Issue 50: Don't Bother Me, I'm Thinking
By The Rambler

Chapter 1 – The World (And the Way It Works)

There are cities that seem like they come right out of a noir film, with guys in them who seem perfectly-suited to be the schmuck detective to receive the unusual call from the damsels in distress that turn out to be a big tease into a case that could cost the poor guy his life. You know the cities, with the steam that rises out of every possible crack and crevice, the shadows that mask all of the dark goings-on. They’re the ones that are serenaded by cat screeches and saxophone songs from smoky, crowded jazz halls. The drunks stumble through the lonely streets, tripping on their own feet and falling against the door of an old Cadillac. Sure, there are streetwalkers, but most are classy, if you can say that about those that people call whores. This is my city, that place of the lonely dog barking and the back door to a restaurant slamming after the trash has been tossed in the alley. Sadly, I’m that schmuck who gets tangled in it all. I’m not waiting for the dame, I’m not waiting for the check. The money is regular in my profession, and dependable, for the most part, but hardly rewarding. I’m the schmuck who believes in something a little different than the way the world works, and that way collars me in white under black.

You guessed it; I’m a minister.

Not the usual ones who get a little congregation in a white steepled church in a farm town. Not the ones in suits and ties on television flinging spit and dripping spirit-filled sweat onto the next person needing healed. I’m not even the metropolitan pastor trying to keep up with the sweep of the trends from suburban sprawl to recentering in downtown, otherwise known as regentrification. And yes, I’m a fan of big words for fun. No, the reason the checks are dependable is because they are sent from the central office of my employing denomination, which is unimportant. The reason it’s hardly rewarding is because being the pastor of a ‘mission’ as they call it, isn’t a prized profession. Sure, some launch from this area, but I haven’t had the opportunity, nor do I really want it. The night life is what I see on the way home, as I go to my wife, in our little two bedroom apartment. And the nightlife is what keeps me up with phone-calls of the drugged out, drunk, abused, and abandoned. I get to sleep-in most mornings, because my congregation depends on nightlife and on the morning cup of coffee around noon.

I guess I started rambling without actually introducing myself. I’m Michael. Michael Logan O’Shanisey. Yes, I’m Irish. Catholic or protestant, take your pick, I like them both. I’ve been called Mick, Michael, Mikey, Mike, Logan, Shawn, O’Shan, Shawney, Father, and the rest go downhill, so take your pick, I’m not too concerned. Most of the parishioners either know me as Father, Pops, Pastor, again, take your pick. I’ll go ahead and introduce the Misses: She’s a pretty little girl, with ashy blonde hair, and a pretty medium build. She smiles like the best, and her honesty cuts like a knife. Genevieve Marie, but most call her Gene. Her brown eyes cut like diamond. That’s the gist of my place here.

But why did I even start like this? Well, I’ll tell ya. It’s to get you acquainted with the scenery before you get involved in the story. As I keep talking, you’ll get to know more characters, trust me.

Now, guess I should tell you the way the world works. You see, there’s times I get caught in my office twirling and weaving thoughts about the way the world should work. Yeah, it’s what people in my profession do, getting caught in ideas like peace, love, justice, and righteousness – you know, the way the world should be. Key word there is should. But there is something different about the way the world is. In my thought, the world works out of a kind of wisdom. That’ll be a recurring theme, get used to it.

Definition of wisdom: the way in which the structures of nature, science, and all of life are put together in order for the world to work a certain way. For every way that the world works, there is a different kind of wisdom behind it. The drug addicts, drunks, and nightwalkers all have a wisdom behind construing the world in their addiction. The pushers and peddlers may be close, but trust me, their wisdom is different. Your grandfather or grandmother show you their wisdom in the good old days, and your kids show it in their talk of fairness. Everything has a wisdom. That’s the way the world works. The question is, which is best? Ponder that as I keep going.

So I’m caught in my office, weaving my thoughts and studies when the old speaker on my desk crackles with the voice of Loraine, the receptionist calls me. Yes, we have the cool old speakers seen in the vintage movies with the security door buzz as the call sound. This call was about some stranger coming to see me. His name was Peter. That’s all I knew at the beginning, and all you’ll know about his name for now.

“Father, There’s a man out here to meet with you,” came her coffee-enthused voice through the intercom crackle.

“Not on the schedule. Did you tell him I was in study?”

“He says it’s urgent. Life or death. Should I send him in?”

