With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

Chojin Patriarch · Jan 21, 2020

And if Science! fails, there's always Magic. Lex might have difficulty getting competent mages and/or alchemists though, even with the Light's aid...

Mr Zoat · Jan 21, 2020

19th March
23:22 GMT +5:30

"…that he was in South America during the War." Angelika smiles excitedly as we look down at the Valmiki facility. "I had no idea that he had a son!"

"How did your government know about him? He wasn't anything like as visible during the First World War as superheroes were during the Second."

"Aunty Gerri's grandfather met Professor Abednego Danner at a conference organised by the American Breeders' Association. That was where he received a sample of his formula."

"Does Germania have a lot of Danner enhanciles?"

"No, hardly any. Just Aunty Gerri and Imperial Cross. The Professor… Some of his claims seemed a little… Strange. Of course, now we know that he knew exactly what he was talking about, but… There were some very strange people drawn to the National Socialist cause in the early days."

…

She's not wrong.

"It wasn't until after the Great War that he heard about Hugo's strength from the soldiers who survived his attacks. He had the vial, so he gave it to his pregnant daughter."

"He didn't try to replicate it?"

"Yes, of course, when he found out that it worked. But Professor Danner was dead and mass spectroscopy did not exist yet. He wasn't even certain that the vial he had would still work, and he couldn't risk the chemical experiments he would need to perform to try and work out what was in it."

I suppose that makes sense.

"What was Squire saying about the location?"

I bow my head slightly.

"When the All-Star Squadron fought Hugo Danner's Children of Dawn, that area is.. more or less where the last fight took place. Dying super strong children fanatically throwing themselves at war veteran superheroes." I snort quietly. "I'm not surprised that the Squadron broke up after that."

"Why were they dying?"

"No resistance to European diseases. They got infected as soon as they left the jungle, then it was just a.. countdown."

"That is-."

I narrow my eyes slightly. "I really hope that you're not about to say-."

"I know that disease resistance comes from your ancestors having prior exposure, not from any greater destiny. But choosing a people who kept themselves isolated as his subjects was very poor planning. If he had recruited from the cities or other civilised areas he would not have had that problem."

True, I suppose. I wonder why he did it?

"What happened to him on your Earth?"

"He attempted to take over the country, but they were allied to the Confederated States of America. Axis Amerika intervened in defence of the Brazilian government and Great Horned Owl killed him with poisonous gas. It wasn't until after his body had been destroyed that they discovered his identity. We could not reverse engineer the Formula from his remains either."

"Or from your aunt?"

"No. Which is odd, but-" She shakes her head. "-I am not a chemist. How hard is it to reverse engineer?"

"I don't know. I used Hugo's own records." I start flying towards the facility entrance. "Come on, we shouldn't keep him waiting."

Doctor Munro waves at me as we fly closer, frowning mildly as he takes in Overgirl.

"Orange Lantern and… Overgirl?" She nods as she lands. "Paul, you remember Doctor Niang?"

The woman whom I initially thought was LexCorp's plant turned out to be a noted Chinese researcher they headhunted, and she accepted the job largely for a fresh start after her divorce. I haven't had all that much to do with her, but the steadily growing violet strands suggest that Doctor Munro and her have a great deal to do with one another.

I shake her right hand.

"A pleasure to see you again."

"Likewise."

Dr Munro smiles curiously. "So what's this about?"

"We have reason to believe that there's a formerly unknown Danner enhancile active in Brazil. They appear to have taken exception to the actions of a logging company."

"If so, that's.. hardly surprising. My father spent a lot of time working with several tribes deep in the Amazon. It was always unlikely that.. ev-." He winces, and Dr Niang looks at him with concern. "That.. everyone he worked with died. There'd been.. expeditions into the jungle before. Some would have had some exposure."

"And… There's no delicate way to put this, but you said that you might have inherited it-."

"No-. No, that-." He shakes his head emphatically. "There wasn't-. Ah-."

"That's fine. I just wanted to check."

Dr Niang puts her right hand on his left shoulder. I.. hadn't realised how distressing he'd find the idea. "Might the survivors from amongst the people Hugo Danner augmented have had their own children?"

