DC Comics Presents #85 (September 1985)

When you're a superhero in the DC Universe, one can say you did not have it made until you got to team up with the "big guns". In said universe, that usually means meeting with a member of the Justice League, like say, Green Lantern, or Wonder Woman, or perhaps...Superman.

Superman teaming up with other heroes is nothing new. The DCU is full of them, and Superman even had his own book dedicated to his teaming up with other superheroes: DC Comics Presents. Going from 1978 to 1986, the book lasted 97 issues and got four Annuals. 

The issue we're looking at this week is a rather...unusual team-up. After all, Superman and the Swamp Thing are two characters that really did not have a lot in common. After all, one is an alien refugee (Yes, Superman is a refugee), and the other was a scientist-turned swamp monster. But that doesn't really matter when it comes to facing a common threat. This is DC Comics Presents #85!

The cover is a Rick Veitch piece. It depicts what looks like an angry Superman blasting away at the Swamp Thing with...white energy circle vision? I think it's meant to be depicted as using maybe his X-Ray or heat vision, but they tend to not be portrayed that way. The cover has that painted look to it. I like that. It gives the impression I'm looking at the cover of an old paperback novel. 

"The Jungle Line"
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciler: Rick Veitch
Inker: Al Williamson
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Tatjana Wood
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins on Interstate 55, a road that goes from Illinois to Louisiana. A car is making its way southwards, the hot sun baking it like it was a delicious muffin. Mmm...muffin...

A man is driving down this road, sickly and sweating. But this man is no regular driver with a bad head cold. This is a man who should not get sick. Who should be immune to all Earthly disease. 

The Man of Steel swore he would never go on a bender on Thanagar ever again.

As Moore himself said, the Man of Steel is heading down south to die. As he drives, he starts seeing bizarre hallucinations. He sees blood-soaked forests, with all sorts of strange animals. So, what is going on here? How did one of the mightiest heroes in the DCU end up in this state?

No problem, you're getting one. We go back a bit earlier, when Clark Kent and Lana Lang were sent to cover a discovery made in a meteorite.

"The fungus seems to enjoy cursing us out..."

The meteorite itself is not the big deal. After all, they hit Earth all the time. But this particular meteorite has a strange alien fungus on it. It's quite a find, even though they're in a world that has its fair share of contact with alien life, Superman being one of the main examples of it. However, unlike the Man of Steel, this fungus won't resist thorough research. As Lana asks the scientist, a Dr. Everett, about the fungus, Clark secretly uses his microscopic vision on it, discovering that the fungus is Kryptonian. He feigns dizziness to leave the conference. Using his superhuman memory (remember, this is pre-Crisis Superman), he identifies the fungus.

"By Rao, Thanagarians used to make cheese with this stuff!"

The Kryptonian scientific name for it was avarel uthotis, but its common name was the bloodmorel. Native to the Scarlet Jungle on Krypton, it's a dangerous little fungus. It can permeate the skin and grows in the bloodstream. Symptoms of exposure include fever, bouts of incapacitation, hallucinations, chronic overexertion...and in 92% of all cases of infection...death.

The next day, Clark notices his powers are going haywire. They fade in and out. He takes the subway home instead of flying because of this. That night, he starts having hallucinations.

"Your underwear kept making dirty jokes, so we didn't invite them."

Yeah, imagine your clothes arguing over what you should do about your fate. Dr. Everett lets Superman take the meteorite to examine. I can imagine that Superman told him he wanted to make sure the fungus wasn't dangerous to humans. Superman tries to examine the meteorite with his microscopic vision until it cuts out. He accepts he's a dead man walking and tries to head somewhere to let the illness take its course, so...he goes down south. According to the comic, there are no superheroes based in the Southern US. That sounds so weird to me. He also takes the meteorite with him for...some reason. 

Clark falls asleep at the wheel, causing the car to crash. Thankfully, our man's invulnerability was working, so he survives it. He stumbles out of the car, still clutching the meteorite. He hallucinates that he's in the Scarlet Jungle on Krypton. Hey, this was supposed to be a teamup between Superman and Swamp Thing, right? So, where's the other half of this teamup? Where's ol' Swampy?

