In Norse mythology, it’s called the Odin-sleep. In Hindu texts, it is written that there is a suspension of consciousness which will have you reach a state of pure nirvana. Nearly every culture has a legend or mythos in regards to the rejuvenating factors of sleep. The one thing about a slumbering state is that it leaves you vulnerable and for Toyo Harada that can be a very dangerous thing.
In issue 12 of Imperium: The Vine Imperative, being the main super-baddie Harada cannot afford to sleep while his enemies plan. But that’s exactly what they do by resurrecting a vine assassin with one goal in mind, Kill the omega psiot. It’s an interesting idea making the villain of the Valiant Universe the center of his own comic. Harada’s intent is to bring about peace to the world, still his idea of peace seems more like oppressive world domination by a despot. The complexity of this is Harada has created most of the heroes – from Bloodshot even to the dubious Ninjak. His willingness to use and/or kill anyone who gets in the way of his vision has made Harada a complicated threat. Writer Joshua Dysart shows the chaos of Harada’s dream by revealing a part of his past. His inability to read the minds of the alien race known as the Vine led him to form a truce with a faction trapped on the planet. And for decades, he continued to build his empire. The complexity of attempting to save the world while simultaneously overtaking it and becoming a dictator exposes the fears of this universe. And Dysart reveals to us what people do out of that fear.
Releasing LV-99 to destroy Harada in a way holds a mirror up to the Vine rebels and anyone else who goes against this now old man. The justified terror of his enemies brings about a greater risk to them and unwittingly secures Harada’s survival. When does it stop and how can this possibly end? Sleep is supposed to heal and can sometimes give us clarity when we come out of a deep torpor. So what happens to Harada? Does he come out changed or does he continue to become the greatest enemy in the Valiant sphere?
More importantly, what does it mean to the people who oppose him? Regardless of his vampire nature, this world needs Harada. He’s their barometer for when things go sideways and in a way keeps the “heroes†in check. After all, who’s to say that Aric of Dacia can’t make bad choices? Or what if Ninjak loses whatever is left of his moral compass? What if the Eternal Warrior doesn’t make it back to the land of the living?
One thing is for certain Dysart has developed a complex bad guy in a grey world. And leads us to question if you would join Toyo Harada or fight for something you think is better?
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