Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, everyone!

May you have a wonderful day, and enjoy lots of candy and fright!

Text Play: Pokémon Xenoverse #10

Hello, and welcome back to the Eldiw region! This is the tenth entry in my Text Play of Pokémon Xenoverse!

Now, as is tradition, I wish to warn you that I will be spoiling this game.

As such, I strongly recommend that you play the game for yourself before you read this. You can download it here. Don't worry, it's obviously playable in English, otherwise I wouldn't be playing this game, ha ha. And with that, let's do this!

Last time, we prepared to undertake the final trial of Princess Vanilla's gym: The Trial of Grass. We easily managed to bulldoze our way through the previous two Trials: The Trial of Fire, and the Trial of Water.

When we enter the door, we find ourselves...out here.

Wait, what the heck?! Where? How did-?! How? Where did this forest come from!? How did they do this?! What is this, some kind of magic door?!

Anyway, this area is a gigantic hedge maze. I wish I could provide a map of it. I would have gone to the game's wiki, but it doesn't have a map, either. I tried to make one, but it...didn't work out. 

I do apologize for this. You can find various items here, but you'll also find knights to battle. Eventually, you'll find Lurch, I mean, Armand standing in front of an archway.

You have to battle him before you can face Princess Vanilla herself. Let's do this!

1st Pokemon: Reindear (Lv. 25) - Defeated by Trishout.
2nd Pokemon: Chigami (Lv. 26) - Defeated by Trishout.

Once he is beaten, he vanishes. You cross the bridge and face Vanilla herself.

It's time.

I cannot help but wonder what that Sneasel is with her? Is that a regional variant? Is that an X Pokémon? Before the battle begins, she requests that you hand over the Golden Spoon and Cup you got in the last Trials to her. So she can have some ice cream.

HOW did she get to be a gym leader again!? 

1st Pokémon: Mimikyu (Lv. 26) - Defeated by Trishout.
2nd Pokémon: Slurpuff (Lv. 28) - Defeated by Trishout with Hyper Voice. Trishout learned Hyper Voice after defeating Mimikyu.
3rd Pokémon: Smeargle (Lv. 26) - Defeated by Trishout with Hyper Voice.

Yeah, I'll admit something. Vanilla may be a brat, but her Pokémon are no joke. There's the reason she is a gym leader. Her first Mimikyu is especially proof of that. Its Shadow Sneak hits hard and its decoy disguises make you waste attacks. I can't help but feel a bit frustrated. You see, I spent all this time training up a bunch of Pokémon to take Vanilla on, and it ended up seemingly all for nothing because Trishout was able to walk all over Vanilla's team. None of my other Pokémon I spent all that time leveling up got to battle! It makes me feel a bit sad. 

I should not have been surprised that Vanilla was a bit challenging. It has been established earlier that she takes in and helps raise wild Pokémon, so I can imagine that this is how she got her experience to be a Gym Leader. The Pokémon she uses likely are wild ones she took in. I still am convinced that she only got the job because she threw a tantrum and they gave it to her in an attempt to pacify her, though.

And with that, Vanilla is beaten. The battle makes her realize that she needs to take being a Gym Leader more seriously. Good on you, Princess! Hope that works out for you! We get the Sugar Badge and TM94 (Dazzling Gleam). It creates a powerful flash of light that can damage enemies. Think the old Flash HM if it could also be used an offensive move.

And I think that's where we'll stop for this month. Sorry this entry is so short. I have not had as much time to work on this game as I would have liked. I do want to maintain the regular schedule of putting up the entries at the end of the month, hence why this one is so short. I hope to give you something more next month. 

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

The Monster of Frankenstein #1 (January 1973)

With the month of October coming to its end, that only means one thing. It's the time when the worlds of the rational and supernatural come together. When ghosts, demons, and monsters roam the world of man. It's the time of horror. It's the time of Halloween. 

This week, I wanted to do something a little different from the usual: An adaptation. Yes, an adaptation. Particularly, an adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The novel had been adapted in other media lots of times beforehand, most notably the Universal movie. The character has also been brought into the comic book pages as well. Dell Comics and DC Comics also have their own versions of the titular monster, but we're focusing on Marvel's version.

