Huh? Monarch?

[siberia77]

So, I actually read the whole Countdown debacle but it made such little impression on me that I actually cant remembered what happened in the one good part of it, Monarch raising a superarmy and wrecking worlds.

What happened to Monarch and his all-universes invasion?!?!?!

[Sean Walsh]

They were all destroyed when.......Superman Prime?.....blew up that particular universe.

Wow, can't even remember the details anymore.

[4thHorseman]

Prime and Monarch fought on Earth 51. Monarch's armor was breached (I believe), and he destroyed the entire planet. Hell, I think the energy created a new big bang actually.

Didio at NYCC, said he is currently MIA.

[Will.S]

So, I actually read the whole Countdown debacle but it made such little impression on me that I actually cant remembered what happened in the one good part of it, Monarch raising a superarmy and wrecking worlds.

What happened to Monarch and his all-universes invasion?!?!?!
As 4thHorseman stated, Superman Prime breached Monarch's armor which contained enough energy to destroy the Earth-51 Universe or at least the galaxy Earth-51 resided in. Monarchs army was pretty much destroyed except for Superman Prime who was shunted elsewhere and I'm pretty sure Monarch or Captain Atom will be back in some form.

[siberia77]

Blimey! You'd think i'd have remembered that. I'm a cap atom fan so i'd prob rather see him dead or MIA rather than acting mental and against character without a clearly defined reason and tension mounting buildup! Nothing about this Monarch turn made any sense unfortunately.

[Will.S]

Blimey! You'd think i'd have remembered that. I'm a cap atom fan so i'd prob rather see him dead or MIA rather than acting mental and against character without a clearly defined reason and tension mounting buildup! Nothing about this Monarch turn made any sense unfortunately.
It wasn't really supposed to make sense, Monarch was Solomon's pawn just like everyone else. He just happened to become Solomon's most powerful piece.

[siberia77]

Yeah but my beef is just that there was no clear reason for cap atom to go so bananas !

[Zero Hunter]

That was one of the worst parts of Countdown. When Cap first showed up in the Ion mini seires wearing the Monarch armour he was sane and rational. He was woried about these new Moniters and wanted to keep and eye on them and wanted Kyles help. The next time we see him he is this insane universal nutjob that wants to rule the entire Multiverse. Horrible writing all the way around. They turned him into such a one dimensional bad guy is was pathetic.

[Will.S]

Yeah but my beef is just that there was no clear reason for cap atom to go so bananas !
Well had they gone beyond just using Captain Atom a pawn and gave him a slow and more subtle turn, then they might have had a better execution and maybe even a 3 part arc for Captain Atom. But clearly they had no intention of giving Captain Atom/Monarch any sort of meaningful character development.

That was one of the worst parts of Countdown. When Cap first showed up in the Ion mini seires wearing the Monarch armour he was sane and rational. He was woried about these new Moniters and wanted to keep and eye on them and wanted Kyles help. The next time we see him he is this insane universal nutjob that wants to rule the entire Multiverse. Horrible writing all the way around. They turned him into such a one dimensional bad guy is was pathetic.
I suppose that can be interpreted as deceit on Monarch's behalf given what he does later in Countdown but perhaps that's giving too much credit. Question though, in The Battle for Blüdhaven book are there any visual clues or indications that Solomon was around to rupture Captain Atom's skin that eventually recreated Monarch?

Like maybe a shadow or some red eyes in the background or was that purely inserted through Countdown #8?

[Sabrinaset]

It's really funny that I came across this thread when I did, because I was wondering about CA/Monarch myself just now.

So essentially, DC took CA, made him a villain for unknown reasons, both within the context of of the DCU and editorially, had him run around doing essentially confusing things for reasons so unimportant that almost no one can even remember what, how, or why he did them, and was blown away and forgotten.

Anyone else seeing CA as a metaphor for DC Editorial in general, and Didio in particular? :biggrin:

[Will.S]

It's really funny that I came across this thread when I did, because I was wondering about CA/Monarch myself just now.

So essentially, DC took CA, made him a villain for unknown reasons, both within the context of of the DCU and editorially, had him run around doing essentially confusing things for reasons so unimportant that almost no one can even remember what, how, or why he did them, and was blown away and forgotten.

Anyone else seeing CA as a metaphor for DC Editorial in general, and Didio in particular? :biggrin:
Heh, probably.

