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The Kryptonian Cybernet Issue 05
THE KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET - ISSUE #5 - SEPTEMBER 1994
AN ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE FAMILY OF SUPERMAN CHARACTERS
All characters and locales are copyright and/or trademark DC Comics
CONTENTS
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Section 1: Superscripts: Notes from the Editor
Changes abound in the world of Superman and in
The Cybernet, by Jeff Sykes
A Chat With Dan Jurgens
Yep! ItÕs here!
The Fleischer Cartoons
Episode #1, ÒSuperman (Premiere)Ó,
by Neil Ottenstein
Section 2: Superman in Africa
Accessibility of Superman comics in South Africa,
by Steve Kaplan
Just the FAQs
ÒHow Old Is Superman?Ó, by David T Chappell
The SCU Files
Absorbing information about the Parasite,
by Chris Jarocha-Ernst
Section 3: Reviews
The Triangle Titles
Action Comics #703, by Jose R. Galan
Superman: The Man of Steel #0, by Anatole Wilson
Superman #0, by Jeff Sykes
Adventures of Superman #0, by Ben Butler
Other Super-Titles, Specials, and Appearances
Superboy #0, by Victor Chan
Steel #0, by Shawn Aeria
Section 4: Reviews (cont)
Zero Hour, by ReneÕ Gobeyn
Zero Hour #1
Zero Hour #0
Zero Hour Tie-Ins
Section 5: Looking Back
Post-Byrne
Superman #22, by Mark Lamutt
Pre-Byrne
Superman #136, by Patrick M. Stout
Superman and Clark Kent #50, by Ken McKee
Villains Word-Search
Section 6: Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Up, Up, and Coming
New season tidbits, by Jeff Sykes
Lois Common Denominator
Analyzing the character of Lois Lane, by Zoomway
And Who Disguised As...
Taking another look back at the first season,
by J. D. Rummel
Sex And Aerodynamic Broomsticks
ÒLois and ClarkÓ vs ÒThe Wizard of OzÓ and ÒMan of
Steel, Woman of KleenexÓ, by Zoomway
Section 7: Coming Attractions
November Comics and Merchandise, more rumors and spoilers,
and throwing out a new idea
Letters
Resources
EDITORIAL STAFF:
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Jeffery D. Sykes, Editor-in-chief
Arthur E. LaMarche, Reviews
Shawn Aeria Lee Keels
Victor Chan Mark Lamutt
Johanna L. Draper Ken McKee
Pat Gonzales Jennifer L. Traver
Curtis Herink Joel W. Tscherne
LEGAL DISCLAIMERS:
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Superman and all related characters, locations, and events are
copyright and trademark DC Comics. Use of the aforementioned is not
intended to challenge said ownership. We strongly suggest that each
reader look to the media sources mentioned within for further infor-
mation.
Opinions presented within this issue belong to the authors of
the articles which contain them. They should in no way be construed
as those of any other particular member of the editorial or contributing
staff, unless otherwise indicated.
This magazine should be distributed freely via e-mail. Should
you desire to share this publication with other on-line services, please
contact me at sykes@ms.uky.edu for permission. Feel free to advertise
subscription information on other on-line services which have internet
mail availability.
THE KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET is available by e-mail Ñ just send me a note
(sykes@ms.uky.edu) which includes the address to which you would like the
issues sent. Back issues are available via ftp Ñ see the resources section.
=========================================================
SUPERSCRIPTS: Notes from the Editor
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Before I say anything else, let me apologize for the extreme lateness of this
issue. Next month will appear on schedule Ñ the week of October 10. This
is a promise. However, I will not promise that future issues will definitely
appear on regular schedule. I will do my best to have each new issue ready
by the second week of the month, but as I *am* still a student and a teacher,
I have to consider that work my priority. Now to more upbeat items...
Change seems to be the word of the day. IÕm certain that youÕve all noticed
the abundance of changes which have been appearing in the world of the Man of
Steel lately. From the comics to the small screen, nothing seems to be
left alone for long. WeÕve got longer hair, new actors, vacant roles,
rebuilt cities, dead imposters, new production staffs, etc. You name it
and something is different about it.
So what is my point? Simply this Ñ not all change is bad! Granted, when
change is introduced simply for the sake of change, it tends not to work.
However, when changes are made for valid purposes, they can result in an
improved product or longevity. Two examples include the new incarnation
of the Legion of Super-Heroes and the new Superboy. Most of the readers
of the new Legion will agree that the revamp shows more promise than the
Legion has shown in years. And almost everyone agrees that Superboy has
been the one of the best additions to the Superman continuity in some time.
Then there was the fine syndicated Superboy series a few years ago. After
the first season, vast changes were made Ñ including a new actor in the
starring role! What happened? The series continued on to complete a run
of four seasons! Now apply this to Lois and Clark. If the series had
continued this season in the same manner as last, we would have seen several
excellent episodes, but the season would likely have been its last Ñ it
just cannot compete in its current timeslot. (Of course thereÕs the old
topic of how ABC treats the show, but thatÕs for someone else to address.)
Hopefully, the changes will bring in enough viewers to prolong the show.
IÕll sacrifice a minor bit of quality for quantity. And without watching
a few of the new episodes, thereÕs no basis for concluding that the quality
will decline.
Regardless of whether or not we agree with the idea of change, it *is*
something with which we must live. Instead of grumbling (and especially
instead of grumbling before the changes are even witnessed), why not
make the most of the situation? I still have high hopes for all versions
of the Man of Steel!
And finally, in keeping with the theme of change, this month marks the
beginning of several changes to the Cybernet Ñ changes aimed at making
the magazine more broad-based. First, the Coming Attractions section has
been slightly expanded to include new Superman merchandise. Furthermore,
next month will mark the premiere of our new section dedicated to the
outstanding TV series, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. As
a preview, this monthÕs issue offers a few articles from the sectionÕs
feature writers, Zoomway and J.D. Rummel. Also, IÕve got a new format in
mind for the references section Ñ IÕm hoping to turn it into more of an
index. IÕll have more on that for you next month!
In closing, I have a little teaser: Hero Illustrated reports that rumors
are flying about a new movie in development at Warner Brothers: SUPERMAN
REBORN! IÕll let you in on any news I hear!
Enjoy this monthÕs issue and weÕll see you again in a couple of weeks!
Jeff Sykes
sykes@ms.uky.edu
=========================================================
A CHAT WITH DAN JURGENS
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For those of you who are very new to the magazine, weÕve been teasing
everyone with the promise of this interview since issue #1! Well, here
we go! As you read below, youÕll find that Dan was a bit cagey on a few
of the questions Ñ but did you really expect him to give away a lot of
advance information!? :)
Thanks to all of our readers who submitted questions for the interview,
and thanks once again, Dan, for taking the time to let us get to know
you a little better. We look forward to seeing your work with Superman
for a long time to come!
PERSONAL INFORMATION:
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1. Could you give us a brief biography of yourself? For example, what kind
of child/student were you, what comics did you read while growing up, how
did you get into the comic book business, etc.
I grew up in the small town of Ortonville, Minnesota, population
2,500, which may as well be Smallville, Kansas. I think thatÕs
helped bond me with Superman.
I read lots of comics, mostly DC, and always wanted to draw. Years
later, in 1982, Mike Grell saw my work and asked me to draw Warlord.
I started with issue 63.
2. Our readers are familiar with your work on SUPERMAN, but may not be
familiar with your earlier work. What characters/titles did you write
and draw prior to Superman?
I started by drawing Warlord, created, wrote and drew Booster Gold,
wrote and drew Flash Gordon, and Justice League America.
3. What do you feel has been your best work to date as a writer? as an
artist? overall?
As a writer, IÕm proud of my accumulated work on Superman. As an
artist, IÕm very proud of Superman/Doomsday and Zero Hour. My
favorite scripts were Metropolis Mailbag and the drunk driving
story from my days on Adventures of Superman.
4. What are currently your favorite comic books?
Hulk, Bone, Concrete, Next Men, Flash, Martha Washington and
others that I just canÕt think of at present.
SUPERMAN SO FAR:
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5. There have been discussions on the internet recently concerning the
appearance of Superman early in your run on Booster Gold. Was this
the first post-Crisis appearance of the revamped (i.e. Byrne) Superman?
Few people have noticed it, but, yes, that was the first
appearance of the post-Crisis Superman.
6. Superman #75 earned you the reputation as Òthe man who killed Superman.Ó
Few complained about the quality of the art in the Doomsday story, but
many were disgruntled with a perceived lack of plot Ñ believing that
being killed by a mindless brute made SupermanÕs death meaningless. What
are your opinions on that story and on these arguments?
I disagree. First of all, it was one part of an ongoing story
that encompassed Funeral for a Friend and the Reign of the
Supermen. More than that, SupermanÕs villains have always been
a babbling, non-powered lot who constantly explain their motives
to excessive and non believable detail. I like the idea of
Superman going up against alien brute force...something completely
different than him. I want Doomsday to be something that Superman
just doesnÕt understand.
7. Most readers found little, if anything, to complain about in ÒFuneral for
a Friend.Ó Some would rank it among the best work done in the Superman
titles ever. How difficult was it to portray the mourning period while
maintaining four Superman titles without Superman?
When we decided to do the Death of Superman, we all got very
excited when talking about the ÒF.F.A.F.Ó storyline. For us,
delving into the tragic reaction of the world was more interesting
than doing the death itself. As IÕve often said, the worldÕs
obsessive reaction since JFKÕs death is more interesting than the
death itself.
8. ÒThe Reign of the SupermenÓ completed the saga quite strongly. How did
the idea of multiple Supermen come about? And how much truth is there to
the rumor that DC had planned for one of the four to become the new Man
of Steel, but chickened out at the last moment?
No truth to that rumor whatsoever. I believe both Karl Kesel
and Louise Simonson had suggested (independently) the idea of
multiple Supermen.
9. In ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #439, there is a robot Superman that is
severely damaged through the course of the book. When the damaged and
destroyed areas of the robot are compared to the overtly mechanical parts
of the Cyborg Superman (from ÒThe ReignÓ), the similarities are amazing.
Did Hank Henshaw steal the robot from Professor Hamilton? Will the
secret of this be revealed in a later book?
No plans to deal with this. Call it a coincidence.
10. Oddly enough, one of the more amusing controversies arising from
SupermanÕs ÒrebirthÓ has been over the length of his hair! Will
we be seeing a haircut anytime soon? Or is the new do here to stay?
I like the long hair. Some artists draw it longer than others,
but I think it adds kind of a dramatic flair. I donÕt like
ClarkÕs pony tail though, and wonÕt ever draw that.
11. Since the ÒReignÓ ended, there has been a noticeable increase in the
amount of action in the four titles, as well as a significant decrease
in the development of subplots and of supporting characters. Many
long-time readers are disturbed by this trend. Will it continue, or
will there be a re-focusing on these characters and subplots?
I agree. We need to get more character sub-plot stuff into the
story. But we were without Superman for so long that I think we
all wanted to concentrate on him for a while!
12. Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey was a wonderful ending (?) to the saga of
Doomsday. When compared to that of the first Doomsday story, the amount
of plot surprised many readers. Was the Krypton aspect of Doomsday
intended from the beginning, or was it something that you developed later?
When we first created Doomsday we had lots of various ideas.
I added the Kryptonian connection later when I put together
Superman/Doomsday.
13. There was one small thing about Hunter/Prey that confused some of us:
where exactly in the Superman continuity did it take place?
I think that was recently answered in a Superman letter column.
MISCELLANEOUS SUPERMAN:
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14. How can a writer/artist get a shot at writing/drawing Superman? What
steps does he/she need to take?
I think any writer or artist has to be someone who catches Mike
CarlinÕs eye. There also has to be an opening!
15. Why are the Òtriangle numbersÓ which index the four books not ÒS-shield
numbersÓ or some such thing?
ThatÕs a good idea! Maybe we should try it!
16. Was there any consideration given to using Zero Hour to retcon Superman
so that he WAS Superboy as a teenager? Why or why not?
No consideration at all. I think SupermanÕs history post-Byrne
is exceptionally strong and consistent. As such, there seems to
be little reason to change it.
ZERO HOUR:
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17. Killing Superman wasnÕt enough Ñ you had to nuke the entire DC
Universe! :) Seriously though, we know that Zero Hour is your story,
but was cleaning up the continuity in the DCU something that DC decided
needed to be done, or was it something that you suggested completely on
your own?
Zero Hour was not done to clean up continuity, although that was
one aspect of the series. Zero Hour was done to give DC a good
launching point for all its books, thus attracting new readers.
Many people referred to it as ÒCrisis IIÓ and I always said that
was inappropriate.
18. By the time we read your answers, Zero Hour should be complete. Thus,
this shouldnÕt be asking for much. What effects (if any) did Zero Hour
have on Superman continuity? The letter columns have hinted that the
impact will be minimal, but some things Ñ such as the Pocket Universe,
Supergirl, the Linear Men, Time & Time Again, and the Hawkman story from
just after ACTION #600 Ñ almost HAVE to be affected.
All of SupermanÕs continuity is in place just as it was before
Zero Hour.
19. With the havoc Zero Hour will be playing on some of the DC characters Ñ
most notably Hawkman, the JSA, Legion, and Flash Ñ will there be a new
version of WhoÕs Who to help sort out the new histories?
An interesting idea, but not my call.
YOUR FUTURE:
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20. Rumors have been circulating for some time that you will be going to work
on ValiantÕs SOLAR. Is there any truth to these rumors?
IÕve been involved in ongoing discussions with Valiant for quite
some time. You never know whatÕs going to happen in this business!
21. The original Bravura ads included DEUCE, by Dan Jurgens. The newest ads
include you as a founder of Bravura, but DEUCE is no longer shown. Has
this been either delayed or canceled? If so, why? If not, please tell
us about it and when to expect it.
I wish I could tell you. Malibu will not honor its contract to
publish Deuce. I plan to do the series as soon as the situation
is straightened out.
22. Are there any characters out there which you have not written or drawn,
but that you would like to?
Lots of Ôem! Batman, Firestorm, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and more!
23. Do you have any other non-Superman projects in the works?
Nothing definite, but I may be able to announce something in a
week or two.
SUPERMANÕS FUTURE:
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24. The letters column in ACTION #702 hints at a quarterly by Roger Stern.
Do you know anything about such a project?
You might very well see that!
25. We have had several discussions on the internet about ideal teams. One
of the most popular ideas was to get Jo Duffy and Colleen Doran to write
and draw, respectively, an ongoing Supergirl monthly. What are the
current possibilities of a Supergirl series, and what is the likelihood
of getting these two to do it?
I think youÕll be seeing a lot of Supergirl material coming from
DC, starting with an appearance in Showcase.
26. DC has teased us for a long time now with Lois and ClarkÕs engagement.
Mike Carlin has assured us that the two WILL get married. WHEN?!? Is
this something we can look forward to soon? And will it be as big a
media event as we imagine?
The amount of media coverage a story like that gets is not up
to us. I do think it will be a major event within comics when
it happens.
27. What other (somewhat) exclusive information can you provide our readers
in regards to the future of the Superman books? (Your discretion, of
course! :)
Sorry! Read Ôem and see! Although in Superman 100 we...aw, I
just canÕt spill the beans!
Thanks once again, Dan!
And one final question to the readers: What other members of the Superman
team would you like to see interviews with? Send us your suggestions and
any ideas for conducting such an interview. (You know, Mike Carlin is
reachable via America Online now...:)
=========================================================
THE FLEISCHER CARTOONS:
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by Neil A. Ottenstein
Episode 1: ÒSuperman (Pilot)Ó
Released: 9-26-41
Running Time: 10:22 minutes
Faster than a speeding bullet
More powerful than a locomotive
Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound
The first Fleischer Superman cartoon starts off giving SupermanÕs
origin. It tells of the planet Krypton with a civilization far advanced
in mental and physical abilities. Great quakes threatened to destroy
the planet and a child was sent away. He is the sole survivor of
Krypton, and as he grows to maturity, amazing physical powers manifest
themselves.
The main story starts with Clark Kent and Lois Lane being called in to
see a threatening note from Òthe mad scientist.Ó He is threatening the
city with his electrothanasia ray and will strike at midnight. Their
editor first suggests Clark to go with Lois, but Lois wants to crack the
case on her own. She flies an airplane out to interview the mad
scientist. [The way she does so makes it look like Lois getting into an
airplane is just as natural as anyone getting into a car.]
