LNH: Retrocotheric Energy

[Martin Phipps]

I think we need to talk about this so we don't go off in too many
different directions.

First of all, it seems to me that when a change is made in continuity
people remember the new continuity rather than the old.  Thing is, it
doesn't always happen like that: when McCoy went back in time and
saved Edith Keeler, Kirk and Spock remembered things as they were;
similarly Spock still exists in Star Trek as he was in the old series
even though the old continuity was wiped out; Marty McFly still exists
in in the past even though he hadn't been born and his picture was
starting to fade away; Guinan still remembers a Federation not at war
with the Klingons; Bishop remembers Professor X not dying and
Apocalypse taking over, etc.

In the the Flame Wars V epilogue, this was a gag.  Doctor Stomper and
Sing-Along Lass had had a relationship in Flame Wars V and Sing Along
Lass says "It never happened" to which Doctor Stomper replied "Do you
mean there was a retcon of continuity that our memories haven't caught
up to yet or do you want to just pretend it didn't happen?"

But I think there's more to it than that.  What about minor changes?
If people see something suddenly change then they will see it as
magic.  So the same forces that cause major changes to continuity may
cause minor miracles: people remember the minor changes but not the
major changes so they believe in magic and miracles but still believe
in the continuity of their daily lives.

So what does that mean for Netropolis in LNH20?  If Netropolis appears
in different parts of the world then that is a major change and people
won't remember it.  What about Netropolis floating in the air?  Again,
when the Spoon of Destiny Saga is over people will no doubt forget it
ever happened: if they don't then there will either be a mass exodus
of people from Netropolis or people will blame the LNH and ask them to
leave.  It's the same in comics: every time there is an alien invasion
people respond by running and screaming and asking the Avengers to
save them; logically though alien invasions have happened so many
times that Earth should have defenses against them.  We can only
assume that ordinary people forget about aliens: it's as if people are
constantly being mind-wiped by "flashy things".

It's like the Beyonder from Marvel.  After Secret Wars II, you didn't
hear about him.  It's as if everybody forgot about him.  Nightcrawler
had a crisis of faith during Secret Wars.  "I have met God and he is
insane," he said but he remained the same character when Secret Wars
II was over.  Really, all the things that happen in the Marvel
Universe should have had tremendous changes to society but they
don't.  Chris Claremont even made this explicit regarding Inferno:
nobody remembered New York being invaded by demons after it was over;
it was a magical event and ordinary people don't remember those
things.

So there's actually two things going on here: changes to reality and
changes to memory (and written records and pictures and video?) and
these things do not happen at the same time.  Oh and people remember
minor changes but not major changes, at least not in the long term:
people remembered Crisis while it was going on but when it was over
everybody remembered post-Crisis continuity.

On last thing: the Power Kirby seems to do the same thing as
retrocotheric energy so they (and Kurtzberg radiation or Dark
radiation) must be the same thing but with different origins: it's
like X-rays come from an x-ray lamp but gamma rays come from nuclear
decay; they have different names but they are the same thing.  Ditto
for microwaves and radar.  (Do NOT stand in front of a radar tower in
operation!  And stay away from TV and radio broadcast towers just in
case!)

Comments?

Martin