recruited to destroy the Empire? Or destroyed themselves before they go bad? Kaleb knows it would be nice to have help, but couldn't ask or force anyone into it, and convinces them to leave the farmers alone. But he does visit that planet, before the final battle against Lex's empire, so Lang could safely have their baby, under a red sun.

We've only seen one of the other Superman LotDE annuals here, Action Comics Annual #8, featuring Bizarro. There's an Adventures one that I'm pretty sure is an alien getting possessed like the Eradicator, and a "League of Supermen!" in the Superman Annual. I feel like I've read that one: a bunch of humans are given one power each, but I think one of them turns on the others...But, I don't think I had read this issue before now, so glad I grabbed it! Read more!

If you could be either Chris Hemsworth, or you; yeah, nobody's going to understand why you chose you.

I really kind of miss this format, even though not unlike prestige format books it wasn't always used for groundbreaking works and was often just a bigger comic. Sometimes that's fine, but there's some choices that seem odd here. From 1987, Marvel Graphic Novel #33 - The Mighty Thor: I, Whom the Gods Would Destroy, plot by Jim Shooter, script by James (Priest) Owsley, pencils by Paul Ryan, inks by Vince Colleta. 

This delves into the life of Dr. Donald Blake probably more than any hundred issues of Thor, as Don has lost faith after losing a patient. Drowning his sorrows in a bar, a patron seems to take a practiced interest in him (she suspects a divorce, asking if he lost the kids) until Sif makes an effortlessly dramatic entrance to offer him his walking stick. Don refuses, knowing Sif doesn't understand why he doesn't, or why Thor should even spend time as Donald Blake. When a guy gets handsy with Sif and gets thrown into the jukebox, Don has to step in to keep her from probably slaughtering the guy's friends in a bar brawl, which involves Don taking the beating himself. Don throws his stick back to Sif, demanding she leave, then goes home with the patron he spoke with earlier. I'm 90% sure we, and Don, don't learn her name! The attempt is to play it off as two people finding comfort in each other, but does seem a little sleazy? Also, we see Sif watching from outside in the rain, but she somehow gets the walking stick in there so Don has it in the morning. 

Don runs out, intent on throwing the stick off the roof, furious at Odin for putting him in that situation and convinced his father was laughing at him. He lashes out at the patron as well, but quickly realizes that wasn't fair, and tells her the truth, transforming into Thor. While he takes her flying, Sif returns to Odin, feeling like a little cog in the All-Father's schemes. She still loves Thor, but is at a loss as to what she can to for him; and Odin may (or may not) be in the same boat. He had put Thor into the Don Blake persona to teach him humility; a lesson Thor had long since learned, but perhaps Thor had learned something else: being a god was timeless, endless monotony; while mortality was a brief exhilaration. (Just because I've been recently: immortality is the trip to Disneyland from start to finish, the plane rides, the shuttles, the lines, the rest of your life afterwards...mortality is the two minutes on Space Mountain.) 

Thor briefly lavishes in the adulation of the bar patron, but when he tries to explain how he feels about mortality she doesn't get it: she feels like he could have everything; Thor has already had it. He leaves her on the roof of her building, probably regretting sleeping with Don and missing out on Thor...Thor then spends a chunk of his day doing super-hero stuff, saving a man from a construction accident, stopping a bank robbery and a fire; struggling to feel something besides envy and admiration for the mortals and their little struggles. This section has a panel you may have seen online, where Thor is offered a creamsicle! He wonders if the mortals are more alive than he could ever be, and curses his father for giving him that knowledge, making him feel things his fellow gods wouldn't. Flying into what looks like low earth orbit, Thor throws Mjolnir, aiming for "the farthest reaches of the galaxy," knowing it would take more than 60 seconds to return. 