Before this comic debuted, Frankenstein's Monster had graced the pages of Marvel's comics beforehand. Back when it was called Atlas Comics, Stan Lee and Joe Maneely created a short story about him in Menace #7 (September 1953). Roy Thomas and Don Heck chronicled an adventure of the X-Men fighting a robotic version of the Monster in The X-Men #40 (January 1968). Stan Lee and John Buscema showed the monster in a flashback cameo in The Silver Surfer #7 (August 1969). 

In the 1970s, Marvel was cranking out black-and-white magazines that focused on monsters and horror stories, so it made sense that the Frankenstein's Monster would make his way to the Marvel Universe as well. Let's take a look at his debut in The Monster of Frankenstein #1! 

The cover is a Mike Ploog piece. It's awesome! It depicts the titular monster reaching out towards Victor Frankenstein from his slab, and a horrified Victor realizing the creature is alive. It's a just a really cool cover. That's all I can say about it, really. Ploog's signature on one of the beakers amuses me, though. When you do mad science, trust Ploog brand beakers! I think the corner box is trying to allude to Universal's take on the monster. Universal's version of the monster is iconic, but also protected by copyright, which is why Marvel's version looks so different. 

"Mary Shelley's Frankenstein"
Writer: Gary Friedrich (adapted from a story by Mary Shelley)
Penciler: Mike Ploog
Inker: Mike Ploog
Colorist: Unknown
Letterer: John Costanza
Editor: Roy Thomas
Editor-in-Chief: Roy Thomas

The story begins in the Arctic in January 1898. We focus on a cargo vessel with a special passenger: One Robert Walton IV. A hundred years earlier, his great-grandfather (Robert Walton Classic) went on a mission across the Arctic himself. Walton finds what he is looking for: Frankenstein's Monster frozen in ice. 

A storm is coming, so the crew get to work cutting the ice around the monster so they can bring him on board the ship. The crew is worried about this, and it affects their morale negatively. Walton hopes a good night's sleep will help. The crew's Indigenous man, Canute, keeps watch. The comic refers to him as an "Eskimo", implying that he's Inuit or Yupik. However, from what I understand, the term is seen among those groups as rather offensive. 

Yeah. During his watch, the ice cracks, causing an ice break. 

"Get out the beer!"

The Indigenous man's warning isn't enough to save the crew, as many of them get crushed by the ice. The crew blames the frozen monster, screaming that it's cursed. Canute tries to stop the men but gets brained for his trouble. Walton shoots one of the attacking men, saying that any man who harms Canute is dead. The mutiny quelled for now, the crew bring the frozen Monster to the ship. 

A cabin boy brings some grog to Walton, and he asks what the frozen figure is. Walton explains that his great-grandfather encountered the creature...and its creator Victor Frankenstein a century earlier. This is his story...

Victor Frankenstein came from a wealthy family, and his tale started when he went off to university in Geneva.

Yeah, nothing bad is going to happen to anyone here...

While in school, Frankenstein proved himself to be a brilliant youth and a hard worker, to the point of exhaustion.

The thing was, Frankenstein was a very impatient man, driven by immense curiosity. He was eager to learn the secrets of the human body. Eager to the point of obsession. By his third year in university, he grew so obsessed with conquering death that he stole corpses and body parts from hanging sites and graves. He would take the bodies and parts to his lab, where he worked feverishly on a very special project.

Inventing plastic surgery was a maddening process...

He prepares one final injection for his creation, and it seemingly fails. His creture fails to even twitch, much less move. Disappointed but not disencouraged, Frankenstein returns to his notes when the creature...moves.

The creature LIVES! But something strange happens. It turns towards Frankenstein, hatred in its eyes. Hatred for him.

"ME WANNA ROCK! (ROCK!)"

A horrified Frankenstein locks himself in his bedroom, and falls asleep, his feverish pace finally taking a toll on him. He wakes up to find the Monster had busted his way into his room and seems to be trying to communicate with him. A terrified Frankenstein first tries to channel his inner pro wrestler and hit his creation with a chair. It doesn't work.

He then tries to make the creature back off with the burning candles in a candelabra, but the Monster grabs it and easily twists and crushes the metal holder like it was made of nothing. The Monster is seemingly superhuman in its durability and strength. Frankenstein flees his house into the dark and rainy night. I imagine there was a raging thunderstorm that night.

He is found by his friend Clerval and taken to his hotel room. The creator spends the next few weeks in a feverish state, hovering between life and death. He does manage to recover. When he's feeling better, Frankenstein learns that his younger brother William has been murdered. And his father's ward, Justine Moritz is the prime suspect.

