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EPISODE 32: KINGDOM COME, CHAPTERS III & IV

The Last Sons conclude their epic discussion and review on arguably one of Superman's - and DC's - crowning achievements...

Connor-El drifts in like The Spectre, to an unsuspecting Rey-Zod - and the chat is something Connor-El can't even recall! 

Tune in (along with Connor) - to find out what we chat about! :P

SYNOPSIS:

(Courtesy of Wiki)

CHAPTER III

...and he cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth, and when he cried, seven thunders uttered their voices...

Norman McCay sees yet another vision, this time of Captain Marvel calling down lightning upon himself. These visions he is seeing are what he believes are "dreams of Armageddon". He and the Spectre are now taken to an ominous-looking dome that now stands upon the Kansas wastelands: this dome is Superman's reformation center for superhumans, called the "Gulag". Due to its vast size, it was intended to house prisoners for months to come, but within two weeks of its construction it filled beyond capacity, though due to its architect and warden it was able to contain its numbers. Kryptonian battlesuit robots stand guard watching over the residents in the "Gulag's" beautiful environment. Dissenters among them mock at the Superman holograms trying to educate them of the proper use of their powers and abilities, with Captain Comet dealing with the hard-case types like Von Bach. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor uses White's "eye" to spy on the simmering stew of unrest within the "Gulag". Norman McCay and the Spectre also notice the Quintessence looking down upon Billy Batson being with Luthor, with Shazam pleading with his fellows for understanding regarding Batson. As the Spectre engages with the Quintessence in conversation, McCay speaks with Deadman, who at this point is now a spirit in skeletal form wearing rotted circus acrobat clothes.

Outside the Green Lantern's satellite which is being used as the Justice League headquarters, Superman and Wonder Woman have a peaceful discussion as they fling rocks around some asteroids, with Wonder Woman telling Superman that she had been ousted from Paradise Island for failing in her mission as the Amazons' ambassador for peace.

In the heart of an underground lab, Lex Luthor subjects Billy Batson to torture by making him watch gruesome images of him and his friends being slaughtered by superhumans and causing worms to crawl in and out of Batson's ears, keeping him from saying Shazam's name. Luthor later joins with Bruce Wayne in a special war room where Wayne reveals his team of superhumans who are ready to lend their support to the cause of the Mankind Liberation Front. Secretly, though, Wayne speaks with John Jones, formerly the Martian Manhunter but now crippled in his abilities, in the hopes of finding out what his friend had sensed.

As Superman looks down upon the Earth with his telescopic vision checking for superhuman activity, Red Robin speaks with his former Teen Titans members about his growing concerns that Superman's plans would eventually fail. Norman McCay finds himself suddenly pulled from the spirit realm into reality to face a Superman who's wondering why he's here. McCay's only answer comes from Scripture: "...and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up...and the sun and the air were darkened...fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come." While Superman is confused over the cryptic message, Red Robin notices that a riot has broken out in the "Gulag". As McCay vanishes with the Spectre, Wonder Woman sends Flash, Green Lantern, and Power Woman to deal with the situation while she and Superman speak to the Secretary-General of the United Nations about their growing concerns of the "Gulag".

In the main office of the Mankind Liberation Front, Lex Luthor is pleased to report about the riot going on at the "Gulag" and now is ready to send Billy Batson into action to do his bidding. Bruce Wayne keeps Batson from calling upon Shazam, telling him he now knows what Luthor has done to him and his mind. With Luthor now feeling betrayed, Wayne tells his assembled team of superhumans to strike, instantly stopping most of Luthor's team, while Luthor attempts to escape, only to be confronted by an army of activated Batknights. Wayne now tries to reason with Batson as he himself flees, only to accidentally cause a flask of worms to break and cover him with worms. Scared at the sight, Batson calls upon Shazam and soon vanishes.

At the Green Lantern satellite, Wonder Woman dresses herself in golden eagle armor and girds her magical sword to her waist as Superman tries to reason with her on how to deal with the rioters. Then suddenly news comes from Green Lantern: the prisoners are now starting to breach the walls, and they have killed Captain Comet. Angered at the loss, Wonder Woman leads a team to go to the "Gulag" and force the prisoners to surrender or else. Seeing that she cannot get Superman to see that her way of dealing with the superhumans may be the right way, Wonder Woman gives him a farewell kiss before she departs.

At that, Superman races to Bruce Wayne's Batcave in a last-ditch effort to have his friend and former ally join him in his cause. All Wayne can tell Superman is that Captain Marvel has been brainwashed and is now heading for the "Gulag" to burst it wide open.

Superman races as fast as possible to reach the "Gulag" before Captain Marvel gets there, but it is too late. Lightning strikes the dome, allowing its residents to spill out to engage the Justice League team in an all-out battle. Superman himself is knocked out of the sky as Captain Marvel now engages him in a one-on-one confrontation.