Mjolnir seems to make good time, getting back in time to turn back into the walking stick close to Don, who is freezing and suffocating. Feeling Odin mocks him still, Don takes the stick and strikes it against his heel to turn back into Thor and save himself. Meeting Sif in a park, he laments--I know I've used that word in write-ups before, but you know Thor would definitely 'lament'--what he felt was weakness, in reaching back for the lifeline of immortality. Sif tries to sweet-talk him into returning to Asgard, but is interrupted by a small girl chasing her ball. The girl is afraid of them, but Thor gently returns it, pleased with "the wonder in her eyes," which seems to miss Sif. Changing to Don, he takes her to Bloomingdales for less-conspicuous clothing, and she almost starts a riot there refusing to give up her sword. (A guard calls her "sweet-cheeks," a phrase I've never heard outside of a comic but maybe I've never been cat-called, either.) She grudgingly agrees to have her sword delivered with her packages, and gets fitted: she's putting up with this for his benefit. Dressed up, Sif looks a lot like Wonder Woman in people clothes: still maybe not that inconspicuous. 

Taking a walk through the park again, Sif asks when they're going to get to a nice part of the city; and gets progressively less impressed with mortals as the day goes on. At dinner, she asks "What is a single moment among an infinity?" Don describes it as precious, something he would remember forever; but to Sif it passed like any other. She walks out on dinner and goes home with Don, possibly just to get her sword; but he gamely tries once again to explain why he spends so much time as a mortal. He kisses Sif, which is greeted a bit condescendingly, like he's been playing a game but it's time to stop. Don tries to contain his anger and fails; feeling that 'Don' was not a disguise but who he was, yet whenever he was in trouble he could reach back for the comfort of immortality, with a tap of his stick. He nearly throws the stick into the fire, but is body-checked by Sif, who still thinks 'Don' was a facade created by Odin and he didn't need to be doing this. Tearing off (most of) her mortal clothes and retaking her sword, she storms out: she was what she was, and didn't see what his problem was. Although tempted, Don doesn't go after her--OK, not to be mean, but he couldn't. Don was lame, Sif was six-foot-two and moving at a full huff; at a dead sprint he'd have never caught up to her. But, his beeper goes off... 

Dr. Blake is called in for surgery on a little girl, victim of a hit-and-run. No other doctor in the area could save her, it was down to him, but Don's confidence was currently zeroed out, and he runs out before the start of the operation. Outside, Sif comforts him, perhaps now seeing a bit of his strength: few other gods would care about the death of a little girl, like the falling of a tiny sparrow. She points out Thor could face any threat without fear; couldn't Don do the same for this threat? He realizes, this was his battlefield, and steps into the operating room to continue the fight. Don doesn't know if he's worked through his identity crisis, but he wonders if perhaps Odin has stopped laughing. But, on the last page, Odin ponders "new mischief against the scion of Odin," not in the sense Loki would, but seemingly indicating Odin had other lessons planned for Thor to learn. That almost makes me wonder, how much of this was orchestrated by Odin: Don losing that first patient? The hit-and-run girl? Odin cares about mortals the same way you care for a bag of rice: you might lose a few here and there, oopsie.

OK, recap aside: this came out in 1987, per Mike's Amazing World, same month as Thor #387--which was about four years after Thor lost the Donald Blake persona in 1984's Thor #340, where the enchantment was given to Beta Ray Bill! This had maybe been on the shelf for a while, then: Paul Ryan's Wikipedia page seems to indicate it would've been before D.P.7; but even that would've been after Thor #340. (Incidentally, Ryan's art wasn't quite to it's usual level; either because this was early work or Colleta's inks? Although, Sif always looked great, and that could be Colleta's influence as well.) Did Shooter suspect Donald Blake would return; that it was an integral part of the character, like Clark Kent and Superman? Shooter was fired by Marvel April 15, 1987; several months before this would come out. But, pound for pound this was more page time given to the Thor/Blake dichotomy than in maybe the entire 257-or-so issues that it was a thing. And Don Blake has managed to return, a couple times more than I thought he ever would.  

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"The End" Week: D.P.7 #32!

