Lou Anders - Masked

MASKED

FEATURES THESE BESTSELLING AND AWARD-WINNING CONTRIBUTORS

STEPHEN BAXTER, Philip K. Dick and BSFA Award-winning author of the Destinys Children series... MIKE CAREY, Acclaimed writer for Lucifer and The Unwritten from DC/Vertigo... PAUL CORNELL, Two-time Hugo Award nominee for his work on Doctor Who , and a writer for the Marvel Comics series Young Avengers, and Captain Britain and MI-13 ... PETER DAVID, New York Times bestselling author known for his work on Marvel comics like Spider-Man , and The Incredible Hulk and DC Comics Aquaman ... MARJORIE M. LIU, New York Times bestselling author, and the writer of Marvel Comics Black Widow, Dark Wolverine, and NYX ... IAN MCDONALD, Hugo and BSFA Awardwinning author of River of Gods and Brasyl ... CHRIS ROBERSON, Award-winning science fiction author, and the writer of DC/Vertigos Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love and I, Zombie ... GAIL SIMONE, acclaimed writer of DC Comics Wonder Woman, Superman, and Birds of Prey ... MATTHEW STURGES, fantasy novelist and a writer for DC/Vertigos Jack of Fables and DCs JSA All Stars ... BILL WILLINGHAM, Creator and writer of the DC/Vertigo smash hits Fables and Jack of Fables .

Praise for editor Lou Anders

Lou Anders is an accomplished anthologist, adept at choosing themes likely to encourage originality of concept from his writers.

Locus

This title is also available as an eBook

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

The Golden Age copyright 2010 by Lou Anders

Cleansed and Set in Gold copyright 2010 by Matthew Sturges

Where Their Worm Dieth Not copyright 2010 by James Maxey

Secret Identity copyright 2010 by Paul Cornell

The Non-Event copyright 2010 by Mike Carey

Avatar copyright 2010 by Mike Baron

Message from the Bubblegum Factory copyright 2010 by Daryl Gregory

Thug copyright 2010 by Gail Simone

Vacuum Lad copyright 2010 by Stephen Baxter

A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows copyright 2010 by Monkeybrain Inc.

Head Cases copyright 2010 by Second Age, Inc.

Downfall copyright 2010 by Moorsyum Enterprises

By My Works You Shall Know Me copyright 2010 by Mark Chadbourn

Call Her Savage copyright 2010 by Marjorie M. Liu

Tonight We Fly copyright 2010 by Ian McDonald

A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too) copyright 2010 by Bill Willingham

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Gallery Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

First Gallery Books trade paperback edition July 2010

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Designed by Davina Mock-Maniscalco

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Masked / edited by Lou Anders.1st Gallery Books trade paperback ed.

p. cm.

1. Fantasy fiction, American. 2. SuperheroesFiction. 3. Fantasy fiction, English, I. Anders, Lou.

PS648.F3W58 2010

813'.0876608dc22

2010003536

ISBN 978-1-4391-6882-0

ISBN 978-1-4391-6883-7 (ebook)

For My Little Superheroes, Arthur and Alex,
Who Stormed the Fortress and Banished the Solitude

Acknowledgments

As with any anthology project, thanks are due to many people. This time out, copious appreciation is due to my friends George Mann, Mark C. Newton, and Christian Dunn, who had a hand in this anthologys genesis. Thanks also to my editor at Gallery, the incomparable Jennifer Heddle, who, incidentally, also bought my very first professional anthology Live Without a Net way back when (and thus had a major hand in launching my publishing career). Its wonderful to be working with her again. Thanks are certainly due to the marvelous Trevor Hairsine for a fabulous cover, and to the very dear Paul Cornell, who, apart from his own wonderful contribution, generously helped with facilitating introductions to some of the comic book scribes herein. Finally, and as always, thanks to my wonderful wife, Xin, for her superheroic levels of love and support.

Contents

The Golden Age

N EIL G AIMAN

Superheroes and superheroines have come a long way since Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created the Man of Steel back in 1938. From the prototypical archetypes of Superman and Batman (themselves direct descendants of the pulp fiction heroes Doc Savage and the Shadow), a whole multiverse of costumed crusaders has evolved. Seventy-two years later, and every shape and size of superhuman vigilante has been explored. They may come by their powers naturally or as the result of exposure to some scientific accident. They may rely on a technological arsenal of their own creation or have been bequeathed their abilities by a mentor. They may be caped or cowled, though plenty are neither. They usually have a secret identity, though some forgo privacy in favor of a public life. They may have a cave deep under the ground, a laboratory high above the city, a base at the North Pole, or even a headquarters on the moon. They serve as a shining example or dish out a rough justice. And whoever they are, they all battle colorful rogues galleries of the worst villains imaginable, from mad scientists to alien monsters, harmless pranksters to homicidal maniacs.

These days, the so-named golden age of the comic book field is three-quarters of a century behind us, during which time comic books have grown and evolved a considerable degree. Decades have passed since the first time the lid was lifted on dealing with social issues in a metaphorical context, and after a long struggle, so called comic books have found their way into mainstream acceptance as legitimate, sophisticated entertainment.

Whats more, the comic book superhero has been a staple of television animation and live-action filmmaking since its inception, so much so that we find ourselves in 2010 with a rich canon of superhero film adaptation. When Superman: The Movie debuted in 1978, exactly four decades after Supermans initial comic book incarnation, it set a new standard for excellence in portraying costumed crime fighters in a sophisticated context, a standard exceeded many times over by such films as Iron Man, Watchmen , and The Dark Knight (which was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won twoone for Best Supporting Actor, no less). These days, superhero films are among the most anticipated of Hollywood offerings and the hottest of video games.