Follow

    Planetary #1

    Planetary » Planetary #1 - All Over the World released by DC Comics on April 1999.

    Short summary describing this issue.

    All Over the World last edited by gravenraven on 07/08/23 10:54AM View full history

    Elijah Snow is hired by Jakita Wagner to join Planetary, a four-man team (3 field agents and one mysterious backer known as "the Fourth Man") looking to uncover the hidden history of the world as "mystery archeologists." Their first mission: to explore a man-made cavern in the Adirondacks, the last known destination of Doc Brass, an adventurer from the 1930s and 1940s.

    Elijah Snow is asked by Jakita Wagner to join Planetary -- a group of archaeologists who map the secret history of the world -- as their new field agent. He joins under the promise of a million dollars a year and record of him eliminated. He is introduced to The Drummer and goes on his first investigation that of going to view the secret base of a Renaissance Man and adventurer named Dr, Axel Brass; a man who may no longer need to eat or sleep. After arriving at the headquarters Elijah and Jakita see Brass still alive but with damaged legs Doc Brass then tells them that years ago in the forties he and his fellow adventurers had secretly gathered in the same base and had created a supercomputer that harassed the 196,833 universes and realign them and merge them, Doc Brass and his associates wished to use the device and the multiverse in a attempt to create a perfect world but failed when a group of people (JLA-like beings) from another universe used the computer to come to their universe. The other beings universe was dying and these beings attempted to take the other world and kill everyone on this Earth for their Earth's population a battle ensued and all were killed except Brass who suspects the years is 1970. Planetary crew cleans up Doc Brass' headquarters while he will be placed in care. Elijah tells Jakita how strange the world is while Jakita tells him "Let's keep it that way".

    Elijah Snow is approached in a diner in the middle of the desert by Jakita Wagner, who attempts to recruit him into Planetary -- a group of archaeologists who map the secret history of the world -- as their new field agent, or "third man". He reluctantly joins under the promise of a million dollars a year and all public records of his life eliminated. He is introduced to The Drummer -- the final member of the field team -- and accompanies his teammates on an investigation of a secret Adirondacks base of Renaissance Man and adventurer Dr, Axel Brass.

    Upon arriving at the mountain stronghold, Elijah and Jakita discover Brass still alive within the compound, having sustained crippling injuries to his legs many years ago. Brass tells them of his companions in the 1940s -- like-minded adventurers including Hark, Kevin Sack (Lord Blackstock), and the Dark Millionaire --and the supercomputer they built that harnessed the power of 196,833 universes in order to realign and merge them. In their attempt to use the device to create a perfect world, they opened a rift into another universe where seven strangers (a pastiche of the most iconic members of the Justice League) awaited them. These strangers came from a dying universe, and they desperately fought Brass and his companions in an attempt to overtake our reality and replace this Earth's population with their own. In the enusing battle, all combatants perished save for Brass, who stayed in the stronghold to defend it against potential incursions from other dimensions. Having long since overcome the need to eat or sleep and having learned to will his body to heal itself, he has maintained his vigil over the supercomputer ever since, estimating that the year is roughly 1970.

    After his tale, the Planetary team cleans up Brass' headquarters and takes him into their care, setting up a watch on the supercomputer and archiving the contents of the fortress. Elijah comments to Jakita how strange the world is, to which Jakita responds, "Let's keep it that way"; this statement will become the mantra of the series going forward.

    The issue is conceptually about the rise of superhero comics, which overthrew the pulp adventure tales of the day (represented by Doc Brass and his companions, who resemble classic characters such as Tarzan and The Shadow).

    sizepositionchange
    sizepositionchange
    positionchange
    positionchange
    positionchange
    bordersheaderpositiontable
    positionchange

    User reviews Add new review

    5 (0)
    4 (2)
    3 (0)
    2 (0)
    1 (0)
    4.5 stars

    Average score of 2 user reviews

    Ghosts of the 20th century... 0

    Ok, if I was writing a series about superhero archeology, I would have absolutely no idea how to start it, luckily Warren Ellis did. This story pays homage to classic pulp heroes and on a more symbolic note: the rise of the superheroes. Ok so in in the days before world war 2 ended Not-Doc Savage and the other non-pulp heroes (Like Non-Fu Manchu, Non-Tarzan etc.) decides to definitively save the world, by using a quantum computer the size of a mountain find the redefine reality by computing the ...

    4 out of 4 found this review helpful.

    It don't get much better. 0

    Archaeologists of the impossible  British writers have all the original ideas. Keeping up what writers like Moore and Ennis started Warren Ellis brings us a team of super archiologists intent on unearthing the secret super history of the world. The issue opens with Jakita Wagner Meeting Elijah Snow in a diner way out in the desert. She's got a job offer. One million a year for the rest of his life and any record of his existence wiped. Who could turn that down? One helicoptor ride, a hair cut an...

    3 out of 3 found this review helpful.
    See all user reviews

    This edit will also create new pages on Comic Vine for:

    Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

    Comment and Save

    Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Comic Vine users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.