The Transformers had more of a claim to the "# in a (blank) issue limited series" joke, since it began as one; but that didn't stop the New Universe titles from using it. From 1989, D.P.7 #32, "The Cure" Written and co-created by Mark Gruenwald, penciled and co-created by Paul Ryan, inks by Danny Bulandi.

Almost three years after the White Event that gave about 2 people in every million paranormal abilities, most of the seven that escaped from the Clinic in the first issue have settled into new lives in New York City. Paranormals were common knowledge now, with NYC having most of them; but today strongman David Landers is dismayed at the headline of a paranormal cure. He had been a normal man before growing about two feet and several hundred pounds of muscle, and wonders if he could get his long unrequited love Stephanie if he was cured. David did already have a girl, though, the water-absorbing Merri. So it's kind of a surprise when Stephanie and her kids show up at the group's loft: her healing powers made her sparkle, which had made her an obvious target for anti-paranormal sentiment. Merri sees her former teammate as a threat, to her domestic bliss with David.

Meanwhile, Charlotte wasn't having any luck with auditions, but does meet a handsome man who claims to have been at the Clinic as well; a telepath who could only read minds that were at least a mile away. The man does seem familiar, but she can't quite place him. And further downtown, at a mission for paranormals, the news of a possible cure is greeted with scorn and derision: their leader claims God doesn't make mistakes, and wanted them to be what they were. Scuzz, another of the original seven, isn't sure about that: the young man's acid touch kept him from, well, getting any, so you can understand his interest. The young girl he has his eye on, says it's a test of his faith. Local superhero Captain Manhattan and his partner, Chrome, visit the Cure (not that one!) to see if he was on the up-and-up: the Captain has no interest in giving up his powers, but Chrome used to be Jenny Swensen, Spitfire of her own New Universe title. She had been mutated from exposure to "Pitt juice" after the destruction of Pittsburg, which gave her metal skin, but left her in a predicament not unlike Scuzz's.

Merri tries to drive off Stephanie, which just sends David off to find her, and he's able to finally proclaim his love for her. Stephanie reciprocates, and Merri leaves with an angry note. Charlotte brings her date over, who is relieved that "Antibody" Randy O'Brien doesn't recognize him. Later, he has to confess to Stephanie his real name, which didn't mean much to her, she had known him by his derogatory nickname, Mutator: he took a new, and usually monstrous, form every twelve hours: when he finally got a handsome one, he wanted to spend the day with "the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen." Mutator says he's going to see the Cure later, but admits his old self wasn't as good looking; tough break.

A surprising amount of people seem to be opposed to the Cure, claiming "God loved paranormals." I suppose it could be a different tune elsewhere in America...the Cure says it's no one's fault if they're sick and want help. He can't cure everyone today, but promises to stay in town until he helped everyone who wanted it, and cures Mutator and Merri. (Merri would occasionally gain a lot of water weight; she didn't particularly love her power.) Randy, who had been trapped inside of one of his antibodies, almost takes the Cure up on it, but doesn't want to harm the little antibodies he made, tiny flying versions of himself. Charlotte doesn't want to give up her friction powers: they didn't show, and she admits they had been handy sometimes. Jenny plans on it, although she thinks she will miss the Captain; but Scuzz acts like he wants it, then attacks the Cure with his acid.

Stephanie is able to heal the Cure, while Scuzz has lost his powers, but kept his weird culty peer group. Stephanie wonders about the missing two members of their original seven, tranquilizer Lenore and speedster Jeff (the latter would show up in the MCU years later!) and they head off for ice cream; a happy enough ending. 

Jeff may have shown up in the final real New Universe project, the War: they may have hoped to continue the NU in some format, but that was about it. Quasar would end up there in his series, there have been a few one-shots since; and Marvel seems bound and determined to keep trying to make the Star Brand happen, but still. I had a subscription when this was cancelled--it was far and away the best of the New Universe titles--but can't recall what Marvel offered as a replacement for the issues I had left in the sub. I wanna say Solo Avengers, and thinking about it again that might be right. I found a copy in the quarter bins just this afternoon, so thought I'd better squeeze it in.

