The Death of Conduit
The Death of Clark Kent comes to a fatal conclusion this month, plus we get the first issue of an all-new ongoing Superman series.
For his final showdown with Clark Kent, Conduit has built a full-scale replica city of Smallville as it was 20 years ago, somewhere in the wilderness of South Dakota, populated with robots of all of Clark's friends. Conduit lures Superman to the high school sports stadium, where a very Freudian audience of robot's of Kenny's father cheer him on. As they fight, Kenny Braverman overloads himself with his own Kryptonite radiation, reducing himself to a burnt corpse that still blames Clark for his loss with his dying breath.
Lois Lane follows the trail of Clark and his parents across the country. Ironically, they both stop at the same gas station and miss connecting with each other. Back in Metropolis, Ron Troupe continues Lois Lane's legacy by covering her story on serial killer Ramsey Murdoch, who's now appearing in court for his crimes.
Kenny Braverman's robots continue to cheer for him even as Superman waits for his lifeless body to dissipate the remaining Kryptonite radiation. Superman destroys the robots with his heat vision, then he defeats the remaining members of the Pipeline hiding out below the fake city. He hacks into Conduits computer system to find out what Kenny's henchmen knew. Fortunately, he discovers Kenny kept Superman's identity secret from his men, and that all the information about Superman is being wiped from the system. Every computer connected to the internet has now been affected by Shadowdragon's virus, as even the Daily Planet discovers every file on Superman has disappeared from their network. Superman takes Kenny's body to his father in Smallville, and scolds him for still considering his son a born loser, blaming his father for how his son turned out. Superman regroups with the Kents, while Lois (still presumed dead) follows the news of an explosion in South Dakota.
Clark and his parents are riding in an RV into Fawcett City, but when they cross the city limits Clark is thrown out the back of the vehicle as if he had hit a wall. Superman tries to cross the city limits, but there seems to be a magical wall on all sides keeping him out. Resident hero Billy Batson says the magic word "Shazam" to transform into Captain Marvel to see why Superman is in the city. However, when he arrives on the scene, instead of Superman he sees his adversary Black Adam and in his place Superman sees the Cyborg. The Kents try to get their son to see he's fighting Captain Marvel, but Superman doesn't know which one is true now. Unable to trust his own senses, Captain Marvel decides to turn back to Billy Batson, and a magical villain is revealed that the two heroes are able to defeat together. The Kents contemplate almost adopting the orphan Billy before they drive away. Lois hears about the sighting of Superman on the radio and continues to follow their trail.
Lex Luthor's female lawyers bring a court order to S.T.A.R. Labs to take their client into their care for a better chance at a full recovery.
The Kents are still traveling in an RV when they hear multiple police sirens following a speeding car behind them. Superman flies out to catch the car, which happens to be Lois desperately trying not to lose them. Later at a camp site, Superman tells his family that he can never go back to being Clark Kent, and Lois storms off angry that she came all this way looking for Clark and still hasn't found him. They take a walk into town together and Lois asks Clark to get a cup of coffee, not as Clark Kent, but as Superman. He agrees and walks into the shop as Superman, and realizes how he would miss interacting with people in a civilian persona. With their farm destroyed, the Kents decide to continue traveling by RV while Lois and Clark take a train back to Metropolis.
While Lois and Clark take the train, Superman flies ahead to Metropolis to keep up appearances so it won't look suspicious if Clark Kent returns at the same time.
LexCorp's new CEO, the Contessa Del Portenza, makes her dramatic first appearance to take control of the company. At first she seems willing to help Superman, giving him information on Conduit's hidden bases to help him find the still missing Jimmy Olsen, but later she offers him a job (just as Luthor had done) and when he declines she finds his integrity annoying.
A scientist analyzing the Kryptonian battle suit suddenly heard a message coming from its parts which turns out to be from Lex Luthor himself. Lois and Clark hear that Lex Luthor has been moved from S.T.A.R. Labs and Superman goes to the Lexcare facility to check on the villain, only to discover he was never really there. Lex Luthor is secretly recovering at a mansion in Bimini, where the doctor tells him he may still be years away from a full recovery. Later, the doctors see a strange glow coming from Luthor's room, and when they enter he's miraculously on his feet in the best shape of his life!
