Y: The Last Man ~ How will it end?

[Saturn Girl]

I just posted this in my Livejournal (http://saturn-girl.livejournal.com/119225.html), thought I'd share it here because I'm interested in hearing other theories about how the series will conclude. Not many of my LJ friends read comics!

Brian K. Vaughan's phenomenal Y: The Last Man is supposed to end with issue #60, and since we don't have many issues left I've been wondering a lot about how it will end. I've been tradebacking the early volumes, so I checked out the Wikipedia entry to catch up on a few issues I've missed. While there, I stumbled over this reference to Hamlet's Yorick:

Yorick, the deceased court jester whose skull is exhumed by the gravedigger in Act 5, Scene 1, of Shakespeare's Hamlet. The sight of Yorick's skull evokes a monologue from Prince Hamlet on the vile effects of death. The contrast between Yorick as "a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy" and his grim remains is a variation on the theme of earthly vanity (cf Vanitas): death being unavoidable, the things of this life are inconsequential. Though this theme of Memento mori ('Remember you shall die') is common in 16th and 17th century painting (see especially Mary Magdalene), Hamlet meditating upon the skull of Yorick has become the most lasting embodiment of this idea.

We already know Yorick and Hero were specifically named after the Shakespearean characters, which leads me to believe BKV wants to draw something from them. "Infinite jest" sure applies to Yorick Brown, doesn't it? But what has me troubled is the references to Yorick's inevitable demise, and it sure makes me worry about the fate of our beloved escape artist.

Escaping certain death has been a constant theme for Yorick, in that he's survived the plague, numerous adventures, and he's even overcome his own death wish. But for how long? I'm becoming more and more convinced that #60 will end with Yorick's death, especially if you look at the play The Last Man featured in #17, which ends with the last man on Earth committing suicide so the women of the world can save themselves.

BKV practically bonks his readers on the head with the fact that the play is allegorical, with one of the actresses even saying that "Lionel" (the play's male protagonist) should have a more Shakespearean name. Which is then followed up with the hilarious line: "If there's one thing I hate, its crappy works of fiction that try to sound important by stealing names from the bard." (Love the self deprecating humor, BKV!) This two issue arc is incredibly self referential, with even a visual reference to the series when the feminist protestor rips the playbill into the shape of a Y.

Yorick refers back to this play in "Safeword" during 711's suicide intervention when he says that the play had "the perfect ending." Although he found the will to live, Yorick's perception that sacrificing himself would better this new world that no longer needs him is very telling. This whole play-within-a-play motif that BKV has been weaving keeps getting touched on throughout the series.

For example, in the "Girl on Girl" arc, Kilina makes specific reference to being sick of feeling like a supporting character in the leading man's story, that she wants to live in a world where she, and not the last man on Earth, is the one leading people on adventures and saving the world. And Yorick's TV and movie fantasy dreams with parallels to his waking life keep telling us, the readers, to look to these plays-within-plays for clues to how the greater story will unfold.

So as I look through my trades, and knowing that BKV has always envisioned Y as a finite series, I can't help but think that Yorick Brown is not long for this world, that the finale will involve some kind of epic sacrifice. Which should depress me, I suppose, because I've grown quite fond of the character, but I know BKV will make me love the ending, no matter how it plays out...just as he made me love Runaways #18.

So does anyone else have any theories on how the series will end?

[lightning]

I'm still not sure how I think the series will end apart from being fairly sure that it won't be a neat little package with everyone riding off into the sunset happy. I'll go out on a limb and say that I will be surprised if the "big 3" of Yorick, Agent 355, and Dr. Mann all make it out in one piece though. I don't really know why I think this is the case, but it's just an impression I've been getting.

[pigkiller]

I'm still not sure how I think the series will end apart from being fairly sure that it won't be a neat little package with everyone riding off into the sunset happy. I'll go out on a limb and say that I will be surprised if the "big 3" of Yorick, Agent 355, and Dr. Mann all make it out in one piece though. I don't really know why I think this is the case, but it's just an impression I've been getting.

