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  1. #1
    Fantastic Member Last Son's Avatar
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    Default Has the Eradicator's backstory ever been retold?

    Since Byrne's Krypton was gradually removed from continuity in the early 00s, I have trouble imagining how the Eradicator fit into the more traditional depictions of Krypton. I imagine Eradicator was primarily a plot device to explain why nobody ever left Krypton, leaving Kal-El as the only survivor. But since the Eradicator apparently wasn't put to use as it was on Byrne's version of Krypton, where does it/he fit in? And did the Eradicator ever create an Antarctic fortress in current continuity?

  2. #2
    Amazing Member Wri-El's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Last Son View Post
    Since Byrne's Krypton was gradually removed from continuity in the early 00s, I have trouble imagining how the Eradicator fit into the more traditional depictions of Krypton. I imagine Eradicator was primarily a plot device to explain why nobody ever left Krypton, leaving Kal-El as the only survivor. But since the Eradicator apparently wasn't put to use as it was on Byrne's version of Krypton, where does it/he fit in? And did the Eradicator ever create an Antarctic fortress in current continuity?
    The Eradicator was maybe one of the most potential filled, and potential wasted character.
    He was in a way used to explain (very well by the way) why was it that a supposed super technological advance race, capable of interstellar travel, let itself die.
    He then created Superman first true Fortress. Something really kryptonian, and actually really advanced. Not a place where you just had to lift a very big key that was really, really heavy, and open the door.

    Even the Eradicator evolved to become several interesting things. First a being made of energy able to draw energy directly from the Sun. Then when he couldn't fuse himself with Superman diseased body, he created the next closest best thing.
    But still he became in many ways, more powerful than Superman.
    But seeing Superman was already being overshadowed by so many other characters. I guess DC didn't want to create a character that could outshine Superman completely.
    Something the Eradicator could've become, but never did, because like I said before in other posts, DC Comics is like Peter Pan. It simply refuses to grow up.

    So the Eradicator was basically shelved and only used from time to time and even then in not the best way possible.

    New 52 really created a sh*t stain of a Eradicator.
    Rebirth also didn't do better. They made Eradicator, to be a creation of Zod. A kind of soul sucking machine, focused on kryptonian genetic purity.

    So DC hasn't really done anything worthy of mentioning with the Eradicator.
    If anything it's been a consistently "What not to do" creation of a guide book.

    That's the problem with Superman.
    And anything related to him.
    If Superman doesn't evolve, then no one else can evolve.
    The Eradicator could be the Mr Majestic of DC, seeing Superman isn't even close, but no. The Eradicator is been so mistreated, I actually feel sorry for the character.
    Like. Give me the rights over the character, and I can create a team able to write him inside the DCU, without having to interact with Superman or Earth for that matter. And still make him so much better than Superman, that people might wonder "Why wasn't this done with Superman!"

  3. #3
    Ultimate Member Sacred Knight's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Last Son View Post
    Since Byrne's Krypton was gradually removed from continuity in the early 00s, I have trouble imagining how the Eradicator fit into the more traditional depictions of Krypton. I imagine Eradicator was primarily a plot device to explain why nobody ever left Krypton, leaving Kal-El as the only survivor. But since the Eradicator apparently wasn't put to use as it was on Byrne's version of Krypton, where does it/he fit in? And did the Eradicator ever create an Antarctic fortress in current continuity?
    The Eradicators (there were more than one, which is why even in a singular form he refers to himself as "we") were robotic beings tied to General Zod now. They were created for law enforcement with protocols by Zod to arrest criminals. What they did upon arresting someone however was to draw out their life force and store it in the Phantom Zone; that was their prison as they awaited trial, with their bodies being stored in cryo-chambers in the meantime. The Eradicators were on a "law enforcement" mission like this off-planet at the request of Zod when Krypton blew up. They were just returning when the planet exploded and the subsequent blast wrecked the individual constructs but remaining organic materials from the blast melded with a now singular being to create an organic and no longer robotic form. From there he saw Kal's rocket, and realizing there was a survivor, spent the rest of his time looking for him throughout the universe.

