Good day once more. Alex Jaffe right here, higher recognized within the DC Neighborhood as HubCityQuestion. In case you’ve seen this column earlier than, you recognize it’s my private mission to tackle any query you’ve got concerning the DC Universe—regardless of how unusual, granular, or obscure—and fulfill your curiosity. As a trustworthy steward of the reality, I supply my time on this month-to-month column to deal with these inquiries. In case you’d prefer to submit a query of your individual, you’ll be able to cease by my workplace at any time within the DC Neighborhood to state your case, which I’ll tackle to one of the best of my potential.
Now, let’s get some solutions!
Encyclopedia Extraterrestria, Vol. 2: L-M
WildStorm-Jeff asks:
Thanagarians, Kryptonians, Kherubims, oh my. What number of aliens have come, gone, or stayed on Earth?
Persevering with our countdown from final month’s column, listed below are some extra of the numerous, many aliens which meet Jeff’s standards all through DC historical past. You may seek the advice of our earlier version for an inventory of caveats and exceptions. As all the time, be at liberty to contact me in the neighborhood if I’ve occurred to omit something, and I’ll embody them in a later version.
Klee-Tees: Inexperienced, globular humanoid race which may shoot lasers from their eyes, and sport further eyes on their fingertips. Ran afoul of Superman and the Elite on Earth by operating an alien trafficking ring.
Lanothians: A white monkey-like species, one of many many bottled and preserved by Brainiac. One Lanothian, “Koko the Area Monkey,” used to accompany Brainiac as his favourite pet.
Lisnarians: Biomechanical race with glowing eyes able to producing expertise from their our bodies, employed all through the galaxy as dwelling instruments. Gear, a Lisnarian, involves Earth 1,000 years sooner or later as a member of the Legion of Tremendous-Heroes.
Dwelling Stars: Just like the dwelling planet Mogo, some stars within the universe have a sentience of their very own and might even take humanoid type. Aquarius, an evil dwelling star, was as soon as depowered and imprisoned on Earth, the place it battled the Justice Society.
Lizarkons: The reptilian cohabitants of the planet Thanagar with the Thanagarians and their sworn enemies. Isamot Kol, a Lizarkon Inexperienced Lantern, has visited Earth on Inexperienced Lantern enterprise.
Makkorans: A bone-white humanoid alien race. Probably the most famend of all Makkorans was Selkor, Makkor’s personal superhero, who possessed nice psychological powers, teleportation and vitality barrier technology talents. Selkor was momentarily married to Supergirl throughout a time the place she was stranded on Makkor with full amnesia. After Disaster on Infinite Earths, Salkor got here to Earth to pay his respects to the lady he knew as “Jasma.”
Maltusians: One of many oldest races within the universe, the highly effective Maltusian folks appointed themselves the Guardians of the Universe, founding each the Manhunters and the Inexperienced Lantern Corps from their centrally positioned headquarters on the planet Oa. One Maltusian, Appa Ali Apsa, accompanied Hal Jordan and Inexperienced Arrow for a time on a highway journey throughout America. Some have recommended that Earth legends of leprechauns have been really Maltusian sightings on Earth, however that is foolish.
Manhawks: An avian race of marauders native to Thanagar, the Manhawks led the extra humanoid Thanagarians to develop Nth steel wings as a way to fight them within the first place. Finally, a contingent of Manhawks would arrive to plunder Earth, a lot to the consternation of Hawkman and Hawkgirl.
Martians (Inexperienced): The closest neighbors to Earthlings, all however exterminated by a psychic plague. J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter, survives them as an Earth resident.
Martians (White): The Inexperienced Martians’ rivals in a violent race battle earlier than their extermination. A couple of White Martians nonetheless survive, however none extra well-known than Earth resident M’gann M’orzz, Miss Martian.
Metaleks: A sentient synthetic race resembling Earth development autos, repelled from “xenoforming” the Earth in Grant Morrison’s Batman and Robin.
Miranian: Not a lot is understood about this human-resembling race, besides that one, Glenn Gammeron, was an interstellar bounty hunter who tracked Despero to Earth and labored with Martian Manhunter and the Justice League Process Power for a time within the ’90s.
Missile Males: One other synthetic race of dwelling missiles from an unnamed junkyard planet, whose assaults on Earth are often thwarted by the Metallic Males.
