 
Doom Patrol #4 hit this week from DC. In this Blackest Night crossover, dead members of the second incarnation of the Doom Patrol (from the “Showcase” issues in the ’70s and the pre-Morrison ongoing of the ’80s) rise and attack the original members. However, one significant change has been noted. Josh Clay, aka Tempest, has always been a “blaster”. That is, his power set involved the ability to shoot energy blasts, and the ability to fly derived from said blasts.
In this issue, dead Arani recalls Josh as having weather-related powers, manifested in the flashback by tornadoes. When Black Lantern Tempest attacks, he’s exhibiting, again, weather powers. Why the change? Is there some kind of valid reason for this? Was there editorial confusion over Black Lantern Tempest/Aqualad/Garth and BL Tempest/Clay? Some fans are already grumbling, pointing to this as a case of DC’s continuity changing on a whim.
What say you readers? Did you notice? Does continuity-shifting bother one?
One thing’s for sure. While it was interesting to see the dead Doom Patrol members, they weren’t my favorite return of the week.
[Thanks to David Pepose for the image.]
November 6th, 2009 at 11:50 am
So who is the man with Dazzler globes in the Phoenix costume?
November 6th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
There’s another continuity glitch other than that. Valentina Vostok is show to be dead, when she seemed to be very much alive when she became the White Queen of Checkmate just a couple of years ago.
November 7th, 2009 at 2:57 am
Khuxford strikes again?
November 7th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
The only response I can muster is, who the hell cares?
November 8th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Then why comment, except to be a dick?
November 16th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Perhaps they are going to bring him back after BN with these weather based powers. Does any hero have these powers?
Actually, with a name like Tempest, you would think that his powers would be weather based instead of power blasts. The name at least fits better–Perhaps Paul K. intended him to have these powers and changed them to avoid comparisons with Storm but kept the name.