World Without a Superman
Superman's funeral continues, and so does the fight over his body. The villainy in the background is fantastic, but the emotions felt by the supporting cast resonate on a level of realism not often seen in comics. Some of the imagery here is practically Biblical, such as women walking into empty tombs. But when Superman is written correctly, none of this overshadows or detracts from the human story.
Funeral for a Friend part 3
Of all people, Lex Luthor II arranges the funeral for the Man of Steel. Aside from national and world leaders, the only other figure to get an invite is Daily Planet editor Perry White. Perry asks Lois Lane if she wants to go in his place, but she declines. Lois wants to call Clark's parents, but crippled by grief she stares at the phone. She goes to the roof and looks down at the rainy city from the Daily Planet sign where she used to rendezvous with Superman, but she reasons to herself that the Man of Steel is going to come back and meet her again.
Superman's casket gets a grand horse-drawn procession through Metropolis followed by the Justice League and a host of DC heroes who were prominent at the time. Batman doesn't appear in public with the others, but he does discretely stop a terrorist about to detonate a bomb among the crowd. So many mourners try to force their way into Centennial Park that the Justice League has to control the mob before it turns into a riot. Then-president Bill Clinton and Hillary make a cameo to say a few words. Wonder Woman and Green Lantern seal the lid on the stone sarcophagus that encases Superman coffin inside the tomb.
In Smallville, the Kents watch the spectacle that their son's funeral has become and decide to shut off the TV and mourn in their own way. In the now-empty field where Kal El first crashed, they bury a box of memories, including Ma Kent's scrapbook. In passing, Jonathan Kent complains about stomach pain. Lois finally decides to call the Kents and they tell her they're coming to Metropolis.
In deep space, Lobo gets word that the last Kryptonian has died, and he reacts in anger that he didn't get to kill Superman himself, similar to how Lex Luthor II reacted last month. Bibbo bumps into a street merchant shamelessly selling Superman death t-shirts and issues of the Daily Planet bagged with a Superman armband (just like Superman #75); instead of starting a fight, he has pity on the man and buys all his merchandise.
Funeral for a Friend part 4
After the burial, the Justice League carries on Superman's Christmas Eve tradition by answering some of the Man of Steel's mail. The mother of Mitch (the troubled teenager whose family Superman saved from Doomsday) wrote Superman a thank you letter the day he died. Feeling guilty for his death, Mitch has taken a bus to Metropolis to find Superman's loved ones to apologize. He goes to a press conference by a scam artist who claims to have been Superman's secret wife, but then Jimmy Olsen finds him offers him a meal with his friend Bibbo. Jimmy and Bibbo convince Mitch that it wasn't his fault Superman died and generous Bibbo gives him some money to get back home. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman finds Mitch's father who hasn't spoken to his wife since he left, and she reunites the family as the Flash and Green Lantern rebuild their house.
Lois Lane goes to Clark's empty apartment for the first time since his death. She tries to keep from crying as she passes the doorman and takes the elevator upstairs, but she breaks down when she gets inside the apartment. Just then, the Kents arrive and she has somebody she can finally talk to. Unexpectedly, Lana Lang shows up too, to help them grieve and get Clark's things in order. With all of Clark's confidantes together now, they agree to keep his identity secret for the rest of their lives, knowing that people will still be trying to uncover it.
Jimmy and Mitch go to Superman's tomb as the rain starts to turn to snow, and Superman's family shows up shortly after. Jimmy thinks he hears a sound like drilling, and on the last page we see Cadmus has broken into the tomb from underground and stolen Superman's body!
This was the first Superman comic I ever read. Over 25 years later, it hasn't lost any of its emotional impact. Superman's supporting cast, especially Lois Lane, is more than capable of carrying the book without him in it.
Funeral for a Friend part 5
Lex Luthor II wakes up to an alarm and sends Supergirl to investigate a break-in at the scene of the crime, the tomb of Superman. Inside, she finds the coffin is gone and hole has been drilled in from the outside. She follows the tunnel and finds the hideout of the creatures of the underworld.
Jose Delgado breaks up with Cat and goes to Superman's memorial where he decides to become Gangbuster again.
Inspector Henderson and Dan Turpin arrive to investigate a sighting of Supergirl entering the tomb. Turpin follows the tunnel and finds his way to the underworld, where Supergirl rescues him. Though they return empty handed, Maggie Sawyer suspects Cadmus is behind the grave robbing.
Funeral for a Friend part 6
The Guardian fights crime in the streets of Metropolis, but Dubbilex telepathically calls him back to Cadmus to help with some urgent trouble. At Cadmus, they force open the sealed lab door and find Director Westfield inside with Superman's body on operating table. The Guardian is furious, but Westfield successfully persuades them to let him continue the experiment in the chance that the project could clone a new Man of Steel.
Supergirl leads Lex Luthor II and his crew through the tunnels below Metropolis, but Cadmus had left explosives behind to literally bury their tracks. Back at the surface, Luthor and the SCU each come to the conclusion that Cadmus was behind the break-in but don't want to let each other know that they know.
At Clark's apartment, Lois watches on the news as more Doomsday survivors and dead bodies are discovered daily. The anchorman lists some famous missing persons, including Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent. Lois anguishes knowing the others could still be found but Clark is dead and the two of them will never be married. Lois takes Lana and the Kents to the airport, and the two women who loved Superman have a tearful goodbye.