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It's not the best reveal, but at least they didn't tack a fake-out on top of it.

There's a Mark Evanier/Sergio Aragonés spoof from a couple years after this issue, that features "I'm quitting the Fantastic Four!" about a dozen times. It's funny 'cause it's true! From 1994, Fantastic Four #392, "The Final Gantlet!" Plot and script by Tom DeFalco, plot and pencils by Paul Ryan, inks by Danny Bulanadi.

Three of the Four are dead here, along with the rest of the planet, in a reality where Reed tried to retrieve the Ultimate Nullifier--instead of Johnny, as in our universe. The Watcher Uatu had subbed in our more experienced Ben, Sue, and Johnny in an attempt to save that world, which failed, and they died. Except the Watcher saves them, to return to their world, although Johnny notices he also seems to imply he knows exactly when they were supposed to die. Uatu does him a favor and doesn't tell him.

Their own Reed was still missing, presumed dead, but Four Freedoms Plaza is crowded; with the Sub-Mariner, Ant-Man, Johnny's Skrull 'wife' Lyja, Franklin Richards aged up to Psi-Lord; and later the Black Panther and what would later be the Fantastic Force. Lyja's false pregnancy, that had tried to kill them all in a previous issue, had been dealt with; and she suggests she and Johnny could think about a real family of their own. He is not especially receptive to the idea, feeling Lyja had played him for a chump while pretending to be Alicia. Stung by that, and possibly tired of the danger, the Torch quits with the traditional fly-off-in-a-huff. Charitably, Sue felt that Lyja had proved herself, and deserved to be there, but she felt she didn't belong there without Johnny. Down to her and Ben (and like eight other people...) Sue thinks the team is at a crossroads, if not the end. Cue super-villain attack!

The Dark Raider appears, demanding the Reed Richards of that world, and recognizing Sue and Ben from their attempt to save the aforementioned alternate reality. He has a ton of tricky weapons, and holds his own against the lot, then unmasks himself when Uatu appears: it's the Reed from that doomed reality, of course. But his theory was, countless earths had been endangered or destroyed by the curiosity of various Reed Richards, so he had been travelling to alternate realities, killing Reeds. He had an Ultimate Nullifier, so there were in a pickle. Working with his mom, Psi-Lord projects the Malice persona that had been trapped in his head, into the Dark Raider's, giving them the chance to grab the Nullifier. Trapped in a force field, bad Reed is impressed, but it's just a minor setback, and Uatu agrees: someone as resourceful as Reed would of course escape eventually. While Sue and Franklin take the high road, Uatu had been afraid of that, and takes matters into his own hands, killing the Dark Raider!

Uatu was afraid the Raider would have eventually won, and says his goodbyes: he will return that Nullifier to where it belonged, then exile himself somewhere with nothing to watch. Uatu doesn't say if their Reed was still alive, but Sue takes it upon herself to find him, saying her own goodbyes and declining help from Ben or T'Challa before leaving on the time sled. (Namor doesn't appear the last few pages here, either to encourage or discourage her.) Only Ben remains, but he resolves to continue, even if it's as the Fantastic One. Which sounds like a pretty good ploy to get Johnny back on board, he'd never stand still for that. Read more!

Really should invest in a welcome wagon at this point.

Duhr. I was thinking Klaw had pulled this one before, but I was thinking of Batroc. Still, all sorts show up on earth and just team up with whoever. Like today's book! From 1993, Fantastic Four #377, "If This Be War--!" Story and plot by Tom DeFalco, pencils and plot by Paul Ryan, inks by Dan Bulanadi.

This issue feels a bit frantic, with a number of plots colliding at once. Franklin Richards had been taken to the future by his grandfather (and possible Kang) Nathaniel, only to return seconds later as a battle-hardened teenager, having spent years fighting in a sci-fi future. Susan is furious, and doesn't believe him; while Reed has to acknowledge the possibility; and Franklin glumly realizes his folks are just like he remembers them: at each other's throats. Ben is the most stable of the team at the moment, and he was wearing that bucket helmet to keep his Wolverine-slashed face together. Johnny was in jail, for burning down Empire State University in #371; which is noted with a bit of glee by Klaw.

