If you missed last week’s news report check it out here.
(Spoilers for DC Comics released 06/15/2021)
(Words in italics signal actions)
The GC52 Logo appears on televisions, computers, and all other types of viewing devices at its normally scheduled time. Lead Anchor Dan McMahon sits at the center of the newsroom behind his desk. This week he’s wearing a lavender suitoutlined by the large window behind him looking out over Metropolis. The Daily Planet globe is visible behind him as the setting sun sparkles off the crown jewel of the City of Tomorrow. The GC52 theme music begins to dim as the actual program begins.
Dan: Good Morning, Good Afternoon, and Good Evening to all our wonderful viewers from the docks of Coast City to the furthest reaches of Oa, you are watching the multiverse’s best news show that brings you the news that you need to know! As always, I’m your host, Dan McMahon, doing my part to bring you up to the minute updates on the worlds you live in!
We’re jumping right into it tonight as Jerry’s new drone is in Blüdhaven, checking in on Nightwing’s activities.
A shiny new camera drone thats labeled “Jerry’s New Drone” flies through the fires of the battle between Nightwing and Heartless! Documenting the villains escape, and the hero’s calls for anyone to help Robin and a group of orphans that are trapped on a burning pier! The camera watches as Nightwing falls. As Robin rushes towards Nightwing, the drone notices a lone ferret on the ground watching the fire rage.
The camera watches the ferret until a man in a white lab coat grabs the creature and rushes away. In a valiant effort, the camera follows them to Star Labs and watches as the ferret gnaws at the latch of his newfound prison. The little fellow succeeds and rushes out! His daring escape is not yet over as he must venture through and out of the lab to his freedom. The furry rocket rushes from desk to desk avoiding detection, and he notices a human-sized framework mech suit labeled “Mr. Mind Person Suit.” Upon further inspection, he notices he would fit, but just then the scientist returns and says, “the ferret is loose!” And another replies, “Yeah and so what we don’t test on animals Mr. Mind’s orders.”
Startled the ferret closes the top of the head and pushes the scientist out of his way, making a daring escape, which the drone follows.
The drone flies into the face of the mech and through the head watches as the ferret types something!
Mr. Tubes: WELCOME BACK TO GC52 BLÜDHAVEN COVERAGE, I AM MISTER TUBES! LOOK THERE AT THAT BUILDING!
The camera turns to watch Nightwing entering a window! The camera turns back to Mr. Tubes, who is holding a newspaper that says ZUCCO: MAYOR!
Mr. Tubes: FROM WHAT THIS PAPER SAYS MELINDA ZUCCO LIVES SOMEWHERE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD COULD HE BE GOING TO VISIT HER TO TALK CRIMEFIGHTING STRATEGIES?!? COME BACK SOON FOR NEW COVERAGE IN BLÜDHAVEN! HAVE A NICE NIGHT.
The camera zooms in on the ferret as he waves his little paws! Then the camera shuts off as the feed returns to the studio and a flabbergasted Dan.
Dan: What the hell was that?! A Ferret? I…I don’t know anymore. Anyway, let’s check in with our reporter on all things feline, Katie, who’s on the streets of Alleytown, Gotham, with an update on Catwoman!
The camera cuts to Katie stood on a street corner in Gotham.
Katie: Welcome back to Alleytown! Boy, I just love being out here in the field when the Magistrate’s goons are swarming the place. It’s the bee’s knees! The cat’s pajamas! The —
Her fabulous feline friend jumps up on her shoulder and swats the microphone.
Katie: All right, all right, Felicia. I’ll stop making puns–FUR now!
Felicia rubs Katie’s face and purrs sweetly. Katie can’t help but pet Felicia while talking to her in a baby voice Felicia finds demeaning.
Katie: Awww, you’re the sweetest thing. Yes you are. Yes you are! Sorry about that. I needed a distraction. We all could use a cat in our lives. Did you know studies have proven that cats are purrfect emotional support animals and can help your mental health? They relieve stress, anxiety, feelings of loneliness… And with that, I’ll segue into the topic of my report tonight: Catwoman! Catwoman definitely doesn’t aid the mental health of Mayor Nakano and the private security force around here!
After receiving tips about Catwoman’s presence here in Gotham’s old manufacturing district, Nakano has unleashed the Magistrate on Alleytown’s locales. Here at the corner of Fortieth and Navarro, the GCPD and the Magistrate’s security are doubling down on detaining known Catwoman associates. Unless you’ve been cozying up inside those comfy sleeping spaces in a cat tree for too long, you know about the street gang dubbed “The Strays’ ‘ here in Alleytown. The young members of The Strays, along with a woman named Selina Kyle are believed to have suspicious ties to the Magistrate’s number one target.
