Superman: A TVCU Quickie
What's a quickie? See the previous two blogs for a quickie explanation of quickies.
Today I'll be quickly covering Superman. Superman was the second subject I covered back in 2011, and I've heavily revised the blog several times. I tried to incorporate Dennis Power's Wold Newton articles on Superman. Then I tried an approach that removed Wold Newtonry but tried to place every version of Superman in the same reality. Then I tried a divergent timeline approach that is the standard now. The key was to incorporate everything brought in via a valid crossover while maintaining the view that everything happened as seen on screen.
Superman is my favorite fictional character, and a character that has inspired me.
Superman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Superman is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is considered an American cultural icon.[1][2][3][4] Superman was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, high school students living in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1933; the character was sold to Detective Comics, Inc. (later DC Comics) in 1938.[5][6] Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, television programs, films, newspaper strips, and video games. With the success of his adventures, Superman helped to create the superhero genre and establish its primacy within the American comic book.[1]
Superman's appearance is distinctive and iconic. He usually wears a blue costume, red cape, and stylized red-and-yellow "S" shield on his chest.[7][8][9] This shield is used in a myriad of media to symbolize the character.[10]
The origin story of Superman relates that he was born Kal-El on the planet Krypton, before being rocketed to Earth as an infant by his scientist father Jor-El, moments before Krypton's destruction. Discovered and adopted by a Kansas farmer and his wife, the child is raised as Clark Kentand imbued with a strong moral compass. Very early on he started to display superhuman abilities, which upon reaching maturity, he resolved to use for the benefit of humanity. Superman resides and operates in the fictional American city of Metropolis. As Clark Kent, he is a journalist for the Daily Planet, a Metropolis newspaper. Superman's primary love interest is Lois Lane and his archenemy is supervillain Lex Luthor.[11]Superman has fascinated scholars, with cultural theorists, commentators, and critics alike exploring the character's impact and role in the United States and worldwide. The character's ownership has often been the subject of dispute, with Siegel and Shuster twice suing for the return of legal ownership. Superman has been labeled as one of the greatest comic book heroes of all time.[12]
The Adventures of Superman (radio)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Adventures of Superman was a long-running radio serial that originally aired from 1940 to 1951, adapted from the DC Comicscharacter. (See Superman).
The serial came to radio as a syndicated show on New York City's WOR on February 12, 1940. On Mutual, it was broadcast from August 31, 1942, to February 4, 1949, as a 15-minute serial, running three or, usually, five times a week. From February 7 to June 24, 1949 it ran as a thrice-weekly half-hour show. The series shifted to ABC Saturday evenings on October 29, 1949, and then returned to afternoons, twice-a-week on June 5, 1950, continuing on ABC until March 1, 1951. In all, 2068 original episodes of The Adventures of Superman were aired on American radio.
Adventures of Superman (TV series)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Adventures of Superman is an American television series based on comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The show is the first television series to feature Superman and began filming in 1951 in California. Sponsored by cereal manufacturerKellogg's, the syndicated show's first, and last, air dates are disputed but generally accepted[by whom?] as September 19, 1952 and April 28, 1958.[citation needed] The show's first two seasons (episodes 1–52, 26 titles per season) were filmed in black-and-white; seasons three through six (episodes 53–104, 13 titles per season) were filmed in color but originally telecast monochromatically in first-run syndication. Television viewers would not see Superman in color until the series was syndicated to local stations in 1965. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
George Reeves plays Clark Kent/Superman with Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen, John Hamilton as Perry White, and Robert Shayne as Inspector Henderson. Phyllis Coates plays Lois Lane in the first season with Noel Neill stepping into the role in the second season (1953). Stories follow Superman as he battles crooks, gangsters, and other villains in the fictional city of Metropolis while masquerading "off-duty" as Daily Planetreporter Clark Kent. Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, Clark's colleagues at the office, often find themselves in dangerous situations which can only be resolved with Superman's timely intervention.
Its opening theme is known as The Superman March. In 1987, selected episodes of the show were released to video. In 2006, the series became available in its entirety on DVD. In 2006, Hollywoodland, a film dramatizing the show's production and the death of its star, George Reeves, was released.
The New Adventures of Superman (TV series)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The New Adventures of Superman is a series of six-minute animated Superman adventures produced by Filmation that were broadcast on CBSbetween 1966 and 1970.[1] The 68 segments appeared as part of three different programs during that time, packaged with similar shorts featuring The Adventures of Superboy and other DC Comics superheroes.
