- "Tomorrow is the defining moment of the century and I'm gonna be part of it."
- ―Booster Gold
| "Week One: Golden Lads and Lasses Must..." | |
|---|---|
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| 52 | |
| Title: | "Week One: Golden Lads and Lasses Must..." |
| Storyline: | "52" |
| Volume: | 52 |
| Number: | 1 |
| Cover price: | $2.50 |
| Cover date: | May 10th, 2006 |
| Publisher: | DC Comics |
| Credits | |
| Ex. Ed: | Dan DiDio |
| Writers: | Geoff Johns; Grant Morrison; Greg Rucka; Mark Waid |
| Pencilers: | Keith Giffen; Joe Bennett |
| Inkers: | Ruy José |
| Cover artists: | J.G. Jones |
| Cover inker: | J.G. Jones |
| Cover colorist: | Alex Sinclair |
| Colorists: | Alex Sinclair |
| Letterers: | Nick J. Napolitano |
| Assistants: | Jann Jones; Harvey Richards |
| Editors: | Stephen Wacker |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | — |
| Next: | Week Two |
"Golden Lads and Lasses Must..." is the story title to the first issue of the weekly comic book limited series 52 published by DC Comics. The various vignettes were written by the team of Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. The story was illustrated by Joe Bennett with breakdowns by Keith Giffen and with inks by Ruy José. The cover art for this issue was composed by J.G. Jones with Alex Sinclair on coloring. The story was colored by Alex Sinclair with Nick J. Napolitano on lettering. It was edited by Stephen Wacker with Harvey Richards and Jann Jones as assistant editor. This issue shipped to retailers on Wednesday, May 10th, 2006. This issue carries a cover price of $2.50 per copy (US).
Synopsis[]
Day 1
In Opal City, the home of Ralph Dibny (Elongated Man) has been destroyed. As he sifts through the wreckage, he briefly speaks with Fire on the telephone. The same day finds former Gotham City detective Renee Montoya reflecting upon recent events in her life as she drowns her sorrows at a local bar. In France, Steel helps out with emergency rescue efforts in the wake of the cataclysmic events of "Infinite Crisis."
Day 2
Dibny is still digging, Montoya is still drinking, Steel is still helping.
Day 3
More digging and more drinking. Ralph Dibny appears despondent.
Day 4
Steel, now in St. Louis, continues to help out with relief efforts.
Day 5
In Metropolis, Booster Gold fights and defeats Mammoth. He is less concerned about stopping a dangerous criminal, however, than he is about playing up his reputation before the TV news crews. A fully reconstructed Skeets aids him in improving his PR. Booster, thanks to information from the future supplied by Skeets, believes that tomorrow is fated to be the day that Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman usher in Earth's greatest era of heroism.
Ruminating over his late wife Sue, Ralph Dibny contemplates taking his own life. But he receives a timely message that informs him that someone has defaced Sue Dibny's tombstone.
Steel, back in Metropolis, has an argument with his niece, Natasha. Natasha wants to join the Teen Titans, but Steel doesn't feel that she is responsible enough. He uses a remote control to disengage Natasha's armor.
In Kahndaq, Black Adam addresses his people. He promises to become his country's ambassador of justice. A terrorist tries to disrupt the assemblage with a suicide bomb, but Adam swoops down and pulls the man high into the sky. The bomb explodes harmlessly in the air, but the terrorist has his arm torn off by Black Adam.
Day 6
Doctor Sivana is kidnapped from his laboratory. Mister Mind is left behind.
A large assemblage of heroes gather together for a memorial service in Metropolis. A large bronze statue commemorating Superboy's heroic sacrifice is placed next to city's statue of Superman that had been erected when he was presumed dead. Clark Kent is present among the press corps, but appears to no longer possess his Kryptonian powers.
Booster is befuddled when neither Batman, Superman nor Wonder Woman appear at the memorial service.
Day 7
In Gotham City, Detective Montoya returns to her apartment after a night of heavy drinking. We learn that her lover, Daria, left her three months ago.
The Question removes the bat-shaped vellum from the bat-signal and replaces it with a large question-mark. He shines the "Question-Signal" at Montoya's apartment.