"Alright, who's making all this goldarn noise in my goldarn forest?!"

There he is! Swampy notices that Clark seems to still be alive after all of that which leads him to wonder who this man is. Meanwhile, Superman's long strange trip takes a turn for the darker.

"We're actually the most beautiful creatures here!"

Yup, the creatures taunt our man, saying that he's lived too long. He was supposed to have died on Krypton. He should not have outlived his world. Which is hilarious as by this point in the pre-Crisis continuity, he's not the only survivor. Supergirl, all the criminals in the Phantom Zone, etc. The creatures become skeletal and demand he join them in death.

Back in the real world, the former Alec Holland examines the alien fungus on the meteorite. Naturally, he doesn't recognize the species. He tries to establish contact with the fungus, only to get painful sensations. Sensations of a burning red sun. Sensations of crushing gravity. He realizes, "Yup, this thing ain't from Earth". Swampy looks at the downed Clark and realizes he may know who this man is.

Back in Hallucination Land, Superman tries to fight the skeletal monsters, screaming that he is not dead, nor does he belong there. They can't keep him here, as he is Superman. Swamp Thing opens Clark's jacket, revealing the Superman costume underneath. It's then that the Man of Steel wakes up and gives Swampy a warm greeting.

"AUGH! MY GLUBOK!"

Thankfully, the ex-Alec Holland is made of swamp muck, so he'll live, and the hole Superman blasted in him will heal up. While he heals, he watches the feverish Superman yell and scream, lost in his hallucinations. His screams knock trees down, wild heat vision melts boulders. His body is going into overdrive, which will burn him out and kill him.

Swampy has to help Superman, calm him down, and find a way to cleanse his system. But the fungus got the Metropolis Marvel all messed up. There's no way to get through to him, unless...the fungus!

Swamp Thing touches Superman's shoulder with one hand, and the fungus with another. This allows the former Alec Holland to get into Clark's mind, see his hallucinations.

"Oh man, Lois is going to murder me for forgetting to clean this basement."

Superman crushes his hand, naturally thinking that Swampy is another hallucination. He tells Superman he is dying. The Man of Tomorrow tries to fight Swamp Thing, but Alec is able to get through to him, pointing out that he's overexerting himself, burning himself out. Alec tells Superman to touch his hand and uses...the color green to heal him.

Ecto Cooler can cure anything! Even alien fungi!

His job done here, Alec leaves to let Superman rest. He's going to be just fine now. Yeah, the forest looks like a warzone, but he'll be fine.

Superman wakes up, feeling right as rain. The fungus has been purged from his system, and his powers are back in working order. He flies off, feeling refreshed and renewed. Swamp Thing is happy about this, the story ending with him wandering back into the swamps, as the sun rises to signal a bright new day. 

I did enjoy this issue. What I did like about it is that it's not your typical team-up story. Yes, it does use the formula of old-school team-up stories (The heroes meet, fight, then join forces), but it uses them in a unique way. 

The one main thing about the story that confuses me is how Superman got infected by the Kryptonian fungus. He didn't touch the meteorite, he presumably did not breathe any of the fungus, so how did he get infected? And also, how come nobody else was infected by the fungus? Did it just ignore humans? Also, how exactly did Swamp Thing heal Superman? Did he just...use the color green? Yeah, the story is a bit vague in places, if you couldn't tell. I did get a good chuckle out of the scene with the Clark Kent suit and 

I also liked the artwork. It had a good sense of storytelling, and the renditions of the hallucinatory monsters are terrifying. 

If you want to read this for yourself, check out the 2011 trade paperback DC Universe by Alan Moore. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Se you next time!

DC Comics Presents #28 (December 1980)

Last time, I looked at DC Comics Presents #27 (November 1980), which saw the debut of one of Superman's more prominent malefactors: Mongul. In that story, Superman was forced to fight the Martian Manhunter to obtain a tuning fork-like device that would allow its user to control the most dreaded machine in the universe: Warworld. Warworld was an artificial planet that also functioned as a fearsome weapons platform. That story ended with Mongul getting the key and escaping to Warworld. What happened next? Well, let's join the Man of Steel and the Girl of Tomorrow as they try to stop Warworld in DC Comics Presents #28!

