Final Crisis: Rogues’ Revenge #2
Not a lot to say about this issue, other than "oh wow." Also, having finally gotten to read DC UNIVERSE: LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT, I'm not going to be annotating it here--it doesn't make any direct references to FINAL CRISIS proper, and it can't possibly fit anywhere in the timeline, despite the original claim that it would be "in-continuity" and "positioned between issues #3 and #4 of FINAL CRISIS." C'est la vie. Let's just call it apocryphal.
Pg. 1:
The character in panel 3 is Black Manta, created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy, who first appeared in 1967's AQUAMAN #35. The cold thing he did that he's referring to is killing Aquaman's infant son in ADVENTURE COMICS #452--foreshadowing the end of this issue.
On the left of panel 5 is the Rudy Jones version of the Parasite, created by John Ostrander and Joe Brozowski, who first appeared in THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #58 (in a sequence of events instigated by Darkseid!), based on a character created by Jim Shooter and Al Plastino who first appeared in 1966's ACTION COMICS #340. Not sure who the guy on the right is--is it Metallo?
Pg. 3:
Golden Glider first appeared in 1977's FLASH #250, and Chillblaine killed her in 1996's FLASH #113. (It's probably worth noting that he had gotten his cold weapons from her, and that she'd been giving guys cold weapons and calling them Chillblaine for a while--in fact, she killed the first one herself in FLASH ANNUAL #5. But the Rogues, as previously noted, are prone to self-deception.)
Pg. 4:
Paul Gambi, created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, first appeared in 1963's FLASH #141. Chill, created by Frank Tieri and Jim Calafiore, first appeared in GOTHAM UNDERGROUND #4.
Pg. 5:
Also debuting in GOTHAM UNDERGROUND #4: Weather Witch, Mr. Magic, Mirror Man. Burn first turned up in GOTHAM UNDERGROUND #8.
Pg. 7:
The cosmic treadmill explosion was in FLASH #196. [Thanks to Kelson for the correction.]
Pg. 9:
The introductory dialogue here is one of the occasional signs that this was condensed from a 6x22-page story to a 3x30-page story...
Pg. 11:
Heat Wave actually went straight twice: once in the early '90s, once in the late '90s, apparently both times under the influence of the Top.
Pg. 13:
Johns always did write Weather Wizard as a little bit more brainy than the other Rogues.
Pg. 15:
Sam Scudder (the first Mirror Master) died in CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #10.
Pg. 16:
We first saw Weather Wizard's kid, Josh Jackam, in 2001's FLASH #170. [Thanks for the correction, Kelson.] As we'll see later, he's got his father's eyes.
Pg. 17:
Yeah, it really wouldn't be a Geoff Johns comic without a little dismemberment, would it?
Pg. 19:
I wouldn't say the Pied Piper is "the only Rogue left who's on the straight-and-narrow"--what about the second Captain Boomerang and Goldface?
Pg. 20:
This ties directly into FC #2-3, of course.
Pg. 20:
For the sake of completeness (and because I don't have a lot of my back issues at hand), anybody know if the nameless Snart-dad first appeared before 2002's FLASH #182? I don't think so--and his face was never quite shown in that issue either.
Pg. 23:
Len did actually cry in FLASH #182.
Pg. 27:
Anybody know what "the observatory" is? I'm drawing a blank here. [ETA: the consensus is that it's probably Clyde Mardon's laboratory on Big Water Lake, as seen in FLASH #110, which makes sense.]
Pg. 29:
Can somebody please parse the phrase "they can unlock the door that our great evil has shut"? Interesting, also, that Abra Kadabra and Dr. Alchemy aren't counted among "the Rogues" proper, especially since Mr. Magic was part of the new Rogues.
Okay, quick quiz: are Libra's eyes white (as seen in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #111)? Are they blue (as seen in DC UNIVERSE 0)? Are they red (as seen on this page)?
Pg. 30:
The correct answer is: purple! Or maybe it's some trick of the light that's also changed Josh's hair from brown to black.
Pg. 1:
The character in panel 3 is Black Manta, created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy, who first appeared in 1967's AQUAMAN #35. The cold thing he did that he's referring to is killing Aquaman's infant son in ADVENTURE COMICS #452--foreshadowing the end of this issue.
On the left of panel 5 is the Rudy Jones version of the Parasite, created by John Ostrander and Joe Brozowski, who first appeared in THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #58 (in a sequence of events instigated by Darkseid!), based on a character created by Jim Shooter and Al Plastino who first appeared in 1966's ACTION COMICS #340. Not sure who the guy on the right is--is it Metallo?
Pg. 3:
Golden Glider first appeared in 1977's FLASH #250, and Chillblaine killed her in 1996's FLASH #113. (It's probably worth noting that he had gotten his cold weapons from her, and that she'd been giving guys cold weapons and calling them Chillblaine for a while--in fact, she killed the first one herself in FLASH ANNUAL #5. But the Rogues, as previously noted, are prone to self-deception.)
Pg. 4:
Paul Gambi, created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, first appeared in 1963's FLASH #141. Chill, created by Frank Tieri and Jim Calafiore, first appeared in GOTHAM UNDERGROUND #4.
Pg. 5:
Also debuting in GOTHAM UNDERGROUND #4: Weather Witch, Mr. Magic, Mirror Man. Burn first turned up in GOTHAM UNDERGROUND #8.
Pg. 7:
The cosmic treadmill explosion was in FLASH #196. [Thanks to Kelson for the correction.]
Pg. 9:
The introductory dialogue here is one of the occasional signs that this was condensed from a 6x22-page story to a 3x30-page story...
Pg. 11:
Heat Wave actually went straight twice: once in the early '90s, once in the late '90s, apparently both times under the influence of the Top.
Pg. 13:
Johns always did write Weather Wizard as a little bit more brainy than the other Rogues.
Pg. 15:
Sam Scudder (the first Mirror Master) died in CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #10.
Pg. 16:
We first saw Weather Wizard's kid, Josh Jackam, in 2001's FLASH #170. [Thanks for the correction, Kelson.] As we'll see later, he's got his father's eyes.
Pg. 17:
Yeah, it really wouldn't be a Geoff Johns comic without a little dismemberment, would it?
Pg. 19:
I wouldn't say the Pied Piper is "the only Rogue left who's on the straight-and-narrow"--what about the second Captain Boomerang and Goldface?
Pg. 20:
This ties directly into FC #2-3, of course.
Pg. 20:
For the sake of completeness (and because I don't have a lot of my back issues at hand), anybody know if the nameless Snart-dad first appeared before 2002's FLASH #182? I don't think so--and his face was never quite shown in that issue either.
Pg. 23:
Len did actually cry in FLASH #182.
Pg. 27:
Anybody know what "the observatory" is? I'm drawing a blank here. [ETA: the consensus is that it's probably Clyde Mardon's laboratory on Big Water Lake, as seen in FLASH #110, which makes sense.]
Pg. 29:
Can somebody please parse the phrase "they can unlock the door that our great evil has shut"? Interesting, also, that Abra Kadabra and Dr. Alchemy aren't counted among "the Rogues" proper, especially since Mr. Magic was part of the new Rogues.
Okay, quick quiz: are Libra's eyes white (as seen in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #111)? Are they blue (as seen in DC UNIVERSE 0)? Are they red (as seen on this page)?
Pg. 30:
The correct answer is: purple! Or maybe it's some trick of the light that's also changed Josh's hair from brown to black.