The Flashback of Notre Dame
"The Flashback of Notre Dame" was an 11-page Gargoyles parody story that appeared in JLA Showcase 80-Page Giant #1, published in February 2000 by DC Comics. Set during the days of Justice League Europe (whose self-titled series had been cancelled seven years previously), "The Flashback of Notre Dame" was written by Greg Weisman and prominently featured the superhero Captain Atom. Greg Weisman had been, with Cary Bates, a writer on Captain Atom's solo series from 1987 until 1991.[1][2][3]
Other DC Comics characters featured include Bette Sans Souci (aka Plastique), Metamorpho, Flash, Kilowog, Blue Jay and (briefly) Catherine Cobert. A pencil holder shaped like Batman's head can be seen on Metamorpho's desk.
- Writer: Greg Weisman
- Penciller: Christopher Jones
- Inker: Mark Stegbauer
- Colorist: Gene D'Angelo
- Letter: Kurt Hathaway
- With special thanks to Cary Bates
The editor was Dan Raspler, who was uncredited in the story, but who added an editorial comment on the story's fifth page which he signed "Danny Boy".
Summary
Captain Atom (referring to himself as "Cameron Scott") has been assigned to supervise reconstruction of the JLE's Paris Embassy. Instead, he takes his fiancée, Bette Sans Souci, on a romantic tour of the city, seeing landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Cleopatra's Needle (whose fellow needle is in Central Park) and the Arc de Triomphe. On the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral, Cap and Bette kiss, thereby breaking an ancient curse and reawakening the sleeping stone gargoyles, which are revealed to be living creatures.
Not understanding the French that the gargoyles speak, and believing that they are monsters, Captain Atom attacks their leader, Behemoth, and they all fly away. When Bette reveals that Behemoth had only wanted to be friends, Cap and the rest of the JLE manage to round them up again and straighten things out. Behemoth introduces himself and the other gargoyles, and the JLE help send them home to the mystic island of Brigadoon.
References to Gargoyles
"The Flashback of Notre Dame" is filled with references to Gargoyles.
Trivia
The original title of this story was "A Case of Self Indulgence" and, as a visual pun, artist Christopher Jones placed the title on the side of a crate that Kilowog is seen carrying in the opening frame. When Dan Raspler, the editor, changed the title to its current form, the joke became lost, although Greg Weisman has said that the new title is much more clever.[4][5]
The story was intended to be set in the year 1991, although the two references to this were removed by the editor.[6] Nevertheless, the date is identified as February 28th, and Behemoth also mentions that it is "the last full moon in February". There was indeed a full moon on February 28, 1991.[7][8]
Pat Broderick, the pencil artist who had worked with Greg Weisman and Cary Bates on the original Captain Atom title, was originally supposed to work on "Flashback" as a sort of reunion. However, in the end, Christopher Jones worked on the story instead.[9]
In the first draft of the story, it opened with the funeral-at-sea of Heinrich Megala, a scientist attached to Project Atom who had appeared in the original run of the Captain Atom title. Dan Raspler, the editor, felt that this scene was too serious and too far removed from the tone of the rest of the story, and Greg Weisman agreed to change it.[10]
Links
- "An Excercise in Self Indulgence" Indeed ;) at scans_daily, featuring scans of the story
- JLA Showcase 80-Page Giant #1 at eBay
