I wish you to aid me in a Holy Quest! 
- — Synnar
Strange Adventures (Volume 3) #8 is an issue of the series Strange Adventures (Volume 3) with a cover date of December, 2009.
Synopsis for "Hard Bargaining"
Coriolis presents Bizarro to Deacon Dark and Synnar. Synnar tells to Dark and Coriolis to give him some time alone with Bizarro. Synnar again assumes his facade as Superman in order to gain Bizarro's trust and attention. Synnar promises Bizarro that he will eliminate the confusion from Bizarro's mind thus making him a stronger but cunning warrior that could rival the real Superman if he willingly joins his Aberrant Six. Bizarro agrees to be a part of Synnar's cabal. Synnar fulfills his end of the bargain and makes Bizarro so intelligent that he can carry on a conversation without stammering. Synnar then teleports himself and Bizarro to the once desolate dark zone.
Synnar and Bizarro appear before the others. Everyone wonders why Synnar chose Bizarro to be the last member of the Aberrant Six. Synnar explains that the fates chose Bizarro because Hawkman was killed by a black lantern back on Earth. Synnar then changes the conversation by establishing negotiations with the remaining members of the Aberrant Six. Bizarro has chosen to cooperate with Synnar in exchange for his enhanced intelligence. Synnar explains that the cosmic balance isn't a clear cut process because major forces within it are easily discerned due to hidden factors that are in play. Synnar has obtained near infinite power but his ambitions have not been realized because the other members of the Aberrant Six aren't cooperating with him. The each member of the Aberrant Six has a unique status within the cosmic balance.
Each member resides outside the astral norms of actuality thus making them cosmically different. In short, each member is an unsuspecting representation of the different aspects of life. Bizarro has been deemed Life's warrior despite his insane conception and twisted spirit. Adam Strange is Life's thinker, the Weird is Life's mystic, Prince Gavyn is Life's seeker, Eye is Life's dark soul and Comet is Life's fool. A tragic event that occurred in each of their lives has set them apart from the cosmic norm which makes them aberrations of reality. For the Weird and Comet, death and unnatural resurrection made them aberrations. For Gavyn, mystical means forced him into a life that he wasn't meant for and because of it, his existence has been plagued by loss as well as sorrow. Synnar promises to right this imbalance and take away Gavyn's pain.
Gavyn doesn't believe Synnar but Synnar's power allows him to make anything he imagines into a reality. Synnar can mold time and space which can either raise the dead or alter the past. Gavyn can become all that he should be and have everything that he has lost. Gavyn decides to cooperate with Synnar and Synnar imbues Gavyn with awesome power. Gavyn now calls himself Fusion but Synnar didn't resurrect those that Gavyn had lost. However, the power that Gavyn now wields has overtaken his morality and he no longer cares about anyone or anything.
Comet holds his ground from Synnar's temptations. Synnar is well aware that Comet not corrupt enough to tempt, not brave enough to sacrifice, not dumb enough to trick and not smart enough to reason with. The only way that Synnar will ever get Comet to make a deal with him is by stimulating Comet's pain threshold. Synnar creates constructs of the Justice League to pummel Comet because as Synnar points out a crucial element in any belief system requires conditioning. Synnar will not tolerate any questioning of his divine authority thus adoration requires a Pavlovian response. Comet finally submits and agrees to cooperate with Synnar because he knows someone will be the wild card which will destroy Synnar's ambitions.
Synnar turns his focus to the Weird. The Weird submits quite easily because he views Synnar's desire to confront the supreme being will not be denied and Synnar would sacrifice anyone or anything to achieve his goal thus their efforts of thwarting Synnar would be fruitless. The Weird sees no reason to struggle with the inevitable but he is curious to see how this cosmic drama plays out. The Weird agrees to cooperate with Synnar.
Synnar offers Eye the chance to overcome the truth behind her so called amnesia which got her institutionalized. Eye refuses to face what she has tried so hard to forget. Synnar has no other choice but to use his telepathic ability to reach back into Eye's sub-conscious and have relive the awful truth. Eye begins to have flashbacks of her standing over the corpses of alien gorillas similar to Xaltoon. Eye realizes that she was responsible for the slaughter of these simian aliens because they had perpetrated a mass genocide of her people. Eye knew what she was doing and she killed the guilty as well as the innocent with no remorse.
Eye begins to cry over what she has done but Synnar's offer to erase this awful memory or alter the past is still on the table if Eye joins his Aberrant Six. Eye stops crying and angrily faces Synnar with her revelation. If the Aberrant Six are outside the cosmic norm then there actions are unpredictable to any cosmic being including Synnar which is why he needs their cooperation. The Aberrant Six could pose a problem to Synnar's ascension to becoming the next supreme being. Eye turns to Comet and embraces him with her final but most passionate kiss. Eye sacrifices herself by ordering her orb to explode her head in order to prevent Synnar from achieving his goal.
Adam Strange falls to his knees with relief and regret because he didn't want to but he was willing to make the same sacrifice as well in order to prevent Synnar from obtaining his godhood. Synnar accepts his momentary defeat and gives Eye's orb to Comet. Synnar leaves Comet with a cryptic remark that Eye will need the orb when she returns. Comet is still shocked that Eye is gone but at the same time, he is puzzled by what Synnar said about Eye's eventual resurrection. Synnar then turns to Adam and tells him to savor this victory because the negotiations aren't over. When Eye returns, Synnar intends to win over both her and Adam.
Synnar opens a portal to make his exit while Bizarro and Prince Gavyn follow behind him because they have embraced Synnar wholeheartedly. Comet, Adam and the Weird bury Eye's body on the same meteor that they were travelling along in the dark zone. The Weird returns to Earth and finds the stone ship that he carved from volcanic rock on an island. The stone ship was meant as a present to Walter Langley's son Billy. The Weird becomes anxious to see Billy because Billy has undoubtedly matured into manhood. The Weird also wants to reconnect with Superman and the Justice League.
Comet places Eye's orb on the mantle that hangs above his fireplace. Both Tyrone and Comet mourn the loss of Eye. Comet doesn't know whether he should hold out hope for Eye's eventual return or accept the possible fact that Synnar could have been lying. Adam returns to Throneworld and relays the sad news about Prince Gavyn joining Synnar. Sardath and the Rannian council decide to take advantage of the situation by renaming Throneworld as New Rann. Adam heads home and finds his loved ones asleep. Adam then sits in a chair and contemplates how he will outsmart Synnar when the fateful day of his return comes.
Appearing in "Hard Bargaining"
Featured Characters:
- Adam Strange
- Bizarro
- Captain Atom
- Eye (Dies)
- Starman
- Weird
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Coriolis
- Deacon Dark
- Synnar
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
Publication date: October 7, 2009
See Also