Random Happenstance

I have not one, but two Legends of the Dead Earth annuals next to me in the blog piles, both of which I don't think I had read before. This one falls under, I see they were trying to do something new, but I don't like it. From 1996, Superboy Annual #3, "Fathers and Suns" Written by Barbara Kesel, pencils by Anthony Williams, inks by Andy Lanning.

By now you know the premise of these annuals: in the far-flung future, as mankind spread out across the universe, earth was just a distant half-memory, but the legends and legacies of its heroic age lived on. This one starts a little closer to the beginning of that epoch, with a fanciful tale of mother earth sending its children to distant colonies, to fight boredom and bring back gold; in this case, the colony world named Aztlan. Which seems populated by miners playacting as "ancient Aztecs," but they start panicking when they lose contact with earth: they figure it was isolationists cutting them off, as opposed to a Great Disaster or such; but they weren't "raw-landers" and assumed when their machines eventually broke down they would be done for. But, they had an ace-in-the-hole they didn't know they had: Sanson, a metahuman, who had always kept his powers secret. He considers taking the mantle of a hero like Superman, but decides the colonists are going to need something bigger than a legend: a god. Making an elaborate costume, Sanson first appears to the people as Quetzalcoatl; telling them he would give them a Superman; then later Sanson pretends to have just got his powers, to inspire them to build an empire...which, to me, feels like he perhaps unintentionally enslaved them to a false religion.

Centuries later, the colonists had built themselves a pretty nice little society, although they were still ruled by the current Superman: a Superman would always choose a successor, a Superboy, who would eventually replace him. Today, Superman chose young punkass meta Quetzal for his Superboy, not just for his powers, but "...for a certain tame quality." Despite initially being wowed by the pomp and ceremony, Quetzal starts to notice things: his boss was kind of mean in training him; he meets a pretty girl, Chala, with powers that were "forbidden" for a girl; and this Superman was more than a little corrupt. After saving a small village, Superman also helps himself to the local girls, then savagely beats a priest for horning in on his protection racket. As Quetzal has more doubts, Superman warns him about making attachments, a veiled threat about Chala. (Not unlike the 90's Superboy, Quetzal's main characterization was "horny gloryhound.") On a flight to clear his head, Quetzal then meets Ral Ezhno, the previous Superman; who had been usurped by his successor, and was now protecting a small village overtaxed to keep the capitol in luxury.

Quetzal catches a slap from Superman upon his return, as the meta-games were coming up: the competetion was intended to show new powers for the glory of Quetzalcoatl and advancement of Aztlan, although they could get a bit bloody. Superboy wasn't competing in the early rounds, as Superman was keeping him in reserve "until the losers were weeded out." In a later heat, Superboy beats a local speedster, and proclaims himself the greatest...which Superman takes as a challenge, as planned. It was a set-up, and Quetzal had bit, but he makes a plan with Chala. He had powers seemingly like the 90's Superboy, but his "T.K. shield" was no match for Superman, and he catches a beating as Superman proclaims himself as Superman, Quetzalcoatl, and "your god." Also as planned, since Quetzal, Chala, and Ral use their powers together, to make an illusion of Quetzalcoatl and accuse Superman of heresy. Superman eventually figures it out, and attacks them; only to be incinerated by the real Quetzalcoatl! (Divine intervention, after we'd seen fakes twice; boo!)

In the aftermath, Quetzal resolves to stay Superman, until his two advisors Chala and Ral tell him it's time to change tags, and to serve his god and his people better than Superman had. Which I suppose he'd have to, he would know Quetzalcoatl was real. I would have preferred the heroes winning on their own; maybe Quetzalcoatl should've got top billing here. OK, I have to do a little searching here, and compare it to the list from the DC wiki. At least some of those are probably in my garage; although it may be easier to buy them again... Action Comics Annual #8 Missing? Adventures of Superman Annual #8 Missing? Aquaman Annual #2 Azrael Annual #2 Batman Annual #20 Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Annual #6 Batman: Shadow of the Bat Annual #4 Missing: Catwoman Annual #3 Detective Comics Annual #9 Flash Annual #9 in a couple weeks! Green Lantern Annual #5 Missing? Guy Gardner Annual #2 Impulse Annual #1 Justice League America Annual #10 Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #7 Missing: Legionnaires Annual #3 Power of Shazam Annual #1 Robin Annual #5 Missing: Sovereign Seven Annual #2 Missing? Starman Annual #1 Superboy Annual #3 right here! Supergirl Annual #1 Missing? Superman Annual #8 Superman: The Man of Steel Annual #5 Missing: Wonder Woman Annual #5