On the way to his home, Frankenstein fears that the monster may have been the actual culprit. After all, he hasn't seen the creature in weeks. He learns that the reason why Justine is suspected is because she was holding William's pendant when he was murdered. Victor suggests that Justine was set up, but that was dismissed at her trial.

Frankenstein is watching you plot.

Frankenstein is convinced the Monster is behind William's death. He intends to prove that Justine is innocent without revealing the Monster's existence. He visits Justine in her cell (she'd due to be hanged the next day), but she's accepted her fate, and he realizes telling the world about the Monster would label him as a madman. The heartsick Victor watches Justine's hanging, then goes high up into the snowy mountains. He makes camp in a cave, where he gets a visit from...a friend...

"WHY DID YOU MAKE ME DO IT?!"

Turns out in the weeks since they last met, the Monster has mastered the art of speech. Victor attacks the Monster with some fire and tries to get his gun. One bullet between the eyes should end this madness. He fires, but only grazes the Monster's shoulder. The angered Monster grabs Victor. The doctor pleads to let him explain, but the Monster is in no mood to hear explanations. The Monster intends to kill his creator, but first, he's in the mood to tell a tale...

And that's where it ends. Walton needs to find the adequate words to explain the tale the Monster weaved. But that will have to wait. One of the crew comes in with a report: They're sailing again, but the big storm is almost right on top of them. The storm hits, and it batters the ship hard. One of the crewmen, driven mad with fear, holds the cabin boy hostage, screaming that bringing the frozen Monster on board has cursed the ship and caused this whole thing. 

"I want my unicorn, Cap'n!"

The ship's mast collapses on top of Walton, and the ship spins out of control. Down below, the ship's being cajoled around beings the frozen Monster closer to a wood-burning stove...and it's starting to thaw him out...

I can't really make any comparisons to the original book, as I have never read it. As such, my judgement will come from the comic on its own merits. I admit, I did enjoy it. I don't think it would be considered scary by today's standards, but since the book was originally published in 1818...yeah. But the horror of this story is not in blood and gore, in my opinion. To me, the true horror of the story of Victor Frankenstein is what his obsession made him do. Victor Frankenstein was consumed by his obsession with breaking Death's hold on humanity. And in an ironic twist, it made him create something that would cause death everywhere it went. 

Mike Ploog does some great art for the issue. His take on the Monster does emphasize the monster. It brings a lot of needed moodiness to the story. 

As was typical of Marvel publications at the time, Frankenstein's Monster would become part of the Marvel Universe. Yes, in the Marvel Universe, Frankenstein's Monster is very much real. The book exists in-universe, too. How? Well, Dr. Strange #37 (January 1992) established that Mary Shelley met Victor's brother Ernst on a trip to Switzerland. He would tell her the tale of Victor's creation of the Monster, which inspired her to write the book. The Monster would go on to battle Dracula and Werewolf by Night, as well as become a member of an incarnation of the Howling Commandoes. 

Victor Frankenstein himself would leave a legacy that affects the Marvel Universe to the present day. While he never had children himself, Ernst did. His brother Ernst's great-great-grandson Basil created a version of the Monster for the Nazis in Invaders #31 (August 1978). In All-New Invaders #12 (January 2015), it would be revealed that the World War I-era superteam the Freedom's Five encountered a woman named Ursula Frankenstein. Her relationship to Basil is unknown. 

Arguably, Vincent's most famous relative in the Marvel Universe is his great-granddaughter Baroness Victoria Frankenstein. First appearing in Frankenstein's Monster #18 (September 1975), Victoria is practically immortal thanks to a special formula created by Victor. She does have the family knack for messing around with the dead, but she also has been shown to have a desire to amend for her family's past sins. She's encountered Spider-Man (Peter Parker), the Hulk (Bruce Banner), and Wolverine (James Howlett/Logan). 

And then there is Maximillian Frankenstein. Born Maximillian Von Katzenelnbogen, he debuted in X-Men: Schism (July 2011). A sociopathic child with the Frankensteinian predisposition towards mad science, his relationship to Victoria or any other pre-established member of the Frankenstein family has never been truly explored as far as I know. Although I can imagine Victoria not being too fond of him. 

