Showing posts with label Diane Meade. Show all posts

Thursday, May 27, 2021

JLA: Year One #4 (April, 1998)

Even though Snapper Carr had been retconned into being a constant presence within the Secret Sanctuary as resident tech wizard and maintenance man, Green Lantern still manhandled the "handykid" as a suspected intruder, and couldn't be bothered to remember his name. Admittedly, the League had been out all night fighting Starro the Conqueror (with a key assist from the already forgotten Carr,) so they were all likely punchy as they raced off to tend to their day jobs. This left Aquaman indignant, as Locus continued to be a threat, and were less likely to be taking the day off.

Hal Jordan flirted with FAA investigator Lora Denton, but a slip-up inspired by the distraction of the League forced Carol Ferris to ground him. Barry Allen got held up by chatterbox new detective Paris Jackson and was almost too late to prepare dinner for his fiancé Iris West. Here was a second instance of a hero being caught flat-footed by their significant other when asked about their unaccounted-for activities, and I do wonder if artists ever get tired of redrawing the cover to The Brave and the Bold #28. Aquaman went swimming at Ocean World to check on his "imprisoned brothers," and ended up with hysterical guards screaming and pointing guns at him. The angle continued to be Aquaman as "freak" who doesn't understand social norms, but his concern for sea life tracked with his environmentalist streak since the '70s. Officer Perez of the Coast Guard showed up to defuse the situation, and we learned that in off-hours, he'd exposed Aquaman to Planet of the Apes. There's actually several comedic beats like that in this issue that reminded me how funny the writers can be when allowed, and it's also a nice nod to the JLI. There's a moment when one of the Ocean World trainers sincerely took advantage of the Sea King's abilities to check on the marine life's well-being, and lets just say this fictional amusement park got higher marks than real world documentaries would lead one to believe.

I've never been as into Black Canary as I wanted to be, but seeing Dinah Lance dressed for The Matrix with a raven bob certainly helped bridge the distance in that moment. I wasn't well-versed enough in the DCU to fully appreciate Dinah at a birthday party with the retired JSA in 1998, so it hits harder on rereading today. Still weird to have a female character referred to as "Junior," but maybe that was more of a thing with the "Greatest Generation?" Then-recent Starman material had turned a series of '60s team-up stories with Canary into an extra-marital affair, perhaps too on the nose, but still an intriguing development. Seeing the awkwardness between Ted Knight and the widowed former Dinah Drake, especially once deduced by "Dinah Junior" (weeird) was a highlight of the series.

Not going to lie, I did a little fist pump when I saw the sign reading "Middletown Police Headquarters." John Jones helped Diane Meade read her date (Detective Vince Logan) for filth. Meanwhile, Locus had indeed kept busy, securing a Starro tentacle for its regenerative abilities and working with T.O. Morrow & Professor Ivo on promising, under budget projects. They were also plotting mad science to be perpetrated against Blue Beetle as an unwilling "graft donor" captured by the Brotherhood of Evil. They played it coy for most of the issue, but I can all but guarantee you that a stretchy woman and a gorilla in shadow were not cluing me in at this point in my DC fandom.

"While You Were Out..." was by storytellers Mark Waid / Brian Augustyn / Barry Kitson, joined by "guest inker" Michael Bair... for the rest of the maxi-series. I'd noticed the richer, crisper ink line from the second page, and Aquaman's face in the second panel of that page was a dead giveaway. That collaboration would continue for a while, and Bair would rightly (see: Infinity Inc.) help define the look of spin-off/begetter JSA with Stephen Sadowski. I'm a fan of Bair's, and only just realized one of my most treasured pieces has a younger sibling. I'd obviously be curious to know what it went for. Anyway, Bair added that touch of post-modern darkness that compliments the writers' efforts, as the creative team textually and visibly references a Silver Age milieu. It parallels James Robinson's work on their Golden Age progenitors, reflecting a period that was always kinkier, weirder, and more violent than the Justice League's time. Bair lends that little bit of edge, but not so much as to tip it outside of somewhat genteel Boomer nostalgia. Still can't believe how talky and decompressed this series was, but I'm grown, so I can dig it.

1990s, Aquaman, Black Canary, Diane Meade, Flash, Green Lantern, Justice League International, Justice League of America, Justice Society of America, Martian Manhunter, Middletown, Retcons,

Monday, May 3, 2021

JLA: Year One #1 (January, 1998)

In a darkened room, a series of unidentified individuals watched television monitors with reports of freshly emerging super-heroes the Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Manhunter from Mars, and Black Canary. Notes were taken, specifically locations of sightings. The last images were of J'Onn J'Onzz and the combined heroes, for which no notes were written, of the Appellaxian invasion. "...rumors for years of a Manhunter from Mars in Middleton, Colorado... but those rumors are now fact." In a cringey splash page for Martian fans that doubled as a house ad and store poster, all the Leaguers get their trademark epithets ("The Emerald Gladiator",) even ones unfamiliar and perhaps dubious, ("The Blond Bombshell"?) except "The Manhunter from Mars." To paraphrase Henry Jones, "We named the strip Manhunter from Mars." Stuff like that drove me to create this blog, with preferable canon epithets including "The Alien Atlas" and "The Sleuth from Outer Space." Anyway, it's a personal speed bump on the way to the inspirational "They were young... They were new... and still, they forever set the standard for all who would follow. Ten years ago, five powerful heroes came together... for a world that needed one unbeatable team. Just Imagine."

The League wasn't "official" at the end of their first case, leaving the prospective members to mull the decision in their private identities. Central City Police Department forensic scientist Barry Allen was uncharacteristically impatient and testy, as he's introduced to incoming detective Paris Jackson (less than six months before the more famous bearer of that name was born.) In Star City, Dinah Lance unpacked shipments to her floral shop while discussing the team with her mom. The elder Dinah (née Drake) was maybe putting the mother in "smother," especially when she got a new beat cop named Sherman to promise to keep an eye on her nineteen-year-old "little girl." A mild Canary Cry and numerous busted pots later, the junior Dinah was out the door for her meeting. Aquaman tried to make friends in a rough dock bar, but between his soft-speaking, heavy accent, and costume, he nearly ended up in a brawl instead. Things were calmed down by a kindly Coast Guard named Perez. At Ferris Aircraft, Hal Jordan ignored his buddy Tom Kalmaku's pleas to eject from the experimental $30M X-90 jet (or at least wear his power ring during test flights) in order to impress his boss Carol into a dinner date. Successfully landing, his next step seemed to be sweet-talking FAA investigator Lora Denton, but he fumbled.

In Middleton on a rainy night, Detective John Jones sat in a parked car with his partner Diane Meade on stakeout. He asked if she thought of him as a trustworthy team player. "God, John. Warn me when you're gonna speak. I'll alert the media. At least clear your throat or something... You're the most curious detective... You have a spotless record, you always get your man... and no other investigator has yet to find your sense of humor. What more do I need to know right now?" Twitch's tip about drug manufacturing at the back of Angelo's Restaurant panned out when armed dealers showed up to punish his skimming off their operation. Jones expressed his lack of understanding about addiction and violence, which the sassier Meade mocked. Pinned by erupting gunfire, Meade called for back-up while an invisible Jones used laser vision to heat the guns out of their hands. As the only armed man present, the suddenly visible Jones could easily arrest the lot. The press arrived before the reinforcements, with Channel Twelve News' Cal Redmond looking for the scoop on this hero cop. The taciturn Jones bowed out to meet with, perhaps, others like himself?

