| Kingdom Come (comic Book) |
Article Index for Kingdom Come |
Website Links For Kingdom Come |
Information AboutKingdom Come (comic Book) |
|
title = Kingdom Come
''Kingdom Come'' was a four-issue Comic Book Limited Series published in 1996 by DC Comics . It was written by Mark Waid and painted in Gouache by Alex Ross , who also developed the concept from an original idea. Set some 20 years into the future of the current DC Universe, it deals with a growing conflict between "traditional" Superhero es, such as Superman , Wonder Woman , and the Justice League , and a growing population of largely amoral and dangerously irresponsible new vigilantes. Between these two groups is Batman and his assembled team, who attempt to contain the escalating disaster, foil the machinations of Lex Luthor , and prevent a world-ending superhuman war. The series draws heavily on biblical Apocalyptic imagery, especially that of the Book Of Revelation . BACKGROUND When comic book artist Alex Ross was working on '' Marvels '', published in 1994, he decided to create a similar "grand opus" about characters from DC Comics . Ross wrote a 40-page handwritten outline of what would become ''Kingdom Come'' and pitched the idea to James Dale Robinson . Ross sought for ''Kingdom Come'' to be similar to Alan Moore 's '' Watchmen '' (1986-1987), and thought that Robinson's talent was akin to Moore's. Ultimately, Ross teamed with writer Mark Waid , who was recommended by DC editors due to his strong familiarity with the history of DC superheroes.1 PLOT Impending disaster The story is set roughly a generation after the current DC universe. Ten years prior to the start of the story, the Joker massacres the staff of the Daily Planet , killing (among others) Jimmy Olsen , Perry White and Lois Lane . As he arrives for his trial, he is killed by a new superhero named Magog . Magog is acquitted for his cold-blooded act and Superman is appalled by the public embracing a killer as a hero. Already disheartened at the death of Lois Lane, Kal-El abandons his life as Superman, retreating to his Fortress Of Solitude where he will spend the next decade, failing to realize his importance as a constant inspiration/role model to other heroes. Other heroes, equally disturbed at the public's overwhelmingly positive reaction to Magog's actions, withdraw from the world at large, leaving a power vacuum that is soon filled by the new generation of "heroes" Magog represents. Without the moral compass provided by Superman and his generation, there is little or no distinction between 'heroes' and 'villains'. Metahumans battle openly in the streets without true cause, or concern for collateral damage or innocent passers-by. Average humans, demoralized by the loss of their true heroes, the disregard that the new generation shows for them, and their inability to do anything about the state of affairs created by these metahumans, have fallen into a societal depression. Efforts that celebrate human achievement, like professional sports, the Olympics , and Nobel Prize s, have been abandoned. Certain heroes like the Flash , Hawkman , Green Lantern and Batman have remained active, although their methods have changed dramatically, all of them becoming more distant from humanity. Hawkman, now an anthropomorphized hawk, has become an Eco-terrorist . Batman, now an old man who relies on a metal Exo-suit to support his broken body, enforces the rule of law in Gotham city with an army of remotely controlled bat-like androids. The Flash has become permanently hyper-accelerated, patrolling Keystone city at speeds so fast that he seems to be everywhere at once, but can no longer be seen or heard by human beings. Green Lantern lives alone in a huge orbiting space station, ready to defend the Earth against an extraterrestrial threat that may never appear. The Narrator and point of view character of the story is a Minister named Norman McCay . McCay is a longtime friend of Wesley Dodds, the original Sandman , now infirm and bedridden. The nightmares that once aided Dodds' crimefighting have become disturbing, Apocalyptic visions. McCay, like Dodds' doctors, attribute the visions to Senility . When Dodds passes away, his visions are transferred to McCay. Already suffering from a crisis of faith, McCay is convinced he has finally gone insane when the Spectre appears to him. The Spectre, still hosted by Jim Corrigan , but no longer in touch with his humanity, recruits McKay to bear witness, and help him determine the innocent from the wicked and ultimately to pass judgment on the approaching superhuman apocalypse. The dark state of the world comes to a head when the Justice Battalion, led by Magog, attacks the Parasite with excessive and unnecessary force — they refuse his offers to surrender and deny his pleas for mercy. Parasite panics and tears open Captain Atom , releasing his nuclear energies and irradiating the entire state of Kansas and parts of the surrounding states, taking out a large portion of America's food production. Second coming of Superman Coaxed by , now known as Red Robin , among others) and