Eclipso: The Darkness Within
“Brilliant Men”
Volume 1, Issue 2, October 1992
Released August 25, 1992
Cover Price: $2.50
Guide Price: $2.50 (as of 2003)
Writers: Robert Loren Fleming, Keith Giffen
Penciller: Bart Sears
Inkers: Randy Elliott, Raymond Kryssing, Mark Pennington
Colorist: Tom McCraw
Letterer: Gaspar Saladino (as Gaspar)
Assistant Editor: Eddie Berganza
Editor: Michael Eury
Heroes: Ace Morgan, Aquaman, Atom II, Beast Boy, Black Canary II, Bloodwynd I, Blue Beetle II, Blue Devil, Booster Gold, Bruce Gordon, Creeper, Crimson Fox, Doctor Light IV, Elongated Man, Fire, Flash III, Garv, Green Lantern II, Guy Gardner, Hawkman III, Hawkwoman II, Ice, Kilowog, Klarion the Witch Boy, Lady Quark, Lobo, Maxima, Nightshade, Nightwing II, Phase, Phase, Power Girl, Red Ryan, Red Star, Rocky Davis, Starfire III, Starman V, Stealth, Strata, Telepath, Vril Dox II, Wildebeest III, Wonder Woman, Zena Moonstruck
Villains: Bronze Tiger, Deathstroke, Eclipso, Star Sapphire
Supporting: Chunk, Doc Magnus, Emil Hamilton, Lex Luthor II, Simon Bennett
Settings: Meteor Crater, AZ, USA, 20th-century; Moon, Earth orbit, 20th-century
Cover Description: Eclipso is surrounded by heroes of the DC Universe that he has apparently captured. Captured heroes appear to include Aquaman, Atom II, Changeling, Black Canary II, Bloodwynd, Creeper, Deathstroke, Elongated Man, Flash III, Garv, Green Lantern II, Guy Gardner, Hawkman III, Klarion the Witch Boy, Lobo, Metamorpho, Nightwing, Pantha, Phase, Power Girl, Red Star, Starfire, Stealth, and Valor. (No Booster Gold.)
Brief Synopsis: The heroes of the DC Universe assemble to combat Eclipso on the Moon.
Booster Gold's role in this story:
Supporting (Booster Gold plays a lesser role)
Costume Worn: MARK I power-suit
Issue Notes: The story in this issue ties into the summer-long "Eclipso: The Darkness Within" storyline running throughout the 1992 DC annuals. The title of this issue is taken from a quote attributed to English artist Sir Max Beerbohm.
Page 2, panel 1
Most of the DC Universe's heroes (and some villains) are assembled in Meteor Crater, Arizona, either as freedom fighters or pawns of Eclipso's plans for domination of the Earth. The free heroes are led by Vril Dox II and Hawkman III, include Bloodwynd, Booster Gold, Crimson Fox, Elongated Man, Fire, Ice, Nightwing, Starman V, Strata, Wildebeest III, and the off-panel Black Canary II, Bronze Tiger, Garv, Guy Gardner, Lobo, and Phase. The Eclipso-possessed characters include Changeling, Deathstroke, Flash III, Lady Quark, Mona Bennett, Power Girl, Red Star, Star Stapphire, Starfire, Wonder Woman and the off-panel Creeper, Green Lantern II, Hawkwoman II, and Maxima.
Page 11, panel 1
Earth's mightiest defenders plan their assault on Eclipso's Moon stronghold. Pictured are representatives of the Challengers of the Unknown (Ace Morgan, Red Ryan, and Rocky Davis), Justice League (Aquaman, Atom II, Black Canary II, Bloodwynd, Booster Gold, Crimson Fox, Elongated Man, Fire, Guy Gardner, Ice, and Metamorpho), L.E.G.I.O.N. (Garv, Lobo, Phase, Strata, Telepath, and Vril Dox II), New Titans (Nightwing and Wildebeest III), the Suicide Squad (Bronze Tiger and Nightshade), and freelance adventurers Blue Devil, Hawkman III, and Starman. Fire is inexplicably wearing her old costume, replaced with a more modern look in Justice League America #63.
Page 14, panel 4
Booster Gold announces to Vril Dox that the heroes from Earth are unwilling to kill Eclipso, proving a moral compass rarely seen. Unlike many of his fellow heroes, Booster wears no visible life support system. This is contrary to several of his previous adventures outside the Earth's atmosphere, though completely in line with Skeets assessment of the abilities of Booster's Force Field in Booster Gold, Vol. 1, #7.
Page 22, panel 5
Elipso takes direct control of Booster Gold along with the rest of Earth's heroes invading his sanctum. This is the third time this year that Booster has been mind controlled. (Although, two of those instances were engineered Eclipso.)
Page 37, panel 2
Though Booster is not shown, he is presumably among the heroes rescued from Eclipso's control by Bruce Gordon and his team of Eclipso hunters, including Blue Beetle II, Chunk, Dr. Light IV, Dr. Will "Doc" Magnus, Emil Hamilton, Kilowog, Lex Luthor, Simon Bennett, and Zena Moonstruck.
Page 53, panel 3
Things in the DC Universe seem to be getting back to normal as Booster Gold and Blue Beetle joke about Vril Dox on the way back to Earth.
Boosterrific Review: Bart Sears art appears rushed in this drawn-out conclusion to the summer storyline running throughout the 1992 DC annuals. It is unfortunate that a DC hero was sacrificed for unnecessary shock value in this story that completely fails to leave any impact on the DC Universe at large, but such is par for the course in these major crossover events. Not that there is anything really wrong with this story, it just fails to be anything more than a standard "heroes vs villains" battle royale, unbefitting of the build-up it was given across the DC Universe.
Boosterrific Rating: Gold Standard.
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