Warning: Contains spoilers for Absolute power #4!
I can’t believe identity crisis, DC S Controversial 2004 blockbuster, makes a sneaky comeback in the modern DC Universe. 20 years ago, comic fans were engaged by Identity crisis As they tried to guess the killer’s identity. Identity crisis was not without controversy on many levels, primarily among them the ethics of mind-wiping villains. Now, in Absolute power #4, The shadow of Identity crisis Raise your head again.
Absolute power #4 is written by Mark Waid and drawn by Dan Mora. Amanda Waller, whose campaign to destroy Earth’s heroes has been thwarted, wakes up to find herself in a cell in Belle Reve. Dreamer, who was once in Waller’s pocket, confronts Waller. Waller resents her situation, and tells Dreamer that she can bribe her way out with all the intel she’s gathered about heroes. Dreamer then challenges Waller to recall where the Batcave is – and she can’t. Dreamer tells Waller that all the information she accumulated has moved to another part of her mind, where she cannot retrieve it.
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The controversial identity crisis event, explained
Identity crisis Turned out a number of skeletons in the Justice League’s closet
In essence, Amanda Waller, who in Absolute power ascended to the role of the primary villain of the DC Universe, was wiped out – just like the villains in Identity crisis. Written by Brad Meltzer and drawn by Rags Morales, Identity crisis Ran for seven issues in 2004. The book begins with the murder of Sue Dibney, the Elongated Man’s wife. All evidence points to the villain, Dr. Light, as the killer, but eventually it is revealed that Jean Loring, the former lover of Ray Palmer the Atom, was the culprit, but not before she also killed Jack Drake, father of Tim Drake .
Jean Loring would later become the boss for Eclipso during the build Final crisis.
In addition to the brutal killers of their families, long-held secrets about the Justice League have come to light. Early in Identity crisisIt was revealed that, many years before, Doctor Light gained access to the League’s satellite headquarters. Once there, he not only attacked Sue Dibney, who was also on the satellite, but he gained access to the League’s files, including their secret identities. Light threatened to expose them all, but in retaliation, several League members, including Hawkman, believed that wiping him out was the only way to preserve their secret identities. A reluctant Zatna went along, and magical mind-wiping light.
Identity crisis was a ticking time bomb in the DC Universe
Identity crisis Didn’t paint the Justice League in the best light
on its surface, Identity crisis was a murder mystery set in the DC Universe, but it also asked serious questions about morality and ethics. Doctor Light had indeed learned the secrets of the Justice League, and there was every reason to believe that he would make good on his promise to reveal them to the world. And then there was the issue of Light attacking Sue in such a vicious fashion. Licht needed to be punished somehow, and they needed a way to stop him from talking. There was only one course of action: wipe his memories.
Doctor Light’s mind-wiping started the Justice League down a slippery slope, one that will have serious effects in the present day. During Identity crisisIt turns out that the League not only removed Light’s memories of the incident, but also changed his personality, making him ineffective as a villain. And Doctor Light isn’t the only villain wiped out by the League either. In the end, Batman is wiped out when he discovers his teammates magically lobotomizing light. Batman was furious that his friends would consider doing this, and tried to stop it.
The effects of Identity crisis They are still felt, 20 years later
Amanda Waller was human – but did she deserve to be wiped out?
Like other DC events with “Crisis” in the name, Identity crisis has long-term ramifications. Some of the villains, including Doctor Light, found out what the Justice League had done to them, and came to seek revenge. It also featured the creation of a new secret society, as a way to get revenge against the heroes. During Identity crisisBatman became aware of what had happened, and eventually remembered his own mind-wiping. This, along with the secrets that came out after Sue Dibnis’ murder, broke the Justice League, taking them off the table for a while.
Now, once again, DC’s heroes find themselves in a similar position, just like Amanda Waller. Many of the same issues surrounding Doctor Light’s mind-wipes surrounded Waller. Waller has information about every hero and villain on Earth, and like Light, she plans to weaponize that knowledge. Waller also has a way of steam-rolling people, and could have made good on her threats. No prison in the universe could hold Waller back, so the only way forward was to ensure she forgot what she knew. Dreamer used her powers to do this.
For the heroes of the DC Universe, seeing Amanda Waller humbled in such a fashion had to be cathartic, but also had echoes of Identity crisis. Waller’s mind-wipe was kept secret from Superman and the rest of the League, with Dreamer even saying, sarcastically, that removing Waller’s memories was “unethical.” Still Dreamer works outside the law, and does not share Superman’s hang-ups. Dreamer also reveals that the memories of the heroes’ secrets are not gone – they are just “locked away.” Furthermore, Waller’s personality is still intact, unlike Doctor Light. It may seem that the lessons have been learned since then Identity crisis.
What happens when Amanda Waller gets her memories back?
Amanda Waller may also have a bomb in her head
However, the Justice League should be afraid of what happened to Amanda Waller. While Dreamer’s removal of Waller’s memories is more ethical than how the League handled Doctor Light, the fact remains that she still tampered with someone’s mind, against their consent. Dreamer also teased that there might be a bomb in Waller. Waller interprets this to mean that Dreamer planted an actual, physical bomb in her head, much like she did with the Suicide Squad. Dreamer leaves it vague, however, possibly implying the bomb is psychic in nature. What this might look like is left open to the imagination.
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finally, Absolute power #4 Leave the same question open that Identity crisis Set in 2004: What happens when the villains get their memories back? The solicitations for DC S Upcoming All-in The initiative did not mention Amanda Waller, and claims that she is leaving for a while. After her return is inevitable, how is the restoration of her memories. When Waller finally remembers what Dreamer did to her, as well as the hero’s secrets that were locked away in her mind, there will be hell to pay. For this reason, I can not believe Identity crisis Made such a stealth comeback.
Absolute Power #4 is on sale now from DC Comics!