Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities the Squadron Supreme thread

This is still a good book, and this issue picks up a bit in terms of the development of the "big picture", but man that delay hurts the momentum of this book. I had a hard time remembering the previous issue and the Redstone battle.

I'm glad to see the reporter again - that was one of the best issues of the series and the fact that my affection for a previous story was sparked helped my feelings for this (very late) book.

Dr Specturm will always be my default favorite unless he does something totally horrible if only because Specturm was always the GL analogue. Despite the "Dr Spectrum" mini (which honestly could just as easily have been a one-shot), I like Joe a lot - I like the contrast between him being a stone-cold killer and the affection he shows for Amphibian. They have a sweet relationship.

Hyperion is getting scarier each month. He's slowly going over to the dark side. I wonder if Stanley and possibly the formation of the Squadron might settle him down. I also have to wonder if there's any way the Princess will actually devlop into a "hero" in any sense of the word.

*Spoilers for #17*
- Mark continues his slide from humanity, but it's encouraging to know that he still wants to help people (if only because he can't think of anything else to do).
- Power Princess really needs some brain fixing. Otherwise I can't see how she's going to be anything other than a villain.
- cat fight! Amphibian's vision of Power Princess indicates she really isn't the Power Princess we know from the Squadron.

The Marvel solits also have some intersting news:

SUPREME POWER: HYPERION #1 (of 5)
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Penciled by Dan JURGENS
Cover by TERRY DODSON
The first of two SUPREME POWER specials! Now that the world knows his dark secret, Hyperion suddenly finds himself both alone and hunted. Four new super-powered individuals -- each based on a character from the original Squadron Supreme -- are after his hide, and they’ve got the will and means to take him down.
32 PGS./MAX - EXPLICIT CONTENT …$2.99

SUPREME POWER: NIGHTHAWK #1 (of 5)
Written by Daniel Way
Pencils & Cover by Steve Dillon
The second of two SUPREME POWER specials! As a young boy, Kyle Richmond—the man who would one day become Nighthawk—witnessed the senseless murder of his parents. There was no reason for their deaths, no provocation -- they were just simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was a traumatic event that has left him scarred for life—and turned him into a hero more feared than the criminals he polices. Now it’s happening again...but on a much larger scale. The people of Chicago—men, women and children—are dying in the streets, victims of a monster whose thirst for slaughter cannot be quenched, whose soul is a bottomless void, and whose scars run even deeper than Nighthawk’s. Long ago, Kyle Richmond looked into the face of madness—now, it’s looking back at him. And it’s flashing a killer smile.
32 PGS./MAX- EXPLICIT CONTENT …$2.99

Anyone planning to get these? After being burned by the "Dr Spectrum" book, I'm vey wary. But JMS is writing the Hyperion book and hey -- four new Squadroners! If they're following the basic JLA lineup, I imagine it's Golden Arrow, Lady Lark, Blue Eagle and Nuke.

I'm very interested, though I find it difficult to believe that Golden Archer or Blue Eagle would last 2 seconds against Hype. Lady Lark might last 10 (I'm sure she could cause serious damage to his hyper-ears). I'm almost positive Nuke will be one of them.

I'll likely try them both but if they suck they won't even get the 4 issues Dr. Spectrum got out of me.

re: # 17... once again I'm interested enough to come back next issue.

Spoilery stuff for #18
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Anyone read this issue yet? Man, that issue absolutely rocked. I can't believe this book is going Marvel Knights. It's going to ruin it. At least the Nighthawk and Hyperion mini's will still be MAX.

Anyway, those final two pages really had a big impact - literally. If that's not a message to the US Gov, I don't know what is. I can't wait to see the aftermath of it all.

I also loved the glimpse with got of many of the old Squadrom Supremers. I wasn't sure who the one woman was in the bar who was the "last man staanding" from a brawl. Maybe Minx? (Was that the name of the SS villain?) I couldn't decide if the chubby guy was Pinball(?) or Shape. The rest were easy enough to figure out.

I am wondering what the new spin on Arcanna is. She was working with quantum physics which suggests she's not the sorceress she was in the past. Then again, I've heard people discuss things like "quantum magic", which could be the direction they're going to take Arcanna. I don't know exactly what quantum magic is supposed to be, but I would guess a comic could spin it to be something like "real" magic but with a scientific basis.

I definitely loved this issue an can't wait to see where JMS goes with his story. I might even have to cave in and buy it as an MK book.

What does "Marvel Knights" mean? There was no next issue blurb - was this the last issue of SP?

That was the last MAX issue of Supreme Power. It will start over with a new #1 under the Marvel Knights imprint. MK pretty much means that the book will undergo extreme censorship in order to be accessible to more readers. I think Marvel is forgetting that this is NOT the Squadrom Supreme and shouldn't be treated as such. The SS Hyperion would never do what the SP Hyperion did at the end of #18.

"Edith Freiberg" was Inertia in the old Squadron. I was hoping we'd see Lady Lark, but at least JMS is rolling them out in a less predictable manner.

I guess when the title moves over to Marvel Knights Amphibian is going to have to find some reason to put on clothes.

It was nice to see Mark and Stan resume their friendship - a definite change from the old status quo where Stan and Joe were best buds. It was a nice scene and reaffirms Mark's humanity despite everything else that's happening.

