A Look At Superman From The Justice League Infinite Fanfic

So, as announced earlier this week, I’m doing a Justice League fanfic entitled ‘Justice League Infinite’. As such, I’m going through all seven members of this world’s League, what makes them different from their counterparts, etc. We’ve already looked at Batman, The Flash, and Poison Ivy, so let’s go ahead and take a look at this world’s version of arguably the greatest superhero of all time: The Man of Steel, Superman.

So yeah, you’ve probably noticed one or two things different about this Superman. He’s based off of and borrows elements from a few different characters in addition to the mainstream Superman. In this universe, he’s Calvin Henry Kent, born Cal-El on Krypton. His home world was destroyed due to damage done to the planet’s core by Brainiac, who had miscalculated when he tore the capital city of Kandor free (because in every other continuity, the people of Krypton come off as very stupid for not seeing the end coming). Calvin works for the Daily Planet, as the lead columnist for the company’s online blog, though he actually lives in Smallville with his adoptive parents, and his childhood sweetheart and colleague at the Daily Planet, Loana Lane (basically, an African-American hybrid of Lois Lane and Lana Lang), who learned of his secret growing up. As Superman, he’s looked up to and admired by the people of Metropolis, though his efforts are oftentimes marginalized and hampered by President Lex Luthor. Like Calvin Ellis of Earth 23, he fights for truth, justice, and equality, and while he isn’t strictly a pacifist like Val-Zod of Earth 2, he will try to avoid a direct, physical conflict whenever possible. And of course, as anyone who bears the name Superman should be, Cal is kind, noble, and courageous. He inspires others through his actions to be better than they are, and while he’s not immune to making mistakes, he will always strive to do what he believes is right.

Let’s talk for a second about the costume. It’s pretty much the costume Earth 2 Superman of The New 52 wore, only the House of El emblem more resembles the one on Calvin Ellis’ costume. The cape also has a yellow Superman logo on the back as well, and the blue of the costume has a bit of a silver tinge to it (in reference to Steel). And, as is traditional for Superman, it’s almost always worn under his usual clothes so that he can quick-change into the Man of Tomorrow whenever necessary.

Now for his powers, which is always an interesting topic when it comes to new takes on Superman. Cal possesses a pretty good portion of the typical Superman’s physical strength, durability, stamina, and speed, but he has yet to tap into the full extent of what he can do while powered by Earth’s sun. He also has his x-ray vision, but he hasn’t figured out heat vision yet, and while he has his super breath, he can’t use it to freeze whatever it touches at the moment. Otherwise, he is perfectly capable of flight, has his other super senses, can process information at speeds impossible for an ordinary human, has mastered voice mimicry and ventriloquism, can breathe in space, is highly adept at using pressure points in combat, and is currently studying two Kryptonian martial arts: Torquasm-Rao, which allows him to enter the real-life Theta state, and Torquasm-Vo, which grants him the ability to protect himself from illusions and mind control. His weaknesses include the well-known Kryptonite, which severely weakens his body and cancels out the solar energy stored in him, and most magic-based attacks and enchanted weapons. Otherwise, the only way to beat him is to outlast his supply of yellow sun energy, something that only the most powerful of opponents can do.

And that’s about it for Superman. Next time, we take a look at Diana of Themyscira, as well as a certain character related to her in the fanfic who, while not a member of the Justice League, will nonetheless make an appearance. Ja né!

What I Bought Yesterday – Batman and Robin #24, Supergirl #24 (WARNING – SPOILERS)

So yesterday, I went to Heroes’ Beacon, got a couple of comics, and now I’m here to talk about…

First off, I should explain that I didn’t forget to talk about these books yesterday, it was just a matter of a couple of plot points in each book that I wasn’t really sure how to approach them. But, I think I’ve got it straightened out now, so let’s start with Supergirl #24.

So, what did I say during my look at Supergirl #23? “No, Supergirl isn’t really dead. Well, in the sense that even if she IS dead, chances are she’s got a Get Out Of Death Free Card of some sort coming to her next issue”. AND I said “She’ll be brought back to life, and that’ll lead to a three-way fight of sorts between Supergirl, Cyborg Superman, and Cyborg Superman’s creator, who is confirmed to be Brainiac“. Well, that’s pretty much what happened here. Zor-El decides to restore Kara, the result being that he becomes Cyborg Superman and having his memory wiped again. Also, to anyone who thinks that this is just a copy of Supergirl, you are…Well…Take it, Lex Luthor.