Next: The End.
Superman: The Man of Steel #20
Of all people, Lex Luthor II arranges the funeral for the Man of Steel. Aside from national and world leaders, the only other figure to get an invite is Daily Planet editor Perry White. Perry asks Lois Lane if she wants to go in his place, but she declines. Lois wants to call Clark's parents, but crippled by grief she stares at the phone. She goes to the roof and looks down at the rainy city from the Daily Planet sign where she used to rendezvous with Superman, but she reasons to herself that the Man of Steel is going to come back and meet her again.
Superman's casket gets a grand horse-drawn procession through Metropolis followed by the Justice League and a host of DC heroes who were prominent at the time. Batman doesn't appear in public with the others, but he does discretely stop a terrorist about to detonate a bomb among the crowd. So many mourners try to force their way into Centennial Park that the Justice League has to control the mob before it turns into a riot. Then-president Bill Clinton and Hillary make a cameo to say a few words. Wonder Woman and Green Lantern seal the lid on the stone sarcophagus that encases Superman coffin inside the tomb.
In Smallville, the Kents watch the spectacle that their son's funeral has become and decide to shut off the TV and mourn in their own way. In the now-empty field where Kal El first crashed, they bury a box of memories, including Ma Kent's scrapbook. In passing, Jonathan Kent complains about stomach pain. Lois finally decides to call the Kents and they tell her they're coming to Metropolis.
In deep space, Lobo gets word that the last Kryptonian has died, and he reacts in anger that he didn't get to kill Superman himself, similar to how Lex Luthor II reacted last month. Bibbo bumps into a street merchant shamelessly selling Superman death t-shirts and issues of the Daily Planet bagged with a Superman armband (just like Superman #75); instead of starting a fight, he has pity on the man and buys all his merchandise.
Superman #76
After the burial, the Justice League carries on Superman's Christmas Eve tradition by answering some of the Man of Steel's mail. The mother of Mitch (the troubled teenager whose family Superman saved from Doomsday) wrote Superman a thank you letter the day he died. Feeling guilty for his death, Mitch has taken a bus to Metropolis to find Superman's loved ones to apologize. He goes to a press conference by a scam artist who claims to have been Superman's secret wife, but then Jimmy Olsen finds him offers him a meal with his friend Bibbo. Jimmy and Bibbo convince Mitch that it wasn't his fault Superman died and generous Bibbo gives him some money to get back home. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman finds Mitch's father who hasn't spoken to his wife since he left, and she reunites the family as the Flash and Green Lantern rebuild their house.
Lois Lane goes to Clark's empty apartment for the first time since his death. She tries to keep from crying as she passes the doorman and takes the elevator upstairs, but she breaks down when she gets inside the apartment. Just then, the Kents arrive and she has somebody she can finally talk to. Unexpectedly, Lana Lang shows up too, to help them grieve and get Clark's things in order. With all of Clark's confidantes together now, they agree to keep his identity secret for the rest of their lives, knowing that people will still be trying to uncover it.
Jimmy and Mitch go to Superman's tomb as the rain starts to turn to snow, and Superman's family shows up shortly after. Jimmy thinks he hears a sound like drilling, and on the last page we see Cadmus has broken into the tomb from underground and stolen Superman's body!
This was the first Superman comic I ever read. Over 25 years later, it hasn't lost any of its emotional impact. Superman's supporting cast, especially Lois Lane, is more than capable of carrying the book without him in it.
Adventures of Superman #499
Lex Luthor II wakes up to an alarm and sends Supergirl to investigate a break-in at the scene of the crime, the tomb of Superman. Inside, she finds the coffin is gone and hole has been drilled in from the outside. She follows the tunnel and finds the hideout of the creatures of the underworld.
Jose Delgado breaks up with Cat and goes to Superman's memorial where he decides to become Gangbuster again.
Inspector Henderson and Dan Turpin arrive to investigate a sighting of Supergirl entering the tomb. Turpin follows the tunnel and finds his way to the underworld, where Supergirl rescues him. Though they return empty handed, Maggie Sawyer suspects Cadmus is behind the grave robbing.
Action Comics #686
The Guardian fights crime in the streets of Metropolis, but Dubbilex telepathically calls him back to Cadmus to help with some urgent trouble. At Cadmus, they force open the sealed lab door and find Director Westfield inside with Superman's body on operating table. The Guardian is furious, but Westfield successfully persuades them to let him continue the experiment in the chance that the project could clone a new Man of Steel.
Supergirl leads Lex Luthor II and his crew through the tunnels below Metropolis, but Cadmus had left explosives behind to literally bury their tracks. Back at the surface, Luthor and the SCU each come to the conclusion that Cadmus was behind the break-in but don't want to let each other know that they know.
At Clark's apartment, Lois watches on the news as more Doomsday survivors and dead bodies are discovered daily. The anchorman lists some famous missing persons, including Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent. Lois anguishes knowing the others could still be found but Clark is dead and the two of them will never be married. Lois takes Lana and the Kents to the airport, and the two women who loved Superman have a tearful goodbye.
Next: The End.
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