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Doop (xdoop) wrote in scans_daily,
@ 2009-08-28 18:35:00

Entry tags:

char: codename assassin/jonathan drew, char: fury/amazing woman/erik storn, char: jimmy olsen, creator: bernard chang, creator: james robinson, creator: max fiumara, creator: peter milligan, creator: travel foreman, publisher: dc comics, title: infinity inc., title: superman's pal jimmy olsen

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen Special #2

Remember Erik Storn? He was a member of Luthor's Infinity Inc. team in 52, and then he appeared in Peter Milligan's Infinity Inc. series where he gained the ability to transform into a powerful woman.

Well, he returned in this week's Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen Special #2, by James Robinson and Bernard Chang.

Erik talks to Jimmy Olsen online about this conspiracy stuff. However, Sam Lane has Jimmy's computer tapped, and he sends Codename: Assassin out to kill them.

Jimmy goes to Erik's house and sees it's on fire. After rescuing Erik...

Jimmy calls the phone number and gets Natasha Irons (Steel's niece and another member of Infinity, Inc). She tells him to meet her in a library in River City, where she gives him some files and tells him about how she and Erik were involved in the conspiracy, and that Sam Lane is alive and behind everything. After hearing something she disappears, and Jimmy leaves.

Outside, he sees Codename: Assasin. Jimmy tries calling Mon-El on his signal-watch for help, but Mon-El doesn't show up (presumably this takes place after Superman #691, where Mon-El was captured by Lane). Codename: Assasin shoots Jimmy, who falls into the harbor.

We see Jimmy's body sink deeper and deeper into the water. The last page, which shows Codename: Assasin flying off, has the title of the story: "The Death of Jimmy Olsen."

I don't really care about Jimmy dying; if Robinson and co. aren't planning on bringing back Jimmy Olsen themselves, it's only a matter of time until the next writer does so. But I'm disappointed with what happened to Erik; I have a feeling Robinson chose him just because he was a lesser-known character, and I think he deserved better.

(Post a new comment)

	bluefall 2009-08-28 10:40 pm UTC (link)
	Can I just say I love when Bernard Chang draws stuff. (Reply to this)

	(Anonymous) 2009-08-28 10:41 pm UTC (link)
	Natasha is going to save him. Remember she can become water, or water vapor or something like that now. she'll probably pull him out. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	jlbarnett 2009-08-28 11:01 pm UTC (link)
	I'd thought her powers had changed again. She was talking about being strong now. I feel sorrry for her. She's had nothing but bad crap happen to her for so long. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	icon_uk 2009-08-28 10:45 pm UTC (link)
	One of the Superman franchises Top Five characters apparently dies pretty much offscreen? By being shot and then dropped into the ocean? By someone so dumb he has to include the word codename in his codename? And he doesn't even check the body? I doubt Jimmy's even dead in the first place. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	mullon 2009-08-28 11:10 pm UTC (link)
	Maybe he still has that "New powers whenever in danger" thing still going after all. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	xdoop 2009-08-28 11:17 pm UTC (link)
	What's the point in calling the story "The Death of Jimmy Olsen" if he isn't going to experience some form of death? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	yaseen101 2009-08-28 11:19 pm UTC (link)
	Why call a story 'The Death of Jimmy Olsen' in the first place? (Reply to this) (Parent)

	icon_uk 2009-08-28 11:35 pm UTC (link)
	Other than standard dramatic effect? Because it's likely he'll use the opportunity to play Lane at his own game, if Natasha Irons has got an aquaform, she rescues him, Jimmy is believed dead, and he's in the perfect position to investigate the whole conspiracy without interference since no one is looking for him. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	xdoop 2009-08-29 01:03 am UTC (link)
	She turns into mist, but I don't really know how that would work in water. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	(Anonymous) 2009-08-28 11:42 pm UTC (link)
	Robin Dies At Dawn. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	icon_uk 2009-08-29 12:23 am UTC (link)
	Though technically a Robin did die at dawn in that story, it just a hallucincatory one. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	majingojira 2009-08-29 12:03 am UTC (link)
	Ahem: Kabuto Koji Dies in Lava! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

xdoop
2009-08-29 01:02 am UTC (link)

According to Wiki, "It is also notable that GaoGaiGar's narrator and its 'Jikai' (Next Episode) sequences—and the episode titles themselves, in some cases—rely on extreme hyperbole, even lying to the viewer if deemed necessary. This in itself is a Super Robot trend, dating back to Mazinger Z, the original Super Robot show (which itself used hyperbolic episode titles such as 'Kouji Kabuto Dies in Lava')."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	ashtoreth 2009-08-30 02:16 am UTC (link)
	Comic book writers never lie! How dare you suggest that! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	yaseen101 2009-08-28 11:18 pm UTC (link)
	When he survives, I wonder how it's going to affect his view on Mon-El since Supes seems to bail him out whenever he is in trouble. (Reply to this) (Parent)

yaseen101
2009-08-28 11:16 pm UTC (link)

Okay, even though I don't know Erick/Ericka, I like the death scene and I think it was a good send off for the character. As for Jimmy, eh, he will be back. You know it's funny you think in a world where people come back from the dead 24 hours day you think the murderes and killers will double check if their said target is actually dead and Assassin being a trained, government spy especially under one that is planning to fight an army of super powered beings would be more careful about that.