The scene shifts to the lair of the mad scientist. The clock strikes
midnight and he cries out, Òthe hour has come.Ó He starts his
equipment. He has a falcon with him who notices LoisÕ plane and
notifies him of its arrival. She knocks on the door. They unlock it,
pull her in, and tie her up. He will give her, Òthe greatest story of
destruction the world has ever known.Ó He blasts the Tower Bridge
sending cars and pedestrians to oblivion. Clarks hears a report of the
attack, changes in the stock room, and flies out.
The next target, though, is the Daily Planet building. Superman flies
back to it, stops it from falling down and stands in the way of the
beam. He forces it back against ever increasing power. He ultimately
turns it back on its source and the machine blows. In the face of
massive destruction he unties Lois and captures the mad scientist (the
falcon apparently escapes). The mad scientist is thrown in jail and we
see the next edition of the Daily Planet newspaper telling the story
along with a separate story headlined by ÒSuperman vanishes. Public
still mystified.Ó
This was an amazing start to the FleischersÕ series of Superman
cartoons. It wasnÕt believed that they could do it, but they pulled it
off, albeit at a hefty price. The animation is stunning. Some
noteworthy scenes include the shadows of the scene with Lois getting
pulled into the lair and then being tied up. Superman fighting the
electrothanasia ray is very powerful. Superman seems heated white by
the power of the ray. One effect that is seen often in the series is
the segue of the scientist in the cell to the photograph of the
scientist in the cell from the newspaper. The scientistÕs falcon is
there for comic effect. It mimics the scientistÕs moves quite humorously,
and even has its own lock bolt to undo when they open the door to pull
Lois in. All in all a great start to a magnificent series
The two Fleischer Superman cartoon volumes are available for $19.95 each
directly from Bosko Video or from anyone who carries high quality
animation. A catalog is available from
Bosko Video
3802 East Cudahy Ave.
Cudahy WI 53110-1234
=========================================================
End of Section 1
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SUPERMAN IN AFRICA
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by Steve Kaplan [kplste06@psipsy.uct.ac.za]
SupermanÕs international popularity is such that, even here at the
bottom of Africa, his fans have always been plentiful. Since the
early 1960s, there have always been kids in red and blue pajamas with
their momÕs old towels draped over their shoulders running through the
back garden, pretending to fry birds and pets with heat vision (except
of course when the pet has been Krypto - the SuperDog).
And if that sounds like it couldÕve been you in America or Canada or
England when you were young, here comes the shocker: thatÕs exactly
what itÕs always been like for Superman in South Africa. There has
been one difference though. By and large, thatÕs where Superman stayed
until very recently. Comics are for children, and if you continue to
buy and collect comics after age 14, it is frowned upon Ñ you are
expected to start more serious and beneficial pursuits. As for the
rest of Southern Africa Ñ Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique,
Botswana Ñ there is not really such a thing as Superman comics.
Everybody knows who Superman is, but they have traded up their
interest in comics for other more important American products like
Coca-Cola and cigarettes.
Superman in Africa begins and ends in South Africa. For a while in
the late 1980s, they toyed with the idea of South African comics
called ÒSupercomixÓ which featured Superman and Spider-Man in the
same book. However, once the 14-year-olds figured out that all they
were buying were old Superman stories in new covers and with the
price marked in local currency, interest waned and the dealers again
looked to importers.
So until 1987 or so, there were only two ways to get Superman: one, from
newsagents, who charged around $3.00 a comic for six-month-old issues in
pathetic condition, and two, drugstore comic racks Ñ which sold two-year-
old issues for 50 cents a comic. And then Superman was re-introduced
after Crisis:
BBBBBAAAAAMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!
The comic world exploded. There were still only two ways to get
comics, but all of a sudden, you could get anything Ñ except for
Superman. Those of us whoÕd been waiting in the wings, saw the
explosion, ran to the newsdealers, and saw miles and miles of Spider-
Man, Avengers, Iron-Man, and X-Men. Clearly something unusual was
going on, and although nothing official ever came of it, it was
chalked up to two possibilities. First, South Africa is a Marvel
market (and IÕm sorry to say it still is). Second, these were in
the darkest days of Apartheid when almost every international
corporation shouted Ôboycott the racistsÕ and South Africa was left
(deservedly) high and dry. DCÕs slowdown (some comics continued to
trickle in regardless) lasted until the early 1990s, and it was
interesting because of all the companies that did pull out of South
Africa because of Apartheid, DC and WarnerÕs stand probably made the
greatest impact on those who it was meant to effect Ñ White South
African over-privileged people.
The other boycotts resulted mainly in the loss of jobs of those it
was trying to help Ñ non-Whites. We, as white South Africans, hardly
ever felt it, and I can honestly say that the DC boycott was the only
area which really hit me. As things changed, and the government
changed, DC has come back and all is normal again. But the market
remains white Ñ exclusively Ñ and is still regarded as frivolous.
There was not, and still is not, a `blackÕ market for Superman. Some
99% of all comics buyers in South Africa are white, and the situation
is unlikely to change. This is because comics are a luxury item, and
particularly expensive. Culturally as well, there is little that
black South Africans can relate to in Superman. Superman is the
ultimate all-American boy (the recreation of Clark Kent especially
so), and there would be no real frame of reference. Books like
Milestone may have an appeal to the African-American market in the
USA, but those who are interested in such depictions of black
Americans are more likely to be White South Africans, and
occasionally coloreds (as people of mixed race are euphemistically
referred to in South Africa).
The recent influx of African-American characters in Superman (like
Keith and Ron Troupe) are also of no real interest from a cultural
African perspective.
SupermanÕs influence in Southern Africa is therefore restricted to a
white market. South Africa is still highly politicized and (make no
mistake about it) highly stratified along racial lines. Just as an
interesting topic, I asked my first year psychology class Ñ I am a
tutor in the Psyche department at my university Ñ what they thought
about comics. My class is pretty diverse, there are people from every
and all cultural and racial backgrounds. This was about six months
ago. All of them knew that Superman had died - even if most thought
he was still dead. None knew how or why. Which leads me to a few
conclusions:
1. SupermanÕs adventures are known - if something big happens to him,
everybody knows. His influence is therefore pretty pervasive.
2. But very few people actually care. Comic freaks are the strict
minority for a few reasons - most of them economic or cultural.
3. Superman has a big future in South Africa. In a country literally
torn apart in the last few years and still suffering, there are
still those who actually make Superman a priority.
Does this mean that weÕre shallow? That we put personal pleasure
above social conscience? No. What it means is that there will always
be people who prioritize literature - even for itÕs own sake. And
that canÕt be all bad. Who knows? Maybe Superman will soon have a few
lessons to teach the people of South Africa, not that he hasnÕt said
plenty already.
=========================================================
JUST THE FAQs
More Details about Frequently-Asked Questions about the Man of Steel
by David T. Chappell
This issue IÕm ready to get back to one of the original intentions of this
column: expanding upon answers from the Superman FAQ. Despite the many
changes in the Battle and Fall of Metropolis, I held off on updating the FAQ
until after Zero Hour in anticipation of the Crisis in Time retconning some
events. Now that the Crisis is over, several aspects of the ÒnewÓ universe
have not yet been revealed. As the comics divulge more details about the
status of Lex Luthor, Satanus, and the rebuilding of Metropolis, IÕll revise
the FAQ to Version 2.00 status.
For now, IÕll start improving the FAQ with simpler questions. The recent
Zero Month issues inspired me to go back to some old Superman comics and
establish a basic time-line. Such work in turn inspired me to write the
article below and provide further details on the question:
[EditorÕs Note: David is also hard at work on a new document to chronicle
SupermanÕs history. Watch for the Superman Timeline, coming soon!]
ÒHOW OLD IS SUPERMAN?Ó
The character of Superman has existed for over 55 years. Superman was
created by Jerry Siegel (writer) and Joe Shuster (artist). The two teenagers
from Cleveland first submitted their creation to newspapers but no one chose
to publish their work until Detective Comics, Inc. accepted it. The first
appearance of Superman was in the lead feature of ACTION COMICS #1. This
landmark issue went on sale in the spring of 1938 with a cover date of
June 1938. Superman was an instant hit for the fledgling comic book industry
and it was the success of this first super-powered character that led to the
Golden Age of superheroes.
As with most comics characters, Superman has not aged at a realistic
rate. Occasional fantasy and Elseworlds stories show Superman at various
ages. Pre-Crisis stories of Superboy showed teenage Clark using his powers
in Smallville and occasional stories of Superbaby provided amusement. Most
Superman stories, however, showed him at a consistent age as an adult.
In 1986, John ByrneÕs revamp of the Man of Steel helped wind back the
clock. THE MAN OF STEEL mini-series recounted ClarkÕs revised history from
his birth to age 28. It included scenes from Krypton, ClarkÕs high school
years and his early days as Superman.
In the new incarnation of the Last Son of Krypton, Kal-El was conceived
on the planet Krypton but was not actually born until his spacecraft landed
on Earth. While the year is not mentioned (to allow for a floating time
scale), ClarkÕs birthday is during winter. At age five, Clark enrolled in
elementary school and met Lana Lang and Pete Ross [ACTION #655]. An accident
with a bull revealed ClarkÕs invulnerability when he was eight, and his
super-strength became apparent soon thereafter. The summer before his senior
year of high school, Clark learned that he could fly, and that fall, Pa Kent
told him of his space-ship origin [MAN OF STEEL #1].
For the next seven years, Clark secretly averted disasters and saved people.
He acted as a hero in secret and did not adopt a super-hero identity. Clark
traveled around the world and earned a journalism degree at the University of
Metropolis. Ma KentÕs scrapbook contained many clippings from those
clandestine rescues [MAN OF STEEL #1].
At age 25, ClarkÕs life took a drastic turn. When an accident threatened a
spaceplane over Metropolis, Clark acted in public to save the ship, crew and
observers below. After fleeing the resulting mob of admirers, Clark went
home to talk with his parents. At Jonathan KentÕs suggestion, Clark adopted
a costume - not unlike that of the mystery men of the 1940s - and became a
public super-hero. The name given in Lois LaneÕs first article about the
new hero persisted: Superman [MAN OF STEEL #1].
THE MAN OF STEEL #2-6 recount selected episodes from ClarkÕs first three
years as Superman. Clark was 28 years old when he first learned about
Krypton and his extraterrestrial heritage [MAN OF STEEL #6]. The post-
Crisis Superman stories begin just three months after the last story in
THE MAN OF STEEL. Thus, the modern continuity recounts SupermanÕs adventures
beginning at age 28 [SUPERMAN #1, Jan 1987].
Superman started his exploits at age 25, and the comics detail his adventures
since age 28. Unlike some comics characters - such as Dennis the Menace who
is eternally five years old - Clark Kent has actually aged in the modern
series of stories. Few stories specify ClarkÕs age at any time but there
are occasional clues. Following the death of Superman and the disappearance
of Clark, Mr. KentÕs obituary revealed his age to be 34 [NEWSTIME, May 1993].
The time-line in ZERO HOUR #0 [Sept 1994] confirms that Clark is 34 years old
in the current comics. Thus, Clark aged six years in the past eight years
in the real world.
Due to his alien heritage, it is unknown whether Superman will continue
to age and grow old at the rate humans do, but his rate of maturity has, to
date, matched that of humans. Various alternate futures have revealed
possibilities for the Man of Steel at later ages, but only the regular
comics series will reveal what the future holds for Superman.
=========================================================
THE SCU FILES
ÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
by Chris Jarocha-Ernst (cje@gandalf.rutgers.edu)
File #0638-004: The Parasite
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
Pre-History:
Prior to the reworking of DC history as a result of the Crisis on
Infinite Earths, the Parasite was Raymond Maxwell Jensen, a former
handyman at a government lab. Exposure to radioactive wastes from an
extra-terrestrial source transformed him into an energy-eater, burning
his skin a livid purple and making his face skeletal. His proximity
weakened humans, as their life-energy was absorbed by the Parasite,
and his touch could kill them, if he wished, or simply absorb their
memories or abilities, including super-powers. In his first encounter
with Superman, he overloaded from Kryptonian life-energy and was
presumed disintegrated. But his body had the ability to regenerate,
and he became a somewhat popular Super-foe over the years.
Biography:
Post-Crisis, ÒMaxwell JensenÓ became Rudy Jones, a janitor at STAR Labs
in Pittsburgh. Having heard a rumor that some companies ship payrolls
in containers labeled ÒToxic WasteÓ, to fool would-be thieves, Jones
opened one such container at the Labs. This particular container held
radioactive residue from the creature known as Brimstone, a creation
of Darkseid. Darkseid kept track of BrimstoneÕs remains following its
defeat by Firestorm, and, playing with super-humans as he was at the
time, he interceded in JonesÕs fate, turning him into a lime-green
energy parasite.
As the Parasite, Jones suffered an unquenchable thirst for life-energy.
He could siphon energy from anyone closer to him than 20 feet,
skeletonizing their bodies in the process, as well as absorbing their
memories and abilities. But he consumed that energy almost as quickly
as he could absorb it, and powers gained dwindled with use and over
time. He fought Firestorm, and his ally, Firehawk, who forced him to
use up his stolen energy.
Taken to Belle Reve Correctional Facility in Louisiana, the Parasite
came under the responsibility of Amanda Waller and her covert Suicide
Squad. She sent the Parasite, sealed in a container, along with
Colonel Rick Flag and other Squad members on a mission to stop the
Firestorm, then believed to have gone renegade; Flag had the authority
to activate the Parasite as a last resort. But the SquadÕs government
liaison, fearing Firestorm and seeking quick results, overrode FlagÕs
authority and had the Parasite set free. As the Parasite was
absorbing powers from the super-criminals who comprised much of the
Suicide Squad, it took the combined efforts Firestorm, Firehawk, the
Suicide Squad, and the Justice League, to end the battle.
Transferred back to Pittsburgh, to Vandemeer UniversityÕs Institute
for Meta-Human Studies, the Parasite was accidentally released when a
researcher thought he was dying and got too close. Once again he
fought Firestorm, but this time an amoral one, devoid of the guidance
of its former host, Ronnie Raymond. Firestorm left the Parasite in a
state akin to extreme starvation, and he was returned to the IMHS.
Once again, he escaped, this time stealing a ride on an Air Force jet, which
crashed in the American Southwest. He began terrorizing the local STAR Labs,
run by Dr. Kitty Faulkner. Dr. Faulkner, through a radiation accident of
her own, had previously fought Superman as the Amazonian Rampage, but an
energy regulator harness kept her own powers under control. She became
Rampage again, to stop the Parasite, and the fight drew the attention of
Will Payton, the local super-hero known as Starman. After first mistaking
Rampage for the menace, Starman teamed with her against the Parasite. When
the Parasite absorbed RampageÕs powers, he began to grow uncontrollably,
fed by StarmanÕs own solar radiation. Lacking a regulator harness of his
own, he suffered a literal ÒmeltdownÓ into a protoplasmic blob.
Since Dr. Faulkner knew Superman, Starman decided to ask him for some tips on
being a super-hero. Superman was shown the captive Parasite, and the mere
proximity of his own solar-powered body let the Parasite restore himself.
Absorbing half of SupermanÕs power, the Parasite fought Starman, but, because
of StarmanÕs unique makeup, he was unable to absorb StarmanÕs powers, and he
quickly exhausted himself.
Parasite was returned to Belle Reve for long-term incarceration. They
attempted to cure him there, but simply changed the color of his skin (from
green to purple) and gave him the ability to absorb electrical energy as well
as life-energy. During another breakout attempt, he was assumed killed, but he
survived and made his way to Metropolis, seeking another dose of SupermanÕs
power. While he was intoxicated by the feeling of ÒbeingÓ Superman, he
discovered he couldnÕt hold electrical energy and Kryptonian life-energy at the
same time. If he was charged with one, a dose of the other caused a feedback
effect and made him drain all his energy. Superman used this to his advantage
by having the SCU super-charge the Parasite with voltage rifles, after which a
mere touch from Superman was enough to knock him unconscious.
After SupermanÕs resurrection (following his battle with Doomsday), he found
himself absorbing more solar energy than before, turning the Kryptonian into a
misshapen, hulking, clumsy brute. He turned to Project Cadmus for help.
