The Forever People #5-11

The Forever People #5-11

Originally released in 1971

Written by Jack Kirby

Art by Jack Kirby

Seeing as I'm about halfway through the series, I decided to cover the last of Jack Kirby's Fourth World books that I haven't read yet - the Forever People.  Of the four books in that line-up, I felt it was the weakest based on the first few issues, but my opinion on the New Gods book turned around based on its final issue, so maybe something similar will happen here.

I last left off with the Forever People trapped in Desaad's torture chamber that's made to look like an amusement park.  It's up to the Mother Box, and a man named Sonny Sumo, to rescue them.  Sonny fights for entertainment, and with a Mother Box, he can somehow tap into the Anti-Life Equation, making him a target for Darkseid.

Naturally, Darkseid leaps into action, wanting the Anti-Life Equation at all costs.  As he doesn't want them dead, he sends the Forever People (aside from the youngest member, Serifan) and Sonny back through time.  Mark Moonrider (the team's leader) and Beautiful Dreamer (the only woman) wind up in post-Civil War America, where (I kid you not) the two of them seem to be indirectly responsible for the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

They try to stop it, though they aren't successful.  Highfather, the leader of New Genesis, transports the Forever People to present day Earth, though not before Big Bear inspires the legend of King Arthur (and seemingly becomes seen as Merlin in the process) and Vykin accidentally gets a group of Spanish conquistadors killed.

As for Sonny Sumo, he was launched into ancient Japan, where he eventually died.  It seems like a bizarre way to write out the character, especially one who had ties to the only thing that Darkseid actually wants. (though by Darkseid's own admission, the Anti-Life Equation would work on him if Sonny used it, so maybe he didn't want to risk the possibility of falling under someone else's control)  Sonny was built up as a man who didn't belong in the modern era, and who would have been at home being a samurai or a gladiator, but his exit felt extremely abrupt. (he's only in two issues, with his off-screen fate revealed in issue 7)

Issue 8 switches over to the search for another source of the Anti-Life Equation, and it seemed like Kirby was having fun with writing this issue. (it seems like you don't get many opportunities to use the phrase "the gates of Bates' estates" in a natural way)  Bates reminds me of Zebediah Killgrave (a.k.a. the Purple Man) from Marvel, in that he has the ability to control the actions of everyone around him with just a word, and he treats those people like playthings.

Meanwhile, issues 9 and 10 are a crossover with Deadman.  Deadman was formerly known as Boston Brand, an acrobat who was killed by a mysterious man with a hook for a hand.  Now, his ghost has to track down his murderer.  I'm guessing this was done to try and improve sales, though why Deadman of all characters was picked is beyond me.

Of the Forever People, Big Bear is easily the most entertaining for me, though the rest of them are kind of forgettable. (Mark Moonrider has it the worst out of them, as he doesn't have much in the way of distinguishing features or characteristics)

That's kind of my problem with the Forever People as a whole, really - they're forgettable.  With the other Fourth World series, you could tell what Kirby was trying to say or do.  The New Gods showed that there are no winners in war, only those who lost less.  Mister Miracle gave us a story about tyranny being overcome by love, and Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen showed us that Jack Kirby didn't want to cost anyone at DC their jobs.  The Forever People doesn't really have a message like that, aside from maybe "listen to the young people."

The series ends on a bittersweet note - the Forever People are trapped in another universe, one which even Infinity Man struggled to break free from, but they're keen to explore it, so they don't seem too upset about being taken away from Earth or New Genesis.  It had the occasional moment here and there that I enjoyed, but all in all, this was my least favourite of Kirby's Fourth World books. It felt very exposition-heavy, but the exposition didn't do much to clear up what was going on, and the main characters didn't grab my attention like they did in Kirby's other team books that I've read.