“Yes,” I heave. “Send him in.”

My door squeaked on the old hinges, painted enough to have a nice, rubber looking coat. The glass on my door leaves the outline and colors of the man fuzzy. Everything is a bit nineteen-forty about my building. So the old hinges squeak, followed by the heavy footsteps of this Peter guy. He steps in, heaving a sigh and dabbing sweat from his brow. His head is bald, his eyes blue and beady, and his face round. He’s the teddy bear guy with the bat in his left hand, hugging and loving the family, but smashing the jaw of the guy who owes the boss some money. That guy. His shirt is wet around the collar and pits, and unbuttoned once to let his neck have some room. This guy comes from a world structured by a wisdom. I’ve got to figure that out. It’s my job.

Issue 44: Superhero Information Initiative
By The Rambler

A New Kind of Exploit: Genreism

As of late I have been caught up in many a debate, often resulting in blood and bruises, as well as some knife fighting, over the use of literary style in Comics. It seems that comics come in two flavors: Monthly Soap Operas, or a conglomerate of themes and ideas woven continually through development.

Some Genre Concepts to start us off:
The Archetypal Characters:

• Hero (whether anti, or noble) is the one who ends up being the holder of virtues
• Sub-heroes – aid in cultivating mentor/pupil virtues
• Villain – That which holds the anti-virtues of the hero
• Empathetic villain – that which is a good person who goes bad
• Engrained villain – that which is always opposed to the virtues of the hero

So now that we have the basic dichotomy spelled out, there are other plot devices used in order to hold the reader.

Icon – that which the reader identifies as the symbol of virtues/anti-virtues
These would include the X for X-men, the Shield of Superman, the Bolt of Flash, the WW of Wonder Woman, as well as mantras – Green Lantern, Spider Man, and so on.

Character – That which is under the mask, the person who develops the virtues into the icon.

Okay. Hopefully you like my definitions, if not, argue below.

As I see it there are two ways of writing a good comic story:

The Constant Character: (Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, etc.) In these stories, there is one character who does not age, nor do the other plot characters around him. This character goes through an initial development into a hero, bringing out the virtues in which they believe. They then take up an icon and develop it into the symbol of virtues. In development, there is also a character who travels in the opposite direction, into the villain, doing much the same thing as the hero. Over time, other villains, tests, characters, and plot devices come along in order to challenge the hero’s virtues, to test the strength of the character’s will, and ultimately to test their loyalty. However, the development of the character has to keep up with the pace of changing times. Thus the change in the new Superman Returns film – Truth, Justice, and All That Stuff (not the American Way.) Thus, as anthropology shows a more conflicted and psychologically- understanding reader base, then the character’s psyche must be developed and tested.

And, just for fun, new powers are added and taken as needed just to be cool.

The Legacy: (Green Lantern, Flash, etc.) These stories are not as common as the Constant Character stories. But in these, the same character development happens, except that new people are introduced to take over the Iconic hero. The most familiar for me is the Flash. It first started when Flash comics were cancelled in the ’50’s, but picked up by the comic company soon to be known as DC in the ’60’s. This transition moved Jay Garrick, (the first developed hero), out of the hero role and into the influential role, (through meta-stories in comics.) Thus, Jay influenced Barry into the Flash role when Barry was struck, and Barry mentored Wally until Barry died in 1987, (a noble and teaching death that added to the legacy the idea of “sacrifice.”) Wally has then been the Flash, but tried to develop Bart, and now has two children to develop into the Icon.

Thus, the legacy is not a revamping of the character, but of the Icon itself, allowing multiple voices to speak into what the icon should look like. It involves the mortality of the hero, the ability for one character to develop, and another to take it a new direction. It gives lenses to understand the icon.

While I find that both of these styles are necessary, I’m much more a fan of the legacy. But much more, I’m just for a good Story – I want them to be literarily diverse and interesting, using a plethora of different devices.

Whew…

I need to find a younger Rambler to develop… or maybe I’ll just be ageless

January 8, 2008
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Issue 42: Superhero Information Initiative
By The Rambler

Booster Gold

DC Comics: Holding those Characters that defined the Modern Day American Hero, with the rules of holding up Truth, Justice and the American way. They have rules like “Never take a life,” and “Save everyone at all costs,” which throw the heroes into a moral struggle with justice and vengance. They are noble, and almost unreachable.

