Sent to Earth as an infant from the dying planet Krypton, Kal-El was adopted by the loving Kent family and raised in America's heartland as Clark Kent. Using his immense solar-fueled powers, he became Superman to defend mankind against all manner of threats while championing truth, justice, and the American way!
Those of us who have been following Grant Morrison's Action Comics and Superman in the New 52 know that Superman's Fortress of Solitude in this reality started as Brainiac's ship. Superman evicted the malicious A.I. and made it his new headquarters orbiting the Earth. Many of us were then surprised to see in Supergirl #12 that the Fortress had been relocated to its traditional home in the Arctic. We were assured by an editor's note in Supergirl #12 that we should see Action Comics #13 presumably for some sort of explanation for this. However, I've read Action Comics #13 over twice now and, unless I missed something, no explanation was given for why the Fortress is now suddenly in the Arctic. Now, those of you who know me and read my blogs know that I'm not a stickler for continuity. This oversight certainly did not make me enjoy Action Comics #13 any less. However, this is sort of funny. There have been some notable editorial hiccups since the New 52 began and we may be able to count this as one of them. Is it a lack of communication or constant miscommunication?
But if you look at the outside view of The Watchtower shown to us in Justice League #8 (sorry I don't have a scanner), it looks A LOT different than the Brainiac Ship. No tendrils for one thing and it has a tower. The Brainiac ship has shown the ability to change its appearance as with the Superman colors and symbols in the image you scanned above, but it kept its original shape. I'm also still looking for an explicit reference that states its the same thing. I know Batman and Superman spoke of his space fortress in Action Comics #11, but I didn't think anything was decided.
@Jekylhyde14: Idk if it could just change itself. Maybe Superman remodeled it with the help of the robots who are seen in Action comics 8 remodeling everything......on second thought I'm sure that's what he did.
And these are great explanations, guys. If I were DC this is exactly how I would explain it and I definitely think you both are cut out for being comic editors one day with that kind of thought-process. I just don't see it either explicitly explained nor strongly implied within the comics. There's nothing to really indicate that this is what happened. I think you both have developed a great explanation. I just don't think that it's DC's explanation.
My current theory is that someone dropped the ball somewhere along the lines. Either it was supposed to be explained in Action Comics #13 and Grant forgot or the Editor messed it up. Or, maybe, the editor of Supergirl #12 screwed up and suggested that it was going to be explained in Action Comics #13 when it's really going to be explained later on. Or, heard that there was a lot of editorial waffling on Superman Annual #1 so maybe it was supposed to be explained then. Who knows? The fact remains, it was implied in Supergirl #12 that we were going to have the explanation in Action Comics #13 and it never came about. I have yet to see or read anything in the comics that gives us that explanation.
Hell, maybe there was never even an explanation to begin with...
Just a thought, barely an attempt to explain it's presence as I have no idea, but I kind of felt like the Fortress in AC #13 almost looked like the Brainiac Ship might have crashed or landed in the Arctic and the ice grew around it, whether naturally or with Superman's intent? Just a thought.
Just a thought, barely an attempt to explain it's presence as I have no idea, but I kind of felt like the Fortress in AC #13 almost looked like the Brainiac Ship might have crashed or landed in the Arctic and the ice grew around it, whether naturally or with Superman's intent? Just a thought.
Another good suggestion. This is more or less the direction I thought they were going with it. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
>.> I'm slowly working on a Timeline and so far I have not found an explanation yet, but there is a year split between issue 13 and issue 1-8. Also Issue 9-12 take place after JL 1-6... I didn't think about it but the transfer of ownership probably happens after AC 9-12 because someone "says we need someplace better to meet" Also if I remember right JL 7+ actually takes place at present rather than "5 year ago" so it's not like if that is Superman's original in JL they didn't have time to build it up...
Another thing... in JLI they supposedly had the Hall of Justice... so yeah... the chronology would have to go...
AC 1-8 > JL1-6 > AC 9-12 > Hall of Justice built > sometime during the next year the Fortress is moved to the Arctic > AC 13
The Collector's ship is the fortress of the past, the crystal dome in the arctic is the fortress of the present, and no they aren't one and the same. Remember how the ship Superman came to Earth in encased itself in crystal in Action #2? Or that Supergirl's undersea sanctuary was formed from a piece of her destroyed ship? At some point or another, Superman probably figured out how to make the rocket ship create a fortress sometime during the 5 year gap.
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