Martian Manhunter had a cameo in the debut issue of Vibe's solo book as a head shot in a preview of the upcoming Justice League of America. The following issue, the Alien Atlas stood beside Colonel Steve Trevor, Katana, Vibe, Stargirl, and Hawkman in front of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. for a press conference presided over by President Barack Obama to announce the formation of the J.L.A. A photo of J'Onn also turned up on a corkboard at A.R.G.U.S. in the third issue.
Francisco Ramon was recruited by Agent Dale Gunn of A.R.G.U.S. to serve as the hero Vibe under orders from Director Amanda Waller. Given a costume and the codename "Vibe," Ramon would use his command over vibrational frequencies to detect breaches from other dimensions. He was also secretly expected to be a potential weapon against the Flash, just as the Martian Manhunter was a planned counter against Superman. The J.L.A.'s covert reason for being was to give the United States an option to take on the original Justice League with their own super-heroes, should it prove necessary.
The American League wasn't the only bit of dirty business Amanda Waller was up to, as she also imprisoned super-powered subjects in her underground laboratory dubbed "The Circus." There was already a containment cell that literally had Vibe's name on it if he ever fell out of favor. In her New 52 debut as part of a first issue cameo, captive subject Gypsy looked on from confinement, and wasn't the only such prisoner by a fair margin.
In the following issue, a menacing alien courier roamed the streets of Detroit until he was confronted by Vibe and brought low with the aid of Dale Gunn. It carried a scroll featuring extraterrestrial writing, which was eventually turned over to Waller, who brought it for a visit to the Circus. "...It has your name on it, doesn't it? Written in your language. It's a letter. Someone went to a great deal of trouble getting this to you..." The prisoner asked after the fate of the courier, and explained that the letter was a request from her father to come home. "You seem to prefer a more nomadic existence. That makes you something of a trans-dimensional... Gypsy." Waller wanted the girl to tell her father that she was safe and well cared for, but if he decided to try to take his daughter back, he'd share her "accommodations." Gypsy felt that Waller had no right to keep her, and Amanda agreed, but also noted that some of her superiors would prefer that her holding facility become an abattoir. "I want out! I'll take my chances out there! Please..."
Finally, feedback from a confrontation between Vibe and Kid Flash caused the power dampening generated in some of the Circus' cells to falter, allowing Subject 24 ("Gypsy") access to her abilities. Creating the illusion that she was a guard who had been trapped in her cell, Gypsy lured another guard into freeing her and escaping. The stories were written by Geoff Johns & Andrew Kreisberg & Sterling Gates, with pencil art by Pete Woods & Andres Guinaldo & Fabiano Neves. Yes, that is a lot of names for three issues, isn't it?
1 comment:
The art's not bad
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