DC Just Used One of the Greatest Superman Stories of All Time Against Him

After the incredible month-long special All Fight Month, the third round of DC Comics’ fantastic DC K.O. event has arrived. Darkseid has returned, and the only way to stop him is for the heroes and villains of Earth to contend in a brutal tournament to obtain the reality-warping Heart of Apokolips. In DC K.O. #3, the eight remaining fighters receive tag-team partners to help them. This set-up offers many shocking and epic moments. One of the most significant battles is Superman and Shazam against Guy Gardner and Hal Jordan. Not only is it an action-packed battle, but it also references one of the greatest Superman stories of all time and connects it to the Man of Steel’s character arc in DC K.O.

During the battle between heroes, Superman finds himself facing off against his fellow Justice League member, Green Lantern Hal Jordan. It quickly becomes very clear why Guy picked Hal as his partner in this 2v2 match. Hal is inarguably a far more skilled Green Lantern than Guy, and he proves this by conjuring one of the most impressive constructs in Green Lantern history: a Black Mercy. This alien plant is a dangerous parasite that uses its tendrils to latch onto a host and creates a dream of a perfect world for the person. This nightmarish creature can trace its origins back to one of the most emotional and quintessential Superman stories ever: Superman Annual #11, “For the Man Who Has Everything.”

“For the Man Who Has Everything” is One of the Most Important Superman Stories Ever Written

Created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, “For the Man Who Has Everything” is a haunting tale that masterfully shows the broken man beneath Krypton’s Last Son. The story involves Batman, Wonder Woman, and Robin arriving at the Fortress of Solitude to celebrate Superman’s birthday, only to find him paralyzed and in the Black Mercy’s clutches. The Black Mercy was deployed by the intergalactic tyrant Mongul, who used it to get Superman out of the way in his plan to conquer the Earth. While the heroes fight Mongul and try to free Superman from the Black Mercy, we see what the Man of Tomorrow’s dream is, and it’s nothing short of tragic.

Superman’s dreams that Krypton never exploded, and he is raised by his birth parents, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van. Superman also has a wife, Loana, and a son, Van. Within the confines of the Black Mercy, Superman lives an entire lifetime in this ideal world, but it can’t last forever. Between Batman’s struggles to pull the Black Mercy off him and Superman’s intuition, he begins to see the cracks in the fantasy world. Eventually, Superman is forced to reject this false reality while fruitlessly trying to hold Van one last time. Once freed, Superman attacks Mongul in a fit of unparalleled rage. In the end, after Robin latches the Black Mercy onto Mongul, Superman can only mourn the life he never had and the dream of it that he lost.

What makes “For the Man Who Has Everything” such a masterpiece is how it presents Superman at his most human and broken. Superman still has his memories from the dream world, and while it may not have been reality, it was still real to him. He remembers growing up on Krypton, marrying Loana, and watching Van grow up. The story shows the unending grief Superman feels at losing his home and heritage. And the rage and pain Superman displays after breaking free is one of the most emotionally raw moments the Man of Steel has ever shown in comics. And while the story wraps up with Superman deciding to move forward with his life, it demonstrates that this pain has been and will always be a part of him.

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In DC K.O. #3, Hal Jordan’s Black Mercy construct modernizes Superman’s dream world by incorporating the character’s evolution and growth that had occurred since 1985, when “For the Man Who Has Everything” was published. In this version, not only are Krypton and Superman’s birth parents alive, but he’s also with his wife Lois and their son Jon. Even the Legion of Superheroes, Superman’s lifelong friends from the 31st century, are present in the dream world. However, the memory of the real Lois Lane motivates Superman to break free of Hal’s Black Mercy construct. And after Shazam shares his magical powers with Superman, the Man of Steel manages to defeat both Green Lanterns and win the match.

The appearance of the Black Mercy and its utopian dream-inducing effects in DC K.O. #3 are more than just a reference to one of the most essential Superman stories of all time; it’s a reflection of the central story arc the Man of Tomorrow is facing as he fights for the Heart of Apokolips. Throughout DC K.O., it’s made clear that the Heart of Apokolips corrupts people as they get closer to obtaining it. The corrupting nature of the Heart of Apokolips and the overwhelming energy that it exudes fuel the combatants to fight even more ruthlessly. Even Superman feels the draw to let go of his morals for the chance to obtain absolute power and remake the universe in his image.

Both “For the Man Who Has Everything” and DC K.O. tackle the idea of Superman fighting to not give in to temptation. The stories present scenarios in which Superman has the chance to live in on Krypton with his family. In “For the Man Who Has Everything,” he had to willingly give up his dream world to return to his role as Superman. And through the Heart of Apokolips, Superman has the chance to make the perfect world that the Black Mercy shows him. This development makes the threat of his corruption more potent than ever. Still, if these two incredible storylines have shown us anything, it’s that Superman is willing to sacrifice his own happiness and refuse absolute power for the sake of humanity and his loved ones.

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