Return to Krypton

The version of Krypton that we've known for the last 15 years was a lie.  Or was it?  Lois and Clark journey to a different yet familiar Krypton by way of the Phantom Zone, not sure if they're really in the past or in an alternate reality.  Paul Rivoche returns to draw covers for each issue of this story.

Superman #167

Return to Krypton part 1

Professor Hamilton and Steel send Superman and Lois into the Phantom Zone to find the signal coming from Krypton.  In the Zone, they have a brief encounter with Mon El, who Superman knows as Valor in this period of continuity.  

Arriving on the planet Krypton, Superman and Lois are greeted by Krypto, whose name Superman inexplicably remembers.  Although dressed in a costume without the "S", Superman is forced to reveal his powers to save his birth parents from a collapsing building.  His father Jor El recruits Superman to help save Krypton from an impending disaster (not the one that would ultimately doom the planet), but after the job is done Superman loses his powers under Krypton's red sun and is left floating lifeless in space.

Adventures of Superman #589

Return to Krypton part 2

Superman's mother, Lara, rescues Superman in the rocket that will later be used to send their son to Earth.  The rocket launch attracts the attention of General Zod, who sends his robotic forces to capture the aliens being harbored by Jor El and Lara.  Superman and Jor El defeat the robots, but Superman and Lois find themselves stranded on Krypton without his powers, and now Jor El and Lara are fugitives from the law too.

This is the first time a version of General Zod has been seen since the Supergirl saga in the 80's.  In this story he resembles the Silver Age version, but a terrifying new version will be introduced a few months later.  Duncan Rouleau returns as a guest artist to the Superman books, but for the first time on this series.  He would return for the sequel, Return to Krypton II.

Superman: The Man of Steel #111

Return to Krypton part 3

On the run from General Zod, Lois and Clark adopt disguises and are mistaken for Krypton's legendary heroes, Nightwing and Flamebird.  In pre-Crisis continuity, Nightwing and Flamebird were codenames that Superman and Jimmy Olsen used when time-travelling to Krypton in the past.  Those adventures inspired former Robin Dick Grayson to assume the name Nightwing, but in post-Crisis continuity Dick Grayson has already been Nightwing for years.  Lois and Clark learn that Kryptonian city also named Kandor was lost to a transdimensional abduction and they wonder if it's the same city Superman currently has in his Fortress of Solitude.  

The Hounds of Zod, Kru-El and Faora, chase Lois and Clark through this issue.  Kru-El makes his his post-Crisis debut, while another new version of Faora will appear in a few months.

Action Comics #776

Return to Krypton part 4

Lois and Clark flee to Antarctic City, which resembles the pre-Crisis Fortress of Solitude, including several giant arrow-shaped keys pointing at the icy structure.  Lois, Clark, Lara, and Jor El have a final showdown with General Zod, who is killed in the battle.  Jor El reveals that he knows Kal El is his son, and he assumes his wife Lara who is even smarter figured it out before him.  Jor El helps Lois and Clark return to present-day Earth, but Superman's dog Krypto follows them home through the Phantom Zone and will remain with him for the rest of the post-Crisis era.

We're left wondering if this was a journey to the real Krypton or some other similar version in the Phantom Zone.  A year and a half later, we'll finally get the answer to these questions in Return to Krypton II.