Cadmus had managed to obtain the Parasite for study and thought to use him as
an energy regulator for Superman, but Superman was so charged up that CadmusÕs
restraining devices were unable to hold the Parasite after his first taste of
Kryptonian power. His power levels reduced to a point where he could
attempt maneuvers of some precision, Superman waited until the Parasite was
weak but still retained invulnerability. He then drove the Parasite into
the ground with such force that the Parasite burned up his remaining stolen
super-powers and was wedged just over 20 feet beneath the surface, unable
to drain any more power from those near him. Machines then captured him.
On his way back to a Cadmus holding facility, the Parasite was then freed
by a group of Underworlders (a strange alliance of genetic-engineering
outcasts from Cadmus and stranded aliens from BrainiacÕs Warworld), who
were waging a guerrilla war against Cadmus and assumed the Parasite was
another Cadmus ÒvictimÓ. The Parasite sought out the hulking Superman and
became a brute of equivalent strength. He drained Superman down to his
normal levels, hit him, and left him for dead, thus achieving his first
actual defeat of a super-hero.
The Parasite soon used up the power he stole from Superman but found that
it had deformed his body, perhaps permanently. Because he retained the
musculature of the brute, he now needed even more energy just to stay
alive. (His mouth also now resembled the rounded mouth of a lamprey.)
Unable to find Superman, he roamed Metropolis, preying on those he could
catch. One of these was the young clone called Superboy, and during their
battle, the Parasite was able to absorb the inertia of a car that had been
thrown at him, making him more powerful than heÕd been even while fighting
Superman. Before he could realize what heÕd done, the Parasite was trapped
in cables that drained his energy into the Metropolis power grid, leaving
him a helpless sack of misshapen skin and bones, and STAR Labs picked him up.
Abilities:
The ParasiteÕs energy-absorption abilities have modified over time. (It is
unknown whether this is due to natural growth, to accident, or to
continuing but as-yet-unrevealed manipulations by Darkseid.) At first, he
drained only life-energy from living things, either through a kind of
osmosis by being near them, or by a direct attack, coating them in an aura
that converts their living cells into energy, leaving them clothed
skeletons. In addition to their life-energies, he absorbs their knowledge,
skills, and (if present) super-powers. If he fails to concentrate, he can
absorb only one personÕs abilities at a time, losing one set when he gains
another. However, with conscious effort, he can retain multiple sets of
abilities, as demonstrated during his battle with the Justice League.
In his later appearances, he has demonstrated the ability to absorb
electricity and, most recently, inertia (though he remains unaware of this
latter ability).
His body retains a remarkable degree of cellular integrity, allowing him to
exist even when reduced to protoplasm. He can rebuild his body from a weakened
state almost instantly, once he has absorbed energy. While Òsuper-chargedÓ by
SupermanÕs excess energy, he demonstrated an ability to reconstruct himself
from a skeleton even as his body was burning up under the effects of SupermanÕs
heat vision. (It is unknown whether this was a new power or simply a
fluke extension of his existing abilities caused by the excess energy.)
However, his body is a particularly inefficient storer of energy (unlike
SupermanÕs), and he quickly uses up the energy he steals. This tends to keep
him weak and hungry when not in the proximity of a super-human.
The memories of his victims do not seem to be Òburned upÓ over time, the
way their energies are, and he has more than once been portrayed as being
ÒhauntedÓ or confused by memories not his. Fortunately, these memories
tend to be fragmentary, as shown by his knowledge (gotten from Superman
himself) that Superman is associated with the Daily Planet but lack of
awareness that he is Clark Kent.
Selected Post-Crisis Appearances:
THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #58-59, ÒGambitÓ and ÒGlass HousesÓ. Origin.
THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #64, ÒThrough the GauntletÓ, and FIRESTORM
ANNUAL #5, ÒGround ZeroÓ. Battle against Firestorm, the Suicide
Squad, and the Justice League.
FIRESTORM THE NUCLEAR MAN #86, ÒHome Fires BurningÓ.
STARMAN #13-14, ÒGhosts and MonstersÓ and ÒLookÑUp in the Sky...!Ó.
Through battle with Starman, Parasite first encounters Superman.
THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #481-482, ÒThe Big Drain!Ó and ÒThe Planet
Strikes!Ó Parasite comes to Metropolis, seeking Superman. [The
cover of #482 is an homage to the cover of ACTION #340, the
pre-Crisis ParasiteÕs first appearance.]
SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #33 and THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #512, ÒUnder
Siege!Ó and ÒDeadly Measures!Ó. Parasite used in an attempt to
control SupermanÕs excess energy.
SUPERBOY #6, ÒChanging Realities!Ó. Parasite shown deformed by his last
contact with Superman.
Threat Level: 5 (out of 10). The Parasite is not very intelligent and has
regularly been beaten by opponents keeping him at a distance until he burns
up his energies. His stolen memories also seem to distract him.
=========================================================
End of Section 2
=========================================================
REVIEWS
ÑÑÑ-
THE ÒTRIANGLEÓ TITLES:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
36. ACTION COMICS #703, ÒChronocideÓ
Writer David Michelinie
Artists Jackson Guice & Denis Rodier
$1.50 US/$2.10 CAN/70p UK
RATINGS
Jose R. Galan: 2 Shields
Anatole Wilson: 3 Shields HeyÑI *liked* Starro the Conqueror!
Arthur LaMarche: 3 Shields ÒGreat Shades of Elvis!Ó *wink*
Jeff Sykes: 3 Shields A very good ending to a decent story.
After defeating a Starro from another timeline, Clark comes back to the Daily
Planet. He explains to Lois the actual situation about the chronal problems.
Suddenly, Perry White, the oldest man in the room, disappears .
Superman, thinking of ma and pa Kent, flies to Smallville as fast as
possible. There, he finds himself within another reality. The Kents are
still young, and they take Superman for an enemy, a Doctor ValeÕs man. They
tell how Doctor Vale killed a boy in a strange crash in their field (yes,
the Superman of this reality indeed), and how they couldnÕt prove anything.
The Kents go to ValeÕs place and are kept prisoners. Dr. Vale has built a
machine to breach dimensions. Superman enters and ruins his plans. Then, he
thinks of using the machine to bring ma and pa Kent, the old ones, to this
timeline, which seems save from the rifts. But, even this dimension will not
be spared. A linear woman stops him and takes Superman to fight the true
cause of the chornal chaos.
In Metropolis, we witness Lois LaneÕs final report. She continues to report
as she and the entire city disappear. The DC Universe doesnÕt exist anymore.
[Well, at least for three or four pages.]
WOW! Yes, a great finale. The image of Lois, alone, against the rift,
condemned. And the words: Ò Clark, I love you...Ó vanishing in her mouth.
What a moment to remember. But, unfortunately, the rest is not so good.
The storytelling is so dull that I donÕt even care whatever happen to the
young Kents and all that stuff. Although at first sight the plot seemed
interesting to me, the result is emotionless and boring. I think Michelinie
has not gotten the right feeling for the characters...But maybe he can get
it Ñ I hope so.
Anyway, I wasnÕt expecting much more of the Zero-Hour-mess crossover. Zero
Hour was necessary for the Legion of Super-Heroes, for the JSA, etc., but
not for Superman. All these different timelines are a difficult subject to
work with, you can end up with a good drama, or the silliest story. It is
like time traveling, very dangerous. If you donÕt treat it properly your
story will sink like a stone.
The Zero Hour mini-series has been poor as a comic, it was only a great
machine to clean up the DC Universe. Everything isnÕt going to start from
scratch, and marketing is marketing, not even Superman can win this battle.
Jose R. Galan
=========================================================
37. SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #0, ÒA Whole New WorldÓ
ÒA Simonson - Bogdanove - Janke - ... ProductionÓ
$1.50 US/$2.10 CAN/70p UK
RATINGS
Anatole Wilson: 1 Shield
Patrick M. Stout: 4 Shields - Good origin recap, and good use of
characterization to reintroduce the cast from the
Daily Planet to anyone just jumping on.
Johanna Draper: 3 Shields - I hate the scratchy, inconsistent art,
but the storyÕs a good 0 month intro. and setup for
the storyline. Love the onions!
Ken McKee: 3 Shields - IÕm not a big fan of BogdanoveÕs work;
however, it was nice to see SupermanÕs origins again.
IÕll have to see how it ends to pass judgment on the
current story line.
Jose R. Galan: 4 Shields - A good mixture of legend and action, past
and present.
Arthur LaMarche: 2 Shields - I do not need the rehash. And I still do
not know if the heroes rebuilt the city, or did it
never need it?
Here it is Ñ the battle weÕve been waiting for! ItÕs the Man of Steel
versus the Man of Ñ um, Copper? Fiber Optics? What are those crazy wires
coming out of ConduitÕs face (revealed in SUPERMAN #0) made of anyway?
Alright, so nobodyÕs really been waiting for this battle. ThatÕs good,
though, because it doesnÕt happen in this issue anyway. Instead we see a
scanty rehash of SuperbabyÕs landing on Earth and the revelation of a
childhood rivalry between Clark Kent and Kenny Braverman, who Ñ of
course Ñ is Conduit. Ken-duit burns down an orphanage to lure Kent out
into the open, but Òthat darn alienÓ Superman shows up instead. Ken-duit
vows to get Kent the next time.
I realize IÕm going to come off as the old man of comics yesteryear, but do
you remember when a flashback to the past had its own adventure, like when
young Clark Kent met young Bruce Wayne or when Kent met Lori Lemaris for the
first time? Back then, Superman would remember a first meeting, there would
be a full-scale adventure, and it would tie in to the current adventure.
In the #0 issues of the Superman titles, however, we get boring flashbacks
of Kent just being present while Kenny Braverman sulks. This sort of story
has been done before (most notably by Cary Bates in the old ÒSuperboyÓ
series), but it was done a lot better. Seeing powerless Clark excel at
everything while Kenny Braverman sulks is just boring.
As usual with MOS, more amazing things happen just before this issue than
during it, as we learn through ClarkÕs explanation to Lois. Superman
remembers Zero Hour, but doesnÕt seem to remember that Òthe villainÓ (as
Clark refers to him) was Hal Jordan, one of his oldest compatriots. Does
he actually not remember who Parallax was, or is he just protecting Hal
Jordan from further infamy. (Hal should have such friends on the Green
Lantern writing staff Ñ but I digress.)
We also learn that the superheroes came back from Zero Hour and teamed
up to rebuild Metropolis in record time. (Obviously, there was some sort
of flux in time that allowed at least some of the heroes to develop vast
architectural skills in mere moments.) So with hardly a blink of the eye,
the ÒFall of MetropolisÓ storyline is over. IÕm actually glad they rebuilt
the city this way, as the whole storyline was going on too long, and the
creative teams were running out of ways to milk it.
In the same spirit, IÕd like to call on all Superman writers to hold a
moratorium on Suicide Slum stories at least until the Òbad elementsÓ in
the city have a chance to run it down again. Admittedly, this is probably
a lost clause, at least until the MOS staff tires of torturing their
favorite orphan (I think thatÕs him in the burning orphanage).
In case youÕre wondering, there *is* a similarity between this review and
MOS #0. They both go on too long without making a point or telling a real
story. If IÕm right, then the next issue of ÒMan of SteelÓ should be the
ÒspringboardÓ for the next storyline. If MOS holds true to form, it will
merely set us up for the next issue of Superman: weÕll see 20 pages of
supporting characters milling about, Superman performing an anticlimactic
rescue or two, then the last two pages will show someone discovering the
body in the crypt. ItÕd be nice if I was wrong and the story really, truly,
begins in MOS, but IÕm not going to hold my breath.
Anatole Wilson
=========================================================
38. SUPERMAN #0, ÒAwardsÓ
Story and Pencil Art by Dan Jurgens
Ink Art by Brett Breeding
$1.50 US/$2.10 CAN/70p UK
RATINGS
Jeff Sykes: 4 shields
Patrick M. Stout: 3 shields - Great cover and interior art by Jurgens
and Breeding; Conduit backstory took up most of the
book and was generally predictable.
Johanna Draper: 3 Shields - Good insight into Clark, but the Conduit
bits are pointless.
Ken McKee: 4 Shields - Clark wins a Baldy, I have a Baldy (personal
prejudice on my part). I like anything by Jurgens and
Breeding. The last page was a killer!
Jose R. Galan: 2 Shields - Jurgens is too busy now-a-days...poor art.
Anatole Wilson: 1 Shield - Proof that even a comic book character (Kent)
can have a really boring past.
Arthur LaMarche: 3 Shields - I like the idea of Clark being the target.
While helping Clark move back into his old apartment, Lois finds a box of
memorabilia from his high school days. Inside is a picture of Clark and
Kenny Braverman. Clark recalls some of his high school memories of his
former best friend, noting that though friends, he and Kenny were always
competing. But Kenny was always second to Clark Ñ a fact that KennyÕs
father never ceased to point out. As well, Clark remembers that Lana had
refused KennyÕs invitation to the prom because she had been hoping that
Clark would ask. When he and Lana were voted king and queen of the prom,
Clark and Kenny began to grow apart.
That night, Lois and Clark attend (along with the rest of the Daily Planet
staff) the presentation of LexCorpÕs Zenith Awards for journalism, aka the
Baldy Awards, where Cat Grant, the eveningÕs host, presents Clark with a
special award for his report on Zero Hour. While he is at the podium, with
Cat standing close behind, a bomb planted by Conduit explodes. As the
smoke clears, Superman explains that he shielded Cat and Clark from the
bomb. He then easily takes care of ConduitÕs assault team, which has been
sent in to make certain that Kent is dead. But Conduit, watching via
hidden cameras kills his own men to prevent them from talking.
Clark later returns home to find a picture of himself pinned to his door
by a large knife, which finally convinces him that someone is out to kill
Clark Kent. And in some hidden compound, Conduit, aka Kenny Braverman,
vows his revenge on Clark Kent!
This issue was beautifully rendered, and its cover was the best of the
four incredible #0 covers. In fact, this cover was one of the best that
I can remember. ItÕs absolutely wonderful seeing BreedingÕs inks on DanÕs
pencils again. These two work *so* well together.
The story, though not the best that Dan has written, was quite good. To
be honest, the fact that there *is* a story is a bit unusual given the
past few months. Granted, the revelation that Kenny Braverman = Conduit
on the last page was actually no surprise, and the motivations behind his
desire for revenge are a bit weak. Or at the least, they indicate a very
unstable personality. But in the rest of the story we learn more about
ClarkÕs character. And there are some strong but subtle characterizations
of the supporting cast.
Overall, I enjoyed this book tremendously!
Jeff Sykes
=========================================================
39. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #0, Ò...With Powers Beyond Those of Mortal MenÓ
Written by Karl Kesel
Penciled by Barry Kitson
Inked by Ray McCarthy
$1.50 US/$2.10 CAN/70p UK
RATINGS
Ben Butler: 2.5 Shields - Somewhat interesting story, Kitson art
not as good.
Patrick M. Stout: 5 Shields - The best story in the series; great
humor in the Lois and Clark painting sequence, good
storytelling in the Òlost year in ParisÓ segment, and
dynamite suspense in the Conduit/Superman battle scene
and cliffhanger ending!
Johanna Draper: 2 Shields - Cute TV-show interplay with Lois & Clark,
interrupted with meaningless flashback. Everyone acts
dumber than they should.
Arthur LaMarche: 3 Shields - I liked the double flash back format.
Jeff Sykes: 3 Shields - KitsonÕs art is not as good as usual, but
the interplay between Lois and Clark is fun, and the
opposing flashbacks work well.
Summary: The story is the third part of ÒPeer Pressure,Ó which has ClarkÕs
old high school classmate Kenny Braverman. It begins with Braverman, in
armor, ready to blow up ClarkÕs apartment with some kind of energy weapon.
Before he does it, Braverman and Clark both reminisce about what each of
them did after high school. Clark went to Europe to learn more about
journalism, and Kenny volunteered to become a covert government agent. The
layout is then split, with ClarkÕs story on the top, and KennyÕs on the
bottom. Clark and Kenny meet in a bar in Paris, when KennyÕs mission is to
infiltrate a group of terrorists, who plan to blow up a bus. Kenny
plants the bomb, but Clark uses his powers and foils the plan. Kenny is
commended by his bosses, but he thinks he didnÕt do his job, adding to his
frustrations.
So, he fires the cannon into the apartment, but misses his target. Clark
changes into Superman, and uses his X-Ray vision to find out that Conduit is
Kenny. Conduit blasts Superman with his cannon, knocking him into a river.