"It's certainly possible. There are no publically acknowledged children of Danner enhanciles other than..- " I gesture to Dr Munro with my right hand. "-Doctor Munro, but then there aren't that many known Danner enhanciles. We really don't know what it does to fertility or virility."

"Aunty Gerri has never conceived." I turn to Angelika. "Though I.. suppose that she probably hasn't tried."

"In.. any case, any tribal groups probably aren't going to want to talk to me about one of the Children of Dawn attacking a logging camp. You, on the other hand-."

"I-. I don't-. I didn't.. even go deep inside the jungle, just the.. farms that were already up and running."

"Yes, but you're Hugo Danner's son. They're going to be a lot more willing to talk to their god's son than they are me."

"And… What do you want out of it?"

"I'd like some sort of reassurance that there won't be any further attacks. And.. to organise some sort of negotiation. Once random acts of violence are off the table my job is over."

He gazes blankly at me for a moment, then turns to Dr Niang. They look at each other for a moment, then he nods.

"Okay. I guess I.. should try talking to them. To stop making things worse. You wanna go now?"

Mr Zoat · Jan 21, 2020

Aeess said:
Except that Lex has scientists working for him capable of cloning full adults in a matter of months, Paul even informed him that cloning humans infused with the Danner formula would have been more effective than cloning Superman.

Lex wants to be able to use the Danner formula legitimately. Cloning humans is very illegal, and he knows that if it turns out that someone has cloned Dannered humans the League will look for any link to him. He's considered it, but it's most likely that he's decided that it isn't worth it.

thebishop8 · Jan 21, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
The look at each other for a moment,

Change "The" to "They".

Mr Zoat · Jan 21, 2020

thebishop8 said:
Change "The" to "They".

Thank you, corrected.

moralrelativity · Jan 21, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
no publically acknowledge children

acknowledged

Chojin Patriarch · Jan 21, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
"…that he was in South America during the War." Angelika smiles excitedly as we look down at the Valmiki facility. "I had no idea that he had a son!"

"How did your government know about him? He wasn't anything like as visible during the First World War as superheroes were during the Second."

Heck, on Earth-16, he apparently laid low during the war, working on the Children of Dawn - He'd have to have started at least ten years beforehand...

"Aunty Gerri's grandfather met Professor Abednego Danner at a conference organised by the American Breeders' Association. That was where he received a sample of his formula."

"Does Germania have a lot of Danner enhanciles?"

"No, hardly any. Just Aunty Gerri and Imperial Cross. The Professor… Some of his claims seemed a little… Strange. Of course, now we know that he knew exactly what he was talking about, but… There were some very strange people drawn to the National Socialist cause in the early days."

Over-Understatement! Must be one of those oddball powers Kryptonians exhibit for one issue of a comic and never get mentioned again.

…

She's not wrong.

"It wasn't until after the Great War that he heard about Hugo's strength from the soldiers who survived his attacks. He had the vial, so he gave it to his pregnant daughter."

Grabbing the Idiot Ball with both hands and his teeth, it seems.

"He didn't try to replicate it?"

"Yes, of course, when he found out that it worked. But Professor Danner was dead and mass spectroscopy did not exist yet. He wasn't even certain that the vial he had would still work, and he couldn't risk the chemical experiments he would need to perform to try and work out what was in it."

Probably a good thing for Earth 10's non-nationalist population. An entire country hopped up on a formula that gives superhuman physiology? Genuinely scary.

I suppose that makes sense.

"What was Squire saying about the location?"

Yes, do elaborate, even though many of us already know the answer.

I bow my head slightly.

"When the All-Star Squadron fought Hugo Danner's Children of Dawn, that area is.. more or less where the last fight took place. Dying super strong children fanatically throwing themselves at war veteran superheroes." I snort quietly. "I'm not surprised that the Squadron broke up after that."

Not a pleasant day of Righteous Face-punching. Not at all.

"Why were they dying?"

"No resistance to European diseases. They got infected as soon as they left the jungle, then it was just a.. countdown."

"That is-."

Not a word, Angelika....

I narrow my eyes slightly. "I really hope that you're not about to say-."

