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  1. #1
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    Default Pocket Universe Phantom Zone question

    John Byrne’s swan song on the title had Superman memorably use kryptonite against the Phantom Zone villains of the Pocket Universe. One minor detail has me scratching my head: when “the worst of the inmates” first get released, one helpfully remarks that the three of them “are free of the Phantom Zone, while our fellow Kryptonian criminals remain trapped there!”

    Does anyone know why that got mentioned? Was it meant as a loose end, to be followed up on later?

  2. #2
    Father Son Kamehameha < Kuwagaton's Avatar
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    I'd imagine Byrne's idea was put a bow on it, with that universe so thoroughly dead. The other criminals essentially had their chance die with Luthor. I really don't think he even expected someone to bring back Matrix given the creative surprise of that post Exile story.
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  3. #3
    Astonishing Member Adekis's Avatar
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    I guess theoretically, when the Pocket Earth came into being in the Legion's world during Zero Hour (I think it was Zero Hour), it's possible that its Zone came with it, and that if somebody had happened to have a Phantom Zone projector, somebody could have brought the other Kryptonian crooks out of there - but that didn't happen and nobody thought of it, and as far as I know that's the last time the Pocket Earth ever showed up live and in person - er, so to speak!
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    (formerly "Superman") JAK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Adekis View Post
    I guess theoretically, when the Pocket Earth came into being in the Legion's world during Zero Hour (I think it was Zero Hour), it's possible that its Zone came with it, and that if somebody had happened to have a Phantom Zone projector, somebody could have brought the other Kryptonian crooks out of there - but that didn't happen and nobody thought of it, and as far as I know that's the last time the Pocket Earth ever showed up live and in person - er, so to speak!
    That's my take-away, too.

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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Adekis View Post
    I guess theoretically, when the Pocket Earth came into being in the Legion's world during Zero Hour (I think it was Zero Hour), it's possible that its Zone came with it, and that if somebody had happened to have a Phantom Zone projector, somebody could have brought the other Kryptonian crooks out of there - but that didn't happen and nobody thought of it
    But it seems like such a weird detail to add. If those three criminals had popped out of the Phantom Zone and started wreaking havoc without bothering to mention whether anyone else was still in there, then, sure, I could easily be convinced that Byrne didn’t have anything specific in mind (or even anything general in mind) involving other folks who are like unto Pre-Crisis Kryptonians — but to have them pause, early on into their act, and take a little time to spell out that, oh, hey, remember how there are other Kryptonians in the Survival Zone, or whatever we’re calling it these days?

    I’m struggling to think of an analogy to that. It’d be like a story where Superman reveals his ‘Clark Kent’ identity to the President, only to then add that he’d also revealed that secret an hour ago to a couple of big-game hunters on safari. Okay, granted, other writers might never follow up on that detail; but wouldn’t it be odd for a guy to write that in, for no other reason than to mention it just then?

  6. #6
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    the supergirl saga said that lex luthor accidentially released the 3 villains after superboy from the pocket universe died in legion and left it defenceless and the 3 tricked lex into believing they were beneviolent and let them out.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by marshal88 View Post
    the supergirl saga said that lex luthor accidentially released the 3 villains after superboy from the pocket universe died in legion and left it defenceless and the 3 tricked lex into believing they were beneviolent and let them out.
    ...with other criminals still in the Phantom Zone. That’s the part I’m curious about: why, upon tricking Lex into letting them out, those characters take a moment to deliver wordy exposition about how multiple Kryptonians — each capable of zooming around fast enough to travel back in time, and strong enough to shove worlds out of orbit, and otherwise work Pre-Crisis effects, if they could just get a little yellow sunshine — remain, as inmates, there.

    Why bring that up?

  8. #8
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    the 3 krptonians are a selfish and greedy bunch , you see them trying to throw each other under the bus when supes used the green krptonite on them , they aren't likely to share the entire world with the rest of the kryptoniians once they are free.3 were enough to destroy the world.

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