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CONTINUING BOOK TWO: THE RED KING SYNDROME
CHAPTER TWO
SUMMARY: While in the woods one day, Miracleman encounters 9-year-old Jason Oakey. Jason looks Miracleman up and down and asks if he is a superhero. Miracleman supposes he is one and introduces himself. After Jason snickers at Miracleman’s “tinkerbell” effect, Miracleman demonstrates his strength by pulverizing a large stone in one punch. Taken aback, Jason asks, “Could you save the world, or at least me and my mates, if they had a nuclear war?” The reply: “I wouldn’t like to promise … but I’d do by best.” Satisfied, Jason shakes Miracleman’s hand and they part ways. Upon returning home, Miracleman can’t wait to tell Liz about what happened. But their apartment has been ransacked. And Liz is gone.
COMMENTS: I was ready to return to the two-part recaps I did for “A Dream of Flying,” but I thought this chapter would generate enough discussion on its own. Even though it’s almost a throwaway story to separate the violent moments in Book One from the violence to come, it seems to resonate with many readers. Neil Gaiman even revisits this story in “The Golden Age.” It reminds me of “This Man … This Monster.” Despite all the incredible adventure tales that Lee and Kirby told before and after on Fantastic Four, many people single out issue 51 in their minds, a one-off story at about the midway point of their collaboration about a man who impersonates the Thing. Similarly, this story is at about the halfway point of Moore’s run and stands out as being a little different yet very memorable. Finally, go back and reread the exchange between Jason and Miracleman from my summary. At this point, Moore knew exactly where the story was headed.
Again with the worry over the threat of nuclear armageddon. Like Watchmen.
The worry of nuclear armageddon seems common in early 1980s literature, not just in Alan Moore's works. In retrospect. it's what dates stories such as Miracleman and Watchmen the most.
“The Red King Syndrome” is, in terms of both narrative and art, very much a transition story, an utterly fascinating and absolutely necessary transition story, but a transition story nonetheless.
Right on the money. I do like it because it delivers on the promise of Book One. But it suffers in other areas, such as the transition from British to American publication, and the many artist changes in later chapters.
Again with the worry over the threat of nuclear armageddon. Like Watchmen.
The worry of nuclear armageddon seems common in early 1980s literature, not just in Alan Moore's works. In retrospect. it's what dates stories such as Miracleman and Watchmen the most.
“The Red King Syndrome” is, in terms of both narrative and art, very much a transition story, an utterly fascinating and absolutely necessary transition story, but a transition story nonetheless.
Right on the money. I do like it because it delivers on the promise of Book One. But it suffers in other areas, such as the transition from British to American publication, and the many artist changes in later chapters.
Up to now, Marvelman has meant the most to me as a kind of mirror up to Superman himself. I'm sure it wasn't Moore's intention, but when you compare him to Marvelman, Kal-El is compassionate and driven by a sense of justice. He's understanding of our failings as humans, but optimistic that we can find our own way forward without him imposing anything on us. He's humble in knowing that the world is too complex for one person to impose their idea of perfection on it.
As Moore showed with Supreme, just because you have an all-powerful being doesn't mean he has to take over the world. It's just what Miracleman did. I think too many people looked at this story and saw it as definitive. It's a great story, and one that's excellently told, but as Moore proved with his later work, there are other paths.
CONTINUING BOOK TWO: THE RED KING SYNDROME
INTERLUDE
SUMMARY: (In my edition, this is printed between chapters 3 and 4) We are back in 1961, and Gargunza is trying to keep the Miracleman family from waking. He introduces Hypnos, Deacon of Delirium into the scenario, but it only makes Miracleman angrier. He lunges at Hypnos and pulls off his mask, revealing Gargunza underneath, and he realizes that Gargunza has been responsible for their strange dream-like world all along. (Uh-oh.) “Give me the answers, Gargunza!” Miracleman yells. “Give me the answers or I’ll kill you!” In a fit of desperation, the real Gargunza narrates into the dream program, “And then the Miracleman family woke up … and it had all been a dream.” It works, and the Miracleman family goes on to other adventures. The crisis has been averted … for now.
CHAPTERS 3 AND 4
SUMMARY: After Liz’s disappearance, Miracleman calls in Cream and they attempt to learn who kidnapped her. Cream makes two calls and rules out Bates, who is still in the hospital and nonresponsive, and Archer, who, once threatened, reveals it only could have been Zarathustra’s mastermind, Dr. Gargunza. Cream learns Gargunza is in Paraguay, and they make arrangements to fly there. Miracleman gets civilian clothes, not wanting to involve Moran. “Sometimes,” Cream thinks, “I almost understand him.” Elsewhere, Gargunza introduces himself to Liz and immediately takes an interest in her unborn child. Liz remains oddly calm as Gargunza orders doctors to conduct an ultrasound. (“It’s a girl,” says Gargunza. “I know,” says Liz.) But he is taken aback when, during further testing, the child opens her eyes and stares straight into the camera, right at Gargunza.
COMMENTS: In the interlude, we get another tantalizing peek at the Zarathustra days and start to learn Gargunza’s motivation for creating the Miracleman family. In narration, it says his desire is to live forever, and creating superhumans is a step toward that. But the superhumans were so powerful that he had no choice but to keep them locked away in a dream world. In Chapters 3 and 4, there’s a lot of emotion packed in that gets lost in my summary; for example, seeing Miracleman (not Mike, but Miracleman) frightened at the prospect of Bates with his wife, and seeing Archer’s desperation after falling for Cream’s bluff that he’ll have Miracleman level England’s cities one by one if Liz isn’t released. Yet, there’s also Liz’s eerie calmness and Gargunza’s unexpected interest in her child. The mystery is really deepening.