Bulleteer 3
From Barbelith
Categories: Seven Soldiers Issues
"21st Century Schizoid Supermen"
Barbelith thread: My brain is totally made of solid muscle. (http://www.barbelith.com/topic/22290/from/175#post541807)
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Background and General Commentary
Synopsis:
Bulleteer has taken a job protecting the water-breathing Atlantean actress Suli Stellamaris, who seems to be in constant danger of poisoning. This means she will have to navigate the strange world of the Super-Hero Convention Circuit, home to fanboys and wanna-bes, porn-stars and pedants, has-beens and hopefuls. Alix is a natural listener and her kindly nature draws the attention of hangers-on like Mindgrabber Kid, a depressed and embittered grown-up sidekick. While Alix is hunting for info on Sally Sonic, her dead husband's on-line lover, she finds herself the target of the zombie-assasin Spyder, who in turn falls prey to the vengeful ghost of the Vigilante. However, the greatest danger of all may await Alix back home at her apartment, where her new teenaged roommate is more than she seems...
Annotations
| Featured Characters | Featured Locations |
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Page 1
PANEL 4: "...Miss Stellamaris, are you... Oh my god!"
Papers - "Huh. Suli Stellamaris was the Atlantean actress on the billboard in Shining Knight #2, for the "Cup of Blood" advert."
Page 4
PANEL 1: "...I, Spyder."
Enter Thomas Ludlow-Dalt. Introduced and slaughtered in Seven Soldiers 0, brought back as a Sheeda zombie servant of Gloriana Tenebrae in Shining Knight 3 and 4, and profiled by Agent Helligan last issue.
Page 7
PANEL 2: "Hey... ...You know who you totally have to meet? You know Susan Parr?"
I think Mindgrabber has got the woman's name wrong. This is Susan Barr. Born Susan Kent, she was the daughter of a police seargent who discovered that her chemist and criminologist boyfriend, Jim Barr, had a secret identity. The two eventually married and fought side by side as the heroes Bulletman and Bulletgirl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulletman_and_Bulletgirl).
The canine behind Susan may be the stuffed remains of Bulletdog, mentioned by Lance in Bulleteer 1. An image of Bulletdog's first appearance can be found linked on this page (http://www.geocities.com/cash_gorman/fawcett_heroes.html).
Page 8
PANEL 1: "Mm-Hmm! My brain is totally made of solid muscle. Heee hee!"
This is a cameo by Athena Tremor, a.k.a. Dumb Bunny, as the poster behind her indicates. Dumb Bunny is a member of the Inferior Five (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inferior_Five). The Inferior Five first appeared in Showcase #62 (1966) and had their own parody comic book that ran for twelve issues.
PANEL 2: "Eternal Superteen"
This booth is promoting the superheroine-themed pornographic website that Lance visited in Bulleteer 1.
Compare with: Eternal Gentleman's Outfitters, as seen on Zor/Ali-Ka-Zoom's top hat's tag.
PANEL 4: "...A lot of those girls grew up in cruel orphanages, hiding enormous powers behind some timid persona."
Mario - "That's how the original Supergirl's secret ID was set up."
This description could also apply to Sally Sonic, who was placed into Madame Martinette's Bleakdale Home for Bereaved Children where she poses as shy Sara Smart. We will learn Sally's back story next issue.
Page 9
PANEL 1: "So I wondered if you could comment on internet rumors that Millions the Mystery Mutt is actually immortal and now runs the U.S. Banking System. And does this have anything to do with the Cauldron of Rebirth...?"
This internet rumor does contain a kernel of truth, as we will learn in Seven Soldiers #1. Millions is indeed alive and well as a powerful financial backer with ties to Vincenzo Baldi's criminal business interests.
PANEL 3: Here we see five members of the "Sweethearts and Supervixens" discussion panel featured as part of the superhero convention.
Mario - "(far left): '-ANE' almost certainly Bette Kane, aka Flamebird, a Titans ally.
(far right): Ms. Mesmer, a former Supergirl villain, last seen in WW #175."
Thumbelina - One of the Eternal Superteens, seen in Bulleteer 1.
Etta Candy - Golden Age friend and sidekick to Wonder Woman, seen as the head of Zatanna's self-esteem support group in Zatanna 1 and 4.