Victor Frankenstein himself would return to life in Creatures on the Loose #12 (July 1971) thanks to his brain being accidentally placed in the body of another monster. He would then transfer his brain into the body of another unknown descendant, only to meet his end once again at the hands of the Prince of Orphans when he tried to transfer his mind into the body of Iron Fist (Orson Randall) in Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death #1 (April 2008). 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2015 trade paperback The Monster of Frankenstein. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time, and have a Happy Halloween!

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Teaser, My Thoughts

The Mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe marches on! The MCU has seen its fair share of new heroes take up the spotlight, most recently the Sensational She-Hulk bringing the laughs and Werewolf by Night opening up the more...monstrous side of the universe.

However, there are still plenty of older heroes getting play. One of them is Scott Lang, aka the Astonishing Ant-Man. Debuting in 2015's Ant-Man, Scott (portrayed by Paul Rudd) would have further adventures in 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp and 2019's Avengers: Endgame. And like Captain America, Iron Man, and Spider-Man before him, he's getting his own trilogy of movies. This film, the MCU's 31st movie, will kick off the MCU's Phase Five. Let's look at the trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania!

And we're startin' with a cool tune from Elton John. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road...

Ha ha, from being fired from Baskin-Robbins to being their Employee of the Century. Vindication is a wonderful thing.

Scott Lang enjoying the celebrity life. Good for him.

Oh, nice nod to No Way Home there.

I've long believed that the Quantum Realm is the MCU version of the Microverse. I know it's not likely, but a nod to the Micronauts would be nice.

Yeah, I can imagine Miss Van Dyne is in no rush to return to the Quantum Realm.

Oopsie.

Whoa. Now those are visuals!

Heh. That dude has a flashlight for a head.

Janet, did you punch a VIP there in a drunken rage?

OH MAH GAWD. THAT'S CHRONOPOLIS! CHRONOPOLIS!

From Avengers Annual #21 (1992). Text: Mark Gruenwald. Art by Herb Trimpe (pencils), Charles Barnett (Inks), and Gina Going (Colors).

I love the big ol' Pyramid in the center. A nice nod to Rama-Tut, perhaps?

Kang looks AWESOME. He looks like he stepped right out of the comics!

I get the idea that Kang wants to recruit Scott for a heist. Would make a nice connection to the first film. It was a heist that made Scott Lang into the Ant-Man, and a heist could be his final adventure.

I am honestly hyped for this movie! I think the Ant-Man movies are underrated. I love that the third film is seemingly much bigger in scope. After two films on a smaller scale and being a supporting character in Endgame, it's cool to see the Ant-Family get their own big epic adventure. And it will be cool to see Jonathan Majors' portrayal of Kang. He has played another version of him in Loki, so it'll be cool to see him tackle the Conqueror.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster!

Justice #10 (April 2007)

It's that time again! It's time to join the Justice League in their greatest battle against the Legion of Doom! In the last issue, the League figured out the Legion...or should I say, Brainiac's ultimate plan. So, do they manage to stop it? Let's find out in Justice #10!

The cover is an Alex Ross piece, and it's awesome! This one's more of an action-oriented cover. It depicts Green Arrow about to fire an arrow when he and Black Canary see Clayface coming towards them. The cover gives an impression that our heroes are in some real danger.

"Chapter Ten"
Writer: Jim Krueger
Penciler: Doug Braithwaite
Inker: Alex Ross
Colorist: Alex Ross
Letterer: Todd Klein
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Executive Editor: Dan Didio

The story begins unusually. We focus on an Indian girl named Somita writing to her parents. She's one of the people who decided to live in the artificial cities. She is writing this letter because she can now do so, thanks to having new hands. She believes that her new life is a miracle. She ends her letter with an apology to her parents for running away. But she is truly happy. For the first time, she is happy.

At the Hall of Doom, the Legion of Doom are toasting their ultimate victory over the Justice League. 

Beforehand, Grodd discusses with Giganta about how he thinks it's too soon to celebrate. This is also a subtle way of revealing that Giganta here is based on the Silver/Bronze Age version, who was an evolved gorilla. Which fits the whole Silver Age vibe of the series. Grodd reveals that he is not only disgusted with Giganta's human disappearance, but he doesn't really get humans at their core, despite his telepathic powers. Brainiac is a machine, and Luthor's got ways to keep his mind hidden. Unknown to them, they are observed by the Atom. Brainiac shows off Arthur Jr to the Legion of Doom.

"Kid's looking better already!"

