Chapter Twenty-Nine: That Was Not Him

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[Title: Has anyone read or watched the Lord of Fate comics and animation? Let’s discuss the plot.
Content: As the title suggests, I’m talking about the new American comic series. I haven’t had a chance to check out either the comics or the animation yet, but the discussion seems quite heated. I’d like to know which one is better? If I want to dive in, should I start with the animation or the comics?]

[david thor:
Thanks for the invite. I have a feeling the netizens under this post are going to start brawling... after all, it’s not the first time this has happened. I personally recommend the comics. First of all, the comics are aimed at adults, so the plot is more logical and has more depth. Secondly, based on the few volumes released so far, we can already get a general idea of the story the writer wants to tell, and we can spot the foreshadowing he’s planted in certain details. If those plot threads are tied up well later on, it won’t just be a masterpiece—at the very least, it will be one of the few works in recent years to hit the passing mark.

I’ll provide a few examples to support my point. Note: Spoilers ahead.

In the first volume of the comics, we get a general sense of who the current Lord of Fate, Elias Esposito, is.
‘Legend has it that at the dawn of the universe, Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium appeared in this world. They are the personified embodiments of powerful natural forces, collectively known as the Endless. Among them, “Destiny” is the first and eldest member of the Endless; he was born with the formation of the universe and is destined to perish with its destruction.’
(Note: The quote above is from the "Lord of Fate" comic.)

To get familiar with the character Elias Esposito, you must first understand the concept of the "Endless" from the comics. In the neighboring "Sandman" series, which focuses on the Lord of Dreams, Destiny’s brother "Destruction" once said: “The Endless are just concepts, ideas, wave functions. We are recurring themes, echoes in the dark, nothing more... Even our existence is brief and limited. None of us can outlive this version of the universe.”

From this, it’s clear that members of the Endless are a group of conceptual beings—usually incredibly powerful, all-knowing, and witnessing the rise and fall of civilizations, yet restricted at critical moments, unable to do this or that. When the universe restarts, they go with it. That’s why the subtitle for the first volume of "Lord of Fate" is "Prisoner of Fate."

Another theory is that when you gain something, you lose something else; when the protagonist Elias gains the ability to command the fate of millions of parallel universes through the Book of Fate, he loses the freedom of choice.

This sense of confinement isn’t just reflected through the imagery of chains.

I’ve noticed that when many readers look at the comics, besides praising the art and plot, the most discussed topic is how Elias Esposito possesses immense power yet is extremely limited in what he can actually do. Often, he has to rely on a Yellow Lantern ring just to take action, and even then, the ring’s usage is restricted by the Book of Fate. This creates a frustrating reading experience that doesn’t quite align with the effortless, composed vibe he had during his first appearance in the Superman series.

For example, at the beginning of the first volume of "Lord of Fate," the scene where he meets his adopted daughter, Ophelia, ostensibly hundreds of years ago. Many people focus on Ophelia, as Elias only appears in silhouette. But even in that silhouette, I think you can see a lot: he’s rushed, he’s anxious; he didn't even have time to ask for Ophelia’s name or identity before saying, "It’s too late, you must come with me."

What is he going to do? What is it that’s "too late"?

Of course, you could argue that the Lord of Fate predicted the encounter with Ophelia and was just waiting there. But that conflicts with the setting established later in the comic, which states that Elias avoids using the Book of Fate unless absolutely necessary.

Every time he opens that book, he arranges both others and himself. Even when his adopted son, Gale Esposito, controls soldiers to invade Gotham—nearly killing Ophelia right under his nose—and when he himself is almost stabbed through by an assassin under Gale’s command, he doesn’t open that book to take a look.

The adopted son has a monologue saying, ‘He foresaw this result’: it is precisely because Elias doesn’t flip the book easily that he can stir up so much trouble.

Some readers speculate that a long time ago, Elias made himself a participant in the story by ‘reading the contents of the Book of Fate aloud,’ which cost him part of his power as the Lord of Fate. Gale, in turn, took advantage of this to rise up, gaining the ability to break the fourth wall and speak to the readers.

However, this leads to a new question: Why would Elias read the Book of Fate aloud knowing the risks? As the once omniscient and omnipotent Lord of Fate, what did he see or discover that forced him to take such risks and make himself a component of the story? What is he plotting on Earth? Why Metropolis? Are his plans related to other superheroes?

Elias doesn’t have much monologue (less than his adopted son’s rambling). When we view the comics from an omniscient perspective, how can we be sure that what we’re seeing isn’t just part of his plan?

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Going from the dignified Lord of Fate to an ordinary person in Metropolis—could it really be that simple?

I think there is quite a lot to unpack from the questions above.

Beyond that, his attitude also validates some points in Gale’s monologue: the Lord of Fate is a cold, detached observer, a man of few words. Even if Ophelia were about to die in front of him, he could remain indifferent—but the moment he learns from the Book of Fate that ‘this is beneficial to the future,’ he immediately beats Gale to a pulp to save the little girl from her cheapskate brother.

