Comics discussions, with flair…
Posts tagged Phantom Stranger
Three Key Figures
Mar 30th
Ahh, it’s good to be back home. I had a great time on vacation and now it’s time to dig into some plot points regarding our heroes in the Justice League of America.
When you regard continuity in a comic book universe, there are several ways to stage a story that does not fall chronologically into the greater continuity. The first is the “flashback” often referred to as the “untold” story or tale. Then there is the “What if?” genre, where you can tell stories about these characters, but that these particular stories are separate from the regular continuity of the characters…such as Clark Kent landing in Russia vs. the U.S.A., interesting concept, but it’s not the way the origin plays out for the “real” version of the character.
When juggling the myriad characters in a team book, it is important to keep in mind that your “A” tier characters are going to bring in the money, but really the main changes to those characters should take place in their own books and let those changes later be reflected in the team book. For the “B” characters, changes can occur in the team book as there is no regular place that they appear outside of a scheduled mini-series, so there is not a lot of juggling to do when it comes to the “B” tier.
Well, for a period of time for JLA the writer at the time had to juggle a few things.
- In Green Lantern’s book, Hal Jordan had been exiled into outer space and so could not appear in JLA stories after #200 until that plot point was resolved around JLA #220 or so.
- The Atom had a new mini-series coming up called The Sword of the Atom which would rock the character and change his status-quo for a while to come.
- The Flash was undergoing a murder trial, so could he really be involved in the JLA while that was going on?
- The Batman quits the League to go to another team book title.
So Mr. Conway did what many would do knowing the limitations. He wanted to tell a story with Green Lantern and Flash in it and he did so by using that “untold tale” tactic. 
Notice we get a little Phantom Stranger action in this one as well. Sweet! This story is set prior to Zatanna joining the JLA, explaining her and Firestorm’s absence from such a big story. It turns out our heroes are forced by aliens to gather certain objects for aliens, but it turns out the aliens only want this one man who apparently has all the dna code of the world locked inside of him. Needless to say our heroes win all is saved. This carried our heroes through issue #210-212, leaving us time to go have some fun with the Atom in the microcosmos.
The Leaguers are attempting to find the Atom, which is like finding a needle in a haystack at the best of times. Batman, Green Arrow, Hawkman, Black Canary, and Red Tornado go after the wayward physicist and meet some crazy sword and sorcery societies which looked like a “pilot” episode for a new comic that did not materialize.
Unfortunately, the Flash is soon voted out of the Justice League.. notice that this takes place in Flash’s comic, not in JLA itself. Due to the fact that Flash is soon to be put on trial for killing a super villain named Professor Zoom, the JLA discover that he is a liability and since he has asked the JLA not to interfere, they have no choice but to expel him until his name is cleared.
Meanwhile, the tale of Atom in the Microverse may not have gone over very well, but Atom in a sword and sorcery sort of existence DID sell. Sword of the Atom is one of this Atom’s most popular incarnations. Take a Physics professor and add some native beings about 3″-6″ tall, and well, he becomes their default protector. Atom seems to not be as JLA involved after this direction pushes his character more towards Conan and less towards shiny sci-fi.
Next Time: Batman does it for himself!
Round Two: Aquaman vs. Red Tornado
Feb 6th
VERSUS
This chapter starts out with a new character that we have not seen before, the Phantom Stranger, who breaks the “fourth wall” of the comic book and addresses the reader directly. The Phantom Stranger looks fairly well dressed for his name, fedora hat concealing his eyes In shadows, a long flowing blue cape, a black suit with a gold medallion. He sets the mood of the Indian Ocean and seems to already know that a battle is about to occur.
Aquaman begins his search for his asteroid only to be stopped in mid leap by the winds of the Red Tornado. Reddy tries to get the Sea King to listen to reason but Aquaman under the thrall of the Appellaxians assumes he is an unknown opponent and tackles Reddy sending him under the sea to a watery grave.
The Red Tornado recalls his loved ones and manages to get himself back in action and drives towards the surface. Aquaman retrieves the meteor and is going to be taking it back to the JLA Headquarters outside of Metropolis. Aquaman has no idea why he is doing what he is doing he just knows that he must do it. At this point the Phantom Stranger appears to interfere, as he seems to direct lightning to shock the incoming Red Tornado, defeating him. Neither Red Tornado nor Aquaman saw or interacted with the Phantom Stranger in this encounter.
As Aquaman speeds off with his meteor, The Phantom Stranger leans over Red Tornado’s form and explains to the reader that if one of the original JLAers would be defeated it would lead to defeat to all the JLA so he had to choose. He then claims that these choices he makes are never easy but they are his curse.
The scene shifts to the satellite JLA hq where Snapper Carr and Firestorm are becoming acquainted. It should be noted that Snapper got his nickname from snapping his fingers constantly, he is a product of the “beatnik” era. As the male bonding continues a loud thud is heard. Red Tornado has reappeared in the satellite without using the teleporters. Dr. Stein (Firestorm’s other half) diagnoses that the Red Tornado has received a severe electrical shock so Firestorm takes him to sick bay, leaving Snapper and Firestorm to wonder how the Red Tornado got back on the satellite.
When we chat next… it’s Girl on Girl action
Wonder Woman versus Zatanna