You want to know the secret of the world. It's this: save it, and it'll repay you, every second of every day. 
- — Axel Brass
Planetary #5 is an issue of the series Planetary (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 1999.
Synopsis for "The Good Doctor"
Elijah Snow and Doctor Axel Brass have a lengthy conversation on the grounds of the Planetary hospital where the latter is recuperating after his 50-year ordeal. They discuss of sharing the same birthdates of January 1, 1900, their mutual acquaintance with fellow Century Baby Jenny Sparks and the superhuman John Cumberland.
Their talk quickly turns to the fascinating origin of Doc Brass. His story is told in the straightforward words, dynamic images, and yellowing pages of old pulp novels. His parents were part of a society stretching back to the French Revolution and were endeavoring to create the Superman. Creating a new kind of diet, learning system, and exercise regime, they made each generation stronger -- "and stranger" -- than the last, culminating in Brass himself. However, Brass lacked the unspeakable evil of his own parents, who were incestuous brother and sister.
Brass had his own plan for the future, which involved fighting great threats to mankind...and building a secret society of extraordinary men to save the world. Hark, the greatest mind the Asian countries had ever produced. Jimmy, a secret U.S. government operative, who knew of the wars the world never saw. An English Lord raised by beasts of the deep African jungles. The Aviator, who fought unknown things and black technologies simply to learn of them. Edison, the great inventor-adventurer of electric America. And the man in black whose guns shouted out against crime in all its forms. Together, encountering horrors, they said as one: "We cannot allow the world to be this way." And they did save the world... although for them, things didn't turn out so well.
Brass also tells of Hark's daughter, Anna, a ruthless woman who planned to use her father's inventions, her father's money, and patience to build her future, which includes the Hark Corporation.
After Brass concludes his story, Snow has further questions for him. Primarily, what is Planetary's secret agenda? Chiding him lightly ("Think who you're asking," says Brass, who had been stuck in a mountain since 1944.), Brass counsels patience: establish your questions before you go looking for answers.
Finally, reminiscing blissfully on the glories he and his fellow heroes enjoyed, he tells Snow he should have been there. "I was busy," says Snow, hanging his head.
Appearing in "The Good Doctor"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Daemonites (Flashback only)
Other Characters:
- Jenny Sparks (Cameo)
- The High (Flashback only)
- Edison (Flashback only)
- The Aviator (Flashback only)
- Jimmy (Flashback only)
- Kevin Sack (Flashback only)
- Hark (Flashback only)
- The Spider (Flashback only)
- Anna Hark (First appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- The High, as narrated by Elijah Snow, was killed in attempting to bring down StormWatch's space platform occurred in StormWatch #50.
- Jenny Sparks' return "with a vengeance" refers to her foundation of The Authority in The Authority #1. Elijah's discussion of the attacks on Moscow, London, and Los Angeles were attacked by Kaizen Gamorra that were first seen in the first story of The Authority.
- This issue is collected in Planetary Vol. 1: All Over the World and Other Stories.
Trivia
- The "Demonite" soldiers fought by Doc Brass and his allies in 1939 are the Daemonites, aliens who are the antagonists of the WildC.A.T.s.
See Also