Future State: House of El #1 weaves together a future of Superman's descendants making their stand on the moon as the forces of the Red King invade! It ties into Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #2 (2021) that introduced some of the House of El at the End of Time. The cover by Yanick Paquette has five members of the House of El as the older Kal-El sits on a throne. This cover is so intriguing, the future members of the House of El where we only had Jonathan Kent.
The issue is part two of the Future State: Superman issues by Phillip Kennedy Johnson. He is also joined by Scott Godlewski who brings an epic splash page of the eclipsed Earth and buildings and flag of the House El burning. The house has lasted a thousand years and now this is their last story. Then, this moves to a massive battle over a two page spread of the House of El taking on Parademons! Three pages and I want the whole story of what led to this scene. This takes place on the Foress of Sanctuary on the moon.
We have inside the battle heard outside as there is a Brainac, of the Brainiac-5 variety with blond hair. He speaks in what seems like a Kryptonian dialect as he works on a computer console as it responds back in Kryptonian. His name, Brainiac-4, also known as Bry, is called out. His first appearance. So he is earlier version before Querl Dox in the Legion of Super Heroes. The members of the House of El fly in, the warrior, Khan-El, orders for med droids.
His debut was in Immortal Wonder Woman #2. He married into the family, but is as much an El as any of them. Superman, Ronan Kent, asks for Khan-El’s Warzoons. These are the troops from Warworld. Ronan is the Superman of the 30th Century. This is his first appearance. He carries in a woman, you can easily see why he is Superman in the House of El, and asks about the United Planets. The galactic government during the time of the Legion introduced in Adventure Comics #340 (1966). Brainiac-4 reports that there is no contact.
The other members recover in darkness as we see Superman fly over to Brainiac-4 who says they should evacuate. The father in ordinary clothes, Brandon Kent, offers concern over his daughter, Theand’r Ban-El. Her first apperance was also Immortal Wonder Woman #2. She has armor like a knight and a long, orange pony tail. Theand’r is also Tamaranean like Starfire and leads a group of Tamareanean warriors. She shrugs off his attention.
Khan-El speaks to him about fighting along with his daughter. Brandon asks advice since Khan-El is in the battle with his wife, Alura Van-El! She wears the helmet and a blue facial covering. The last member who was in Immortal Wonder Woman #2. Alura is the leader of the Valkyries. They are in shadow as the med droids administer to the survivors. The Warzoons continue the fight. They created Warworld that first appeared in DC Comics Presents #27 (1980). Kal-El Superman is currently on Warworld struggling to raise a revolution against the tyrant Mongul in Action Comics written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson.
The war is also fought by A.I. and omniturrets, Brainiac-4 reports on their status, and also that the Red King is attacking the droids used for support. Then, we have the arrival of the Blue Lantern, Rowan Kent, the sister to Ronan! She debuts in this issue. Rowan is the Blue Lantern of Earth, they are the Lanterns of hope, perfect for part of the Superman family. They first appeared in Green Lantern #25 (2007). She has the uniform of a Blue Lantern, but has the S symbol generated on her cuirass, chest armor, with an energy cape and spear.
Brainiac is not scanning for United Planets help like Superman ordered, instead he is working on the defense. Alura Van-El asks what he is looking for with the star maps, but Bry doesn’t answer. Another alarm as we get in a splash page, the invaders made up of various hostile aliens and Parademons. Armed drones fire on the army, but are destroyed. A Parademon grabs the throat of a woman, but he struck away by a beam!
Alura Van-El leads her Valkyrie troops riding on Warworld engines and wear the Valkyrie helmets like Alura. A Parademon orders the release of the suspended, giant Promethean! These were giants that were bound to the Source Wall and debuted in New Gods #5 (1971). It roars and Superman explains that they are basically zombies so their vow not to kill is not broken. Khan-El fights back to back with Brandon as Superman flies into the battle. It continues with Theand’r flying towards the Promethean. Brandon sees a Parademon ready a Kryptonite weapon aiming for Theand’r!
Brandon races at super speed, catching hold of the Parademons, and there is a Kryptonite explosion. Rowan tries to restrain Theand’r, but she is in a rage for the death of her father. We see in a series of panels, Theand’r flying through the stomach of the giant and then threw its cyclopean eye! Theand’r of Tamaran blazes with the power of her mother! At his controls, Bry has detected a signal, he sends an orphan box drone to fly towards it. Brainiac think there is now hope.
Bry goes out to tell Alura that now they have hope. Then, there is a blur and a sickening crunch. His cybernetic body is sevred by the Black Rider! She first appeared in Future State: Superman: Worlds of War #1 (2021). The character is an avatar of death, this is the latest version, the original debuted in New Gods #3 (19711). Superman unleashes his heat vision, but the woman from Warworld escapes. The Red King speaks through the remains of Brainiac-4 and says that the next day, the House of El will fall. He asks the Warzoon if they will leave, and one swears that all of them will stand with the House of El. The loyalty there is awesome.
The Valkyries, the Tamaranean Honor Guard, and the people of Earth pledge loyalty to Superman. Alura takes off her helmet and regretfully vaporizes Bry. After the battle, Ronan flies over to Theand’r in her solitude. She stares at the Earth telling about stories that her father told her and wonders about Kal-El. Superman still believes that Kal-El is not a legend as we see the survivors preparing for battle and binding wounds. The assembled forces ready for the dawn, an incredible dark flag of the House of El, and the domed city of the Fortress of Sanctuary.
Then, they have to face the vicious Doomsday clones (!) until the final appearance of the Red King, son of Kal-El! You can see the comparisons not to the Game of Thrones which was mentioned by others, but Le Morte d’Arthur, with the Red King as Mordred. This is a Camelot of the future, almost like the Camelot 3000 limited series, but with the House of El as the knights standing against the fall of Camelot. I've wondered about what led to the utopian future of the Legion of Super-Heroes. This issue has a creative line-up of heroes that are now some of my favorites of the Superman family! Future State: House of El , but brings the heroic descendants of Superman!
Five Warworld Engines out of Five!
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