The quintet of super-heroes had agreed to turn over the two surviving Appellaxian battle drones to the Air Force, specifically General Eiling, but a small army of masked and armed individuals were already at the seaside caves where the team had hidden the alien proxies. A battle ensued, with the reawakened fire giant putting J'Onn J'Onzz out of direct action. Black Canary critiqued the heroes by comparison to her "family" in the Justice Society, but included a Golden Age Flash Fact that helped her and the Scarlet Speedster to bring down the also awakened bird giant. When not undermining the only woman on the team, Green Lantern bailed on yellow bird duty to help Aquaman leave the fire giant all wet in a grotto. Jordan was surprised to learn of the Manhunter's weakness to fire, and tried to walk back a faux pas statement of bring sick of these aliens. "You mean no insult. Go. I will shield the soldiers."

More than that, the Manhunter executed a maneuver that would be adapted to animation in the Justice League TV pilot "Secret Origins." When armed assailants pointed their rifles at him, the Martian disappeared into the ground immaterially, only to arise behind the men and bash their heads together. So much for "The Martian is weak! Quickly! Before the others come to his rescue. --We will reduce him to Martian ash--" Green Lantern noticed, and wondered if his power ring could do that, too? The attackers tried to destroy what they couldn't steal, but were disarmed by the Flash. As a fail-safe, their leader leaped onto the bird giant and had his fellows "triangulate a portmatrix" to teleport them both back to base. General Eiling had ordered his men to stand down for their own protection, and openly admired the super-heroes who'd saved the day (if not the bird giant.)

After the USAF airlifted the fire giant for study, the quintet hesitantly agreed to remain a team to investigate the robbers, by order of Flash, Canary, Lantern, and Aquaman. Only Manhunter offered an unreserved "You... each of you... has treated me as you would one of your own race. You have included me where others might turn away. I am... grateful. I would be honored to join you." Meanwhile, the uniformed members of Locus watched video of this meeting remotely at their base, taking notes on the League's confessions to one another, while their field agents were already in play on the ground to gather intelligence...

"Justice League of America: Year One" was by Mark Waid / Brian Augustyn / Barry Kitson. I grew up on Super Friends, and the first JLofA comic that I remember seeing was 1983's #217 with the George Pérez cover, but it wasn't until the late '80s JLI era that I ever bothered to read any of the things. While I have a fondness for many periods of the property, it wasn't until the 1996 JLA relaunch that the premise finally sung for me, and it was during this period that I truly and eternally became a fan. That half-decade under Morrison and Waid will always be "my" League, and this maxi-series played a big role in that. Since I'd yet to read any but the earliest Detective Comics stories, I had no idea Diane Meade was a preexisting character, and I was still 100% sold on the Post-Crisis Middleton, CO shtick that I'd reject years later.

Monday, July 30, 2018

Silver Age 80-Page Giant #1 (July, 2000)

Since Green Lantern Hal Jordan had managed to restore the Justice League of America to their own bodies, the heroes now had to deal with the repercussions of Batman's plan to smear their name while villains possessed their forms. Worse, the crooks had disabled the entire Green Lantern Corps while employing the combined might of the Oan central power battery, the Absorbascon, and a prismatic jewel from Krypton. With this assortment, they knew everything that took place on Earth, including the secret identities of the super-heroes and the whereabouts of their loved ones. The heroes tried to gather their friends for safety, including Policewoman Diane Meade, at the hidden Gorilla City.

On the streets of Moscow, the Russian Army tried to capture Martian Manhunter and the Flash to prevent their presumed plot to conquer the planet. Within the Kremlin, the country's leaders had been de-aged to childhood by a newly empowered Chronos. J'Onn J'Onzz and other heroes burst in to combat the fiends, but Mr. Element doused him in napalm. Gardener Grayle and the Metal Men sacrificed the last of their power to rescue the Alien Atlas, who in turn saved the Scarlet Speedster from a temporal trap. Yet, the heroes lost more than they gained, down seven comrades to temporarily drive out two foes.

More heroes faltered, until only eight remained. An off-hand comment by Green Arrow made Martian Manhunter think of Robby Reed and his H-Dial, but he couldn't share his idea with his fellows. While J'Onn shielded his mind against the Absorbascon, the League went on a suicide mission to the lair of Lex Luthor in Metropolis. When they were on the verge of defeat, the Alien Atlas returned to attack the Injustice League. This was actually a distraction play, as Robby Reed quietly guided the fallen heroes' fingers to employ his H-Dial. Each JLAer became a temporary new hero unfamiliar to the villains, and between the element of surprise and teamwork, the day went to the good.

J'Onn became the teleporting Go-Go, very necessary when Agamemno suddenly returned, embodied in the artifacts. Although Thanagarian Hawkmen and a restored Green Lantern Corps played important roles, Go-Go ripping the Absorbascon and Kryptonian jewel out of Agamemno surely contributed mightily. The Corps used the Absorbascon to erase the heroes' secrets from the minds of their friends and foils. Agamemno was taken prisoner by the GLC, and Robby thanked J'Onn for letting him play in the leagues, at least once. However, it was hinted that Robby would get one more chance in an as yet untold story.

"S.O.S. to Nowhere!" was by Mark Waid & Eduardo Barreto.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Podcast: 60 Years of Martian Manhunter - 1957

Episode #22

Look for us on iTunes, ShoutEngine or directly download an art-tagged MP3 from the Internet Archive

After nearly a year, you'd be forgiven for thinking we were covering our retrospective of John Jones' publication history in real time. Blame our coverage of the current but increasingly finite ongoing Martian Manhunter ~~maxi-~~series? 1957 offers a lot of repeats with slight variations on John Jones stories, but also the debuts of pretty probationary policewoman Diane Meade and TOR, Robot Criminal from Mars! Also, we look at the Sleuth from Outer Space's international publication history, which started quite early in Mexico and Australia, the latter proving the Martian Detective his first ever cover appearance (a phenomena well known to Aquaman, who turned up on lots of foreign editions in original illustrations before fronting a book in his native country.) Also, ads for our friend podcasts, Pulp 2 Pixel's Secret Sagas of the Multiverse and Count Drunkula's The Power of Fishnets. Please stick around to rank the Detective Comics stories from 1955-1957...

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Monday, June 30, 2014

The Saturnian Lawmen

History:
When a Saturnian Criminal escaped custody and fled to Earth, peace officers from his planet gave chase. Two Saturnian Lawmen tracked their prey to Middletown, U.S.A., where they contacted local authorities for assistance. As it happened, the criminal had attempted to murder Detective John Jones, then stole his identification and shape-shifted into his form. The false John Jones was located by Patrolwoman Diane Meade and taken to headquarters, where Captain Harding "introduced" him to the lawmen, who were unaware of the charade. The false Detective Jones was asked to take the lead on the manhunt for the Saturnian criminal, but instead set a trap for the lawmen in the Pascack area. The Lawmen, believing they were being guided to a hideout, instead fell into a concealed pit filled with oil from a ruptured underground pipeline. Incapacitated and facing gradual death, the Saturnian Lawmen lay trapped in the pit, waiting for Middletown police and the heroic Manhunter from Mars to subdue the criminal and rescue them. The Lawmen thanked the Manhunter profusely, then blasted off in their alien ship with prisoner in tow.

