Now here's my third question - and the one that I'm not sure can be answered, but one that I (me anyway) see as critical to making this whole warped universe work.
Let's say that for the sake of argumetn Canary follows Dick's descent into darkness because of all that guilt. The logic being: I'm guilty because I killed or mind-wiped. Ergo, I am a villain. Ergo, the Justice League and heroism are not real because they live in a false reality. Ergo, I will live by Slade's code even if it means killing and raising my kid as an assassin because it's the only honest one. Ergo, that means fighting the very heroes I swore friendship and love and brotherhood to.
In the same way, once exposed, the heroes may feel the loss of their moral ascendancy and buckle down, losing spirit, losing any chance at redemption, losign any guts to face this warped family. Because what right do they have to cast the first stone in the light of IC?
Follow me so far?
First of all, Slade's mindfuckery of Dick is similar to the IC rape - and I wish someone would point that out. Because Slade doesn't have the moral ascendancy here and those heroes have no reason to buckle or capitulate. Everybody may screw up - but you have two choices: go straight the weay of darkness like Slade or turn back at a chance for real redemption. A series of mistakes will not make right one fatal sin committed at a juncture.
And you got one hero who can speak of redemption. And thereis no way you can go Donna Troy on me for this one.
Hal Jordan.
This man killed miliions, billions, practically re-arranged the universe. And, yes, he was mind-fucked by an evil entity. His values were warped and shattered andhe was compelled to do something horrible against his beliefs. Dick's moaning over Blockbuster and Canary's crisis of conscience over IC are nothing compared to what Jordan did, regardless of his own mindfuckery.
But hey, he went back. He was able to go back home. He found redemption - real redemption - and went back into the light.
Hal Jordan is no pollyana like Clark or a manipulator of fear like Batman. Nor he is crispy clean because he has his own share of sins. But he was able to stare guilt, death, and sin in the face - and rose above it to return.
I think Hal would present a more powerful polarity to Slade than Bruce. Bruce like Slade works on fear, and he has his own demons to fight. In contrast, Hal is the only hero who can honestly live by the credo "No fear!" even when staring at his own shadows.
He can call Slade's manipulation of Dick what it is and expose it for what it is. He can tell the other heroes, "Hey, I fucked up - but I came back. You don't have to go this way."
...
And, no, he's not absent like Donna Troy. He's here. He's around in your universe. And just my two cents, the redemption he represents is not easily dismissable.
no subject
Let's say that for the sake of argumetn Canary follows Dick's descent into darkness because of all that guilt. The logic being: I'm guilty because I killed or mind-wiped. Ergo, I am a villain. Ergo, the Justice League and heroism are not real because they live in a false reality. Ergo, I will live by Slade's code even if it means killing and raising my kid as an assassin because it's the only honest one. Ergo, that means fighting the very heroes I swore friendship and love and brotherhood to.
In the same way, once exposed, the heroes may feel the loss of their moral ascendancy and buckle down, losing spirit, losing any chance at redemption, losign any guts to face this warped family. Because what right do they have to cast the first stone in the light of IC?
Follow me so far?
First of all, Slade's mindfuckery of Dick is similar to the IC rape - and I wish someone would point that out. Because Slade doesn't have the moral ascendancy here and those heroes have no reason to buckle or capitulate. Everybody may screw up - but you have two choices: go straight the weay of darkness like Slade or turn back at a chance for real redemption. A series of mistakes will not make right one fatal sin committed at a juncture.
And you got one hero who can speak of redemption. And thereis no way you can go Donna Troy on me for this one.
Hal Jordan.
This man killed miliions, billions, practically re-arranged the universe. And, yes, he was mind-fucked by an evil entity. His values were warped and shattered andhe was compelled to do something horrible against his beliefs. Dick's moaning over Blockbuster and Canary's crisis of conscience over IC are nothing compared to what Jordan did, regardless of his own mindfuckery.
But hey, he went back. He was able to go back home. He found redemption - real redemption - and went back into the light.
Hal Jordan is no pollyana like Clark or a manipulator of fear like Batman. Nor he is crispy clean because he has his own share of sins. But he was able to stare guilt, death, and sin in the face - and rose above it to return.
I think Hal would present a more powerful polarity to Slade than Bruce. Bruce like Slade works on fear, and he has his own demons to fight. In contrast, Hal is the only hero who can honestly live by the credo "No fear!" even when staring at his own shadows.
He can call Slade's manipulation of Dick what it is and expose it for what it is. He can tell the other heroes, "Hey, I fucked up - but I came back. You don't have to go this way."
...
And, no, he's not absent like Donna Troy. He's here. He's around in your universe. And just my two cents, the redemption he represents is not easily dismissable.