The President's "call to arms" was interesting in that it opened the door for the rest of the "Squadron", and funny (in a scary kinda way) for the whole "retroactively legal" bit. Scaring the crap out of people almost never works to stop an escalation of hostilities (as I'm sure the Hyperion series will prove). I have to wonder what the main series will be about if the repercussions of this issue are going to be played out in Hype's mini. I hope the main title doesn't suffer for this splintering of storylines. Pacing has been a problem enough as it is.

I really like this book. good art, good story, great characters.

I don't think the move to Marvel Knights will increase readership much. the fact of the matter is the pacing of the book and its very non-traditional approach to super-heroes just doesn't draw the same audience numbers that a book like New Avengers does.

however, I do hope that the MK label will improve the steady delivery of this book to store shelves. after Planetary, this is the slowest book on my pull list.

long live Supreme Power.

What has happened since the events of the previous 12-part Squadron Supreme? Who lives? Who dies?

Well, first of all "Supreme Power" isn't the Squadron Supreme - they're basically an alternate universe version.

But after the 12 issue maxi, the Squadron faced some universal threat where Redstone and Inertia were killed.

After that the Squadron teamed up with the Avengers for a bit where (I think) Haywire actually stayed behind in Marvel Universe proper. The original "Big7" including Skrullian Skymaster and Nighthawk's son teamed up to free their world that had been taken over with the help of the Utopian program they set up. As far as I know they're still fighting to liberate their world.

Skrullian Skymaster sounds like a joke version of J'onn J'onzz...

It was. He was the Martian Manhunter of their original "Justice League" lineup. He was also their "Abin Sur" since he gave Dr. Spectrum (Green Lantern) his power prism.

Okay, I read # 18.

And it hooked me for sure, with the appearances of Arcanna, Pinball, Master Menace, Nuke, Tom Thumb and Inertia (good catch, Drake-- I couldn't remember Inertia's name being revealed before).

Stanley remains my favorite character.

So I'm DEFinitely onboard for the HYPERION mini, for the "new" characters, as I dislike Mark. Not so sure about the NIGHTHAWK mini, as I also dislike Kyle. Anyone try it?

Heh... 18 was actually my -last- SP issue. I just finally admitted I don't care enough to follow this series any more, through two miniseries and a watered-down relaunch. Strazcynski's lost me. The ending to RISING STARS was drawn out and bland, and the projects he's handed off to his "understudies" have sucked hardcore ( RS:Bright, Doc Spectrum, and the current RS:Voices of the Dead(?) )

I'm done. It was bad enough when I was only reading it for the ... :rolleyes:

The Nighthawk mini is certainly a step above the Dr Spectrum mini (maybe because the main character isn't in a coma). They seem to be taking him even more into Batman territory, with a clandestine rooftop meeting with the Deputy Mayor (though it's not clear how much of allies they really are - esp since he's white), and a foe (racist of course) who it looks like might take up a "clownish" persona if the last panel is any indication. Not bad - I'll pick up the next one to see where it goes.

Has anyone seen the new Avengers "Serpent Crown" tpb? Lots of good Squadron Supreme action there.

I've actually liked both the Nighthawk and Hyperion miniseries so far. They are taking an interesting direction with Arcanna which I am not sure I'll like, but I'll keep reading.

The Hyperion mini is pretty interesting so far. Thank god they actually managed to gather the team in *one* issue. These days, it wouldn't surprise me if they spent half the time introducing the characters for a big confrontation at the end that would end up being anticlimactic.

I wonder what they plan on doing with Inertia since she was introduced along with the others in Supreme Power.

Agreed on all counts. I finally got HYPERION # 1 (though I decided to pass on NIGHTHAWK).

I really like Arcanna so far, and Emil "Master Menace" Burbank is equally fascinating.

Maybe Inertia and Tom Thumb are going to join up with Hype?

The first issue of Nighthawk was ok, but the second issue was a total waste. It had about 2 pages of actual story, and the rest of the issue was pointless.

ATTN: Fans of the *"REAL"* Squadron Supreme--

You don't wanna miss EXILES # 77!

Seems to pick up after the NEW WORLD ORDER 1-shot, with the SS Membership standing at the "based on the JLA big 7" membershp.

And if the cover for EXILES # 78 is any indication, the team is about to get a new member from the Squadron....

It's always fun to see the Squadron. With the Squadron Sinister "reunion" in New T-Bolts, there's plenty of SS action going around.

I also like the color change to the original Nighthawk's costume.

If one of the Squad is leaving the team, I hope that means they liberate their earth first (since it takes seven to do it)

IMHO the 12-part maxi was a good read - the Bob Hall (darn! I forgot who inked the first couple of issues, I think he inked the first JLA-JSA George Perez issue which featured the Secret Society of Super-Villains) and then Paul Ryan took over...lotsa pathos and tragedy (the death of the black chick with the yellow crewcut is a standout).

Obviously a homage to JLA, with new members Power Princess and Arcanna (Wonder Woman and Zatanna, respectively)...A shame they couldnt admit an Elongated Man-like member or have their own android super-hero on the team (like Red Tornado). Skrullian Skymaster (J'onn J'onzz) - what became of him?

The Skrullian Skymaster was away for awhile, but returned in the Squadron Supreme one-shot. He's still with the team (the "big 7"), which can currently be seen in "Exiles".

Er, there was a Plastic Man/Elongated Man analog in the team he was called Shape.

One of my favorites ever. I picked up some kind of summary comic of the Supreme Power series, and it was unrecognizable. Left me a little cold...