Powers & Weapons:
It is unknown if the Saturnian Lawmen possessed any superhuman powers of the sort displayed by the criminal they pursued or other representatives of Saturn, though the criminal alluded to their having some. They appeared to carry some form of handgun, but they never left their holster. The Lawmen carried bracelets impregnated with oil to wrap around the wrists of Saturnian prisoners to keep them docile.

Weaknesses:
A singular weakness "of all Saturnians" is oil, which causes them to lose their powers if exposed to even a tiny amount, and will cause them to perish under extended contact.

First Appearance: Detective Comics #314 (April, 1963)

Quote: "The Earth Detective is beckoning to us to follow-- that must be where the hideout is!"

Created by Jack Miller & Joe Certa

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

2014 "Fan-Casting DC's MARTIAN MANHUNTER" by Ryan Daly

You may recall that Ryan "Count Drunkula" Daly of the Black Canary blog Flowers & Fishnets already cast his own "Justice League movie" heavy with Martian representation here, but he also took the time to expand that into a full solo Sleuth from Outer Space feature film. Besides Dolph Lundgren as Mongul and Sam Neill as Gorilla Grodd (which I can roll with, as seen in his Superman & Flash movie castings,) Daly has also given us some b-side album cuts from the Alien Atlas archives!

I thought Daly had picked Michael O’Neill for Captain Harding because of his similar role on Monk, only to find out that was actually Ted Levine. How good of a detective could Adrian Monk be when Buffalo Bill was right under his nose the whole time? Daly originally offered Battlestar Galactica alums Katee Sackhoff and Tricia Helfer as Diane Meade and Cameron Chase, but then flipped them on account of my whining. I approve of Daly's inclination to cast people of color as characters of non-terrestrial color, but Freida Pinto seems kind of Mrs. for the more girlish Miss Martian, plus M'gann's affecting classic traits of earthly redheads skews her that much further away. Back before Don Cheadle blew up, I listed him for DEO Director Bones. Jeffrey Wright would certainly be a swell replacement, unless that Hunger Games bread goes to his head. Nina Dobrev's Gypsy is also in the mix somewhere.

William H. Macy is certainly an inspired Professor Arnold Hugo, and I really ought to get my own options down around here. I had Anthony Perkins for the fake 1966 movie write-up that I never completed, someone else in mind for the ersatz Smallville spin-off "Middletown" that I stalled out on, and a third possibility for a major motion picture. Blast my backburner! Tom Sizemore is a big ball of blue collar crazy, so he could certainly pull off the Human Flame. Franco Nero might just euro-up Dr. V to the correct degree. I'd have never thought of David Morse for Doctor Trap, but he's perfect, isn't he? Michael Wincott is a go-to evil dude in movies, and he offers an extremely nasty, distinctive voice that, praise be, isn't Keith David's. It occurs to me that most of these actors are TV heavy on IMDb. Wouldn't this make a snazzy show? AMC? HBO? Anybody? Check out the Comrades of Mars and Vile Menagerie casting sheets for more!

Count Drunkula Casting Department

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Princess Cassandra

Alter Ego: Cassandra
Occupation: Princess
Marital Status: Unknown
Known Relatives: Unknown
Group Affiliation: Unknown
Base of Operations: Unknown
First Appearance: Detective Comics #299 (January, 1962)
Height: Approx. 5'9"
Eyes: Dark
Hair: Black

History:
When Princess Cassandra became aware of an espionage ring, she set up a sting with law enforcement authorities, using herself as bait. Cassandra promised representatives of the ring secret government plans for the right price, and arranged a meeting in Middletown, U.S.A. Local police detective John Jones was aware of the ruse, and set about helping the princess during a swank royal reception at the mayor's mansion. However, fellow officer Diane Meade was left out of the loop, and believing Cassandra was a legitimate traitor, began unraveling her cover in pursuit. Both women ended up in a cabin in Haskins Woods, where Cassandra was prepared to blow her cover and lay down her life to protect the misguided policewoman. That proved unnecessary, as John Jones remained close in his secret identity as the Manhunter from Mars, who crashed into the cabin and apprehended the ring.

Powers & Weapons:
Princess Cassandra has been known to carry a revolver in her purse, though she lacked awareness enough to prevent it being quietly unloaded by a crook and placed back in her bag.

Quote: "No, no-- you dare not harm Diane!"

Created by Jack Miller and Joe Certa

Sunday, September 30, 2012

2012 Patrolwoman Diane Meade Comicpalooza Commission by Marcio Takara

Marcio Takara is an artist the Idol-Head has been fond of since its 2009 spotlight on his piece "The League: Past & Present", not to mention his 100+ Tiny Characters series back when there were still only 50. I would love to get a couple dozen such teensy icons for the sidebar, but I'm not sure how easy that would be to arrange, and at what cost. Besides, Takara has a delicate, graceful line that demands a more fully realized commission. I had a fairly long list of characters that I felt he could do for me at Comicpalooza, but it didn't take long to zero in on just one.

Patrolwoman Diane Meade made a few sporadic appearances in the John Jones, the Manhunter from Mars strip in Detective Comics before graduating to regular supporting character. She was sort of like a less antagonistic Lois Lane, or a cooler Jimmy Olsen. Meade started out as a nuisance who hindered John Jones' ability to use his secret Martian powers, but that evolved into her having adventures of her own without being aware that a Manhunter was quietly assisting her. Eventually, Meade became more self-sufficient, and a genuine aide to the Alien Atlas in his own cases. The arrival of a more capable sidekick in Zook actually motivated Meade to step up in the strip to more screen time. However, when the Detective Jones identity was abandoned by J'onn a year later, Meade and the rest of Middletown were forgotten as the pursuit of the Diabolu Idol-Head demanded all of the Manhunter's time. Meade wouldn't appear again until the late '90s, revised by Mark Waid and Barry Kitson for JLA: Year One and later the Ostrander/Mandrake Martian Manhunter series.

I started a Diane Meade bio for this blog so many years ago, there's an illustration in my Photobucket account taken from a JPEG of an old comic because the second volume of Showcase Presents Martian Manhunter hadn't come out yet. I'm very fond of Meade, but I got away from Silver Age coverage some time back, so she's been neglected. A new Manhunter series without her involvement would be a real shame, since she's one of the only true supporting characters to come out of J'onn J'onzz's longest, original run. Co-creator Joe Certa was mostly a journeyman artist, but you could tell he enjoyed drawing Meade by the care and beauty on display in her rendering. I've wanted a commission of her since I started doing the Comicpalooza rounds, but I have a very specific conception of the character in my mind, and waited for the right artist to execute it. Marcio Takara fit the bill.

