Zenith - a few questions (with spoilers)

[JayzusB.Christ]

4. The pyramid in Phase 1 isn't Chimera, but looks like her for some kind of mystical resonance reason that allows the Lloiger to interact with the dormant superhuman body.

Ah yes, apart from this bit.  I think I'll do the internet wrong too and change my mind.  Now that I think of it, I doubt Grant Morrison had the big picture formulated in its entirety when this happened.  I'd love to think it was indeed Chimaera, but I think more would have been made of it if it had would of have had of have been.

But again I say:  Tetrahedral universes aligned would fit together to make an Omnihedral multiverse; which is why Chimaera is a pyramid and makes a nifty paperweight.  He has quite the imagination, that Morrison chap.  Millar never had a look in.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Chimera, even.

[Jikan]

Lots of interesting stuff there but one question I've been left scratching my head over is why the alternate Maximan is interested in Zenith? In the interlude story before Phase 3 he has Mantra recount Zenith's life story then tells her he may be their last or only hope (forget which) as the Alignment approaches. In Phase 3, however, Maximan neither meets nor mentions Zenith and Zenith only ever has a peripheral role in things. How could he have been seen as important to either of Maximan's plans (the fake one or the real one)?

[Jimmy Baker's Assistant]

Excellent question. I guess Alternate Maximan and chums view Zenith as super-powerful because he's the offspring of two super-humans, but they don't get as far as actually doing anything with him to exploit that.

[Greg M.]

That interlude's always been an odd one - Morrison evidently hadn't quite decided on the 'word-salad' version of Maximan at that stage, so version there and the one in Phase 3 don't quite tie up.

[Daveycandlish]

How could he have been seen as important to either of Maximan's plans (the fake one or the real one)?

I can't answer your question, I just wanted to say... cool forum name! 

[JayzusB.Christ]

That interlude's always been an odd one - Morrison evidently hadn't quite decided on the 'word-salad' version of Maximan at that stage, so version there and the one in Phase 3 don't quite tie up.

Maybe he wasn't possessed when he was speaking normally?  Or maybe that makes no sense; it's a while since I read it.

I remember reading Paul Auster's City of Glass years ago, and being delighted to find that one of his characters used exactly the same type of 'word-salad' as Maximan. 

[Jikan]

Maybe he wasn't possessed when he was speaking normally?  Or maybe that makes no sense; it's a while since I read it.

Maybe but when he tells Mantra she's quiet she replies: 'You make me nervous.' I know in Phase 3 she gushes about how powerful and generally ace he is to Zenith and Peter but I wonder if you can also take that interlude comment as her intuiting, on some level, that there's something not right about him?

[Jikan]

Maybe he wasn't possessed when he was speaking normally?  Or maybe that makes no sense; it's a while since I read it.

That's better - I have the hang of the quote function now! As I said, that's a possibility but when Maximan tells Mantra she doesn't say much she replies: 'You make me nervous.' In Phase 3 she gushes about how powerful and generally ace Maximan is to Zenith and Peter but I wonder if you can also take that interlude comment as her intuiting, on some level, that there's something not right about him?
With some of the other stuff discussed here I think the ambiguity can be the point - that sense of indeterminacy or lack of definite meaning is something powerful that keeps pulling you back. But this issue about Zenith being named as the last/only hope is the one thing that really grated with me given the way Phase 3 then pans out.
I too think the Maximan interlude is an odd one but at the same time it's Grant writing and even if the word-soup version of Maximan hadn't been arrived at he must have had a firm idea of the impending story arc. Is Maximan trying to focus attention on Zenith as a red herring, as he is obviously never going to save the day (which, in the end, Vertex does). How would that aid him? He does ultimately need both alternate Earths to be destroyed.

[vzzbux]

Lots of interesting stuff there but one question I've been left scratching my head over is why the alternate Maximan is interested in Zenith? In the interlude story before Phase 3 he has Mantra recount Zenith's life story then tells her he may be their last or only hope (forget which) as the Alignment approaches. In Phase 3, however, Maximan neither meets nor mentions Zenith and Zenith only ever has a peripheral role in things. How could he have been seen as important to either of Maximan's plans (the fake one or the real one)?

You have to remember that Zenith's universe was point Zenith. In the interlude blind Maximan was going through the events of that universe to 93 Mantra, but on the whole was talking of the importance of destroying universe Zenith. Roberts Pesudonym 'Zenith' was just conincidence to point Zenith... I think.
Our universe doesn't contain Super Humans because it holds no importance to the alignment and needs no influence or control, along with many thousands of others.
Definitely need a re-read as it has been ages.



V

[RaggedMan]

It's been a while since I read the interlude but post Phase III I'd assumed it was some sort of weird misinterpreted future echo. Vertex bringing the bomb and destroying the alternative (we did call spoilers right? sorry if I've just ruined that!) echoing back through time and reaching Maximan as a confused vision of 'Zenith is important'.
Or it was something to do with him fathering Iok Sotot.

[13school]

I always just assumed it was the equivalent of a movie teaser trailer hyping up what was to come. Saying "Zenith is the most important thing ever!" is a much better way to build excitement for the upcoming Zenith series than "Zenith will play no real part in upcoming events at all!"

If it's not drawn by Steve Yeowell it's not "real" Zenith in my book.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Or it was something to do with him fathering Iok Sotot.

That makes sense.  If Maximan is already possessed at this point, Zenith is indeed crucial to Lloigor plans precisely because he spawned Iok Sotot; the first Lloigor to break out of the Chimera universe back at the beginning of Phase 1 and the Dark God who paved the way for the Alignment.

[ted5536]

Just finished Zenith for the first time and mind was blown, read this thread cleared some stuff up and going in for the second reading. Thought Phase IV was a good way to wrap up the story but defiantly a book that requires multiple readings.

[Jikan]

If it's not drawn by Steve Yeowell it's not "real" Zenith in my book.

I agree! The Belardinelli-influenced art on that interlude sits awkwardly amongst Yeowell's pages.