Superman (1978 film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Superman (also known as Superman: The Movie) is a 1978 superhero film directed by Richard Donner. It is based on the DC Comics character of the same name and stars Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Glenn Ford, Phyllis Thaxter, Jackie Cooper, Trevor Howard, Marc McClure, Terrence Stamp, Valerie Perrine and Ned Beatty. The film depicts Superman's origin, including his infancy as Kal-El ofKrypton and his youthful years in the rural town of Smallville. Disguised as reporter Clark Kent, he adopts a mild-mannered disposition in Metropolisand develops a romance with Lois Lane, while battling the villainous Lex Luthor.
Several directors, most notably Guy Hamilton, and screenwriters (Mario Puzo, David and Leslie Newman and Robert Benton) were associated with the project before Donner was hired to direct. Tom Mankiewicz was drafted in to rewrite the script and was given a "creative consultant" credit. It was decided to film both Superman and Superman II simultaneously, with principal photography beginning in March 1977 and ending in October 1978. Tensions rose between Donner and the producers, and a decision was made to stop filming the sequel—of which 75 per cent had already been completed—and finish the first film.[5]
Ultimately costing $55 million, Superman was released in December, 1978, to critical acclaim and financial success, earning $300 million during its original theatrical run. Reviewers noted parallels between the film's depiction of Superman and Jesus and particularly praised Reeve's performance.[6]It was nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Film Editing, Best Music (Original Score), and Best Sound Mixing, and received aSpecial Achievement Academy Award for Visual Effects. Groundbreaking in its use of special effects and science fiction/fantasy storytelling, the film's legacy presaged the mainstream popularity of Hollywood's superhero film franchises.
Superman (TV series)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Superman is a 1988 animated Saturday morning television series produced by Ruby-Spears Productions and Warner Bros. Television that aired onCBS featuring the DC Comics superhero of the same name (coinciding with the character's 50th anniversary, along with the live-action Superboy TV series that year). Veteran comic book writer Marv Wolfman was the head story editor, and noted comic book artist Gil Kane provided character designs.[1]
Superboy (TV series)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Superboy is a half-hour live-action television series based on the fictional DC Comics comic book character Kal-El's early years as Superboy. The show ran from 1988–1992 in syndication. It was renamed The Adventures of Superboy at the start of the third season.[4]
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (titled The New Adventures of Superman when aired in the UK by the BBC, and commonly known simply as "Lois and Clark") is a live-action American television series based on the characters in Superman and Action comics. Lois & Clark starred Dean Cain as Superman/Clark Kent and Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane, and aired on ABC from September 12, 1993 to June 14, 1997.[1]
Developed for television by Deborah Joy LeVine (based upon characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster),[2] the series loosely follows the philosophy of then-Superman writer John Byrne: Clark Kent is the true personality and Superman a disguise. As the show's title suggests, it focuses as much on the relationship between Clark Kent and Lois Lane as the adventures of Clark's alter-ego.[3]
The series spawned several short tie-in books aimed at young adults and a full-length novel for adults, Lois & Clark: A Superman Novel (1996), written by C. J. Cherryh. The show was shot entirely in California.
Superman: The Animated Series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Superman: The Animated Series (STAS) is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics flagship character, Superman.[1] It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and originally aired on The WB Television Network from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. The series was the first of several spin-offs of the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, and was equally praised for its thematic complexity, quality animation, maturity and modernization of its title character.[2][3] Re-runs of the series currently air on Hub Network.
Smallville
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. It is based on the DC Comics characterSuperman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network (The WB), premiering on October 16, 2001. After Smallville's fifth season, The WB and UPN merged to form The CW, which became the broadcaster for the show in the United States. It ended its tenth and final season on May 13, 2011. The series follows the adventures of Clark Kent (Tom Welling), who resides in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman. The first four seasons focus on Clark and his friends' high school years. After season five, the show ventured into more adult settings, eventually focusing on his career at the Daily Planet, as well as introducing other DC comic book superheroes and villains.
The concept for Smallville was created after a potential series chronicling a young Bruce Wayne's journey toward becoming Batman failed to generate interest. After meeting with the president of Warner Bros. Television, series developers Gough and Millar pitched their "no tights, no flights" rule, which would break Superman down to the bare essentials and look at the events leading up to Clark Kent becoming Superman. After seven seasons with the show, Gough and Millar departed without providing a specific reason. Smallville was predominantly filmed in and aroundVancouver, British Columbia, with some of the local businesses and buildings substituting for Smallville locations. The music for the first six seasons was primarily composed by Mark Snow, who incorporated elements of John Williams's musical score from the original Superman film series. In season seven, Louis Febre, who had worked with Snow from the beginning, took over as primary composer.