As can be seen, Arthur Jr has the same electrodes on his head that Brainiac does. He plans to make the Aquababy into the first of a new race of Coluans, free of the limitations of organics. One of the nanoworms that have been swarming everywhere in the building catches the Atom spying. Grodd also picks up the diminutive hero's thoughts. And he's not a happy gorilla. Then the League busts in.

"SURPRISE, MOTHERTRUCKERS!"

The narration for the battle is provided by Green Arrow. As the battle rages, he narrates about how for this to work, his beloved Dinah may have to see him die. It's revealed that he and Dinah are presumably in the depths of the Hall of Doom, sneaking their way inside. Zatanna brings in the Doom Patrol to help deal with the mind-controlled Titans, Marvel Family, and Batgirl. The battles rage on, and Grodd alerts Clayface to Arrow and Dinah.

"BOOYAKA, BOOYAKA! YOU GONNA GET CLAYED!"

Ollie tells Dinah to go ahead. He'll take care of Clayface, with help from his shadow...

 The battle rages on. members of the Legion flee to their cities, with Arthur Jr. Back with Green Arrow! He may be facing a villain that seems above his weight class, but the Emerald Archer isn't alone. He's got the Elongated Man backing him up.

The Ductile Detective engages the shapeshifting Batman villain. Clayface fights back by trying to eat his way through Ralph. Arrow runs for it, his narration showing his respect for his fellow Justice Leaguer, as well as some dialogue.

"I'll tell Plas about this! And give him the finger in your honor!"

Inside one of the cities, the Joker is preparing a bomb, going on about how he's totally not bothered by not being invited to this big old battle. And the bomb will be made with Robotman's head. Batman confronts Luthor, asking why he's doing this, being human himself. Luthor points out that history will paint him as a hero of humanity for his actions. He brags that Batman has nothing in his Batcave that can penetrate his armor. That's true, but the Atom doesn't have that problem. 

Green Arrow and Black Canary bust into another room, and find the League's loved ones...with a mind-controlled Supergirl. The Girl of Steel is ready and willing to kill the two heroes. Green Arrow shoots what appears to be a Kryptonite arrow at her, but misses and hits John Stewart. As the battle continues, Joker blows up one of the cities. And Arrow's namesake weapon has one last surprise. You see, John Stewart was the target. And it wasn't to hurt him, it was to give him something.

This is what happens when my scanner app tries to scan a panel that's not square...

Yup. The arrow's payload was actually a Green Lantern ring. And now that Stewart has it, he's going to help save the world.

I enjoyed this issue. It is basically a big old fight. There are also some nice character moments sprinkled throughout the issue. For example, the Joker. He wasn't invited into the cities, so like the spurned egomaniac he is, he finds a way to them and lashes out by wreaking havoc. Another great moment is Ralph battling Clayface. It follows along a minor thread we've been seeing here in the mini of Ralph struggling with his feelings of being second-best compared to Plastic Man. Also, the outsmarting of Supergirl by Green Arrow was nice. Just because Canary said Ollie had a Kryptonite arrow aimed at Supergirl did not make that the case.

As I've said about the art before, it's spectacular. It really makes the fights look incredibly grandiose, but also works with the more intimate moments like Somita writing home to her parents. And speaking of Somita, starting with her was a smart choice. We get a peek into the cities from the view of one of the people that the villains were seemingly helping. It also adds on to the horror of the Joker's bombings. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2011 trade paperback Justice. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/boosters! See you next time! 

Happy Back to the Future Day!

Happy Back to the Future Day!

What is Back to the Future Day? Well, it's an unofficial holiday that is celebrated on October 15th. Why October 15? Well, that's because Back to the Future II started with Marty McFly, Jennifer Parker, and Doc Brown traveling to the then-future date of October 21st, 2015. The day started being celebrated in the real-life year, as it seemed the future had arrived. 2015 was also the 30th anniversary of the release of the original Back to the Future. I still wish hoverboards were a thing.

You would ride it, too. Don't kid yourself. Anyway, I hope you had a wonderful day! I wrote a blog entry celebrating the original BttF Day back in 2015, and I also wrote a review of the first issue of IDW's Back to the Future comic. So, enjoy those if you want something fun to read today!

Thank you for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Superman: The Phantom Zone #1 (January 1982)

Throughout the long near century of his existence, the Man of Steel has seen his fair share of revamps and reboots. However, there are always constants. Lois Lane. Jimmy Olsen. Perry White. Supergirl. One of those aspects of the mythos that has managed to stick around is...the Phantom Zone.

