#metronmeta

Prior to Kirby's work on Who's Who, this was the last time Metron was drawn in a published work. Given the design on his chest, his posture (those legs are SPREAD), the lines on the back of the chair creating those onion-esque layers, and the weird little emblem on the center of the chair's base that literally had never existed in any appearance prior to this, I can only assume that there was a decision to base the Who's Who entry directly on Hunger Dogs, except for making the chair the traditional green that it always had been (if we ignore the JLA appearances and X-Men/NTT crossover).

I'm calling this out just as a little bit of a history lesson so you know why the Who's Who portrayal looks like it does. It didn't just spring out of nowhere unjustified, and I mean, it came from Jack Kirby so who are we to argue.

That isn't the point of this post.

The point is that other artists are maybe taking things a bit too literally sometimes? I understand staying on model. I understand not wanting to upset purists. I understand going by a guide when you aren't familiar with the character you're tasked with drawing. But goodness. Am I seeing double?

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History of the DC Universe (1986)

It sure didn't take long, did it? Later the same year that Who's Who came out, so did this. The image is blurry because it's a very small part of a huge two page spread featuring a battled between the Fourth World denizens. And oh, what is this? A VERY familiar chair? And posture? And chest design? It lacks that little emblem on the base, and the circle on Metron's chest isn't filled in with black, but everything else is spot on. But hey, that's fair. Same year, another reference style book. Editorial is staying on brand.

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DC Challenge #12 (1986)

Still fairly soon after, it looks like some people wanted to really use that Who's Who as an art reference. I will point out that I blame it for the whole Metron-has-white-eyes thing. But there's that symbol at the base of the chair. No mistaking it this time. Clear as day. What does it represent? What does it mean??

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Warlord Annual #6 (1987)

When the artists who did the Warlord Annual were told to put the New Gods into this scene, they must've been like "The Whomst?" Their style was particular and so that's why Metron looks how he does, so yknow, don't blame them for that. But the red gloves? Fascinating. At least they did something creative, because that was decidedly not in the Who's Who. And interestingly, neither was the under side of the Mobius Chair, so I recon the penciler actually referenced Hunger Dogs, especially with the more bullet shape of the back of the chair. Just a theory though.

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Justice League International #11 (1988)

Alright, this one is a partial. Obviously the base is totally simplified, but the Patterning on the back and the chest is very much Who's Who-esque. So I'm still counting it. I will say though, later panels that show more detail on the face and design of the hood thing are hmm. The little cut out thing is well, small.

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Then there were other eras of chairs for a while. Chairas, if you will. Until...

JLA/Avengers #1 (2003)

Smash cut to 2003 where Metron is talking to Captain America, yeah that's my secret, Cap, I'm always using Who's Who as a reference even in the new millennium. You know it. But interestingly, the back of the chair having cut outs like that harkens way back to Justice League of America #183 (1960) that came out in 1980! Staying true to their roots for JLA!!

Edit: A correction! Though it's true the chair did have cut outs in early League appearances, the true first time was in original New Gods #4. So that's about as legit as you can get.

(Another interesting thing I'm noticing just now is that this particular chest design, and therefore likely others that it's based on, have some striking similarities to what's in the current New Gods run.)

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JLA-Z #3 (2004)

We're starting to take liberties here, but the arms of the chair and the base still have some resemblances so I'm including it.

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Countdown #45 (2007)

I'm running out of interesting things to say here. The onion layers of the chair's back are tighter. And it's teal this time. That's new!

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Final Crisis Secret Files (2009)

Aaaaand we've finally made it to the reason this whole post exists in the first place. The most egregious fucking example. Look how spread eagle he's sitting! This was an artistic choice!!! When I was going through all of Metron's appearances and reading each one a couple years ago, this was the one where I consciously realized that I had seen that pose before. Then that symbol on the base before. Then hey wait a minute, this whole thing looks awfully familiar (well, except jeez).

Edit: Forgot to mention. What's so fucking hilarious is that in Final Crisis he notably does not even look like this!!! He's a whitish silver instead, which I think Morrison's notes (pretty sure it's their notes) it's described as an "enamel" look. Why? Just for funsies? Not the point of this post at all, but I mean, I'd be remiss to not say something.

