#BrainWave

[splooosh]

Injustice

George Perez

[dcdreamblog]

Hi! I'm writing a thesis on Merry Pemberton and I'm wondering if you can help me. I'm been trying to do my own research, but I can't really find anything on the nature of her and Brainwave's relationship. If I remember correctly, there was an interview from Henry King Jr. around the time Infinity Inc was formed saying that his mother "died from a broken heart" when she found out that her husband was a supervillain, but she was alive by the time Young Justice showed up. Did she die and come back or something? Did they actually love each other? Did Henry Sr. force her into a relationship with his powers? Any info would be appreciated!

The King-Pemberton family is a complicated situation that's fraught with a lot of equally complicated emotions of all sides. It deals with a lot of uncomfortable topics for most people but it's not nearly as...lurid as some people THINK the tale is.

(Image of Merry, Girl of 1000 Gimmicks from her prime circa 1948) Merry Pemberton, AKA Merry, Girl of 1000 Gimmicks was a latecomer to the Golden Age. Making her debut in 1948 she was the adoptive sister of Sylvester Pemberton the industrial heir who was the Star Spangled Kid. Discovering her brother's secret identity soon after the end of the war she subbed in during an extended period when her brother's partner Stripesy was recovering from a broken leg. Using a "bag of tricks" filled with dozens of small mechanical gadgets like the two pictured above.

Like her brother she too vanished into obscurity during the heroic interregnum after the HUAC trial. In retirement she met a man named Henry King with whom she fell in love and married. They would have two children, the older Henry King Jr who would become the Infinity Inc member Brainwave Jr. And a younger daughter named Jacqueline who would eventually take up her mantle under the name Gimmix. It wasn't until well into her children's teenage years that Merry discovered her husband was the supervillain Brainwave leading to the collapse of their marriage. NOW, this is the point where some possibly harmful misconceptions come in. So let's make some things clear:

Merry did NOT know who her husband was when they met, they did NOT meet, begin their relationship OR marry during their original careers because!

Merry was a minor during her original superhero career but was a legal adult during her and King's relationship. There IS an age gap but that's nobody's business but hers in the first place.

Henry DID project a more handsome and masculine appearance upon those around him using his abilities. Over time this illusion became so mentally ingrained on those around him, including Merry, that he did not have to actively maintain it.

While King DID enter the relationship upon false pretenses and with an imbalance of information (she shared her secret identity with him very early on, he of course did not) and that is certainly immoral and a betrayal in MANY senses HOWEVER.

This is the big one. Merry INSISTS, to this day that King never used his abilities to manipulate her mentally, emotionally or PHYSICALLY during their relationship. While he lied and hid the truth he did NOT use his abilities to coax her into a relationship either emotional or physical. She loved him to the best of her ability, she WANTED to marry him and WANTED to have his children.

That last one is the biggest thing she still has to swat down to this day. She is adamant that she was never sexually assaulted at any point during their multiple decade relationship. While she did not fully FORGIVE her ex husband in the time between the revelation and his death at the hands of the Ultra Humanite protecting their son she makes it clear that it is not nearly as simple as many modern commentators claim. King Sr was not some transparent villain manipulating and forcing himself upon a hapless damsel, he lied, the same way lots of other people lie. And she loved him, for real, and she loves their children with all her heart.

The famous quote of their son, Henry King Jr during the unveiling of Infinity Inc where he says she "died of a broken heart" was an unfortunate confluence of good intentions and poor preparation. None of the Infinity Inc members had been prepped to take questions before the press conference and the question was shouted very suddenly at the young man who had only a few months before learned who his father was, his mother was still in a deep depression and the last thing she needed was an avalanche of paparazzi. As many teenagers are want to do, he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind with the intention that his family's private pain REMAIN private.

Merry has since reappeared in the public eye very briefly as a member of the "Old Justice" group that clashed for a time with Young Justice. Beyond that she has been very firmly in retirement, especially since the repeated mental breakdowns and violent crises involving her son eventually being remanded to intensive therapy and at home care.

How does she feel about her late husband now? Fucked if it is ANY of my god damn business. Does she regret having his children? I imagine the question would provoke a VERY firm and somewhat violent answer. Is she still alive? Despite life's best efforts. Yes.

[comicpolls]

[mittenskittensslay]

Brainwave

Titan, how did I not see this sooner?!

I just thought earlier that when Raine stops the coven guard from attacking Eda in Eda's Requiem that's a parallel to Amity saying "Stay away from my Luz!" in Escaping Expulsion!! This would be Raine going "Stay away from my Eda!"

Lumity and Raeda killing me softly!! 😍😭😍😭😍🥰🥰😁😁

[f-yeahbendaniels]

My Top Five Favorite Ben Daniels Characters (Family Friendly Works): 5. Jupiter's Legacy (2021).

[infinityinc4ever]

Brainwave Jr. with his mom and dad in the background.

[carmillas-vampiric-rage]

he's so babygirl i just want to squeeze him

[somewherefornow]

PAGE LAYOUTS by TODD MCFARLANE in INFINITY INC (1984)

[onlylonelylatino]

The Atom versus the Injustice Society by Alex Toth

[dailyjsa]

Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #11

[thegreatlibraryfangirl]

What IF Khalila becoming the Archivist is the only reason that we as readers had access to the ephemera that weren't archived as normal? If the old bastard simply left his desk a mess, with those incriminating paper notes shoved in drawers etc, because he was so confident in that arena showdown? And after all the dust settles, well, all that paperwork gets sorted doesn't it?

[splooosh]

Silver

Jerry Ordway - Mike Machlin

[slutvester-pemberton]

Infinity Inc #9

[hawkzeyes]

does literally everyone know about this top secret meeting this is the third interruption???

Infinity Inc #1 (1984-)

[halbarryislife]

The Injustice Society Of America || Blood in the Water

I made something! I had a lot of fun with this. The JSA features heavily in this since i didn’t know how else to tell a story since they both go so hand in hand in stargirl (hence i put them in the tags). I’m very proud. I hope you enjoy it if you watch it!

[f-yeahbendaniels]

My Top Five Favorite Ben Daniels Characters (2020 to 2024 Works) - Honorable Mentions: 1. Walter Sampson/Brainwave - Jupiter's Legacy (2021).