It’s an exciting time to be a Superman fan. Superman is the most anticipated movie of the summer, and DC Comics has been putting out some amazing Superman comics. Superman Unlimited #1 kicked off the Emerald Age, an all-new status quo that revolves around Kryptonite. Superman saves the Earth from a massive Kryptonite meteor, with Kryptonite becoming a major part of the world’s technological development. However, this is not the only big change to the Superman status quo. Galaxy Communications, a Metropolis telecommunications company, has bought The Daily Planet. Their goal is to transform into the biggest and best news organization on the planet, and Superman Unlimited #2 shows even more of that, as readers are reintroduced to one of DC’s weirdest characters who just so happens to be in the news business himself — Jack Ryder, who is also known as the vigilante called the Creeper.
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The Creeper has a very interesting legacy in the DC Multiverse. The Creeper was co-created by Steve Ditko, the talent behind the early issues of The Amazing Spider-Man, and has long been one of the more wild DC characters around. The Creeper has never exactly been popular, but has appeared in many different DC Comics over the years. The publisher tried to make the character a big deal again in the months after Infinite Crisis ended, but failed. Since then, he’s been a background character, but Superman Unlimited #2 may be his time to breakout.
The Creeper Is DC’s Wildest Vigilante
The Creeper first appeared in 1968’s Showcase #73. Jack Ryder was a radio host in Gotham City, and was given an experimental device by Doctor Yatz. The device gave him superhuman powers, and he donned a wild costume to become the Creeper. At first, Ryder’s outlandish appearance as the Creeper was thanks to the costume, but since then he basically transforms into the Creeper. The Creeper is immediately recognizable as a Ditko character. Ditko was known for creating slight, acrobatic characters who liked to contort their bodies in weird ways and were slightly sinister. The Creeper would eventually get his own book two months after his first appearance, the six issue miniseries Beware the Creeper. Since then, the Creeper has had several other miniseries, his origin changed in 1987’s The Creeper miniseries, with the device not only giving him powers, but changing his brain chemistry. The Creeper is often played as something of a sinister vigilante; he’s not evil, but he’s way more reckless than someone like Batman or Green Arrow. While many superheroes work in the news industries, the Creeper’s an anachronism here as well.
In his modern appearances, Jack Ryder is much more of a sensationalistic journalist. His radio show, and later TV and Internet shows, were more about entertainment than journalism, and Ryder is basically a conspiracy theorist type. In fact, Ryder’s shows have appeared more in recent years than the Creeper has. This is the case in Superman Unlimited #2; the episode of his show in the issue sees him talking to a farmer about the affects of Kryptonite on the flora and fauna of the Earth. The farmer brought a two-headed goat with her, but before she can get too conspiratorial, Clark Kent shows up to fact check her — as part of The Daily Planet‘s new role in the news ecosystem — tearing apart her arguments. The death of the segment enrages Ryder, who cuts his feed with eighteen minutes left in the show, and the Creeper, played as a separate personality, asks Jack to let him out. The Creeper appears later in the issue, and watches a group of thugs with Kryptonite weapons fight Superman after getting a bag of Big Belly Burgers. The Creeper intervenes, stopping one of the thugs from shooting Superman while he’s not paying attention. The Creeper is back, and it feels like it’s more than one of his bit appearances he’s made over the years.
What Role Will the Creeper Plan in the Emerald Age?
The Emerald Age is shaping up to very interesting. The balance of power on DC’s Prime Earth has changed completely, as even thugs can take out Kryptonians with little trouble. Superman’s world has changed; his job is different, things are suddenly more dangerous for him than ever, and he’s developed all-new powers. The Superman comics are in for some big changes, and it’s looking like the Creeper is going to be one of them. Jack Ryder has made lots of bit appearances over the years, but this one looks to be more than just a one-off for writer Dan Slott to show off just how well he knows the history of the DC Universe.
The Creeper watches Superman almost lose, and knows that there is danger to the Man of Steel. Metropolis can use a protector that isn’t vulnerable to Kryptonite, and it seems like Slott added him to the book for more than just a one-off. The Creeper and Superman haven’t gotten to hang out much, but it looks like Slott is about to change that. The Creeper is a very fun character, and getting to watch Slott play him off of Superman feels like a major treat.
Superman Unlimited #2 is on sale now.
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