Because these stories weren't written for trades like in today's market, it's sometimes difficult to pinpoint where one story ends and another begins. Though this issue kicks off several new story lines, it is the end of the Death of Clark Kent according to the original trade paperback collection. Conduit is the rare villain who stays dead and doesn't return. Frankly, he probably wasn't a villain suited for any other story but this one. His inexhaustible resources, including a seemingly infinite number of secret hideouts and henchman and a replica city with artificially intelligent robots, defies all explanation. In short, Conduit was a villain whose abilities were determined by the needs of the story. But aside from its flaws, the Death of Clark Kent does work as an interesting study of what makes Clark Kent Superman and not visa versa. On the other hand, Lex Luthor returns after a nearly year-long absence, his longest ever since he became more of a regular character than a recurring villain in the post-Crisis period.
Superman: The Man of Tomorrow was a unique series with a sporadic publishing schedule. Unlike the four monthly books which were on a 4-week cycle, Man of Tomorrow was intended to fill in the months that had a 5th Wednesday so there would be 52 issues of Superman a year. A few years after this, however, DC would start experimenting with Fifth-week events like Tangent Comics, New Year's Evil, and Girlfrenzy, which didn't leave room for this book on the publishing schedule and led to its cancellation.
Action Comics #711
Lois Lane follows the trail of Clark and his parents across the country. Ironically, they both stop at the same gas station and miss connecting with each other. Back in Metropolis, Ron Troupe continues Lois Lane's legacy by covering her story on serial killer Ramsey Murdoch, who's now appearing in court for his crimes.
Superman: The Man of Steel #46
Superman #102
Adventures of Superman #525
The Kents are still traveling in an RV when they hear multiple police sirens following a speeding car behind them. Superman flies out to catch the car, which happens to be Lois desperately trying not to lose them. Later at a camp site, Superman tells his family that he can never go back to being Clark Kent, and Lois storms off angry that she came all this way looking for Clark and still hasn't found him. They take a walk into town together and Lois asks Clark to get a cup of coffee, not as Clark Kent, but as Superman. He agrees and walks into the shop as Superman, and realizes how he would miss interacting with people in a civilian persona. With their farm destroyed, the Kents decide to continue traveling by RV while Lois and Clark take a train back to Metropolis.
Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1
LexCorp's new CEO, the Contessa Del Portenza, makes her dramatic first appearance to take control of the company. At first she seems willing to help Superman, giving him information on Conduit's hidden bases to help him find the still missing Jimmy Olsen, but later she offers him a job (just as Luthor had done) and when he declines she finds his integrity annoying.
A scientist analyzing the Kryptonian battle suit suddenly heard a message coming from its parts which turns out to be from Lex Luthor himself. Lois and Clark hear that Lex Luthor has been moved from S.T.A.R. Labs and Superman goes to the Lexcare facility to check on the villain, only to discover he was never really there. Lex Luthor is secretly recovering at a mansion in Bimini, where the doctor tells him he may still be years away from a full recovery. Later, the doctors see a strange glow coming from Luthor's room, and when they enter he's miraculously on his feet in the best shape of his life!
Because these stories weren't written for trades like in today's market, it's sometimes difficult to pinpoint where one story ends and another begins. Though this issue kicks off several new story lines, it is the end of the Death of Clark Kent according to the original trade paperback collection. Conduit is the rare villain who stays dead and doesn't return. Frankly, he probably wasn't a villain suited for any other story but this one. His inexhaustible resources, including a seemingly infinite number of secret hideouts and henchman and a replica city with artificially intelligent robots, defies all explanation. In short, Conduit was a villain whose abilities were determined by the needs of the story. But aside from its flaws, the Death of Clark Kent does work as an interesting study of what makes Clark Kent Superman and not visa versa. On the other hand, Lex Luthor returns after a nearly year-long absence, his longest ever since he became more of a regular character than a recurring villain in the post-Crisis period.
Superman: The Man of Tomorrow was a unique series with a sporadic publishing schedule. Unlike the four monthly books which were on a 4-week cycle, Man of Tomorrow was intended to fill in the months that had a 5th Wednesday so there would be 52 issues of Superman a year. A few years after this, however, DC would start experimenting with Fifth-week events like Tangent Comics, New Year's Evil, and Girlfrenzy, which didn't leave room for this book on the publishing schedule and led to its cancellation.
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