Scans: JLA: Divided We Fall (1/4)
Mark Waid's JLA story "Divided We Fall" is one of my favorite storylines for the way it explores the psyches of some of the major characters of the DCU. In short, it's a storyline in which six members of the JLA (Superman, Batman, Plastic Man, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Flash) are split into their double identities as hero and civilian. The plot is ludicrous, if cool at times--it's really more an introspective think-piece on the identity schisms in some of the heroes.
I promised crimsonquills I'd post some scans from the story to get her thinking about a possible version using Iron Man/Captain America over in Marvel--and I have to admit, it would be cool to see some alternate takes on this using other DCU characters. What would happen if it were Nightwing-Dick and Red Arrow-Roy? (Or Robin-Dick and Speedy-Roy, from a different time). How about Black Canary-Dinah with Green Arrow-Ollie? Or oh, imagining Jason Todd and Tim Drake being split--some really odd possibilities there.
Anyway, enough lobbing of bunnies. On to the scans! This first set summarizes what happens to the other members of the League--starting with the second post I'll focus on Bruce and Clark's experiences and the finale of the storyline. I'm leaving tons out, so seriously--pick up the TPB, it's awesome.
The storyline is set in motion when Superman, during a heart-to-heart with Batman, says this:
Oh, Clark. When will you learn that one should never make wishes, just in case there happen to be malign sixth-dimensional beings with the power to grant wishes waiting around for you to make yourself vulnerable?
Indeed, six members of the League find themselves split in two. Not just non-powered--John Jones and Clark Kent, for example, are genetically human. Aquaman and Wonder Woman, who have no secret identities at this time in the canon, remain themselves, and have to deal with the situation.
For some members, the split is fairly neutral. Flash, for example, becomes obsessed with change and moving ahead, while Wally becomes lazy and unmotivated. I'll look at Clark in more detail later, but both he and Superman are relatively (relatively) well-adjusted. And John Jones is actively dreading any possibility of being merged with the Martian again:
John begs Arthur not to let the League force him to re-integrate with J'onn.
However, for three members, the split is devastating. Green Lantern, freed from Kyle's personality, becomes little but an embodiment of force:
While Kyle goes not-so-slowly crazy:
*wibble*
Plastic Man becomes dangerously manic and unreliable, while Eel O'Brian, the former thug, fings himself compulsively stealing things, losing his moral center:
O'Brian ends by telling John that the tragedy of "Flowers for Algernon" is not that the hero loses his enhanced mental abilities, but that he has to remember that he once had them. O'Brian can remember being a hero, but he can't do it without the part of him that's Plastic Man. (At this point, by the way, John refuses to help him. O'Brian ends up taking drastic action to get through to him, which you'll see in part 3.
Next: Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent without Batman and Superman.
I promised crimsonquills I'd post some scans from the story to get her thinking about a possible version using Iron Man/Captain America over in Marvel--and I have to admit, it would be cool to see some alternate takes on this using other DCU characters. What would happen if it were Nightwing-Dick and Red Arrow-Roy? (Or Robin-Dick and Speedy-Roy, from a different time). How about Black Canary-Dinah with Green Arrow-Ollie? Or oh, imagining Jason Todd and Tim Drake being split--some really odd possibilities there.
Anyway, enough lobbing of bunnies. On to the scans! This first set summarizes what happens to the other members of the League--starting with the second post I'll focus on Bruce and Clark's experiences and the finale of the storyline. I'm leaving tons out, so seriously--pick up the TPB, it's awesome.
The storyline is set in motion when Superman, during a heart-to-heart with Batman, says this:
Oh, Clark. When will you learn that one should never make wishes, just in case there happen to be malign sixth-dimensional beings with the power to grant wishes waiting around for you to make yourself vulnerable?
Indeed, six members of the League find themselves split in two. Not just non-powered--John Jones and Clark Kent, for example, are genetically human. Aquaman and Wonder Woman, who have no secret identities at this time in the canon, remain themselves, and have to deal with the situation.
For some members, the split is fairly neutral. Flash, for example, becomes obsessed with change and moving ahead, while Wally becomes lazy and unmotivated. I'll look at Clark in more detail later, but both he and Superman are relatively (relatively) well-adjusted. And John Jones is actively dreading any possibility of being merged with the Martian again:
John begs Arthur not to let the League force him to re-integrate with J'onn.
However, for three members, the split is devastating. Green Lantern, freed from Kyle's personality, becomes little but an embodiment of force:
While Kyle goes not-so-slowly crazy:
*wibble*
Plastic Man becomes dangerously manic and unreliable, while Eel O'Brian, the former thug, fings himself compulsively stealing things, losing his moral center:
O'Brian ends by telling John that the tragedy of "Flowers for Algernon" is not that the hero loses his enhanced mental abilities, but that he has to remember that he once had them. O'Brian can remember being a hero, but he can't do it without the part of him that's Plastic Man. (At this point, by the way, John refuses to help him. O'Brian ends up taking drastic action to get through to him, which you'll see in part 3.
Next: Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent without Batman and Superman.