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Bug! The Adventures of Forager #3 (2017)

This one is a bit of a gimme since it's meant to be a flashback of sorts. Forager is seeing a reference to Metron, so it kind of fits that he's being shown an actual image of him in action. This one in particular is posed nearly identical to the Hunger Dogs image, but the chair is green. Look at the leg and hand placement, it's like spot on, but in Allred's art style of course. So I think this one's intentional and not just "I don't know what Metron looks like so I'll draw from a reference", especially if you read this mini series.

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Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen Vol. 2 #11 (2020)

This one's also blurry because it's freaking tiny, but hey wait that's not even Metron! That's Jimmy Olsen!!! This is from a montage where Jimmy's day dreaming about being different heroes, and I guess one is ...Metron for some fucking reason (idk I didn't read it, I was just there for the reference). But yeah, there's no doubt about the chair and the pose. Who's Who strikes again. It's made its way into the 2020's.

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Danger Street #3 (2023)

This one's a REAL spot on reference to the Who's Who. All the elements are there, even the black circle on the chest. C'mon guys. It's 2023 at this point. Metron has literally appeared in multiple DC Encyclopedias in the past decades. Why are we still going back to 1986 for our references? I'm legit asking. Like, is it because this is the internal DC-Approved Look™? Did Tom King specifically ask for this version when he gave the artist notes? Genuinely would love to know.

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Batman/Superman: World's Finest #22 (2023)

Okay this one is obviously Very Different AND YET would you look at that. What's that at the base of the chair? Front and center? The god damn symbol that literally just showed up one day in Who's Who and meant licherally nothing and never has and yet people keep using it for no reason other than the person before did?? And no there it is in Kingdom Come lore. Hilarious. Do fans realize how meaningless that symbol is? They probably don't really care. Also this chair is bunk.

Edit: And I didn't even say anything about the Worlogog, another Kirby creation that has strong ties to Metron. Not this post, not this post.

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And last, but certainly not least, you thought that 2023 was going to be the final entry? You thought that surely there couldn't possibly be another more recent appearance that could reference this same freaking 1980's ass design? You Thought Wrong!

The New Gods #1 (2024)

That's right! Even the very, VERY new New Gods run has the Who's Who Mobius chair in it! Of course Metron is redesigned, but take a gander at that chair. The onion layers. The blocky and angular arms. Oh yeah. I told you that you wouldn't have to commit it to memory at the very top of the post, you'd know it well enough by the end, and I bet you do. Now, don't get your hopes up too much because this particular instance was done by a guest artist, so most of the chair's appearances aren't going to look like through the new book's lifespan. But it did make me kind of giggle to excitedly read the first New Gods story in a very, very long time and see this same exact chair for what seems like the millionth time. 😂

Edit: In an interview with Sktchd back in August, Ram V and Evan Cagle touched briefly on the chair's design and only kind of jokingly revealed that it was a topic of discussion. Now seeing that they did ultimately go with a new (cushy) design, it looks like they chose to lean on fresh takes, which is fair. But I think having/letting (?) guests break from that is interesting. Could be confusing to a new audience but also sort of in a way nice throw back for the older crowd. Just my 2 cents.

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So what's the moral of the story? What have we learned?

Ram V and Evan Cagle have touched briefly on this in interviews, and I get the gist that Cagle isn't really a DC kinda guy, and didn't know Metron going in. So his inspiration is likely whatever he happened upon during research, plus what was handed to him directly. I also get the sense that they've decided doing their own take will provide a fresher experience, and I'm in agreement there. So while they're keeping the character designs recognizable and certainly based on more modern depictions with elements from the originals, they're definitely not limiting themselves to what came before.

Knowing that going in, we will be taking a look at past depictions. There's no guarantee that anyone from the creative team has seen these at any point, so this is just one Kate's musings. I'm not even saying this is what I'd put money on, just a possibility. Something to chew on. Could be, who knows! So let's dive in.

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First let's take a look at what we're working with. Apologies for the low res image, he's not drawn very big! His costume is all black with white curvy lines. It's very simplistic, but the main elements are there. Large circle at the top center, at least one circle connected to each side, long lines down the center.

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And just for good measure, let's see where we came from by checking out three classic Jack Kirby looks from New Gods #1, and DC Graphic Novel #4 (Hunger Dogs).

The first two are pretty similar, and the third is certainly different. But it's needed to establish a baseline because what we're going to look at next references it heavily. In fact, I go into detail about that in this post.

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So how do we go from old to new? One hypothesis I have is the following evolution.

Two of the earliest depictions of Metron were drawn by George Pérez in Justice League of America (1960) #185 in 1980, and by Walt Simonson in the Marvel and DC Present Featuring the Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans in 1981. You can tell right away both are based straight off of New Gods #1.

