Actually, if I recall correctly, for the longest time there weren't female Guardians. It wasn't until Kyle Rayner remade the Guardians that there were.
The surface is quite interesting. It seems the dispute between Atrocitus and the Guardians is a difference of perspective. That is to say, the anger of Atrocitus stems from his highly personal relationship with tragedy caused by the Guardians' mistakes, and the Guardians see instead not 0.03% of the universe destroyed but 99.97% to be protected better, now that a mistake has been found and corrected. The Guardians are callous, but not wrong. Imagine spending billions of years, as Ophidian said, "completely unafraid that that their personal philosophies are wrong".
Basically the reason it was such a big deal that there was the relationship between two of the Guardians was because there hadn't been a male and female Oan before Kyle remade them.
This was after Parallax-Jordan killed all the Guardians. Might not be true in New 52 continuity.
Basically the reason it was such a big deal that there was the relationship between two of the Guardians was because there hadn't been a male and female Oan before Kyle remade them.
This was after Parallax-Jordan killed all the Guardians. Might not be true in New 52 continuity.
Parallax-Jordan killed all the Greenies and Guardians except Ganthet, who gave the last ring to Kyle Rayner. Then Rayner brought everyone back to life.
The surface is quite interesting. It seems the dispute between Atrocitus and the Guardians is a difference of perspective. That is to say, the anger of Atrocitus stems from his highly personal relationship with tragedy caused by the Guardians' mistakes, and the Guardians see instead not 0.03% of the universe destroyed but 99.97% to be protected better, now that a mistake has been found and corrected. The Guardians are callous, but not wrong. Imagine spending billions of years, as Ophidian said, "completely unafraid that that their personal philosophies are wrong".
Most people will probably think it significant that the 'mistake' was one the Guardians made, as opposed to one they simply learned of - it's less a case of "well, some people died (and it wasn't our fault), but at least we know that X is dangerous" and more "well, we are single-handedly responsible for the deaths of trillions, but at least we won't make that exact mistake again!". As a consequentialist I don't agree with that viewpoint, but I do think it's worth keeping in mind that the approach of the Guardians to enforcing their laws in the universe/galaxy is still "empower a separate group to do things, and maybe keep a loose eye on what they're doing". They haven't stopped attempting to enforce their will on the rest of the galaxy, and they're still relying on a third-party group to do so, and said third-party group is even more individualist and likely to do their own thing than the Manhunters were.
There's good reason for opposition to the Guardian's will even for those who have no personal reason to dislike them. An argument from analogy - I imagine that the Reach also has convincing arguments for why those civilisations that they "protect" are greatly benefitted (economically and technologically, if nothing else) from being part of the Reach empire, and therefore for why the Reach has a moral right, or even a moral imperative, to expand as fast as possible so as to bring as many civilisations as possible into the protection of the Reach. And I see no categorical difference between the Guardians position of "we're enforcing laws on civs that didn't choose this because it's best for them" and the expected Reach arguments of "we're enforcing laws on civs that we've effectively conquered because it's best for them". The Guardians might view what they're doing as protection, but that doesn't mean that other groups won't disagree with that viewpoint.
Under the circumstances, somehow I doubt that Atrocitus was really all that inclined to give the Guardians the benefit of the doubt even before he started fueling himself with elemental rage.
True. After someone is responsible for a few Mega-Hitlers worth of dead bodies, you kind of have to stop caring about their reasons, or excuses, or if it was an 'accident' or not, and just want them dead in a 'better safe then sorry' way as a survival mechanism.
I mean if thinking like that will get the new Batman Vs Superman movie made, with Batman going Batshit because of what Supes might do, the Guardians should make anyone Butthurt for an amount of time longer than the lifetime of the Universe. In a very real way the Guardians are fugitives from justice, and are only able to act with impunity because there is no one powerful enough willing to hold them accountable.
A thoroughly dejected looking Amane Misa sits opposite Lynne and I in Olive Ridley's Coffee & Tea Company Café in Rifle, nursing her hot chocolate. I've erected a sound baffle around us as I get the feeling that this isn't a conversation any of us want becoming wider knowledge.