Apparently, her body was vaporized, but her consciousness was stored away in the I’Noxian Collective, such to the point that she managed to create a new body for herself using their tech before Zor-El is able to restore her, all the while telling his buddy to lie to him and Kara about what really happened when they both come out of the procedure. Basically, Cyborg Superman is left to believe Brainiac ruined the procedure to restore him to his original self, and when he faces Brainiac and his forces head-on, Supergirl and the I’Noxian Collective are able to escape. The I’Noxians tell Supergirl she should try to find her own happiness now that she’s been cured of the Kryptonite poison following what happened to her. So, what are my issues with this book? Well, for starters, we DID still have to see Supergirl horrifically vaporized to set this up, although you could argue after this issue that all it really succeeded in doing was pissing her off…A LOT. Still, was HORRIBLE to see. The other thing is that I’m skipping next issue, since it’s a tie-in to a crossover event that I’m not reading…which is sad, because apparently it’ll be the last issue written by Michael Alan Nelson. Also, while I will probably be buying Supergirl again afterwards, I AM a bit concerned for the next arc, as it apparently involves the new and Twilight-looking Lobo. *shivers*

Batman and Robin #24, or Batman and Two-Face, involves mob bosses getting together and deciding it’s time to ‘cleanse Gotham of the freaks’. So a red-haired woman named Erin McKillen, who is one of them, is called upon to draw out Two-Face. Why? Well, in the retconned history that is the New 52, apparently McKillen is the one that created Two-Face, having tied down Harvey Dent, murdered his wife, and then poured acid on his face with the intent to kill him…Okay, I don’t really MIND this origin for Two-Face, but I’m not really sure why they felt the need to change it from the original, other than just for the sake of changing it. Not much else to say about this angle, other than he finds out Erin’s in town, she escapes the cops when they come for her, but Batman apprehends her. The OTHER major plot point to bring up is that Bruce has insisted that Damian and Talia’s graves stay open, after Ra’s al Ghul took their bodies for some evil plot. Why? He wants the reminder of what Ra’s has done, because as soon as he takes care of the current situation involving Two-Face and the mob bosses, he’s coming for Ra’s al Ghul…which is interesting, because I’ve read previews for upcoming issues of Birds of Prey and Red Hood and the Outlaws, and it seems that both of those groups have some SERIOUS issues with Ra’s al Ghul in the future, too. I smell a crossover coming!…Joy. -_- Oh, no Carrie Kelley this week, but apparently, she plays a HUGE role in next week’s issue. My guess is, since we never really established much about her parents in any continuity she’s been in, McKillen is her mother or something.

So, not really bad books this week, but ones that were a bit odd in places. Check in next week, though, as we see Talon possibly team up with Batman to take on the Court of Owls. Ja né!

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The Man of Tomorrow – My New Fanfic

So, having finished writing Tales of the Caped Crusader, I’ve decided to move onto my next fanfic, also inspired by my talks of How Would I Rebuild The DC Universe From Scratch, as well as taking place in that same sort of ‘verse that I created with TotCC. The name of the fic: The Man of Tomorrow.

Here’s the basic premise: Superman has been an active superhero for some time now. Lois Lane is aware of his secret identity, and the two are currently in a relationship while also keeping up their friendly rivalry at the Daily Planet. Lex Luthor is in jail following an incident that also cost him his presidency over the United States. As a result, Metropolis is enjoying relative peace time. I mean, there’s still stuff like burning buildings, bank robbers, jumpers, the occasional criminal, but over-all, FAR less occasions that look like a job for Superman. Also, as was the case in TotCC, he has met Batman and Wonder Woman, but there is no Justice League yet.

One day, down-town Metropolis is attacked by Plasmus, and after a fight between the two, Superman quickly learns that someone is gunning for him, someone that’s created a liquidized version of Kryptonite and gave some to Plasmus. Problem: The #1 suspect is behind bars, and can’t be responsible…or can he? Worse yet, a young man named Victor Stone gets horribly burnt during the fight with Plasmus, with most of his body melting. So now the hunt is on to find the one responsible before anyone else gets hurt.

