Posts Tagged ‘Stone Boy’

The Planet Zwen: United Kingdom Protectorate?

2010/06/10

In Action Comics #862 (April 2008), the Legion of Substitute Heroes stage a daring raid on the Justice League of Earth’s satellite quarters in the unlikeliest of spacefaring vehicles: a 31st century school bus:

I'll say this for the Subs: they know how to make an entrance.

What makes this scene even more hilarious is the position that Stone Boy was frozen in when he entered hibernation mode and crashed through the windshield:

"Suck on this in STEREO, biyotchs!"

The hand gesture he’s making – known as the two-fingered salute – is considered offensive in the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, where it is interpreted as a sign of derision, contempt, or defiance of authority: the equivalent of giving someone the finger. Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans will doubtlessly recognize this as the same gesture that Spike made in the Season 4 episode Hush when Xander Harris accused him of being responsible for his sudden loss of voice, a clip of which managed to sneak its way into the opening credits:

"I said I'd like two sugars with my tea, please."

Given that the artist for the Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes story arc, Gary Frank, is British himself, I think we can safely say that this was done on purpose.