Norman McCay sees that Armageddon has arrived.

CHAPTER IV

There were voices...and thunderings, and lightnings...and an earthquake. This was my dream...no more.

As Norman McCay and the Spectre watch, Armageddon has begun. The Justice League is locked in a battle with the rogue superhumans who have escaped the "Gulag" and are now out to wage war with them. Superman is fighting a hopeless battle with his equal Captain Marvel, who has been brainwashed by Lex Luthor. McCay pleads with the Spectre to make it stop, but the Spectre says he cannot take action yet, that there must be "a reckoning". All he can tell McCay is, "fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come."

Meanwhile, at the United Nations general assembly, the Secretary-General decides to take action to deal with the rogue superhuman problem once and for all: nuclear devices that are capable of destroying all metahuman life except for Superman. He sends forth the Blackhawk pilots to do the unthinkable job of delivering this destructive payload, and as he returns to his office and watches the planes take off, he slumps in his seat and hangs his head.

Back at the "Gulag", the Justice League seems hopelessly outnumbered and outmatched when Batman's team of superhumans shows up for assistance. Batman personally confronts Wonder Woman as she kills Von Bach before he crushes Zatara to death, suggesting that the real reason she was stripped of her duties and heritage on Paradise Island was that she was not strident enough with her mission. Angered, Wonder Woman turns on Batman and takes him up into the sky to personally deal with him when they both see the Blackhawk planes arriving with the bombs. Batman helps Wonder Woman see what her regaining her Amazon honor will cost her and others if she lets the bombs drop, and so she helps him take out the planes, though one of them manages to drop its payload down toward the warring crowd.

Back on Earth, Captain Marvel continually pelts Superman with his Shazam lightning bolts as he darts out of the way, until Superman finally grabs Captain Marvel as he calls upon Shazam's name, letting the lightning bolt turn Captain Marvel back into Billy Batson. He grabs Batson's mouth and clamps it shut while he tries to reason with Batson, making him see the urgency of a bomb being dropped that will destroy all superhumans except for Superman. He lets Batson make the decision of what's more important to him as he flies off to intercept the bomb. Batson speaks Shazam's name again and transforms into Captain Marvel, flinging Superman to the ground as he outraces the Man of Steel and intercepts the bomb first. He calls upon Shazam's name three times, and the lightning bolt ignites the bomb, consuming all superhumans in a mushroom cloud except for Superman and whoever was protected by the Green Lanterns' power rings.

Enraged by the massive loss of life by this extreme act, Superman flies off in a rage toward the United Nations and seals the doors shut, terrifying all the people within as he threatens to pull down the whole building on top of them. The Spectre takes Norman McCay to the United Nations building to try talking some sense into Superman, to make him see the humanity that he's ignored all those years believing that he was a god. Superman eventually relents, and joined with Batman, Wonder Woman, and the survivors of the battle, he forges a new relationship with the people to not solve their problems for them, but to solve their problems alongside them, not imposing their power among men but working to earn their trust. As the gathered heroes remove their masks and helmets as a symbol of good faith toward that end, Superman hangs the cape of Captain Marvel on a flagpole as a memorial.

At the conclusion of the tale, Batman turns his ruined Wayne Manor into a hospital, using Lex Luthor and most of the members of his Mankind Liberation Front as part of his "staff". Wonder Woman is restored to her rightful place as the princess of Paradise Island and now begins her role as a teacher of superhumans. Superman begins his work restoring the Kansas wasteland into a productive and fertile land for farming. And the Spectre, after showing Norman McCay his once human side as Jim Corrigan, returns the pastor to his church, where he now preaches a message of hope to his congregation.

One Year Later...

Superman and Wonder Woman meet with Batman in their civilian identities at the Planet Krypton restaurant, where they share news with each other about what's been going on in their lives over the past year. However, the real reason for this meeting is the news that Diana and Clark wanted to share with Bruce, which he easily figures out: she is pregnant with Clark's child. What catches Bruce off guard, though, is that Diana wants him to be the godparent, despite Bruce's record as a parent with his former wards. Both Clark and Diana see that Bruce can teach their child things they themselves cannot teach: lessons about mortality and morality from a man they both trust. As Clark and Bruce make their peace and then leave together with Diana to discuss what a future they will have with the child, Norman McCay is seen with Jim Corrigan talking about "the Spectre Platter".

SHOW NOTES:

• Action Comics 1017
• Kingdom Come - Chapter III
• Kingdom Come - Chapter IV
• Swamp Thing Podcast

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The music for this episode contains excerpts from various songs and is copyrighted by Styzmask. The music used on Last Sons of Krypton - A Superman Podcast is licensed under an Attribution License;