First appearing in Adventure Comics #283 (April 1961) and created by writer Robert Bernstine and artist George Papp, the Phantom Zone was an extradimensional prison, meant to be a humane way to imprison Kryptonian criminals. Prisoners within the Zone can observe, but not interact with the physical world. They also do not age, and do not require sustenance in the Zone. 

Throughout the Silver and Bronze Ages, quite a few Superman stories focused on the Zone and its inhabitants, as thanks to the Zone's properties, any Kryptonian criminal that was imprisoned in it was able to survive the destruction of Krypton. The Phantom Zone also indirectly has been involved in stories starring Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes as well. Supergirl because, well...duh. And the Legion because of one of their members, Mon-El, was imprisoned in the Zone as well. Not because of a crime, but because it would stave off lethal lead poisoning (Mon-El is a Daxamite, and lead is like Kryptonite to them). 

In the early 1980s, Steve Gerber and Gene Colan would help produce the first miniseries that focused on this little extradimensional prison. The miniseries was meant to further explore the origins of the Zone. It also was a tale of one of the potentially scariest scenarios in the DC Universe. Imagine a group of ruthless prisoners with the potential power levels of the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths-era Superman himself finding a way out of the Phantom Zone. After all, no prison is unescapable. This is...The Phantom Zone #1! 

 The cover is a Gene Colan, Dick Giordano, and Gaspar Saladino piece. It's really neat. This has the feel of a Silver Age-era Superman cover, which stands out since by this point, we were firmly in the Bronze Age of Comics. The cover hints at a great distress haunting a character in the story. You'll see what I mean later on.

"The Haunting of Charlie Kweskill"
Writer: Steve Gerber
Penciler: Gene Colan
Inker: Tony DeZuniga
Colorist: Carl Gafford
Letterer: Milt Snapinn
Editor: Dick Giordano
Executive Editor: Joe Orlando

The story begins in the Daily Planet in Metropolis. Editor-in-Chief Perry White has caught an employee named Charlie Kweskill snoozing on the job.

(Panel 9, Panel 1)

Kweskill hasn't been sleeping well lately, his nights haunted by dark nightmares. Nightmares of a world lit by red sunlight, of red jungles and volcanoes that spewed gold. A world that seems...familiar to the man, but he doesn't seem to know why. One dream takes him back...back to the long-destroyed planet of Krypton. 

Jor-El, the father of Superman, has a proposal for the ruling Science Council.

Krypton dealt with criminals by putting them in suspended animation and exiling them into space, their containers orbiting the planet. He has what he considers a more...humane way to handle the problem. He's invented a very special device, which he demonstrates on his beloved wife Lara.

Page 13, Panels 1 and 2.

Yup, this is the birth of the famous Phantom Zone projector. Jor-El believes that here in the Zone, criminals can think about the folly of their actions. And when they're rehabilitated, they can be released from the Zone. The Science Council tells Jor-El that they'll consider his device, and another Kryptonian scientist named Gra-Mo makes his presentation. He wants to present a new kind of artificial worker to replace Krypton's robotic labor force, controlled by a thought-projecting helmet. An assistant points out to Gra-Mo that the worker is melting. Gra-Mo is infuriated. He blames Jor-El's Phantom Zone projector for it...for some reason.

Gra-Mo heads back to his lab and uses his thought-control helmet to take control of Krypton's robotic police, and causes a lot of destruction and death. He is the last Kryptonian criminal to be exiled into space. Kweskill's dream continues, telling the tale of scientist Jax-Ur. Jax-Ur launched a missile into space, intended to hit a meteor. It was a test of his missile's new guidance system. The system fails and ends up hitting Krypton's moon Wegthor. The missile destroys Wegthor and kills all 500 of its inhabitants. To the Phantom Zone he goes.

Kweskill sees the tale of Professor Va-Kox. His experiments on marine species of Krypton damages the waters of the planet. To the Phantom Zone with him. Next, Dr. Xadu of the Antarctic City is shown experimenting with suspended animation, which is illegal. Next, the tale of Faora Hu-Ul, who killed 23 men in a concentration camp simply because they were men. Basically, she's what the Internet thinks a feminist is. 

And then there was General Zod.