I didn't wait long on the con's first day to approach Takara, and there wasn't a lot of drawn out conversation. Takara's a nice guy, but English isn't his first language, so our dialogue was pretty basic. If I recall correctly, he said it's pronounced Mark-e-oh. I tried to see if I could pay him to digitally color a scan after the piece was done, but I think he took it to mean I wanted it done right there with markers, and explained that he didn't color his work. As you can see from his deviantART gallery, Takara is a fantastic colorist, which is ideally suited for Meade's softer tones and piercing blue eyes. I did up one of my usual crumby MS Paint jobs for this post, but I hold out hope to see it done proper by Takara someday. Anyway, the $80 9" x 12" piece was done within a few hours, and turned out crisp like I'd hoped. Takara's star deservedly remains on the rise, but hopefully someday I'll talk him into working on those sidebar figures...

Marcio Takara

Wonder Woman @ Diana Prince
The Huntress @ DC Bloodlines
Captain Atom @ Power of the Atom
Zatanna @ Justice League Detroit

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

The Vile Menagerie: THE SATURNIAN CRIMINAL

Alter Ego: Unknown
Occupation: Criminal
Marital Status: Presumed single
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: None
Base of Operations: Saturn
First Appearance: Detective Comics #314 (April, 1963)
Height: Approx. 6'7"
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black

History:
Unarmed and fleeing lawmen from his own world, a Saturnian Criminal landed his small spaceship on the banks of a river near Middletown, U.S.A. Camouflaging the craft, the Saturnian sought to next conceal himself, preferably as an Earthling in a position of authority. This led the sinister alien to Detective John Jones, whom he knocked unconscious and disposed of before assuming his identity. Unbeknownst to the Saturnian, Jones was himself an extraterrestrial pretending to be human, with extraordinary associates who immediately determined something was amiss about the false Jones. However, the criminal was able to convince Jones' Police Captain, who assigned the fraud to assist newly arrived Saturnian lawmen on their mission of apprehension. Instead, the imposter Jones led his pursuers into a trap.

The real John Jones had by this point regained his memory with the help of his otherdimensional pet Zook, who then led the Manhunter from Mars to the criminal who had stolen his human identity. J'onn J'onzz and the Saturnian appeared evenly matched in combat, but the Martian Manhunter was able to deduce the criminal's vulnerability to oil from the trap that he had set for the lawmen. J'onzz doused the criminal, then rescued the lawmen so that the Saturnians could return home, one in chains.

Powers & Weapons:
The Saturnian Criminal is possessed of an array of abilities that appear to be uncommon amongst his people, making him a formidable opponent. His strength level is comparable to the foremost metahumans, with durability to match. He can spin at speeds so incredible that he can drill himself through the earth. The Saturnian's vision and hearing are superhuman, including the ability to see through objects, and he has undefined energy projection powers. Finally, the Saturnian can assume the form of other beings, duplicating them well enough to fool his own people, if not the tracking abilities of Zook.

Weaknesses:
While assuming the forms of other beings, the Saturnian's powers are diminished, although he is still capable of incredible feats. Saturnians of the same race as the criminal experience an immediate toxic reaction to oil in the slightest amount, rendering them powerless and eventually causing death if left untreated.

Quote: "*HA, HA,* With this badge-- and the information contained in these papers, it should be easy to take his place!"

Created by Jack Miller and Joe Certa

Friday, April 15, 2011

"1967 Manhunter from Mars Movie Mister V Promotional Still"

Detective John Jones (Woody Strode) saw a flash of memory from the mind of Monty Moran (Jeff Corey) in its last flickering, depicting a faceless figure of menace. Jones then wandered through the Getaway King's abandoned hideout, thumbing through loose bits of paperwork. Finding a telephone, Jones requested the operator connect him to Captain Harding (Simon Oakland) of Middletown Police Precinct 225. Reaching his commander, Jones notified Harding of the mastermind's demise, and parts invoices found on the premises from Apex Manufacturing corporation. The Captain explained that Patrolwoman Meade (Jill Ireland) had managed to trace serial numbers off the discarded drill used in the bank robbery back to Apex. However, Lieutenant Saunders had pursued the lead "like a bull in a china shop! Barging into the offices of the heart pumping the lifeblood of Middletown without a search warrant! Commissioner Meade will have all our heads for this."

Detective Jones heard sirens in the distance, and assumed Saunders (Lawrence "Larry" Dobkin) had pursued a lead from Apex Manufacturing to his location. Jones told Captain Harding he had his own clues to follow, and wanted to set out before Saunders arrived...

Diane Meade was furious that Lt. Saunders had run with her lead without regard for procedure. She was standing in the offices of Apex Manufacturing, and instead of pursuing an investigation, Meade was struggling to smooth all the feathers Saunders had ruffled. There was no guarantee Saunders had found anything of value in the Apex files, and the likelihood of getting further cooperation, from Apex or a judge, was razor thin...

Night had settled over the outskirts of Middletown by the time Detective Jones had followed the tracks of the getaway wagon from its first safe house to its second. Jones' eyes gleamed in the dark, no less effective for lack of sunlight. Peering through the window of a garage, Jones could see shadows moving under the door of a dimly lit office, but no one on the floor itself. Closing his eyes, Jones peered into the mind of one of the men inside the room, who was interacting with a large television monitor. On the screen was the foreboding faceless man from Moran's last vision, referred to as "Mister V." The group was discussing strategies for consolidating their power over the Middletown underworld, and whether to try stealing Moran's discarded drill from police lock-up, or pay Apex Manufacturing for a replacement. Mr. V was more concerned about another criminal genius still at large that was fighting the thumb of Vulture.

Just as Mr. V planned to shut off communications to pursue that concern, the gang heard a metallic wrenching sound come from the garage. As several men rushed to the office door to check it out, an automobile engine flew through a nearby window. Light flooded the room, and the shattered glass framed a strange alien figure better than a hundred feet away, atop the ravaged getaway wagon. The towering creature had green skin, while wearing a blue cape, red chest straps, and black pants. One would think such a figure would be easy to track, but as the men drew on it, the creature appeared to vanish from sight. The men divided up to seek it out, and one hood missed the intruder reaching for his gun hand from out of the shadows. A second jade hand covered his mouth, and whisked him away into the black unknown. Another hood turned in time to fire on an unseen specter which emerged from nothingness to charge him, ramming the thug with such force as to cast him several yards into a wall. A goon told his fellow to stick close, right before being lifted off his feet and brutally flung into his compatriot. From a distance, the final gunman drew a bead on the green giant, and began firing rounds at the unblinking, ever nearer invader. On impact, the trigger man tumbled violently through the office door, before laying like a rag doll in the middle of the floor.

J'onn J'onzz strode proudly into the office, to look into the televised image of Mr. V. "What kind of man are you," queried the crimelord. "I am not a man at all, at least as you know them on this planet. I am a Martian, and I hunt evil men like you, Faceless!" After a pause, Mr. V bellowed, "We'll see who hunts whom, Manhunter from Mars," and cut off his transmission...

