What was DC on when they published 'Whom Gods Destroy?'

[Pinsir]

I've had this thread in the back of my mind for a while now. Seems like a good as time as any to publish it.

In 1997 DC published a Elseworld story called Whom Gods Destroy and well, lets use Wikipedia's summery on the matter:

In the future, Lois Lane and Lana Lang have become old, but Superman is still youthful due to his superhuman physiology. The Third Reich in this future never fell, and Germany is still under Nazi rule. Lois has visions of Superman gleefully killing people, including Lana and her, but they are dismissed as dreams. In the meantime, Superman gets attacked by trolls and harpies, the latter which cause Lois and Superman to crash land a plane into German soil, where Lana - previously kidnapped - is being held.

Lois soon discovers that the Reich is ruled by the god Adonis, and Artemis and Athena are trying to kill him. Wonder Woman has betrayed Paradise Island and is now part of the Reich. At this point, it is also revealed that the Greek pantheon is in league with the Nazis, allowing them to employ mythological monsters to fight superheroes. A fight ensues between the German army and the Greek heroines, who die and give their power to Lois Lane, transforming her into a new Wonder Woman.

Superman is transformed into an evil centaur by Circe. Lana Lang is imbued with the power of the Oracle of Delphi, and can perform magical feats. She tames the centaur Superman and persuades him of his real identity. She also gives Superman a sex change with her magic, because his "crimes as leader of the Maenads were against women, (and therefore he) must take their part". The female Superman then has to infiltrate the Great Hall of the Reich, which is guarded by the Minotaur. Lois Wonder Woman defeats Nazi Wonder Woman and ties her up with her magic lasso.

Finally, it is revealed that Zeus and Hera were playing a chess game, using the world as their playpieces. Adonis is sent to be taken care of by Hades. Lois, Lana, and Superman live together happily ever after. [In a polygamous relationship!]

Just to prove I am not bsing people...



Nazi WW



Evil Centaur Superman



The blond is Superman...

Now I am sure many of you will be, "Well this is bad, I bet the writer was a hack!" Well it was written by

spoilers:

Chris Clairmont

end of spoilers

[Pinsir]

Lois WW making out with a goddess...

[DragonPiece]

This definitely seems like a thread that would have a perfectly logical discussion.

[rjones64]

On behalf of those of us alive and buying comics in the 1990's. . . I apologize. The 1990's have a lot to answer for.

[Jody Garland]

On behalf of those of us alive and buying comics in the 1990's. . . I apologize. The 1990's have a lot to answer for.

They also have a ton of great stuff, too. Especially DC. The '90s get a bit too much flak.

Except for Image's stuff. It deserves a lot of that scorn. Deathmate, man. Deathmate.

[resipsaloquitur]

This stuff was all heavily grounded in Greco-Roman myth. For example, the gods changed Hercules into a woman as punishment...

...oh, forget it. This book was weird and very obviously driven by some odd fetishes.

[Arghant]

I think the very point of this story was to be insane, after all, the entire quote is "Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad."

[Gigan]

Huh? Never heard of this till now, I'll have to admit some morbid curiosity. I like how Elseworlds seem to have the very best DC stories and very worst.

[Pinsir]

Huh? Never heard of this till now, I'll have to admit some morbid curiosity. I like how Elseworlds seem to have the very best DC stories and very worst.

Just remember; that guy who made X-Men what they are today...wrote this! If you are industry long enough I guess everyone fumbles....

[Triple J]

What..........oh, wow.

[Action Ace]

When it came out, it shattered the record for worst comic book story I've ever read.

[mysterygeekboi]

The same guy who made X-Men what they were also nearly destroyed them when he came back to write for them again in the late 90s. When Nicieza and Lobdell and other great writers had moved them beyond such cliche phrases as "No quarter asked, and none given" (great as they were when they were first used in context during the 70s and 80s), Claremont tried to claw them back to using such stock nonsense.

[Sacred Knight]

I have it in my collection somewhere. I read a little bit when I first got it as a kid and didn't like it so didn't finish. I don't think I ever have to this day, heh.

[Pinsir]

The same guy who made X-Men what they were also nearly destroyed them when he came back to write for them again in the late 90s. When Nicieza and Lobdell and other great writers had moved them beyond such cliche phrases as "No quarter asked, and none given" (great as they were when they were first used in context during the 70s and 80s), Claremont tried to claw them back to using such stock nonsense.

In my experience authors do not age well...

[mysterygeekboi]

And why is it that both Milligan and Chuck Dixon could write so well for Batman and other DC team books but they just couldn't get a handle on X-books? The Chuck Dixon run - God help me I tried to like it and Milligan couldn't coax an ounce of sympathy out of me for either the Gambit/Rogue relationship or the return of Apocalypse. Gah! How could they get it so wrong when they wrote such good Batman and Hellblazer stuff?