General Lane's Insanity

[OMDSuker]

don't think this man is quite right in the head. Say whatever you want about the man, obviously there is something wrong with this man. Even Luthor noticed it. Proctect humanity is one thing, but what he is doing is not for the good of earth. In fact, his little plan endangered every life on earth. And what with the deal to order the death of an innocent woman?

[Robert318]

Maybe he's a Skrull?

[DonC]

Of course he's not protecting the Earth. He's the bad guy. But he thinks that's what he's doing. And I don't think he's insane, just paranoid, with reason. Look at how many times some alien has tried to invade the Earth.

[CYOTI]

And look at how many times Superman has saved the Earth.

Lane's actions clearly don't reflect a desire to protect humanity, but rather a reflection of his own psychotic paranoia in regards to aliens.

[carabas]

Of course he's not protecting the Earth. He's the bad guy. But he thinks that's what he's doing. And I don't think he's insane, just paranoid, with reason. Look at how many times some alien has tried to invade the Earth.Yeah, but he's not going after all aliens. He's devoted most of his time and efforts on one alien in particular.

[Slaughter]

And look at how many times Superman has saved the Earth.


But there lies the problem. Superman is know as earth's number one defender. He's more American than some native citizens. He knows earth like no other extraterrestrial being knows. To Superman, Earth is home, he knows how people act and think, he knows the hardships humanity endured like slavery, WWII, racism and the Cold War.

But those Kandorians? They AREN'T Superman. They didn't expend their entire lives living on earth and regulary booting out malicious aliens out of it. They don't know what makes us humans tick. They don't know how we think.

So there's this big, nice blue planet. Its totally habitable for Kryptonians, and the yellow sun makes them into demi-gods. The average Kryptonian has more firepower at his eyes, feets and fists than many countries put together. But between then and The Promised Land, there are the original inhabitants, which are a race of kryptonian look-alikes without any powers and a two thousand year gap in the technological race. Their only advantages are their superior numbers (6.000.000.000 vs 100.000), a small army of super-powered individuals, easily available knowlodge of kryptonian weaknesses, nuclear bombs (possibly with kryptonite radiation added to the blast) and past experiences dealing with alien invasions. (Invasion!, anyone?)

I can see why General Lane is a bit paranoid. I think he's still too cautious. If I was on his position, I would be issuing Gauss Rifles, synthethic Kryptonite bullets and Red Sun Rifles to every soldier under NATO supply and every country would be forced to have at least 50 airplanes with GAU-8 synthetic kryptonite shells at standby. ITS A RACE OF SUPER-POWERFUL ALIEN DEMIGODS, everyone should be panicking already! And the entire world should've started to mobilise their entire armed forces to get ready for what pretty much would ammount to World War Three! And every meta with ties to the Justice League would walk around with a kryptonite inside a lead case.

EDIT: Don't forget DC Earth seems to be the target of a alien invasion every other week. Ins't New Krypton AFTER Final Crisis, you know, that one story where Darkseid conquered earth without firing a shot? And other invasions happened in the past as well. Crisis in the Infinite Earths had INFINITE-MINUS-FIVE earths being destroyed by shadow demons and The Anti-Monitor, Invasion! devastated Australia, Legends was secretly a invasion from Apokolips, Millenium was a secret infiltration conducted by The Manhunters, a secret society of ancient alien robots, Terror in the Skies was a invasion by Mongul's Warworld, Coast City was turned into a smoldering crater by Mongul and Hank Henshaw during Return of Superman, Genesis had Apokolips invading AGAIN, Final Night had a alien almost eating THE SUN until Parallax Hal Jordan killed it, Earth was invaded three times during Our Worlds at War (first by Imperiex, then Brainiac 13 took control of many eletronic devices though B13 tech and then by Darkseid invaded for the third after Brainiac 13 turned Lextower's cannon at Apokolips), then earth was invaded and almost destroyed by the Sinestro Corps and The Anti-Monitor, and after that, Final Crisis. Ever played the X-Com game series? Earth should've made a X-Com-style secret organization under UN authority YEARS ago.

[carabas]

That is all good and well, but Lane's plans and obsessions regarding Superman predate Kandor's liberation and the creation of New Krypton.

[Sean Whitmore]

Lane hasn't always been this "General Hardcastle" level of a-hole, has he?

From what I remember before his death, he was pretty much just a loud-mouthed, but essentially harmless, old crank.


SEAN

[Sean Walsh]

....speaking of Lane, have they explained how he survived OUR WORLDS AT WAR yet?

[Will.S]

....speaking of Lane, have they explained how he survived OUR WORLDS AT WAR yet?
Not from what I can gather.

[4thHorseman]

And look at how many times Superman has saved the Earth.

Which would be good planning to have some plans on how to stop him. You have someone who could probably throw this planet into the sun, you might want to know ways to bring him down. Especially after seeing how successful he was in taking over the world during the Superman: King of the World arc.

[carabas]

Lane hasn't always been this "General Hardcastle" level of a-hole, has he?

From what I remember before his death, he was pretty much just a loud-mouthed, but essentially harmless, old crank.
Yeah, General Nutter Lane is a recent development/retcon.

[CYOTI]

....speaking of Lane, have they explained how he survived OUR WORLDS AT WAR yet? Ask DnA, they were the ones that brought him back.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Lane hasn't always been this "General Hardcastle" level of a-hole, has he?

From what I remember before his death, he was pretty much just a loud-mouthed, but essentially harmless, old crank.


SEAN

Like with most things since Johns came on board, this Lane seems to be incorporating some the more hard-assed bits of General Sam Lane that've popped up over the years. I mean, Michael fracking Ironhorse played him in Smallville, didn't he?

What branch of the Military is Sam Lane in, anyway? It was Air Force in the Dini cartoon.

This is certainly the most dickish Sam Lane and Lucy Lane we've ever seen.

[The Beast Of Yucca Flats]

Lane hasn't always been this "General Hardcastle" level of a-hole, has he?

From what I remember before his death, he was pretty much just a loud-mouthed, but essentially harmless, old crank.


SEAN

Pretty much. And I liked him a lot better then.

[Mat001]

Sam Lane was US Army, as I recall. And while his feelings towards Superman are new, he was every bit an old fashioned military man who loved his daughters, but really wished he had boys instead. And he was not fond of Clark Kent at all, especially after Lois broke their engagement back in 1996. Blaming Clark for it, which was only partially true. Deep down his issues really stem around the fact that his daughter was in love with an alien being.

[CYOTI]

It's just a matter of time before he finds out that Superman is Clark. Then he is going to just crack after it hits him.

[Mat001]

Or maybe he does know and this contributed to his snapping.

[Flash's Lightning]

I'd say his paranoia has developed into an obsession.

I'm sure when he first started he was doing it to protect earth, but I'm getting the feeling now it's doing it just to do it because he obsessed with the 100K.

It doesn't matter what happens so long as his end goals are achieved. :frown:

[Sean Whitmore]

Or maybe he does know and this contributed to his snapping.

That could be interesting. Sam certainly strikes me as one of those "I don't mind if they vote, but I don't want my daughter marrying one of them" type of guys.


SEAN