Superman thinks the blast contained Kryptonite and, as the book ends, is
trying not to drown in the river.
Opinions: Something about this storyline doesnÕt sit well with me. ClarkÕs
old high school rival become a super villain? What are the odds that two
people from a town like Smallville become super-people? That aside, this
was a decent, untold story of ClarkÕs past. I like the fact that they are
willing to show he has been involved with women besides Lois. And the split
format was nice, and not as confusing as they usually are.
Something also wasnÕt quite right about the Kitson artwork. It didnÕt have
the flair or the style of his stuff in Batman/Punisher or Legends of the Dark
Knight #63. Maybe it was the inking, I donÕt know. It was fine, but just
not as good as IÕm used to seeing from him.
Closing Remark: An average issue. Nice, suspenseful ending, but the rest
was nothing spectacular.
Ben Butler
________________________________________________________________
****************************************************************
OTHER SUPER-TITLES:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
SUPERBOY #0, ÒSuperboy-Zero!Ó
Writer: Karl Kesel
Artist: Tom Grummett
Inkers: Doug Hazlewood, Dennis Janke
$1.50 US/$2.10CAN/70p UK
RATINGS
Victor Chan: 4 Shields
Anatole Wilson: 3 Shields - Superboy retains fun quotient, even if
the goggles do make him look like a bug.
Arthur LaMarche: 3 Shields - Fun, light. Superboy, better put those
things away or Tana is going to sock you one.
Jeff Sykes: 4.5 Shields - Still the best Super-title; and if you
were a teenage boy, what would *you* do with x-ray
vision? :)
This should essentially be issue #8 except for the advent of the Zero Hour
events with its momentous changes in the DC Universe of a magnitude of Crisis
on Infinite Earths. Zero Hour is meant for many titles to take advantage of
a new turning point, a new beginning. This, fortunately, is not the case with
our Metropolis Kid.
What starts out as a holiday for esteemed Professor Emil Hamilton becomes an
encounter with Superboy battling Sidearm. Needless to say, SidearmÕs
ineptitude causes his own downfall. The professor invites Superboy and Tana
to visit him over the weekend at S.T.A.R. labs.
Meanwhile, Rex seems to be in great debt. With a name like Mr. Gamboli, it
leaves little to the imagination as to what kind of organization Rex owes
money to.
Tana and Superboy arrive at Professor HamiltonÕs. He performs a memory scan
of Superboy, giving the readers a brief origin of him, from his emergence at
the Cadmus Project to his first encounter with Sidearm. Sidearm appears to
be a bad Doc Ock rip-off and gets his just desserts from Superboy.
Curious, Tana inquires about some particular equipment. Refining it
quickly on the spot, Professor Hamilton quickly devises a pair of lenses that
most adolescent kids would kill for and presents them to Superboy.
On the last page, some Silicon Dragons henchman have freed a particular
inmate from the Kulani prison. Bloodthirsty, itÕs likely weÕll see this
villain very soon.
Seeing as how Zero Hour did not affect SuperboyÕs origin, it was
interesting to see Kesel refreshed the readersÕ memories with the help of
Emil Hamilton. Having a scientific advisor may push the title towards various
interesting possibilities. IÕve always liked Hamilton - he has been one of
SupermanÕs stronger supporting characters. The Ôport from the ÔBig FourÕ
titles of Hamilton is seamless thanks to KeselÕs fine writing. The part where
Superboy is trying on different headgear caused me to laugh out laugh with
its in-jokes (check out panels five and seven for those), although the
Guardian one I liked best. And, do I need to repeat myself from last
Kryptonian Cybernet? Tom Grummett and company perform the art chores - of
course itÕs good! :)
Superboy is staying pretty consistent in quality and content - good for them,
good for us.
Victor Chan (vichan@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca)
=========================================================
STEEL #0, ÒIn The BeginningÓ
Written by: Louise Simonson
Penciled by: Chris Batista
Inked by: Rich Faber
Cover by ÒBogtista-JankeÓ
$1.50 US/$2.10 CAN/ 70p UK
RATINGS
Shawn Aeria: 4 Shields - Has everything a Zero issue should have
and more!
Anatole Wilson: 2 Shields - Why canÕt they accept Steel as a hero on
his own terms, instead of adding this metahuman garbage?
Arthur LaMarche: 1 Shield - Ditto, Anatole.
Jeff Sykes: 3.5 Shields - Though IÕve always been scared of Louise
SimonsonÕs writing, this issue prompted me to give Steel
a few more chances.
The issue has all the marks of a ÒZero IssueÓ. We get a retelling of John
HenryÕs origins as a ÒpersonÓ and as a ÒheroÓ. The issue starts out with a
young John Henry being told the ÒInkyDooÓ story by his grandpa and then moves
right into the action. Steel tries to foil an attempt on Senator Weaver only
to run into Split, who teleports away the culprits. The storyline leaves
Steel and focuses on his nemesis. The villains discuss SteelÕs possible
motivations, which of course leads to a short flashback on John HenryÕs life.
They decide that they must take down Steel but opt to do it away from his family.
The assault occurs at Washington General Hospital as John Henry was going to
look in on Tyke. Shellshock, Hardsell and Mainline pop out of nowhere and
let Steel have it. We leave the battle scene for a moment to look in on Miss
Bunny who is watching SteelÕs battle. She is revealed to be the street
distributor of the new, more powerful Toastmasters. Bunny and her cronies
decide to not interrupt Steel in the midst of battle. Steel is still
oblivious to her survival from their confrontation in Qurac.
Next, we switch to Detective Shauna Carrol. Washington DCÕs finest are
becoming involved with a serial killer case. Someone makes mention of
Òbringing in a psychic.Ó Looks like the beginnings of the next plot!
Back to the battle. . . Just as Jem and Tyke are leaving the Hospital,
Steel is hurled to the ground before them. Jem helps out his uncle by
bouncing a book off of ShellshockÕs head. It is all in vain, however,
as Split reappears to teleport Steel back to their base, where Steel is
knocked cold by Hazard.
John Henry (sans armor) is hooked up to a machine. The machine forces John
Henry to reveal his past. He relates how he was saved by Superman and why he
later assumed his mantle. Hazard and Shellshock discuss John HenryÕs
possible motivations as Steel, which fits in nicely as Zero Hour Òcharacter
descriptionÓ. John Henry is revived and given the ultimatum; switch sides or
die. John Henry declines HazardÕs invitation. Just as Hazard is about to
deliver his final blow, the Steel armor appears around John Henry. Taking
advantage of this confusing situation, Steel busts free. Steel quite easily
takes out Mainline, the latter thinking that it should have been impossible
since he believed that he was traveling at Òlight speedÓ. While attempting
to wreck his enemies ability to chase him down, Steel inadvertently shoots
Shellshock with one of his rivets. Hazard jumps Steel for this. After their
brief tussle, Hazard wonders, ÒWhatÕs that armor made of. . .if it is armor?Ó
Steel is teleported away by Split, who leaves him far enough from their base
to disorient SteelÕs ability to track them down.
In closing, we revisit the serial-killer subplot where they have gotten
a psychic to ÒscanÓ the room. The psychic is only able to sense a
policemanÕs badge. This is discounted since their are plenty of badges
around the crime scene.
The issue ends with Steel standing on a rocky mountain that Split left him
on. Steel begins to wonder about his foes, and believes that he can figure
out a way to track down their base if he can locate HazardÕs spy satellite.
He also ponders the mystery of his armor: how and why did it appear around
him at just the right moment?
This issue struck me as one of the better ÒZero IssuesÓ that arose from an
already active storyline. We received the basics of John HenryÕs character
and the players involved with his story. I have always liked characters who
have a real and involving family life. John HenryÕs family are a very
interesting bunch of people. Seeing how they deal with having a hero in the
family is almost worth the admission price by itself. This issue defines
John Henry Irons as a man of honor and integrity. Of the three remaining
ÒreplacementsÓ for Superman, John Henry deserves the ÒSÓ shield the most.
IÕm not sure if he would be better wearing the shield and continuing in that
honorable tradition, or if he should be as he is, a new hero who will create
his own legend.
The subplotting about how the armor materialized is actually rather
interesting. I had figured that John Henry would turn out to be a metahuman
after he lifted up the whole pew in the issue with the funeral. Little
events like that show John Henry doing some pretty amazing stuff without his
armor. Plus the constant hints and questions about it in this issue makes it
almost a foregone conclusion. I am not buying the suggestion that the Steel
armor might somehow be sentient without John HenryÕs knowledge. When the
armors appearance occurred, it looked like some kind of Captain
Atom/alien-Spider-Man-costume thing. It had the appearance of the former, but
the mystery of the latter. I am looking forward to seeing more of this
mystery.
The only thing which detracted from this issue as far as I am concerned was
some of the costume designs. Lame costuming is one of my pet-peeves. All of
the villains looked like they were rejected from the X-Men and Bunny was
almost a direct clone of the White Queen. I am tired of women with Òcleavage
windowsÓ and that whole jacket-wearing thing. You can only have so many
ÒAnimal MenÓ or ÒRaysÓ before the whole thing becomes tedious. sorry. . .
IÕll get off my soapbox now ;)
Shawn Aeria
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End of Section 3
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REVIEWS (CONTINUED)
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ZERO HOUR:
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All Zero Hour reviews by ReneÕ Gobeyn
ZERO HOUR #1
Story and art: Dan Jurgens
Finished art: Jerry Ordway
$1.50 US/$2.10 CAN/70p UK
One line review: Clean art, tight story - highly recommended
Scene 1 (-2:12):
Guy Gardner, Batgirl, Supergirl, and Steel are flying away from Coast City.
The story seems to continue from Warrior, which was supposed to be this week
and wasnÕt. They have apparently just been in a battle with Extant. Guy is
in shock from seeing his ex-fiancee Kari Limbo die (again). An entropy rift
opens near them and Steel gets pulled into it.
Extant is confused by the multiple rifts that are forming. He is attacked by
the mystery man, who says that ÒYouÕve forgotten whoÕs IN CHARGE hereÓ. He
goes on to explain that the Zero-Hour-Effect is his doing Ñ NOT ExtantÕs.
The multiple rifts are caused by obstructions in the time stream. He leaves
to ÒremoveÓ the obstruction.
Scene 3 (-1:58 pocket Earth, 30th century)
The Time Trapper (a future Rokk Krin) is keeping the last of the Legion and
Legionnaires (both Cosmic Boys, Saturn Girls, Lightning Lads) alive behind a
barrier. They make the ultimate sacrifice and fade out together. The
Trapper is then attacked and killed in a green blast of energy by the mystery
man. (For more detail see LSH #61.)
Scene 4 (-0:53 New York City 20th century)
Power-girl is in labor with Wonder-Woman acting as mid wife. Impulse and
Booster Gold fade away as their home times are destroyed, and the Entropy
rifts arrive in our time.
Scene 5 (-0:40 Gotham City)
The Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick, is feeling his ÒnewÓ old age. He ran to
the JSA headquarters from New York to find the Specter. The Specter has
discovered that a human is controlling the crisis. As Jay disappears the
Specter promises to avenge him.
Scene 6 (-0:29 New York City)
Because of the heroic efforts of Captain Atom and Ray, present day New York
is all that is remains of the four dimensions. They are holding the rift
back, giving the others a chance to fix the timestream. Supergirl, Batgirl,
and Warrior arrive in the present, while Metron uses his Motherbox to take
Superman, Green Lantern, Darkstar Donna Troy and the Atom to...
Scene 7 (-0:24 Vanishing Point)
The heroes, arrive and find the remaining Linear Men held in stasis. Metron
stays behind to free them and sends Superman and Green Lantern to get the
probe launched by Vril Dox in ZERO-HOUR #3. Metron thinks he can recreate
Waverider from the Matt Rider of the Linear Men.
Scene 8 (-0:14 New York City)
Alan Scott, and Ted Knight, the surviving members of the JSA, are in the
hospital at WildcatÕs bedside. StarmanÕs (Ted Knight) sons arrive, and Ted passes his Cosmic Rod to his son David, just as the Time Rift destroys them.
Scene 9 (-0:13:00 Chamber of the Leymen)
Extant destroys the Leymen in the chamber (Dr. Mist is already gone).
Scene 10 (-0:07:34 New York City)
Batman, Robin (Tim Drake), Nightwing and Guy Gardner are directing folks away
from the rifts when Extant arrives. Batman is killed by one of the fissures
as Extant blasts Guy. The others attack, and Green Arrow misses Extant, but
Extant is hit from behind by Waverider! Then, Atom attacks Extant and Extant
tries to revert him into protoplasm. Waverider prevents this, but Atom is
reduced to the age of 18.
(-00:00:60)
Superman attacks Extant but is punched out by the mystery man. As if we
couldnÕt have guessed, the mystery man is revealed to be HAL JORDAN, who is
now calling himself Parallax. Hal reveals that he is remaking the universe,
and that one universe may not be enough. The countdown reaches Zero and
everything fades to white.
Story rating: 5 shields
Art rating: 5 shields
=========================================================
ZERO HOUR #0
Story and layout art: Dan Jurgens
Ink art: Jerry Ordway
$1.50 US/$2.10 CAN/70p UK
One line review: A great ending to a great story - well done!
Scene - The void:
The white begins to take shape as Parallax (Hal Jordan) is trying to
recreate the universe in order to make everything right, the way it should
be (according to him). Hal comes into focus along with Extant and the
heroes he has chosen to preserve (Triumph, Batgirl, Warrior, and Alpha
Centurion). Hal tells them that he isnÕt really crazy, but now has his own
vision as to how to do the job he always did Ñ fight for right and justice.
After his last battle with Guy on Oa, Hal slipped into the time stream and
discovered energy anomalies left over from the Crisis. Hal managed to absorb
some of this energy and eventually made his way to the end of time, where
entropy has destroyed everything. He goes on to explain that the beginning
and end of time are linked. All he needed to do was to tighten the loop and
everything in between would cease to exist. Guy doesnÕt buy the explanation,
but the other heroes seem willing to take the chance Ñ it seems to be the
only way theyÕll ever get their worlds back.
Scene - Vanishing Point:
Waverider has saved Superman, Captain Atom, Hawkman, Green Lantern (Kyle
Rayner), Damage, Atom, the Ray, Darkstar Donna Troy, and Green Arrow. He
tells them that Jordan is rebuilding the universe the way that he thought
it should be, and suggests that they do the same.
Scene - The void:
Hal is recreating the multiverse, trying hard to convince Guy that he is
doing the right thing, when he is attacked by Waverider and his heroes.
Batgirl and Alpha-Centurion join Hal, each believing that they are fighting
for the life of their worlds. Guy and Triumph join with WaveriderÕs team as
the Spectre arrives and attacks Parallax. Hal defeats the Spectre, but Kyle Rayner attacks Hal, keeping him off balance. Waverider comes up with a plan
to focus the projected powers of The Ray, Superman, Captain Atom, and Darkstar
(Donna Troy) through himself and into Damage. Kyle holds Hal back, preventing
him from blasting Damage. Hal tries one last time to blast Damage, but
Batgirl throws herself in front of Damage, sacrificing herself for him and
all of existence. Green Arrow, torn between his love for Hal and BatgirlÕs
sacrifice, finally reaches his decision. He shoots Hal, who doesnÕt have
enough power left to overcome the arrow. The Spectre at this point proclaims
that justice has been served and adds his power to that Damage has already
absorbed. This triggers an overload releasing the energy all at once, the B I G B A N G, and the Universe is born anew without the influence of Parallax.
Scene - Outside Reality:
Waverider used his power to move all of the heroes (everyone except Kyle and
Hal, whom he couldnÕt reach) outside of time. Batgirl and Alpha Centurion
fade away as time reasserts itself, wiping out their alternate time lines.
Scene - New York (now):
Waverider merges the heroes back with the timestream just at the point where
Hal destroys everything, effectively keeping it from happening. They all
re-emerge and join with the other assembled heroes. Green Arrow destroys his
bow, wondering if the price they paid was too high.
Scene - Vanishing point:
The Linear Men begin to monitor the time lines again, and in the background,
a mysterious hooded figure with long hair stands, watches, and waits for
answers.
Story Rating: 5 Shields
Art Rating: 5 Shields
=========================================================
ZERO HOUR TIE-INS
TEAM TITANS #24: ÒAll good things...Ó
While this book is indeed a part of the Zero-Hour crossover (the plot is
based on time anomalies), nothing that happens in the book is required for
understanding ZERO-HOUR. Everything that happens in the book that is
required knowledge is also shown in the mini-series. This book ends the
Team Titans series. While it is a fitting tribute to the characters, I still
recommend this book only for regular readers of the series.