Myrgs: The monarchial humanoid race of the Golden Age Inexperienced Lantern villain, Prince Peril. The telepathic Myrg princess Ramia marries Alan Scott’s sidekick, Doiby Dickles.
Myrmitons: Hairless, blue-skinned aliens who momentarily conquered Earth after luring Hal Jordan and Barry Allen off-world. The heroes despatched them packing as soon as they obtained again, one challenge later.
Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Yadda Yadda
ZatannaAndHerSpells; Wrightline1.42741 asks:
Have you learnt what number of variations there are of the Lantern oaths?
Let’s begin with the unique, first spoken by the unique Inexperienced Lantern, Alan Scott. From his 1940 debut, All-American Comics #16:
And I shall shed my mild over darkish evil,
For the darkish issues can not stand the sunshine.
The sunshine of…the Inexperienced Lantern!
It could not rhyme, but it surely does have a little bit of a biblical ring to it. Simply a short time later, in 1943’s Inexperienced Lantern #9, Alan’s oath took a brand new form. This revised oath was later immortalized as Hal Jordan’s personal, and the usual oath for the Inexperienced Lantern Corps as a complete:
In brightest day, in blackest night time,
No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those that worship evil’s may
Beware my energy, Inexperienced Lantern’s mild!
It wasn’t till 1987 that author Alan Moore first recommended that some Lanterns, as alien as they’re, would have a totally completely different relationship to the broad ideas recommended in the usual Lantern oath, and should have their very own variations to go well with their private experiences and personalities. Throughout his temporary however influential work with the Inexperienced Lantern Corps, Alan Moore crafted two new oaths for 2 distinctive corpsmen: one, in Swamp Factor #61, for the plant-based Medphyll, one of many Corps’ oldest members:
In forest darkish or glade beferned,
No blade of grass shall go unturned!
Let those that have the daylight spurned
Tread not the place this inexperienced lamp has burned!
And my private favourite, in Inexperienced Lantern Annual #3, the place we’re launched to sightless Corps recruit Rot Lop Fan. With no idea of sunshine or imaginative and prescient, Rot Lop Fan is educated by Katma Tui to hone his energy not via deal with lanterns or shade, however on a specific tone of sound, and the instrument that would make it:
In loudest din or hush profound,
My ears catch evil’s slightest sound.
Let those that toll out evil’s knell,
Beware my energy, the F-Sharp Bell!
Since then, different Inexperienced Lanterns have put their very own oaths to phrases, together with the rebellious Jack T. Likelihood:
You who’re depraved, evil and imply,
I’m the nastiest creep you’ve ever seen!
Come one, come all, put up a battle!
I’ll pound your butts with Inexperienced Lantern’s mild!
Yowza.
The monastic, contemplative Barin:
“On this place of black and gray and darkish,
The Inexperienced Lantern shall be my mild, my hope, my power.
All that’s good is all I defend.
I shall not falter.
Kho Khari, the primary Inexperienced Lantern chosen from the vicious, warlike Khunds:
In opposition to dishonor and traitor’s flight,
I stand beside my clan to battle.
With dying breath I claw and chunk,
Beware my energy, Inexperienced Lantern’s mild!
And the Daxamite Lantern Sodam Yat, pushed mad after a thousand years in Ultimate Disaster: Legion of Three Worlds:
In brightest day, via blackest night time,
No different Corps shall unfold its mild.
Let those that attempt to cease what’s proper
Burn like my energy, Inexperienced Lantern’s mild!
In 2008’s Inexperienced Lantern #27, we’re launched to the idea of the “Alpha Lanterns,” an inner affairs division to implement the legislation among the many Corps themselves. They got here with an oath of their very own:
In days of peace, in nights of battle,
Obey the Legal guidelines endlessly extra!
Misconduct should be answered for,
Swear us the chosen: the Alpha Corps!
The Inexperienced Lantern Oath has been proven to take a unique type on different Earths as nicely, akin to the magical Earth-13 of the Infinite Disaster online game:
In forests deep the place darkness dwells,
In dungeons dank beneath historical fells,
Let those that search to rule the night time
Beware my energy, the Emerald Gentle!
The groovy “Magic Lantern” of Earth-47 created by Grant Morrison first speaks his personal oath in The Inexperienced Lantern #11:
When it is groovy, when it is grim,
We hum the Dwelling Guru’s hymn.
When different Lanterns lose their sh!t,
We preserve the Magic Lantern lit!