reformed "new heroes," such as Avia ( Mr. Miracle and Big Barda 's daughter), but Batman, one of the most prominent of the old guard, refuses to join Superman's crusade. Batman believes Superman's idealist notions are outdated and that his interference will only exacerbate the problem. He interprets Superman's plan as an example of the strong exerting their will upon the weak, something to which he will not be a party. He instead begins to organize a third group of heroes, made up largely of non-powered heroes like Green Arrow and the Blue Beetle , as well as second and third generation heroes like Jade , daughter of the first Green Lantern, and Zatara , son of Zatanna and grandson of the first generation hero whose name he shares. Lex Luthor is still alive and well, and has organized ''Mankind Liberation Front''. The MLF is primarily a group of Silver Age Justice League villains, including Batman foes Catwoman and the Riddler ; Vandal Savage ; King, leader of the Royal Flush Gang , as well as third generation villains like Ra's Al Ghul 's successor, Ibn Al Xu'ffasch , who is Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul 's son, although their relationship is understandably strained. The MLF work to wrest control of the world away from the heroes. Luthor's group also have an ace in the hole, a man the Spectre calls "the captain of the lightning and the thunder." Luthor captured Captain Marvel years earlier, and has been controlling him through the use of worms that affect Marvel's brain. The worms play upon the psychological dichotomy of the teen Batson inhabiting the adult body of the world's mightiest mortal, Captain Marvel, and resemble Mr. Mind , Marvel's nemesis. Batman and his group ally themselves with Luthor's group, to better protect mankind during the impending metahuman war. Superman's Justice League gathers more captives than converts, and his requests to build a prison safely away from humanity are refused by both , her mission to bring peace to the outside world has failed. Pact Batman and his cadre of heroes turn the tables on Luthor and the MLF. Luthor has revealed his plan to exacerbate the conflict between the League and the inmates by pitting Captain Marvel against the League, the Gulag and Superman: the ensuing chaos will afford Luthor an opportunity to seize power. Assisted by the Martian Manhunter, Batman discovers that an adult Billy Batson is under the villains' control. Batson, who becomes Captain Marvel when he utters the word " Shazam !", is the one being capable of matching Superman's power. When the Gulag's inmates riot, killing Captain Comet, Batman's forces ambush Luthor and his conspirators. Batman is unable to restrain the brain-washed Batson, who transforms into Marvel and flies to Kansas. He opens the Gulag and unleashes chaos. After Captain Comet's murder, Wonder Woman convinces the members of the League to use deadly force to deal with the inmates of the Gulag; Superman still objects. The Justice League clash with the bloodthirsty inmates, and Superman finds Batman and forces him to recognize that they may very well be facing the end of the world. Superman knows that Batman will act, because his entire crime-fighting life is based upon the desire to prevent the loss of human life. Upon arriving at the Gulag, Superman and Captain Marvel battle, The Spectre and Norman look on. Although Batman's forces join the fray, aiding Superman's League in quelling the riot, he also works to restrain Superman from imposing narrow rules upon all metahumans. Batman, wearing an armored battle suit with the power of flight, comes into direct conflict with Wonder Woman. As the conditions worsen, the United Nations Secretary General Wyrmwood authorizes the deployment of three tactical Nuclear Warheads , hardened against certain metahuman powers. While this action will destroy hero and villain alike, the UN feels it has no choice in the matter: if mankind is to survive, metahumanity must be destroyed. Armageddon An armored Batman and Wonder Woman clash in the middle of the warzone, taking to the skies, where they see the incoming Blackhawk fighter-bombers delivering the nuclear bombs. They manage to stop two of them, but the third slips past and drops its payload. Captain Marvel continues to batter Superman by using his magic lightning bolt over and over, but dodging before it hits, leaving Superman to bear the brunt of a magical lightning strike. However, as Marvel says the name again, Superman grabs him and the lightning finds its mark; Marvel turns back into Billy Batson. Holding Batson's mouth shut, Superman tells Batson that he is going to stop the remaining bomb, and Batson must make an important choice: either stop Superman and allow the warhead to kill all the metahumans, or let Superman stop the bomb and allow the metahumans' war to engulf the world. Superman tells Batson he must be the one to make this decision, as he is the only one who lives in both worlds, that of normal humans (as Batson) and the metahuman community (as Marvel). Superman releases him and flies off to stop the incoming bomb. Batson, his