    This origin more or less fits fine with the new Reborn continuity. The opening arc of the Rebirth Superman title doesn't work as is anymore as that was framed as the first appearance of this Eradicator on the New 52 Earth, but other than that most of his original past after Krypton exploded is probably very similar to post-Crisis from then on. Thus its possible the Eradicator made a Fortress in this continuity...though I prefer the idea that Superman created it.
    Last edited by Sacred Knight; 06-04-2017 at 01:35 PM.
    "They can be a great people Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you. My only son." - Jor-El

  4. #4
    Fantastic Member Last Son's Avatar
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    That's not the most exciting revision. Other than the more nefarious purposes of the original Eradicator device, it reminded me of the crystal from the Reeve Superman movies, especially since it created the post crisis fortress and was made to preserve Kryptonian culture along with Kal-El. And I thought a good way of reimagining the Eradicator as he appeared in the Death of Superman storyline would be to say the Fortress of Solitude created a body for itself using Superman's DNA in order to retrieve Superman's body and bring him back to the FoS to regenerate while the Eradicator acts in Superman's place while he recovers.

  5. #5
    Amazing Member Wri-El's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sacred Knight View Post
    The Eradicators (there were more than one, which is why even in a singular form he refers to himself as "we") were robotic beings tied to General Zod now. They were created for law enforcement with protocols by Zod to arrest criminals. What they did upon arresting someone however was to draw out their life force and store it in the Phantom Zone; that was their prison as they awaited trial, with their bodies being stored in cryo-chambers in the meantime. The Eradicators were on a "law enforcement" mission like this off-planet at the request of Zod when Krypton blew up. They were just returning when the planet exploded and the subsequent blast wrecked the individual constructs but remaining organic materials from the blast melded with a now singular being to create an organic and no longer robotic form. From there he saw Kal's rocket, and realizing there was a survivor, spent the rest of his time looking for him throughout the universe.

    This origin more or less fits fine with the new Reborn continuity. The opening arc of the Rebirth Superman title doesn't work as is anymore as that was framed as the first appearance of this Eradicator on the New 52 Earth, but other than that most of his original past after Krypton exploded is probably very similar to post-Crisis from then on. Thus its possible the Eradicator made a Fortress in this continuity...though I prefer the idea that Superman created it.
    Actually the first and original version of the Eradicator. That was the Modern Age version also, was initially said to have been created by one of Superman ancestors named Kem-L. That the Eradicator had been created to maintain and assure not only kryptonian genetic purity, but also that kryptonian standard behavior was upheld. The Eradicator, initially a small machine, was without a doubt quite the weapon.
    It then went through a few transformations, culminating in his more advanced biological kryptonian which programming had been upgraded by Mr Majestic.

    The Eradicators idea was something done during Mark Weid mini-relaunch/retcon of Superman (Birthright), period of time. Basically before Johns little retcon also named Secret Origins.
    Where there was a group of kryptonians called Eradicators. Because they were tasked with enforcing kryptonian law.

    This Rebirth take is completely original.
    They are now a creation of Zod, that made this machine's, called Eradicators, that were sort of soul sucking machines.
    Still not better than the pre-New 52 Eradicator.

  6. #6
    Amazing Member Wri-El's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Last Son View Post
    That's not the most exciting revision. Other than the more nefarious purposes of the original Eradicator device, it reminded me of the crystal from the Reeve Superman movies, especially since it created the post crisis fortress and was made to preserve Kryptonian culture along with Kal-El. And I thought a good way of reimagining the Eradicator as he appeared in the Death of Superman storyline would be to say the Fortress of Solitude created a body for itself using Superman's DNA in order to retrieve Superman's body and bring him back to the FoS to regenerate while the Eradicator acts in Superman's place while he recovers.
    Well, actually there was kinda of that idea during the Smallville TV show.
    When we see the end of season 2, and how the Jor-El AI wanted to forcefully make Clark fulfill this grand destiny that had been planned.
    Many viewers started to see Jor-El AI almost like the Eradicator.
    And even how he acted when the Fortress is created, it kinda reinforced that notion. Until of course they started to "humanize" Jor-El.
    In which all that he had made Clark go through was just him preparing Clark to fulfill his true destiny as Earth's protector.

    Ever since the pre-New 52 we haven't had a decent Eradicator.
    Which is not funny at all.
    They keep on insisting on characters like New-Superman and Supergirl, that to add almost nothing to the mythos, or kryptonian lore. And they do nothing worthwhile with the Eradicator.
    Honestly in my opinion, the only character that can match Superman and even surpass him.

  7. #7
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    Geeze. That's the story of the current Eradicator? That's a pretty far cry from the version I knew about because of the Reign of the Supermen. Dang.

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