Doomsday Is Coming!
This month's books were some of the hardest to find in my collection. These issues couldn't be found in 50-cent bins like a lot of the others, I had to shop around, place bids in online auctions, and in the end spend about $60 to acquire them. All because of a single, 1-page cameo in each book. Notable as the first appearances of a new villain to be named Doomsday (or rather, his hand) these issues are never really talked about
Doomsday Is Coming!
Last issue the orphan Keith followed a strange woman into the sewer believing it was his mother, but it turns out to be a monster who just wanted to eat his cat. The sewers are becoming filled with strange creatures, but it's not certain if these are more refugees from Warworld or escapees from Cadmus. They seem to be recruiting and stockpiling weapons, so Superman follows the tunnels left by the giant worm a few issues ago and rescues Keith. At the story's end, however, a panhandler that Lois has befriended has disappeared and it turns out has been recruited by the monsters of the Underworld.
On the last page: somewhere else, we see a gloved hand repeatedly banging against a metal wall. Doomsday is coming!
This was the very last book I acquired in my complete post-Crisis Superman collection. Almost poetically, some of the issues in the following months were among the first comic books I ever bought.
Doomsday Is Coming!
Liri Lee of the Linear Men materializes in front of Superman and Booster Gold outside the JLA complex in New York. The Linear Men are looking for Waverider, who happens to be the only person in time that they're unable to observe, but they have reason to believe he will soon cross paths with Superman.
That night, Lois and Clark have a double date with Pete Ross and Lana Lang, the first time they've seen each other since since their trouble with the Sons of Liberty. Suddenly, an elderly man at the next table has a heart attack and time stops for everyone except Clark Kent. Waverider appears and watches his own grandfather dying while his younger self, Mathew Ryder, helplessly watches. Unable to bear it, Waverider goes back to Vanishing Point and brings Superman with him. Waverider seems to be losing his mind and attacks the Linear Men, killing the other Matthew Ryder who is Liri's husband. This creates a paradox that traps everyone there in a null sphere with seemingly no escape. But Waverider figues out how to free them by going back and moving his other self out of the way before his death. This upsets Rip Hunter since changing the past is forbidden to the Linear Men, but the other Matthew Ryder decides to let Waverider join them anyway. Then they send Clark Kent back to the moment he was taken from and nothing changes.
Somewhere else again, we see Doomsday's hand continuing to beat against the metal container. The more he beats, spikes start to form on the end of his knuckles. From the other side of the wall, we start to see holes forming.
Normally the ads are all the same every week of the same month, but this month is different. Starting this issue there's a "Doomsday is coming" ad showing the mysterious new villain's silhouette in front of a Superman "S" dripping blood. In all 4 issues this month, there's also memorium to Superman co-creator Joe Shuster, who had just recently died.
Doomsday Is Coming!
Mr. Mxyzptlk returns to cause mayhem, but now that Lex Luthor had taught him to lie he can't be trusted to play by his own rules. In his magically-altered world, he turns Lex Luthor II back into his original self, but Superman doesn't figure out it's because they're really the same person. Superman figures out the only way to beat Mxyzptlk is to set his own rules for the game, and and his terms are that the imp will have to go back to the 5th dimension if he can catch him in a lie. Mxyzptlk puts the life of Lex Luthor on the line, but Superman is able to outwit the imp when he splits into three and Superman figures out which of the two are lying and which one is telling the truth. Mxyzptlk leaves and everything, including Lex Luthor II, return to normal.
Back to somewhere else, Doomsday's spikes are starting to break through the wall.
Doomsday Is Coming!
A mysterious metahuman resembling a werewolf is responsible for a series of murders. Unable to find the killer on his own, Superman visits Robin in the Batcave, who's happy to help the Man of Steel with his detective and computer skills. It turns out this new villain who calls himself the Jackal sees himself as a hero, fighting drug smugglers and other criminals but crossing the line by killing them all. Superman subdues the Jackal and shows that his own methods are superior by not only getting one of the criminals to call the police, but also to willingly turn himself in.
The Jackal seems like an indirect criticism of Marvel's popular anti-hero, Wolverine, who has similar feral powers and commonly kills his enemies with no regret. The 90's were about to explode with morally ambiguous anti-heroes using questionable tactics (even in the Superman books), but Superman himself would continue to take the high road. On the last page, Doomsday's fist shatters through the wall.