I sigh. "Miss Amane, just because I played the role of a Tentacle Ogre during a sexual role play, that doesn't mean that I actually am one."
"Yes, highness."
"I mean, for goodness sake, you're-" Only about a year younger than Jade, actually. She just.. acts younger. Or maybe Jade acts older? Certainly, Amane has a certain girlish air to her than Jade hasn't had as long as I've known her. Probably the pig tails. "-asking me to trade sex for a hit?"
"I-I'm sorry."
"Who did you even want killed?"
The change is instantaneous. Her hands whiten as the strength of her grip on her mug increases, the muscles of her face tighten, her teeth are bared, her eyes flare with rage. "The man who murdered my parents."
"Oh." Sugar. "Would you.. care to explain to me what happened?"
And the passion's gone, as if that moment drained her. "It was a robbery. He broke in through the back door while we were out at dinner." She's staring at her mug, completely still. "When we came back, we didn't realise that he was in the house until he came into the living room with a kitchen knife. I-I don't know why he killed them, but I was-." Her eyes are watering. "I was right there, and he stabbed them! And they were bleeding and I couldn't do anything. And after he ran away I phoned the ambulance but by the time they got there-." Her voice hitches, her body hunching slightly. "By the time they got there it was too late. They were dead! He killed them!"
"The police?"
Her eyes are running freely, and she absentmindedly dabs them with a napkin. "I told them what happened. The man who did it was arrested three days later. At the trial, his lawyer said that I wasn't a reliable witness."
I lean forwards slightly. "And?"
"He's in prison, but the trial is still going on. Because I was the only witness and there wasn't much physical evidence, the prosecutor said that he isn't sure if the man will be convicted."
"And you want me to kill him. Without a conviction."
"He murdered my parents and the court isn't going to punish him."
"You don't know that. They might well decide that he's guilty." Sinestro, connect to the Mountain's hush tube generator and open a small aperture to the Amane family home. Scan for biological material, hair and skin cells. And access the prosecutor's database to get any other pertinent information. Confirm the accused's guilt.
In progress, Corpsman. Hm, curious. It looks like he wore gloves while carrying out the theft. No finger prints or biological traces there. There is some biological material from him at their home.
"You didn't see the way the jury looked at me when I gave my evidence. You didn't hear what the defence lawyer said to me in court. A-and the newspapers said that I might have made it up. They said… They said that my father might have killed my mother and then himself and seeing it drove me crazy."
Did the police not find it?
Lynne is looking at me expectantly. Does she think I can fix this? Would killing this… Komon Eiji actually bring Miss Amane any peace? If I could see into her soul… I can't ask Lynne to read her mind, that wouldn't be safe and in any case Lynne doesn't know enough to be able to judge things like that. Would a G-Gnome.. or Jean herself? Don't know. Probably not.
They searched diligently and found hairs, but they were unable to prove how they came to be there. The defense said that they could have been blown in from outside.
The jury believed that?
Humans do not shed that many hairs. I can detect his skin cells in situ, but with Human technology that would be next to impossible for the police. I assume that we will be killing this man?
Hm. No, I don't think so.
Murder is murder, Corpsman. Japan has the death penalty. I fail to see any reason for hesitance, now that you are free of the aegis of the Justice League.
That's because you're a surprisingly small minded individual. Now shut up and let me work.
"No. I'm.. sympathetic, but compared to many of the people I've encountered, two murders barely registers. Mister Napier alone has killed-."
"He didn't kill my parents."
"Lots of people's parents die every day. Why should the man who killed yours get special attention?"
"Because it's what he deserves."
I shrug, shaking my head. "Why me?"
"Because-. Because I can't. I just sat there. They fell on the ground and I just sat there. I couldn't move, I couldn't think, I just stared up at him and he laughed at me."
There we are.
"Then, wouldn't it be better for you to be able to kill him yourself?"
She stills again. "I.. can't do that. I'm not a fake Tentacle Ogre with magic powers-."
"No." I tilt my head a little to the right. "But would you like to be?" Her eyes widen. "I ask, because I can make that happen. If it's what you want."
"An.. Ogre?"