Appearances[]
Featured characters
- Black Adam, Teth-Adam
- Booster Gold, Michael Jon Carter
- Question, Charles Victor Szasz
- Ralph Dibny
- Renée Montoya
- Steel, John Henry Irons
- Steel, Natasha Irons
Supporting characters
- Bart Allen
- Beast Boy, Garfield Logan
- Black Canary, Dinah Laurel Lance
- Black Lightning, Jefferson Pierce
- Clark Kent
- Fire, Beatriz da Costa
- Firehawk, Lorraine Reilly
- Flash, Jay Garrick
- Green Arrow, Oliver Queen
- Green Lantern, Hal Jordan
- Green Lantern, Guy Gardner
- Green Lantern, John Stewart
- Jimmy Olsen
- Martian Manhunter, J'onn J'onzz
- Ray, Ray Terrill
- Shift, Rex Mason
- Skeets
- Wildcat, Ted Grant
Villains
Minor characters
- Aquagirl, Lorena Marquez
- Aquaman, Orin
- Blue Devil, Dan Cassidy
- Bulleteer, Alix Harrower
- Empress, Anita Fite
- Chief, Niles Caulder
- Daria Hernandez (Behind the scenes only)
- Detective Chimp, Bobo T. Chimpanzee
- Director Bones
- Doctor Light, Kimiyo Hoshi
- Doctor Mid-Nite, Pieter Cross
- Enchantress, June Moone
- Frankenstein's Monster
- Geo-Force, Brion Markov
- Green Arrow, Connor Hawke
- Gypsy, Cynthia Reynolds
- Hourman, Rick Tyler
- Huntress, Helena Bertinelli
- Jakeem Williams
- Mister Terrific, Michael Holt
- Negative Man, Larry Trainor
- Nightmaster, James Rook
- Plastic Man, Patrick O'Brian
- Power Girl, Kara Zor-L
- Ragman, Rory Regan
- Raven, Rachel Roth
- Red Star, Leonid Kovar
- Robotman, Cliff Steele
- Sand, Sanderson Hawkins
- Sapphire, Candace Jean Gennaro
- Sasha Bordeaux
- Stargirl, Courtney Whitmore
- S.T.R.I.P.E., Pat Dugan
- Sue Dibny (In a photograph only)
- Tasmanian Devil, Hugh Dawkins
- Thunderbolt, Yz
- Vixen, Mari McCabe
- Wonder Girl, Cassandra Sandsmark
- Zatanna Zatara
- Zauriel
Organizations
- Doom Patrol
- Gotham City Police Department
- Green Lantern Corps
- Justice Society of America
- Metropolis Police Department
- Monster Society of Evil (Referenced only)
- Outsiders
- Shadowpact
- Teen Titans (Raven & Wonder Girl only)
Races
Locations
Items
- Steel armor MK I
- Steel armor MK IV (Final appearance to date)
- S.T.R.I.P.E. armor
- Robot
- Superboy memorial statue
- Superman memorial statue
- Sword
- Sword of Night
- Trident of Lucifer
- Wishing Gun
Vehicles
Powers
Miscellaneous
Notes & Trivia[]
- 52 52 is a fifty-two issue limited series, published on a weekly basis. The series is designed to fill the continuity gap between Infinite Crisis and the One Year Later event.
- 52 Week One and 52: Week One both redirect to this page.
- This issue shipped to retailers on Wednesday, May 10th, 2006.
- The tagline for this issue is "It starts here!"
- This issue is reprinted in the 52, Volume 1 trade paperback collection.
- The opening page contains many splintered flashback scenes, some of which refer to events that took place during Infinite Crisis and its numerous crossover-related titles, and some of which refer to past events in the DC Universe.
- This issue's title appears to be paraphrased from William Shakespeare's play "The Tragedy of Cymbeline, King of Britain," which contains these lines:
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.
- Fire and Clark Kent are at the memorial service but are not featured on the splash page on story pages 18-19
- Sue Dibny appears in an obituary photograph in this issue. Dibny was murdered by Jean Loring in Identity Crisis #1.

