The Triumphant Return

Superman #82 chromium cover

The real Superman has actually been back for a couple months already, but this month marks his official return and the imposters step aside into their new roles in the DCU.  Plus, we resolve the fate of Clark Kent, who has been presumed dead ever since Doomsday's rampage.

DC hasn't had a universe-wide crossover since War of the Gods almost two years ago, but you could be forgiven for thinking the Death and Return of Superman was one even though it only its only real tie-ins were the Justice League and this month's issue of Green Lantern.  But even if the rest of the line didn't crossover with this story, the entire universe was affected in ways that would soon be revealed in DC's next big crossover, Zero Hour, which starts to see its first house ads this month.

This month and the next few are perhaps the most 90's in DC history.  This same month, DC debuted Azrael's new Batman costume on an impressive die-cut, foil-stamped cover. of Batman #500.   Though Marvel and DC were still the industry leaders, the 90's saw the rise of two competitors that were becoming serious competition, Valiant and Image.  The Big 2 had actually fallen behind in current trends and now we're seeing them trying catch up with matching art styles, "edgier" heroes, more vibrant color separations, and cover enhancements.  The same week as Superman #75, Valiant Comics had a huge hit of their own with the first ever "chromium" cover on Bloodshot #1 and this month DC debuts their first chromium cover for Superman #82.  Actually, I can't find that DC ever did another one, so this may also be their only chromium cover.  Like Bloodshot, this one was not a full wraparound chromium sheet like the ones that would be over-done in the 90's, it was just a front page of chromium glued to a cardstock back cover.

Superman: The Man of Steel #26

Inside Engine City, Superman and Steel feel the start of the engines throughout the entire structure.  Mongul attacks the de-powered Superman while Steel tries to hold his own against the Cyborg Superman.  Mongul figures out that Supergirl is invisibly helping Superman and Mongul sprays oil from the engine to expose and defeat her too.  Steel successfully stops the city's engine by jamming it with Cyborg Superman's mechanical body.

Back in Metropolis, Lois desperately tries to find a way to Coast City but there are no flights or any other way for her to get there.  Jeb tries to make the moves on Lois again, but he realizes that even with Clark out of the way she's still really in love with Superman.

In space, Green Lantern Hal Jordan approaches Earth and discovers that his city has been destroyed.  Cyborg Superman could stop him, but he decides to let him through so Green Lantern can dispose of the traitorous Mongul for him.

Once again, Superman's new haircut is not depicted on the cover.

Green Lantern #46

Hal Jordan forces his way through Engine City and rams into Mongul right before the villain could land a finishing blow on the weakened Superman.  Unfortunately for Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern's ring at this time is powerless against the color yellow so his powers don't work against Mongul (don't ask, we wouldn't really get a good explanation for this weakness until a decade later).  Mongul breaks Hal's knee and arm, but Hal creates green armor with his power ring and, finding Steel's hammer, knocks the villain unconscious.  The end of the issue is then almost verbatim from Superman #82.  After Superman leaves the ruined city, Hal Jordan is reunited with his occasional girlfriend Carol Ferris, who has just returned to the city herself.

Ever since Superman #75, we've been seeing full-bleed pages in all the Superman books, but this issue is a reminder that this wasn't yet the norm for the full DC comics line.  Though Mongul had always been a Superman villain until now, this story would start a trend of Green Lantern appropriating Superman's rogues gallery.

In the following months, the destruction of Coast City would drive Hal Jordan to insanity that would lead him to wipe out the Green Lantern Corps and leave only one remaining power ring in the hands of a new, inexperienced Green Lantern.  Though no longer a Green Lantern at this point, the fallout would also affect Guy Gardner's current series, causing him to adopt a new identity and new powers.  Hal Jordan's fall from grace and redemption would be a thread to follow through the biggest 90's crossovers from Zero Hour, the Final Night, and Day of Judgment.

Superman #82

The Eradicator and Superboy make it back to Engine City to help a powerless Superman, injured Green Lantern, and armor-less Steel battle the Cyborg Superman.  Cyborg Superman reveals the engine's Kryptonite power source, and locks himself in the Kryptonite chamber with Superman and the Eradicator.  The Cyborg blasts Kryptonite radiation at Superman, but the Eradicator sacrifices himself by jumping in front of him.  The radiation passes through the Eradiator, who somehow changes it so that when it passes through Superman it restores his powers.  Superman punches his fist through the Cyborg's chest and (uncharacteristically) vibrates his hand until the Cyborg shatters into millions of pieces, seemingly obliterated.  Supergirl telekinetically restores Superman's costume to its traditional look and he flies off.  Superboy acknowledges that this is the one and only Superman.

The regular edition would be the first appearance of Superman's new mullet on the cover.  The chromium collector's edition strangely still seems to be hiding this hairstyle.  That's probably for good reason.

Adventures of Superman #505

Lois wakes up in her apartment to find her dead fiance flying outsider her window, and they share a passionate kiss floating in the sky together.  Inside, they discuss ideas for how they could bring Clark Kent back to life, ranging from amnesia to alien abduction.

Superman flies off to stop a bank robbery by new bad guy, Loophole, a disgruntled S.T.A.R. Labs employee with technology that lets him pass through matter.  Afterward, he catches up with Maggie Sawyer and finds out about the promotion she received after Superman died, which convinces her that he's for real.

Tana Moon goes to Superboy's apartment (which was Clark Kent's old apartment) to tell him that she quit GBS and is leaving Metropolis.

Superman catches up with his old friends Jimmy Olsen and Bibbo (who has his new dog Krypto), when suddenly with his x-ray vision he detects a pair of children still alive and buried under the rubble from Doomsday's destruction.  After rescuing the kids, Jimmy wonders out loud if Clark could have survived the same way, and Lois and Superman get an idea.

The collector's edition would feature a foil prism cover with spectacular fireworks effects in the background behind the Man of Steel.  This is the 3rd enhanced cover in this series in less than 6 months, which gives the impression that the 90's was nothing but gimmick covers.  However, this would also turn out to be the last enhanced cover in this series ever for it's remaining 200+ issues.  Of course, we'll still get some more fun covers in other Superman titles, some just a couple months from now and for almost no apparent reason.

Action Comics #692

Sure enough, Superman rescues a Clark Kent who appears to have survived under the rubble with food and water.  Jimmy snaps a memorable picture of Lois, Clark, and Superman together.  Of course, back at Clark's apartment we learn it was really Supergirl in Clark's form to help them sell his return to the world.  Lex Luthor II has a brief conversation with Superman while he's in his helicopter searching for "his" Supergirl, and he believes the real Man of Steel has returned from the dead.

The body of the Eradicator was taken to S.T.A.R. Labs where Kitty Faulkner is able to resuscitate his heartbeat.  A few months later he would return to action in a new Outsiders series.

At Lois' apartment, Lois and Clark are visited by the mysterious Doctor Occult, a character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1935 before Superman's first appearance.  Superman tells Lois that he's met him before, but that story hasn't actually been told yet.  Doctor Occult takes the couple on spiritual journey through Superman's death and resurrection to explain to them that Superman's resurrection was a unique chain of events that can never be repeated (sorry, future writers).  Lois and Clark wake up in the grass and find themselves near Jonathan and Martha Kent's farm in Kansas so Clark can finally reunite with his parents for the first time since coming back to life.