Rape is a thing that happens to women…at least according to the modern writers. It’s used to either give women character…somehow…or for the men to save the day or get revenge. Sometimes the women get to save someone else from being raped or get revenge, but rape is just a plot device, and an overused one at that. There was a time that it was only used to make a statement about how rape is. At the point of this story it was already reduced to something for the hero to stop or avenge, but hadn’t reached “give women a dark & sympathetic backstory” just yet. So we can still enjoy rapists getting beat up. But when it’s someone with an overpowered, overweaponized armor like Hardware…it seems like overkill.

Lights Out round 6

The Battlefield: Hardware #17 (DC/Milestone; July, 1994) “No Rest For The Weary”

The Promoters: Dwayne McDuffie (writer), Denys Cowan & J.J. Birch (pencilers), Prentis Rollins & J.J. Birch (inkers), J. Scott J. (colorist), Andrew Burrell (color assist), and Steve Dutro (letterer)

Long story short, Hardware has ended up in an alternate universe, a place called Metropolis. Since the “fall”, paramilitary guys are running all over the place…for reasons I can’t figure out. One group decides to rape a woman because they can and Hardware takes offense.

On a very special Hardware.

However, this is the most high-tech city on DC Earth not run by gorillas or amazons (depending on the reality and if they’re blown up again or not) so of course the paramilitary guys who shouldn’t be in Metropolis have a huge cannon. But so does Hardware.

Okay, I admit Metropolis is in worse shape here than in Man Of Steel. A rarity to be sure.

Then Hardware decides to take out the rapists with something new to him: non-lethal force.

“If people thought I let folks live I’d lose my street cred.”

From what little I know about this character I’m not expecting that to continue as “Worlds Collide” goes on.

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• “Yesterday’s” Comic> Hardware #17