The series was generally positively received when it began broadcasting. Former Superman star Christopher Reeve voiced his approval of the series and even made two guest appearances. The pilot episode broke the record for highest-rated debut for The WB, with 8.4 million viewers. Over ten seasons, it averaged approximately 4.34 million viewers per episode, with season two averaging the highest ratings, at 6.3 million. By the end of its run, Smallville had surpassed Stargate SG-1 to become the longest-running North American science fiction series, as well as the longest running comic book-based series in television history.[4][1] The series has earned distinctions ranging from Emmy Awards to Teen Choice Awards since itsfirst season. The show has spawned a series of young-adult novels, a DC Comics bi-monthly comic book and soundtrack releases, as well asSmallville-related merchandise. All ten seasons of Smallville are available on DVD in regions 1, 2 and 4. In April 2012, the series was continued in comic book form, with the storyline picking up shortly after the end of the series finale.
Superman Returns
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Superman Returns is a 2006 superhero film directed and produced by Bryan Singer. Based on the DC Comics character Superman, the film serves as a homage sequel to the motion pictures Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980),[3][4] ignoring the events of Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987).[3] It stars Brandon Routh as Superman/Clark Kent, as well as Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden,Frank Langella, and Parker Posey, and tells the story of the title character returning to Earth after a five-year absence. He finds that his love interestLois Lane has moved on with her life and that his archenemy Lex Luthor is plotting a scheme that will destroy the world, starting with the United States.
After a series of unsuccessful projects to resurrect Superman on the screen, Warner Bros. hired Bryan Singer to direct and develop Superman Returns in July 2004. The majority of principal photography took place at Fox Studios Australia, Sydney, while the visual effects sequences were created by a number of studios, including Sony Pictures Imageworks, Rhythm & Hues, Framestore, Rising Sun Pictures, and The Orphanage;[5]filming ended in November 2005.
Superman Returns was released to positive reviews, being praised by the story, visual effects and style; it received many award nominations, but Warner Bros. was disappointed with the $391 million worldwide box office return, receiving mixed reaction with the replacement of Christopher Reeve. A sequel was planned for a summer 2009 release, but the project was later canceled. The Superman film series was rebooted in 2013 with the filmMan of Steel (directed by Zack Snyder), starring Henry Cavill as Superman.
Man of Steel (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Man of Steel is a 2013 American superhero film directed by Zack Snyder, produced by Christopher Nolan, and written by David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Superman, the film is a reboot of the Superman film series that portrays the character's origin story. The film stars Henry Cavill in the title role, with Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Michael Shannon as General Zod, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, and Russell Crowe as Jor-El. Man of Steel sets the tone for a shared fictional universe of DC Comics characters on film.[9]
Development began in 2008 when Warner Bros. Pictures took pitches from comic book writers, screenwriters and directors, opting to reboot thefranchise. In 2009, a court ruling resulted in Jerry Siegel's family recapturing the rights to Superman's origins and Siegel's copyright. The decision stated that Warner Bros. did not owe the families additional royalties from previous films, but if they did not begin production on a Superman film by 2011, then the Shuster and Siegel estates would be able to sue for lost revenue on an unproduced film. Nolan pitched Goyer's idea after story discussion on The Dark Knight Rises, and Snyder was hired as the film's director in October 2010. Principal photography began in August 2011 inWest Chicago, Illinois, before moving to Vancouver and Plano, Illinois.
Man of Steel's red carpet premiere in the U.S. was attended by its principal cast members in New York City on June 10, 2013.[10] The film was released to the general public on June 14, 2013, in conventional, 3D[11] and IMAX theaters.[12] The film became a box office success, grossing more than $662 million worldwide, despite a mixed response from critics. Some critics highlighted the film's narrative, acting, visuals and reinvention of the titular character, while others were critical of the film's pacing and lack of character development. A follow-up film featuring Batman and Wonder Woman is planned for July 17, 2015.
When it comes to Superman in the Television Crossover Universe and Multiverse, I focus mostly on television and film appearances, both live action and animated, but I also include radio and video games, as they include voice actors. I also include printed material (books and comics) when there is a relevant crossover connection involved to a television series or film.