As with TotCC, this story takes a lot of plot elements from other established stories and continuities, and not just for Superman. For example, Victor will play a huge role, though parts of his back-story are actually inspired by the character Steel. Plasmus has elements to his character that are borrowed from the Teen Titans animated series. Lois knowing that Clark and Superman are the same person is inspired by Man of Steel and Superman: Unbound. Superman’s costume is based off of concept art for Injustice: Gods Among Us, as shown below (minus the face, although honestly, I gotta wonder why they didn’t use that look for Regime Superman). Also, Kara is mentioned on occasion in the story, currently in the process that will see her transform from Supergirl into Power Girl. And trust me, lots of other characters from Superman and the DC Universe will pop up in this story.

Anyway, that’s all I wanna tell for now. Thoughts? Opinions? Lemme know in the comments, and click the image below to read the fic. Ja né!

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What I Didn’t Buy Yesterday (And Why I Should Have/Shouldn’t Have) – Justice League #20, Batman: The Dark Knight #20, Batman: Li’l Gotham #2 (WARNING – SPOILERS)

So let’s talk about some books that I didn’t buy yesterday, why I should have/shouldn’t have, and ultimately why I didn’t. Let’s start off with Justice League #20.

First off, I only briefly skimmed through this book, and while I’m usually good on picking up details, I may have missed a couple here or there, so if you wanna know the full deal, read the book yourself. Anyway, we get to see the three newbies (Firestorm, Element Woman, and The Atom) take on DESPERO, of all people, who has the Kryptonite ring stolen from the Batcave last month, although he himself didn’t steal it, and it’s been altered to fit his giant fingers. However, while Despero is able to plough through them easily enough, he has less than stellar results when Martian Manhunter makes a surprise arrival at the Watchtower, telling Atom not to reveal that he was there after dispatching Despero, so she has to tell the other Leaguers that she managed to fluke her way into taking him down. After recovering the ring, we learn that, yes, in this continuity, Superman is still the one that gave the Kryptonite ring to Batman, just in case something happened where he was mind controlled or turned to evil or for whatever reason he might be forced to power Supes down. However, he’s less than thrilled when he finds out that there’s a box in the Batcave for each member of the League, each containing a fail-safe for each one. It’s at this point that Batman tells him other reason he doesn’t like the idea of him and Wonder Woman dating, as he shows Clark Diana’s box to reveal there’s nothing inside (shut up, don’t make that joke). Instead, should the need arise, Batman chose Superman to be his fail-safe against Wonder Woman, should the need arise. However, to keep things even, Batman hands him another box: The one containing the fail-safe against Batman, and insists that if Clark is truly his friend, he’ll use it on him if he’s ever turned rogue. We don’t see the contents, but whatever it was, it shocked Superman pretty bad.

So getting back to Rhonda Pineda, the new Atom, I’ve REALLY been enjoying her as a character. She’s smart, witty, and kind of a geek, as she apparently spends her free time shrinking down to enter and play MMORPGs. And yeah, as I made no attempt to conceal, I find her kind of hot, too… … …She’s the mole. She’s the one that hacked the Watchtower database and downloaded the entire history of the Justice League. It’s not entirely her fault, though. She doesn’t want to continue doing this, but she’s being made to. Turns out, she’s a member of the JLA, picked out to be the counter for Element Woman, and forced to do Amanda Waller‘s work.

So yeah, why didn’t I buy this issue? Mostly that, plus money, plus the Shazam mini-story that is, as per the norm, terrible. And I’m just gonna say this now: I’m dropping Justice League of America. Why? Well, remember how I said this book was headed to a not-very-fun place? I’m sorry, but it’s clear to me that the plot of this is essentially Suicide Squad with superheroes, except that some of the heroes on the team aren’t being written to be all that heroic. Just some free advice: When the most heroic members of the team are Vibe, Stargirl, and Steve Trevor, that’s a problem. Why? Because Steve isn’t even a superhero, Stargirl isn’t even an active member of the team and instead being made to work as their public face, and Vibe, while his reintroduction in the reboot has been pretty awesome, is still kinda young and feels out of place at times, like he should’ve been on Titans or something. Oh, and it gets better, because they’ve decided to BRING BACK DOCTOR LIGHT! No no, not the good one, the fucking rapist!…DOCTOR COX, I NEED YOU AGAIN!

THANK YOU, DOCTOR COX! Just…Geoff Johns, NO! Just, NO! I respect the hell outta you, and of course am sad to hear that yer leaving Green Lantern, but NO! There are characters that should be brought back and given a second chance, and there are freaks like this that need to remain dead and buried! NO!