Li'l Hollywood - former member of the Newsboys of Nowhere Street, seen in flashback in Guardian 4. Li'l Hollywood looks quite young compared to her teammates. Later on in the issue, Lucian says that "She can make herself look a lot younger than she is." If so, then all the Newsboys have some form of immortality: Vincenzo's cauldron, Baby Brains' eternal baby form, Ali-Ka-Zoom's phantom existence.
PANEL 4: "And ah, yes, Vincenzo Baldi was found dead at his home this morning. It was on CNN."
Vincenzo Baldi, a.k.a. Kid Scarface, a.k.a. The Undying Don was killed by Sheeda in Shining Knight 4 and Zatanna 3.
PANEL 6: "Lucian Crawley, Mind Grabber Man, ladies and gentlemen."
Lucian Crawley, a.k.a. Mind Grabber Man, a.k.a. Mindgrabber Kid (http://www.dcuguide.com/profile.php?name=mindgrabberkid) appeared as a member of Zatanna's self-esteem support group in Zatanna 1. He first appeared in Justice League of America #70.
Page 10
PANEL 5: "I blame the human streak in him. I should never have repaid that sleazy lighthouse keeper's kindness the way I did."
Mario - "Oh, an annotation I forgot. Stellamaris's reference to a lighthouse keeper is very similar to the Silver-Age Aquaman origin (before Atlan got involved). And her son has Namor's pointed ears..."
Page 11
Mario - "At Lil' Hollywood's table: The guy in the striped shirt is possibly Pat Dugan, formerly 'Stripesy' (the sidekick of the Star Spangled Kid) and occasional pilot of STRIPE. Notice two figures dressed like Boy Blue, from issue #0. Given DC history, I'm guessing these are the new Blue Boys." "I found him. Ladies & Gentlemen, I give you Karl Kyle (brother of Selina), the King of Cats: [link http://www.goldenagebatman.com/cover24.html]."
Stripesy was a member of the original Seven Soldiers of Victory.
Page 12
Alix is questioning Thumbelina in particular because she saw her in the Eternal Superteens website, back in the first issue.
Page 15
PANEL 2: "That's just what I tell HER!"
Although Lucian never identifies his older female mentor by name, we can deduce that he's talking about Lil' Hollywood. There's circumstantial evidence in the way they interact and the solicitation for this issue says: "Working as a bodyguard at a super-hero convention, Alix Harrower — the Bulleteer — finds herself enmeshed in the bizarre relationship between Li'l Hollywood, a faded super-impressionist, and her sidekick." Lucian is the sidekick.
Page 19
PANEL 3: "Help me! Gguuuhh! I been poisoned again!"
Though Spyder's arrow misses it's intended target, the Bulleteer, it does indirectly lead to a death. It draws the crowd away from Suli Stellamaris's tank so that there is no one there to save her when she is poisoned a second time. The most likely culprit in both poisonings is Suli's much-ignored and mistreated son Nepton, who won't raise a finger to save his attention-seeking mother.
Page 20
PANELS 3-4: "Sara Smart? It's you, isn't it? Sally Sonic."
There are several names in this issue with the alliterative initials SS, including Sara Smart, Sally Sonic, and Suli Stellamaris. Might this be because the name of the project is Seven Soldiers, and this also includes the initials SS?
Page 21
In the final panels of this issue, Sally Sonic hits Alix repeatedly with a refrigerator. "Women in Refrigerators" is a phrase coined to describe a phenomenon afflicting certain female supporting characters in comic books. "Women in Refrigerators Syndrome" occurs when a female supporting character is maimed, killed, or depowered as a plot device within a comic book story starring a male lead. The death or injury of a woman is often used to provide motivation for the male lead, and female characters seem to endure an unfair share of peril as a result. More on the phenomenon can be found here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Refrigerators) and here (http://www.unheardtaunts.com/wir/). The theory is named for Alex Dewitt, the girlfriend of Green Lantern Kyle Rayner who was killed by the villain Major Force and then stuffed into a refrigerator to psychologically torment the young hero.
Given that Alix recently experienced a tragedy that has disrupted her whole life, leaving her deformed, marginalized, and alone... Given that her origin came about as a side-effect of desires and motivations of her husband, the biggest male presence in her life, whether she wanted to be a part of it or not... Given that Alix is being beaten to death with a refrigerator at the end of this issue... Might there be some symbolic significance to Sally Sonic's choice of weapon?
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