As a regular reader of this title, IÕm going to miss it, but the characters
I liked the most will still be around. Nightwing will be showing up in the
Batman books, while Donna Troy is the newest Darkstar. Tara and Mirage have
moved to the Teen Titans. Who knows, maybe some of the dangling plot lines
will get cleared up.
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JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #68: ÒTriumphÓ (Return of the Hero: Part 3)
This book finishes the three part ÒReturn of the HeroÓ storyline that has
been playing through all of the Justice League titles this month. It ties
up the loose ends from the other books and establishes TriumphÕs version of
the ÒOriginÓ of the Justice league as the true one (at least until the next
retcon). Nothing in this book is required reading for understanding the
ZERO HOUR storyline, but if youÕre a League fan, you should enjoy it.
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DAMAGE #6: ÒThe Burning of AtlantaÓ
This book is mostly one big fight scene. While not exactly my type of story,
itÕs not as bad as it could be. There is at least some attempt to get the
TitansÕ characters correct, and some background is given to Damage and Munro.
It is more of a close to the story that has been going on for the last six
issues, and it gives the promise of some interesting things to happen in
future issues. Other than the ending and where a time anomaly comes into
play there is no connection to the Zero-Hour story.
The presence of the Titans here doesnÕt fit in with ZERO-HOUR too well Ñ at
the time the anomalies hit, the Titans are in New York (not Atlanta). Except
for this minor point, it was a well done story.
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DARKSTARS #24: ÒA Time for Every PurposeÓ
Most of this issue occurs before ZERO-HOUR #4 Ñ SupermanÕs appeal to the
heroes of the universe doesnÕt show until the last page of the story. Then
there is a break while they come back to Earth and Troia joins the Heroes.
The art is okay, and the story has been merged into Zero Hour nicely. While
it doesnÕt add anything to the Zero-Hour storyline, it does a good job of
bringing new readers painlessly up to speed.
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ANIMA #7: ÒSuddenly, Johnny gets a FeelingÓ
Yet another non-crossover. This story doesnÕt have any direct bearing on
Zero Hour, but we do see the fade out at the end. This issue occurs in the
middle of an ongoing story, and IÕm glad they didnÕt try to force a crossover
where it didnÕt really belong.
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ROBIN #10: ÒTwo Birds, One StoneÓ
Still another non-crossover. It is Zero-hour related in that much of itÕs
plot depends on a time anomaly.
My only real problem with this story is that Robin (Tim) is shown to be in
New York with the rest of the heroes when Zero-Hour hits. This isnÕt a big
problem though, as Zero-Hour is based on time anomalies.
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GREEN ARROW #90: ÒHe who hesitatesÓ (Cross Roads conclusion)
Finally a true Zero-Hour cross over. Told in an interesting manner (totally
visual except for a single caption giving the time at the beginning and a
single word balloon near the end). The story takes place in New York (even
the right place!) three hours and seven minutes ago (between ZERO HOUR #2
and ZERO HOUR #1.)
The story starts out with Green Arrow stopping a rape. He knocks the criminal
out and is helping the woman and her son when the criminal starts to get away.
At this point the story splits into two slightly different tracks. One story
runs along the top half of each page. The other story runs along the bottom.
In the top, Green Arrow manages to grab the guyÕs leg as he is climbing up a
fire escape. The bottom story is the story if he missed it.
Without blowing the entire story, the two versions converge again as the
criminal runs out of the alley and takes a woman on the street hostage. She
pulls a gun and the two of them start blasting away. In the bottom story,
Green Arrow is shot and killed. The criminals get away as the Green Arrow
from the top story stands over the body. At this point Batman shows up and
pulls the surviving GA back into the Zero Hour battle. As the body is taken
away in the ambulance, everything fades to white.
This was one of the most interesting stories that IÕve seen in a while. In
my opinion, this one is worth picking up, whether youÕre a regular reader or
not. Even though this is the conclusion of an on-going storyline, it was told
in such a way as to be totally comprehensible to a new reader, and it also
managed to end the on-going story satisfactorily. The question at the end of
the story is which (if either) Green Arrow survived? Does it matter? Only
time will tell.
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LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #61: ÒBorrowed TimeÓ (End of an Era finale)
This story expands and explains the final Legion scene in ZERO HOUR #1. It
goes into great detail to explain recent Legion history and to try to tie up
or explain many of the loose ends that have been plaguing recent Legion
continuity. Whether it succeeds or not is really a matter of personal
opinion. IÕm inclined to cut them some slack. It probably wonÕt make a
great deal of sense to a non-Legion fan. It is a great good-bye to the team.
The remaining Legionnaires try to reach Pocket Earth before it explodes and
releases Mordru again. After they land on the planet, volcanic eruptions
destroy their ship. The two Brainiacs use their force fields to save them.
While they are trying to decide what to do, The Time Trapper, Jo, Cosmic Boy,
Saturn Girl, Live Wire, and Rokk show up (from ZH #2). The others realize
that the Time Trapper was the opponent that Glorith and Mordru were worried
about. As the others prepare to fight, Rokk reveals that the Trapper is
really a future version of himself.
The Trapper tells them that in order for him to stabilize and reconstruct
things, the Legions from the two different times must become one. The Trapper
reaches through time and pulls Tinya (Phantom Girl) from the past before she
is lost and reunites her with Dragonmage.
The remainder of the book is basically one long farewell. As each pair of
duplicates unites, they disappear, finally leaving only the Saturn Girls,
Cosmic Boys and Lightning Lads. ItÕs only fitting that the ones who
originally founded the Legion are the final ones to go.
The book closes with a few scenes from past Legion highlights, including a
replay of the original saving of Brande from assassination. A lead in to next
issue? The story ends as everything turns to white. For a change from prior
endings of Legion stories, I canÕt wait until next month. A well done story,
and truly itÕs the End of an Era.
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Catwoman #14: ÒBroken MirrorsÓ
Another non-cross-over that is using the time anomalies as a plot device.
ItÕs a good job, and not confusing at all. It isnÕt necessary for the
Zero Hour story line but a pleasant read all the same.
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SHOWCASE Ô94 #10: ÒDeja ViewsÓ
IÕve included this title in this review because one of the three stories included used the Zero Hour time anomalies as a plot device. While the story,
which features the four ÒtimeÓ villains Clock King, Chronos, Time Commander,
and Calendar Man, was entertaining, it wasnÕt important to the crossover
at all.
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GUY GARDNER: WARRIOR #24: ÒKilling TimeÓ
Finally a Zero-Hour story that has DIRECT bearing on the story. Guy, Steel,
Batgirl, and Supergirl are at the Coast City Memorial when they are sucked
into a time anomaly. They come across Extant fighting with Anthro(!). Guy
and company attack Extant and he disappears. Our heroes are hit with another
time anomaly, and they are transported into the Òold westÓ.
While Extant and his Team Titan lackeys are facing down our heroes, all of
DCÕs old west heroes show up to join the battle. Seeing all my old favorites
fighting the bad guys again was worth the price of the book, even if I didnÕt
collect it regularly. Things are going well for the heroes until Extant
blasts Supergirl into unconsciousness. He then causes an anomaly that affects
the old western heroes. Extant then shifts our heroes into the middle of a
real battle between Lady Blackhawk and some aliens. Guy gets off a shot at
Extant that finally affects him. Extant decides to finish it and sends our heroes to Coast City.
There, Extant does something to take over GuyÕs new armor, causing it to
attack Kari. Then a young Hal comes in and stops him. Guy is separated
from the others when they are sucked into another time anomaly. He gets
sent to the time when Mongul and the Cyborg Superman destroy Coast City.
Guy tries to stop them but fails. Everything fades to white.
An excellent story all the way around. This is one I can recommend to
anyone who is following the cross-over. The events that take place here
directly effect the action in Zero-Hour #1.
ReneÕ Gobeyn
=========================================================
End of Section 4
=========================================================
LOOKING BACK
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THE POST-BYRNE REVIEW:
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by Mark Lamutt (markdl@netcom.com)
Title: SUPERMAN #22, ÒThe PriceÓ
Written by: John Byrne
Penciled by: John Byrne
Inked by: Petra Scotese
Cover Date: October 1988
Cover Price: $0.75 US/$1.00 CAN/50p UK
Overstreet: $1.60 (US)
The Supergirl Saga - Part III
For those of you who, for some reason, have missed the last two issues
of this column, this is the story thus far: Superman meets a flying
Lana, dressed up in a costume, calling herself Supergirl. She transports
Superman into the Time TrapperÕs pocket universe, where Superman
joins forces with the resistance against three renegade Kryptonians,
recently freed from the Phantom Zone. Strangely enough, this pocket
universe is very similar to the Pre-Byrne universe we all grew up
loving. And now, on with the story.
Scanning the ultimate desolation of the shattered world before him,
Superman finds no living beings other than the few remaining resistance
fighters and the three Kryptonians. As the battle progresses, the
situation worsens for our heroes - first Bruce Wayne falls, then
Hal Jordan and Oliver Queen. The three villains tear apart all of Lex
LuthorÕs brilliant technology in their quest for total destruction.
Then Supergirl falls within their deadly heat vision beams and is all
but destroyed. Lex then tells Superman what he must do to defeat Zod,
Zaora and Quex-Ul.
As Superman desperately searches the ruins of Smallville for what he
must find, Quex-Ul enters the fray against the Man of Steel. Superman
attempts to elude his adversary, as Quex-Ul is much faster and stronger
than he is. Burrowing beneath the earth, Superman not only loses his
nemesis, but also completes his search for SuperboyÕs secret laboratory.
Contained within is the only thing that can stop these Kryptonians once
and for all.
Quex-Ul comes upon Superman again while he is searching the lab,
pounding him into the ground. Luckily, what Superman is looking for
just happens to be buried directly beneath him. Superman unearths the
canister labeled ÒGold KÓ and exposes Quex-Ul to the rays of the
kryptonite contained within. Gold Kryptonite, the only substance in this
universe that can strip a Kryptonian of his powers, does its job on the
former super-villain.
Using the shattered remains of SuperboyÕs lab, Superman constructs a
steel prison cell for the Kryptonian criminals. After exposing the other
two to the Gold Kryptonite and locking them in the cell, Superman
searches for Lex. This universeÕs brilliant man of science is almost
dead. But before he dies, he explains SupergirlÕs existence to the Man of
Steel. She is an artificial life form created from a protomatter
matrix.
Left alone on the remnants of this world with the three Kryptonians,
Superman now faces the ultimate choice - what to do with them. They
taunt him, saying they will find a way to regain their powers and destroy
him and his world. SupermanÕs words describe the situation best: ÒYou
have ruthlessly murdered all the people on this planet - five billion
humans! That is a crime without equal! The Nazi Holocaust pales by
comparison...What I must do now is harder than anything I have ever
done before. But as the last representative of law and justice on this
world, it falls to me to act as judge, jury and executioner.Ó With those
words, Superman unleashes the power of the Green Kryptonite on the
three Kryptonians, killing them where they stand.
Superman finds the protomatter body of Supergirl and takes her back
into his universe. He entrusts her care with his parents and with Lana,
and then flies off to be alone with his thoughts and nightmares.
This is one of the darkest, most morbidly intense books that had been
published to date. Starting with the cover, we see Superman in a
radiation suit, holding an opened lead box of Green Kryptonite, and
saying, ÒYouÕre responsible for the deaths of a billion beings - for that
you must DIE!Ó We see the dark side of things in the book, and it raises
many questions both in SupermanÕs mind and in the readersÕ minds.
Does the fact that a criminal is guilty of heinous crimes against mankind
give the accuser, the state, or the victims the right to kill them?
Did Superman, the defender of all that is good and just in the world, have
the right or the responsibility to do what he did? If so, where is the
line that cannot be crossed - and did he cross that line? Does the threat of
catastrophe justify the actions taken to nullify that threat? These are
all questions that Superman now has to answer for himself - and his answers
eventually drive him from Earth. For he looks inside himself and he
discovers that he has crossed the line. But that is another story for
another time. Perhaps in a future review, we will look at his solution
to his problem.
As for the art, once again John Byrne comes through, as only he can.
The pencils amply depict the mood of the story, and the coloring by
Petra Scotese very subtly brings out the mood Byrne is trying to set.
Out of a possible 5 shields, I give this book 4 shields. The serious
reader may find some troubling aspects in the conclusion to this story
arc, but it is very well done nonetheless. And, it leads to some very
good storytelling down the line in future issues. Stay tuned next time
when I will review Superman #44 - Part One of the Dark Knight over
Metropolis.
=========================================================
THE PRE-BYRNE REVIEWS:
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SUPERMAN #136
DATE: April, 1960
TITLE: ÒThe Secret of KryptoniteÓ
(An Untold Tale of Superman When He Was Superboy)
EDITOR: Mort Weisinger
REVIEW BY: Patrick Stout
PLOT SYNOPSIS: SupermanÕs Earthday, the anniversary date of when
Kal-ElÕs rocket ship landed on Earth from Krypton, is an annual day of
celebration in Smallville. In addition to Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, and
Perry White, Professor Stanley Halley has been invited to appear on the
reviewing stand with Superman. But Halley tells Mayor Perkins that he
canÕt be a guest because Superman hates him! Ò...He despises me more
than any criminal,Ó says Halley as he runs away.
Superman later arrives, and the guests are treated to a re-enactment of
the explosion of Krypton. As luminous ÒkryptoniteÓ fragments drop from
the sky, Superman recalls how he first encountered the deadly meteorite.
Young Clark Kent became ill when his foster father brought home the
glowing green meteorite for ClarkÕs mineral collection. The rock
disposed of, the Kents kept SuperboyÕs weakness secret for years.
When a new wing was being opened at the Smallville Planetarium, Superboy
began to feel dizzy as a tray of meteorites was wheeled into the room. He
blew the tray into the next room and made his getaway, but all this
activity was witnessed by a museum attendant. Outside, Superboy
encountered a replica of a szallaÑa Kryptonian creature with fire vision.
The creature was part of a Kryptonian village exhibit created by college
teacher Mel Evans and based on SuperboyÕs public recollections of life on
Krypton.
Returning to the planetarium, Superboy discovers that the meteorites have
been stolen, and that the attendant was a former criminal named ÒSilkÓ
Smith. Smith gets a scientist to identify seven of the mineral elements,
but the eighth is unknown. He vows to try each mineral on Superboy in an
effort to determine his weakness.
Smith and three confederates wave a pipe bearing a molybdenum meteorite
at Superboy as he flies by on patrol. He feigns weakness and falls at
their feet, planting a tracer watch in one thugÕs shoe heel. The crooks
beat and shoot at Superboy, but he eventually gives away his pretense
when he flies away to respond to Lana LangÕs cry for help; she is
clinging to a tree branch after falling from her attempt to climb Mt.
Potash.
After returning Lana home, Superboy fashions a pair of giant metal tongs
from some old steel girders. He inhales the smoke from a factory
smokestack and blows it into the criminalsÕ hideout. As they evacuate,
he substitutes an imitation for the kryptonite meteor. He meets the
crooks back inside and they witness him juggling, and even eating, the
various meteorites. Jailing the criminals and thinking he has scotched
the notion of having a weakness, Superboy is summoned the next day as
guest of honor at SmallvilleÕs first Earthday celebration. Mel Evans
surprises the boy of steel with a giftÑsomething that the scientist has
deduced had to be a fragment from SuperboyÕs home planet.
Superboy collapses from the exposure to kryptonite. A radio reporter on
the scene to cover the celebration broadcasts to the world that Superboy
can be harmed by fragments from the planet Krypton. SmallvilleÕs leaders
seal the kryptonite in a lead box and Superboy disposes of it, thinking,
ÒOther kryptonite meteors are sure to fall on Earth occasionally and, if
criminals get them, my very life will be in danger.Ó
Snapping out of this recollection, Superman notices the fleeing Professor
Halley. As the professor passes SmallvilleÕs Roll of Honor, which sits
just inside the city limits, he notices a beam of x-ray vision passing
him. ÒHeÕs going to use it some way to get revenge,Ó Halley thinks.
