boyajian@akov68.DEC (Jerry Boyajian) (02/08/85)
You know, I've just had a flash of inspiration, and came up with a possible
end game for at least one set of characters. Now, as everyone can see, the
real problems inherent in ending the whole thing with one Earth come with
those characters that have duplicates or analogs on both Earth-1 and Earth-2.
Actually, most of these aren't really a problem. The two Green Lanterns, for
instance, don't *really* conflict, nor do the two Hawkmen or Atoms, or even
Flashes. And none of them are really that crucial to the makeup of the DC
Universe that they can't be done away with, though as has been pointed out,
eliminating the Earth-1 characters in favor of the -2 seems to be the simpler
path. The only *real* problems lie in Superman and Batman, since both versions
are very important to their respective milieus.
Batman wouldn't even be that much of a problem, since eliminating the
E-2 version wouldn't be that catastrophic, except in that it also eliminates
the fine character of the Huntress. So how about this for a way around it:
The Golden Age Batman is just as he's always been. Parents get shot before
his eyes, bat flies in the window, criminals are a superstitious and cowardly
lot, Robin the Boy Wonder, the JSA --- the whole magilla. And, as we already
know, this Bruce Wayne manages to reform Selina Kyle (the Catwoman) and
marries her. Now, *here*'s where we start to differ. The two of them have
*two* children instead of one: Bruce Jr. and Helena. They could be twins, or
Helena could be younger; it doesn't matter, though the latter would probably
work out better. Now, eventually, Dick Grayson grows up, becomes a lawyer
and everything, just as has been established. The Batman retires, passing on
the family business to his son, who becomes the bat-in-the-yellow circle
Batman. *He* takes on Dick Grayson's son as *his* Robin, and everything is
copacetic. Now, after Selina Wayne and Bruce Sr. die (as told in already
published stories), Helena finishes law school, enters into a law partnership
with Cranston and Grayson, and decides that her big brother could use a
little more help, and becomes the Huntress. She thinks about using the name
Catwoman, to honor their mother, but they both reason that, since the
public knew that Selina Wayne was the original, they might be able to put
two and two together and figure out that the new Batman and Catwoman are
the Wayne siblings. Eventually, Dick Grayson, Jr. (he *could* have another
first name, but it doesn't matter) joins the Teen Titans, and later becomes
Nightwing, and Batman takes up Jason Todd as his new partner. Voila!
As far as Superman goes, a similar thing could be done, say that
the current Superman is actually the son of the Golden Age Superman and
Lois Lane. There is no current Lois Lane, of course, but we could just have
Lana Lang always have been his lover since their old high school days.
Oh! I just thought of another possibility. The other way around the Superman
problem is to have it that there was never any Golden Age Superman, and that
all of his adventures actually happened to Captain Marvel, instead.
Comments, anyone?
--- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Maynard, MA)
UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian
ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.ARPAhutch@shark.UUCP (Stephen Hutchison) (02/13/85)
In article <490@decwrl.UUCP> boyajian@akov68.DEC (Jerry Boyajian) writes: >You know, I've just had a flash of inspiration, and came up with a possible >end game for at least one set of characters. Now, as everyone can see, the >real problems inherent in ending the whole thing with one Earth come with >those characters that have duplicates or analogs on both Earth-1 and Earth-2. >.... > Batman wouldn't even be that much of a problem, since eliminating the >E-2 version wouldn't be that catastrophic, except in that it also eliminates >the fine character of the Huntress. Not So! he cried out. Batman of Earth-2 is already dead, is he not? This is not a problem!! Unless of course they changed it while my back was turned... >Oh! I just thought of another possibility. The other way around the Superman >problem is to have it that there was never any Golden Age Superman, and that >all of his adventures actually happened to Captain Marvel, instead. > > >Comments, anyone? > > >--- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Maynard, MA) Why? They've already put him on a sliding scale. I suspect they will change the powers of Kryptonians, though. Make them into psi-based abilities, perhaps intensified by the effects of the yellow sun rays on the pineal gland, stimulating their powers to a greater level than on their home planet. I also suspect they will change the way magic works. I hope, I hope. Hutch
disc@homxb.UUCP (S.BERRY) (02/15/85)
It seems that this (Jerry's) scenario is predicated on the assumption that once all these changes take place, it will be as if THERE NEVER WERE ANY OTHER EARTHS. Is this a valid assumption? SJBerry
oz@rlgvax.UUCP (THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ) (02/19/85)
> It seems that this (Jerry's) scenario is predicated on the > assumption that once all these changes take place, it will > be as if THERE NEVER WERE ANY OTHER EARTHS. Is this a valid > assumption? > > SJBerry Good point SJ. It was my belief that the DC universe would make sense from issue 12 *on*, not before. Therefore Marv was not planning on explaining where the same people came from, but rather would get rid of existing characters. The only "past" character that was supposed to cease to exist was Superboy (a concept that I still don't understand, but I have read that Superboy never happened from more then one source). It my belive that the super beings that will bite the big one, are Streaky the Super Cat, Beppo the Super Monkey, Comet the Super House, and of course Comet the Super Cleaner. Sorry Josephine. OZ seismo!rlgvax!oz