Re-reading FLEX MENTALLO Part 4

This is the final part of a four-part look at the out-of-print 1996 Flex Mentallo miniseries from Vertigo by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.

Here's Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

In this issue, Flex Mentallo, Lt. Harry, the Hoaxer, and a mysterious moon-faced villain converge at the Legion of Legion headquarters where they learn the truth behind it all. A long time ago, there was an Earth with fantastic costumed superheroes. "The Absolute" threatened all reality, and the superheroes hatched a desperate last ditch plan. They bypassed the death of their reality by becoming fiction in our reality. They lived on, in a sense, as comic book characters. The "villain" of the piece turns out to be a teenaged Wallace Sage, repressing the heroes in his subconscious. Once he accepts the hero within himself, a trigger is activated that brings the lost heroes into our world, heralding a glorious new age.

The gathered heroes forge ahead with their mad plan. Godspeed, my teensy-weensy friends.

The apocalyptic end! This book was "Widescreen" before anyone coined the term.

More fun with Harry and the Hoaxer.

Heres a good scene: The Faculty X guys arranging the set dressing as Flex recovers from teleportation.

I also like the strange techo-organic sanctuary where the heroes take refuge. Creepy.


The big showdown, with a side of metacommentary.


And, without further comment, the last four pages:

Thus ends our look at Flex Mentallo, a forgotten classic.
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely did some great work here, and it should be available. Until then, this series provides a glimpse at their work.