100+ Definitions 7

Invincible #7

Low-Frequency Listener (L-FL):  Welcome to the seventh issue of Robert Kirkman’s and Cory Walker’s Invincible superhero comic.  The story takes a perplexing dark turn, and conveys a unique aspect of superhero tales not present in previous issues.  Here’s issue seven to summarize the plot.

Invincible #7 (I#7):  The tale opens with Mark Grayson catching up on sleep.  The seven members of the Guardians of the Globe (versions of the Justice League members Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Superman) are portrayed going about their day before each receives a summons to report to their headquarters. Once assembled, all the Guardians are murdered. The murder is revealed on the last page to be Mark’s father, Omni-Man.

L-FL:  Is the slaughter of The Guardians of the Globe a comment on DC comics and DC heroes?

I#7: I’ll dodge that question and instead give this superhero definition: The call is always answered when the call arrives, no matter what other works the individual may be doing.

L-FL: The vicious actions of Omni-Man make Paul Levitz’s writing “Why Supervillains?” appropriate to mention here.  Levitz, a professor at Columbia and Pace Universities and Manhattanville College and author of 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, writes:

“First, the supervillain provided the potential for a layered problem: rather than a simple obstacle for the hero to overcome or a puzzle for him or her to solve, the supervillain could repetitively pose difficulties of increasing scale and drama….

“Second, the supervillain provided a worthier opponent for the superhero; armed with powers equal (or even superior) to those of the superhero, the supervillain was able to engage in physical combat with the hero that was more visually interesting, as well as more dramatic….

“ Third, the introduction of personal malice increased the character’s motivations and even genuine evil in the stories, making the hero’s journey more heroic as he or she triumphed over these forces….

“The combine effect of all these elements was to make the hero greater and more interesting, and to provide readers with more tension as they read the stories….

“As a fringe benefit, supervillains provide a visual shorthand for the excitement within comics, offering the opportunity for more varied covers, as a procession of gaudily clad, stunningly powerful malefactors attracts instant attention.”

So, thank you issue seven for enhancing the story by introducing and killing an entire team of superheroes.  It was a pleasure.

I#7:  The feeling was mutual.