The cover is a Jim Starlin and Tatjana Wood piece. It's really neat. It depicts Mongul holding Superman and Supergirl in his hands as they're trying to fight him, with Warworld looming in the background. It really helps sell Mongul as tht\is big deal, with something even more dangerous looming in the background. 

"Warworld!"
Writer: Len Wein
Penciler: Jim Starlin
Inker: Romeo Tanghal
Colorist: Jerry Serpe
Letterer: Ben Oda
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Executive Editor: Joe Orlando

The story begins with Superman and Supergirl flying through the universe, in pursuit of Mongul. We get a recap of the last issue, which allows us to learn what happened to Steve Lombard, Jimmy Olsen, and Lois Lane after the events of the last issue. Superman had returned them to Earth and while he was there, he picked Supergirl up. I did wonder why they hadn't asked J'onn J'onzz to accompany them. I can probably imagine he had to take care of New Mars at the time.

The two head towards where the gigantic artificial planet/weapon called Warworld was supposed to be at, but they find it's gone.

Clearly, Mongul has activated it. Supergirl uses her microscopic vision and detects a stream of sub-atomic particles. Warworld uses powerful nuclear engines to move around. Its exhaust left behind a trail of said particles. It allows the two Kryptonians to follow Warworld's path, realizing it is heading towards the "Raydor Galaxy". 

Superman wants to be careful. He and Supergirl may be practically indestructible by Earth standards, but who know what weaponry Warworld is packing. Superman spots Warworld passing by a white dwarf star.

"Ha, ha! Gravity is for the WEAK!"

White dwarves are dying stars, and they are very dense. They also have very strong gravitational fields. Warworld passes close by one of those stars, seemingly unaffected by this. The two heroes use their telescopic vision to examine Warworld. They see the various weapons on the surface, the massive computer that operates all of it, a city to house its inhabitants, the graves of the Warzoon that built it, and Warworld's empty command console. But there's one thing that catches their eyes.

"This is not my beautiful house!"

A gigantic missile. Warworld does not play around when it comes to weaponry. The two decide to give the artificial planet a proper welcome. The planet's alarm system alerts Mongul to the two approaching. He links his mind up with Warworld's computer systems. It's here we get to learn Mongul's origins. Once upon a time, Mongul was a warlord. He ruled a world occupied by billions of beings. However, he ruled with an iron fist. Mongul felt that was how power should be wielded. A religious figure called the Arkymandryte turned the people against him, fermented a rebellion. Mongul was forced to flee for his life.  The Arkymandryte would end up becoming a worse dictator than Mongul himself.

Mongul launches one of the giant missiles at the two Kryptonians. Superman decides to take the missile just to see if he can take it. I think I can understand why Batman sometimes thinks Superman is an idiot. 

Superman gets hit by the gigantic missile. 

Superman: "...YEOW THAT SMARTS!"

Turns out Superman isn't quite as dumb as Batman thinks, as the Man of Steel was able to get out of the way at the last possible moment before it detonated. However, the concussion managed to knock him loopy. Yeah. The missile managed to stagger Superman. Another missile heads towards him and Supergirl. Superman remarks that that missile could have been the death of him and Supergirl...and then he gets hit with a bolt of inspiration.

They're going to keep heading for Warworld. Force Mongul to attack them with everything this artificial planet is packing. Mongul provides, shooting at the two heroes with all the planet's weapons. Superman and Supergirl dodges the lasers, use heat vision to blast the missiles. It's here that Superman reveals his plans. Remember when the two Kryptonians saw the graves on Warworld? 

Well, Superman theorizes that the Warzoon didn't all die out from some plague or cataclysm. It was likely something about Warworld itself that killed them all. And as Superman speaks, Mongul collapses from the strain of linking his mind to the world's computer systems.

"I can't...stop...fantasizing..."