Yeah I get this feeling too, though like you say I am not exactly sure why. In the 50 issues so far they haven't killed off any really major characters yet.

[Predator]

I don't see the series ending on a happy note. Unless there's some powerful force that reverses the plague. Think about it, even with cloning technology, to repopulate the entire world with male humans and animals would take years. I'm not sure I can see that being achieved. The rebuilding would take too long that the human race might die out sooner than that.

[Agentum]

If nothing fantastic happens there is to few males around to secure the population, a small number can of course survive with cloning but no way they can clone everything before it has died out.
The knowledge of how things is done dies very soon so the poulation left will plunge down to the stoneage almost.
Just beacuse you can use a thing doesn't mean you can build it.

But then again this is comics...

[zebop]

I don't know how Vaughn is going to wrap up the series, but I feel confident in saying it won't end with Yorick getting the girl and strolling off into the sunset whistling a happy tune.

Oh wait, that was how Garth Ennis ended PREACHER. :cool:

[Saturn Girl]

I don't know how Vaughn is going to wrap up the series, but I feel confident in saying it won't end with Yorick getting the girl and strolling off into the sunset whistling a happy tune.

While I don't think Yorick will walk into the sunset at the end of the series, I do think he'll end up "getting the girl," just not the one he's been pursuing all series. I think when he finally does catch up to Beth, he'll realize that he's really in love with 355.

[zebop]

Y'know, that does kind of make sense. She's certainly been having a few quiet moments with Yorick lately.

Then again, 355 swings both ways. Maybe they'll make a threesome. :cool:

[Sandoz]

While I don't think Yorick will walk into the sunset at the end of the series, I do think he'll end up "getting the girl," just not the one he's been pursuing all series. I think when he finally does catch up to Beth, he'll realize that he's really in love with 355.
I think 355 is more likely to die than Yorick (possibly while trying to keep him from making that "noble sacrifice"). Yorick will fully realize his feelings for her in her final moments, but 355 will push him back toward Beth. (Thus completing the pattern of women who either die for him or tell him to be "good to his girlfriend".) An older, wiser, but sadder Yorick is then reunited with Beth. (Though I'm still eagerly awaiting his reaction to Beths II and III.)

[lightning]

I don't see the series ending on a happy note. Unless there's some powerful force that reverses the plague. Think about it, even with cloning technology, to repopulate the entire world with male humans and animals would take years. I'm not sure I can see that being achieved. The rebuilding would take too long that the human race might die out sooner than that.

I think the ending will probably be somewhat ambiguous. I'm sure that they'll find some way to ensure that future men don't die out. After all, Dr. Mann seems to have figured it out, and her father obviously knows as well. As for repopulating the Earth, I get the impression that while difficult, it won't be an impossible task. Besides, it's been almost 5 years since all the men have been wiped out, and the world hasn't entirely gone down the crapper. While it's almost certain that the post repopulated world will be quite different, I don't think the human race will be wiped out before then. But either way, we probably won't see it.

After futher thought, I'd have to agree that Yorick/355 is headed somewhere. Although I'd have to agree that it probably won't end well.

On a completely different note, I'm wonder what's going to happen to Hope/Crazy Russian Agent/Astronaut & Son/Twins as they keep trying to run from Alter & crew. It's implied that they'll be caught by the Israelis soon enough, and I have to think that eventually these two plots will meet up again. But on the topic of people who won't survive, I'd have to say Alter is a probably a goner for sure.

[pigkiller]

Alter is definitely gonna die.

If nothing fantastic happens there is to few males around to secure the population, a small number can of course survive with cloning but no way they can clone everything before it has died out.
The knowledge of how things is done dies very soon so the poulation left will plunge down to the stoneage almost.
Just beacuse you can use a thing doesn't mean you can build it

Stoneage?

you can lose knowledge really fast if people can't read, but as long as people can read and have a somewhat decent library, they can pretty much keep themselves in the steam age.

Plus you have to factor in that there is still sperm in spermbanks (for more femals of course), so that could add a little more time to solve the crisis.

And I think a smal community, with say 2 dozen males, could survive and keep most modern technology.