Yeah, that guy. He led an armed insurrection, believing his military mind made him the best to rule Krypton by right. To the Zone he went as well. Next was Az-Rel and Nadira. Born on Bokos, aka the Island of Thieves, the two were exiled when it was discovered they were essentially mutants, for lack of a better term. Nadira is a psychokinetic, and Az-Rel is a pyrokinetic. They used their power to terrorize the city of Erkol, Krypton's oldest city. And for that, they became Zoners, too. 

Kweskill sees more Kryptonian criminals. Kru-El, the uncle of Superman himself. Used forbidden weaponry to attack Krypton. Taken down and put in the Zone by Jor-El himself. The final Zoner is a man who became arguably one of the most hated men on the planet. A man who killed protected creatures known as the Rondors. Rondors' horns could heal any injury, cure any illness. This Zoner profited off that by slaughtering them and using their horns in "cellular regenerators". Kweskill sees the face of the man who perpetrated this crime: Quex-Ul. And they have the same face.

More on that later. We then go back in time. Back to nine days before the destruction of Krypton. Jor-El likes sick with fever. The Zoners try to telepathically compel him to release them from the Zone. You see, the Zoners can telepathically communicate with each other. Presumably, they discovered they can communicate with other people by combining their wills. Lara is able to stop Jor-El, and he reports this to the Science Council. The Phantom Zone projector is rocketed into space. The destruction of Krypton makes the Zoners cheer. They survived their world's death. They survived the man who helped put them there, not knowing that years later, his son would be their bane. 

Kweskill wakes up, finding himself in S.T.A.R Labs. 

Page 26, Panel 1

He discovers he somehow was able to sneak in, fight through the guards, and make off with some electronic devices. He leaves in utter confusion. It's revealed that his dreams were thanks to telepathic manipulation from the Zoners. You see, Kweskill was Quex-Ul. In Superman #157 (November 1962), Quex-Ul was exposed to Gold Kryptonite, causing him to lose his powers and his memory of who he was. Superman than game him a job at the Daily Planet and a new identity as Charlie Kweskill. 

Another Zoner, Mon-El, tries to ask what's going on. However, the two Kryptonians he asks are Nadira and Az-Rel. They don't like him, and in fact, they find him disgusting. He tries to ask the mad prophet Jer-Em, but he doesn't care as he believes whatever is coming is supposed to happen. 

Several nights pass. Perry White is yelling at Jimmy Olsen to get to the bottom of the mysterious electronic thefts. Olsen has no leads. Not to mention that Kweskill has vanished. Clark Kent goes to check on him...as Superman, of course. The Man of Steel peeks in Charlie's apartment and doesn't see him. He flies off, feeling he's missing something...like the lead-lined closet.

This is why Batman thinks you are an idiot, Clark! The next night, Clark Kent finishes up a transmission as a newscaster. Yeah, in the early 80s, Clark Kent ended up becoming a newscaster thanks to the Daily Planet being bought out by Galaxy Communications. As Superman, he decides to check up on Charlie one last time before he calls it a night. He sees Charlie with the stolen electronics, building a Phantom Zone projector. Superman tries to stop it, but Charlie activates the crude device. And the story ends with the Phantom Zone criminals freed...and Superman and Charlie Kweskill/Quex-Ul trapped in the Phantom Zone.

In the words of a certain drunkard robot, "Well, we're boned!"

I personally enjoyed this comic. The idea of a breakout of the Phantom Zone is actually a frightening one. Keep in mind, the Zone contains criminals that, because they share Superman's Kryptonian physiology, can have his powers under the yellow sun of Earth. And unlike the Man of Steel, they lack his kindness, compassion, and empathic nature. Beware the Superman indeed.

I did wish that Gerber explored more of the Zone's effects on its inhabitants. After, Superman stories in the past have questioned whether the Zone was actually humane or not. I think that'd be something he'd explore more. But the idea of exploring the origins of the Zone is a cool one, and the cliffhanger is terrifying.

Gene Colan's art brings a moody vibe to the story. My favorite panels are the ones in which Kweskill/Quex-Ul sees the history of the Phantom Zone being used as a prison. The black and the eyes he draws help show the idea that the Phantom Zone is a horrorshow. 

The Phantom Zone, in my opinion, is a hidden gem of DC Comics's 1980s output. If you want to read this for yourself, I suggest you track down the 2013 trade paperback Superman: Phantom Zone. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!