SYMBOLISM!!!11!! OMFGWTFGENIUS!

Batman: The Dark Knight #20. First off, I wanna apologise to someone who shall remain nameless due to a pretty bad argument/discussion that broke out last night over this issue. But I digress, for all of the bad this series has had, this issue is the worst of all, and makes me so glad I dropped it a year ago. The story is pretty much crap, with Bruce continuing to grade to the point where he as a character is only motivated to make his life better by flashbacks of his parents, and Alfred actually starts talking him into considering hanging it up as Batman. But what makes me despise this issue more than any other? Well, remember that time I brought up the stupidity of Batman revealing his true identity to Natalya, the love interest no one cares about?

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She’s dead. Oh, and not just dead, but she got the crap kicked out of her by Mad Hatter’s goons and then dropped out of a helicopter straight down onto the Bat Signal (see what I meant about symbolism?)…Y’know, I’ve mentioned before that I wasn’t an active reader before the relaunch, but I’ve heard some pretty sick tales of characters treated like this in comics, particularly women. And frankly, I am sick to death of seeing this shit!

And finally, that leads to Batman: Li’l Gotham #2.

So what are my thoughts on it?…None. Kinda the reason why I didn’t buy it: It was sold out by the time I got to the store. But I’m hoping to get an issue of it soon enough, and then I’ll share my thoughts with y’all…I will say that, even without reading it, it automatically gets points for having Damian in it, alive and well.

So that’s what I did not buy yesterday, though hopefully I buy one of them sooner than later. Leave your comments below, and I will see y’all next time. Ja né!

JLA Fanfic – Roster Contemplations

So yeah, already gotten a few requests, both from people online and friends from work. Also, I’ve been thinking about a few heroes that could work into a story I had in mind. As such, right now I’d like to make a short list of some of the heroes I’m currently thinking about possibly using, why I’m considering using them, and the kind of interpretation of the character I plan to do. So let’s start off with one of the most obvious choices…

Superman

Reasoning: What would the Justice League of America be without “Mr. Truth, Justice, and the American Way”? And for the record, I’m very much Canadian and damned proud of it, but I can also appreciate the need for this team to have an all-American…granted, an all-American that’s from outer space, but hey, that just makes him more awesome, am I right? Oh yeah, and he is super strong, can fly at supersonic speeds, and is damned near invulnerable, save for exposure to Kryptonite, red sun light, and magic.

Interpretation: Mostly pre-DCnU comics version. Strong of will, body, and heart. He’ll usually try to end a fight quickly so that he can save anyone in the general area, and is highly protective of the Earth and her people. He’ll be wearing the classic tights, but I do have an idea for how he could get the DCnU armour later as well as reasons for using it.

Alan Scott

Reasoning: Because of course I would think of picking a Green Lantern, and who better than the original, eh? Plus, this way I don’t have to involve the Guardians of the Universe, who I hear have actually been revealed to be villains…which is not a huge shocker, I kinda figured they were evil for a while.

Interpretation: New 52 Earth-2 version. Why? Because in all honesty, I really love this interpretation of the character and his origin story. I actually like it better than the original origin story for the character from back in the Golden Age. Anyway, his powers are infused into his body by The Green, which he focuses through a ring transfigured from the engagement ring he was going to give his lover Sam just before his tragic death. He’s kind-hearted and respects the hell out of the heroes that came before him, and while he doesn’t believe he’s the most worthy of the power, he will use it to defend the Earth.

Diana of Themyscira

Reasoning: Much like with Superman, it’s hard to imagine a Justice League without Wonder Woman. The Spirit of Truth, champion of her people, she is strong and honourable, and has been granted powers and equipment from the Greek Gods. Oh, and she’s also got a frigging invisible jet. lol

Interpretation: Of course, the attributes of her character that I’d want to emphasise most is her strong will and her immense compassion. I don’t actually read Wonder Woman, so I don’t know that she ever actually wore the cape and wields the shield and sword as she’s seen on the cover of Gail Simone‘s run with the comic, but I just love the crap outta this design, so I think I’d wanna use it. Naturally, she’d never use the sword to straight up murder someone, just as self-defense or against robots or the like. And yes, I know she killed Maxwell Lord, it was a long time ago and she felt horrible to be brought to the point where she needed to do that…also, I’m not sure, but I don’t even think that’s canon in the DCnU anymore. o.O

Booster Gold

Reasoning: This one I probably wouldn’t have thought of if not for the fact that he was a request, but then again, why not? He’s a unique personality, can often-times work for comedic relief, and is obviously a capable fighter. Add in a robot buddy and that he comes from the future, and again I have to ask: Why not?