The full (but not updated) Superman blog can be read here.
Here is a mini-chron, summarizing the main shows and films as well as the main versions of the comics.
ACTION COMICS # 1--"Superman, Champion of the Oppressed"--The first Superman, Clark Jerome Kent (Kal-L) makes his debut as Superman. He does not operate secretly though he is considered an urban legend in the beginning just because he's just too fantastic. But soon the whole world knows of him and he inspires a golden age of super-heroes.
February 12, 1940 to March 1, 1951--ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (RADIO)--Next, there's the old time radio program, "The Adventures of Superman". Now most of this show won't work, as there are too many contradictions. Most of this show takes place in the Old Time Radio Universe. But in the 1980s, Clark Jerome Kent has a discussion with Dick Grayson in which they recount having those adventures that were depicted in the Adventures of Superman storylines in which Batman and Robin had been guest-stars. So those team-ups are in the TVCU.
1952 - 1958--ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (TELEVISION SERIES)--Clark Kent moves to Los Angles (a great Metropolis) and becomes Superman. NOTES: THERE ARE A LOT OF HINTS LEADING THAT THIS SERIES IS IN CHICAGO, BUT AS TOBY O'BRIEN POINTED OUT, THEY HAVE TO BE NEAR THE DESERT, BECAUSE WHENEVER THEY LEAVE THE CITY, THEY SEEM TO BE IN THE DESERT. SO I'M THINKING L.A. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THE TWO SUPERMEN LIVING FAR FROM EACH OTHER, TO EXPLAIN WHY THEY DIDN'T INTERACT MORE OFTEN. THIS SERIES WILL CROSS WITH I LOVE LUCY, WHICH IS WHY SUPERMAN EXISTS IN THE TVCU. Apparently whoever designed the architecture of Mayberry had also worked up in the Metropolis area. Perhaps, like Mike Brady, he just keeps putting out the same designs over and over. Note that because of the Wizard, the world had forgotten that Superman existed, so when this Clark makes his debut, the world knows him as the first and only Superman. This Superman is very public, and the world knows of his existence. He inspires a second age of super-heroes (and in fact, another age a thousand years in the future!)
1966 to 1970--THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN--Superman (Clark Joseph Kent) takes on old foes and new. NOTES: THIS ANIMATED SERIES WAS A CONTINUATION OF THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, AND THIS SERIES WAS A PRECURSER TO THE SUPERFRIENDS.
- 1978--SUPERMAN THE MOVIE--Earth-1278--Original DC Cinematic Universe.Clark Kent comes to Metropolis and takes on the role of Superman. He encounters Lex Luthor.
1988--SUPERMAN-This animated adventure may be Clark Joseph Kent II. There is a crossover, so it earns a place here.
Earth-988--1989 to 1992--ADVENTURES OF SUPERBOY--Clark Kent and Lana Lang head off to college, and a new Superboy encounters some foes for the first time, such as Lex Luthor, Mr. Mxyzptlk, and Bizarro (his clone.)
TVCU2--1993 TO 1997--LOIS & CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN--AFTER COLLEGE, CLARK KENT MOVES TO METROPOLIS AND GETS A JOB AT THE DAILY PLANET, AND FALLS FOR LOIS LANE.
LOONIVERSE-2--I'VE DECIDED I HAVE TO RELEGATE THE DC ANIMATED UNIVERSE TO THIS REALITY. IF THE TVCU HAS A UNIVERSE, THE TVCU2 SHOULD ALSO HAVE A LOONIVERSE. THE ONLY CROSSOVER LINK IN THE ADCU TO THE OUTSIDES IS AN APPEARANCE OF THE THREE STOOGES, AND SO I'VE DECIDED THAT WAS PROBABLY THE TVCU2 STOOGES CROSSING TO THE LOONIVERSE JUST AS THE TVCU ONES OFTEN DID. THE DCAU SUPERMAN AND BATMAN ALSO INTERACTED WITH THE WARNER BROTHERS AND THEIR WARNER SISTER DOT WHICH I SAY WAS THE LOONIVERSE2 VERSIONS OF THOSE CHARACTERS. The Justice League and Teen Titans also interacted with many Cartoon Network characters. Again, I place those on Looniverse 2. THE REASON THE DCAU ISN'T PART OF THE MAIN LOONIVERSE IS BECAUSE I'VE HAD TO PLACE MANY, MANY VERSIONS OF THE DC CHARACTERS IN THE LOONIVERSE FROM APPEARANCES IN OTHER CARTOONS.