In Darkish Nights: Metallic, the corrupt Bruce Wayne of the Darkish Multiverse often called “Dawnbreaker” will get a hoop of his personal, which he wields with this oath:
With darkness black, I choke the sunshine!
No brightest day escapes my sight!
I flip the daybreak to midnight!
Beware my energy—Dawnbreaker’s may!
As Geoff Johns started introducing Corps of each shade in his personal Inexperienced Lantern run of the 2000s, each got here with its personal attendant oath.
The fear-wielding Sinestro Corps had two variants. The principle one goes like this:
In blackest day, in brightest night time,
Beware your fears made into mild.
Let those that attempt to cease what’s proper,
Burn like my energy, Sinestro’s may!
When Sinestro’s deputy Arkillo briefly took over as chief of the Corps in its founder’s absence, he tweaked the unique oath to substitute “Sinestro’s may” for “Arkillo’s.” A small change, however I’m counting it as two.
Subsequent was the fashion primarily based Purple Lantern Corps:
With blood and rage of crimson pink,
Ripped from a corpse so freshly useless,
Along with our hellish hate,
We’ll burn you all, that’s your destiny!
There are two variations of this oath as nicely, as this reasonably ugly oath was toned down considerably when the Purple Lanterns have been launched as principal antagonists of Inexperienced Lantern: The Animated Sequence:
With blood and rage of crimson pink,
We fill males’s souls with darkest dread,
And twist your thoughts with ache and hate,
We’ll burn you all, that’s your destiny.
The Blue Lantern Corps was appropriately given a way more soothing credo for the troubled instances to return:
In fearful day, in raging night time,
With sturdy hearts full, our souls ignite.
When all appears misplaced within the Warfare of Gentle,
Look to the celebs, for hope burns shiny!
The Star Sapphire Corps was given an oath which displays their potential to draft others into their ranks:
For hearts lengthy misplaced and stuffed with fright,
For these alone in blackest night time,
Settle for our ring and be a part of our battle,
Love conquers all with violet mild!
The enigmatic and remoted Indigo Tribe has an oath as nicely, however one which has by no means been translated into English. We will solely speculate primarily based on context clues to its true which means:
To lorek san, bor nakka mur
Natromo faan tornek wot ur
Ter Lantern ker lo Abin Sur
Taan lek lek nok—Formorrow Sur!
That leaves us with the Orange Lantern from the core (corps?) seven, whose oath was left a thriller till the very finish of Geoff Johns’ nine-year run. For more often than not, because the sole Orange Lantern was launched, the avaricious Larfleeze’s oath was assumed to easily be the phrase “MINE!” However Johns continued to allude in direction of an oath we’d at some point study in full, which was lastly printed in 2013’s Inexperienced Lantern #20:
What’s mine is mine and mine and mine
And mine and mine and mine and mine!
NOT YOURS!
After all, when the Blackest Evening arrived, the Black Lanterns’ herald, Black Hand, had an oath of his personal:
The Blackest Evening falls from the skies,
The darkness grows as all mild dies.
We crave your hearts and your demise,
By my Black Hand, the useless shall rise!
(If the contrasting White Lantern Corps comes with an oath, we all know it not.)
Two different oaths have been launched because the finish of Johns’ tenure on Prime Earth. First, the oath of the “Phantom Ring” in Inexperienced Lanterns, a extremely harmful artifact which may emulate the powers of any ring on the emotional spectrum for anybody who wields it, no matter their worthiness or advantage. Its oath:
In determined day, in hopeless night time,
The Phantom Ring is our final mild.
We yearn for energy, power and may,
I seize the ring, that’s my proper!
And at last, the Ultraviolet Corps of destructive emotion found by Sinestro in Scott Snyder’s run on Justice League:
By defend of day, and defend of night time,
We feed and develop, past all sight.
Your darkest self shall be our knight,
Wield the sword of unseen mild!
I’d say the meter on that final one’s just a little off should you ask me, however tallying all these up…it seems to be like the reply to your query, barring the varied “parody oaths” like G’nort’s variants in Batman: The Courageous and the Daring, or like, that one Duck Dodgers episode, is…twenty-three!
One Superb Mess
DannytheXe asks:
When did they cease utilizing the Milton Superb design for Brainiac? The outfit is sizzling (that bodysuit and cape OH LAWD), however I suppose the DCAU model had one thing to do with it? By the mid-2000s and the Superman: Brainiac arc, he appeared nearer to his New 52 design.
