everything you know is wrong! (recent comicbook spoilers)

[JoeZhang]

"everything you know is wrong!" has been used a number of times with comic characters. Last week, for example - it was revealed that

All of Hawkman's memories were false and that EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG!

Has this ever really improved a character? The only time I can think where it actually worked is where Alan Moore turned swamp thing on his head.

Any other examples of where it enhanced a character?

[Mr. Laser Beam]

(about the spoiler)

What, AGAIN?!?!??!?!?!

[Yassim]

It also worked for Alan Moore's Miracleman/Marvelman.

Does Robinson's Starman count?

Ellis' Planetary feels like that, tho' I guess it really isn't in the same "universe"... sort of.

How about One More Brave New Day?

[Nerys Myk]

Geez, leave well enought alone. The Johns/Robinson fix worked.

[JoeZhang]

Babaganoosh wrote:

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(about the spoiler)

What, AGAIN?!?!??!?!?!

You might think I'm making up the following but this is how it goes down:

Hawkman encounters a powerful being called "nameless" - who says "every noticed your history as an egyptian prince doesn't make any sense?" and Hawkman says "hey you are right, I never noticed!" and then the guy pulls a cube out of Hawkman's chest and crushes it. This cube contains his memories - which are all fake. Hawkman then cries and says "it's all fading!"

[JoeZhang]

Yassim wrote:

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It also worked for Alan Moore's Miracleman/Marvelman.

Does Robinson's Starman count?

Ellis' Planetary feels like that, tho' I guess it really isn't in the same "universe"... sort of.

How about One More Brave New Day?

Can you expand a bit on Starman? I'm not sure what you are referencing? I don't remember Robinson doing that sort of story?

Here's another - Mark Shaw (Manhunter), his backstory was erased and replaced with "you were off your face on drugs and pretty much dreamed everything".

[Professor Zoom]

JoeZhang wrote:

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You might think I'm making up the following but this is how it goes down:

Hawkman encounters a powerful being called "nameless" - who says "every noticed your history as an egyptian prince doesn't make any sense?" and Hawkman says "hey you are right, I never noticed!" and then the guy pulls a cube out of Hawkman's chest and crushes it. This cube contains his memories - which are all fake. Hawkman then cries and says "it's all fading!"

That. Is. Awful.
What is DC doing?

[Yassim]

JoeZhang wrote:

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Can you expand a bit on Starman? I'm not sure what you are referencing? I don't remember Robinson doing that sort of story?

Robinson's run on Starman introduces Jack Knight, son of Ted Knight, the original Starman from the 40's, who takes on the role. I guess it doesn't really fit what you're talking about, since it doesn't invalidate any of the character's history.

[Mr. Laser Beam]

DC has got to be doing this shit on purpose. I cannot believe they would be so thoroughly inept as to screw up Hawkman AGAIN. They are playing with us!

[Ben Sisko3]

Professor Zoom wrote:

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That. Is. Awful.
What is DC doing?

Aside from "everything wrong"? Not much.

[C.E. Evans]

Professor Zoom wrote:

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That. Is. Awful.
What is DC doing?

IMO, this was decided as the easiest way to clean up the royal mess that Hawkman's background became over the years and to eventually move the character forward as a major player in the DC Universe.

Crisis of Infinite Hawkmen...

[Professor Zoom]

C.E. Evans wrote:

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IMO, this was decided as the easiest way to clean up the royal mess that Hawkman's background became over the years and to eventually move the character forward as a major player in the DC Universe.

Crisis of Infinite Hawkmen...

I thought they had FINALLY cleaned it up with the most recent incarnation of Carter Hall.

Or at least good enough that people could ignore the rest.

[C.E. Evans]

Professor Zoom wrote:

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I thought they had FINALLY cleaned it up with the most recent incarnation of Carter Hall.

Or at least good enough that people could ignore the rest.

They did, but they couldn't leave it alone.

[JoeZhang]

C.E. Evans wrote:

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IMO, this was decided as the easiest way to clean up the royal mess that Hawkman's background became over the years and to eventually move the character forward as a major player in the DC Universe.

Crisis of Infinite Hawkmen...

It pretty much was cleaned up at this stage - the trick is not to dwell on what came before. The other problem is that his history as Khafu overlaps with way way too many over characters to say "it never happened".

[TemporalFlux]

C.E. Evans wrote:

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They did, but they couldn't leave it alone.

It's just like everything else Johns does for DC; they screw it up as soon as possible. Johns is now going back to Flash to try to fix the royal mess DC created; Johns will likely end up going back to Hawkman in the future to clean up this new mess. Johns is treated like the maid, and I imagine he'll get fed up with it eventually.