"I know that disease resistance comes from your ancestors having prior exposure, not from any greater destiny. But choosing a people who kept themselves isolated as his subjects was very poor planning. If he had recruited from the cities or other civilised areas he would not have had that problem."

Huh. Nazi-girl's honestly got a good point. Why DID Hugo Danner pick some out-of-the-way tribe to be empowered? Ease of convincing them he was a god, perhaps?

True, I suppose. I wonder why he did it?

"What happened to him on your Earth?"

"He attempted to take over the country, but they were allied to the Confederated States of America. Axis Amerika intervened in defence of the Brazilian government and Great Horned Owl killed him with poisonous gas. It wasn't until after his body had been destroyed that they discovered his identity. We could not reverse engineer the Formula from his remains either."

Ah, one of the few mundane weaknesses of Danner Enhanciles. Heavy firepower notwithstanding.

"Or from your aunt?"

"No. Which is odd, but-" She shakes her head. "-I am not a chemist. How hard is it to reverse engineer?"

"I don't know. I used Hugo's own records." I start flying towards the facility entrance. "Come on, we shouldn't keep him waiting."

Ah, OL, cheating from the original notes.

Doctor Munro waves at me as we fly closer, frowning mildly as he takes in Overgirl.

"Orange Lantern and… Overgirl?" She nods as she lands. "Paul, you remember Doctor Niang?"

The woman whom I initially thought was LexCorps' plant turned out to be a noted Chinese researcher they headhunted, and she accepted the job largely for a fresh start after her divorce. I haven't had all that much to do with her, but the steadily growing violent strands suggest that Doctor Munro and her have a great deal to do with one another.

Arnold, you dog! Got himself a bit of yellow fever, eh?

I shake her right hand.

"A pleasure to see you again."

"Likewise."

Skip the niceties, down to business!

Dr Munro smiles curiously. "So what's this about?"

"We have reason to believe that there's a formerly unknown Danner enhancile active in Brazil. They appear to have taken exception to the actions of a logging company."

Still calling it: A leftover from the Children of Dawn, who survived the sicknesses that killed his or her fellows, if not a driect by-blow of Hugo himself.

"If so, that's.. hardly surprising. My father spent a lot of time working with several tribes deep in the Amazon. It was always unlikely that.. ev-." He winces, and Dr Niang looks at him with concern. "That.. everyone he worked with died. There'd been.. expeditions into the jungle before. Some would have had some exposure."

"And… There's no delicate way to put this, but you said that you might have inherited it-."

Ah, finally looking at the possibility of an inheritable trait.

"No-. No, that-." He shakes his head emphatically. "There wasn't-. Ah-."

"That's fine. I just wanted to check."

Dr Niang puts her right hand on his left shoulder. I.. hadn't realised how distressing he'd find the idea. "Might the survivors from amongst the people Hugo Danner augmented have had their own children?"

Still likely inherited, given the tribesfolk surely wouldn't know how to make the formula, or apply it safely. Unless they treated it like some sort of magic...

"It's certainly possible. There are no publically acknowledge children of Danner enhanciles other than..- " I gesture to Dr Munro with my right hand. "-Doctor Munro, but then there aren't that many known Danner enhanciles. We really don't know what it does to fertility or virility."

"Aunty Gerri has never conceived." I turn to Angelika. "Though I.. suppose that she probably hasn't tried."

Heh. And I doubt In-vitro or other fertility aids haven't been researched there. The whole 'fitness to breed' thing again.

"In.. any case, any tribal groups probably aren't going to want to talk to me about one of the Children of Dawn attacking a logging camp. You, on the other hand-."

"I-. I don't-. I didn't.. even go deep inside the jungle, just the.. farms that were already up and running."

"Yes, but you're Hugo Danner's son. They're going to be a lot more willing to talk to their god's son than they are me."

Especially if he resembles his father at all.

"And… What do you want out of it?"

"I'd like some sort of reassurance that there won't be any further attacks. And.. to organise some sort of negotiation. Once random acts of violence are off the table my job is over."

Not invested in it at all, eh, OL?

He gazes blankly at me for a moment, then turns to Dr Niang. They look at each other for a moment, then he nods.

"Okay. I guess I.. should try talking to them. To stop making things worse. You wanna go now?"

