After showcasing Golden Age Obscura Icon the Red Bee's death scenes yesterday, readers saw fit to school me on what was missing. Well, fine. I can dig deeper, and I can provide even more mortal moments for poor old Rick Raleigh. You ready for this, Red Bee fans? YOU ASKED FOR IT. I don't know if you're sadists or masochists.
Frequent Flyer American Hawkman pointed out that Crisis on Earth-X featured the Red Bee's first death, chronologically by publishing date, but it's more of an inference.
1973's Justice League of America #107 has Uncle Sam say they lost a lot of friends since the Nazis stepped up their game, but only Plastic Man and the Blackhawks are shown in the flashback. Since Red Bee was from Earth-X, and he's not a Freedom Fighter, you could say he's one of the fallen and - it's terrible I know - Sam doesn't even spare him a thought. It's also possible Roy Thomas was trying to explain Len Wein's oversight away with that back-breaking sequence in All-Star Squadron.
Speaking of Roy Thomas, he also brings up the Red Bee's death in America vs. the Justice Society of America #3 (1985):
That sounds different from what happened in All-Star though. The Red Bee "disappeared" in 1942, presumably his move to Earth-X. Testifying JSA members would have known he died at Baron Blitzkrieg's hands, no? Why not mention it? Did Hourman never file a report? He was present. IT'S BECAUSE THE RED BEE CAN'T GET NO RESPECT!
In 1999, a couple of important mentions, including Plastic Man's famous contention that he shared his Prozac with the Red Bee in Grant Morrison's JLA #38:
Read that carefully. Plastic Man talks of his LATE friend, which means the Red Bee is indeed dead in this version of continuity. And if you need more evidence, Robinson's JSA #1 came out that same year and look who's buried in superhero cemetery:
That's right, the Red Bee.
Is there a fate worse than death? Yes. Being exiled to comic book limbo, a sort of continuity erasure, though TECHNICALLY, you might be both dead AND in limbo.
That's from Animal Man #25 (1990). When we catch up with limbo again in Gail Simone's All-New Atom #14 17 years later, our boy's still there.
This time, it's full of people who ARE technically dead (note the wings), which our only evidence that the post-Infinite Crisis Red Bee is just as dead as the others. Does anyone have (merciful) confirmation on a New52 iteration yet? We're waiting.
Frequent Flyer American Hawkman pointed out that Crisis on Earth-X featured the Red Bee's first death, chronologically by publishing date, but it's more of an inference.
Speaking of Roy Thomas, he also brings up the Red Bee's death in America vs. the Justice Society of America #3 (1985):
In 1999, a couple of important mentions, including Plastic Man's famous contention that he shared his Prozac with the Red Bee in Grant Morrison's JLA #38:
Is there a fate worse than death? Yes. Being exiled to comic book limbo, a sort of continuity erasure, though TECHNICALLY, you might be both dead AND in limbo.
Comments
Are you all about Kent Nelson, or does it not matter who wears the helmet of Nabu?
I first fell in love with the character in all-Star, during the half-mask era, though the full helmet Fate is my favorite Super Powers figure.
And yet I'm partial to the female Fates we've had, whether Linda Strauss (I loved the Strauss era generally) and Inza Kent.
Why doesn't RED BEE sting someone and just end this?
Too Funny.
Best,
-Sam