Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Official '52' Discussion Thread ... SPOILERS!

I agree. 52 has me not only enthusiastic about '52', but about DC as a company and comic books in general. I look forward to getting each week's comics now more than I have in a long time!

I'm getting on board with Jamie's theory about the Skeets/ T.O. Morrow connection. When Booster takes Skeets to Magnus for repairs, Magnus tells him he doesn't know much about "Tomorrowtech".

Between Devilance's statement and the Guardians this month in GL, I'm also liking the theory someone had (I have no idea where I read it) that the "52" refers to the number of beings who have been imprisoned to the Source Wall (the Promethean Giants?).

Jamie,

I'm totally on board with the Booster is Rip Hunter theory. I like the irony that Booster stole Hunter's time machine 500 years from now to come back to the present and eventually needed help from Rip to fix it to get back home (back in the Booster Gold series). Rip didn't seem to like Booster much then (disappointment in his younger self's vanity and greed?). He has to go from the glory seeker to working in the shadows, and in complete anonymity to survive.

Booster must have known Skeets was up to something... first all the "historical errors" Skeets was having, followed by him finding the board with all the "his fault" notes all over it. Booster at first thought it was himself, but he must have realized the arrows were pointing at Skeets (why else wouldn't he have have told the little guy what he found in Rip's lab?). Maybe Rip's name is actually a title: "R.I.P., Hunter". The JSA arc you mentioned made it seem that he was constantly bouncing around in time, seeking out heroes (hunting) from being killed (R.I.P.) as babies, etc. (This one's a stretch, but it was fun to think of). Anyway, I'm digressing...

Maybe Booster decided to take matters into his own hands, and stage his death so he could ditch Skeets and try to solve this puzzle on his own. Or Rip could have swapped out Booster for a dead body easily, seeing as how he drives a time machine and all. Did anybody even do a DNA test on that skeleton?

One more thing: The movie "Back to the Future" tells us Dan Carter will be okay, because if he doesn't return to the present day and have a child, Booster would never eventually be born and come back in time again with Skeets in tow... (duh!)

I'm really enjoying this series!!

Drake,

Great catch on the Tomorrowtech line! I plan on rereading the series this week from Week One to look for more clues like this.

And Craig? The R.I.P. connotation occurred to me as well. I think that if Rip isn't Booster, he swapped him out for a corpse. But I think THIS is the impetus for Rip to become who he is. He has to fix time because of the events in 52.

Oddly enough, to me it sounds like Hypertime is still around. Just not called it as such. Researching Hypertime, I found this little nugget from DDD on Wikipedia.

And for added reading, check out the time travel entry on Wikipedia. If it was a Boom Tube that hit the space heroes, this is a definite possibility for Kori and Co.

Time Travel

Jamie

Absolutely Jamie! This is exactly why/when Booster will (would?) become Rip (blasted time travel always screws up the proper tenses!). It is the precise motivation he needs to grow up and take things more seriously!

And comments from Didio in past interviews insist too strongly that Booster is dead (his time as a character is done), but that doesn't mean Michael Jon Carter isn't another hero now... Hey, this has happened before, and not as well! (Hal as Spectre anyone?)

Exactly! I mentioned that a few weeks back. I'm also beginning to think that a few of his other comments about being dated were hints about this as well. I need to reread it.

And 52 seconds is just about enough time to save Booster from certain death...

Jamie

The only thing certain in comics is taxes!

Last night, it hit me, Supernova is.....

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">AMBUSH BUG!!!</span></span>

Think about it a bit...

Jamie

Now that's an interesting theory!

I know. It's crazy but I really think I'm on to something here. Anyone know the week his identity is revealed?

Here's some of my reasoning:

1) We have only ever seen Supernova use two powers, flight and teleporation. Ambush Bug was a teleporter, I don't know if he ever displayed the powers of flight. Every use of his powers in a fight was some type of teleporation, even his 'disintegration' ray, in which Clark described the chunk of ground as "Vanishing, or some sort of disintegration" (not the exact quote). Look back at the Week 15 breakdowns on the 52 site. In the original version, originally Booster dies because he was teleported in half.

2) He was an ex-villain that became a hero. Waid has hinted at this being the case in past interviews.

3) He's Metropolis based.

4) Who's Who described him as being 5'10", 125 lbs. Sort of matches Supernovas frame, somewhat.

5) He knows Superman's Secret Identity and has been influenced by Clark for much of his existence. It would not be out of character for him to attempt to step into his shoes during Clark's absence.

6) In Week 9, he appears right outside the Daily Planet....almost as if on purpose. In the past, he's shown he has outside knowledge of continuity/events.

7) Speaking of continuity, Supernova himself is pre-Crisis continuity. It's not that hard of a stretch to believe he lifted this on purpose.

8) Continuity itself is messed up. He's acted in the past on behalf of Jonni DC, Continuity Cop to fix things up. In fact, Jonni is the one who originally wiped Egg Fu from continuity in the first place.

Jamie

Isn't AB supposed to appear in an upcoming issue? When is that?

I think I read it in the San Diego panel transcripts but i don't remember if they gave the issue.

And I having just looked up Ambush Bug on the 'net. I see his first appearance was DC Comics Presents issue number 52.

Coincidence, or just the appearance of coincidence? Conspiracy theorists discusss.

D'oh! I TOTALLY overlooked that in my research, Tamper.

To me, that just clinches it.

Jamie

They had a teaser image of the Phil Jimenz issue of 52. It was a full splash page that had AB and Firehawk. It was alluded that they were the new Infinty Inc.

That would be wild if it was all true.

Where? What issue will that be in?

Jamie

I think the Jimenz issue will be the Christmas issue.

Spoilers for Week 20

Well we know where the Emerald Eye of Ekron comes from now don't we?

Yup...whodathunkit?

More after I read it fully tonight.

Jamie

I'm glad they didn't retcon it into being Alan Scott's eye, that's for sure.

More interesting though is the "next issue" blurb -- isn't that "Power Boy"???

Yep I think that's some of the 1 year gap Teen Titans.

Y'know, what really made this revelation about the Emerald Eye's origin cool to me? It actually confirms something from a now out of continuity story from years back: in the first Fatal Five story arc in Legionnaires, thirteen years ago, they revealed that there were two Eyes.

So if Lobo works Ekron over and rips its other Eye out, that story could end up being "right" about that after all...

Coupla things this week that I noticed.

First off, please note that Lobo referred to Adam's and Co.'s ship as "Stone Age spaceship", seemingly supporting my theory that they are in a divergent timeline. This explains Lobo's (possible) pacifisim and the space dolphin with the ability to communicate.

What the head says is a cryptogram (as pointed out on 52 Pickup). I believe it says:

I will
kill you in
a weyq!

Now change weyq to week and we have a bit of foreshadowing...

As for Supernova, I still think it's Ambush Bug. However, I think that two of the items (Jason's Robin costume and the glove) both reflect changes to Pre-IC continuity.

Could be wrong tho'.

And I think Tamper's right, that looks like the OYL Titans. Which makes me wonder, is Luthor's team the new Infinity, Inc?

Jamie

Didn't Wacker confirm that already?

Possibly. If he did, I don't remember it.

Jamie