Sunday, February 27, 2011

"1967 Manhunter from Mars Movie Monty Moran Promotional Still"

The scene began with an interior shot of a bank. From outside, a horn blared, and bank patrons began to scatter. An armored vehicle smashed through the exterior windows into furnishings within, tearing through counters like cheap plywood. The vehicle came to a stop directly in front of the vault. The cow puncher at the front of the broad contraption split in half, revealing a large drill within its hollow. Sparks flew and smoke obscured the view, until the vantage point switched to the inside of the penetrated vault. Thugs wielding tommy guns exited from both sides of the vehicle to control the crowd, while a well dressed mastermind stepped out to survey the scene. The Getaway King was pleased with the crackerjack precision on display, as he directed some of his men to begin loading moneybags into the armored vehicle. In no time, the dirty deed was done, and everyone filed back into the vehicle, which pulled out the way it had came.

Police cars immediately gave chase, when the vehicle suddenly split into three heavily shielded three-wheelers veering in different directions. The police cars in pursuit also divided up, but the two side getaway cars proved to have too much horsepower for officers to keep up. The central portion was heavier and slower, until the drill at its front tilted upward and launched into the air. The drill landed in front of a police car, too near to dodge, and acted as a ramp that sent the pursuing vehicle off to one side before landing upside down in the street. The discharged drill and downed police car served as an effective barricade.

Lieutenant Saunders arrived at the scene of the crime, and spotted a uniformed female officer. "Pretty policewoman Diane Meade... what are you doing here?" Meade had been sent to interview witnesses and try to work up a sketch of the criminal mastermind. Saunders dismissed the latter concern, assuring Meade that this was clearly the work of Monty Moran (Jeff Corey.) Both officers were surprised when tall dark Detective John Jones also showed up. "Aren't you supposed to be on your own side of town, Jones?" The Detective had been asked to take on the case by Captain Harding, who recognized that the usual procedure wasn't going to be enough to capture the Getaway King. Saunders scoffed at the premise that Jones brought anything more to the table than his own people, but graciously allowed Jones to proceed with his investigation.

Detective Jones took a long hard look at the floor of the bank, then began to wander off into the street. Lt. Saunders wondered aloud mockingly if Jones was part Cherokee, but Meade followed the detective to ask what he was up to. Jones explained that the armored vehicle had distinct tire treads, and even after the contraption split, each section was still heavy enough and moved fast enough to leave unique skid marks along their route. Policewoman Meade thought that a vehicle that bizarre would need specialized parts to be manufactured, and Jones encouraged her to follow up on that hunch while he continued to trace the skids on foot with his heightened Martian Vision.

Monty Moran joined his men at their safehouse, congratulating them on a job well done. The goons began to unload the portion of the haul from Moran's vehicle, but a pair picked up their machine guns and pointed them at the boss. When Moran demanded to know what they were thinking with this betrayal, he was reminded that he had been warned not to pull any heists without the approval of Vulture. A deep, chastising voice boomed behind Moran, who turned to find a large man with no discernible face. Moran begged the forgiveness of Mr. V, who expressed his disappointment at seeing such mastermind material go to waste. However, there was no mercy in Mr. V's heart, and no escape for the Getaway King, who cursed "Faceless."

John Jones had made excellent time in reaching the remote hideout just before dark, but he was still too late to save Monty Moran. The marvelous vehicle and the loot were long gone, with only the body of the genius left behind. Before he passed, Moran wrote the letter "V" in his own blood...

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

"1967 Manhunter from Mars Movie: Flashback Sequence"

Keenan Wynn as Professor Mark Erdel

"Mars?" replied Diane Meade. "You must be out of your mind."
"Out of this world, more like. Look, I realize that this is difficult for your mind to accept. Your first instinct is to call me in as a mental case to Captain Harding, but your deductive reasoning is still working through the things you know that you've seen. You had a perfect view of those men killing my informant. My suit is clearly riddled with bullet holes, but I'm not wounded. You saw my true colors in that fire. You've been trained to be observant and collect all the facts in front of your eyes. Am I some kind of a magician, or an extraordinarily elaborate con artist? Are you going mad? Or is it more likely, in this age where Earthmen are orbiting the planet and preparing to reach for the moon, that one of your distant neighbors got here first?"

Meade tried to find a simpler, less fantastic explanation for the scenario that had played out before her. Jones was right, though. Nothing in modern science could dispel the bizarre circumstances she had found herself in. "Alright. Fine then. Tell me all about it." Meade's relatively swift acceptance took John Jones somewhat aback, and gave him pause, but he decided to see his revelation through to the end.

"Mars, as your people call my world, once gave birth to an advanced civilization that eclipsed your own. We were free from want, petty crime and superstition, but my people were divided by extreme ideology. The trouble with scientific advancement is the ease with which it can destroy an entire world. Thousands of years ago, my people were blasted back to the stone age by a fire that burned for centuries. Without resources, tools or technology, my people began to evolve to adapt to the extreme adversity we faced. We became much stronger, and more durable, although flames could still incinerate us. To fend off natural predators, we developed the ability to alter our skin color to camouflage our movements. With such a sparse population spread out over an entire world, our need for connection enabled us to communicate psychically with our minds. Over time, despite all that we had lost, my people managed to survive and live as one in peace."

"I was happy in my life, but one day, it came to an end. One minute I was foraging for food on the Martian tundra, and the next I was standing in a private laboratory on the outskirts of town..."

Lawrence "Larry" Dobkin as Lieutenant Saunders

From there, the movie faded into a flashback, as J'onn J'onzz in a modified version of his comic book costume stood before Professor Mark Erdel (Keenan Wynn). The scientist was shocked at first, but when he realized the green-skinned alien before him was as startled and confused as he, Erdel warmly greeted the visitor. Erdel explained that he was fascinated by the race toward the prospect of space travel two of Earth's countries were in competition to realize. Erdel felt that the method of sending clunky metal rockets into space was too dangerous and disadvantageous, and began exploring alternatives. Erdel looked at his fellow scientist Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, and realized the fastest, safest means of space travel was through converting objects to light and projecting them in a beam toward their far distant destination. Erdel had experimented with sending objects to the moon for astronauts to find within the next few years, but the professor needed to take something from another world to prove his invention worked today. Erdel had chosen to pilfer some alien minerals or perhaps vegetation from Mars, and ended up with more than he had bargained for.

J'onn J'onzz found all this interesting, but wanted to know when the professor could reverse the process and send him back home. Erdel explained that because Earth and Mars were both rotating at different rates, it would take a short while to calculate how and when to return the Martian to his approximate point of departure. Not wanting to end up in the middle of a barren desert, J'onzz agreed to enjoy a short vacation on Earth.

For the next several weeks, J'onzz and Erdel discussed their individual lives and cultures, and grew to become friends. The Martian feared that nuclear winter would leave Earth in the same state as his home world, while Erdel was heartened that his relativity ray could offer new hope to both species. Prof. Erdel couldn't bear to keep J'onn J'onzz all to himself, so he invited one of his scientific peers to visit. However, J'onzz didn't trust this friend, Alex Dunster (Warren Oates,) who was brilliant and disciplined enough to shield his mind from psychic inspection. J'onzz's suspicions were confirmed one night when, while he was off exploring, Dunster murdered Erdel and stole key elements from the relativity ray projector.

