Dirk Morgna. that name always made me smile with a tone of disdain. Odd? Perhaps. But let me tell you about him.

Sometimes, people wondered why I read comic books. Well, some books have writers who took the characters seriously. There was a book called "Legion of Super-Heroes", it is about a group of super-heroes fighting against the evil in 30th Century. Futuristic crap? Sort of. But ride it out and try to understand where it leads to Dirk Morgna. Dirk Morgna was a member of LSH who was rich, womanizer, chauvinist and charismatic person. Most female members of LSH often cant stand or disregard his behavior. I recalled that when I was a kid, I didnt collect LSH but only skimmed but always disliked Dirk Morgna because of that.

Then came the 4th series of LSH, written by Keith Giffen, Tom and Mary Bierbaum. It is about five-year later right after the collapse of Earthgov, an unified government on Earth in 30th Century and it effectively disbanded the LSH. Long story, though but very bleak tale. Dirk Morgna ended up as the spokesman for a new Earthgov (The government was a puppet one, manipulated by the Dominators of another planet far away). Many former members of the LSH abandoned Dirk as Dirk often got on television, telling the mass that there is no need for LSH to band again. Blah, blah. One important tidbit, Dirk had an on-and-off girlfriend for some years, her name was Circe. She was aware of his habits.

Then one day, in one swift but yet surprising move by the Bierbaums and Giffen, in an issue where no reader prepare. The issue opened with a big explosion. There was an immediate confusion, then someone said: "It is Luna! It is Luna!"

But why? No one knew for sure. But in first five pages of an issue, many cities were obliterated by the falling debris. Later, the details emerged that someone (everyone said the Dominators were the ones who did it) accidentally detonated the destruction of Luna. Shortly before the destruction, Dirk vanished.

Few hours right after the global catastrophic incident, the planet was thrown into disarray and chaos. Then people revolted against the Earthgov and in the process, overthrew them and kicked the Dominators out. But meanwhile, someone found Dirk Morgna in a pod. A pod which is filled with flesh-eating chemicals ingredients, often done by the Dominators to torture the others to their deaths. One guy checked the vitals, he was still alive. But apparently, during the battles between the Dominators and the liberators exploded the building which the pod freed Dirk.

Dirk was heavily stripped of his flesh, his skins burning. Someone puts him in a room to rest. Circe heard about it and quickly found him, someone tried to stop her from seeing him but Circe was a tough woman. Circe saw him, he was groveling, unable to cry but obviously in pain. Circe was distraught. Then there was a statue of Dirk Morgna outside erected by the Dominators a long time ago for his eternal support of new "Earthgov" but it was vandalized. Someone sprayed stuff on his statue like "traitor", "diskhead-lover" et al.

Right after that, there was a panel that showed burnt Dirk with a hole in his forehead with blood gushing out. Circe was standing next to Dirk with a revolver in her hand, you could see the smoke coming out of her revolver. Then she sobbed then shot herself. Shortly right after the murder-suicide encounter, the last picture of the whole drama showed the planet continuing to revolve, regardless of what happened ...

When I read that, I never felt sorry for Dirk. Yes, I was sad but knew he had it coming. He asked for it. He gambled his way around and this was his payment for what he did to others. For years, he reaps what he sowed.

Now why was I talking about Dirk Morgna? Because there are many people on this world like Dirk. Last night, at a gay bar, I saw someone who quickly made me think of Dirk Morgna. Not the first time, though.

R-