Almost…

No hero can just do it for the sake of doing right. Right? Well that’s what Booster Gold said. So for all you shining Capitalists out there who find that one should really just be out to make the money: here is the hero for you, The true defender of the American Way.

Michael Jon Carter was a football star in the 25th Century, but that wasn’t enough. He needed more money, so he bet on one of his own games in order to really get a cut. But, getting Caught, he was fired from football and became a security guard at a museum that had the old Hero Artifacts. Hijacking a security robot (Skeets), a ton of Historical data, A forcefield belt, flying ring, and wrist blasters, he illegally jumped back into the 1980’s. Oh yes, the era of the individual and money. So, using historical records, Booster would become the greatest hero and sell his name for endorsements.

He became a C-D list hero in the 90’s, only being revived in Infinite Crisis to stop Max Lord, and witnessing his best friend’s death (Ted Kord, Blue Beetle). However, reinstated in 52, Skeets’ historical files were beginning to become inaccurate. Booster was exposed as a fraud and then died in trying to truly be a hero. However, in a move by Rip Hunter, Booster survived and saved the multiverse from mister mind.

In the attempt to truly become a hero, to make a name for himself, to really be a part of the JLA, Booster was again abducted by Rip Hunter in order to stop the historical deaths of the JLA. Thus he became the Greatest Superhero Never Known.

So if you enjoyed Back to the Future, and most comic heroes, then Booster Gold is the right one for you. Driving the Time scientist Crazy, out to right history, and drunk driving a time sphere into Silver Age Flash and Kid Flash’s cosmic treadmill, are all apart of this great story.

Truly a Hero of the American way, the Capitalist who in the end is never known. Who learns what really doing the heroic thing is, but always being seen as a dunce of a hero.

Issue 38: Superhero Information Initiative
By The Rambler

Learning how to be a Hero

Bart Allen: 4th Flash, First appearance, Flash V.2 #91 June 1994

There are days when I sit back and wish that I could still be a child, living out my dreams and fantasies. Most men do, and probably most women. However, in Bart Allen’s case, that’s what gets him into the most trouble and ends up being his most noble quality.

Bart is the Grandson of Barry Allen in the 30th century. He inherited speed from the time he was born. The Earth Government wanted Bart in order to study him and learn how to engineer his speed. Within two years, he aged to age 12. The scientists placed him in virtual reality in order to keep him sane and accelerate his learning. His grandmother, Iris, abducted him and illegally time traveled back to the 20th century in order to have Wally cure Bart of his accelerated growth, before it kills him. Wally understood that it was his accelerated metabolism. He forced Bart to run to the breaking point, where his body wants to give up. Finally, he pushes Bart past this point, jerking his body into a normal growth rate and taming the speed inside.

Now, the problem with Bart is the fact that he believes that reality works like virtual reality, where nothing will hurt him, and the world works according to the rules that no one really gets hurt. He runs headlong into problems without formulating a plan, and ends up depending on instinct. He Assumed the identity of Impulse and was put under the tutalige of Max Mercury in order to learn how to plan, think things through, and how to channel the speed force. Max moved him to Manchester, Alabama, and taught him to appreciate civilian life as well. He made good friends with Carol Bucklen, who helped him tap into his past with his Mother, Maloni Thawne. Maloni is the daughter of the Earth Government President, Who is a decendent of the Cobalt Blue legacy that comes from Barry Allen’s twin brother. President Thawne has genetically engineered Bart’s twin, Thaddeus Thawne, or Inertia. The problem with Inertia is that his goal is to kill Bart and become him. In these efforts, he nearly has trapped Bart in the Speed Force along with Max Mercury.

Bart assumes the role as the Flash, after he, along with the help of Wally, Pushes Superboy Prime into the Speedforce. He comes back aged to 20 years old, and has lost his speed. He tries to deny his call to be a hero, but in a bombing at the car factory that he works at, he goes into speed mode and nearly explodes. However, after assuming the mantle of the Flash, he valiantly becomes the hero, and moves to LA. Here, Inertia talks the other rogues into building a machine that will “Stop time.” In reality the machine absorbs the Speed force that is now fully imbodied by Bart. The machine works, taking away Bart’s Speed, and leaving him vulnerable. His girlfriend, Valarie Perez, deactivates the machine, releasing the Speed force, but it does not save Bart, who is killed by being beaten to death. He knew his future because his Grandmother from the future told it to him, but he tried to be the hero anyway.