Interpretation: Okay, when I told my friends at work about this request, their jaws dropped and they told me it was a horrible idea. I’m pretty sure it’s because a lot of interpretations of the character make him seem like he’s only in the superhero biz for money and fame. He’s NOT, it’s just a perk for him, and occasionally an emotional smokescreen. And I think that’s the interpretation I wanna go with.

Jaime Reyes

Reasoning: Okay, this one is more because of Linkara than anything else. I’ve heard him talk on and on about how awesome Blue Beetle was before the DCnU. Based solely on what I’ve read about him, I gotta agree. He kinda looks like a mix of Kamen Rider Gatack and Mega Man, which is awesome, and I like the idea that he’s a young hero with a group of friends that know who he is and help him out…at least they did pre-DCnU, which leads me to interpretation…

Interpretation: Pre-DCnU. Okay, like I alluded to, I didn’t read Blue Beetle back in his awesome days, but I HAVE seen what the DCnU has done to him, and while a lot of good has come out of the DCnU, this is an example of some of the really, REALLY bad. So yeah, definitely his pre-DCnU days where the Scarab was his partner and his friends helped him as a hero.

Batman

Reasoning: …He’s Batman. Need I say more? Yeah okay, I know he hasn’t ALWAYS been a member of the JLA, sometimes operating as an unofficial ally and affiliate. But c’mon, this is my favourite superhero, how could I not consider using him? The only reason I don’t just outright say he’s in is because I’m concerned my love of the character might conflict with the story and that I might try to make him too badass.

Interpretation: I think the things I’d want to emphasise most are his master detective skills and ingenuity, as well as his athleticism. From a visual standpoint, his costume will most resemble his Batman Incorporated costume, but at the same time he’ll use a lot of the gadgets and tech seen in The Dark Knight trilogy and the Arkham games. In other words, this will be a very modern Batman.

Black Canary

Reasoning: At one point, Black Canary was actually the LEADER of the JLA. I think that entitles her to at least be considered for membership here. Sadly, I don’t really know too much about the character beyond that, just her powers and skills, and that she apparently was married to Green Arrow which ended in epic failure. Oh, and that she used to have a daughter that she had to give up. Okay, so I guess I know things that happened to her, but her actual personality, that I’ll need to do more research on before I give her a decision.

Interpretation: Again, that’ll have to be decided after I’ve researched her personality a bit more. Otherwise, I figure she’d be the highest ranking martial artist of the group if she’s on, and of course still have her Canary Cry. I would NOT, however, make her an outlaw as she apparently seems to be in the DCnU (haven’t read Birds of Prey, just the tie-in comic with Night of the Owls).

Wally West

Reasoning: Again, I could not do a JLA fic without considering using The Flash. So why Wally West? For a few reasons. 1) He seems to have disappeared with the DCnU, which I find to be wrong. 2) Apparently a lot of people find Barry Allen to be boring. 3) He was the first Flash I was really all that exposed to, thanks to the DCAU cartoon Justice League (later Justice League Unlimited).

Interpretation: Pretty much the Justice League Unlimited version. Cocky, comic relief, and genuinely cares for his team-mates. The only differences I would make is to include the abilities he has in the comics that were missing from the show, particularly his intangibility.

Raven

Reasoning: I love this character SO much. Sorry, I just do. And like with the other Titans, I tend to blame that on the Teen Titans cartoon, where she used powerful magic with a dark nature and a sarcastic sense of humour, usually would smack someone for trying to be comic relief. Now as I understand it, she’s nothing like that in the comics, but I still find that to make her a fun character that I have been itching to try and write for.

Interpretation: Personality wise, I gotta go with the Teen Titans cartoon, albeit slightly modified to work as an adult. Also, her powers and abilities will be something of a cross between those in the cartoon and those in the comics.

Anyway, that’s enough for now. I’ll list off some more that I’m thinking of using later on. In the meantime, keep am eye open as I plan to release a list of potential villains that’ll appear in my fic. Ja ne!