LogFAQs > #972675073

#91 - Paul McCartney
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Paul, as far as we know, the sole surviving Beatle in Darkseid's world, certainly is a bizarre confluence of absurdist comedy and oddly heartwarming wisdom rolled into a singular package. Introduced to the party in Gotham via the ever unexpected antics of Radio Tuner, Paul had managed to survive for months by, well, being Paul McCartney. The Beatles are beloved, and what with the lack of worthy entertainment in a world increasingly more and more devoid of independent thought, the Society and those of their ilk seemed to be more than happy to let McCartney serve as something of a traveling troubadour. In fact, it's in this role that Pepper has co-opted McCartney for her infiltration team. Perhaps one of the more amusing Paul McCartney beats in the campaign is his partnership with Telok'telar, a White Martian who has assumed the identity of Ringo Starr. The pairing of these two is meant to allow them to access Society strongholds, their ruse exchanging performances for room and board as they travel. The only downside is that Telok'telar cannot play the drums and really has refused to learn them. Poor Paul has been desperately trying to bring his alien comrade up-to-snuff - no dice just yet.

But on a more serious note, the idea of Paul McCartney serving as part of the resistance doesn't just play for laughs. Of course, simply having scenes where McCartney references his own songs as part of his wise musings or bowls over Amanda Waller - the right age to be swoon for the superstar of her younger years - is nice. But there are uses for McCartney which make him fascinating to me as a bit player in the grand collage of Z'onn Z'orr. I truly believe that Paul McCartney is part of that exquisite texture which revolves around the refugees who are coming together at the end of the world being so deliciously eclectic. You never know who will be the next to arrive at the gates, searching for safe haven. Yet, with McCartney, a character who is entirely based on a real, honest-to-God human being from our world, there's a certain sense of new expectation: ANYONE can be part of the resistance. And more than that, anyone can contribute in ways often unexpected. Still, like others, Paul is anchored by the tragedy of A-Day. After all, before A-Day, all his troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they're here to stay. Oh, Paul survived throughout A-Day.

The story of Paul has also aligned with Spirit. This is a pairing that I greatly, greatly enjoy. Much like Saoirse, Spirit is a musical young lad. But he's also impressionable and searching for companionship, the sort that doesn't exactly judge him or hold grudges - John Constantine is an example of the sort of reliable ally (oddly enough) that Spirit has come to trust in that way, and Paul is another. The pairing really shone in their Christmas adventure as they braved the horrors of Enchantress' bedroom to find the Christmas Clock.

Ultimately, however, McCartney's greatest advantage is the sheer absurdity of having such a well-known icon of real world music inserted into the world of superheroes and supervillains. His unflappable calmness in the face of the impending doom of Darkseid always cracks me up, and his self-referential tics are of constant amusement to me, and I'd be willing to roleplay his character with others eight days a week.

A drafted character comes in at #90.