[octothorp]

So, to pose the question, what the heck ever happened to the DKR Superman and the group of heroes he rescued from Monarch? As far as I can tell, they just dropped off the face of . . . well, the mulitverse, I suppose. Can anyone tell me where they went?

[Angelo2113]

Question though, in The Battle for Blüdhaven book are there any visual clues or indications that Solomon was around to rupture Captain Atom's skin that eventually recreated Monarch?

Like maybe a shadow or some red eyes in the background or was that purely inserted through Countdown #8?

Yeah, there was a shadow figure, it looks exactly like a Monitor but I dont believe anybody knew they were back so nobody knew who it was that did it to him. Its in the first few pages of the last Battle for Bludhaven book.

[Angelo2113]

So, to pose the question, what the heck ever happened to the DKR Superman and the group of heroes he rescued from Monarch? As far as I can tell, they just dropped off the face of . . . well, the mulitverse, I suppose. Can anyone tell me where they went?

My guess is that they will be featured in Final Crisis: Superman Beyond, because it says in the description that he recruits his alternate-earth counterparts.

[Will.S]

Yeah, there was a shadow figure, it looks exactly like a Monitor but I dont believe anybody knew they were back so nobody knew who it was that did it to him. Its in the first few pages of the last Battle for Bludhaven book.
Interesting, so that was at least telegraphed.

[Adam C]

So essentially, DC took CA, made him a villain for unknown reasons, both within the context of of the DCU and editorially, had him run around doing essentially confusing things for reasons so unimportant that almost no one can even remember what, how, or why he did them, and was blown away and forgotten.

Anyone else seeing CA as a metaphor for DC Editorial in general, and Didio in particular? :biggrin:

Bree, that is the most spot-on observation about the DC editorial I've seen made yet.

[Angelo2113]

Interesting, so that was at least telegraphed.

Yeah I think it always was, I just think the use of the New Gods just kind of messed everything up before Final Crisis. Other than that everything was set up...Superman Prime being transported into the Multiverse, the origin of Kamandi, the story of the Monitors.

I hope Captain Atom is still alive, although I thought he was a bad a** as Monarch in some of the issues. Only thing is that he pretty much killed all the other Captain Atoms, so he better be alive.

My guess is that when Captain Atom ruptured, he and Superman Prime were sent into the future. So I wonder if he's going to show up in Legion of Three Worlds.

[JCAll]

Yeah but my beef is just that there was no clear reason for cap atom to go so bananas !

Years of working with Booster Gold and Blue Beetle?

[XPac]

I definately think the way Monarch was handled was a waste.

I think they should have brought him back then just kind of saved him for later. His thing could have been a whole other event all by itself down the line. Throwing it into Countdown just for the hell of it almost came off as filler.

[TeamED209]

Didn't read much of countdown thank godness but was solomon one of the monitors?

[Joe Acro]

So, to pose the question, what the heck ever happened to the DKR Superman and the group of heroes he rescued from Monarch? As far as I can tell, they just dropped off the face of . . . well, the mulitverse, I suppose. Can anyone tell me where they went?I'm going to go out on a limb and say that all those involved in the Monarch War safely returned to their planets. For example, we know Tangent Flash died in Arena, but we've seen her in Justice League of America and Tangent: Superman's Reign since then. I imagine Earth-2's Flash will show up in the Justice Society of America annual, and he supposedly died, too.

So, either Monarch blowing up tore a hole in reality that happened to send everyone home, or the Monitors worked to save those they could.

Really, though, no one knows.

Didn't read much of countdown thank godness but was solomon one of the monitors?Yes, yes he was.

[I am MODOK]

Didn't I hear somewhere that Robinson and Johns have plans for Captain Atom in the upcoming Superman books?

Hopefully as a hero and not as a villain!

[Slaughter]

That was one of the worst parts of Countdown. When Cap first showed up in the Ion mini seires wearing the Monarch armour he was sane and rational. He was woried about these new Moniters and wanted to keep and eye on them and wanted Kyles help. The next time we see him he is this insane universal nutjob that wants to rule the entire Multiverse. Horrible writing all the way around. They turned him into such a one dimensional bad guy is was pathetic.


His madness made no sense to me, too. I would've liked to see Monarch as a hero who turned villain to fight the Monitors, who he believes the Monitors are nothing but arrogant gods who think they can play and toy with sentient beings at will.