Klaw is in town to hassle the Torch and the FF, but he just happens to be there when Huntara, Warrior Princess of Elsewhen, arrives out of nowhere intent on destroying the four. Which four is unclear: she could be after the Beatles for all we find out here; but Klaw convinces her to team-up against the FF just like that. Meanwhile, in orbit, Paibok the Power Skrull and Devos the Devastator are also watching the Torch and preparing to attack. We get a couple pages for the origin of Devos, a quick check on pregnant Skrull Lyja, about three panels of reconciliation between Reed and Sue, and then--deep breath:

Ben still doesn't trust former She-Thing/current Ms. Marvel Sharon Ventura after he got cured by Dr. Doom, who is sending a probe from Latveria in search of beings of power...to probably klonk over the head with a lead pipe and steal said power. J.Jonah Jameson and Peter Parker are outside the Torch's trial, and while JJJ is tickled pink to see a "costumed freak! get his, he may have a mild stroke when Silver Sable hands him her bill for bringing Johnny in, then going after Venom. The Sandman's also there with Silver, in solidarity with Ben Grimm; and of course Matt Murdock is Johnny's attorney. Was She-Hulk busy? Well, they probably didn't want two green girls in the same scene; as Lyja throws a lot of glare at "pretty lady" Bridget O'Neil, whose life Johnny had saved before burning down ESU. As Matt begins his opening argument, Paibok and Devos smash in one end of the courtroom--Matt thinks they're trying to provoke the Torch into doing something rash and ruining his case, but they don't seem like legal scholars, they just want to kill them. Klaw and Huntara smash in the other side of the courthouse; ready to face "the Four who must be destroyed!"

I think I've seen Huntara in a fight scene or two later, but I don't think I have the slightest idea what her deal was, or if the Fantastic Four actually was the Four she was looking for. But she wasn't even the most interesting alien barbarian princess-type the team knew; she was no Thundra.
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Reed as much as calls bull on this one, in-story, while it's happening...

Some time back, we mentioned Reed Richards calling out scientific inaccuracy mid-story in Fantastic Four #248 (and come to think of it, he would do the same the very next issue, although there's an in-story explanation for that one too!) and some other time back we mentioned looking for today's book, which we've...got today, I suppose. From 1989, Avengers #307, "Metamorphosis" Written by John Byrne, pencils by Paul Ryan, inks by Tom Palmer.

An attack by the Lava Men has left the Avengers' current headquarters, the artificial island Hydrobase, stranded high above the water on a pillar of rock, and it's starting to crumble! Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman are the first to arrive to help, but as Sue points out, the island weighs thousands of tons! Her force field is able to stabilize the tipping Hydrobase until Wonder Man arrives to help...which, as we've mentioned, shouldn't have worked, at all! Reed lets scientific inaccuracy slide, for the moment, although I suspect his teeth are grinding, and has Sue make a force-field spiral around the rocky pillar. Which still wouldn't be resolved this issue...

Looks like a printing plate shifted on that page...Meanwhile, the main team of Avengers (and reservist Sub-Mariner, who came to help and got dragged in) is still fighting Jinku, the witch-doctor of the Lava Men, and his giant lava monster. Their god Cha'sa'dra had been one of the demons that attacked the Avengers around issue #300, an Inferno crossover, and had died in battle; which killed most of his worshipers and left the rest as immobile stone statues. The fight's not going well, since Jinku has turned up the heat far past the point where the team's human members could stand it; although, as was often the case, Quasar probably should've been fine: his bands could protect him in deep space and should have there. The Eternal Forgotten One, Gilgamesh, gets punched out so hard that was pretty much it for his Avengers tenure; then the battle is abruptly ended when the statue Lava Men reveal they had merely been transforming into a new, better form, without the corrupting influence of their "god."

