Posted in: Comics, Current News, DC Comics, Justice League | Tagged: dc comics, guy gardner, human target, justice league, one punch

Return of One Punch, One Kick, One Slap in Human Target #10 (Spoilers)

Tom King returns to the One Punch Justice League International meme in Human Target #10 he returns to the classic., and he's bringing friends.

Tom King does like to have fun with DC Comics' superheroes. Even if not everyone finds them fun. For the record, I do. Today, he does both with Human Target and Danger Street for DC Comics. Now, Tom King has returned to the One Punch Justice League International meme over the years in a number of titles, alongside the POW sound effect. And in Human Target #10 he returns to the classic.

But also a One Kick.

And then the greatest twist on One Punch to date…

One Slap.

One Slap With Peanut Butter at least. Poor Guy Gardner.

One Punch is a comic book meme that originated from a scene in Justice League International by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire., when Batman punched Guy Gardner in the face and knocked him out, With one punch.

Something that Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle, immediately began celebrating. And kept referring to. Forever. It turned up in the Batman: The Brave And The Bold cartoon, though it would be G'Nort who exclaimed "One punch! One punch!"

It reoccurred in a battle between Guy Gardner and Hal Jordan to be the Earth's Green Lantern, and again, Guy was knocked out, with Blue Beetle on hand to celebrate the moment.

However, during Green Lantern: Rebirth, it would be Hal Jordan who would deliver a one-punch knockout blow to Batman, instantly gaining him far more respect from Gardner. Only for Batman to return the favour later in the story.

In Injustice: Gods Among Us, Batman would do it to John Constantine…

A future Guy Gardner would see him master the one-punch manoeuvre in Green Lantern #50.

In Red Lanterns #10, Batman stand-in Midnighter faced Red Lantern feline, Dex-Starr. With exactly the same result.

And in Superman #36 with the kids…

From Deathstroke #35. One punch… two guys.

From DCeased War Of The Undead Gods #4. At least Guy Gardner gets to appreciate someone else giving the One Punch for a change…

And this previous sequence from Human Target, which revived the Justice League International dynamic so effectively?

Even the writer of that original scene, Keith Giffen would write, back in 2008, "I never thought I'd say this, but enough with the "one punch" already. It was a throwaway bit. Move on. Please."

Never, Keith, never.

HUMAN TARGET #10 (OF 12) CVR A GREG SMALLWOOD (MR)
(W) Tom King (A/CA) Greg Smallwood
THE GORGEOUS, EISNER-NOMINATED SERIES CONTINUES! With only 48 hours left to unmask his murderer before he drops dead, the pieces are finally falling into place for Christopher Chance. But before he can solve his own killing, he must deal with the consequences of Guy Gardner's. Enter G'nort and the Green Lantern Corps! Retail: $4.99 In-Store Date: 1/10/2023

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