The K-Metal From Krypton

[ozaline]

In 1940 Jerry Siegel produced a script for a Superman story that would have totally changed the character's status-quo not only would it introduce is first real weakness (K-metal), but it would have changed his relationship with Lois Lane forever. The story was drawn up but canned, possibly due to pressure from the producer of the Radio Drama (but no one is sure for certain). Only bits and pieces survived until Mark Waid found the original script in the DC Archives, he re-typed the script and eventually a version was produced online using the script and as much of the 1940s art that has survived.

Now let us take a look at a few pages of "The K-Metal from Krypton,"





Clark is sure bored by all this talk about Krypton, I mean who cares? It's not like Krypton's fate matters to him or anyone on Earth.

Next we have a page of the surviving 1940s art, and the restored finished art showing the meteor's effect on the Man of Steel.







Through their investigation into a gangster Lois and the depowered Clark are trapped in a mine, just as they are almost out of of oxygen the meteor passes and Clark's powers return... He is able to save Lois but unable to maintain the secret of his dual identity.





So the story ends with the K-metal sample stolen, and Lois with full knowledge of Superman's identity. There'd be no going back, but then the story never saw print.

Her reaction with the delayed anger reminds me a lot of her reaction to finding this out in Lois and Clark The New Adventures of Superman...

"L&C - 3x01 It's the new glasses, isn't it" (Watch on YouTube)

Comments

[alicemacher]

I remember coming across this a few years back. A fascinating look at what could've been.

[rainspirit]

I'm kind of sad, now. Years and years of comics where Superman hides his secret identity from people, and from Lois Lane most of all. Entire Silver Age issues of Lois Lane, the greatest investigative reporter in Metropolis, looking like a lunatic as she hatches schemes to find out Superman's true identity. And this story here, from the creator himself, establishing trust and partnership and forging a new relationship with Lois from the very beginning.

We got there eventually--and then we undid it--but how much more interesting would Superman have been with this in his early Golden Age canon?

[janegray]

Hear hear.

[cricharddavies]

It's important to remember, though, that if this was killed because of the radio show, and if insisting on this story cost National that radio show, then it's entirely possible that we wouldn't have had Superman for very long at all. Maybe on that world, Superman is done in by the paper shortage of the 40s.

It's just something to keep in mind.

[alschroeder3]

The fact that it gave humans super-powers made it very much like the X-Kryptonite that gave Streaky his powers. It's too bad in the Silver Age a crook didn't find the X-Kryptonite--he would be able to cause Superman pain and weakness and give him Superman-level strength at the same time!

But yeah, it was the logical next step of the Lois/Clark relationship. It's too bad that Siegel couldn't proceed as he wanted with his own character.

[hradzka]

This seems like as good a place as any for me to dump my theory about "The K-Metal From Krypton." Bear in mind: this is *entirely me talking out of my ass here.* But it's based on listening to a bunch of the ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN radio show, and it makes some weird creative choices on that show make a little more sense. Namely, the disappearance of Lois Lane.

In the early episodes of the radio show, Lois Lane is there, part of the adventures. But in April 1940, Jimmy Olsen comes along, and he basically takes over the role of Superman's assistant/confidant/sidekick. (Note that this is the same month that Robin debuted in print, and I'm very curious if the huge audience response from one led to the other.) Lois Lane, by contrast, basically disappears for a good while.

I think Lois's disappearance came because the original actress playing Lois Lane on the radio show was horrible. She played Lois *so* snide and nasty to Clark that you didn't want Clark to win her grudging respect; you wanted Clark to get the hell away from that asshole Lois Lane. From an audience perspective, she was really off-putting. You can see it making sense to shift Lois out, shift another character (Jimmy) in, and bring Lois back as a main character after people have forgotten a bit.

Why does this matter? Because the original actress playing Lois Lane on the radio show was Rolly Bester. Whose husband was SF writer Alfred Bester, who was part of the creative team on Superman's comics.

So my theory on "The K-Metal From Krypton" is that it was written to juice Lois Lane's role in the storyline, in the hopes that the radio show would give Rolly Bester her job back.

But DC canned the story, and Lois Lane got a different actress and a much-downplayed role on the radio show for a time.

[ozaline]

Interesting, I've listened to some of the radio show, but I didn't get as far as when Lois takes a hiatus from the show.

[laughing_tree]

Wow, that's a fascinating theory.

[alicemacher]

"She played Lois *so* snide and nasty to Clark that you didn't want Clark to win her grudging respect; you wanted Clark to get the hell away from that asshole Lois Lane. From an audience perspective, she was really off-putting."

The thing is, that's exactly the way Lois comes across in the first several months or so of the original comic-book stories. She doesn't merely put Clark down for his cowardice; she frequently says he disgusts her, and at least once says she hates him. The radio show was just following suit.

Eventually, Siegel (whether because of reader feedback, editorial dictate, or his own change of mind) did dial down the nastiness, but it was definitely the comic that introduced it first.

[alschroeder3]

What alicemacher said.

Now, to a certain extent she was justified. Remember, in her first appearance, she grudgingly went on a date with Clark---and Clark let a thug try to cut in on their dance, wouldn't fight back---and later the thug and his boys ran her car off the road, kidnapped her, and if Superman hadn't shown up, would have doubtless have raped her.

This was before she even knew Superman existed. Lois looked VERY worried in that back seat with the thug and his men.

If Lois despised Clark at first, I'd say she had reason.

[alicemacher]

That's a good point.

Later on, as he gained more and more powers, Clark would find ways to save people surreptitiously when he could (e.g. using his super-breath or heat vision when no one was watching), and thus avoid having to choose between revealing himself as Superman and coming off as a coward.

[silverzeo]

Just learned a week ago about how the Superman Radio help took down the KKK... can we see that in a comic form?

[ozaline]

What? Do you have a link to this? I wanna hear about it.

[silverzeo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMkABRBSm34

I also found out that they have the radio drama on youtube too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ol8Gmi57DI