SUPERMAN #5 & #6

“THE MUMMY STRIKES” | “THE LAST FIVE HUNDRED”
Writer/Penciler: John Byrne | Inker: Karl Kesel
Colorist: Tom Ziuko | Letterer: John Costanza | Editors: Andrew Helfer & Michael Carlin

The Plot: (Issue 5) Clark Kent arrives at the Daily Planet to learn that Perry White has lost contact with Lois Lane in South America. Clark leaves, changes into Superman, and flies to the archaeological site where Lois is on assignment. There, he learns that the research team has uncovered evidence of a civilization which predated mankind. As they explore the subterranean site, a giant mummy comes to life and attacks. Clark separates himself from the group and fights back, eventually shutting the mummy down, then feigns injury as Lois and the archeologists find him.

(Issue 6) Clark awakens to find that Lois and all the archeologists have been possessed by representatives of an ancient race which lived on Earth prior to humanity. These beings now plan to resume their rule of the planet, and the “mummy” is actually robot built to house their five hundred minds. Clark changes to Superman and the robot attacks. He fights against it and the ancient minds possessing Lois and the others return to the robot to aid its battle.

Superman eventually realizes the covetous creatures will fight over his body if he feigns defeat, and when they do so, the robot explodes. In the aftermath, Superman flies Lois home, assuring her that he already returned Clark to Metropolis.

Sub-Plots & Continuity Notes: Clark has a dream in which he and Wonder Woman battle Darkseid’s war dogs, and then share a kiss. Later, at the Planet, Clark flirts briefly with Cat Grant.

In South America, one of the archeologists recognizes Clark from the dust jacket photo on his most recent novel.

My Thoughts: Something about this story feels a little off for Superman. Just as last issue’s Bloodsport tale seemed more suitable to a “street level” character like Batman or Daredevil, this adventure, with its pre-human hive mind civilization, seems like an idea Byrne had for FANTASTIC FOUR, but brought over to DC when he left that title. I think I would’ve liked it more if it was, as the first chapter’s cover suggested, simply a case of Superman versus a mummy!

But there are still things to enjoy here. Clark is late for work when the first issue begins, and has no time to shave when he heads over to the Planet, and then to South America. As a result, he spends the entire adventure trying to keep Superman away from Lois so she won’t notice that he and Clark have the same five o’clock shadow! It’s fun to see the Man of Steel faced with such a “Marvel”-style predicament.

(Yes, I criticized a Marvel/Fantastic Four-style plot while applauding a Marvel-style story wrinkle. I’m a complex being of many opinions.)

We also get the first instance I can recall of Byrne acknowledging that Marv Wolfman’s and Jerry Ordway’s ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN exists (aside from his participation in the Darkseid three-parter, of course), as Cat Grant puts in an appearance.

But probably my favorite part about the story is Clark’s dream to open issue 5 — both because Byrne draws a great depiction of Diana of Themyscira, and because... this appears to be Superman having a wet dream about Wonder Woman!

I mean, seriously, I can’t really read the scene any other way. And it make sense, too, as Byrne’s Clark thinks on the next page — he’s lived mostly without romance (and presumably sex) in his life since becoming Superman, and now he’s met a woman who is basically his physical equal. It’s only natural he’d begin to lust over her, even if he barely knows her as a person. (Especially if you subscribe to the “Man of Steel/Woman of Kleenex” thing — which I don’t — but if you did, the whole bit would seem even more logical.)

I know there’s an upcoming Superman/Wonder Woman crossover by Byrne and Pérez in which our heroes share a kiss (it features on the cover of one of the upcoming collection volumes). I don’t know anything about it, but clearly Clark’s dream here seems meant to plant a seed for that upcoming smooch. I’ll be curious to see if George Pérez lays any groundwork on Diana’s side in the pages of WONDER WOMAN.

Next Week: Superman teams up with the Demon, Etrigan, in ACTION COMICS #587, then has more fun with the Circle in ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #429.