Countdown #51 and Ronin’s ID
[details=Spoiler]
COUNTDOWN #51
Look to the Skies
Inks by Jimmy Palmiotti, Pencils by Jesus Saiz and written by Paul Dini
Now
The lab of Desaad?s lab on Apokolips
Desaad is visited by Darkseid who tells him, Desaad, that he sees ?the time fast approaching when existence itself shall be recreated and Darkseid shall be the architect.? Looking down at a number of miniatures that resemble DC heroes and villains, Darkseid picks up on that resembles the Joker?s Daughter, Duela and sets her back down.
Back on (one of the) Earths
Duela, visiting from a neighboring Earth, is in a bar and grabs a girl and jumps out the window in an attempt to kidnap her for 10 million dollars. Once outside the window Duela opens up a large balloon that is strapped to her back. As the two are floating down the balloon is shot and starts to lose air. Duela drops the girl to save herself and lands on a roof top. When Duela looks up she notices that the girl had been caught by the Red Hood (Jason Todd) and that it was the Red Hood that shot her balloon. Duela grabs the remains of the balloon and jumps off of the roof top, using the balloon now as a parachute. Red Hood fires at Duela, cutting the chute just above her hands causing her to drop. Duela grabs onto a flagpole and swings herself up onto a rooftop and takes off, only to be followed by Red Hood.
At a Hospital close by
Mary Marvel is being discharged after coming out of her coma. Mary is told that her bills have been paid for by Freddy Freeman. Mary is then handed a note left by Freddy telling her ?Don?t try and find me.? Mary leaves the hospital and says ?Shazam? but she does not change, instead it starts to rain. He turns and walks away telling herself that she is powerless, not helpless.
Rogue Heat Wave answers his apartment door to the Trickster who is standing there
with a bag of pretzels and a case of beer. Thinking that the pretzels are a trick, Heat Wave burns the bag only to find out that the trick was the case of beer which pops all over him. Trickster enters the apartment and goes downstairs where he and Heat Wave start to talk about the Flash and how the line between Rogues and the Flash have become blurred and the Trickster and Pied Pier were practically Flash?s sidekicks. Unknown to then, they were being watched by rat which is now being called back by the Pied Pier. ?We?ll have to play this carefully?if the Rogues really are planning something, I can?t let Trickster get in my way. But for now, let?s have another tune. No one wants to be the first guest at a party.
The chase between Duela and Red Hood continues. Duela turns around and shoots a
Spray-Taser which is blocked and sent back to her knocking her to the ground. As Duela looks up she notices that it wasn?t Red Hood that she tried to taser. Meanwhile, the Red Hood is handing the girl Duela tried to kidnap over to a police officer when he hears Duela scream and runs off towards her.
In an alleyway, Duela hops up onto the ladder of a fire escape only to have it shot out, sending her back to the ground. As she looks up she sees the same figure with a gun, ?This world is not yours. Your presence in it is not tolerated. The penalty is death.? Just as the figure is about to fire, it is attacked by the Red Hood and revealed to be a Monitor. When Jason asks ?What are you?? the Monitor tells him ?The Multiverse?s only hope? and turns and fires on Duela. Jason hits the Monitor who hits back in return sending Jason to the ground. The Monitor then pulls his gun and is about to shot Jason when another Monitor arrives and shots the first Monitor?s gun out of his hand.
M2: This is a gross violation of your jurisdiction, brother.
M1: Tell that to the World Jumpers, the Death Cheaters and the other criminals who defile the Multiverse.
M2: I?ll tell it to our society. You have acted without authorization.
M1: I need none to eradicate vermin. I?m sure the others will agree with me.
The first Monitor phases out leaving the second Monitor behind. The Monitor turns and looks at Duela and Red Hood and says he is sorry and then leaves himself. Red Hood goes over to Duela to find that she is dead.
Out in Space, the Source Wall
A Monitor arrives at the Source Wall in a protective bubble and starts to talk to the wall.
M: There is rising tension in the Multiverse. We who monitor its borders have felt this. It has created unrest even among our ranks. Why is this happening?
SW: Great Disaster (written in flame)
M: Then the end time that was foretold is fast approaching. You must tell me more. What is going to happen? How can it be prevented? What is the solution to the Great Disaster?
SW: Ray Palmer (written in flame)
New Avengers #30 also comes out this week with Ronin?s identity being revealed. I
won?t say who it is here but I will say look to the beginnings.[/details]
credit goes to mazingman at the dc boards
Told him I was a Nightwing fan and he said “Oh no, not one of you guys!”