mind now clear of Luthor and Mr. Mind's influence, says the name, turns into Marvel, flies past Superman, and takes hold of the bomb, having found a third option. Marvel shouts "Shazam!" three more times in rapid succession, and the lightning sets off the bomb prematurely. Despite Marvel's sacrifice, most of the metahumans are obliterated in the explosion, although some survive beneath a force field generated by Green Lantern and his daughter Jade , and others are teleported away at the last second by Fate. Superman, though outside the force field, is virtually untouched. His uniform torn and blackened by the lightning and the nuclear explosion, his eyes glowing red with restrained heat vision, he rises from the ashes looking more villain than hero. Enraged at the tremendous loss of life, he flies to the UN Building and threatens to bring it down atop the delegates as punishment for killing all his friends--not realizing there were survivors at this point--and reacting in such a fearful and cowardly way to the metahuman war. The surviving metahumans arrive, but Norman McCay is the one who talks him down, pointing out how his appearance and behavior are exactly the sort of reasons that normal humans fear the super-powered. Chastised and ashamed, Superman immediately ceases his rampage. He is handed Captain Marvel's cape, the only remnant of the hero, and tells the UN representatives that they will use his wisdom to guide, rather than lead, humankind. Superman ties Captain Marvel's cape to a flagpole and raises it among the flags of the member nations of the UN, suggesting that this role of guidance would be more political and global in nature than the classic crime-busting Vigilantism of the past. Epilogue In the aftermath of the metahuman civil war, the heroes actively strive to become fully integrated members of the communities they had previously tried to distance themselves from. Masks are abandoned. Wonder Woman's exile from Paradise Island ends, and she becomes an Ambassador for super-humanity, taking the survivors of the Gulag to Paradise Island for rehabilitation. Batman abandons his crusade and becomes a healer, opening his mansion as a hospital to care for those wounded by the destruction of Kansas and the ensuing violence. He also reconciles with both Dick Grayson/Red Robin, and his son Ibn al Xu'ffasch. Superman lashes himself to a giant plow and begins the arduous task of restoring the Midwestern farmlands, devastated by nuclear explosions. He even comes to terms with his past as Clark Kent by accepting a pair of glasses from Wonder Woman, and shares a kiss with her before she returns to Paradise Island. It is a fitting parallel to the end of the generational conflict that started the war, as both men have come full circle in their lives and adopted the vocations of their fathers; Thomas Wayne , the doctor, and Jonathan Kent , the farmer. Green Lantern represents superhumanity on the UN Security Council . He no longer dons his green armor, but can still use the green lantern energy. The former leaders of the MLF are orderlies in Batman's hospital, wearing inhibitor collars which keep them under control. Luthor is reduced to emptying Bedpan s, and is taunted by Batman over his defeat. Norman McCay resumes pastorship of his congregation, preaching a message of hope for humanity. Among the congregation is Jim Corrigan, the Spectre's human host. In the novelization, Clark Kent attends a sermon as well. Collected edition additional scene The final scene in the collected edition features Clark Kent, Diana, and Bruce Wayne meeting for a meal at Planet Krypton, a theme restaurant based upon the golden age of superheroes. Now a couple, Clark and Diana intend to inform Bruce they are expecting a child, but Bruce deduces the news before they can tell him. Diana manages to surprise Bruce by asking him to serve as Godfather and mentor to the child, whom Bruce rightly describes as potentially the most powerful child in the world. (He accepts.) As they exit the restaurant, they pass a mannequin wearing the Sandman's original costume, and framed copies of ''Whiz Comics'' #1, the first appearance of Captain Marvel, and ''More Fun Comics'' #1, the first comic printed by DC. Bruce gazes thoughtfully at the two, as he exits the restaurant with Clark and Diana to begin a new era. CHARACTERS Superman's Justice League Many of the members of the re-formed Justice League are either old characters in new forms or brand new adoptions of old names. Partial list:
Batman's "Outsiders" Batman has formed a group of metahumans, similar to his Outsiders many of which are second-generation heroes, to combat the Justice League and the Mankind Liberation Front. Playing upon the generational differences between the heroes, five of his heroes are the children of the original Teen Titans , while the Titans have all sided with Superman. Partial list:
Luthor's Mankind Liberation Front Since Superman's departure ten years ago, Luthor and the MLF have been conducting events behind the scenes in an attempt to destroy metahumans and rule the world at last.