Unfortunately, without a mind to control it, Warworld's defenses start going off automatically. And they need to get Mongul out of there. Superman gives Supergirl some instructions, and she flies off. As Superman distracts the defenses, Supergirl flies back towards Warworld, picking up speed. She's going to ram her way into the planet.

She manages to smash her way into Warworld. Not just into it, but right through it like a hot knife into butter.

"Use the Force, Kara!"

Awesome. Superman makes his way inside Warworld, marvelling that the big planet's self-repair capabilities. He reprograms Warworld, but finds that Mongul has vanished. So, what did Superman make Warworld do?

Superman is left wondering how many explosions he has to survive today?

With Warworld destroyed, maybe the Largas can rest easier, and Superman can patch things up with J'onn J'onzz. But that still leaves one more problem...where's Supergirl?  

I personally enjoyed the issue. I couldn't help but wonder if Starlin had a hand in writing this issue alongside Wein, because of the mention of the holy man. This is a space opera story with the mention of a holy man freeing the people of Mongul's world from his rule. Space opera with theological themes, ending with Mongul possibly dying? This sounds more like a Starlin story than a Wein one. Anyway, this was a neat tale, but I do wish more was done to explore the dangers of Warworld.

Starlin is more known as a writer than a penciler to me, so it was a surprise to see him drawing a comic. As I said in my review of the previous issue, I enjoyed his pencil work, particularly his take on Mongul himself. I think Starlin's art has a good sense of storytelling.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2013 trade paperback Superman vs. Mongul. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

DC Comics Presents #27 (November 1980)

Over the years, Superman has faced many a foe and menace in his never-ending battle against evil. One of those menaces was an intergalactic madman calling himself Mongul.

Mongul is a powerful alien being who dreams of universal domination. He was created by the late writer Len Wein and writer/artist Jim Starlin. Starlin is often seen as the main creator of Mongul...which makes sense. Beforehand, Starlin had been involved with the ascendence with the "cosmic" side of the Marvel Universe, writing the Captain Marvel book and creating Drax the Destroyer and Thanos. You may have heard of them. However, it was Wein who originally came up with the idea of Mongul, stating that he wanted to create a villain who would be able to match Superman physically. And considering that Superman in this point in time (The Bronze Age) was able to move planets, Mongul would have to be a physical powerhouse. 

Mongul would go on to be one of Superman's most significant foes, thanks to appearing in the Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons story For the Man Who Has Everything. The character would go on to appear in animated series, video games, and the animated film Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. 

The comic we're looking at here is Mongul's first appearance...well, in pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths canon, that is. Let's take a look at DC Comics Presents #27!

The cover is a Jim Starlin piece, and it's pretty cool. It depicts Superman clutching a tuning fork while standing over a defeated Martian Manhunter. Our debuting villain, Mongul, commands the Man of Steel hand over the tuning fork, which he refuses to do. It's an awesome cover, and it is true to the events of the comic. Which is something I can appreciate.

"The Key that Unlocked Chaos!"
Writer: Len Wein
Penciler: Jim Starlin
Inkers: Dick Giordano, Frank McLaughlin
Colorist: Jerry Serpe
Letterer: Todd Klein
Editor: Julius Schwartz 
Executive Editor: Joe Orlando

The story begins with the Metropolis Marvel receiving a transmission from a mysterious pale yellow-skinned purple-wearing being. He introduces himself as Mongul, and he wants Superman to grab something for him. Something the alien believes rightfully belongs to him. Superman basically tells Mongul to buzz off, as he has better things to do than play errand boy. 

However, Mongul figured Superman would say that, so he prepared a bit of insurance.

"I tried to take Perry White too, but he was out that day. Rather inconvenient."

The extraterrestrial miscreant has captured three of Superman's co-workers at the Daily Planet: fellow reporter Lois Lane, photographer Jimmy Olsen, and sports reporter Steve Lombard. Superman confirms that Mongul has them by checking Metropolis with his telescopic vision, revealing they're nowhere in Metropolis. Mongul does the standard villain hostage spiel. He'll return the Man of Steel's comrades unharmed if Superman obtains a key made of crystal. This crystal key is locked up in a crypt. Uh, did somebody tell Mongul that the key in that whole "Stop 'n' Swop" thing from Banjo-Kazooie was an ice key?