TVCU3 (AKA THE THREEBOOTIVERSE)--THIS IS THE REALITY OF SMALLVILLE. SMALLVILLE'S REALITY JUST CAN'T BE WORKED INTO THE TVCU. THERE ARE CROSSOVER CONNECTIONS TO BIRDS OF PREY.
EARTH-1278A--
- 2006--SUPERMAN RETURNS--SUPERMAN (KAL-EL/CLARK KENT) RETURNS AFTER A FIVE YEAR MISSION TO FIND HIS DESTROYED HOME WORLD. HE FINDS THAT WHILE HE WAS GONE, HIS LOIS HAD A KID...WHOSE FIVE. NOTES: THIS WAS MEANT AS A SEQUEL TO FOLLOW SUPERMAN II. HOWEVER, SINCE IT CONFLICTS WITH THE MOVIES AFTER SUPERMAN II, IT MUST BE A DIVERGENT TIMELINE.
Here are some additional quickly found crossovers: (From TV Tropes and Wikipedia)
- The sequel to Man of Steel will revolve around the first live-action team-up between Batman and Superman. For bonus points, it's going up againstAvengers: Age of Ultron at the box-office.
- Superman had three crossovers with Batman: The Animated Series, confirming the existence of the DCAU.
- The season three episode "Knight Time," in which Superman teams up with Robin (Tim Drake) to hunt down a missing Batman.
- in the DC Comics Universe, Batman and Superman often collaborate.
- On October 4, 1997, The 2 Kids WB shows, Superman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures, had their first crossover with the TV movie, "World's Finest", in addition to having it released on DVD.
- Static from Static Shock teams up with a variety of DC Comics heroes, including Superman, Batman, and at one time the members of the Justice League (except for Wonder Woman).
You can read Dennis Power's Wold Newton Superman articles here.
Superman is also part of Win Scott Eckert's Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World. There, for the most part, only his golden age adventures are canon.
Check out Superman of Toob World here.
Here's Thom Holbrook's views on the meeting between Superman and Lucy.
The IMDB page for Superman's television and film appearances.
TVCU CREW REVIEW
Here are some of the more recent posts regarding Superman in the TVCU discussion forum.
Matt posted this cover from the Lost Issues:
And check out more Superman Lost Issues here.
Caeric Arclight found this video a while ago:
And Ivan found this:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bonus. Here are three Superman related entries from my upcoming book, the Horror Crossover Universe!
MARVEL TEAM-UP # 79 “SWORD OF THE SHE-DEVIL” (MARVEL COMICS)
Release Date: March 1979 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Spider-Man; Red Sonja
Horror Crosses: Doctor Strange
Non-Horror Crosses: Superman; Ms. Marvel; Conan the Barbarian
The Story: Kulan Gath possesses a security guard at a museum and draws the attention of Spider-Man. Mary Jane Watson also finds herself possessed, but by the heroic Red Sonja.
HCU Comments: Carol Danvers is mentioned, but not her alter ego Ms. Marvel. Based on the various crosses with Marvel heroes in this guide, we can determine that many of the Marvel heroes must have had counterparts in the Horror Crossover Universe. If this is the case, I still doubt that superheroes were as publically known as in the MU. Like with the alien invasions and zombie outbreaks, I’m sure the general public is in denial about vigilantes with super-powers. The super-hero phenomenon must have come in waves. The first started in the late 1930s and died down after World War II. The second would have occurred from the early 1960s to the mid 1980s. Since then, heroes would have still operated, but with less and less frequency. Red Sonja is a spin-off character of Conan the Barbarian, and Kulan Gath was a Conan foe. Doctor Strange is also mentioned in this story. Clark Kent also arrives to cover the story. Of course, this is a fun cameo of the type that DC and Marvel liked to do regarding their friendly competition. But from an in-story point of view, a few questions arise. Why didn’t Superman get involved? Why was he in New York? Isn’t he old? Clark often got sent out of Metropolis on assignment. So that question is easy to answer. He might have been there for another story and stumbled upon this one. As for a young Clark Kent, several crosses in this guide demonstrate that the golden age version of Superman existed in the Horror Crossover Universe. And there are crosses with the modern age (post-Crisis) version. And of course this is a silver age era story. To explain the longevity and versions, I have to look towards what DC would refer to as “imaginary stories” or “Elseworlds”. In the 1970s, DC had a series of “Super Sons” stories, in which Superman and Batman had sons. Clark Kent Junior would later become the next Superman. In another series, “Superman 2020”, Superman also had a son who became the next Superman. And finally, DC One Million followed the same premise. Based on those three story series, I can theorize that the same case exists in the HCU. Additionally, the Earth-2 stories and John Byrne’s Generations saga demonstrate the continued life of an aging Superman, which I can utilize. Pulling all that together, I believe that the golden age Superman follows pretty closely to the stories. But then he retired, only occasionally coming to action. So in this story, he chooses to let the young heroes handle things. Besides which, being out of Metropolis, having Superman and and Clark both being there would risk his secret identity, something even more important to him now that he’s married and with a child. And Superman has a weakness against magic, something that in the Horror Crossover Universe couldn’t have been easy for him. Finally, the later appearances of a modern age version of Superman (to follow. Keep reading!) are likely actually Clark Kent Junior.