No better time.

Well, then. One line of inquiry followed up on. Wonder how the others got on with theirs? Hopefully Dawn Warrior will be joining them for the search...
(Bloody Aussie weather. Would have had this up sooner but a storm knocked me offline for ten minutes...)

Ardy · Jan 21, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
Lex wants to be able to use the Danner formula legitimately. Cloning humans is very illegal, and he knows that if it turns out that someone has cloned Dannered humans the League will look for any link to him. He's considered it, but it's most likely that he's decided that it isn't worth it.

As yourself pointed out in your Captain Planet segment, it's a non-binding UN resolution banning human cloning, what does North Rhelasia give a shit if he sets up a super-soldier factory there, save that they have first dibs

Mr Zoat · Jan 21, 2020

moralrelativity said:
acknowledged

Thank you, corrected.

Handlewithcare · Jan 21, 2020

Why is Doctor Munro so distressed again?

Chojin Patriarch · Jan 21, 2020

Handlewithcare said:
Why is Doctor Munro so distressed again?

Wasn't he part of the All-Star Squadron that dealt with the Children of Dawn uprising? So he saw first-hand the fate of people who were identical to himself in power.

Navi-Hank · Jan 21, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
violent strands

Violet

Mr Zoat · Jan 21, 2020

Navi-Hank said:
Violet

Thank you, corrected.

RichardWhereat · Jan 21, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
Lex wants to be able to use the Danner formula legitimately. Cloning humans is very illegal.

Cloning humans is only illegal in most countries, not all.

And even if it is in all countries in DC 16, that's what buying politicians is for.

Vaermina · Jan 21, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
Lex wants to be able to use the Danner formula legitimately. Cloning humans is very illegal, and he knows that if it turns out that someone has cloned Dannered humans the League will look for any link to him. He's considered it, but it's most likely that he's decided that it isn't worth it.

Lexcorp is a multinational corporation.

He would just have to do the cloning in a country where human cloning was legal, of which there are a number.

RichardWhereat said:
Cloning humans is only illegal in most countries, not all.

And even if it is in all countries in DC 16, that's what buying politicians is for.

Dammit, ninjed.

Massgamer · Jan 21, 2020

A native tribe(s) of super powered peoples deep in Amazon that only now have had contact with outside world due to extreme logging is certainly a cool plotline.

I hope this works out and if it does Brazil and other governments will have to be very careful about logging Amazon from now on if local population takes exception to destroying their native lands.

Simonbob · Jan 21, 2020

Ardy said:
As yourself pointed out in your Captain Planet segment, it's a non-binding UN resolution banning human cloning, what does North Rhelasia give a shit if he sets up a super-soldier factory there, save that they have first dibs

While that's true, it's also a problem in more civilised locales.

There'll be terrible PR, and a lot of people in the US who won't like it, either for moral reasons, or because it empowers a non-US country.

It's not impossible that he'd make enemies of the US Military in the process. And, the Justice League doesn't really care where it is. They can go pretty much anywhere on the planet, when they feel it's needed.

And, last? He has the most control in the US. Lexcorp is a US corp more than anything else. Connections? Picking the must understood candidates? Gov support in the ways he wants, and not so much in the ways he doesn't? Even the tech and staff is easier in the US. A thousand Supers in North Rhelasia is going to go too shit.

He's doing it slower than if he went the other ways, but, what happened when he went the other way? It doesn't matter how quick you are, it it never works anyway.

Besides, he's busy building a Space Navy. If he gets bored of that, perhaps he'll reconsider.

RichardWhereat · Jan 21, 2020

Simonbob said:
Besides, he's busy building a Space Navy. If he gets bored of that, perhaps he'll reconsider.

That's only in the renegade timeline where he is no longer a supervillain.

Stsword · Jan 21, 2020

Chojin Patriarch said:
Wasn't he part of the All-Star Squadron that dealt with the Children of Dawn uprising? So he saw first-hand the fate of people who were identical to himself in power.

I haven't gotten the impression that Iron Monroe had a superhero career in this story.

I remember thinking that was a shame. In the comics, young Clark Kent read and was inspired by the Iron Monroe comic book. Batman preferred
Crimson Avenger instead.