Although the War on Earth-51 was the best part of Countdown, I think they wasted the character. Think about the Multiverse and ride along in the train of thought with me. Okay, now there's a new multiverse, with 52 Universes. Many planet earths. Many other planets and many other versions and many more things. When a new territory to conquer appears, conquerors move in and fight it out for it. The Multiverse is a new territory. Monarch would be a new conqueror. That would make sense IF Monarch was not Captain Atom.

I think they just made Cap Atom into Monarch for the whole "OMG, Capitain Atom IS really Monarch!"

[Shellhead]

It's really funny that I came across this thread when I did, because I was wondering about CA/Monarch myself just now.

So essentially, DC took CA, made him a villain for unknown reasons, both within the context of of the DCU and editorially, had him run around doing essentially confusing things for reasons so unimportant that almost no one can even remember what, how, or why he did them, and was blown away and forgotten.


The execution of the idea was terrible, but there was actually a reason for making Captain Atom into Monarch. He was supposed to be Monarch back in DC's Armageddon 2001 crossover:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armageddon_2001#Response_and_last-minute_changes

[Dorsai]

As someone unfamiliar Monarch's history prior to reading Countdown, it would have been better if it were simply a new character. After he appeared in Countdown, I researched on Wiki and it just seemed like a mess. In Countdown they never gave his identity, explained his powers or his armor. He actually was new to me for a while. I think I enjoyed him less after finding out the history.

[Angelo2113]

Didn't I hear somewhere that Robinson and Johns have plans for Captain Atom in the upcoming Superman books?

Hopefully as a hero and not as a villain!

Yeah I wonder how they're going to have him in there. I hope they explain the whole Monarch situation. Well it's Johns, I trust him with fixing everything.

[Slaughter]

Yeah I wonder how they're going to have him in there. I hope they explain the whole Monarch situation. Well it's Johns, I trust him with fixing everything.

Didn't I hear somewhere that Robinson and Johns have plans for Captain Atom in the upcoming Superman books?

Hopefully as a hero and not as a villain!

Yes, it was confirmed one of those days. The question is: Will he be showing up as Monarch or Captain Atom?

[Angelo2113]

Yes, it was confirmed one of those days. The question is: Will he be showing up as Monarch or Captain Atom?

I know he will need the Monarch Armor to keep everybody safe since his skin is cracked.

[earl]

That was one of the worst parts of Countdown. When Cap first showed up in the Ion mini seires wearing the Monarch armour he was sane and rational. He was woried about these new Moniters and wanted to keep and eye on them and wanted Kyles help. The next time we see him he is this insane universal nutjob that wants to rule the entire Multiverse. Horrible writing all the way around. They turned him into such a one dimensional bad guy is was pathetic.



I'd just have some cosmic style explosion happen and Captain Atom show back up and claim to have no knowledge of any of that other stuff ever happening.

"Me? That couldn't have been me. Last thing I remember was a flash and now I am here."

There you go, bad story fixed in two panels.

Fixing a gunshot to the head of Blue Beetle is not going to be quite as easy, although I guess he is kind of back (in a way) in Booster Gold.

[Zero Hunter]

I know he will need the Monarch Armor to keep everybody safe since his skin is cracked.

I am hoping that his skin will heal up sooner or latter.

[Angelo2113]

I am hoping that his skin will heal up sooner or latter.

I'm not sure if it will. They never really went into the whole skin breaking open. In Kingdom Come he was the one who caused the death of Kansas and died from being cracked open, I believe.

[IvCNuB4]

No .. the U.N. dropped nuclear bombs on Kansas to "contain" the super-villain breakout at the Gulag ....

[Angelo2113]

I wonder if they're going to bring him back with the skin/armor he had from Armageddon when he was in the Wildstorm Universe...that would be awesome.

[Paul Newell]

No .. the U.N. dropped nuclear bombs on Kansas to "contain" the super-villain breakout at the Gulag ....
Both happened. Captain Atom in Issue #1 and the bombs in #4.

[IvCNuB4]

Wroops. I just double-checked. You guys are right. I stand corrected ...

[I am MODOK]

I would think they could fairly easily restore his status quo with healed skin and some kind of flash. Heck, didn't Loeb establish that Captain Atom can't die in explosions like that, that he just bounces forward in time? That could be a neat concept to see again, only have all that Monarch stuff forgotten or at the least claim Cap was temporarily insane or something.

