When Superman learned to fly

[arbre_rieur]

Three pages from ACTION COMICS 5 and four from issue 6...







Remember, ACTION COMICS takes place at the beginning of Superman's career, so it's a time traveling Superman from the future in all the following scenes, working alongside the Legion of Superheroes.



The octopus is Erik Drekken (What, no snazzy codename, Morrison?), a villain with a pretty neat power. He's basically like Evolvo Lad from the Heroes of Lallor or Manikin from Alpha Flight, but to the nth power.



That leads into the scene that superfangirl posted, in which Superman searches his memory to find where it's wonky, in order to pinpoint the exact spot in his mind the bad guys are hiding.



Inside a tesseract in Superman's brain, the Legion successfully defeats the Anti-Superman Army and recover the kryptonite engine from them.

Comments

[darkknightjrk]

I think you nailed it--it became rather formulaic. It would have been AMAZING if he came to the Kents with a problem and there was a beat, look at each other, and then one says, "...We got nothin', son. I'm sorry. You're a smart man, though, I'm sure you can figure it out."

[bradygirl_12]

I think you nailed it--it became rather formulaic. It would have been AMAZING if he came to the Kents with a problem and there was a beat, look at each other, and then one says, "...We got nothin', son. I'm sorry. You're a smart man, though, I'm sure you can figure it out."

LOL, good one! But I have to say I'm firmly on the side of wanting the Kents alive. To me, saying that Clark ran back to them all the time for answers to his problems was wrong, as well as promoting this notion that men have to stand on their own without asking advice from anyone. Even Batman has Alfred.

The Kents are a vital part of Clark's well-being and mission here on Earth, and I think it's just something lacking when they're gone early in his life.

[darkknightjrk]

I can see your point...but so far I can't really say that I've missed them, or thought any of the books would have benefited from having them alive.

In fact, the moment in Action Comics #3, after the people have turned on Superman and he has his shirt in the trash was made all the more powerful when all he could do is say to the photo of his parents that he's so sorry and that he tried.

[bradygirl_12]

Definitely a woobie factor! :)

But in the long run, it was interesting to have a superhero with two parents still living and part of his support system. I know that there can be stories told this way without them, but I prefer them around. I suppose it might be one of those YMMV things.

[icon_uk]

But I've seen that "Sad moment in front of lost parents" from so many other heroes (From Batman to Spider-Man) so many times. Clark being able to go and talk to them is a much more potent device, because there are so many different ways it could go. How about when he DOESN'T agree with them, or vice versa.

[icon_uk]

Smallville did just that in the first season, when Clark wakes up to find he's floating several inches above his mattress.

He goes to Jonathan Kent, whose response is that he'll always do his best to help Clark out with any problems he might have, but that violating the laws of physics isn't something that he has much experience with.