As you've no doubt noticed, I've
been stumbling across lots of
DC stories lately that are
set in "the ghetto."
Well, that synchronicity continues, as I pick up the very first
Red Tornado solo story ever (
!), and he ends up...
...visiting the slums of Gotham City!
Why?!? Just
because, I guess!!
Well,
Reddy escorts the old woman home, and protects her from 7 different muggings (I exaggerate), while writer
JM Dematteis and artists
Jose Delbo and
Joe Giella emphasize to us just how
squalid this particular neighborhood is:
Well, while trying to understand the concept of poor people, RT goes with the old woman to church:
Uh-oh...
O.M.G.
Jim Lee, Dan DiDio, Geoff Johns--you
MUST revive this guy for the
nu52. Please?
So, what's
Mr. Kool's problem with a poor church?
Of course, Red Tornado puts a kibosh on this, and then we get a scene ripped off from
Superman Grounded:
I kid...if this
were Grounded, Tornado would at this point send a 10 year old to deliver a threatening message to our violent villain. Fortunately, Red Tornado is not
that heroic.
But the old woman? Don't mess with her!
Wait--Mr. Kool is firing his thugs...
because they couldn't take out a member of the Justice League? That's a pretty
high bar for a numbers operator. "You couldn't take out
The Flash?
Fired!!" Dude,
Luthor's not that strict!
But all's well that ends well:
Yeah, he's a
GOOD thug who steals churches and beats up parishioners!! And he had a hard life!!
And we conclude:
Hey!! That's the
Vision's shtick!!
He's the android that gets to cry,
not you!!
From Detective Comics #493 (1980)