Given how long ago Delight became Delirium, I'm not sure I buy that consumerism was the cause.

Your memory is working better than mine. How long ago did it happen?

And even though I singled out consumerism, I do think it was really more a whole series of events that mutated us and her, and consumerism is just bound up in all that, but you may wind up deflating my theory right here.

I don't think it's ever been specified, but I always thought it was ages and ages and ages ago.

I'm pretty sure she's appeared as Delirium in stories set in ancient Greece. In fact, the only story I can recall wherein she appeared as Delight was set before organic life developed on earth.

In fact, the only story I can recall wherein she appeared as Delight was set before organic life developed on earth.

Shoots my idea all to hell. I'd then submit that we've been insane from the beginning, and we're what drove Delight 'round the bend.

Well, there is a lot of storytelling ground to be mined between c. 4,000,000,000 B.C. and 1200 B.C. Death also apparently mellowed out and developed a sense of joy in that interval, though I don't know that the responsibility for that could be laid at Humanity's feet any more than what happened to Delight could.

I'm going to Pull From My Bottom the notion that self-awareness changes Delight to Delirium.

Of course, that's my issues talking.

Speaking of which, damn, have I mentioned lately that I'm in mad love with the Wall? Have I? Because, yes. I am. Mad love.

Also, between Checkmate and Birds of Prey (and as Rucka writes the first and the second is, well, Birds of Prey, this is NOT a spoiler), I'd say all my desires for extreme girl/girl Ho!Yay are more than satisfied.

And Tep, Teen Titans? Hummina. Bring on the Hot n' Wrong. Damn. You're so right. Only, you know, if Spike were crossed with Faith.

We also don't know when (P-C, don't look) the first Despair died, although I also got the impression that it was ages and ages ago. But after Delight became Delirium.

Responding to Dana: We know she died more than 80,000 (or something like that) years ago, because her death is what led the Endless to destroy the old, disrespectful Necropolis and create the new one. I don't have my facts straight, but I remember this from the Necropolis story in World's End.

Do you mean Brief Lives, or the entire series? Because it's a little bit dangerous to decide what it's all ultimately about when you've got a third of the series left.

Heh, well, Brief Lives for sure, but I'm also getting that from the series as a whole so far. I knew "ultimately" was a bad word choice, but it sounded good.

And Tep, Teen Titans?

The other thing that caught my eye -- which was hard to do past all the fucked-up mad scientist Timmy (who doesn't really resemble the Tim in the Batman title at all, but that's not surprising, as Johns' version of Tim has always been a bigger freakboy than in any other title) -- was when Kid Devil mentioned "the thing with Zatara." Now, I know it could be something as simple as Kid Devil being in some sort of fight with Zatara, or maybe they were competing for the same girl, or something, but my brain immediately went to a slashy place.

And let me just say one more time that Tim and Kon are my OTForeverP, but in the interim, while Tim keeps working on re-cloning Kon (that's where my Buffy comparison falls apart, by the way, because I fully expect Kon to come back wrong, which doesn't work in my Tim = Buffy comparison), I am totally in favor of a twisted and wrong Tim/Rose hookup. (Not whitefonted b/c I'm just putting them together in my brain.)