Next month is the much anticipating coming of Doomsday, and the beginning of the most important event in Superman history since his first appearance.
Superman: The Man of Steel #17
Last issue the orphan Keith followed a strange woman into the sewer believing it was his mother, but it turns out to be a monster who just wanted to eat his cat. The sewers are becoming filled with strange creatures, but it's not certain if these are more refugees from Warworld or escapees from Cadmus. They seem to be recruiting and stockpiling weapons, so Superman follows the tunnels left by the giant worm a few issues ago and rescues Keith. At the story's end, however, a panhandler that Lois has befriended has disappeared and it turns out has been recruited by the monsters of the Underworld.
On the last page: somewhere else, we see a gloved hand repeatedly banging against a metal wall. Doomsday is coming!
This was the very last book I acquired in my complete post-Crisis Superman collection. Almost poetically, some of the issues in the following months were among the first comic books I ever bought.
Superman #73
Liri Lee of the Linear Men materializes in front of Superman and Booster Gold outside the JLA complex in New York. The Linear Men are looking for Waverider, who happens to be the only person in time that they're unable to observe, but they have reason to believe he will soon cross paths with Superman.
That night, Lois and Clark have a double date with Pete Ross and Lana Lang, the first time they've seen each other since since their trouble with the Sons of Liberty. Suddenly, an elderly man at the next table has a heart attack and time stops for everyone except Clark Kent. Waverider appears and watches his own grandfather dying while his younger self, Mathew Ryder, helplessly watches. Unable to bear it, Waverider goes back to Vanishing Point and brings Superman with him. Waverider seems to be losing his mind and attacks the Linear Men, killing the other Matthew Ryder who is Liri's husband. This creates a paradox that traps everyone there in a null sphere with seemingly no escape. But Waverider figues out how to free them by going back and moving his other self out of the way before his death. This upsets Rip Hunter since changing the past is forbidden to the Linear Men, but the other Matthew Ryder decides to let Waverider join them anyway. Then they send Clark Kent back to the moment he was taken from and nothing changes.
Somewhere else again, we see Doomsday's hand continuing to beat against the metal container. The more he beats, spikes start to form on the end of his knuckles. From the other side of the wall, we start to see holes forming.
Normally the ads are all the same every week of the same month, but this month is different. Starting this issue there's a "Doomsday is coming" ad showing the mysterious new villain's silhouette in front of a Superman "S" dripping blood. In all 4 issues this month, there's also memorium to Superman co-creator Joe Shuster, who had just recently died.
Adventures of Superman #496
Mr. Mxyzptlk returns to cause mayhem, but now that Lex Luthor had taught him to lie he can't be trusted to play by his own rules. In his magically-altered world, he turns Lex Luthor II back into his original self, but Superman doesn't figure out it's because they're really the same person. Superman figures out the only way to beat Mxyzptlk is to set his own rules for the game, and and his terms are that the imp will have to go back to the 5th dimension if he can catch him in a lie. Mxyzptlk puts the life of Lex Luthor on the line, but Superman is able to outwit the imp when he splits into three and Superman figures out which of the two are lying and which one is telling the truth. Mxyzptlk leaves and everything, including Lex Luthor II, return to normal.
Back to somewhere else, Doomsday's spikes are starting to break through the wall.
Action Comics #683
A mysterious metahuman resembling a werewolf is responsible for a series of murders. Unable to find the killer on his own, Superman visits Robin in the Batcave, who's happy to help the Man of Steel with his detective and computer skills. It turns out this new villain who calls himself the Jackal sees himself as a hero, fighting drug smugglers and other criminals but crossing the line by killing them all. Superman subdues the Jackal and shows that his own methods are superior by not only getting one of the criminals to call the police, but also to willingly turn himself in.
The Jackal seems like an indirect criticism of Marvel's popular anti-hero, Wolverine, who has similar feral powers and commonly kills his enemies with no regret. The 90's were about to explode with morally ambiguous anti-heroes using questionable tactics (even in the Superman books), but Superman himself would continue to take the high road. On the last page, Doomsday's fist shatters through the wall.
Next month is the much anticipating coming of Doomsday, and the beginning of the most important event in Superman history since his first appearance.
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