Moreover, I hate what they have done to General Lane, in fact it seems to be a habit of Johns. I know he is not part of this story but I know he has had a part in planning it. In fact, this is the same John-ification that has been done to characters like the Guardians of the Universe and I hate that. What happened to the General Lane that sacrificed himself to save the world and what about the General Lane who tried to comforted Lois when she was in a car crash surrounded by Ghosts.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	(Anonymous) 2009-08-28 11:26 pm UTC (link)
	if you recall, as he was comforting Lois he was also bad mouthing superman and pretty much showing echos of what he is now (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	xdoop 2009-08-28 11:30 pm UTC (link)
	I don't recall him mentioning Superman in that ish. http://asylums.insanejournal.com/scans_daily/802236.html#cutid1 (Reply to this) (Parent)

	yaseen101 2009-08-28 11:48 pm UTC (link)
	Not really, while he did come across as a bad father and such, he was still a sympathetic one and understands that he made mistakes and deep down he still had a good heart. I can't even see that General Lane allowing his own daughter to even dress like Superwoman let alone take part in a mission that will potentially kill her. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	xdoop 2009-08-29 01:02 am UTC (link)
	To be fair, in that case I don't think he expected her to die, and he seemed pretty shook up when she apparently did. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

yaseen101
2009-08-29 05:41 am UTC (link)

Actually thought the thing is that Lane has been serving in the military for years and he should know that whenever you go on a mission there is always a 90% chance you die. The 'he didn't expect it' isn't really much of an excuse. Also we see he never put either of his daughters in the military, though I'm aware that Lois did have some Military training, and that says a lot to me. Also I don't see him approving Lucy of killing Agent Liberty in such a cold blooded manner. It's possible that Lucy chose to don the costume but there isn't much evidence to prove that.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	foxhack 2009-08-28 11:26 pm UTC (link)
	A gender-shifting character? In DC? I'm still wondering how they managed to get that past the censors. And yes, Erik/Erika's death blows chunks. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	icon_uk 2009-08-28 11:38 pm UTC (link)
	what about Dr Occult and Rose? Firestorm has a female component now and still looks male. Then there are the other odd variations of hermaphrodites, like one of the Dr Fate combo's and Rebis, and there was someone called Fusion I recall from years back. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	greenmask 2009-08-28 11:55 pm UTC (link)
	I checked, and as far as I can tell they all appeared male (or not specifically female) in their more powerful forms. Which probably makes a difference. So this might be more of a deal, indeed? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	icon_uk 2009-08-29 12:24 am UTC (link)
	Occult and Rose didn't, and Rebis definitely had both gender traits (a bust for example) (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	greenmask 2009-08-29 12:30 am UTC (link)
	Google images lied to me! I stand corrected. (Reply to this) (Parent)

readeriif
2009-08-29 12:34 am UTC (link)

Dr Occult and Rose are generally portrayed more as a 'time-share'- two seperate entities switching places, as opposed to one individual changing genders (the only exception to this being his appearance in Books of Magic). In the case of Firestorm, Jason's merged with a variety of people since his debut, and the Firestorm form looked the same in all the cases I recall (plus, while his girlfriend Gehenna is now a component, it still looks as if he has main control of the fused entity, so it's no surprise it'll look male).

There were two Dr Fate Male/Female merges, I think: that kid whose name I can never remember and his stepmother, and the Nelsons. In both cases, I think the joined Fate was supposed to be more genderless than hemaphrodite, but it has been a while since I read the issues.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	04nbod 2009-08-29 02:13 am UTC (link)
	sean erin/Shvaughn Erin (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	icon_uk 2009-08-29 07:43 am UTC (link)
	He was "just" transgendered... as was Coaguala of the Doom Patrol (Reply to this) (Parent)

	kingrockwell 2009-08-29 02:50 am UTC (link)
	There was also the Shade the Changing Woman arc, also by Milligan. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	volksjager 2009-08-28 11:34 pm UTC (link)
	Hmmm, Jimmy Olsen Balck Lantern. Seriously good idea tho, Sort of a Captain Marvel/Shazam but you become a girl. More please ! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	kenn_el 2009-08-29 01:44 am UTC (link)
	The Trauma of Billy Batson! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	icon_uk 2009-08-29 09:45 am UTC (link)
	Vicki Grant in "Dial HE for H.E.R.O."? Hey, if dialling HORROR turned Chris King into a monster.... (Reply to this) (Parent)

ian_karkull
2009-08-29 05:09 am UTC (link)

Erika! Noooo!
The Infinity Inc. relaunch may not have been all that great, but in the Magical Fantasy Universe In Which I Am The Head Writer Of The Superman Franchise, (s)he would have been the one character I'd have revived as a pivotal member of the supporting cast..!

Erik/a, though your death may not seem to have meant anything, the few of us who accompanied you on your journey will carry your example on in our hearts forevermore, to whatever destination we may reach.
Goodnight, My Sweet Princess.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	(Anonymous) 2009-08-29 05:39 am UTC (link)
	On the plus side... it wouldn't be that hard for anyone to bring back Eric/a either. He shapeshifts enough he changes gender and he's doing that the whole time he/she's dying? Unless he was shot through the heart, that level of shapeshifting could have plugged the holes... with erika passing out from blood loss. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	buttler 2009-08-29 08:28 am UTC (link)
	Jimmy Olsen Must Die! Because that trick always works. (Reply to this)

	jlroberson 2009-08-29 10:27 pm UTC (link)
	It was more fun when this happened to Shade. (Reply to this)

	psychop_rex 2009-08-31 08:29 am UTC (link)
	This is pretty good stuff - I just wish it wasn't happening in a Jimmy Olsen book. I like my Jimmy FUN, dammit. Is it too much to ask for just one character to stay a magnet for hilarious weirdness? (Reply to this)