With all the pressure and claims mounting against her own allies, I can’t help but wonder: Where is the notorious feline vigilante? She has been sticking to the shadows while her comrades are left to lick their wounds. I guess if we knew Catwoman’s location, the Magistrate wouldn’t be (likely) clawing fistfuls of hair out of his head trying to track her down! Yes, Catwoman remains a fur-midible *chuckles* opponent.
Felicia leans in and licks Katie’s face, secretly placing a paw-sized recorder in her ear. Katie listens to the recording with a serious expression.
Katie: Ah, I suppose Mr. Leo Carreras should begin praying…for salvation. Alleytown’s recent villain, Father Valley, has Mr. Carreras tied up for an interrogation…at an undisclosed location. If you recall from an earlier broadcast, Father Valley and Penguin had a heart-to-heart (or really, a nose-to-fist) stand-off a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, Mr. Carreras and Father Valley may also be wrapped up in this labyrinthian yarn ball of Catwoman’s schemes. Everyone wants to find the Cat, but a (singing) cat’s the only cat, who knows where she’s at!
She begins singing ‘Everybody Wants to Be a Cat” before the camera cuts back to Dan.
Dan: …Thanks for that Katie. Y’know folks, I’m so glad those cats don’t come into the studio, allergies and all. We now take you over to Dakota City, where our newest reporter, Corey, is on the scene reporting on the recent events going on in the city…
The camera cuts to Corey, standing in front of a raging fire consuming a Dakota City home.
Corey: Dakota City has seen far more than its share of downright shocking trouble over the past few weeks. It all started when a reportedly peaceful protest was met head-on by what some are calling an excessive display of force from the DCPD, who allegedly unleashed an unknown chemical weapon on protesters and counterprotesters alike. Since that event, which locals are calling the “Big Bang,” Dakota residents have reported sightings of strange, supernatural – and downright superhuman events! I came to Dakota City with the intent of verifying the truth of these claims, but it seems like I got here too lit-
The house’s roof collapses in on itself, with a deafening crash. Corey stumbles, and only barely manages to regain balance.
Corey: Uh, that’s too little, too late. The inferno behind me was apparently the result of two of these superhuman “Bang Babies,” who decided to turn a personal dispute into a war on one family’s abode. While the fire was largely contained before it spread to neighboring homes, the other residents of the street have made it clear that this argument couldn’t have happened to a nicer family. By all accounts, the Hawkins family is well-loved and respected, and neighbors say that their youngest child, Virgil, had only just recovered from some sort of severe medical issue! This reporter can’t help but wonder just how much one family, one neighborhood, one city is expected to go through. The Hawkins’ were unable to be reached for comment, but, hopefully, they’re safe, and their home is insured. With any luck, this won’t be the start of a wave of Bang Baby crimes. Thank you – reporting for GC52 News, this is Corey Smith, signing off.
The camera cuts to Dan, who’s about to press play on an old VHS player.
Dan: Thanks for that Corey. Now, we were due to have another new reporter start this today to check in on the multiversal energy storm we saw in Gotham a few weeks ago, but they never showed up. Then we got a VHS from them in the mail. I’ve not seen it yet, so let’s take a look at what Rook’s been up to.
Dan presses play and the feed cuts to Rook, who is holding their own camera as they jog through corridor after corridor of stone and gunmetal gray walls.
Rook: Was that — for a second, I could almost hear someone’s voice through this thing! Okay, if you can hear me, here’s the situation: I’m screwed.
I woke up falling from miles high in the air, and then — splat. Turns out I’m in a time loop, so after a few deaths — my memory resetting each time, so this took a lot of luck — I managed to grab a chute on the way down and glide my way onto the island.
There, I died another one-hundred-and seventy-nine time at the hands of…everything. Sentient stacks of pancakes with revolvers, slimes with shotguns, even a kitten. Everyone here has a gun! Hell, right now, I have four!
But eventually, I made it out of the loop by surviving. Don’t worry about how; it was very cool and dignified. Then the real problems started.
All my memories of the loops hit me at once, which really highlighted the importance of this one madman in particular. This caped guy never touched a gun, and he still made it out of the loop. So I started following, you know, from a safe distance.
…I think he noticed me, at one point, because he waved me over, but that would’ve been the most awkward conversation. So I kept after him and his squad as they found a way beneath the island, into this new mess.
Down here, some sort of tactical government-looking team of elite bastards is shooting everything that moves, and I’m pretty sure I don’t have the loop to help me walk off the bullets anymore. I overheard something from the bat’s team about a “Zero Point” down here, the origin of all multiverses. That sounds useful, but then they went and caved in the ceiling so I’m cut off from it! I’ve got to find a way around, or I’m gonna be pinned between the rubble and a frankly excessive number of bullets!
So if there’s somebody out there watching this, throw me a bone. Or a portal. Or literally anything, because — AAAAH!
Rook drops the camera, which lands sideways and skids across the floor. There’s the flash of two gunshots, and then —
Rook: Well, on the plus side, that guy looks about my size. That almost makes up for getting shot in the leg.