I don't think the new gold Lava Men were ever seen again, were they? I even feel like regular Lava Men were still seen later, too. This issue feels like Byrne was kind of trying to push through this storyline to clear the decks for whatever he actually wanted to do on the book, although most of the rest of his run here was the Acts of Vengeance crossover and then a multi-part Spider-Man guest-spot. His Avengers West Coast run is more memorable.
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Nothing worse than a chronic complainer with a legit grievance...except maybe two chronic complainers.

Although I try not to pick up books I already have (usually, just because I can't find them...) I know this issue was at my parents' house: from 1991, Avengers West Coast #69, "Grudge Match!" Written by Roy and Dann Thomas, pencils by Paul Ryan, inks by Danny Bulanadi.

Now, I did get some of the issues before and after this, and they're not super: rather bog-standard fare featuring Ultron teaming-up with another villain (which is weird, but we'll come back to that) and Dr. Demonicus and not-Godzilla. But I love this one, with the long-awaited match between Hawkeye and USAgent!

The heroes had been butting heads over top-dog status for the West Coast Avengers for quite some time, while Wasp and Dr. Pym had been forced into the mom-and-dad role for the team. But they were hoping to get out of that, in team elections. The east coast team already had theirs, and had settled on Cap, Thor, Sersi, Vision, Black Widow, She-Hulk, and Quasar. (It may a coloring error, but Quasar is colored as Nomad; which is sad since Paul Ryan was the original artist on Quasar's book! He had a costume change since, though.)

Hawkeye mockingly asks USAgent "How many votes you figure you'll get from a team you elbowed your way into, Agent?" The Agent had been a government appointee, and figured he couldn't be voted out. Unfortunately for him, the Avengers were now U.N. supported, so the government wasn't going to maintain a representative, and the Avengers would decide their own roster. The Agent throws a bit of a tantrum, but Wonder Man tells him he'll either make the team or not on his own merits.

By team bylaws--and they had a ton of them--everyone got five votes, with the top seven becoming regular team members, the next seven alternates or reserve members. After the count, Dr. Pym, Wasp, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, Tigra, and Hawkeye are members; with the (android) Human Torch, Quicksilver, Mockingbird, Machine Man, and USAgent as reserves. (I'm not positive Quicksilver was even looking to be on the team again: he had showed up a few issues back to help out when Wanda went bad...)

Pym and Wasp have an announcement, though: they were going to resign as active members, at least for now. They'd stay on until the team settled, then switch to alternate. Hawkeye delivers yet another burn on the Agent: "Now, if only Pietro, the Torch, Bobbi, and some robot up north all buy the farm, you might get to be a real Avenger yet!"

After the meeting, Hawkeye and USAgent make plans to settle their grudge after school--I mean, later. In other subplots, Mockingbird thanks Hawkeye for voting for her, and he didn't. Scarlet Witch doesn't think she and Wonder Man should date anymore, while Wasp and Dr. Pym deny being a couple themselves right now.

Hawkeye was wearing his "battle armor" at the time, which USAgent quite rightly gets a chuckle out of. But the Agent realizes he could really hurt Hawkeye: he could bench about ten tons, while Hawkeye's a normal man. Still, Hawkeye won't back down: his own past had been shady at first, but he didn't feel the Agent had made amends or even apologies for his, and that he wasn't worthy of following in Captain America's footsteps.

Hawkeye removes his helmet, sets aside his bow, and commences punching the Agent. Which probably hurts, but the Agent still holds back...accidentally knocking Hawkeye off a cliff. Hawkeye uses a grappling hook to save himself, but refuses to quit, even when he's beat down and the Agent is dragging him out of the ocean.