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Many years later, Simonson drew Metron again for the cover of Jack Kirby's Fourth World #13 by John Byrne. The lines down the center are a lot more angular, and it appears the circular shape near the waistband became a rectangle. Were these stylistic choices, or perhaps influences from Hunger Dogs? Either way, it looks like JH Williams III followed suit in New Gods Secret Files later the same year. Three years later, when Simonson drew Orion #15, the lines down the center began to elongate and connect to the square at the bottom near the waistband.

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With the lines down the chest elongating like that, a shape is starting to form. We can envision this with two more artists' work that looks to follow suit from Simonson's Orion but also melds in many elements from Hunger Dogs. We've got George Pérez back with JLA/Avengers #1 and Ron Garney with JLA (1997) #114.

I personally don't put too much heed into Garney's depiction given the way the rest of this particular panel looks (in fact, it's shown up in my list poking fun at weird depictions of Metron). I think Garney probably followed what was already done in other League books, and if I were in those shoes I'd pretty much do what Pérez did, so that might be why these are so similar. Although it's funny, this is a rare time someone drew the tab inside the big circle.

Regardless, the lines coming down from the circle are now making an enclosed shape. Imagine if the shape was smoothed out, and maybe take away a set of the side dots, shifting the horizontal lines up. Here's a really, really bad photo manip I did to mock up what I mean followed by the 2024 version for comparison. Do you see my vision?

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Okay one last thing to mention is Kevin Maguire's art from Justice League (2011) #40. I think this is where many modern fans know Metron from since it's the same storyline where Batman briefly sits on the Mobius Chair. It's also the first time Metron has a fully jet black costume with white lines and no colored chest panel. And of course that look went on to influence the depiction in Mister Miracle (2017) #11 by Mitch Gerads, which Ram V has stated he's familiar with.

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[ID: Comic panel of Gog sitting on a large green throne in the air with David Sikela as Thunderman standing with him. /END]

OKAY so first fucking page and we're already getting into shenanigans.

I will admit I haven't read Kingdom Come and it would be valuable reference material at this point what with Gog and Boy Thunder Thunderman. I also am to understand that Bats and Supes are in a world that isn't yet aware of the multiverse so they're getting a lot of pushback, and that they come from like a while back relative to current canon. HOWEVER you can't just have Gog showing up in the goddamn MOBIUS CHAIR with the freaking WORLOGOG floating above it. (Worlo...gog..... Oh wait is that why he's called Gog?)

Anyway, how did he get it? Why doesn't Metron have it? What about the rest of the canon of the chair? Like, I know the history of the New Gods in general has gotten real screwy over the years, but I am so confused where this is meant to fit in. I think I'm going to have to read more to figure it out. They've got some explaining to do.

So there's more fighting and good guy Superman breaks magical chains (wut?) but the two let themselves get caught and thrown in the clinker anyway. Meanwhile, Supes is going on about the throne, the throne, it's so familiar.

[ID: Cropped panel of Earth 22's Batman escorting our Superman to jail. Superman says, "Looks like the heroes of this world have been working overtime to clear the board of opposition. Gog's throne... did it look familiar to you? I could swear I've seen it before." Batman says, "Stop talking". /End]

OH WHAT YOU THINK CLARK? YOU COULD'VE SWORN YOUVE SEEN IT BEFORE?

Alright. I'm calming down about this one. When I first read it I had tons of beef with this line, especially bc this isn't the first time one of the trinity is acting like they don't know Metron. HOWEVER given the timeline I think the only time this Superman would've met Metron would've been during Justice League of America #183-185 and they didn't necessarily interact. So okay. He remembers the chair but vaguely. Fair enough. But you're on watch, Superman.

So they get thrown in a cell and there's a feeble, weak man curled up in the corner surrounded by blood splatters. Who could it be?????

It's Metron!

but uhh... he don't look so good.

[ID: Two comic panels. In the first Batman leans in to view Metron, sitting on the dirty floor in the corner with his knees drawn up and cowering. Metron says, "Tell me... tell me anything. It's been... so long since I've heard... since I've learned... feed me. Please... feed me."

