Black Adam’s Very Bad Day
Black Adam is one of the most complex anti-heroes in DC Comics lore. The predecessor of Captain Marvel, Teth-Adam brought an eye-for-an-eye mentality during his shift from black-as-night baddie to tortured anti-hero.
Black Adam will set off World War III in 52 #50 and given the events of the latest comics, it’s no wonder. Let’s take a look at the play-by-play which caused it all.
Major Spoilers Below:
The Four Horseman: Not very original, especially consider the Marvel counterparts, servants of Apocalpyse, appeared a little while back. These Four Horseman bring major pain to Black Adam’s kingdom, and do worse to his family. But while Apocalpyse’s Horseman bear a psychological threat as often former members of the X-Men, only Sobek, the treacherous Horseman of Famine stands out as memorable in 52. All the rest are glorified cannon fodder for an enraged Black Adam.
Osiris: Two questions. Did he have to die, and did he have to die so gosh-darned horribly? I believe the answer to both is a resounding “No!” Osiris actually overshadows Black Adam in the later issues as the younger, optimistic brother-in-law determined not to succumb to violence in the path to becoming a hero. Wracked with guilt, however, after the accidental killing of a bloodthirsty supervillian, Osiris lets his guard down around Sobek, then masquarding as the obligatory animal sidekick, who feasts of the young man’s flesh as he powers down. He is found torn apart the next day by Adam and Isis.
Now don’t get me wrong - Osiris does have it coming. His blissful innocence prevents him from seeing the classic crocodile tears. Osiris should pay the price. He should be maimed, wounded, even disfigured. But why does he have to be killed? Why is DC so focused and determined to kill off young heroes, after hailing Infinite Crisis as a return to the Silver Age? Seems a step backwards rather than forwards.
Isis: The first woman to stand toe-to-toe with Black Adam, I wasn’t at all surprised that she bit the bullet. Isis sacrafices herself to stop a Horseman before falling victim to Pestilence. Like Osiris, an opportunity missed. Her brother Osiris at least was able to mingle with the likes of the Teen Titans and Suicide Squad, while Isis went from suprising supporting character to amazing female lead to tragic eye candy in the course of several issues. Worse, since she, like Black Adam, was overshadowed by the Osiris subplot, the full measure of her ultimate heroism seems more like a final footnote more than anything else. If there is any justice, Isis should have a listing at Women in Refrigerators at the very least.
Expect more on 52 when I finally get the remaining issues in the mail!
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