Diana Not Revealing The Undoctered Footage of Max Lord

[Agent Z]

During the trial of Diana for killing Max, Kate Spencer (Manhunter) was given an undoctored version of the footage of Max Lord threatening to turn Superman loose on the populace. This was provided to her by Sasha Bordeaux. Diana says her reason for keeping this footage under wraps was to protect Superman's image.

Firstly, how did Kate not know of this tape's existence. In fact, how did she not know what Max did to Superman? Without that knowledge, there is no reason for her to believe Diana's innocence.

Secondly, how did Diana get acquitted without this tape ever becoming public knowledge?

Thirdly, Diana's reason keeping this tape secret makes no sense. This is not the first time Superman was mind controlled. If Starro didn't ruin his reputation, how would this do that?

[Outside_85]

Some hopefully useful answers:
1: Kate was dealing with something that concerned Checkmate, a worldwide spy organisation, getting and knowing something about events from inside their HQ is like knowing what the CIA is doing. Unless Diana actually told her, there would be nothing to actually suggest that he had... like most of this whole thing was set up as a smear campaign against Diana and the Amazons. As for her believing in Diana, I'd say thats down to her knowing Diana beforehand and because she's a defense attourney.

2: The judges could have been shown the footage without it being released to the public. And didn't Cheetah attacking her at the court have something to do with it?

3: Starro is visible when it controls people, thats all the difference. With Lords people couldn't see he was under someone's control and because of that they could assume nothing less that Superman had actually turned evil.

[Agent Z]

But the footage showed Max admitting to mind controlling Superman.

[Outside_85]

But the footage showed Max admitting to mind controlling Superman.

And thats the problem, because publicly Superman is percieved as being above tricks like that, the League and Lords even makes mention of the steps taken to make it nearly impossible to do this to him, simply because of how powerful and dangerous he would be if it happened to him.
If it became known that he could be mind controlled by someone like Lords, people like Amanda Waller will be quick to think; "It's happened once. It can happen again." And then Superman's image as the preeminent defender of Earth is more or less shattered.

So Diana decided to play Lords/Brother Eye's game and take the fall rather than let Superman do it.

[brettc1]

That whole thing was a schamozzle from go to whoa.

It started with Rucka having Wonder Woman argue with Superman and Batman about the need to have Dr Light [the male rapist one] put down like a rabid animal and ended in a title that wasn't even Diana's - mostly, I think, for the sake of expedience rather than telling a good story.

Wonder Woman looks bad for killing Max but not Cheetah or any number of other villains as bad or worse, while Superman looks bad for hiding the truth so that people can continue to see him as the unblemished paragon while Diana's reputation takes a pounding.

And in the end it was completely pointless because, as expected, Max didn't even stay dead.

Awful, awful, awful.

[Agent Z]

And thats the problem, because publicly Superman is percieved as being above tricks like that, the League and Lords even makes mention of the steps taken to make it nearly impossible to do this to him, simply because of how powerful and dangerous he would be if it happened to him.
If it became known that he could be mind controlled by someone like Lords, people like Amanda Waller will be quick to think; "It's happened once. It can happen again." And then Superman's image as the preeminent defender of Earth is more or less shattered.

So Diana decided to play Lords/Brother Eye's game and take the fall rather than let Superman do it.

But they already now he can be mind controlled. They saw it happen with Starro.

[brettc1]

But they already now he can be mind controlled. They saw it happen with Starro.

Yes, and not just Starro.

More than a decade before this story was written people saw Superman being mind controlled by the Eradicator. There was also the story codified in Identity Crisis where villains swap bodies with the Justice League, and a story where some nobody did exactly the same thing during the Byrne run. Superman suffering from mind-control or body snatching is no new thing.


As I said, awful storytelling. In order to make it work you have to ignore fundamental aspects of the main characters and pretend that everyone else is either stupid or an amnesiac.

[Outside_85]

Wonder Woman looks bad for killing Max but not Cheetah or any number of other villains as bad or worse, while Superman looks bad for hiding the truth so that people can continue to see him as the unblemished paragon while Diana's reputation takes a pounding.

Because Diana is a hero and the others are villains, they had already fallen and Diana had not. Superman doesn't look worse in the public eye because the public doesn't know it was him that had gone south.

But they already now he can be mind controlled. They saw it happen with Starro.

Starro is not Maxwell Lords, therein lies the difference. Max was not a gigantic extraterrestrial bit of seafood, he was one human jerk.

[Agent Z]

Because Diana is a hero and the others are villains, they had already fallen and Diana had not. Superman doesn't look worse in the public eye because the public doesn't know it was him that had gone south.



Starro is not Maxwell Lords, therein lies the difference. Max was not a gigantic extraterrestrial bit of seafood, he was one human jerk.

A human jerk with mind control powers.

[Outside_85]

A human jerk with mind control powers.

And thats the problem. He's not a god-like entity from beyond time and space... he's 'Used car salesman Max Lords'.

[Agent Z]

And thats the problem. He's not a god-like entity from beyond time and space... he's 'Used car salesman Max Lords'.

He hadn't been a used car salesman in decades! If the Joker can amass a fearsome reputation, to the point other villains scare each other with tales of him, I think a guy who can mind control Superman warrants some caution.

[Outside_85]

He hadn't been a used car salesman in decades! If the Joker can amass a fearsome reputation, to the point other villains scare each other with tales of him, I think a guy who can mind control Superman warrants some caution.

Thats not the point.

[Agent Z]

Thats not the point.

What is then? I'm really not seeing how Lord is less of a threat than Starro.

[Outside_85]

What is then? I'm really not seeing how Lord is less of a threat than Starro.

Because in the public perspective, Superman is the Earths first line of defense, a god-like being who defends the Earth without consideration for himself. He is above petty criminal and their antics, even though he often stops them. in the public eye the only thing that can threaten Superman is other god-like beings with powers and abilities far beyond human comprehension, not that jackass that stole your cab at the airport.

[Agent Z]

Because in the public perspective, Superman is the Earths first line of defense, a god-like being who defends the Earth without consideration for himself. He is above petty criminal and their antics, even though he often stops them. in the public eye the only thing that can threaten Superman is other god-like beings with powers and abilities far beyond human comprehension, not that jackass that stole your cab at the airport.

I know it seems like I'm beating a dead horse, but wouldn't Max being able to control Superman put him in that category of god like being?

Again, the Joker has an even more fearsome reputation despite not having powers.

I mean, the whole point of this was the public didn't even know about Max's powers to begin with.