- I expected more. Where I come from - you're soft.
- — Powergirl, while defeating four members of the Justice League
Tangent: Superman's Reign #5 is an issue of the series Tangent: Superman's Reign (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 2008.
Synopsis for "Tangent: Superman's Reign - Chapter 5"
On Tangent Earth, Powergirl has demanded the surrender of the heroes after incapacitating Manhunter. The heroes attack her, but most of their powers relate to energy, and they are defeated. When Lia Nelson realises that Manhunter is dead, she tries to attack Powergirl out of rage, but is knocked out. Spectre phases his hand through Powergirl's shoulder, incapacitating her long enough for Spectre, Batman, and the Green Lantern to escape while Black Lightning stops her from following them. When they are defeated, Powergirl calls for a extraction to deal with them, commenting that "challengers to our Lord's rule are pouring out of the woodwork."
Continuing their walk, Hex and Lori Lemaris have somehow managed to walk from the storm drains of New Atlantis to Hex's base, a cavern bathed in red light. Its magical nature shields it from the Superman's probes; his forces are especially afraid of magic, since it can evade their sensors. Lemaris comments that her prison interrogators spent months questioning her on the Green Lantern. The remnants of the Secret Six are making a move, and Hex and his associate are hoping that they and Lemaris can help. After she refuses, Hex's associate gives her the news that Manhunter is dead, and they need her for their new plan.
In Switzerland, Powergirl arrives at the Superman's home. They kiss passionately, causing John Stewart and the Atom to comment. The Superman wants to know about New Earth, but John refuses to tell anything. Psychically assaulting him, the Superman gets a vision of the heroes and villains of New Earth - those with powers and those without, every one a potential threat to his control of Tangent Earth. He forces John to surrender his ring, and makes plans to go to New Earth.
In New Atlantis, Batman, the Green Lantern and Spectre have teleported to Spectre's secret base. Registered under a false name, it provides the heroes with a lab. Even better, it is the current abode of of Guther Ganz, the hero known as Plastic Man, assumed dead and eager to start helping...
Appearing in "Tangent: Superman's Reign - Chapter 5"
Featured Characters:
- Flash (Earth-9)
- Green Lantern (Earth-9)
- Flash (New Earth)
- John Stewart (Green Lantern)
- Lori Lemaris (Earth-9)
- Atom (Earth-9)
- Manhunter (Earth-9) (Final appearance; dies)
- Spectre (Earth-9)
- Batman (New Earth)
- Black Canary (New Earth)
- Black Lightning (New Earth)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Arsenal (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Batman (In a vision)
- Bane (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Bizarro (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Black Canary (In a vision)
- Black Lightning (In a vision)
- Blue Beetle (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Booster Gold (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Captain Marvel (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Cheetah (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Firestorm (New Earth) (In a vision)
- The Flash (Jay Garrick) (In a vision)
- The Flash (Wally West) (In a vision)
- Green Lantern (Alan Scott) (In a vision)
- Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) (In a vision)
- Hawkgirl (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Joker (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Lex Luthor (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Nightwing (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Power Girl (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Ravager (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Red Tornado (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Robin (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Sinestro (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Stargirl (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Starman (Thom Kallor) (In a vision)
- Supergirl (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Superman (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Vixen (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Wildcat (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Wonder Girl (New Earth) (In a vision)
- Wonder Woman (New Earth) (In a vision)
Locations:
- Earth-9
- New Atlantis
- Unnamed cemetery
- Moone Towers
- Switzerland (Earth-9)
- Superman's Fortress
- New Atlantis
Items:
- Green Lantern's Lantern (Earth-9)
- Green Lantern Ring
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "History Lesson - Chapter 5"
In the secret Nightwing facility, Guy Gardner has become less cooperative since he realised that Jennifer Hayden plans to use him for something. He demands answers, but she sidesteps his question by asking what he knows about the Joker.
Guy admits, he doesn't know much about the Joker: she operated out of New Atlantis, the "City of the Future". She had no special powers, getting by on specialised equipment and mad humour. Despite public condemnation for inciting chaos, Guy believes she was more interested in anarchy. Taking on the police and authority figures as well as criminals. This led her eventually to join the Secret Six.
Joker's secret identity was always a puzzle to the world at large. Based on police reports, Guy found out she was three women sharing the mask - Mary Marvel, a quiet-looking student; Christy Xanadu, owner of the Madame Xanadu V-RArcade, who presumably paid for the equipment; and Lori Lemaris, the famous reporter for World's Finest. When she was arrested, Lemaris was the one who was convicted. Hayden wants to know about the Green Lantern, but Guy finally puts his foot down - unless they tell him who they are and what they want, he refuses to give them anything. Hayden appears amused by this...
Appearing in "History Lesson - Chapter 5"
Featured Characters:
- "Guy Gardner" (Earth-9)
- Jennifer Hayden (Earth-9)
- Nightwing (Earth-9)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- None
Other Characters:
Locations:
- New Atlantis (Flashback only)
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Notes
- None
Trivia
- In the cemetery scene there is a headstone with the epitaph Albert Davis.
See Also
- Cover gallery for the Tangent: Superman's Reign series
- Images from Tangent: Superman's Reign Vol 1 5
Recommended Reading
- None
Links and References
- None
The events from this issue or series involve a Multiversal Crossover between Post-Infinite Crisis worlds and characters. This template will categorize articles that include it into Post-Crisis Multiverse Crossover.
See also Pre-Crisis Multiverse Crossovers.