Of course as you say most animals we would lose rather quickly, since their lifetimes are shorter then humans.

[Agentum]

Books will have to be copied to last.
There is no electrical devices forever so you will have to handwrite copy them or if you can build a more simple type of mechanical print press, but then sombody will have to know how it's done.


Things just dont work forever, it gets broken pretty soon and then nobody know or has material to make a new one, especially when it comes to highly advanced things like computers.

So it will become a wasteland with a few high technological things here and there but most commonly simple tools and weapons.
Maybe with as you say steam powered tech and water/wind power.

I have no doubt that a fraction could survive but i still think it wold be hard to cover all knowledge needed to keep it at todays technological level for generations.

We are a lot more dependent on electrical power than we think.
But of course there is people that know how to survive without it, but most would not.
And as almost only the women survived a lot of knowledge will die with the survivors, only those groups with males or working insemenation will hae a chanse at all.

[Silent Phantom]

I'm becoming more and more convinced that #60 will end with Yorick's death, especially if you look at the play The Last Man featured in #17, which ends with the last man on Earth committing suicide so the women of the world can save themselves.


But don't forget, especially on the play within a play angle, is that Yorick thought that that ending sucked. Vaughn also said once that he always knew what was going to be the last panel of the last issue. I think Yorick will get to be with Beth in the end, but at what cost (Mann or 355 dying perhaps) I don't know.

[jadehorde]

I think the ending will probably be somewhat ambiguous. I'm sure that they'll find some way to ensure that future men don't die out. After all, Dr. Mann seems to have figured it out, and her father obviously knows as well. As for repopulating the Earth, I get the impression that while difficult, it won't be an impossible task. Besides, it's been almost 5 years since all the men have been wiped out, and the world hasn't entirely gone down the crapper. While it's almost certain that the post repopulated world will be quite different, I don't think the human race will be wiped out before then. But either way, we probably won't see it.

After futher thought, I'd have to agree that Yorick/355 is headed somewhere. Although I'd have to agree that it probably won't end well.

On a completely different note, I'm wonder what's going to happen to Hope/Crazy Russian Agent/Astronaut & Son/Twins as they keep trying to run from Alter & crew. It's implied that they'll be caught by the Israelis soon enough, and I have to think that eventually these two plots will meet up again. But on the topic of people who won't survive, I'd have to say Alter is a probably a goner for sure.


Thing is, you better hope none of the men are hererozygous carriers of genetic disorders...

Problem being the average person carries half a dozen deficient alleles, that are typically rare so not expressed.

There are all kinds of isolated populations on Earth that suffer those kinds of defects because of magnified rare genetic defects.

The post-plague world is gonna have all kinds of weird formerly rare diseases.

[jadehorde]

Alter is definitely gonna die.



Stoneage?

you can lose knowledge really fast if people can't read, but as long as people can read and have a somewhat decent library, they can pretty much keep themselves in the steam age.

Plus you have to factor in that there is still sperm in spermbanks (for more femals of course), so that could add a little more time to solve the crisis.

And I think a smal community, with say 2 dozen males, could survive and keep most modern technology.

Of course as you say most animals we would lose rather quickly, since their lifetimes are shorter then humans.

I thought sperm died too...

And the problem with 2 dozen males is as I described. Formerly rare genetic defects will be magnified to huge numbers cause at best (in terms of limiting damage) 4% of the population will now be carriers for it...and each person is bringing a half dozen similarly deficient gene into the mix.

[Saturn Girl]

But don't forget, especially on the play within a play angle, is that Yorick thought that that ending sucked.

He did say that when he was in the theater.

But also recall that a few issues later in "Safeword" during the dunking scenes Yorick said:

I saw part of this play once, not Ibsen, a...a play that some lady in Nebraska wrote after the plague. A play about the last man on earth. And she said that it ended...that it ended with the last guy killing himself, "and letting the women save themselves."

And as soon as I heard that, I knew it was the perfect ending - - I've always known - - but I lashed out, made fun of her because...

I know what I need to do, okay? But I can't do it alone.