Anyway, Mongul tells Superman that the crypt is located on the fifth planet in the Cygnus system. Presumably, it's a planet that orbits one of the stars that makes up the constellation. Superman realizes this planet is actually New Mars. First appearing in Adventure Comics #449 (February 1977), this was where the Green Martians resided after Mars's atmosphere was destroyed by Commander Benn Blanx in Justice League of America #71 (May 1969). That comic saw the Martian Manhunter leave the Justice League to help find his remaining people a new homeworld. As such, the Manhunter was not actively involved with the League throughout the 1970s and the early 1980s, the era League fans like to refer to as the "Satellite Era". He would return to active service with the League during the "Detroit Era". The Crisis on Infinite Earths would erase New Mars from canon, making J'onn the last Martian.

Right, right. Anyway, Superman heads out towards New Mars. He finds that he's being followed by a small gray sphere, presumably Mongul sent it to make sure the Man of Steel doesn't try anything funny. Superman knows that Mongul is clearly bad news, and he doesn't want this key as a conversation piece he can display on his mantle. As such, the Man of Tomorrow decides to play along so he can learn more about his mysterious new foe and find a way to free his friends and coworkers. 

Superman finds the crypt and finds it unlocked without any defenses.

Yup. 

"No, J'onn! I didn't see you playing with your dolls again!"

J'onn J'onzz wants Superman off this planet. You see, the crystal key that Mongul is after would allow him access to one of the most dreadful weapons in the universe. An artificial planet filled to the brim with weaponry, appropriately known...as Warworld. Warworld was built by an ancient alien race called the Warzoon.

"We liked to refer to them as Space Rednecks."

The Warzoon loved three things: War, Conquest...and Bacon Sandwiches. I think I may be wrong about the third thing. Anyway, they built Warworld so they can rain down more death and destruction. However, the Warzoon mysteriously died out before they could really use the thing. The last of the Warzoon would be found dead at the planet's controls by members of another alien race called the Largas.

Turned out the guy was just sleeping.

The Largas were a peaceful race, so peaceful that they could not bring themselves to destroy the planet. Instead, these wannabe Silver Surfers reprogrammed Warworld to use its defenses to keep people off it. The crystal key emits special sonic vibrations that would allow the holder to get past Warworld's defenses. Nobody knows why the Largas did this. Maybe they couldn't destroy it. Maybe they thought it could be used as a last-ditch weapon to save the universe.

The Largas were an ancient race, and they were dying out as well. The last of the Largas looked for a people to safeguard the crystal key and found the Martians. The Martians knew the horrors of war well, and they valued peace as a result. The last of the Largas gave the key to J'onn. Knowing it would be in good hands, the last surviving Largas was able to join the rest of his people in death. 

Superman empathizes with J'onn's position. But he decides to start being a dolt. He gets all "Dude, I'm Superman, I know what I'm doing!"

This triggers a brawl between the Manhunter from Mars and the Last Son of Krypton. J'onn J'onzz is a smart Martian, and he's prepared for this.

Those missiles have Kryptonite warheads on them. Superman deflects them with his super-breath. The Kryptonian and Martian continue their fight, and Superman ends it by creating a ring of fire with his heat vision, taking advantage of the Martian's weakness towards fire. 

"POW! Right in the green kisser!"

The Man of Steel obtains the crystal key and is visited by a giant spaceship. Mongul arrives to take the key. Superman decided to not hand over the key, even if it means the death of his friends. The tyrant then starts to crush Superman's friends in their cube prison, but the device on his chest that controls it somehow gets wrecked, freeing them.

"Blasted cheap Durlan containment cubes!"

Mongul blasts Superman, making him drop the key. But it was actually the Martian Manhunter, using his power of invisibility. J'onn tries to stop Mongul from taking the key, but the big brute is able to smack him away, and then teleports off with the key in hand. J'onn gives Superman a dressing down for all of this, as he felt Supes's overconfidence that he could handle Mongul let this happen. Superman vows to get the crystal key back, and he's going to get some "super help" to make that happen.

