The ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT Identity Crisis Speculation Thread! (Spoilers?)

[Illiterati-migration]

All right, fellas, it's time to put up or shut up! This is the "Identity Crisis Compendium of Abnormal Theories and Zonkerific Postulations"!

 

Let's hear YOUR ideas regarding what's going on in Identity Crisis! This is your last chance to make yourself heard and to have your Great Genius® recognized when it is revealed that YOUR suspicions were correct all along!

 

So, bring it, [#@$%!!!]! (Now, I'm going to re-read the series. Again.)

[Zonker]

Zonkerific Postulations"!

 

I got nothing.

 

Just this last gasp that I thought I'd rescue from being buried in that other thread...

 

Well, this is as good a place as any to get the discussion back on track.

 

Spoiler Warning for Flash #216.

 

Turns out the person mentoring Boomerang Jr. is not the Calculator, but instead Paul Gambi, the Rogues Gallery's tailor (not making that up-- it's a holdover from the Silver Age Flash). So that takes away one aspect of the Calculator as the one "who benefits." It also now looks like the whole Boomerang Jr. subplot is completely disconnected from the main Identity Crisis mystery.

 

Now, going back to Identity Crisis #1, I'm just looking to see who has no alibi for Sue's murder. But in doing so, I noticed something for the first time: In the "1 hour from now" meeting between the Atom and Jean Loring, right after they get word of Sue's death, Jean says "Take me with you." How do they leave? By both travelling back through the phone lines together.

 

This means either:

a) The Atom can carry people or things with him when he shrinks (so the bit about the flame-thrower showing up at Sue's place can be explained);

 

...or...

b) Jean can independently shrink down using the Atom's technology.

 

Either way, Jean and the Atom are back center-stage as prime suspects. But I'm still bothered why Jean would run the risk of scheduling a meeting with the Atom at the same time she would be committing a murder!

[Illiterati-migration]

I still can't figure out WHY Jean would kill Sue... That just doesn't add up for me.

 

Has anyone else read "GenXMaverick's" posts/theories on Newsarama.com? The guy is a mad genius, I tell you! I hope to hell that his theories are wrong (there's even one that involves Jason Todd-- it's particularly hysterical), but MAN are they creative!

 

[Aman619]

All right, fellas, it's time to put up or shut up! This is the "Identity Crisis Compendium of Abnormal Theories and Zonkerific Postulations"!

 

Let's hear YOUR ideas regarding what's going on in Identity Crisis! This is your last chance to make yourself heard and to have your Great Genius?® recognized when it is revealed that YOUR suspicions were correct all along!

 

So, bring it, [#@$%!!!]! (Now, I'm going to re-read the series. Again.)

 

I ve for gotten where we were since the thread was killed, but Ill put my money on Jean Loring. In true mystery story fashion, the murderer must be one of the players involved, not a sudden outsider introduced conveniently at the end. I think that as much as we have no idea what her motive may have been for killing Sue, DC agreed to throw a decent but very minor character down the drain to take the fall for this story. Since Aton lost his regular series, Jean hasnt really been such a sympathetic character anyway, has she? In Atom's 80s miniseries, she divorced him and he went on the rebound with that tiny princess (Alura?). Jean was quite the frosty [#@$%!!!] to out tiny hero back then.

 

I dont know who her accomplice was... all those angles just have never added up for me. I still dont kno wwhether to expect a rection of "awwww jeeese" or "whoa, kewl!"

[deathlok]

I'd have to agree that Jean Loring is involved just based on the fact that she wasn't killed. So far there have not been a lot of obvious clues as to the killer's identity. Hopefully the payoff is worthwhile.

[drice6900]

I dont know if anyone else has pointed this out, but when GA is talking to Spectre, Hal tells him to "make them pay". Them? Hmmm....

[BradleyX2]

I dont know if anyone else has pointed this out, but when GA is talking to Spectre, Hal tells him to "make them pay". Them? Hmmm....