The roll of honor features Revolutionary War hero General Ezekiel Hooker,
Senator Amos Morris, well-known surgeon Walter Hoyt, and Superboy. But
SupermanÕs x-ray vision adds another name to the list: Mel Evans,
renowned scientist (also known as Professor Stanley Halley). ÒHe...he
forgives me,Ó thinks the scientist. ÒI...I must see him.Ó
Evans tells Superman that he felt so guilty about discovering his fatal
weakness that he fled Smallville and changed his name. ÒBut it wasnÕt
your fault,Ó says Superman. ÒYou were trying to honor me.Ó Both address
the celebrants as SupermanÕs Earthday concludes with the landing of a
simulated rocket ship containing a doll to represent the Superbaby that
came to Earth.
REVIEW: I enjoyed this simple story which successfully intertwined
elements of honor and injury. The irony, of course, is that Superboy can
use his wits to fool the criminal element but itÕs the good intentions of
his friends that go awry and take him by surprise.
The issue might be raised as to why Superboy had to be nearly on top of
the kryptonite in each exposure before he realized something was going
on. But I think because of his infrequent, at that time, exposures to the
element, his senses had yet to develop an alert system to let him know a
little sooner when kryptonite is near. In later stories, most crooks
were good about keeping the kryptonite in a lead-lined container and
springing it on our hero.
Two random notes of possible interestÑthis story features a chart done
by Mel Evans for his Krypton village display, with drawings of Krypton
orbiting its red sun and the size differential between Krypton and Earth,
and listing the distance from Krypton to Earth as 0.317 light year.
The scientist who analyzes the meteorites for ÒSilkÓ Smith is drawn to
look like Lex LuthorÑeither that or all scientists drawn by DC artists
of the time were either bald or hairy and, since Evans/Halley had the
full beard, the bald scientist was the only stereotype left.
Despite the eraÕs emphasis on action over characterization, I was
touched by the character of Mel Evans. His admiration for Kal-El and
the planet Krypton was evident in the depth of research and scientific
recreation he displayed, as well as in his extreme sense of guilt upon
discovering the effect of kryptonite on his hero.
=========================================================
SUPERMAN AND CLARK KENT #50, ÒWhen You Wish Upon a PlanetoidÓ
Written by Dan Mushkin and Gary Cohn
Artwork by Curt Swan and Kurt Shaffenberger
$0.60
Rating: 4 shields for the story - very thought-provoking but they
should have left out Atomic Skull; 5 shields for the artwork
because Curt Swan worked on it.
ÒChaos reigns on an alien dimensional world! Havoc has been
unleashed by a device whose energies can bend the very fabric of
existence...The Miracle Machine. It has the power to turn thought
into reality...But that power has brought disaster to the other-
dimensional race known as the Controllers...A thousand years
hence...in the time of the Legion of Super-Heroes...The Miracle
Machine will be but a toy to that advanced species...But today, the
Controllers find it...UNCONTROLLABLE! And unpredictable as well..Ó
Without warning the Miracle Machine has vanished, Òclear out of our
universe!Ó
Cut to Superman, in the present, in our own universe, racing after
a runaway planetoid before it crashes into an inhabited world. As
he intercepts the planetoid, he wishes he were both Superman and
Clark Kent, independent from one another, to prevent having to rush
back and forth between two identities. Unknown to our hero, the
Miracle Machine has hitched a ride on the planetoid and intercepts
his thoughts.
We jump to a crowd of citizens impatiently awaiting the arrival of
Superman who is to be honored in front of the United Nations. Clark
Kent is being quizzed on the whereabouts of Superman. Clark is
puzzled by why three people have asked him about Superman. He even
gets a call from Bruce Wayne asking him to fill in for him for a
few days. Clark has no idea who Bruce is or what he is talking
about.
The next few panels show Superman busily averting various disasters
and saving the world...all in a dayÕs work.
Cut again to the Daily Planet. Clark intercepts a message from the
teletype about the Atomic Skull attacking S.T.A.R. Labs. He quickly
runs to an unoccupied storeroom, rips opens his shirt, stares at
the white undershirt and wonders why he did such an odd thing.
Superman, on the other hand, streaks into action and interrupts
Atomic Skull wrecking havoc on S.T.A.R. Labs. In order to divert
SupermanÕs attention for a quick getaway, he mentally projects a
death ray towards a helicopter flying above the lab. Superman
realizes Lois Lane has leaped out of the exploding chopper and
rushes to her aid, letting Atomic Skull make his hasty escape. Lois
is relieved that she is alive to report the story. Superman coldly
responds by telling her, ÒSomeday if IÕm forced to choose between
life and property endangered by a super-villain and one reckless
individual...that individual will have to be sacrificed.Ó Lois
thinks something odd has really gotten into Superman.
The story switches back and forth between Superman saving the world
and trying to stop Atomic Skull and Clark trying to figure out what
is going on. He has mental flashes of Superman saving a planet but
has no idea why.
One night Clark awakens from a nightmare and stares into a mirror.
Next to his reflection fades in an image of Superman. He now knows
there is a connection between the planetoid and his confusing
episodes with the Man of Steel.
Atomic Skull is eventually stopped (a minor detail anyway) and
Clark begins trying to solve the mysterious problem of dealing with
Superman. This is where the story really gets goodÑat the
Epilogue. Clark and Superman meet at 321 Maple Street, inside the
Kent home. Clark has to somehow jar SupermanÕs memory so the two
will be joined together again. Nothing seems to work until they
visit the cemetery of ClarkÕs dead parents. ÒAll at once, the
memories, like a lost part of himself, come rushing homeÑand
miraculouslyÑSuperman and Clark Kent are again one man...Ó
This was the 50th Golden Jubilee issue and one I would like to see
reprinted in a modern version. The Atomic Skull installment was
simply a diversion. The real action involved Clark trying to figure
out how to solve the mystery of his split personality. Besides, the
Miracle Machine is still out in space somewhere, and Superman knows
nothing about it. Imagine if Doomsday found out about it (do you
REALLY think he is dead?) and figured out how to clone himself.
Ken McKee (stdkrm01@shsu.edu)
=========================================================
VILLAINS WORD-SEARCH
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Last month I printed the following word search, which contains the names
of 32 villains (or villain teams) that Superman has battled in the post-Byrne
universe. This month IÕm going to include the list of names. Hopefully,
those of you who didnÕt find all 32 before will be able to do so now!
T B A R O N S U N D A Y M Y R J R O G Q
F A K H Z L T R S R K K R K I O T C W X
C E O Y K A H X M A Y H S J H K O A W O
C K Y S W L E D D A G E T A I H P N I X
D I L F I E Y T R G N Q H M T E S A D S
N W K T K L V L P A S H C M E A D D Q J
W W C O P P E V F J Y N U O C J N J Q I
K B T Y V Z Y X M I O J W N H W I U I S
K R I M Q L Y S L H M V E G T G L G S T
P E I A S R D X P U C V M U L E B U E A
G K G N E F C I M E T A L L O N R T Q B
V P R A N K S T E R S H Y B J E I S V X
O V P M P P Y A D S M O O D B S F O G X
U G N A A M I X A M K F T R A T E V R P
I H I R O T A C I D A R E R C K Z F O W
Q Q J R V C R R F H Z C A I N I A R B M
V G X E F E J Q T R O P S D O O L B Y V
O N O T Y N A A M S D F J T S B B U C Y
W E E H S N A B R E V L I S K Y H O O K
B R H K F S G W E F S R W C C O B I L W
Baron Sunday Hi-Tech Parasite
Blaze Jolt Prankster
Blindspot Lex Luthor Psiphon
Bloodsport Lobo Rampage
Brainiac Manhunters Satanus
Cerberus Massacre Silver Banshee
Cyborg Maxima Skyhook
Darkseid Metallo Terra Man
Doomsday Mongul Toyman
Draaga Mr. Mxyzptlk Zod
Eradicator Mr. Z
=========================================================
End of Section 5
=========================================================
LOIS AND CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN
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UP, UP, AND COMING:
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Hello! Welcome to the newest addition to The Kryptonian Cybernet! Below you
will find articles from our two featured writers, Zoomway and J.D. Rummel.
You all know J.D.Õs column from our previous Other-Media sections. To those
of you who have enjoyed J.D.Õs previous features, donÕt fret! He will from
time to time be diverting his attention from Lois and Clark. And those of
you who are familiar with ZoomwayÕs talents will agree that she is a perfect
addition to the magazine! Future issues will also spotlight reviews of the
new episodes as they appear.
In this introductory space, we plan to provide any advance tidbits and air
schedules as they become available to us. This month, a few comments about
what to expect in the first few weeks of the season:
The following information is capsuled from Hero Illustrated #16.
The first episode of the new season, ÒMadame Ex,Ó aired on September 18.
Future episodes include ÒWall of SoundÓ (September 25), starring Michael
Des Barres as the Sound Man, a villain with devastating sonic weaponry,
and ÒThe SourceÓ (October 2), in which Lois feels responsible for the
death of one of her sources, Peter Scolari. ÒThe SourceÓ features MUCH
Super-action!
Other episodes to appear include:
ÒThe PranksterÓ Ñ execs are trying to bag Jason Alexander (Seinfeld) for
the villain, whose character is dramatically different
from the one in the comics.
ÒThe Edges of MetropolisÓ Ñ introducing Morgan Edge and Intergang
ÒThat Old Gang of MineÓ Ñ the death of Clark Kent (?!)
ÒBolt From the BlueÓ Ñ someone else gains SupermanÕs powers
In addition, there are plans for an appearance by Metallo.
Now, have fun reading the preview of the Lois and Clark section, and join
us next month for the big debut, featuring reactions to the first two
episodes of the new season!
Jeff
=========================================================
LOIS COMMON DENOMINATOR
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by Zoomway
A friend of mine wrote me a note expressing how sorry she felt
for Clark Kent in his attempts to win the heart of Lois Lane.
She compared Clark to a master chef preparing a wonderful feast
for the woman he loves, only to have Lois turn her nose up and
refuse the offering. This might be a fair assessment to some,
but my question would be, did Clark ever ask Lois what she wanted
for dinner before he started cooking?
Lois is cast in an unsympathetic light in many of the showÕs
episodes, and the reasons for this are legion. The show, for the
most part, is seen from ClarkÕs point of view, and the audience
sees all points of view in the omniscient sense. We know that
Clark is Superman, that heÕs a sweet guy who would make Lois Lane
deliriously happy, and that Lex Luthor is scum, but we forget
that Lois is not given the audience advantage of omniscience.
What does Lois really know from her point of view?
If we take the three most important men in LoisÕ life, as
depicted in the first season - Clark, Superman, and Lex Luthor -
and view them through her eyes, LoisÕ perspective on things
becomes a bit clearer. Clark, whom she dismissed in the
beginning as a Òhick from Smallville,Ó became, with the passage
of time and the proximity of the workplace, her best friend. He
has become her peer at the Planet and a non-threatening confidant
with whom she can share her feelings. Unfortunately for Clark,
these feelings often involve Superman.
Superman, much to ClarkÕs chagrin, has become for Lois Lane the
antithesis of every man who has ever hurt her. He is power
personified, but he never uses it to bully, or force another to
his will. He could literally have any woman in the world, and
yet he has singled out Lois Lane. ÒYouÕll always be special to
me, Lois.Ó This would be rather intoxicating for anyone, not
just Lois Lane. Add into this mix the fact that Clark doesnÕt
really seem to understand how special he makes Lois feel when he
interacts with her as Superman. Clark wants Lois to love him as
Clark, but when he feeds into her fantasy as Superman, he comes
off more as an accomplice than a victim.
Lex Luthor, before he literally fell from grace, ironically
shared many virtues with Superman, at least from LoisÕ point of
view. He was powerful, and yet, to the public eye, he did not
abuse his power, but rather put said power to magnanimous and
philanthropic use. He gave generously of his time and money to
charity, as well as establishing several non-profit organizations
for the betterment of his city. He employed thousands of people,
and seemed to be very sociable, not to mention handsome. Not
knowing that the esteemed Mr. Luthor was not what he pretended to
be did not make Lois Lane stupid, but rather put her on a par
with millions of others who bought into a public face of
respectability which Lex had painstakingly crafted.
One reason Lois does not elicit any more sympathy than she does
is that she no longer has a soundingboard, i.e. someone other
than Clark to confide in. Lucy Lane, her younger sister fit this
bill rather nicely, but she disappeared early in the first season
and was not replaced. Lois now has no one with which to share
her point of view when it involves Clark. While Clark, on the
other hand, has his parents to confide in when he needs to talk
about Lois. If you think about it, itÕs not so much what Clark
has said directly to Lois that makes him so sympathetic and
endearing, but rather what he says ÔaboutÕ her when talking with
his parents. How much warmer might we feel about Lois if we
overheard her speaking lovingly about Clark?
Clark also has the advantage simply by being the one in love.
Everyone loves a lover, and when the love is unrequited, we feel
sympathetic toward him. Unfortunately that usually means that
Lois gets to wear the villainÕs hat. We simply canÕt imagine why
she wonÕt give this wonderful man a tumble, and yet Clark himself
seems to have overlooked the most crucial ingredient in winning
Lois, her need for unconditional loyalty.
From what little we have learned about Lois, we see that what
motivates her is the recurring theme of betrayal. She has been
betrayed almost every time she has opened her heart. We learn in
the pilot episode that Lois was betrayed by a co-worker, and in
The Rival we learn that she was betrayed by her best friend. It
should not be lost on Clark Kent that he now holds both of these
positions in LoisÕ life. It may not be fair that Clark has to
prove his worth more than he might have, had Lois never been
hurt, but heÕs the one who chose Lois, and therefore, if he
really wants her, he must be prepared to go the extra distance.
This is not to say that Lois canÕt be infuriating at times.
Unlike us, the omniscient audience, Lois has a blindspot where
Clark is concerned. She does not know that this man is different
(in many ways) and will not betray her, or harm her, and he will
always be there for her. But, most of all, hidden beneath his
ugly neckties, Clark Kent is Superman, the one person she did
open her heart to in the first season. Of course, he ended up
hurting her just as badly as the others had hurt her in the past.
Perhaps even more deeply than the others. So we come full
circle. Will Clark ever ask Lois what she ÔreallyÕ wants for
dinner?
=========================================================
AND WHO DISGUISED AS...:
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by J.D. Rummel (rummel@phoenix.creighton.edu)
Lois & Clark: The First Season of Adventures
For some time I have wanted to expand the breadth of _And Who Disguised
As..._ , so Mr. Sykes has kindly allowed me to offer some thoughts on
_Lois and Clark_ in addition to my other viewpoints. Additionally, IÕd
like to use this space to welcome Zoomway to the Cybernet. Long may you
write.
Because the new television season approaches, I thought IÕd share my
opinions on the first season of _Lois and Clark_ as a way of introducing
myself. As many of you are aware, many changes are taking place on the set
for `94-Õ95. Deborah Joy LeVine, the producer, will not be returning, nor
will Michael Landes and Tracy Scoggins as Jimmy Olsen and Cat Grant. I do
not know the reasons for any of these situations, though both performers
were certainly capable in their respective roles. For what itÕs worth, IÕm
indifferent to the loss of the Cat Grant character, and while I appreciate
the long standing tradition of Jimmy Olsen, neither character, despite
some fine moments, seemed to have a place in the reality created by the
Lois and Clark writers.
However, I am actually saddened by LeVineÕs departure. She is a talented
woman who brought a fresh and interesting perspective to the Superman
legend. This first season, she breathed new life into the greatest American
myth and attracted many new fans - folks who might not ordinarily have
watched. I hope the new producers retain the many fine things she brought
to the show and the characters.
For all the trouble I had with the first season, and as you will see I did
have some, LeVine really took a well known entity and gave it some new
dimensions. Focusing on the romance was a welcome change from the world-
saving heroics we all associate with the Man of Steel. Borrowing heavily
from the old _Moonlighting_ series and the Byrne restructuring, LeVine and
company gave us a couple that reflects what many of us might like to be a
part of. I have no doubt that many women would enjoy meeting an incredibly
decent guy who looks this good. I know IÕd like to have super powers
_and_ spend time with a woman as attractive and intriguing as Teri
HatcherÕs Lois. It really did play to the fantasy life weÕd all like to
lead on some level. Yet, it also made both characters worthy of respect on
a very human plane - these were more than the cartoons that were their
source material.