Warren Oates as Alex Dunster

J'onn J'onzz deliberated on how to proceed, then came to a logical solution. The Martian took on a more human form, walked into a police station in Middletown, and claimed to be an out-of-town police detective on the trail of murder suspect Dunster. "John Johns" spoke with Lieutenant Saunders (Lawrence "Larry" Dobkin,) and waved various blank papers and a wallet at the officer that, through "mental manipulation," appeared to verify Jones' claims. However, Saunders wasn't about to turn Middletown over to some "outsider," and joined Jones in "discovering" Professor Erdel's body. The pair followed a trail that led to Dunster attempting to sell the relativity ray to Soviet agents. A gunfight ensued, leaving Dunster and his contacts dead, as well as rendering the relativity ray inoperable through damages and loss of know-how. However, Captain Harding (Simon Oakland) was so impressed with John Jones, he soon hired him to patrol Middletown permanently. Well, the darker parts of Middletown anyway, since Jones could only convincingly appear as a colored man, and folks in other parts of the city might take exception to such a person carrying a gun and badge.

Diane Meade's head was spinning at these revelations as she reached her destination outside John Jones' apartment building. It was now after dark, so Jones felt it might be best for Meade to go home and sleep on her decision overnight. Meade agreed, and left Jones at the curb. John walked up to his empty apartment, and laid down on the couch. An ethereal glow came from the far side of the room, and Jones was addressed by Professor Erdel, who chastised him for the sort of breach of confidentiality that cost him his life. Jones explained that Meade wasn't like Dunster... that her mind was both brilliant and open to accepting another life form as more than an opportunity for profit. Erdel hoped Jones was right, as he and his light faded off into darkness...

Trivia: Larry Dobkin had previously appeared with Raymond Burr in a 1960 episode of Perry Mason.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

"Woody Strode as John Jones"

Continuing our synopsis from last week of the "1967 Manhunter from Mars Movie..."

John Jones approached a street corner hustler who knew him only too well. Shades Cooley asked, "What's your bag, Fuzzy John? I'm out here tryin' to score some scratch, but you're putting the kibosh on my action, man!" Jones told Shades to cool it with the lip, or he'd get run in. The Man had some questions about a new outfit in town called "Vulture." Cooley's eyes went wide enough to crest over his shades, and he made a break for it. Jones gave chase down the street as an up-tempo sax theme kicked in. Jones grabbed Shades by the shoulder, and as he spun around, Cooley popped a switchblade and jabbed Jones in the chest. When Shades drew back his blade hand to threaten another stab, he did a double take when he realized all he had left was the handle. Before Shades could get over the shock, Jones wrapped his long fingers around Cooley's lapel and picked him up off his feet. "You just attempted to murder a police officer. You'll tell me what I want to know, or I'll put you in a hole so deep, you'll have to learn Chinese." Shades lamented, "I fink, and even that won't be far enough away from Faceless!"

Jones drove Shades to a deserted back road so that he could "spill." Cooley explained that a whole new crop of criminals had been coming onto the scene for months from across the globe. "Wops, Krauts, Reds, Buddha Heads-- Limeys to Camel Jockeys. Everybody! All the crime in the world's been coming here to roost!" Shades didn't know who was running the show, but word on the street was that the big man was so undercover, he didn't even have a face to speak of.

In the distance, Jones and Cooley could hear a car horn blasting with a frantic staccato. As they searched the horizon for the source, a group of heavily armed men approached from the opposite side of their vehicle. Machine gun fire tore through the air, riddling Jones' ride and shredding Shades. Windows shattered and the engine caught fire. The assassins surveyed their handiwork, and content the two men were dead, stomped off in the direction from which they came.

A second car skidded to a halt near the burning wreck, and Diane Meade emerged from within. Rushing to what was left of Jones' car, Meade saw John looking back at her through the flames. Brass instruments screeched discordantly to express Meade's shock at Jones appearing to have dark green skin and cloudy white eyes. Jones' door wrenched open, and the detective stood up to reveal a suit in tatters from the hale of bullets, but no signs of blood loss. However, Jones stumbled and fell to the ground. Meade knelt down to help Jones to his feet, and supported him as they crept back to her car and sped off.

At first, sweat dripped from Jones' olive colored skin, and he appeared deathly ill. To stave off her anxiety, Meade rattled on about how she had been following John as part of her unofficial investigation, and tried to warn him by honking when she spotted the gunmen. As the pair drove further from the accident, Jones slowly began to regain his composure, and his skin seemed to return to a more normal shade of brown. "What just happened back there, Jones? What... what are you?" There was a pregnant pause, and then with a sense of resignation, Jones replied, "That was the first strike of Vulture against us, Diane... and I am the person who will stop them. I am a Manhunter... from Mars."

Thursday, February 3, 2011

"1967 Manhunter from Mars Diane Meade Promotional Still"

In late 1966, even before a script had been completed, Vulcan Productions Incorporated had begun approaching name actors to play Batman-style guest villains in the "Manhunter from Mars" film. A list of prospective bad guys had been compiled by Jack Schiff, Jack Miller and Arnold Drake through file copies and film of old Martian Manhunter stories at the offices of National Periodical Publications. Charles Bronson's agent was approached, and although the actor was then attached to The Dirty Dozen, he agreed to look at the script. Upon receiving the first draft, Bronson was said to be disinterested in the garish affair. However, his good friend Jill Ireland ended up reading his copy, and as her television series Shane was drawing to a close (not to mention her marriage to David McCallum,) her representation met with Vulcan. By that point, the script had shifted gears toward a more series bent, and Ireland was said to be impressed with the movie's politics.

Ireland was cast as Diane Meade, and as she explained in a voiceover introductory montage, her family's religion was the Middletown Police Force. Her officer father was disappointed to have never had a son, but he had raised his daughters to love, honor and respect the sacred institution of law enforcement. While her sisters opted to marry blue, Diane chose to wear it, much to her father's chagrin. In fact, once Dan Meade became the city's police commissioner, he made a point of insuring Diane be assigned an "octogenarian" partner on the safest beat in town.

However, Patrolwoman Meade was ambitious, and had become fascinated with new trends she had noted in local organized crime. Through Interpol records, Meade had come to believe the international criminal organization known as "Vulture" was easing its way into Middletown. Diane Meade made her case to Captain Harding, who insisted that her lowly rank and political pressure from above would keep her from pursuing further investigation. Charitably, Harding offered Meade the opportunity to unofficially collaborate with any plainclothes detective under his command who was willing to take on the case.

Through another montage, Patrolwoman Meade was repeatedly shot down by precinct detectives. As she would point out later, they all either disbelieved her theories, were afraid of locking horns with the commissioner, or simply disregarded her as a woman outside her place. While bemoaning her sorry situation while on patrol, Meade's partner asked if she had talked to John Jones. Meade wasn't aware of any such detective, and learned that Jones worked as something of an adjunct officer in the "dark" side of town.

Patrolwoman Meade used her status as the commissioner's daughter to intimidate her way past a secretary to the personnel files at the police station. Looking through Jones' record, she was amazed to learn that Jones had an outrageously impressive history of catching and aiding in convicting his prey. Curiously, Jones also had a knack for sniffing out suspects unjustly deterred and locating the actual guilty party. Detective Jones may just have set as many innocent men free as run down true perpetrators.

Patrolwoman Meade requested that Captain Harding set up a meeting with Detective John Jones. Harding was more than a little concerned about the position such a move could put him in, but being a fair man, he agreed. Later, Jones arrived at Harding's office to look over Meade's information. Jones believed Meade's theories had merit, congratulated her on the accomplishment, and calmly explained that he would pursue the case on his own...