 

 

That's cause Hal isn't allowed to say who the killer is, or even if they're male or female, so he used the gender-nuetral "them".

[Ares]

I dont know if anyone else has pointed this out, but when GA is talking to Spectre, Hal tells him to "make them pay". Them? Hmmm....

 

 

That's cause Hal isn't allowed to say who the killer is, or even if they're male or female, so he used the gender-nuetral "them".

But Meltzer is very Deliberate!

I'm betting there are two Killers

[Darthdiesel]

or royalty... royal plural in effect here

[WiseGuyX]

I dont know if anyone else has pointed this out, but when GA is talking to Spectre, Hal tells him to "make them pay". Them? Hmmm....

 

 

That's cause Hal isn't allowed to say who the killer is, or even if they're male or female, so he used the gender-nuetral "them".

But Meltzer is very Deliberate!

I'm betting there are two Killers

 

I'm with you. If it's not two killers, I believe the killer is highering someone for information and setting up other people to be killed.

[chrisco37]

 

I ve for gotten where we were since the thread was killed, but Ill put my money on Jean Loring. In true mystery story fashion, the murderer must be one of the players involved, not a sudden outsider introduced conveniently at the end. I think that as much as we have no idea what her motive may have been for killing Sue, DC agreed to throw a decent but very minor character down the drain to take the fall for this story. Since Aton lost his regular series, Jean hasnt really been such a sympathetic character anyway, has she? In Atom's 80s miniseries, she divorced him and he went on the rebound with that tiny princess (Alura?). Jean was quite the frosty [#@$%!!!] to out tiny hero back then.

 

I dont know who her accomplice was... all those angles just have never added up for me. I still dont kno wwhether to expect a rection of "awwww jeeese" or "whoa, kewl!"

 

[drice6900]

I dont know if anyone else has pointed this out, but when GA is talking to Spectre, Hal tells him to "make them pay". Them? Hmmm....

 

That's cause Hal isn't allowed to say who the killer is, or even if they're male or female, so he used the gender-nuetral "them".

 

No, I think it is more deliberate than that. If they wanted it to be neutral, Hal would have said "the perpatrator", or something along those lines.

[Aman619]

I dont know who her accomplice was... all those angles just have never added up for me.

 

...unless, her accomplice is Dr Light. Maybe at some point for some reason, she told him about his brain wiping. And "teamed up" with him for her own reasons to do whatever it was she was doing to Sue and the JLA (Maybe she was mad that they left her behind after she had been "in the club". What I like about this is it includes and explains the matching eyes motif others have pointed out between Ray Palmer and Dr light in the last issue. Since they cant be seen together, he enters Ray to "party" with his partner in crime. It doesnt explain how Dr light suddenly remembers the mindwipe in the middle of this story though...But she may have chosen him as her dupe KNOWING he would recall it, making an even better fall guy for her plans. Still dont know why she have wanted Sue dead. Maybe cause she never write or called since the divorce!?

[Kevin Boyd]

Without getting into the right or wrong of it... here are my five prime suspects...

 

1. Amanda Waller

- Suicide Squad ties

- presidential adviser

- works for/with Lex Luthor who would benefit from shaking up the heroes

- manipulates supervillains

- grudge against Captain Boomerang (as per their last known conversation)

- Atom III was a member of the Squad and was killed by microscopic assassins

However, she has only been mentioned once, and has not been seen.

 

2. The Calculator

- was defeated by Atom, Hawkman, Elongated Man, Green Arrow, Black Canary and Batman (3/5 have been affected in IC)

- manipulated his friend Captain Boomerang (w/regards to his son, Jack Drake)

- might have told Dr. Light he was "changed" and sent him to hire a villain on the Injustice Society satellite as his bodyguard

- benefits by raising his profile as the "Anti-Oracle" and getting more business

- has been tied in to most of the crimes we've seen

- smart enough to elude Batman...

Can't think of a negative except that it looks like he was paid by a 3rd party.

