Is DC's Absolute Universe Based on a Classic Superman Story?

Could DC be hiding a tie to a famous Superman story from the past?

By Russ Burlingame

During the run-up to the DC All-In special that released last week, writers Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson teased that the key difference between the Absolute DC Universe and the main-line DC Universe is that the fate of the Absolute universe is tied to Darkseid, whereas the fate of the main universe is tied to Superman. That's a fairly simple concept, but when you realize that a new, different Superman (and Batman and Wonder Woman, etc.) were created as a result of the Absolute universe's creation, it does raise some questions about what exactly Darkseid managed to do.

One of those questions, at least for us, is whether the Absolute Universe could be giving a wink and a nod to a classic Superman story -- one that has been revisited a few times now. After all -- if you look at the moment when the Absolute Universe appears to have been created, there are two, overlapping Earths: one tinted blue by its atmosphere, and one red.

It's entirely possible this is a coincidence. After all, what '80s kid doesn't remember the common use of blue as a "good" color and red as an "evil" color? Go watch Star Wars or G.I. Joe to see whose light sabers and laser blasts are what. Still, in the case of the DC Universe, it's difficult to ignore the splitting of one world into two, where one is predominantly blue and one red. Why? Because we have seen that happen a few times before.

"The Amazing Story of Superman-Red and Superman-Blue!" was a 1963 "Imaginary Story" by writer Leo Dorfman, with art by Curt Swan. In it, the Man of Steel is separated into two halves in order to accomplish more, but complications arise and his two halves eventually have to reconstitute themselves into one person. It was a short, one-off story, but it was one of those silly Silver Age tales that lodged itself in a lot of people's brains.

Some of those people were writers (and a colorist!) at DC in the 1990s.

In 1997, after the Final Night crisis (by then-current The Adventures of Superman team Karl Kesel and Stuart Immonen) in which Superman worked tirelessly to save people while operating without the rejuvenating benefit of yellow sunlight, the Man of Steel was briefly powerless. In his quest to restore his abilities, he tried a number of things, and the combination of experiments resulted in a change to his body and power set that lasted for about a year. His skin turned blue, he was forced to wear a "containment suit" that kept his energy-based form from dissipating, and his abilities shifted to more electricity-based ones with similar application to his traditional powers. Toward the end of the storyline, an attempt to destroy him resulted in the "electric blue" Superman being split in two -- one red, one blue, in a riff on the Silver Age story "Superman Red/Superman Blue" by Leo Dorfman and Curt Swan. He was eventually reunited after an altercation with giant, cosmic beings called Millennium Giants.

In 2014, the New 52 Superman used his solar flare power and touched off a series of events where he was powerless and/or severely depowered for much of a year. As had happened when the pre-Flashpoint Superman had his Red and Blue story, the Fortress of Solitude briefly didn't recognize him as Kryptonian, and locked him out. In 2017, just in time for the 20th anniversary of the '90s version of Superman Red/Superman Blue, fans discovered that Mr. Mxyzptlk had somehow created the New 52 Superman by splitting Superman in half, and after that discovery the two were able to be reunited, cleaning up some continuity snarls that had cropped up after the deaths of the New 52 Superman and Lois.

Now, we're coming up on another seven years removed from that, and we are struck with lightning, red, and blue -- all motifs that permeated the '90s and 2010s versions of the Superman Red/Superman Blue events.

"What we came up with, along with a bunch of great creators -- Mark Waid and everybody else working on the lead up to it -- is that, during the events of Absolute Power, unbeknownst to the superheroes, Darkseid starts to realize that something has always been missing," Snyder teased when the All-In special was announced. "He senses something in a special moment during Absolute Power that we don't want to spoil. He senses something has changed, and once he realizes this, it sets him off on a quest that's going to bring him into direct conflict with this new Justice League that Superman is setting up -- this more robust Justice League. The collision between those two forces will reshape the DC cosmology."

That's what creates "a dangerous, wild new planet" -- the Absolute DC Universe -- where Snyder said they have brought in some of the biggest names in comics as well as some rising stars to kick off an epic story that will drive DC for years to come. The world is darker, so "[heroes] have to be tougher, they've got to be more resourceful, they have to shine brighter."

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We aren't saying this tougher, bright-shining Absolute Superman is actually just "Superman Red," but if there's any meaning to the red and blue symbolism beyond "good and evil" or "Darkseid and Superman," don't be too surprised if continuity nerds like Snyder, Waid, and Williamson latch onto it to deliver a riff on the overall concept.

What do you think? Are we crazy, or is there something here? Sound off on social media to let us know, and check out Absolute Superman #1 -- in stores on November 6th.

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