When L&CÕs first season was running on all cylinders it was fine
entertainment. Scenes such as the pick-up game with Bo Jackson, or the
guest appearance of Sonny Bono punning on his old hits as he addressed a
crowd in Metropolis could easily have been bungled down to the level of
the cameos-in-the-window scenes from the old _Batman_ series. Instead, we
got well-written, tongue-in-cheek moments that hinted that the folks
producing this show were having a good time and wanted the viewer to come
along. One superb moment was when Lois told Superman sheÕd love him if he
were just an ordinary Joe, when just moments before she rejected him in his
regular guy disguise (albeit numbingly handsome and impeccably dressed).
Parts of this show just made me smile.
When L&C failed, it was usually because of disregard for plot logic and
Superman as an heroic figure. Some episodes were essentially unwatchable
because the writer bungled an interesting idea. Perhaps the best example
was one written by Dan Levine, DeborahÕs brother. ItÕs about children with
super intelligence, but in fact it appears to have been written for children
of sub-normal mental ability. The episode was an automatic weaponÕs target
of plot holes and implausibilities. Worst of all, Superman looks mightily
incompetent throughout most of it. It was this treatment of Superman, that
most often bothered me on this program. Sometimes his appearances were
almost ancillary to other portions of the plot. One could practically
picture the writer saying, ÒGeez, I better get Dean into costume somehow,
I almost forgot!Ó
Certainly I understand that the show is Lois and Clark, and I think the
creative team does this better than anyone ever has. However, they have
focused so heavily on this, that they appear to have forgotten that itÕs
also the New Adventures of Superman. Unless, of course, by ÒnewÓ the writers
mean boring and wildly implausible. As a fan and viewer, IÕll give them the
tradition that no one can tell Kent is Superman when he takes the spectacles
off, but must the show therefore eschew all logic? In the first season,
Superman talks in space, breaks up a tsunami by flying into it (!), and is
challenged by bionic opponents that high school physics tell us cannot be
real. Additionally, the way the program is written makes Superman a
wincingly ineffective champion. It takes him way too long to catch
low-rent villains that even the Springfield police could nab. He needs a
challenge, for PeteÕs sake! Even ÒAll Shook Up,Ó the Bryce Zabel rewrite of
Jackson GillisÕ superb ÒPanic in the SkyÓ script, disposed of all
thoughtfulness and introspection in favor of a kind of wandering shuffle.
Because the writer never really had a point, a magnificent opportunity
was lost.
And I hope Zoomway is correct when she tells us that ABC is going to spend
money on special effects. The flying sequences and costume are lame.
In season two, Alan Brennert is coming on board to produce. Brennert is a
talented writer of science fiction with a human element. He worked on the
_New Twilight Zone_, and created _Alien Nation_ for the large and small
screens. I hope he can retain the romantic flavor of the first season
while possibly bringing some bite to the overall impact of the show. L&C
has unique ingredients that, properly used, could bring out incredible
potential. They have shown us they can do humor and zest. Now, can they
tackle issues and feelings beyond the common desire for a perfect partner?
LetÕs face it - at its very best, L&C makes us smile, but it has yet to make
us think. It is flavorful bubble gum, but it could become a feast.
Away.
=========================================================
SEX AND AERODYNAMIC BROOMSTICKS
Lex Luthor dashes to his balcony. He quotes Jimmy Cagney from White Heat,
Òtop of the worldÓ, and then leaps. As heÕs falling he says, ÒWhat a world!
What a world! Who would have thought a good little girl like you could
destroy my beautiful wickedness!Ó DonÕt go rushing to check your tape.
I lied, Lex never delivered the Wicked Witch of the WestÕs farewell address,
though he might have in light of the fact that he and the Wicked Witch were
done in by young ladies who had unwittingly zeroed in on their respective
AchillesÕ heels
Dorothy, in an attempt to extinguish the ScarecrowÕs blazing arm, hits the
witch with water, and thus the witch begins to melt. Lois Lane hits Lex
Luthor in the heart with love, andthus LuthorÕs world begins to crumble.
Even Lex himself knew that once he fell in love, he was doomed. Feeling
that love was somehow incompatible with his corrupt lifestyle and bankrupt
sense of morality.
THE WIZARD OF OZ may seem an odd metaphor for Lois and Clark, but they do
share some things in common. Superman seems to represent Oz to Lois;
magical, powerful, beautiful, and mysterious. Clark Kent represents
Kansas; reality, stability, predictability, and no mystery. Technicolor
versus black and white. Lois wants to fly over the rainbow with Superman,
but not be stuck in grid-lock with Clark Kent in the nine to five reality
of Metropolis.
Fantasy plays a big role in Lois and Clark. One of the first things
Clark says in the pilot episode is that his ultimate wish is to meet
someone and have a family. In other words, he wants to be a husband
and father. Even if I had known nothing about the Superman legend, I
would have guessed by this one statement that Clark Kent was an alien.
I have never, in my life heard a man say that. Now had he said he
wanted to be a millionaire before he was thirty, or never settle down,
IÕd believe he was a human, American male, but to pick a role that seems
to be vanishing from the landscape in an era when many kids never get to
know their biological dads is truly endearing, and unfortunately a fantasy.
Lois Lane lives in her own fantasy world as well. She has a romance novel
in the works, and it has all the earmarks of a truly turgid tale. The
heroine dies without ever knowing love. In Lois, we see a woman who has
been repeatedly hurt by romantic encounters and yet she idealizes romance,
and actually seems as if she is in love with the idea of being in love,
but has no concept of what a sustained relationship entails.
I tend to view the whole Superman legend more as fantasy than science
fiction. I see it sharing more with THE WIZARD OF OZ than RENDEZVOUS
WITH RAMA, or even STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND. For most fantasy to work,
magic has to be an integral part, and though the magic is easier to see
in THE WIZARD OF OZ, it still exists in Superman.
When Superman squares off against the likes of Mr. Mxyzptlk, Satanus,
Blaze and the Silver Banshee, he is clearly in the realm of fantasy,
and we find that Superman is very susceptible to magic. This is made
clear in the television show in the ÒIllusions of GrandeurÓ episode where
Clark falls into a hypnotic trance, and yet in ÒPheromone, My LovelyÓ where
chemistry, and not magic, is used, Superman seems immune.
The main reason I put Superman in the category of fantasy is that under
this heading, he is spared the type of technical analysis which most
science fiction is generally subjected. Fantasy is generally left alone
by the wolves who have traded in their slip sticks (sliderules) for number
crunchers (calculators). These packs of techno-babblers prowl around
looking for any weakness in a given storyÕs scientific premise and will
pounce on the jugular without mercy when they find the unforgivable error.
Few of these pocket-protector warriors would waste their time arguing
that the Wicked Witch of the West could not really fly because a
broomstick is not aerodynamically sound, but with great relish they will
quote Larry NivenÕs ÒMan of Steel, Woman of KleenexÓ chapter and verse as
the ultimate treatise on why Lois Lane and Clark Kent could not have a
sexual relationship.
Larry Niven talks about the Ôpleasurable epileptic seizureÕ of intimacy
wherein people lose muscle control. He theorizes that SupermanÕs
Kryptonian strength would gut Lois like a trout, and that lastly, the
top of her head would blow off! Not a pretty picture. This thread has
become a given on any forum which discusses Superman. In light of this,
it is my pleasure to put an end to this thread once and for all (or at
least for ten minutes or so).
I cannot reprint my interview with Lois Lane here, wherein I asked Lois
about SupermanÕs sexuality, because a) it might qualify as fanfic, and
b) Lois gets carried away describing intimate details of her and
SupermanÕs relationship. So, I will merely point out that Larry Niven
made one glaring error in his assessment of Lois and ClarkÕs love life.
He treated Superman as a super powered human being, when in fact Superman
is an alien. For Niven to assume that Superman, or any alien makes love
exactly the same as human men, is a poorly founded theory. Again, I canÕt
tell you exactly what Lois told me, but she did make it clear that
Superman does not share the same maneuvers as human males, and that
strength is not only counterproductive, but nearly impossible in this
situation. Lastly, to put it delicately, the end of SupermanÕs love
making does not manifest itself at super speed since Kryptonians are
apparently capable of greater capacity. In other words, one need not use
a high powered seltzer bottle to fill a glass when gentle flowing tap
water can get the job done.
With all of this in mind, it is not too far fetched that in the near
future of the Lois and Clark TV show, when Lois finally decides to leave
Superman for Clark Kent, someone may ask, ÒWhat have you learned, Lois?Ó
To which Ms. Lane may respond, ÒWell, if I ever go searching for my
heartÕs desire again, I wonÕt have to look any farther than my own
backyard.Ó She may then put her arms around Clark. ÒBecause if it
isnÕt there, I never really lost it to begin with.Ó ThereÕs no place
like home.
=========================================================
End of Section 6
=========================================================
COMING ATTRACTIONS
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
A List of Upcoming Comics Featuring The Superman Family of Characters
Assembled by Jeffery D. Sykes
This monthly section is dedicated to giving you official information
concerning which comics you should watch for in the near future in order
to keep up with Superman, Superboy, Supergirl, and all the rest of the
Superman family of characters.
New Format:
Since IÕve noticed more and more non-comic merchandise being offered in
Previews, and because I figure that at least some of you might be interested
in information about that merchandise, IÕve decided to add a new section of
Merchandise to Coming Attractions. This section will include information on
items such as trading cards, t-shirts, posters, etc.
The new ordering of the Coming Attractions is:
1. Shipping List
2. Merchandise
3. Spoilers
November Comics:
November appears to be ÒSpecial GuestÓ month at DC, as many titles feature
guest appearances of other DC heroes. As part of this Òtrend,Ó Superman makes
an appearance in issue #3 of the miniseries XENOBROOD, Superboy shows up in
ANIMA #10, and both Steel and Superman play roles in GUY GARDNER: WARRIOR #27.
In the big four titles, the Òbody in the tombÓ storyline finally comes to a
close with ADVENTURES #519, and then ACTION #706 features Supergirl. Speaking
of Supergirl, the first week in December brings a new, 12-issue Super-title!
SHOWCASE Ô95 will spotlight the Superman family of characters in the lead story
of every issue, beginning with the Girl of Steel! Also, SUPERBOY faces...the
Hawaiian police? Finally, STEEL teams with Maxima and Green Lantern as they
go to battle in space.
Rumors:
Intercompany crossovers seem to be the order of the day. In addition to
the Superman/Hulk crossover rumors reported last month, Dan Jurgens recently
announced (in an interview on America Online) that he is going to be working
on a DC/Dark Horse crossover entitled Superman/Aliens! Now IÕm a big fan of
both of these, but I certainly canÕt see how the Aliens would pose much of a
threat to Big Blue...unless, of course, they had gestated inside of some
Kryptonian hosts. Anyway, IÕll be anxiously awaiting this one!
A New Theory:
IÕm following up on the rumor from last issue that Superman #100 will
finally feature *the* wedding. ThereÕs a new rumor that Superman #100 is
actually a red herring, and the wedding wonÕt take place until Man of
Steel #50. The reason: the wedding is all set, but Lois doesnÕt show up
because sheÕs been kidnapped by Conduit! Another earlier rumor: way back
when the introduction to Conduit was being announced, it was rumored that
Conduit would discover Superman/ClarkÕs identity. Now, so far in the comics,
weÕve seen Kenny/Conduit vow to take care of Superman and Clark Kent, and in
the most recent issue (SUPERMAN #94), he goes so far as to say that he will
find whatever skeleton is hiding in SupermanÕs closet. My guess?
Drumroll....
Conduit will discover that Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same!
This would be one of the few things I can think of which would give the
creative teams a chance to top some of their ÒbigÓ stories (Death, Funeral,
Reign). Plus, it would give Superman a villain with a seriously dangerous
upper-hand. And then thereÕs the whole issue of what would happen if his
identity was revealed to the world... What do you all think?
The information which follows is reprinted without permission from Diamond
Previews and is in no way meant to serve as a replacement for that magazine.
In fact, I strongly recommend that each reader find his or her own copy for
additional detailed information on the entire DC Universe!
1. List of Titles by Shipping Date:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
Shipping date: Comic title and information:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑ- ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
September 6: Action Comics #0
Michelinie, Guice, & Rodier
PEER PRESSURE: Part 4 (of 4)
$1.50
September 13: The Batman Adventures #25 (Superman, Lex Luthor)
Puckett, Parobeck, & Burchett
48 pgs, $2.50
Superboy #9
K. Kesel, Grummett, & Hazlewood
$1.50
Superman: The Man of Steel #38
L. Simonson, Erwin, & Janke
$1.50
September 20: The Guardians of Metropolis #1 (of 4)
K. Kesel & Dwyer
$1.50
Superman #94
Jurgens & Breeding
$1.50
September 27: Adventures of Superman #517
K. Kesel, Kitson, & McCarthy
$1.50
Steel #9
L. Simonson, Batista, & Faber
$1.50
October 4: Action Comics #704
Michelinie, Guice, & Rodier
$1.50
Aquaman #3 (Superboy)
David, Egeland, & Vancata
$1.50
Metropolis S.C.U. #1 (of 4)
Goff, Krause, & Marzan, Jr.
Covers for series by Dusty Abell & Jackson Guice
$1.50
October 11: Superboy #10
K. Kesel, H. Ramos, & Hazlewood
$1.50
Superman: The Man of Steel #39
L. Simonson, Bogdanove, & Janke
$1.50
October 18: DC Universe Poster (Superman, Steel)
by Alex Ross
22x34, $4.95
The Guardians of Metropolis #2 (of 4)
K. Kesel & Dwyer
$1.50
Superman #95
Jurgens & Breeding
$1.50
October 25: Adventures of Superman #518
K. Kesel, Kitson, & McCarthy
$1.50
Steel #10
L. Simonson, Fosco, & Stegbaur
$1.50
November 1: Action Comics #705
Michelinie, Guice, & Rodier
$1.50
November 8: Metropolis S.C.U. #2 (of 4)
Goff, Krause, & Marzan, Jr.
Cover by Abell & Guice
$1.50
November 15: Superboy #11
E. Berganza, Grummett, & Hazlewood
$1.50
Superman: The Man of Steel #40
L. Simonson, Bogdanove, & Janke
$1.50
November 22: The Guardians of Metropolis #3 (of 4)
K. Kesel, Dwyer, & Manley
$1.50
Superman #96
Jurgens & Breeding
$1.50
November 29: Adventures of Superman #519
K. Kesel, Kitson, & McCarthy
$1.50
Steel #11
L. Simonson, Batista, & Faber
$1.50
Xenobrood #3 (Superman)
Moench, Hunter, & Lowe
$1.50
December 6: Action Comics #706
Michelinie, Guice, & Rodier
$1.50
Anima #10 (Superboy)
Witcover & Hand, Crespo, & Blyberg
$1.50
Guy Gardner: Warrior #27 (Steel, Superman)
Beau Smith, Byrd, & D. Davis
$1.50
Metropolis S.C.U. #3 (of 4)
Goff, Krause, & Marzan Jr.
Cover by Abell & Guice
$1.50
Showcase Ô95 #1 (of 12)
Supergirl story
C. Moore, Immonen, & von Grawbadger
Cover by Grummett & Hazlewood
48 pgs, $2.50
2. Merchandise:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
For more information on how to find these items, consult your local comic
shop dealer.
Superman Vinyl Kit
A detailed vinyl casting of the Man of Steel. Stands 12Ó tall when
fully assembled. Ships unpainted and unassembled in an illustrated
collectors box.
$55.00
Superman Statue
Sculpted by Randy Bowen, based on preliminary sketches by Dan
Jurgens. Made of cold-cast porcelain, individually painted,
and comes with a snap-on plastic cape. Limited quantities.
$150.00
Lois and Clark TV Poster
From CollectorÕs Warehouse
A full-color, 24Ó x 36Ó poster of TVÕs Lois and Clark.
$10.00
Superman: Leap T-Shirt
From CollectorÕs Warehouse
Heather grey shirt featuring an image of the classic Fleischer
animated Superman, along with the famous saying: ÒFASTER than a
Speeding Bullet, More POWERFUL than a Locomotive, able to LEAP
Tall Buildings in a Single Bound.Ó
M-XL, $17.95
DC Comics Metal Signs
From Tin Signs International
Four-color embossed metal signs reproducing classic cover images.
All measure approximately 11Ó x 8Ó, and feature gold lacquered
beveled edges, heavy chipboard backing, plus easel backs and
hanging cords. Choose from ACTION COMICS #1, ACTION COMICS #41,
SUPERMAN #1, or SUPERMAN #15. (All Golden Age issues Ñ Batman
and Detective Comics covers available as well.)