[octothorp]

I would think they could fairly easily restore his status quo with healed skin and some kind of flash. Heck, didn't Loeb establish that Captain Atom can't die in explosions like that, that he just bounces forward in time? That could be a neat concept to see again, only have all that Monarch stuff forgotten or at the least claim Cap was temporarily insane or something.

Forward in time? Not to . . . the Legion? Part of the Legion of Three Worlds story? Could be the only one to stop Superboy-Prime . . . nah, that makes too much sense.

[LordEd1976]

Forward in time? Not to . . . the Legion? Part of the Legion of Three Worlds story? Could be the only one to stop Superboy-Prime . . . nah, that makes too much sense.

We can still dream can't we?

[botch]

silliest storyline ever

[Seraku]

didn't lord havok survive the explosion?

[CBikle]

It's too bad, because Monarch is an interesting enough villain, but he's been the main villain in two of the most screwed up crossovers in comics history.

[Jim Thompson]

It's too bad, because Monarch is an interesting enough villain, but he's been the main villain in two of the most screwed up crossovers in comics history.Does make some sense to include the character in a Final Crisis storyline, though. And Morrison certainly has proven he can take poorly used characters from the past and do interesting things with them.

[joint venture]

This does not have much to do with the thread itself but are you guys discussing the same Captain Atom who "died" and came back in the Superman Batman comic?

I took the liberty of skipping Countdown after 7 or whatnot issues, and the Death of the New Gods as I sensed that final Crisis would involve all these. I'd rather go back in time and research on Wiki instead of buying future recycled paper.

If it's worth it, then you can buy the trade or even find the issues you lost in Ebay or something.

Do you think Captain Atom will be included in Final Crisis? Do you see him as a New God? It'd be cool to give him a decent irremovable setting and revamp for once...

[NotSuper]

They should've had Prime say that he wasn't the real Captain Atom, because Captain Atom doesn't try to conquer the universe.

And he would've been right.

[Mr. Nebula]

didn't lord havok survive the explosion?

I believe so. Or, teleported himself and his fellow Extremists away at the last possible moment? (the Lord Havok miniseries was probably my favorite thing to come out of Countdown and even THAT i can barely remember the ending of =P )

I was actually hoping Tieri would somehow incorporate Mitch Wacky into that miniseries, and have the real secret inside Havok's lab be that he had Mitch creating perfect duplicates of the Extremists to send off with Monarch while the real ones stayed behind to secretly rule Earth-8. Would've been a fun nod to the duplicate-Extremists story arc from JLEurope back in the day.

[Zero Hunter]

Well the good news is the Superman writers have something planned for Captain Atom/Monarch according to the Superman panel from ComicCon. If anyone can salvage the character my money is on Johns to do it.

[CBikle]

Does make some sense to include the character in a Final Crisis storyline, though. And Morrison certainly has proven he can take poorly used characters from the past and do interesting things with them.

Oh sure, I like Morrisson's superhero stuff and I'm enjoying Final Crisis.

[Project 22]

Here's a thought. What if Monarch is actually Libra?

[CBikle]

Here's a thought. What if Monarch is actually Libra?

That makes perfect sense in that it would be just one more way for Countdown to screw up Final Crisis.

Other people who'd be good candidates to really be Monarch:

1 Professor Martin Stein

2 General Eiling (he's connected to Captain Atom and he's got a penchant for having his brain transferred to other bodies like the Shaggy Man; maybe at some point he gets CA captured and has his brain transferred into his body and this leads to him becoming Monarch).

3 Parallax: Why not ?

4 Waverider

5 Captain Atom: maybe taking on the role of Monarch (including the dialogue) because he knows that it leads to a "greater good" or at least averts a "greater evil"; basically he's still a good guy but pretending to be a master villain.

[Sean Walsh]

Does anyone else hope the Monarch next appears in a butterfly costume?









Anyone? :wink: :tongue:

[Jarath]

Haha I read through three pages of this post thinking of THE Atom rather than CAPTAIN Atom. Alot of the comments make much more sense now that I've stopped being an idiot.

[KHShapiro]

the entire CA story when he appeared in BH is horrible.
If anyone ever followed the CA series they knew CA would heal his cut thus sealing off the rupture. The Monarch thing makes no sense and it was a waste of a GREAT hero mot to mention a BS story.
CA was touted as a universal element by the swamp thing, he could have taken control of everything if he fully explored his powers , which he never did because it waasnt in his nature... off my soap box now