He didn't really think the play sucked. He really believed that's what he wanted to happen, but 711 helped him see otherwise. I think the irony will be once he finally attains his ideal, the "epiphany" he had while drowning that gave him the will to live, he will die as he originally envisioned anyway.

[lightning]

I thought sperm died too...

And the problem with 2 dozen males is as I described. Formerly rare genetic defects will be magnified to huge numbers cause at best (in terms of limiting damage) 4% of the population will now be carriers for it...and each person is bringing a half dozen similarly deficient gene into the mix.

I don't think sperm died too. It's not explicitly stated one way or another, although the Amazons have been going around burning sperm banks (which would be sort of pointless if the sperm were useless - but they might not know otherwise), and Hope lied to the church representatives looking for a new Pope by saying she impregnated Beth with sperm she stole from a sperm bank (although again, they might not know better). I guess the problem is that even if sperm don't die, any resulting born males would, unless you were in a hot room like the astronaut's kid. Plus you might end up giving birth to a baby girl, which makes the whole thing moot anyways.

[Saturn Girl]

I don't think sperm died too. It's not explicitly stated one way or another, although the Amazons have been going around burning sperm banks (which would be sort of pointless if the sperm were useless - but they might not know otherwise), and Hope lied to the church representatives looking for a new Pope by saying she impregnated Beth with sperm she stole from a sperm bank (although again, they might not know better). I guess the problem is that even if sperm don't die, any resulting born males would, unless you were in a hot room like the astronaut's kid. Plus you might end up giving birth to a baby girl, which makes the whole thing moot anyways.

Hero told the nun that only sperm with the Y-chromosome was destroyed in the plague, but the world lost most of the remaining stored sperm because of power outages or Amazon raids.

But as you mentioned, she could have been making that up.

[Cthulhudrew]

I think the series will likely end whenever/however it turns out that Yorick isn't the last man on earth. Whether it is due to finding other men, or finding a way to bring men back, that will be the end. (Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense to have the title be The Last Man any longer.) :)

[Sandoz]

I think the series will likely end whenever/however it turns out that Yorick isn't the last man on earth. Whether it is due to finding other men, or finding a way to bring men back, that will be the end. (Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense to have the title be The Last Man any longer.) :)
Um...
Then the book would have ended a looooong time ago. It has been revealed that there are at least two other males alive on the planet.

[Cthulhudrew]

Then the book would have ended a looooong time ago. It has been revealed that there are at least two other males alive on the planet.

Really? Where is that? I am a bit behind, so it may have come up in the "Kimono Dragons" arc, but the only other male I'm currently aware of is Dr. Ciba's newborn. The other two men- the astronauts- died. So if there are other men, it can't have been that loooooong ago, can it?

[Sandoz]

Really? Where is that? I am a bit behind, so it may have come up in the "Kimono Dragons" arc, but the only other male I'm currently aware of is Dr. Ciba's newborn. The other two men- the astronauts- died. So if there are other men, it can't have been that loooooong ago, can it?
Spoilers for #50:
It has been revealed that Dr. Mann's father is still alive as well.

[Majinlex]

...Vaughn also said once that he always knew what was going to be the last panel of the last issue...
That's always worried me when he says that. I always imagine that it's going to be a splash page of Yorick or somebody dead with everybody standing over him. Maybe he has to sacrifice himself to cure the plague.
Or maybe it'll be Yorick and Beth holding their newborn son.

One thing I know is that it's going to be heartbreaking, if only because it's the last issue :o

[Silent Phantom]

He didn't really think the play sucked. He really believed that's what he wanted to happen, but 711 helped him see otherwise. I think the irony will be once he finally attains his ideal, the "epiphany" he had while drowning that gave him the will to live, he will die as he originally envisioned anyway.

D'oh! It's been so long since I read those issues I forgot about that.

In that case, maybe he'll die with Beth. Possibly Romeo & Juliet style.

[Silent Phantom]

One thing I know is that it's going to be heartbreaking, if only because it's the last issue :o

True, true. But as Vaughn also said in that regard, classic superhero comics always have the illusion of a final act without actually getting there. Here, he is going for the finale, so it should be good.