THE YOUNG ALL-STARS # 12 “‘M’ IS FOR ‘MONSTERS’” (DC COMICS)
Release Date: May 1988 (Setting is May 1942)
Series: Young All-Stars
Horror Crosses: Creature Commandos; King Kong
Non-Horror Crosses: All-Star Squadron; TNT and Dan the Dyna-Mite; Aarn Munro; Hawkman (Golden Age); Robotman (Golden Age); Miss America; Justice Society of America; Superman (Golden Age); The War that Time Forgot; Wildcat; Metropolis; G.I. Robot; R.U.R.
The Story: Deathbolt attacks Project M to steal a T-Rex and place the Ultra-Humanite’s in it.
HCU Comments: King Kong’s remains are seen at Project M. Project M is from the Creature Commandos series, which has been brought in via a New Adventures of Frankenstein tale by Donald F. Glut. This story does not bring in the entire Young All-Stars series or DC Comics line.
SUPERMAN/ALIENS # 1 - 3 (DC AND DARK HORSE COMICS)
Release Date: July - September 1995 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Superman (modern age/Post-Crisis); Alien
The Story: Superman finds a ship in space from Krypton. The last survivors of Argo City had managed to escape before Krypton’s destruction, but they had been overtaken by Aliens, and now only the young girl Kara has survived. Superman and Kara fight to survive in a Red Sun environment, in which the Man of Steel is slowly losing his powers.
HCU Comments: First, let me get the HCU relevant things said. For HCU purposes, this is Superman III, the grandson of the original. Since Supergirl was the cousin of the original last son of Krypton, and came to Earth to work with the second Superman (in HCU canon), this Kara is not the same one, and this is a second group from Argo. But now for the really cool stuff, let’s forget about the Horror Crossover Universe and talk about the now deceased Post-Crisis DCU. Dan Jurgens wrote this to be part of DC canon. In pre-Crisis canon, Kara came to Earth and became Supergirl. In post-Crisis canon, at this point, there was no Kara. Supergirl was a protoplasmic being given life and power by a Lex Luthor of a Pocket Earth. So Jurgens intended this to be Kara. At the end of this tale, Superman thinks that she died, but she escaped in a small craft in suspended animation. So a year later, during the Final Night mega crossover, Superman goes to Luthor to borrow that craft he previously used to fight those Aliens. Jurgens wrote that story too, and he was specifically referring to this inter-company crossover in a mainstream DC title! But wait, there’s more. Cut to ten years later. In Superman/Batman, Supergirl comes to Earth in a the pod, having escaped from Argo. The Superman/Aliens crossover is forgotten, so one would think it’s not canon any more. But the protoplasm Supergirl is also forgotten. Also not canon? During the mega Infinite Crisis it’s explained that another Superman doppelganger, while trying to break through the barriers of the multiverse, managed to keep making history rearrange itself, causing the protoplasm Supergirl to be forgotten. (Actually, Peter David continued her story for another company as Fallen Angel). So it would make sense that this also caused the previous encounter with Supergirl to have been forgotten, but this is the same Kara he met in Superman/Aliens, and she was now arriving on Earth in the pod she escaped from then. Sadly, there’s too much DC intertwined complexity there to include, even if it is all tied to Superman/Aliens. And DC recently decided they don’t like the DC Universe, and got rid of it, and started over with something loosely resembling my favorite heroes.
Comments
Post a Comment