…Let’s hope nobody suspects the guy with a bullet hole in their faceplate and a sudden inexplicable limp.
Rook grabs the camera and holds it up to their face.
Rook: Time for a quick costume change, so I’m signing off — but please, if you’re hearing this, help. I’m not recording this log just to die and leave it behind like some …video game trope…wait one fucking second, am I —
The camera feed is overtaken by digital artifacting and static before cutting back to Dan in the studio, a look of mild annoyance on his face.
Dan: Every week, every week there’s something like this. I don’t even get it, we’ve had multiple stories since that storm of Batman operating in Gotham. How could he even be trapped in some other place at the sa- Oh god, it’s time travel. I hate time travel.
Now, on a more somber note, our final story tonight comes from Reagan in National City as they report on the unfortunate news of a beloved hero’s untimely passing.
The camera cuts to Reagan, who is standing outside of a dog park in National City where a crowd of mourners have gathered for Krypto the Superdog.
Reagan: Thanks Dan, I’m standing outside of the Dog Park in National City where as you can see a crowd has assembled in order to conduct a memorial service for Krypto the Superdog who, if rumors are to be believed, was killed this past Tuesday while off-world.
She takes a deep breath.
Krypto was a beloved citizen of National City and as you can see by those gathered behind me, affected many in his regrettably short time with us. We can only hope that these rumors turn out to be just that, rumors, and that Krypto will return to National City soon.
Dan: And what about Supergirl? Where is she in all of this?
Reagan: According to my sources, Supergirl was off-world celebrating her 21st birthday when all of this happened. Some are saying that she may have been injured at the same time that Krypto was reportedly killed. One can only hope that she will return to us soon, hopefully with Krypto in tow.
She pauses and takes a deep breath, gathering herself before forcing a small smile.
Reagan: Back to you Dan.
The camera feed cuts back to Dan, who’s wiping a tear from his eye.
Dan: Thank you for that Reagan, the thoughts of all the GC52 News Team are with Superman and his family during what must undoubtedly be a difficult time. I’ll forgo my normal outro today, just doesn’t feel right. That’s all we have for you. I’m your host Dan McMahon. Be strong in all your convictions.
Whereas the camera would normally cut to the credits, instead, the feed bursts into static before resolving into CCTV footage of the GC52 studio at night. The date counter on the bottom of the screen shows this recording is from the night before.
Jerry the intern can be seen prepping the studio floor for the next day’s recording. He’s alone when suddenly a flash of electric blue light appears in the middle of the studio. Jerry covers his eyes when all of a sudden, out of the light, steps Ethan, the ex-GC52 reporter who vanished under mysterious circumstances during the middle of a broadcast, wearing a black suit and tie. The type you’d imagine a secret agent would wear. Jerry looks on in shock.
Jerry: E-Ethan? But…you left? You vanished! I was there!
Ethan: It’s Agent 17 while I’m on duty, Jer. I’ve got a few questions for you.
Jerry: No, no, no, I’m not answering anything until you tell me where you’ve been. Agent? What the hell do you mean, Agent?
Ethan: Ugh, fine. Jer, I’m an agent of the DEO, always have been. After the Leviathan threat showed up last year, those of us still loyal to Mr. Bones went into hiding. I did what comes best to me, reporting. Hence my joining the news team. That was until I got a message from Bones calling us back into action.
Jerry: So wait, you were always a…a…spy? That stuff I told you, about what I remember from…before, you wanted me to tell you!
Ethan: Well, yes, that’s kind of why I’m here. You remember the changes to the timeline. That’s something we could use at the DEO. We’re doing work to…fix the multiverse.
Jerry: You came to recruit me? The intern? Nah, I don’t buy it. I’ll stay, thanks.
Ethan: I’m not asking you to decide right now. Just keep it in mind. Look, what I’ll do, I’ll send you some of the reports I write up. Let you see we’re doing good work. Hell, get Dan to read them on air. Bones wants people to know what we’re doing. It’s important. I’ll be back in a few weeks to see what you think. Catch you later Jer.
Jerry: Wait, wait, don’t go-
Jerry’s words fall on deaf ears as Ethan, Agent 17 of the DEO, presses a button on his smartwatch, calling in another stream of blue light before stepping into it. Jerry stands there in the studio with a look of shock across his face as the camera feed cuts to black.
Books covered this week:
- Nightwing #81 by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas, and Wes Abbott.
- Catwoman #32 by Ram V, Evan Cagle, Jordie Bellaire, and Tom Napolitano.
- Static: Season One #1 by Vita Ayala, ChrisCross, and Nikolas Draper-Ivey.
- Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point #5 by Christos Gage, Donald Mustard, Christian Duce, John Kalisz, and AndWorld Design.
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #1 by Tom King, Bilquis Evely, Matthew Lopes, and Clayton Cowles.