Leviathan Theory: Pax Americana

You need to understand something before you move on reading this post.

I have been obsessed with the Leviathan mystery, a healthy little comic diversion given the hectic nature of my life. And I have been poring over the clues. I have a Leviathan Theory.

Unfortunately, obsession can sometimes lead to madness.

 Robin said it best early in the series. When you get a theory that you are completely invested in, you can't shake it.

Moreover, as you think about it, it becomes more real.

I have described it as anchoring bias.

I believe that Ted Kord and the Charlton heroes are Leviathan.

And once you anchor on that, you look for things to confirm that bias.

And just yesterday I posted how the inclusion of the Multiversity map in Action Comics #1015 was actually a clue, a way to trigger the reader to start thinking about multiple Earths in this organized way.

And then that led me to thinking about the actual Earth 4 in the Multiversity map. And that led me back to Pax Americana.

Supergirl #18 Cover

I usually wait for all the DC solicits to come out before I post about upcoming comics.

But when I saw the cover for Supergirl #18 up at Comic Vine (they have the Superman family March solicits up here: http://www.comicvine.com/news/exclusive-superman-family-march-2013-solicits/145643/) I felt compelled to write early.

Technically, it is wonderful art showcasing a determined and strong Supergirl.

But she is crushing the world, complete with the glowing red eyes of wrath.

Since the title's inception, I have been worried about this Supergirl. The earliest promotion material from the upper levels of DC described an alienated young woman, one with no connection to humanity. She was going to be Hell on Wheels, fighting her friends, have no affection for the people of her new planet. She would be isolated and angry.

Surprisingly, so far the actual stories have been much more nuanced showing a young woman struggling with the tragedy of her life. Sometimes the reaction is angry and violent. Sometimes it is sad. But throughout, the creative team has shown a hero, someone who cares about the safety of others, who has a solid good center but someone lost and trying to find her way. I miss the old Kara. But I have been happy with this one and have been rooting for her.

And that makes this cover so troubling. Because this is the first outward appearance of the angry isolated woman lashing out at her new home. I don't want to read about a Supergirl who wants to crush the world between her hands. I don't want to believe that Mike Johnson is writing her like this.

But she has been shown like that in Superman. And now she is under the 'guidance' of Eddie Berganza. What does this all mean?

Too rub salt in the wounds, the cover is clearly the reverse homage for All Star Superman #10, my favorite issue in Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's superlative work. In that issue, Superman makes a new Earth, one without him in it, to see what will happen to humanity if he isn't around. On that pocket world, two guys named Siegel and Shuster invent him to be a symbol of hope.

This cover, a nurturing Superman looking over the world is so wonderful and inspiring.

But Supergirl can't be like that in the DCnU.

Nope, she is out to angrily smash the world. It makes blog friend John Feer's worries about her becoming a Hulk-like monster eerily prescient.

Lobdell writing her like a dupe of H'El. Eddie Berganza holding the reins. Smashing the planet on the cover of her book.

I am suddenly very very worried.

'Nasty' Luthor in All-Star Superman

I have a been a big fan of Grant Morrison's work in the DCU. I think his work on Doom Patrol, Animal Man, and JLA were all great, thought-provoking, and pushed the boundaries of the medium.

No big surprise that I have also enjoyed his and Frank Quitely's All-Star Superman title. It has a great Silver Age feel to it, but with a 21st century comics sensibility.

But as a Supergirl fan, my favorite little Silver Age touch in the title, albeit in a very small part, has been the inclusion of Nasthalthia 'Nasty' Luthor, Lex Luthor's evil niece.

'Nasty' was introduced in Adventure Comics #397 and remained a foil for Kara throughout the rest of her run in that title. In the first story, 'Nasty' enrolls at Stanhope University as a student. Working with her Uncle Lex, she hopes to lure Supergirl out into the open where Lex will kill Kara with a kryptonite bullet. 'Nasty' then begins a campaign of bullying students to force Supergirl into action. In the end, the plot is foiled and Lex is captured.

'Nasty' remains on campus to thwart Supergirl and in issue #406 graduates with Linda Danvers. During the ceremony, 'Nasty' feels she has discovered that Linda *is* Supergirl. To prove it, she follows Linda to San Francisco, where both begin work as junior reporters for K-SFTV.

When the Supergirl run in Adventure Comics ended with issue #424, 'Nasty' faded into comic limbo.

That is until All-Star Superman #5! Luthor is giving Clark Kent an interview from his prison cell and has Nasthalthia escort him out of the prison on a sub-prison boat. When the issue came out, I was thrilled but figured that would be that. She would be in a couple of pages as a bone for the Silver Age buffs.

Ahhh, but last week All-Star Superman #11 came out and we were treated to more 'Nasty'. Here we see a bit of the old 'Nasty' as she talks about her evil plans to conquer the world and her absolute thrill in getting her hands on Uncel Lex's arsenal.

I know that only Supergirl nerds would get such a little thrill of seeing a minor character from 27 issues from the early 70's brought back. But heck, isn't that what this title is all about? Isn't All-Star Superman all about bringing back that Silver Age magic?

I, for one, hope that 'Nasty' shows up again in issue 12.