Superman in the Hands of an Angry God
The Superman books have their first post-Crisis crossover with Legends. Today's publishing schedules would never have allowed for a tie-in interruption in the first 3 issues of a new series.
Legends was DC's first line-wide event since Crisis on Infinite Earths, and was intended to set a new direction for the DC universe. Where Crisis had ended many of DC's longest-running series, Legends re-launched them and also gave multiverse refugees like Blue Beetle and Captain Marvel a new place in the world. While Crisis was world-shattering, most of the action of Legends is grounded on Earth. The villain Darkseid and the Phantom Stranger make a cosmic wager similar to Satan and God in the book of Job. Darkseid sends his minion Glorious Godfrey to try to turn humanity against its heroes, resulting in President Reagan banning all superhero activity by a draconian executive order. While chaos ensues, most of the remaining Justice League is killed, a new Suicide Squad is born, and Superman has his first adventure on Darkseid's hellish planet, Apokolips.
Legends chapter 17
Superman meets Darkseid again for the first time. Although Darkseid had first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 (1970) and had even made several appearances in Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane, he had strangely never appeared in the main Superman books until now. Legends would be responsible for positioning Darkseid as a major villain in the post-Crisis DC universe, and particularly a Superman villain. Before this, he hadn't really been seen much outside of Jack Kirby's original Fourth World epic in the 70's. The New Gods had been featured in one of the many crises in Justice League of America, and one of his greatest non-Kirby stories was set in the future against the Legion of Super-heroes, the Great Darkness Saga. Darkseid wasn't even a major player in Crisis on Infinite Earths, choosing to hide himself and his planet Apokolips from the Anti-Monitor, and only engaging remotely in the final issue. The footnotes in these issues reference The Hunger Dogs graphic novel a few times, Jack Kirby's mostly forgotten conclusion to his previously unfinished Fourth World saga, published in 1985.
The story opens with Darkseid using his Omega beam to summon Superman to Apokolips, but he is surprised to be greeted by Clark Kent instead. Deciding to conceal his secret identity, Superman allows Darkseid to cast Clark Kent aside. Superman tries to survive on the hostile planet, but ultimately falls into one of its many fire pits.
Legends chapter 18
An unharmed Superman is pulled out of the fire pits and becomes a symbol of hope for the Hunger Dogs rebelling against their dictator. Superman dons his first (but not last) gladiator costume of the era and becomes their Savior. Unfortunately, the Savior betrays them and is revealed to be under the mind control of another resident of Apokolips working for Darkseid, Amazing Grace.
Darkseid sends the brainwashed Superman to fight his son, Orion, and Lightray. The two successfully restore Superman's mind and a defeated Darkseid transports Superman back home to Earth.
Legends chapter 20 would continue in Cosmic Boy #4, a mini-series that also laid groundwork for Superman's Legion of Super-heroes crossover in a few months which would try and resolve some unintended damage to the Legion's origin caused by Crisis.
Superman's Legends tie-ins are unique because he's the only hero in the entire saga who actually goes to Apokolips and fights Darkseid. If you had only read these three issues your perception of Legends would be very off. Although Lois Lane interviews Glorious Godfrey for a couple pages and the Phantom Stranger appears briefly on Apokolips in the first issue, this is a mostly unrelated New Gods story. In reality, Legends was more of a political drama, seeding ideas questioning the need for superheroes that would later influence stories like Marvel's Civil War. But Legends was the product of a more innocent time, before right-wing talk radio and Fox News really could make presidents act like comic book villains in real life.
Legends was DC's first line-wide event since Crisis on Infinite Earths, and was intended to set a new direction for the DC universe. Where Crisis had ended many of DC's longest-running series, Legends re-launched them and also gave multiverse refugees like Blue Beetle and Captain Marvel a new place in the world. While Crisis was world-shattering, most of the action of Legends is grounded on Earth. The villain Darkseid and the Phantom Stranger make a cosmic wager similar to Satan and God in the book of Job. Darkseid sends his minion Glorious Godfrey to try to turn humanity against its heroes, resulting in President Reagan banning all superhero activity by a draconian executive order. While chaos ensues, most of the remaining Justice League is killed, a new Suicide Squad is born, and Superman has his first adventure on Darkseid's hellish planet, Apokolips.
Superman #3
Superman meets Darkseid again for the first time. Although Darkseid had first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 (1970) and had even made several appearances in Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane, he had strangely never appeared in the main Superman books until now. Legends would be responsible for positioning Darkseid as a major villain in the post-Crisis DC universe, and particularly a Superman villain. Before this, he hadn't really been seen much outside of Jack Kirby's original Fourth World epic in the 70's. The New Gods had been featured in one of the many crises in Justice League of America, and one of his greatest non-Kirby stories was set in the future against the Legion of Super-heroes, the Great Darkness Saga. Darkseid wasn't even a major player in Crisis on Infinite Earths, choosing to hide himself and his planet Apokolips from the Anti-Monitor, and only engaging remotely in the final issue. The footnotes in these issues reference The Hunger Dogs graphic novel a few times, Jack Kirby's mostly forgotten conclusion to his previously unfinished Fourth World saga, published in 1985.
The story opens with Darkseid using his Omega beam to summon Superman to Apokolips, but he is surprised to be greeted by Clark Kent instead. Deciding to conceal his secret identity, Superman allows Darkseid to cast Clark Kent aside. Superman tries to survive on the hostile planet, but ultimately falls into one of its many fire pits.
Adventures of Superman #426
An unharmed Superman is pulled out of the fire pits and becomes a symbol of hope for the Hunger Dogs rebelling against their dictator. Superman dons his first (but not last) gladiator costume of the era and becomes their Savior. Unfortunately, the Savior betrays them and is revealed to be under the mind control of another resident of Apokolips working for Darkseid, Amazing Grace.
Action Comics #586
Legends chapter 19Darkseid sends the brainwashed Superman to fight his son, Orion, and Lightray. The two successfully restore Superman's mind and a defeated Darkseid transports Superman back home to Earth.
Legends chapter 20 would continue in Cosmic Boy #4, a mini-series that also laid groundwork for Superman's Legion of Super-heroes crossover in a few months which would try and resolve some unintended damage to the Legion's origin caused by Crisis.
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