Zeta

Did I mention that I'm a fan of Adam Strange?

Not the vast majority of the deconstructionist Adam Strange stories that have been written since Alan Moore passed by the character, to be sure. I want Adam to be a hero. And I have come up with a framework that allows him to be one, which I was sharing with my friend, Sam, over the weekend.

My theory is that the civilization on Rann (which is the planet of Alpha Centauri that Adam Strange travels to in best ERB-like fashion) is old. And static. And virtually everyone on the planet is completely lacking in problem solving skills, because the great machines that their ancestors built supply their every need and are self-repairing.

Except after some untold number of generations, the machines are breaking down. Oops. The things that the machines defended the planet from, whether natural disaster or critter from outer space, are breaking through. This is a bad thing for the people of Rann.

The last scientist on the planet (because, really, why would you need scientists in this utopia?) invented the Zeta beam and aimed it at Earth, hoping to establish communications with the more primitive people just one star system away. But he didn't account for the effects of cosmic radiation on the beam, which converted it from a communication beam to a teleportation beam. Surprise!

Enter Adam Strange, archeologist, who is picked up by the beam and taken to Rann. There he meets the lovely daughter of the last scientist. And unlike everyone else on the planet, Adam Strange has actual problem solving skills. (The scientist and the daughter are trainable. Everyone else is hopeless.)

You may not think of problem-solving skills as a super-power. I invite you to think of some of your co-workers and reconsider that.

And this is why Adam Strange becomes the champion of Rann.

At least, that's my take on it.

And I am now visualizing this as a movie starring Paul Rudd. Because it would be a good movie.

Anyway, given all that, I wrote a song about it.

And I now have an entry in my personal songbook with a title starting with the letter Z.

E           A
Zeta, Zeta, Zeta’s the Omega,
C                  D              E
One last gasp of advanced technology,
E                             A
Coming from a culture that is just a little later
     C                                D                 E
On a planet that’s in orbit round the star called Alpha C.
E      A
It was for communication,
         E
But they got teleportation,
A
Bringing them a human
       B7
Who is gonna bring them change.
E                    A
Jet pack on, they’re gonna see a new man
C                                  D       E
Flying in to save them and they’ll call me Strange.


      A                       E
I was working on a dig, I was running from the locals.
A                         B7
Had to jump a chasm set before me deep and wide.
A                         E
Saw a flash of light and emitted some rude vocals.
A                        B7
Landed on another planet on the other side.


Zeta, Zeta, nothing could be greater.
One jungle to another instantaneously.
Met a pretty girl just a couple minutes later.
I don’t know the language, but I think she likes me.
Got in her flying car,
Didn’t travel very far.
Learned the local lingo
As an old machine arranged.
Her daddy says there’s double trouble coming, bango bingo.
You need to save your planet, get the man called Strange.

There used to be a shield to protect them from space,
But now the shields have fallen and the aliens are here.
A city out of time is a city in a place
To trap the space invaders, so let out a great cheer!

Zeta, Zeta, guess I’ll see you later.
The radiation’s gone, I’m home and alive.
But I’ve got a map that I got from her pater
To show me where the Zeta beam is gonna arrive.
I’ll be back
When they’re under an attack.
With the girl and her daddy
We will make some change.
Ray gun ready, I’ll take care of the baddy.
When you are in trouble, call the man called Strange.

The girl and her dad are really not half bad.
Nobody else here seems to have a clue.
Technology they had is now failing, which is sad,
But when the trouble comes, I know just what to do.

Zeta, Zeta, don’t be a hater.
I’ll be there when the problem’s in place.
Things to do that I’ll take care of later.
MacGyver a solution to this mystery in space.
Well, yes, to get the girl.
She’s the best thing in this world.
She’s smart and she’s cute
And she’s out of my range.
But I look quite astute when wearing my spacesuit.
I’m the hero of the planet, I’m the man called Strange.

E           A
Zeta, Zeta, time to make a change.
      C                          D          E
I’m a hero, I’m a lover, I’m the man called Strange.
      C                          D          E
I’m a hero, I’m a lover, I’m the man called Strange.
      C                          D       E
I’m a hero, I’m a lover, you can call me Strange.