$14.95 each
THE DEATH AND LIFE OF SUPERMAN Paperback
Roger SternÕs novelization of the issues which covered SupesÕ
death at the hands of Doomsday, his rebirth, and the ÒReign of
the SupermenÓ now available in paperback form.
544 pgs, $5.99
3. Spoilers:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑ
November 15:
ÑÑÑÑÑ-
Superboy #11
After killing a Superboy impersonator, the Silicon Dragons send
Techno to take on the real thing. TechnoÕs mastery of virtual
reality may prove the KidÕs undoing when Superboy is manipulated
into attacking the Hawaiian police.
Superman: The Man of Steel #40
Following the revelation of which villain is responsible for the
body in SupermanÕs tomb, Metropolis seems to come under seige Ñ
swarming with bizarre, unfathomable beasts! The Man of Steel
stands a chance of either saving his city from the onslaught...or
going mad!
November 22:
ÑÑÑÑÑ-
The Guardians of Metropolis #3 (of 4)
Seeking to reclaim one of their own, DarkseidÕs Female Furies storm
MetropolisÕ police headquarters. Meanwhile, the Newsboys tell of
GuardianÕs World War Two run-in with the forces of Apokolips.
Superman #96
Superman fights to break free of a diabolical battlefield within a
virtual reality, struggling in a last-ditch effort to prove that
heÕs NOT...STILL...DEAD!
November 29:
ÑÑÑÑÑ-
Adventures of Superman #519
The truth behind the dead body inside the Man of SteelÕs tomb is
finally revealed, and the one, true Superman rises again Ñ to do
battle with the madman behind his recent tortures!
Steel #11
Doubting his armorÕs stability, Steel is drawn into battle against
an alien invasion. Maxima and Green Lantern guest-star as Steel
takes off into outer space for the first time.
Xenobrood #3
Superman makes a special appearance as the aliens who have been
after the Xenobrood create a new super-powered team to defeat the
heroes. This ÒBestiaryÓ succeeds in trapping the ÔBrood in a
cave-in, and the timely arrival of the Man of Steel may not turn
out to be the rescue it appears.
December 6:
ÑÑÑÑÑ
Action Comics #706
Coinciding with her starring role in SHOWCASE Ô95 #1, Supergirl
takes center stage as she, Clark Kent, and Perry White visit KentÕs
hometown of Smallville. Special Bonus: No one dies in this issue!
Anima #10
Superboy guest-stars as Anima returns from the Arkana for a battle
with the Nameless OneÕs hordes in Hawaii, alongside the islandsÕ
resident teenage hero. But Superboy isnÕt quite himself...and the
Nameless One is amok in Hollywood.
Guy Gardner: Warrior #27
CAPITOL PUNISHMENT: Part 1 (of 3)
Guy Gardner teams with John Henry Irons when Warrior arrives in
Washington, D.C. to rescue his brother from the Quorum. But the
mysterious organization has activated Sledge, a super-soldier from
the past with orders to kill. And if that doesnÕt stop the duo,
the Quorum has a deadly ace up its sleeve Ñ saved up for what
will be a _very_ shocking ending! Plus, Superman makes a cameo
appearance as Warrior asks the Man of Steel for help in coping
with his new alien heritage and powers that may be going out of
control. The story continues in GUY GARDNER: WARRIOR #28, and
concludes in GREEN LANTERN #60.
Metropolis S.C.U. #3 (of 4)
As Superman heads into space to stop the satellites that have been
blowing up oil platforms, Maggie Sawyer and her Special Crimes Unit
race to locate the eco-terrorist behind it all. Plus, Maggie tries
to cope with TobieÕs departure.
Showcase Ô95 #1 (of 12)
SHOWCASE launches its third annual run, this time spotlighting
characters from the Superman Family of titles in the lead story
of each issue! This issue: Supergirl encounters Lord Dichon, a
fugitive entity from another world with plans to dominate the Earth.
But to do that, Dichon needs a host body...and Supergirl is JUST
what the doctor ordered in a story by Charles Moore, Stuart Immonen,
and Wade von Grawbadger! The remaining two stories feature Argus
and Alan Scott. [Ed. Note: I wonÕt be giving the info about the
non-Super stories for each issue.]
=========================================================
LETTERS
ÑÑÑ-
First, Mike McKean provided me with the information that the ÒSuperman
Red and Superman BlueÓ story which placed in last monthÕs survey appeared
in Superman #162. He also wrote:
ÒSuperman Death StoryÓ by Alan Moore: IÕm almost certain the respondents were
referring to ÒWhatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?Ó I can recall only
two other Superman stories by Alan Moore: ÒFor the Man Who Has Everything,Ó
which made the list of favorite stories, and DC COMICS PRESENTS #eighty-
something, which co-stars Swamp Thing. Superman is feverish in this story
and may seem on the verge of death, so it is possible that ÒSuperman Death
StoryÓ refers to this story. But I doubt it. Anyway, IÕd also reccomend the
DCCP story to anyone who hasnÕt read it.
Also, I think Alan Moore is not a favorite for writing another Superman
story because, for many of us, he has already written the best one out there.
I find it hard to see how he could top himself, and IÕd just as soon not see
him try. In any event, his story was a fitting capstone to the saga of the
Earth-1 Superman. The current version of Superman doesnÕt need a story like
that Ñ at least not yet. If DC ever decides to reboot Superman again, they
might consider inviting Alan to perform the final services for the Byrne
Superman.
Mike McKean
**********
My responses below are indicated by indentation and beginning with ***.
**********
From: Curtis Herink (herink_cd@mercer.peachnet.edu)
Here are my comments on issue 4 of the Kryptonian Cybernet. It was, as
usual, another wonderful job. Everything thatÕs included seems
appropriate, maybe even a necessary part of such a journal. (Well,
maybe with the possible exception of the wordsearch puzzle. I donÕt
object, itÕs just not my cup of tea. OTOH, if you could find someone
to construct a good crossword puzzle with a Superman theme, I would
be much more interested.) My two favorite features are JUST THE FAQs and
the S.C.U. Files, so I was mildly disappointed that the latter didnÕt
appear this time. IÕm not sure why I like these so much because, in
theory, they are just telling me, someone whoÕs been reading the
SUPERMAN titles for over thirty years, things I already know. But itÕs
nice to have all those facts brought together in one place. In addition,
I am impressed with the research that goes into creating these.
*** If someone out there was to come up with a good crossword puzzle, then
I would *find* a way to print it!
I suppose that by the time you have read this statement, you have
overcome the disappointment from the last issue. Seeing the return
of the S.C.U. Files was a welcome sight, no? And I must agree with
you, the amount of research that must be done on these columns is
staggering. DavidÕs and ChrisÕs hard work is very much appreciated!
As to the reviews, IÕm glad they are there because it lets me know how
someone else is reacting to these stories. For the same reason, I am
very interested in the ratings panel reports. Too bad they were omitted
this time, but at least they will be back soon. I would like to see less
space devoted to plot summaries of the current issues and more to why
the reviewer liked or did not like the issue. For those who are already
reading a title, summaries are not important. For those who are not, I
think reasons why the title is a good read, when that is the case, would
be more likely to convince them to try it out. In Retro-Reviews, of
course, the plot synopsis is more appropriate. And let me encourage you
to run more reviews of older issues, the older the better.
*** I really like the ratings panels ideas myself, but the fact of the
matter is this. Until this issue, weÕve had a bit of a problem
finding enough people to participate. As you have no doubt seen
by now, that problem seems to have been remedied! Actually, I
wouldnÕt mind seeing more comments about what was good and bad about
each issue, but there are several readers of the magazine who keep
up with the comics (for some reason or another) only through the
summaries in the reviews.
With all of the volumes of material out there, I think that we could
see several more pre-Byrne reviews. Currently, we are printing only
one or two per month, because only one or two people are submitting.
IÕd love to see some of the long-time fans contribute in this area.
In particular, since I just missed the story (I started reading with the
ÒByrneingÓ), IÕd love to see a review of Alan MooreÕs ÒWhatever Happened
to the Man of Tomorrow.Ó
Finally, some comments on a couple of the letters: Kermit Rose is on
the right track when he mentions two pages missing from the ACTION #1
story. My copy of the _Overstreet Price Guide_ mentions that there were
indeed two pages omitted in ACTION #1 but restored when the story was
reprinted in SUPERMAN #1. If I can dig out my copy of THE SUPERMAN
ARCHIVES, I will compare whatÕs there with my copy of ACTION #1 Ñ itÕs
only a facsimile reprint, donÕt get too excited. Steve Kaplan recalled
an audio story from a record collection of ÒThe Superboy AdventuresÓ.
Well, I recall *reading* that same story in a comic book, most likely
an issue of SUPERBOY published sometime in the Ô60s. My guess would be
that DC authorized the adaptation of several of its comic stories for
the record collection.
Keep up the good work.
**********
From: wcrupe@tiber.nist.gov
Jeff, I received my first issue and am quite pleased with the work
that you and the others put into it.
I am awaiting the ability to post to newsgroups (right now I just
eavesdrop), but a couple of things are an my mind that maybe could
be answered or addressed in KCN.
The first is how did Superman know about the meeting between
Starro and the JLA as told in Brave & Bold #28? Unless I am
missing something (IÕve only been back since Death of...)
then this could not have been the Byrne Superman.
*** What about it readers? From what I understand, some of the
pre-Crisis stories, particularly some of the early JLA tales,
are still canon as far as Superman is concerned. But IÕm
certainly no authority on DC continuity. (Is anybody? :)
IMHO, there was originally a bigger role for Superman in the Zero
Hour stories. Then someone told Dan Jurgens to Òthrow in the Hal.Ó
I thought there was already set up for Zero Hour as far back as the
battle in Engine City between the Cyborg and Clark. When asked
why he hated Superman so much, Henshaw replied that Kal had killed
his wife after the Excalibur fiasco. I remember Superman thinking
that somehow Henshaw had ÒrewrittenÓ history.
Too bad. Superman had no real role in Zero Hour except as a punching
bag to show how powerful Parallax was (since he was filled with chronal
energy and all.)
*** I donÕt know about this. Superman was mostly in charge. The heroes
gathered at his request, and he led the fighting forces. As to Hal,
Dan Jurgens has stated that Hal was not originally planned to be the
Zero Hour villain Ñ all indications point to Monarch/Extant. Then
Emerald Twilight happened, and ... well .. the rest is history.
Anyway, thanks for your time as well as that of the others. When I feel
more comfortable with my knowledge and the KCN format I may drop in an
article or two.
*** WeÕre always looking for good writing!
Bill wcrupe@tiber.nist.gov
=========================================================
RESOURCES
ÑÑÑÑ-
This section of the magazine supplies information concerning how to obtain
Superman files via different Internet resources such as ftp, e-mail, and WWW.
The first section lists known files available at different ftp sites and via
the WWW. The second provides information on subscribing to Superman-related
mailing lists. The third section gives a brief tutorial in how to use ftp
and, for those of you whose systems doesnÕt support ftp (AOL and CompuServe,
for example), how you may obtain ftp files via e-mail.
For those of you reading this via the Usenet or a bulletin board service,
THE KRYPTONIAN CYBERNET is available through e-mail direct to your mailbox!
To join the growing list of subscribers (now 270+ readers!), drop me a note
by e-mail at
sykes@ms.uky.edu
with a subject of
KC:SUBSCRIBE
and include the e-mail address to which you would like the issues mailed
in the body of the message.
New: Back issues by ftp
Needed: If you know of any other Superman-related Internet resources,
please let me know. I would also like to find one site at which
we could archive all of the files below as well as past issues of KC.
1. Files Available:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
Back Issues of KC
Back issues of KC are available for ftp retrieval. Files are stored
as KC.Month.YR, where Month is the publication month, WITH the first
letter capitalized, and YR is the (2-digit) year. For example, the
first issue (May 1994) is stored as KC.May.94. There is also a file
titled KC.All.94.zip which contains every issue so far in a zipped
archive.
Site: phoenix.creighton.edu Directory: /pub/zines/kc
ftp.dhhalden.no /pub/Comics/Fanzines
The files are also available via gopher at both sites:
IÕm also in the process of placing the issues into the Science Fiction/
Comics Library in America OnLine, and I understand that they are also
being uploaded to CompuServe. I would appreciate specific information
on this for the CompuServe readers.
Superman.FAQ
The latest version of David T. ChappellÕs Superman FAQ.
Site: ftp.dhhalden.no Directory: /pub/Comics/FAQ
ftp.catt.ncsu.edu /pub/misc
Superman.ComicList
The latest version of David T. ChappellÕs Superman Stories List.
Site: ftp.catt.ncsu.edu Directory: /pub/misc
LC.* (About 12 files)
Jeffery D. SykesÕ Lois & Clark episode guide and summaries.
Site: ftp.dhhalden.no Directory: /pub/Comics/Film_and_TV
Superman_in_Songs_Index.txt
A list of Superman references in popular music.
Site: ftp.dhhalden.no Directory: /pub/Comics/Reference
In addition, there are the following gif and jpg files available:
Site: ftp.hyperion.com Directory: /pub/TV/Lois-and-Clark
Files: There are now more than 40 files at this site. See
the information below on using the ÒlsÓ command to get a
list of these pictures.
Site: ftp.catt.ncsu.edu Directory: /pub/graphics/images/comics
Files: Action_Comics644.gif, Adventures_of_Superman431.gif,
Super_Cyborg.gif, Superman.jpg, Superman18.gif,
Superman60.gif, Superman9.gif
Mosaic users can access the catt and dhhalden sites via the following WWW
pages: ftp://ftp.catt.ncsu.edu/pub/misc and ftp://ftp.dhhalden.no/pub/Comics.
2. Mailing Lists:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
Lois And Clark Discussion List:
This list is dedicated to the new television show _Lois and Clark: The New
Adventures of Superman_, starring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher. To subscribe,
send a message to LISTSERV@TREARN.BITNET with no subject and a body of
SUB LOISCLA <your name>
I donÕt think it matters whether you place your name or your address in the
<your name> field. I subscribed with my address there, but IÕm certain others
must have used their user names/nicknames/real names/etc.
Comics-L Mailing List:
This is a discussion list of comics in general. It doesnÕt have much on
Superman, but occasionally there is something there. It is a digest type
of mailing list, so you only receive mail from it a few times a week.
To subscribe, send a message to LISTSERV@UNLVM.UNL.EDU or to
LISTSERV@UNLVM.BITNET with no subject and the message:
sub COMICS-L <Your Name>
With this one, they actually want a name and not an address.
3. Basics of ftp and ftp via e-mail:
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ
FTP
Ñ-
The following easy steps will allow you to obtain any of the files listed
above. First determine the site at which the file is located. Type into
your terminal:
ftp <site name>
This will log you into the ftp system. At the login prompt, enter
ÒanonymousÓ and for your password enter your e-mail address. Then determine
the directory in which the file is located. Type:
cd <directory>
This will place you in the correct directory. To list the files available
in the current directory, use the ÒlsÓ command. There may be more files
than can fit on the screen at once. IÕm sorry, but I really donÕt know
what to do about this. Any help?
Finally, to obtain a given file in the current directory, type
get <filename>
If you want files in another directory, start over with the ÒcdÓ command.
If you want to transfer to another site, type ÒquitÓ and then start over
from the beginning. Alternately, you may use the ÒcloseÓ command to exit
the current site. Then you can type
open <site name>
to move into a new site. The remaining steps are the same as above. The
only advantage to this is that you do not exit the ftp shell.
If you want more information about ftp, search your system manuals or
contact your sysadmin.
FTP BY E-MAIL
ÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
If your system does not support ftp, you may still obtain these files via
e-mail. Select the files that you wish to obtain and note their directories.
You will need to repeat the following procedure for each directory in each
site.
E-Mail a message to either ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com or
ftpmail@sunsite.unc.edu with the body of the message consisting only
of the commands between the lines of dashes below.
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
connect <site name>
chdir <directory>
get <file1>
get <file2>
.
.
ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-
Do not include the lines of dashes, and do not include anything else
in the body of the message. You may use as many ÒgetÓ commands as
is necessary, but all files you get must be within the directory
specified by the ÒchdirÓ command.
You will receive a message telling you that your request has been queued.
Then, about a day later, you will receive the files themselves. Each file
will be contained in its own mail message.
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End of Issue #5