Rogue metahumans The superheroes of the future have virtually no regard for human life. Many of them were killed in the Gulag battle, but most have already made their mark in the world as monsters. Listed below are the major, supporting, or otherwise notable characters.
Others
APPEARANCES IN MAINSTREAM CONTINUITY ''The Kingdom'' See Also: The Kingdom (comics) Due to the popularity of the series, Mark Waid and Alex Ross began to plot a sequel and prequel. Alex Ross' concept of Gog , mentor of Magog, is an alien from the original "super world" that split to create Apokolips and New Genesis . Because he came from a super planet, Gog is twice as large as a normal human. Waid and Ross disagreed on several concepts and Ross decided to leave the project.Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross Without Ross' involvement, Waid continued the story in ''New Year's Evil: Gog.'' ''The Kingdom'' soon followed, featuring a two-part series, and several one-shots focusing on specific characters. The series was used to present Grant Morrison 's Hypertime concept. "Thy Kingdom Come" In the final issue of '' 52 '', an alternate Earth dubbed Earth-22 was shown to be modelled on the one featured in the ''Kingdom Come'' limited series. In the pages of ''Justice Society of America'' (vol. 3), a new Starman appeared with a costume identical to that of the Starman from ''Kingdom Come'''. Due to a error while time-travelling, the new Starman was sent to the alternate world of Earth-22 before arriving in the present. The next storyarc of the series is entitled "Thy Kingdom Come", featuring characters from the series and involvement from its co-creator Alex Ross, as well as the appearance of the Kingdom Come Superman as a member of the team. Mainstream continuity Since the publication of ''Kingdom Come'', elements from the series have migrated into the DC Universe.
However, several events in the DC universe are not in line with the future depicted in ''Kingdom Come'' :
COLLECTIONS The original trade paperback collected the entire series along with twelve additional pages by Ross, including the epilogue. Promotional artwork and sketches of the major characters were also included. A hardback edition added a second volume to the text, containing sketches and developmental artwork from Ross, showing the development of the character designs and the storyline. Elliot S. Maggin published the novelization, which fleshes out characters such as Magog, the world leaders and the Batman/Ib'n connection. The book contains four new color pages by Ross, as well as four black and white sketches of the major players. A 1998 special from ''Wizard'' magazine contained the original proposal for the series by Ross, providing notes on what was changed and why. Ross' comments on ''The Kingdom'' were also included. For its 10th anniversary in 2006, DC released an '' Absolute Kingdom Come'' hardcover. It collected the entire series in a wider page format, along with interviews with Waid and Ross, character artwork, sketches and a complete annotation for the series. DC also released an audio dramatization of the series featuring the voice talent of Mike Mearian, Don Peoples, Garet Scott, John Cunningham, Kent Broadhurst, Jeff David, Chuck Cooper, Harry Goz, Barbara Rosenblat, Craig Zakarian, Mike Arkin, Bob Lydiard, Peter Newman, Birgit Darby, Mark Finley, Igot Goldin, Macintyre Dixon, and Chloe Patellis, along with the guest voices of Dennis O'Neil, Mark Waid, Mike Carlin, Dan Raspler, Charles Kochman, Peter Tomasi, Greg Ross, Janet Harney, Elisabeth Vincentelli. TOYS DC Direct (The exclusive collectibles division of DC Comics ) has produced 3 waves of action figures based on Kingdom Come's artwork. The first wave of figures included Superman , Wonder Woman , Green Lantern and Hawkman . The second wave included Batman , Red Robin , Captain Marvel and Kid Flash . The last wave included Magog , Flash , Armored Wonder Woman and Deadman . An exclusive figure of Red Arrow was released through ToyFare magazine. DC Direct also released several other characters through their Elseworlds toylines. These figures included The Spectre , Norman McCay , Jade , Nightstar , Aquaman and Blue Beetle . SEE ALSO
OTHER VERSIONS A roster of ''Kingdom Come'' characters make cameo appearances in ''Justice League Adventures'' #20. The Psycho Pirate hallucinates battles with three various superhero teams, including one containing Supergirl, Kid Flash, Red Arrow, Jade and Red Robin as they appeared in Kingdom Come. Psycho Pirate comic page REFERENCES |
|
|