In the next panel, he continues, "I'm so... so very hungry..." To which Batman crouches down and responds, "I'm sorry. We have nothing to--" Superman cuts him off to explain. "He's not hungry for food, Bruce. He's starving for knowledge. It's his sustenance. I recognize this man." /END]

SAY WHAT? HE'S.. FUCKING STARVING... FOR

STARVING FOR KNOWLEDGE?

this is literally the first time I've ever heard this as a Thing about Metron. Mark Waid, you are making up some wacky as hell type of shit here and I can't tell if I hate it or love it.

On one hand, HE DOES NOT WORK LIKE THAT. But on the other hand, idk it's kind of interesting. Makes his desire for knowledge more of a true need than an obsession. But personally I like the obsession aspect because when there are consequences he can't just say "oh well it's just my nature lolz!"

But yeah, him asking to be fed is me every day that there is zero Metron fan content on this god forsaken website. FEED ME.

[ID: Close up on Metron, head cowered and face anguished. From off screen Superman says, "Gog's throne belongs to him. It's his Mobiue Chair. This is Metron of the New Gods." /END]

Yes, yes he is Metron. Of the New Gods. And I get it, Gog is one of the old gods. But like, the New Gods were meant to be better! Smarter! Kinder! Brighter! And I find it I N C R E D I B L Y hard to believe that even an old god would get the drop on Metron and steal his chair. BUT it wouldn't be an interesting story in that case, would it? And other stories have had his chair stolen away, so it's not unprecedented like how him being hungry for knowledge is a new concept.

One of the things that's funny about Metron is that often he is introduced like this because fucking no one knows who this asshat is. Like fans I mean. Some do, but many don't. Especially these days. So I can see why writers are always like "Introducing: Metron! A New God! He's smart! He has a chair!". Gotta let readers know who he is and what's his deal. It means that there are a lot of panels that feature him showing up, so that's fun. Maybe I'll put together a compilation of those some day.

Another thing that's funny about Metron is that he is 100% used as a plot device. You got Batman and Superman as characters because we know and love them. You've got Gog and I guess future Magog as antagonists because they're compelling and have desires that conflict with our heroes. But why Metron? Because he can make things happen and tie things together multiversally. BUT even more than that!! Because THE MOBIUS CHAIR can be taken from him and used by others to further the plot. I've said it before and I am now saying it again. The Mobius Chair might just go on to be a more important character in this story than Metron. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But back to the story.

[ID: Metron still sits on the floor with Batman crouched to him and Superman standing nearby. Metron says, "Years... I have been held here... for years..." And Superman explains, "Metron is from a world called New Genesis. Sister world to Darkseid's Apokolips. Is Gog also from--?" Metron cuts him of saying, "No. And that, in a grave sense, is the peril before us." /END]

Alright so now they're going to exposition at us hard. And wouldn't you know, this is all leading to Darkseid (probably). Hey at least it's not another Amanda Waller plot amirite amirite?

So yeah I'm not going to screencap all of it bc it goes on for a while, but Metron explains that Gog is from Urgrund, the home of Then-Gods (well that term's news to me) of the Third World. You know, I always feel weird when writers try to canonize the term "fourth world" but whatever, it happens. And it looks like story time with Metron is explaining the origins of New Genesis and Apokolips. It's a far cry from the opening epilogue in New Gods #1 smh.

Wait hold on. Metron and Gog "became friends"? FRIENDS? Like buddies? Pals? Homies? Amigos? (pizza, nintendo woo woo woo lets go?) So our little Metron actually made a friend? Waid, you are going places I don't know if I can follow.

[ID: Two comic panels. The first is a close up of Metron in profile. He says, "He was genuinely a force for good. But then... but then--" His narration continues in the next panel, "One day, I shared with Gog the secret of the multiverse as well as those realms that lie beyond it-- among them, New Genesis and Apokolips." The panel shows the two looking at a map of the DC multiverse. Gog is many times larger than Metron. /END]

God, the fucking map.

And um so Gog is looking reeeaaaaal Thanos-y here. Which is hilarious in its own right since Thanos was mostly based on Metron, and also partially on Darkseid. Plus, you can't ignore that involving the old gods means the meta of relating to Jack Kirby's work on Thor. So idk those are interesting little tidbits.

[ID: Panel of Gog looking at the Mobius chair floating in front of him. Narration says, "Soon after the boy David arrived on this world, Gog implored me for a favor too dangerous to grant. He pleaded for the use of my cosmic vehicle, the Mobius Chair. I denied him." /END]

Alright so anyway, David shows up and Gog is like "Omigod David!!! Hi!!!!" and then he turns around and is like "Yo Metron, um, I have a new bestie now so like.. can I borrow the car?" To which Metron rightly says Fuck No.

