From: [c--ve--n] at [cae.wisc.edu] (Michael Blakeman Cleveland) Subject: ZERO HOUR SUMMARIES: 2/7: ZERO HOUR #4 Date: 18 Jul 1994 16:16:51 GMT Non-spoiler review: Well, obviously, I'm going to have to conlude that this issue bears at least in some small part on the overall story. However, what we get are lots of little set-up scenes for the rest of the series (which is fine with me) and for some of the week's crossovers. Overall: No recommendation either way. Summary w/ spoilers: (Last time I tried a control-L, it didn't work, so spoiler space:) Zero Hour occurs mainly in scenes: Scene 1 shows some all-powerful, mysterious figure beating the crap out of the Time Trapper and hurling him back to time. I still believe that Extant was the one who pummeled him, but people have pointed out that we are not explicitly shown Extant. (continues into Legionnaires 18 (for completists) and Valor 23) Scene 2 shows Metron trying to convince Darkseid that iminent danger threatens everything. Darkseid doesn't believe and Metron goes off to recruit others. Scene 3 (also shown in Batman 511) shows Batgirl battling the Joker. Batman and Robin arrive and are _very_ surprised. As they leave to sort things out, another Robin (in the original costume) looks on. (continues in Batman 511) In scene 4, the Linear Men discover that the 71st century is gone, replaced by a wall of whiteness, and go to investigate leading to... Scene 5 (continued from Flash 94). Flash is battling Abra Kadabra in the 64th century when the big white wall arrives (as do Waverider and Hunter). Abra tries to help, and Wally is convinced to try to reach "ultimate speed"tm. Wally races into the wall and disappears, leaving Waverider holding his empty costume. Waverider and Hunter bug out as the 64th century vanishes. Scene 6. (continued from Batman 511 and Superman: The Man of Steel 37) Batman summons Superman in order to alert him about the time anomalies that are occurring. Metron also shows up to begin recruiting. Scene 7. Ah, the heroic Hal Jordan. The _real_ Green Lantern has been plucked out of time from early in his career by people in the 57th century (who have erased his memory and replaced it with the fictitious persona, Pol Manning.) Waverider and Hunter arrive in time for Hal to get killed by the white wall. Again, Waverider disappears, but Hunter doesn't escape in time. Scene 8. Carter Hall, the Golden Age Hawkman, is chasing Vandal Savage. When he catches him, Hawkman splits into many versions of Hawkman, including most of the ones we've seen through the years (Katar Hol ones included, and also including the thug from the Destiny's Hand storyline). This scene may not fit in well with the current storyline in Hawkman. (Carter Hall has been possessed by some sort of angry Thanagarian Hawk God.) Scene 9. Dr. Mist notes other versions of himself flickering in and out. He thinks about the Leymen. (Boy, was this a shameless plug for Primal Force, or what?) Scene 10. Superman and Metron recruit GL Kyle Rayner to send a message to all the other heros (including Superboy, Anima, the New Titans, Green Arrow, the Outsiders, the Ray, others i don't remember off the top of my head.) (This crosses over into Superboy 8 (although ZH shows him apparently in Hawaii, and Superboy 8 shows him in Smallville) and Legionnaires 18 (although the Legionnaires aren't shown in ZH). Presumably, it will cross into many other books as well.) Scene 11. Metron seeks out the Spectre, who refuses to help. Scene 12. Waverider rediscovers Crisis on Infinite Earths. Scene 13. The JSA meet up with Hawkman, whose alternate versions have disappeared. Vandal Savage also disappears, and Waverider reveals that time is also being destroyed from the beginning (and so Vandal Savage was never born.) Waverider also tells the JSA of Flash's death. Scene 14. Extant visits Vanishing Point and knocks out Matt Ryder and Liri of the Linear Men. (continues in Zero Hour 3) Pretty busy, huh? Really too busy to do anything more than set up the next chapter. Overall: I'll give it a wait-and-see 5/10.