Comments
This two-issue limited series was a sequel to the popular Elseworlds title Kingdom Come and also included five one-shot specials.
(The) Kingdom – 1
General Info
Issue No:
1
On Sale Date:
December 1998
Cover Date:
February 1999
Era:
Elseworlds
Story Title:
Never Ending Slaughter
Creative Team
Cover Artist:
Ariel Olivetti
Writer:
Mark Waid
Penciller:
Ariel Olivetti
Inker:
Ariel Olivetti
Letterer:
Phil Felix
Colourist:
John Kalisz, Chris Chuckry
Editor:
Dan Raspler, Tony Bedard (assistant)
Characters
Main:
Wonder Woman - Earth 22 (Diana), Batman - Earth 22 (Bruce Wayne), Superman - Earth 22 (Kal El), Avia, Bulletgirl, Deadman (Boston Brand), Doctor Fate - Earth 22 (Nabu), Flash - Earth 22 (Wally West), Green Lantern - Earth 22 (Alan Scott), Hawkman, Hunter (Rip Hunter), Liri Lee, Nightstar (Mar'i Grayson), Power Man, Power Woman - Earth 22 (Kara Zor-L), Ray (Raymond Terrill), Red Tornado - Earth 22, Steel -Earth 22 (John Henry Irons), Waverider (Matthew Ryder), Zatara (Zachary Giovanni Zatara)
Heroes:
Phantom Stranger
Villains:
Gog, Mxyzptlk
Olympians:
Zeus
Amazons:
N/A
Other:
Martha Kent, Jonathan Kent, Jonathan Kent Jr., Ganthet, Highfather (Izaya), Shazam
Synopsis
Prologue
The citizens of some version of Metropolis watch and listen as its Superman pounds away at some barrier in the sky, with the narrator saying “he deserved heaven…not prison”.
Main Story
Deadman finds himself with dozens of Supermen all killed one day earlier by various means by the powerful being called Gog. The Supermen from earlier times are filled in with who Gog is and why he is desiring to destroy Superman in this fashion.
As Deadman leads the Supermen into their reward, the Phantom Stranger questions the intended goals his fellow members of the Quintessence have concerning the use of their agent Gog, and so decides to counter their move with one of his own – his agent Hunter, who uses the chrono sands to slip away from his fellow Linear Men unnoticed while they try to figure out why Gog’s destruction of Superman through time isn’t causing any recordable anomalies in future history.
He arrives at the time of Superman’s and Wonder Woman’s birth of a baby son, which becomes a joyous day instantly ruined by the appearance of Gog. He kidnaps their child and keeps most of the heroes at bay while Gog makes his escape.
Waverider arrives on the scene and tells the heroes of that time not to interfere with the rescue of Superman’s child from Gog for that would cause their history to be erased, but Hunter takes Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman back to 1998 in order to stop Gog nonetheless.
In 1998, Ma and Pa Kent are sitting out on the porch, enjoying a day of rest when they see a mushroom cloud form in the horizon, portending a disaster to come. Then Pa Kent is sucked toward the maelstrom, wrenched away before Ma Kent could grab his hand.