 

3. The Batman

- going psycho from the mindwipe

- benefits because the supervillain community is being punished for the Dibny murder - shakes up the status quo and super-criminals must lie low, means less crime, less work for him

- benefits because he now has a fully committed Robin - Tim Drake is now driven by the tragedy of his father's murder and Tim now has something in common with Bruce and

- smart enough to know how to cover his tracks and imitate super-powered individuals

Naw....

 

4. The Atom

- Sue was killed by microscopic assassination evidence is potentially damning

- was one hour late for his meeting with Jean Loring in #1

However, Atom seemed earnest in his previous "inner monologues" and it would suck to make another Gil Kane Silver Age hero go bad.

 

5. Jean Loring

- had access to the Atom's patents

- could easily have faked her own attempted murder

- benefits by getting more attention (and lovin') from Ray

But what grudge would she have against Sue Dibny?

 

-----------------------

 

Exhonerated...

 

Captain Boomerang. He's dead before the final act, so it's not likely that he is the killer. However, he did kill Jack Drake in self defense.

 

Dr. Light. He was still an insufficiently_thoughtful_person when Sue was killed. He remembers everything afterwards (during the JLA/Deathstroke fight) so he will be dangerous afterwards. He menaces the Titans in a future issue of that series.

[BradleyX2]

Without getting into the right or wrong of it... here are my five prime suspects...

 

Haven't you already read issue # 7 and said you know who the killer is?

 

 

Exhonerated...

Captain Boomerang. He's dead before the final act, so it's not likely that he is the killer. However, he did kill Jack Drake in self defense.

 

"Self-defense"? Don't you mean that *Drake* killed *CB* in self-defense?

[Ares]

Without getting into the right or wrong of it... here are my five prime suspects...

 

Haven't you already read issue # 7 and said you know who the killer is?

/quote]

 

Turns out the advanced copy going out was a fake!

[Kevin Boyd]

I'm putting forward my picks from before the mindwipe.

 

"Self-defense"? Don't you mean that *Drake* killed *CB* in self-defense?

 

Well, technically he throws the boomerang after being shot, which *IS* self-defense. Jack was defending his property and himself, we don't know for sure that Digger was sent to kill Jack Drake.

 

Digger's death is eerily similar to Bolt's shooting in IC#1. He goes into a situation not expecting to be greeted by someone wielding a gun who interprets his appearance with hostility.

[drice6900]

I'm putting forward my picks from before the mindwipe.

 

"Self-defense"? Don't you mean that *Drake* killed *CB* in self-defense?

 

Well, technically he throws the boomerang after being shot, which *IS* self-defense. Jack was defending his property and himself, we don't know for sure that Digger was sent to kill Jack Drake.

 

Yes we do. In issue #6, Calculator tells Merlyn (who asked if Calc sent Jack Drake the gun) over the phone:

 

"A call came in for a hit on Drake -- they wanted to be kept anonymous... I figured Boomerang was due."

[Kevin Boyd]

Okay, then we do.

 

Nevertheless, I think he throws the boomerang that kills Drake in self-defense for being shot by him. Yes, based on what the Calculator says he was there to kill Drake, and the result is the same, but throwing a boomerang at a shooter is a little different than premeditated murder. Yes, I'm splitting hairs...

[Illiterati-migration]

I'm putting forward my picks from before the mindwipe.

 

"Self-defense"? Don't you mean that *Drake* killed *CB* in self-defense?

 

Well, technically he throws the boomerang after being shot, which *IS* self-defense. Jack was defending his property and himself, we don't know for sure that Digger was sent to kill Jack Drake.

 

Yes we do. In issue #6, Calculator tells Merlyn (who asked if Calc sent Jack Drake the gun) over the phone:

 

"A call came in for a hit on Drake -- they wanted to be kept anonymous... I figured Boomerang was due."

 

But did he say "JACK Drake"? It could have been a hit on TIM Drake... Boomerang was, after all, shot first. Who's to say he wasn't looking for the younger Drake?