LMFAO SO HE GETS PUNCHED OUT OF IT

[ID: Gog's giant fist surrounded by electricity having punched Metron, who falls away sideways with back to the viewer. There is blood exploding from the side of his head. Narration says, "He took it nonetheless." /END]

🤣

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

Looks like I have to update my fucking Metron Gets Yeeted post. Hilarious. Are we supposed to feel sympathetic? I guess so? Fans who don't know Metron are going to go wow wtf they were friends he didn't deserve that. Meanwhile, fans who DO know Metron are going YES FINALLY.

I'm laughing though. It's like Metron and Gog used to hang out and watch prehistoric man and they were both so into. But then Gog changed fandoms and hates Metron now. 😂

Alright anyway, so next this Earth's Batman and Superman show up and have heard Metron's woeful tale of betrayal. They're ready to help. And Metron knows what Gog is planning.

[ID: Profile closeup of Metron still sitting with legs pulled to his chest. He says, "That much, I know. Gog plans to couple David's unique ability to traverse dimensions with the power of my Mobius Chair... allowing him not only to push through the cosmic wall surrounding the multiverse... but to lead an army behind him... beyond the Speed Force wall, beyond the Bleed..." /END]

Alright. Time to pause and address the elephant in the room. I held my tongue long enough, but I can no longer.

Dan Mora's art is fantastic, and he's a fan favorite for good reason. So to draw Metron LIKE THIS was 1000% intentional and I just.. WHY DOES HE LOOK LIKE THAT??? 😭 It is so god damn cursed. But to be fair, let's run through it, shall we?

Bad: No M-shaped cut out on the forehead. That's offense number one, and not one I take lightly. BUT after inspecting ALL APPEARANCES that Metron has had over several decades, I can confidently say it's not unheard of. And actually, you can see an example of how an M could have been reinterpreted as a boxy shape in my post about a Metron trading card.

Good: His ears are covered. Exposed ears through the cowl is a cardinal sin in my book.

Bad: Where are the lines on his head? Where is the orange dot/jewel thing?? Those are really integral to his design since his costume is otherwise kind of just a blue morph suit. Gog has a little jewel thing on HIS forehead, but what, is Metron not cool enough have one??! And btw I am DYING to see what his chest looks like. What kind of fuckery do you think they did with the design? Where do you think it'd land in this thing?

Good: His eyes are blue. Thank you. They're not glowing white and his irises are not fucking squares. I really hope we are DONE with that era.

Bad: wHY does he look like how people draw stereotypical witches? Can anyone explain this? Mr Mora, is Metron a HAG to you? Is that how you see him? Is he to live in a bog? (side note, I am not endorsing witch stereotypes)

Good: Is there anything good left? I guess that he's got some features I like. Deep set eyes, distinct/bony nose, thin lips. And he's older. That all rings true.

But most importantly. The biggest beef I have with this whole thing. The most flagrant disrespect... THE EYEBROWS WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING WHY ARE HIS EYEBROWS JUST -OUT- LIKE THAT? I HATE IT IM DYING IM DECAYING I WANT IT TO STOP BAD BAD BAD

Ahem.

And then we close on Metron dropping a bomb that Gog doesn't want anyone to survive war on Apokolips.

[ID: Close up of Metron looking stern, half his face in shadow. He says, "That's just it. Gog isn't planning on victory, he doesn't want to win. The Ascension is his name for a battle in which there will be no survivors." /END]

Okay, we're through it. We did it. I need to gather my thoughts somehow.

I'm interested to see where this goes, and it does make me want to go back and actually read Kingdom Come (I have been told to many times, but my reading is so slow I just haven't gotten to it). Or at least go back and read through this current title to catch up.

They dipped into New Gods lore in a few key ways, and yes they're on Earth 22 but all the Fourth World shit sits outside of the different Earths. So like, is Orion going to show up? Are you going to have the old gods, the origin of New Genesis and Apokolips, fucking Metron, and then NOT have Orion? That'd be a pretty weird move. But then again, his involvement might pull the story away from Batman and Superman too much.