At the same time, however, he is gradually regaining his human warmth. He brings food home for Ophelia, calls her school teacher when he can’t find Gale (I was genuinely taken out of the story when I saw him making that call), and even asks passersby how to find a job, using magic to forge his resume (the special skill listed on the resume in the comic: omniscient and omnipotent—hilarious).

He even considers getting a dog to comfort Ophelia (my girlfriend said that was just too cute).

In summary, I believe he is learning how to be a human, how to be a competent father, and this might be one of the main storylines of the early comics.

As an aside, who do you think of when you see an old father beating his adopted son until he vomits blood on their first face-to-face encounter? (Haha) Gotham City really does have a bit of a "fatherly kindness and filial piety" vibe.

Now, let’s talk about the character Gale Esposito. Many comic readers don’t like him. Personally, I think this is the foundation of a villain character. High-tier villains often gain a large fan following, but Gale’s characterization isn’t deep enough for that yet, so being annoyed by him is normal.

This brings up the popular character from the neighboring Batman series, Red Hood, aka Jason Todd. As of now, the reason Gale is unlikeable is that he doesn’t seem as tragic as Jason, but he is more rebellious. In the first volume, he blew up Metropolis, let the Intergang storm into Gotham, kidnapped his sister, and really tried to kill her—nearly succeeding. After escaping in critical condition under his father’s iron fist, his first reaction wasn’t to reflect on his mistakes, but to keep causing trouble, even teaming up with Hydra to take over Metropolis’s Chinatown.

Honestly, the fact that the Lord of Fate didn’t kill this son just proves his temper is too good (from this perspective, the Lord of Fate definitely has humanity, otherwise Gale would be long gone).

It’s very normal for readers to hate him. And looking at the current trajectory, if the plot doesn’t expand on his backstory later, Gale will just be a third-rate, naturally antisocial villain like Batgirl (Barbara Gordon)’s brother, James Gordon Jr. As for Gale’s sister, Ophelia? She will most likely become Elias’s Robin (doge). When a business model is proven to be popular, the most conservative and reliable development plan is to continuously replicate it.

But then again, the cause of the conflict between Gale and his father hasn’t been explained at all. They start off like mortal enemies wanting each other’s lives; whether there will be a big reveal later is hard to say.

All in all, the plot has only just begun, and there are too many unanswered questions. The two volumes published so far are very solid; it’s worth the investment. However, as we all know, American comics have a tradition of starting strong and ending weak... if the foreshadowing doesn’t pay off later, then pretend I said nothing. Thank you.

4.4k Recommendations, 159 Comments, 20 Shares]

[humanity:
I recommend the comics too!! Not for anything else, just look at who the artist is and you’ll know why!
The Lord of Fate bound by chains on the cover, I *drool*
The Yellow Lantern Elias facing off against a puppy, I *drool*
Elias as an ordinary person in casual clothes with an impatient face, I *drool*
Battle-damaged Elias, I *drool*
The puppy-like Gale, bruised and beaten by his old man, I *drool*
Ophelia, covered in dust but looking like a Sleeping Beauty even while unconscious, I *drool*

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Batman and Hal making a cameo, I *drool*
What? You’re asking me about the plot? I haven’t had time to read it yet; I’m currently just drooling over the Superman cameo. I’ll talk about the plot in a couple of days.
1k Recommendations, 18 Comments, 18 Shares]

[afgan:
I object!! I officially object to the two highly-rated comments above!
OP, please, come watch the animation! The answers you can’t get in the comics are all in the animation!! Children’s animation is the best, no rebuttals accepted!
Why is Elias cold, heartless, and taciturn in the comics?
The first episode of the animation explains it! It’s because he’s bad at English and has social anxiety!
Why doesn’t Elias open the Book of Fate often? Do you think he’s worried about the risks of opening the book and getting tangled in a predetermined future?
No! The animation tells me it’s because he stutters when chanting spells and long sentences!
Why did the dignified Lord of Fate turn into an ordinary person?
Because his younger siblings in the Endless felt he needed social experience, so they packed his bags overnight and sent him packing to Earth!
Why is the relationship between Elias and his adopted son so bad?
Because the old man can never remember which potato chip flavor Gale likes!
Why was Ophelia brought to the modern era?
Because there’s a magic school here (not)!
Come watch the animation, guys! Here you’ll see the siblings who are at each other’s throats in the comics fighting with pillows!
Come watch the animation, guys! Here you’ll see a man with social phobia battling a kangaroo to get a job!
Come watch the animation, guys! The Lord of Fate here is sweet and grumpy! The worst thing the villain here does is let his kangaroo poop all over Metropolis!
Forget about that comic that’s clearly stuffed with angst; come watch our healing, pure-sugar cartoon!!]