"The Ogre thing isn't actually necessary. But if you like, I can give you power. Perhaps… Super speed? Like the Flash? You could pass through the prison walls like they were nothing, run down the halls faster than the cameras could track you… Vibrate his brain to pulp? Strike him repeatedly faster than the eye could see? Or perhaps a bladed weapon? Would you rather slice through his neck and watch his head fly off as his blood spurts out of his neck stump?"
Her eyes are wide and her mouth hangs open slightly. I don't need an orange ring to know how much she wants that. "What… What do you want from me in return?"
"I was serious, when I asked what was special about your parents. You aren't unique in your situation, Miss Amane. Any number of young women feel the same pain that you do, for the same reasons. Does that not seem.. unjust, to you?" She nods, hesitantly. "Then -once your own situation is resolved- I would like your assistance in doing something about it. I would not take up too much of your time. There would be no need for you to abandon your career-."
"You want to make me a superhero?"
I smile. "I want to make you a goddess. I want to set you free of your mortal limitations. I want to give you the power to decide who lives and who dies, and the guidance to use that power responsibly. If you say yes… Then it will be a difficult and violent road, my little death goddess, but this I will promise you. You will never be powerless again."
She's nodding before I've even finished my offer. "Yes. Yes, please, Prince Grayven. I want it. I want it so much. I want to be able to-."
I stand and move to the side into an empty area of the floor and motion to the space in front of me with my right hand. She gets up, not entirely steady on her feet, and stands before me for a moment before kneeling. "Please."
I lean forwards, touching her lightly on the forehead with my right forefinger. Sinestro, Garrick Formula infusion.
The air around us crackles with the signature electrical discharge that signals the Formula taking effect.
Done, Corpsman.
Father Box, Divine Awakening.
Ploong.
And I can feel it. Feel her soul expanding. Feel the idea of speed and motion making itself part of her at the most fundamental levels. It's glorious.
"Rise, Iname, New Goddess of Death." Miss Amane gets to her feet, taking a moment to stare at her right hand and vibrate it to a blur. "Now…" I look around the room, outside of my sound bubble. We've drawn a small crowd, passers by who decided to stop and gawk at the superhero and his coterie. I drop the barrier. "Shall we celebrate our compact in the traditional Japanese manner?"
She nods twice enthusiastically- "Yes, Master." -and then appears to hesitate. "Here? In public?"
"Of course. Where else would you perform karaoke? Bret!" I turn to face the chap a the counter. "This place has a live music licence, right?"
He nods. "Sure does, Mister Grayven."
"Right then." Can't muster that much fear power, but what the heck. Singing's not exactly a high power activity. I turn back to Amane. "I'll go first, you think about what song you want to do." She nods, and I walk towards the rear of the café before turning to take in my impromptu audience. Easy choice. Two yellow construct speakers appear next to me and a construct microphone appears in my right hand.
"Like an unsung melodaaaaa-aaaay!
The truth is waiting there for you to find it." I will help you.
I clench my left fist for emphasis, enunciating violently with all the passion this song requires.
"It's not a blight, but a remedaaa-aaaay!
A clear reminder of how it begaaaaan! You will become strong.
Deep inside your memoraaa-aaay!
Turned away as you struggled to find iyat."
I stare directly at Amane.
"You heard the call as you walked awaaaay.
A voice of calm from within the silence."
Then at Lynne.
"And for what seemed an eternity.
You wait and hoping it would call out agaa-aain!
You heard the shadow beckoning.
Then your fears seemed to keep you blinded.
You held your guard as you walked away." Trust me.
Now I'm not looking at anyone, throwing all of my energy into the song.
"When you think aaaaall!
Is forsaken,
Listen to me now. I will guide you.
You need never feel broken agaaaaaain!
Sometimes darkness can show you the liiiiiiiiiiiight!" You will be magnificent!
Well that all seemed a little bit schizophrenic. Let's see, we have a possible crossover/reference to an unrelated franchise, a tone shift from 'sex comedy misunderstanding' to 'traumatic family tragedy backstory' to 'congratulations you are now a super-speedy goddess of murder' to... karaoke. (Preceded by a single line of repeated 'sex comedy misunderstanding')