For these much less aware of the fast Put up-Disaster on Infinite Earths established order of Brainiac, the character was reintroduced by John Byrne in Adventures of Superman #438 as carnival psychic Milton Superb, “The Wonderful Brainiac,” who unwittingly channels the disembodied Coluan scientist Vril Dox. This human/Coluan hybrid Brainiac would stay the type of Superman’s adversary via the mid-eighties and all the nineties. So should you’ve ever questioned why Brainiac sports activities that goatee within the 1992 “Panic within the Sky” crossover occasion, that’s Milton Superb’s facial hair that Brainiac is carrying.
Your instincts concerning the extra robotic DC Animated Universe incarnation of Brainiac from 1997’s Superman: The Animated Sequence heralding a design change within the comics could also be on the cash. As a result of it was in 1998’s Superman: The Doomsday Wars that Brainiac tried to defeat the Man of Metal by switching to a extra appropriate physique, after Superb’s perishes in an vehicle explosion. Particularly, the physique of Doomsday, the beast who Superman died preventing not too lengthy earlier than. However by the point Superman was performed with this Doomsday-Brainiac hybrid, the Coluan scientist was left with no organic host, forcing him right into a cybernetic containment go well with extra evocative of his animated visage.
State of Affairs
Xenogear-Kryptonian asks:
Hey, the place is Gotham really at in america?
Over the numerous years since Batman first stalked the night time, this query has had three solutions. Greater than another metropolis, Gotham is impressed by New York Metropolis, the place creators Bob Kane and Invoice Finger lived as they crafted the world of the preferred superhero in fiction. It’s been stated at instances that Metropolis is New York throughout the day, and Gotham is New York at night time. Or that Metropolis is New York above 14th avenue, and Gotham is New York under. However that may’t be the reply as a result of—as we’re seeing proper now in I Am Batman—New York Metropolis itself continues to be very a lot a going concern within the DC Universe. So the place on the planet is Gotham Metropolis?
The commonest reply you’ll discover to this query right this moment is “no remark.” Particularly defining Gotham Metropolis’s location, many creators would argue, would restrict the potential tales you can inform with it, reasonably than protecting it an ambiguous “everycity” which may stand in for the distinctive challenges confronted by each city middle in America.
However the extra satisfying reply to these of us extra cartographically inclined, which has been endorsed on and off by authorities at DC itself over time, is New Jersey. The primary time this very generally requested query was answered this fashion on document was a 1977 challenge of The Wonderful World of DC Comics, an in-house fan journal produced by DC themselves on the time. This tossed-off factoid for nosy busybodies such as you and I made its manner into the comics for the primary time in 1979’s World’s Most interesting Comics #259. In 1983’s Detective Comics #503, Gotham’s location is narrowed down additional nonetheless, the place it’s particularly twenty miles south of the Jersey Shore. And lest you imagine that is strictly a “Pre-Disaster” thought, Gotham’s Backyard State location has been reaffirmed in 1991’s Batman: Shadow of the Bat Annual #1.
Thus far, an important useful resource for these wishing to map DC’s America is 1990’s Atlas of the DC Universe, a useful resource ebook printed by Mayfair Video games as a complement to the DC Heroes roleplaying recreation. Over thirty years since its publication, Atlas of the DC Universe nonetheless represents essentially the most full try to map the areas for all of DC’s most notable fictional settings. (Metropolis, earlier than you ask, is simply throughout the bay from Gotham, in Delaware.) Though it’s been fairly some time since Gotham’s particular location has been recommitted to within the comics themselves, Gotham’s New Jersey location continues to be part of the “DC Prolonged Universe” movies, with promotional materials and easter eggs adhering to the ideas from the 1990 Atlas.
Received one thing that is protecting you up nights? You probably have a query concerning the DC Universe that you just’d like to get answered, you’ll be able to head on over to the DC Neighborhood and ask it right here.
Alex Jaffe is the creator of our month-to-month “Ask the Query” column and writes about TV, films, comics and superhero historical past for DCComics.com. Observe him on Twitter at @AlexJaffe and discover him within the DC Neighborhood as HubCityQuestion.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed on this column are solely these of Alex Jaffe and don’t essentially replicate these of DC Leisure or Warner Bros.
