Q:
What are you looking at?
DATA:
I was considering the possibility
that you are
Telling The Truth.
None of Us Defended
The Creepy Little Shit...
But Then Again --
None of Us Ever Liked Him.
“The Reign of the Superman” (January 1933) is a short story written by Jerry Siegel and illustrated by Joe Shuster.
It was the writer/artist duo’s
FIRST published use of the name
‘Superman’,
which they later applied to their
archetypal fictional superhero.
The title character of this story is
A TELEPATHIC VILLAIN,
rather than a physically powerful hero
like the well-known character.
“No! Go AWAY, Q!
Go Find Picard!”
A mad scientist, a chemist named
Professor Ernest Smalley,
randomly chooses raggedly dressed vagrant Bill Dunn
from a bread line and recruits him
to participate in an experiment in exchange for
“a real meal and a new suit”.
When Smalley’s experimental potion
grants Dunn telepathic powers,
The Man becomes intoxicated by His Power
and seeks to Rule The World.
This Superman uses these abilities for Evil,
only to discover that the potion’s effects are temporary.
Having killed the evil Smalley,
who had intended to Kill Superman
and give himself the same powers,
Superman was left unable to use his knowledge
to recreate the secret formula.
As the story ends, Dunn’s powers wear off
and he realizes he will be returning to
the bread line to be a forgotten man once more.
The Conspiracy Against Alexander
"We all felt there was more here
than sexual bickering.
Alexander wanted The Truth and
Philotas' answers were lacking merit.
Please take him away.
Alexander put him silently and quickly
to Trial by His Peers... and whether
Plotter or Opportunist,
Philotas was found
Guilty of Treason.
No, Alexander, no!
Remove him.
The Suspects were all Executed.
None of us Defended Philotas...
but then again,
None of Us Ever Liked Him.
And of course,
His Power was carved up
By The Rest of Us.
Before he died, we tortured him to find out
what His Father Parmenion knew.
But this we never learned.
What to Do with Parmenion and His
20,000 troops guarding our supply lines
was a far more delicate matter.
Was he innocent in this?
Or had he decided to act before
age further withered His Power?
The men will follow Their King.
- Alexander won't be there.
Necessity required Alexander to act...
and he sealed the camp within the hour
of the first accusations against Philotas.
Then go, Antigonus, and Cleitus.
And go quickly.
Three days' hard riding
sent Antigonus and Cleitus to Parmenion,
The General most loyal to Philip.
His Soldiers accepted the finding of Guilt
against Parmenion, as they understood well
The Code of Vengeance...
That made The Head of Family
responsible for the behavior of all.
Many of us felt we were better off
without that pompous thorn, Parmenion...
as Alexander promoted all of us
generously.