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

"1967 Manhunter from Mars Movie Poster"

While we wait for the continuation of the new Middletown TV series after it's pilot sneak preview episode last week, I thought we would take a moment to look back on a major influence on the production: the brief spark of "Martian Mania" in the late 1960s.

Everyone remembers the sensation that was the Batman TV show, launched on January 12, 1966. The "Batmania" that followed was likely the salvation of the faltering American Broadcasting Company, not to mention the Batman comic line. Batman merchandise was everywhere, a feature film was in the works, and everybody started looking for their own pot of gold. Tons of other DC characters soon stepped in line for their turn in the spotlight, with Superman heading to Broadway, Wonder Woman beginning the slow trek to her own TV show, and so on.

Meanwhile, former Batman family editor Jack Schiff was dismayed to see his lost franchise blossom so fruitfully without him. With his position at DC less than secure and his health in decline, Schiff began looking for some kind of salvation. Schiff approached freelance writer Arnold Drake, who had ties to the film industry through some screenwriting work, about the possibility of licensing a property under his stewardship. Drake did Schiff the favor of making a few phone calls, and a producer took a nibble. Adam Benson, a former U.S. Navy Commander who would later gain fame through his association with the Columbo TV series, took an interest in the Manhunter from Mars series. Benson shopped the heavily discounted property around for months, until it finally found a home late in 1966 at Vulcan Productions Inc. Arnold Drake had written the drive-in favorite The Flesh Eaters for the company in 1964, and was tapped for the first draft. Since the "camp" that defined the Batman series was not his strong suit, Drake enlisted the help of fellow comic writer Bob Haney in the endeavor. They turned in their draft before Christmas, and pre-production began the first week of 1967.

Batman rip-offs Mister Terrific and Captain Nice debuted the following week on the same night at rival networks. They were canceled within a week of one another that May. Batman was shedding adult viewers in droves, and The Green Hornet failed in its mission to appeal to those older fans. Vulcan had meanwhile already signed Raymond Burr and Anthony Perkins as guest villains in anticipation of a full roster of celebrity cameos, as well as begun costuming and effects work. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Vulcan had to decide whether to throw away good money after bad as the super-hero craze was rapidly cooling. Vulcan chose to proceed, but they tossed out the original comedic script and ordered a more serious science fiction take from Arnold Drake, with an eye toward economy on a tightening budget. Producer Adam Benson had always thought athlete-turned-actor Woody Strode would be a perfect choice to play the Martian Manhunter, and circumstances had changed such as to allow an African-American to be cast in the lead.

Manhunter from Mars began shooting on April 1, 1967, wrapped later that month, and began its "traveling" release the second week of September. The film proved a cult hit, which came as a bit of a surprise to DC Comics, who had already decided to discontinue the Manhunter from Mars strip in House of Mystery effective in early 1968. Instead, DC was spurred to cobble together John Jones: Manhunter From Mars #100 before the release of the sequel that winter. Surely, Manhunter from Mars' small but loyal fan base factored into John Jones getting the nod for the Smallville spin-off, and we got a swell couple of admittedly small scale movies besides. More on that next week...

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Middletown Season 1, Episode 1: "Pilot"

In Metropolis, at their secret headquarters, a meeting of the newly christened Justice League appears to commence. However, Clark Kent (Tom Welling,) Oliver Queen (Justin Hartley,) Dinah Lance (Alaina Huffman,) Arthur Curry (Alan Ritchson,) and John Jones (Phil Morris) are in a trance state. They speak a continuous oath, first in turns, then in unison, swearing their allegiance to the unseen Despero (Andrew Robinson.) The camera finally pans in for a close-up on a grim, blank-eyed Manhunter from Mars.

Fifteen year old CeCe (Raquel Castro) wakes from the nightmare after spending the night on a park bench. In her shock and disorientation, CeCe shrieks as violent reds, greens and purples swirl over her skin. The brief commotion draws the attention of a police officer patrolling the park, so CeCe makes herself scarce.

Cut to the waiting room outside the human resources department of an office building. CeCe notices one of the drones eying her warily. She approaches a receptionist, and asks how long it usually takes to schedule a job interview. CeCe is gruffly dismissed, and excuses herself to the bathroom. She washes her face with soap from a dispenser, looking rather pitiful, then dries with a paper towel. As she exits, she spots the woman meant to interview her with a police officer at the receptionist’s desk, and realizes someone must have called her in as a runaway. CeCe sneaks out of the building down the emergency stairs.

Raquel Castro as CeCe

CeCe waits at a booth in a Big Belly Burger until the manager returns to sit across from her with a sack lunch and her job application. He offers the meal to the girl, then explains that she’s clearly too young to be on her own, and his attempts to confirm her references went nowhere. The manager asks CeCe about her family, whether she was a runaway, and explains that he intends to call Metropolis Health & Human Services to help her out. CeCe starts making her way toward the door, as the manager pleads with her to at least let someone drive her to a shelter, but she bolts.

CeCe ends up sitting on a stoop, crying her eyes out. A group of well-dressed plastic girls walks by, snickering at her raggedy clothes and laughing that they’d be crying too if they looked like that. The girls continue to prattle on as they walk along the sidewalk, unaware that an unseen force is extracting the wallets from their purses as they wait for a crosswalk signal. As they continued on, CeCe is seen ducking into an alley, examining her spoils.

Exterior shot of a Middletown Police Department station. Interior of the office of Captain Harding (Larry Drake,) as a knock comes on his door. Enter homicide Detective Diane Meade (Victoria Pratt,) complaining about her new partner, John Jones. In the three months they had been working together, Meade had learned virtually nothing about Jones, noted his constant unexplained absences, and felt excluded from their investigations. Harding champions Jones’ record with the Metropolis Police Force, offers his already impressive performance with Middletown P.D., and asks that Meade give the situation a little more time. Meade snarls that Jones still wasn’t back from his weekend trip to Metropolis, and that at least with him gone, she might get to be a cop again.

Victoria Pratt as Detective Diane Meade

CeCe hits the department stores, buying all sort of lavish apparel. She then goes out to dine at a fancy restaurant, but a mean-spirited waiter makes rude comments about how clothes and perfume were no substitute for bathing and grooming. CeCe orders the most expensive dishes on the menu, then disappears before the check comes.

In Middletown, Meade knocks on John Jones’ apartment door. When no one answers, she uses lock-picking tools to let herself in. Meade is unnerved when she finds the apartment covered in newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and specialty journal pieces related to the wealth of phenomena to be found in the bent berg of Middletown. Almost as disconcerting is the fact that Jones has almost no personal effects in the apartment, and his pantry is filled with nothing but Chocos sandwich cookies.

Bart Allen (Kyle Gallner) wakes from the same dream that CeCe experienced. As Impulse, the young hero races with super-speed to the Justice League meeting room. Impulse tries to rouse the members of the team, but most (specifically Aquaman, Black Canary and Green Arrow) turn on the kid. As Bart struggles against their grip, Despero’s voice is heard from off-screen, and a partial view of the villain is allowed. As Despero continues, Impulse’s resistance fades, and he begins to speak in unison with the alien.

