Superboy-Prime is a jerk! - Infinite Crisis #4

Homecoming

Infinite Crisis #4

Cover Date: March 2006

Released: 18th January 2005

⋅ Writers: Geoff Johns ⋅ Pencilers: Phil Jimenez / George 

  Pérez / Ivan Reis ⋅ Inkers: Many, Many Hands ⋅  Colourists: Jeromy Cox / 

  Guy Major ⋅ Letterers: Nick J. Napolitano ⋅ Editors: Jeanine 

  Schaefer /  Eddie Berganza ⋅

Continued from Infinite Crisis #3

*Deep breath* 

A lot happens here, but it's all based around three main stories.

The first is around Bludhaven, Nightwing's little Gotham where he's been playing around in for a while, being destroyed by Chemo, a giant plastic blob filled with deadly corrosive chemicals. Apart from destroying the city, a lot of housecleaning is happening here, the main thing is that it distracts some of the big heroes, like SUperman as the other stuff is going on. We also get bridges mended as Batman admits to Dick that he's been, well a dick, and whilst not apologizing at least asks for help from Nightwing to try and solved what's actually going on right now. Since the last issue there's been a running theme that Dick is one of the best of the heroes, even Alexander agrees to this, as a counterpoint to the idea that everyone is corrupted and needed to be replaced. Really he's a stand-in for all the lesser-known characters that haven't gone down the dark path of the big three.

The second is the less important, but alas the parts where Power Girl is concentrated, as she bound to the tower discovered the last issue. Mostly it's Alexander, with a little Superboy-Prime, explaining that everything that's happened so far is all part of their plan to bring back a more pure Earth, not necessarily Earth-2 but something better than even that!  The only thing they say is their own fault is the darkening of the Trinity and their less than heroic actions, Batman paranoia (who we see breaking out of this here), and Wonder Woman killing Maxwell (which isn't covered here). Each of the heroes captured and bound to the tower is from a different Earth, including Power Girl obviously, We also have Black Adam (from Earth-S), Lady Quark (Earth-6, the last Crisis), and Ray (Earth-X, at this point Nazi World). We also have Martian Manhunter, who I guess is there for his connection to Earth-1 or his telepathy, or both.

Before we get the biggie, let's talk about a few one(ish)-page scenes, that of Booster Gold meeting Reyes and confirming he's bounded to the Blue Scarab, and more fighting in space with a few character deaths. Crispen Allen a cop we've been following in odd scenes is bought back from the dead and bonded to the Specter, bringing his reign of terror to an end.

The big thing in this issue though is a fight between Superboy-Prime and a bunch of heroes from the Teen Titan, Doom Patrol, and the JSA. At least it does after a knockdown fight between Superboy-Prime and Conner Kent before the latter brings in all the help mentioned above. Here is where everything goes wrong for poor Superboy-Prime and cements his reputation as a bit of a whiney bitch, and rather than the Silver Age heroes he like to make out is just as Dark and edgy as the heroes that he's been criticising. Basically, as the big fight breaks out he almost instantly kills someone, in this case, poor Pantha, who has her head basically popped off. Quickly joining her is Wildebeest and  Bushido, with Risk being lucky to just lose an arm. And whilst I'm sure they're someone's favorites, it's done here to maybe clear away some of the lesser know Titans, something that still happens in events even now.

In a scene, I'm not even going to try and follow the Flashes to take Superboy-Prime into the Speedforce and various speedsters, including Barry, get involved to run him through the Speedforce and away from potential dangers. Superboy-Prime and Bart seem to disintegrates into the Speedforce, which deals with that part of the threat but apparently destroys the Speedforce completely. And that's got to be the most times I've ever typed out the word Speedforce and I'm just glad this a Power Girl blog and I'll probably never have to type that word out again!

All this however is a distraction to Alexander's true plan and using a Shazam lightening bolt, from Black Adam to power the tower he succeeds in recreating a second Earth, Earth-2 where Superman-2 and Lois, and it's implied the JSA are teleported to as we close out the issue.

As you can see a lot happens here, but now it's focused on several larger scenes, and at the halfway point the villains kind of win and gain what they've been after. Now as we're halfway through obviously things are not as simple but at this point things seem pretty bad for the heroes.