The Avengers arrive then, and are just as mad at Hawkeye for the fight; but even they feel the Agent hadn't earned his spot. USAgent huffs off, with Scarlet Witch wondering if he might not be going bad. I gotta say, Hawkeye did have it coming. But then again, he and the other Avengers have a point about the Agent being a tool, too. And they both seem a lot cooler with each other in later issues. I do think Hawkeye deserved 65, 70% of the asskicking he got, though.
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Ghosts: Superman Annual #10!

Is the death sentence really a deterrent? Not in comics, anyway! From the 1998 Ghosts crossover, Superman Annual #10, "The Death Sentence" Written by Dan Jurgens, layouts by Paul Ryan, finishes by Chris Ivy.

This issue, a criminal sentenced to be executed the next day, pleads his case to Clark Kent, that he didn't shoot a convenience store clerk during a robbery. Or, his argument is more to the effect of, should he die for it? Kent's silence all but announces his distaste for capital punishment, and he starts investigating, just in time to be haunted by the ghosts of the Phantom Zone Criminals! Not the pre-Crisis ones, the ones from the pocket dimension, that Superman executed with Kryptonite. (The Kryptonite in question didn't hurt Superman, since it was from that dimension, not his own...wow, DC continuity is hard. Maybe they were right about that New 52 thing, but the story in question was John Byrne and pretty good.)

One piece of evidence is missing in the case: the stolen money, which probably couldn't be more than a couple hundred dollars? Visiting the criminal's family, and his sick son. After sparring with the ghosts again, Superman realizes the baby was playing with toy keys, except they weren't all toys: one was to a bus locker, which held the money. Fighting the ghosts again, Superman throws a chunk of rebar into their midst, just in time for a lightning bolt to "dissipate" them. Killing them again? Destroying their immortal souls? Well, doesn't matter, Clark Kent has to get to the prison in time to plead the killer's case; which the governor defers to a life sentence. It's fitting for a Superman story...even if I don't necessarily agree.

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And now, a message from Paul Ryan:

Oh, there is so much wrong on this one. For one thing, this panel isn't from that Paul Ryan. Or that one. And I'm pretty sure Election Day isn't the eighth, unless you plan on voting for that assclown...

Nope, this panel is from the artist Paul Ryan, who may well be a conservative, but drew about a ton of issues of Superman, Fantastic Four; and with writer Mark Gruenwald, Quasar and D.P. 7; so he gets a pass.

I read D.P. 7 from the start, but I really wish I had all the issues together in one place. This issue, the former head of the paranormal Clinic turned power-copying Overshadow, Philip Nolan Voigt, gets his presidential campaign into high gear. He's ahead in the polls, which is surprisingly easy when you have mind-control powers; as he demonstrates by taking over the CIA's paranormal surveillance team.

Only Dave and Randy (or Mastodon and Antibody, if they used their super-hero names) know Voigt is a power-hungry lunatic and are immune to his mind-control. Randy because he's trapped inside one of his Antibodies; and Dave because of a run-in with a paranoid band of psychics who put a 'mental block' in his head to protect their secrecy. (More than once in the series, Dave is invulnerable to mental attack, but he has no idea why.)

I do like Dave punching out the straw campaign hat Voigt gave him.

Unfortunately for them, the CIA's team is made up of their friends Stephanie, Charly, Merriam, and Jenny. As usual, the guys are unwilling to fight their friends, but in a subversion the girls are running full-tilt under Voigt's control, completely unhindered. The mind-control is really matter-of-fact: it's like Voigt simply makes them switch sides. In the end, Voigt tells the beaten guys if he sees them again, he'll make the girls kill themselves. So beat it...and don't forget to vote.

Although Dave calls Voigt a neo-Nazi at one point, and he's the Democratic candidate here; I can't recall exactly what his evil deal was. He's a model for affably evil, and he may have pretended to have been interested in paranormal rights, but I kind of have the feeling Voigt was running for President less because he had the powers and more because he thought he was entitled to the office. A sense of entitlement, that's a good reason to run for office. That doesn't sound like anyone I can think of...

From 1989, D.P. 7 #28, "The Candidate" Written by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Paul Ryan, and inks by Danny Bulanadi.

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