Bart died, giving another name to the Flash legacy for Wally to embody. The nobility of Barry, and the childishness of Bart. Bart was idealistic and appreciated life for the sake of life. Bart left the Flash legacy with a call to return to the nobility of the silver age of Barry, and the lightheartedness of the joy of doing good.

Bart’s powers were dominantly Super Speed, but he could also control his body to vibrate through solid objects.

Issue 37: Superhero Information Initiative
By The Rambler

The Dark Flash: Idealistic Hero

Flash: Wally West, First Appearance: Flash V.1 #110 (Kid Flash) January 1960

So we’ve seen that college students and police scientists enjoy reading their comics for relaxing from work. However, this one is more true to form. Wally was a kid, like most kids, with a wild imagination and dreams to follow. He read the Flash and heard about him on the news. His room was full of childish drawings and writings about the Flash. He needed a hero, especially when his father was abusive and a scam artist. Rudolph West, Wally’s father, constantly crushed Wally’s dreams of being great.

This all changed when Wally visited his Aunt, Iris West, and her boyfriend, Barry Allen. Barry took Wally to his lab at the Police station, and Wally incurred super speed from the same accident that gave Barry super speed (lightning and chemicals.) Wally joined Barry as Kid Flash and ran with him until Barry passed away in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Wally then assumed the role of the Flash in the legacy of Barry. As Wally was developing speed under Barry, his body began to reject the effects of the speed, and Wally had to push through the pain, running until it almost killed him from the inside out. It jumped his body to get used to speed.

Wally was cocky and brazen, bouncing from relationship to relationship, and keeping shallow friendships. He revealed his identity and made “Super Hero” a job. He moved to New York, and battled Velocity 9, (Vandal Savage’s Speed drug), on the streets. Winning the lottery, he moved into a mansion and continued his big lifestyle. Eventually, Wally lost his speed out of fear of using it. Friends Tina and Jerry McGee doused Wally in chemicals and recharged him with lightning, causing him to speed across the nation, destroying everything in his path. The cost of damages destroyed Wally’s wealth, and he moved to Keystone City to be the Flash.

It is here that his character changes from arrogant to noble. Wally constantly strives to be like Barry, taking the weight of everyone in Keystone on his shoulders. He continually runs to stop all bad things, but fails when he does not check a fire and a woman is scarred in it. It is here that Wally’s nobility shines, for he forces himself faster and faster, until Max Mercury catches him and teaches him that he can’t be everywhere at once.

Key to Wally is his relationship with Linda Park, (reporter), and his connection to the speed force, (the plain of energy that gives speed.) Many times, Wally is forced to run so fast that he is absorbed into the speed force, but his love for Linda grounds him back to earth every time. They finally get married, and begin to start a family. However, a friend, Hunter Zolomon, loses his ability to walk, and pleads for Wally to go back in time and change it. When Wally refuses, Hunter tries to take the Cosmic Treadmill back to fix it, and it explodes, fusing Hunter with the ability to use time as speed. He assumes the mantle of Zoom and desires to teach Wally to be a better hero. In the fight, he causes Linda to have a miscarriage. After Wally defeats Zoom, The Specter comes to him and grants him his wish to erase his identity. Thus, Wally must relearn who he is and teach his family to accept it, especially after they blamed the miscarriage on the Flash. In another fight with Zoom, Wally is forced to re-watch, over and over, Zoom killing the future kids of the Flash. In an attempt to stop the present Zoom from tampering with the past, Wally trips him and causes the past Zoom to mess up. Immediately Wally is transported back to the present, Linda goes into labor and they have twins, (Jai and Iris).

Later, Wally sacrifices himself to the speed force with Linda and the children, forcing Superboy Prime into the force, and saving the world from him in Infinite Crisis. Only recently has Wally returned and taken the mantle of Flash again, with his wife and children.

The unique thing about Wally was that he befriended his enemies and helped them reform. The Pied Piper, Hartley Rathaway, became his best friend. This backfired many times as the Rogues thought that Flash was using them, or belittling them. So the rogues reformed late in Wally’s career.

The struggle with legacy made Wally a more noble hero than Barry, and a more real human than most masked heroes. He taught grace to enemies and love to friends. Wally truly is the Idealistic Hero.

Wally’s unique powers: He can run so fast he can pass through time, lending and taking speed away from objects and people, fast healing, and a direct channeling of the Speedforce. He seems to be an Avatar of the Speedforce on earth.