Honestly, I'm kind of mixed on this particular comic. It's an action-packed issue, but the problem is, it's a bit of what TV Tropes would call an idiot plot. I mean, the Martian Manhunter is a telepath. Why couldn't he sense what Superman is doing? I can imagine the two of them telepathically working out a plan to fool Mongul to try and keep him from getting the crystal key. He can still make it off with the end by a stroke of bad luck. That's basically my main complaint.

I know Jim Starlin more as a writer than an artist personally, so seeing him do art duties on a comic was surprising to me. And I think it's pretty good. I especially like his interpretation of Mongul. His take on him makes him look very brutish, and the way he rendered his eyes radiates evil. Shaded in black, with red spots. Really nice. He looks like an evil brute with a hidden intelligence.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2013 trade paperback Superman vs. Mongul. It collects Mongul's pre-Crisis appearances, and includes For the Man Who Has Everything. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated and boosted! See you next time! 

DC Comics Presents #16 (December 1979)

In 1978, DC Comics unveiled a series known as DC Comics Presents. The book told stories of Superman teaming up with various characters from throughout the DC Universe. The series lasted until 1986, lasting 97 issues and four annuals. One of the notable issues is #87. A tie-in to Crisis on Infinite Earths, it introduced Superboy-Prime, who would go on to be one of the antagonists of Infinite Crisis. Even though the original series was cancelled in 1986, the name would still live on in various ways. In 2004, DC brought back the title as a series of one-shots to pay tribute to Julius Schwartz. And in 2010, DC used it for a series of 100-page comics that reprinted older stories.

The comic we're going to look at here is a team-up between Superman and a character whose profile had grown in recent years: Jefferson Pierce, aka Black Lightning. Let's look at DC Comics Presents #16!

The cover is a Ross Andru and Dick Giordano piece. I like it. It depicts our two heroes trying to fight an energy monster. Superman can't touch it, so it's up to the Olympian/teacher-turned superhero to save Metropolis!

"The De-Volver!"
Writer: Dennis O'Neil
Penciler: Joe Staton
Inker: Frank Chiaramonte
Letterer: Ben Oda
Editor: Julius Schwartz

The story begins on a subway in Metropolis. The form of public transportation, not the sub shop. Someone decided to help themselves to some free money by holding the car up.

Luckily for the passengers, one of them is Jefferson Pierce, aka the lightning-lobbing metahuman hero called Black Lightning. Who was riding the train in his costume. 

He was there because he had picked up word about a series of subway robberies. The former Olympian engages the robbers. During the fight, one of the passengers, a girl named Trina, is caught by a stray shot. Sadly, Lightning can tell she's not going to survive. But there's another problem. The train's controls were also wrecked by a stray bullet, and as a result, the train is out of control.

However, this is a Superman team-up book, so of course Big Blue is going to be there to save the day.

"Here I come to save the daaaaay..."

The Man of Steel has managed to stop the train, then takes his leave. Lightning tries to comfort Trina's boyfriend, but in his grief-fueled rage, the boy tells the metahuman hero he hates him. Later, Black Lightning switches back to his civilian clothes as schoolteacher Jefferson Pierce. Pierce recognized the two teenagers. They were students of his, and the boy was named Hugh Bryant. He recalled that Trina was a bit of a wild girl and Hugh was a quiet studious boy. Opposites attract indeed.

He figures since he's in the area, he'll pay young Mr. Bryant a visit. He was hit pretty hard by Trina's death, so he figured some kind words from a teacher couldn't hurt. And I can imagine that Pierce blames himself a bit for her death. He arrives at Bryant's apartment only to find himself getting a big kiss from a fist.

"Gnarrk wants his money!"

The Neanderthal-looking man and Pierce end up brawling in the hall. 

To end the brawl, Pierce literally kicks the Neanderthal out of the building. Pierce comes down and tries to find him, but he seems to have vanished.

Unknown to the hero of Suicide Slum, the ancient ancestor of man is hiding nearby, and begins a transformation... 

