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September 2004 |
In a preface to this story, headlines blare. "Long-Lost COTU Story Discovered in Attic! Final Fate of Multi-Man Revealed at Last!" On another fake newspaper page, Jeph Loeb explains how this story happened. At the end of the eight-issue miniseries, Duncan Pramble, once Multi-Man, dies a heroic death. Meanwhile, over at JUSTICE LEAGUE and JUSTICE LEAGUE EUROPE, "he was running around like nobody's business." Loeb wrote a letter demanding that MM stay dead. Brian Augustyn, an editor, in turn requesteda story for JUSTICE LEAGUE QUARTERLY. Loeb and Sale wrote this story, but JLQ was canceled. Now the story's back, "the lost epilogue for the series in all its odd glory". And funny, too. |
Multi-Man hangs in a private supervillain club called The Dark Side (named in Justice League of America 43, 1990). Reading the news, he spots a headline. "Multi-Man Dies. Relatively Minor Supervillain." He roars, "This can't be right! I mean, I oughta know. I'm Multi-Man!"  MM gets the horse laugh. "Don'tcha have a house to haunt? Wait! Maybe he's Multi-Deadman!" |
Wroth, MM storms into the newspaper's Obituary section. He demands a retraction because he's alive. The bored reporter asks, "How do I know you're him?" MM: "Look at these ears!" Reporter: "I dunno. You could be Mr. Spock. Or that Sub-Marine guy. The real MM could grow to fifty feet big. Go ahead, show me." "I... um... can't anymore." The reporter notes "MM telepathically controlled armies of robot slaves, could multiply infinity times infinity... Maybe if you showed me a driver's license." MM lost his. "Maybe they got a copy at the DMV." (Department of Motor Vehicles, notes Brian the Buttinsky.) |
Meanwhile, over at Justice League HQ, Ice and Guy Gardner hang out. Ice wants to go for a drive. Guy wants to watch the Playboy Channel. One of Fire's fans gave her a new Mazda Miata. Who needs it? Guy's ring can whip up a rocket sled. But rides in the country are romantic. Except Guy's license expired. Maybe he can get it renewed at the DMV. And so the stage is set... |
At the DMV, everyone in the world waits in line, it seems. Including Duncan Pramble, AKA Multi-Man, in a trench coat and fishing hat. Records show he's deceased. "I am not!" Then "go to Room B and take the written exam." Guy Gardner, with Ice, in another line, gets the same advice. "Room B." MM figures, "with my intellect, this will take thirty seconds." So does Guy. Except neither can answer the questions about road safety and insurance. Guy decides to copy off "the schmo next to me." Next to him, MM decides to reprogram his computer - and sets off a chain reaction that destroys every computer. |
Guy yells, "If I'm leaving without my license - then I'm leaving with your cabbage-head!" They brawl. "You insipid fool!" "Take your best shot, Cue-Ball!" Guy gets punched through a wall. MM gets stomped by a giant green sneaker. Ice binds up both in a giant ice cube. MM rages, steams - - and his head falls off. Guy is shocked. "I been going ten rounds with a freakin' tin man! What a revoltin' development!" |
Guy and Ice take the robot to Kilowog, another Green Lantern and wizard mechanic. Kilowog taps the "poozer's memory circuits."  The robot head explains. Duncan Pramble, the real MM, lost his powers (COTU 87). He created the robot as a substitute until his powers returned. They never did. And the robot was made too well: he thought he was "the one true Multi-Man". (Which makes him Multi-Man II.) Ice says, "He sounds so lonely. You've got to put him back together! And maybe make him a Multi-Woman!" Well, Kilowog likes a challenge. |
Later, Multi-Man and the new Multi-Woman III drive off in Fire's new Miata. Their goal: to tour ALL the National Parks.  Guy and Ice take a romantic spin around the park in a horse and carriage. Ice says, "If I'd thought of it earlier, we could've avoided the DMV altogether." Guy replies, "Yeah, well, think of all the fun I would've missed." |
Eventually the news reaches the Challengers. Ace wonders, "Considering the mathematical probabilities, there could be other android dopplegangers." Red says, "Nope. Multi's dead. Case closed." Rocky just wants the sports page.  |
"So long, Multi-Man." The creators add a note. "To everyone who cared what happened, thanks. Jeph & Tim." |
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Comments Fun. Especially after all that grit. We LOVE the idea of Multi-Man and Multi-Woman toodling around the country, getting their pictures taken at the Grand Canyon and Old Faithful... Where will they pop up next? |