I thought that was a nice nod to Gladiator's part in inspiring Superman.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Huh. Nazi-girl's honestly got a good point. Why DID Hugo Danner pick some out-of-the-way tribe to be empowered? Ease of convincing them he was a god, perhaps?

He had decided to turn his back on civilization. "What has civilization ever done for me?" was his attitude.

However much being worshiped as a god had to do with it, he had enough shame to keep that to himself.

ForeverShogo · Jan 21, 2020

So no multi-continent Greater Germanic Reich it seems. I guess Zoat is ignoring that the Nazis decided to rename America to Germanica.

Makes Earth 10 a lot more mundane, but it also makes it more realistic.

Wonder if this means Mittelafrika never happened, either?

Darko · Jan 21, 2020

Zoat you gave us an explanation of how the Bat family will feel about paragon OL in the future, most liking him except Batman, can you give us one about how the Bat family will feel about the renegade in the future?

Will Power show up in the paragon story, or in a April Fools episode?

Mr Zoat · Jan 21, 2020

RichardWhereat said:
That's only in the renegade timeline where he is no longer a supervillain.

Half of that is true.

ForeverShogo said:
So no multi-continent Greater Germanic Reich it seems. I guess Zoat is ignoring that the Nazis decided to rename America to Germanica.

It was a stupid idea so I decided to ignore it.

Wonder if this means Mittelafrika never happened, either?

No, Greater Germainia expanded their territory in Africa at the expense of the other European nations. Not hugely because they didn't have the people to settle Eastern Europe and Africa at the same time.

Darko said:
Zoat you gave us an explanation of how the Bat family will feel about paragon OL in the future, most liking him except Batman, can you give us one about how the Bat family will feel about the renegade in the future?

Basically the same as he does now: mild concern.

Will Power show up in the paragon story, or in a April Fools episode?

Will who show up?

Darko · Jan 21, 2020

Sorry will Power Girl show up in the paragon timeline, or in an April Fools like episode?

Mr Zoat · Jan 21, 2020

Darko said:
Sorry will Power Girl show up in the paragon timeline, or in an April Fools like episode?

Yes, in canon series 2.

Stsword · Jan 21, 2020

Okay, Power Girl, that makes sense.

DC does have a Will Power, Johnny Thunder's illegitimate son.

But I didn't think enough people had read Primal Force for him to get requests.

Chaoswind · Jan 21, 2020

So does this mean Kara will eventually become power girl, or we will get another Kryptonian woman to play the role?

I am not familiar with the comics alternative origins of Power Girl so anyone be free to clarify.

SIDoragon · Jan 21, 2020

Curious that they have gone this far down the Danner formula rabbit hole without any actual evidence that it is, in fact, a Danner Enhanced person who is doing this.

rdfox · Jan 21, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
It was a stupid idea so I decided to ignire it.

I saw this line, Zoat, and this instantly popped into my head:

Steelplaza · Jan 21, 2020

This is one of those points in a long-running story where it would be really useful to have a short summary of all the "Danner Formula" stuff to remind readers of what is going on. I mean, it's all been in the story previously, but a lot of it was literal real-time years-ago with many, many chapters/arcs in between. I can't completely recall myself what the deal is with Iron Monroe, how the Danner formula was created, what their current status is, or any of that.

And then thing is, there's plenty of excuse to just have OL "explain the situation" to Overgirl (but really to remind the readers). Like, "I don't know exactly how it went down in your universe but here the Danner formula was invented by blah-blah-blah, they did this-and-that, the superheroes intervened here, the formula languished there, and here's where we are today". Could be done in a paragraph or two, probably.

Coda · Jan 21, 2020

Chojin Patriarch said:
Why DID Hugo Danner pick some out-of-the-way tribe to be empowered? Ease of convincing them he was a god, perhaps?

Maybe being out of the way, with a population not likely to interbreed outside of the area, was a safety precaution in case things went wrong, and/or a way to keep the endowed powers from getting into the hands of his enemies. People from a "civilized" area would have their own ideas about politics, after all.

Navi-Hank said:
Violet

Nah, she's just tsundere.

With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

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