Either way, I would expect we'd see Metron again at least once more. If I'm lucky, the Bats/Bats/Supes/Supes team will free Metron and take him with them since he's the Mobius Chair expert and all. And if I'm REALLY lucky, at some point he'll get his ugly af chair back and as soon as butt touches polymer he'll get all godly and badass or something. And he'll regain all his hubris and snark. And then maybe he'll get vengeance on Gog or something idk. He could really be a key player once he's back to his usual self and not in the fetal position on the floor. Look, I remember how maniacal with vengeance he was when Braniac got captured. He could 100% do the same here. I mean, Waid wouldn't end this whole thing without giving Metron his chair back ...right?

Appearance

Though both Metron and Himon are older, perhaps the same generation as Highfather, they have vastly different appearances, which lend directly to their characterizations.

Metron: Thin, with a wiry musculature. His clothing is tight fitting, even around his head. The pattern on his chest is meant to be computerized components. He rarely smiles.

Himon: Fuller bodied with a gently, approachable air. He wears loose fitting clothes that are warm in color. His hair is shaggy. He is often seen smiling.

Personality

This is the area where the two are clearly opposites. Though they're both clever and resourceful, that's where the similarities end. Perhaps the only other commonality here is that they have a mutual respect for each other.

Metron: Cold and analytical, yet spirited. He is independent and very self-focused, and his actions are almost always driven by his own personal desires rather than any consideration for those around him. He likes to stay seated on the Mobius chair, at times floating nearby watching, and at other times meddling.

Himon: Lively and active, and encouraging of others. He works to foster creativity and individuality of those he takes in, and teaches them to think for themselves rather than manipulating them. He values family and the beauty of life.

Inventions

As both are geniuses and inventors of technology that has forever changed the face of the universe, there are a lot of parallels in this area. However, what makes things interesting isn't necessarily what they created, but everything else surrounding said inventions.

Metron: A scientist who has notably created the Mobius chair that can travel time and space, as well as Boom Tubes, wormhole-like portals that allow anyone to travel directly to any location. When he created the forerunner to the Boom Tube, he gave Darkseid's army the unforseen ability to attack New Genesis. This had no moral impact on Metron since it meant he would be that much closer to unlocking the Source's mysteries for himself.

Himon: A visionary who discovered the X-element which Metron used in his inventions. Himon's most influential invention is the Mother Box, which are mechanisms that are connected to the Source and are considered living things. He respects the Source and channels it to do good, but never fixates on controlling it. Because Darkseid had made use of his theories and inventions, Himon vowed to do whatever he could to dismantle Darkseid's rule.

Location

By this time you can see a pattern emerging. Metron has a lot of negative traits, and Himon has a lot of positive ones. They are two very different sides of the same coin. So isn't it interesting where they reside? They are almost like the dots in the yin and yang symbolism, surrounded by contrasting environment.

Metron: Lives on New Genesis with the other New Gods. Is in easy enough contact with Highfather, and is introduced with the story's "good guys".

Himon: Lives on Apokolips in the slums where serves as a beacon of hope in the otherwise abysmal place.

Mentorship

Last is a pretty straightforward one. As intellectuals, it makes sense that these two have taken on mentees. But the relationships were not at all similar, except for the tragic ends that some of the younger characters met.

Metron: Took the child, Esak, along to study primitive creatures, showing him the universe outside of time and space. But later in the graphic novel's conclusion to the New Gods story, Metron has abandoned Esak, and Esak becomes bitter and ends up on Apokolips working for Darkseid. Separate from this, Metron does help Scott escape from Apokolips, but it's unclear if his motives were to help ensure destiny, or if it was done as a curiosity about what would happen. Perhaps a bit of both.

Himon: Mentored many on Apokolips, including the dregs of society and children suffering through life under Darkseid's rule, though some like Kreetin would sell him out in an instant. Himon truly cares for all he helps, and later he has a daughter who he loves. As for Scott's escape, he becomes a guiding force for free thinking, encouraging Scott to expand his mind.

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There's so much more I could say about all of these themes. I feel like I barely scratched the surface, and certainly could have written this up more eloquently. Metron is not an evil character just because Himon is so good. As Metron says, he serves life in his own way. The technology he creates is powerful and it benefits everyone, and he has been shown to appreciate the Source and the universe's inhabitants. But there really is so much to think about when you contrast these two against each other. Even for characters who are only in a handful of pages. Just look at the panel at the top of this post! Metron, floating loftily in his grand Mobius chair that lets him travel anywhere and anywhen, reaching down to shake hands with Himon, who chooses to remain grounded and in hiding on a terrible planet amongst the lowlies. Metron without a care in the world except whatever suits him, and Himon who dedicates his life to standing against evil.