CeCe checks into a hotel with the credit cards stolen from the plastic witch she most closely resembled. She takes a shower, and relishes sleeping in a nice bed. In her dreams, CeCe sees visions of green-skinned aliens on another planet, assessing the situation following a coup d'état. The bald one with a pronounced brow is identified as the Manhunter from Mars, last survivor of that world turned intergalactic bounty hunter. The Manhunter meets with Sarana (Alice Greczyn), the daughter of the orchestrator of the rebellion, who escorts him to her father, Jasonar (Ethan Phillips). Both are natives of Kalanor, and much more human in appearance. The Manhunter has been enlisted to track down the former dictator, the purple-skinned mutant Despero, who had managed to escape the planet for parts unknown. Jones plead out, having already helped to overthrow Despero. Jones was now compelled to finish some business on Earth, where he had promised to look after a friend's son, and deal with some old enemies from his days working with Jor-El of Krypton.

Alice Greczyn as Saranna

There’s a loud knock at CeCe’s hotel room door. The police would like the girl to open up, and when she doesn’t, they let themselves in. The cops find a closet full of clothes and an unmade bed, but no one actually inside. The hotel’s manager speaks with the officers, advising them to visit the building’s security office to review camera footage in order to determine their wanted person’s whereabouts. The manager stays in the room after the police depart, and asks the “little gypsy” to come out.

CeCe recognizes the manager from her dream as Saranna, although she now appeared fully human. Regardless, CeCe remains out of sight. Saranna explains that she knows about the gypsy’s chameleon powers, but that they would not protect her from the elements should she try to escape in her night gown. Saranna asks that the gypsy hear her out, and then she would allow her to leave with her clothes. Saranna explains that the alien despot that CeCe had been dreaming about had come to Earth for conquest and revenge. Despero had already captured the minds of our world’s most powerful heroes, and any who directly opposed him would likely fall victim to his mental control. John Jones was able to partially resist, thanks to his telepathic abilities, and had attempted to psychically contact individuals who could help with their plight. One such soul had rushed in where stealth was needed— the kind of care gypsies are better suited for. Saranna was interrupted by a police officer, who excitedly explained that cameras had picked up bizarre footage of suitcases in the lobby opening up spontaneously, and clothes disappearing.

CeCe was barefoot on the street in a hideous green and white dress she’d grabbed on her way out of the hotel. All of the money she had was back in "her" rooml, so she would have to scrounge up some more. She found herself a decent looking stoop to sleep on for the night.

The next morning, CeCe was back in the department stores, but her gaudy outfit was attracting the wrong kind of attention. Mall cops were no problem, but when real ones started shooting at her inside the store, CeCe didn’t know what to think but “run.” She made it out of the building empty-handed, but while skulking around invisibly, began to notice that there was a much stronger police presence throughout the city.

In Middletown, Detective Meade and company watched news reports of the mayor of Metropolis announcing martial law in the wake of his police department discovering terrorist cells throughout the city. Evidence suggested that there were more such cells in every major city in the country, with the mayor offering assistance to other authorities in the matter. Captain Harding points out to Meade that Detective Jones had a pretty good excuse for running late all of the sudden.

Larry Drake as Captain Harding

CeCe is grabbed from behind and pulled into an alley. As she turned invisible and struggled for release, Victor Stone (Lee Thompson Young) covered her mouth and explained that he was here to help her. CeCe tried to escape when Stone first released her, but his cybernetic eye was able to trace her heat signature and recapture her. CeCe refused to give up her name, referring to herself simply as "Gypsy," but she agreed to go with Victor to an abandoned nightclub. There, Gypsy was reintroduced to Saranna and her father. Jasonar explains that Despero’s influence was already spreading, and that there would soon be no place for Gypsy to run away to. The two Kalanorians were immune to Despero’s mental powers, while Victor’s cyborg brain offered him partial protection, and Despero could not affect the minds of anyone he couldn’t see. Gypsy replied that she could take care of herself, but wasn’t prepared to take on an alien dictator. Jasonar couldn’t risk another super-powered individual falling under Despero’s control, so he told her to hide out at the club for the rest of the day. If his group wasn’t back by nightfall, Gypsy would truly be on her own.

Cyborg takes point, connecting to city computers to control traffic lights, bridges and such to restrict traffic around the Justice League’s headquarters. Stone then leads the rush into the building, while the armed Jasonar and Saranna spilt up to search the building. Saranna trades fire with Green Arrow, the distraction allowing Black Canary to take out the intruder. Jasonar is initially faced with Aquaman, but John Jones comes to his rescue. It seems the strain of controlling so many minds had taken its toll of Despero’s psychic grip, freeing the Manhunter to join the offensive. Cyborg manages to knock out Green Arrow, but the combined power of a sonic Canary Cry and Impulse’s super-speed blows brings Victor low. The Manhunter is seized by Clark Kent, while Impulse rushes Jasonar into a seat before Despero.

Ethan Phillips as Jasonar

The despot is pleased to finally confront the men responsible for deposing him on Kalanor, and begins plotting the tortures in store for them. However, Despero is struck by a ray gun blast from out of nowhere-- literally. The pain proves too great a distraction for Despero to maintain his mental control, and he suddenly finds himself surrounded by a rather perturbed Justice League in full command of their faculties...

Jasonar and Saranna board their spaceship bound for Kalinor, the greatest criminal in that world’s history secured in lock-up. Jasonar expresses his gratitude to the League for finally seeing justice done, and then the aliens depart. The Leaguers thank John Jones and Victor Stone for liberating the rest of the team, while Bart Allen expresses regret over rushing into the situation foolishly. Clark takes John aside and asks him about his move to Middletown. Jones explains that like Smallville and Metropolis, Middletown has proven to be a magnet for unexplained phenomena that has not been properly studied, or as needed confronted, in the absence of its own Superman. Clark wishes John the best, and once everyone else appears to leave, John calls out to Victor to confirm where in the room Gypsy is hiding.

The girl reveals herself, and is applauded as the unsung hero of the day. Cindy isn’t feeling it, as her first inclination was to flee, until curiosity simply got the better of her, so she tailed Jasonar’s team. John explains that what was important was that she had stepped up to the challenge, then asks about her past and future plans. CeCe continues to offer “Gypsy” as her only name, refusing to discuss her history, and figuring jail was her fate if she stayed in Metropolis. John offers Gypsy a safe place to stay in Middletown until she can come up with a better course, and she agrees. John asks Victor to keep Gypsy’s participation in the affair a secret for the time being, and the trio exit the headquarters to face a new day.

I didn’t much care for this premature "pilot." The show’s called “Middletown,” but the whole damned episode seems to take place in Metropolis. John Jones has had more face time in Smallville guest spots than here, and what was with Diane Meade’s disappearing act? It seems like the episode spent so much time making Gypsy sympathetic and excusing her later actions, there wasn’t enough of her trademark sarcasm. Most of all, I was really looking forward to Despero and some Justice League action, but they took up comparatively little of this cheap ass show. Probably best, as the make-up job on Andrew Robinson was pretty lousy. Of course they had to radically redesign Despero's fins, but all they accomplished was obstructing Robinson's swell performance. I really hope things pick up next episode, or I may not keep watching.