Black Lightning returns to Hugh's apartment to look for any clues as to where Hugh went off to. However, it just raises more questions. There's soup heating on the burner. Why would a Neanderthal be heating soup? I don't know, Jeff. Maybe he was hungry. Anyway, Pierce realizes that the Neanderthal was wearing what looked like the tattered remains of Hugh Bryant's clothes. Lightning realizes he may need some...Super-Help.

As such, he heads to the Daily Planet. Clark Kent is there, and upon seeing Lightning, takes to the air so he can become Superman. The two then hear a call on the police band. A flying monster is rampaging in Suicide Slum. 

The Metropolis Zoo learned the hard way that a Dinosaur Island exhibit was a bad idea.

Ugly old buzzard, ain't it? Superman flies to engage the monster, noticing that it's trying to ignore him...and it's going straight for Black Lightning. Superman hits the creature with a Mighty Punch. The pterodactyl falls to the ground...and seemingly sinks into it. The Metropolis Marvel can't detect the creature with his X-Ray vision, nor can his super-hearing pick up any noise from the creature. It's like it merged with the concrete down below. 

The two heroes learn from a kid witness that the creature came from the direction of Bryant's apartment. The two head there, and there's no trace of the boy. Superman does find a couple of interesting clues: a 10,000-year-old arrowhead, a piece of petrified wood...and a strange green alien device.

"Superman, I think that's a LEGO set."

Looks like some kind of mutant microscope to me. Superman theorizes that Hugh Bryant was an alien...and alien that is de-evolving. Yeah, because neanderthal man evolved from pterosaurs.

You know Supes, it's likely that Bryant is a shapeshifter. It's not like the DCU doesn't have an alien race whose whole hat is shapeshifting or anything. I mean, I get that the gadget that Supes finds may not be something from Earth, but it's not like he revealed that. Anyway, Bryant attacks again.

Yup, he's now mutated into some sort of energy being. De-evolving my eye. Superman tries to fight the creature, but his Mighty Punches have no effect. His fist can't connect with the creature. Superman can't punch it, but it can grab him. 

The monster manages to grab both Superman and Black Lightning. It vibrates their bodies, threatening to shake them apart. It's here that they're told the origins of Hugh Bryant. He's an alien exile who came to this planet when it was still young. It used its power of shapeshifting to pose as a plant. He continued living on Earth for millennia, hiding among the dominant lifeforms. It's lived as plants, dinosaurs, and finally, man. 

Despite this, Hugh was a lonely being. He then met Trina, and for the first time in his immortal existence, he found himself in love. And sadly, Trina's death was his first taste of heartbreak. And he's not taking it well. Lightning notices that metal objects are flying around like they're being affected by magnets. The teacher theorizes that Bryant in this form is generating a magnetic field. He tries to use his own powers to disrupt the field. It works, and Bryant returns to his human form.

Superman asks why he hasn't left Earth. Bryant explains that he's trapped by Earth's gravitational field. He wants to go home as he realizes that he's lonely now. Superman takes him up into space. The story ends with Bryant thanking Superman as he assumes his energy form and flies off.

This was...not very good. It really wasn't. The best way I can describe this is that it feels like a first draft. I was left with a ton of questions after this.

As do I, Cell. As do I.

Why was Bryant exiled to Earth? I mean, there was story potential there. Was he a criminal? Was he just exiled because someone in power in his homeworld was being a petty jerk? How did he go so long without making any sort of friends or loved ones? How did Superman determine he was an alien? Yeah, I got that he found the alien device, but the story didn't indicate that he examined it at all. He just looked at it and said "Yeah, he's an alien". For all he knew, it was just some weird sculpture! Also, Trina was the first time he ever fell in love? If we can presume he took human form when modern man first emerged, that meant he's been living among humans for quite a long time. He never knew love until now? Yeah, this raises issues.

The one positive I have for this story is that it's fast-paced and it's got plenty of action. And I liked the art. Joe Staton turns in some perfectly fine art that does the job.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2018 trade paperback Black Lightning: Volume Two. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! See you next time!