Metropolis’s Most Iconic Landmark Just Got Its Own Origin Story

Superman Unlimited shocked readers with its first issue. Superman has been on something of an uptick lately, with DC pulling out all the stops to give audiences excited for Superman by the upcoming movie the best Superman stories they can. Superman Unlimited #1 kicked off the Emerald Age, as a massive Kryptonite meteor lands on Earth, with Superman saving the world from an catastrophic event. Kryptonite becomes common, and the newest wonder mineral, changing the world for the Kryptonians who have protected the Earth. Something about his interaction with the meteor has changed his powers, and Superman is basically in all-new world. Superman Unlimited #2 picks up all of these plots, expanding on them, but the first page of the book gives readers a key piece of Superman history — the origin of The Daily Planet globe.

The Daily Planet globe, on top of the headquarters of the newspaper, has long been a huge part of the iconography of Metropolis. It’s appeared in basically every piece of Superman media over the decades in some form, and even fans who don’t really know the comics know what it looks like. It doesn’t seem too important to see the origin of the landmark, especially with so many other important factors in this newest Superman comic. However, writer Dan Slott does something very clever with the whole thing, and it really shows just how much Superman comics have changed over the years.

The Daily Planet Globe Is an Homage to Action Comics #1

Most people know that Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent works at the Metropolis newspaper The Daily Planet. However, this wasn’t always the case. Originally, Clark, Lois, and Jimmy all worked at The Daily Star. The Daily Planet first appeared in Action Comics #23, which was published in 1940, two years after the introduction of Superman. The Daily Planet globe, the massive golden statue of the planet Earth, also first appeared in this comic. DC history has been changed so that Superman has always worked at The Daily Planet, and it’s impossible to even think of Metropolis without it. Superman Unlimited #2 opens up in June of 1938, and shows the people of Metropolis looking up as the massive globe is put on top of the building and it’s welded in place. For well-read Superman fans, June 1938 is a very well-known date. That’s the month and year that Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1. Slott choosing to make this the same time as the first appearance of The Daily Planet is a nice little homage to the first superhero comic.

The Daily Planet has always been an important part of the comics. Currently, Lois Lane is the editor in chief and the paper is now owned by Galaxy Communications, a Metropolis telecom company. The whole point of showing the globe’s origin is part of that latter plot development, as the erection of The Daily Planet globe is echoed on the next pages. Galaxy has decided to make The Daily Planet into an all-in-one news source, with offices in cities around the world, each of them topped by a massive Daily Planet globe. It’s a cool little moment in an issue that crams a lot of story into it, but it feels perfect. Linking the globe and the real world date of Superman’s introduction is a cool little wrinkle, one that shows just how much Slott cares about the history of Superman.

The Daily Planet Globe Is Even More Linked to Supeman than Before

Superman has always been a symbol of hope, and a part of that has always been The Daily Planet. A huge part of Superman’s heroism is his relationship with The Daily Planet, and that golden globe has become a huge part of the iconography of Superman. Superman’s “S”-shield is a symbol of hope, and in Superman Unlimited #2, Slott establishes that to many, The Daily Planet is also a symbol of hope. Giving the origin of the globe, and linking it to Superman’s debut, underlines this idea, showing off just how important this piece of architecture is to Metropolis and the Superman mythos.

An argument can be made that there was no reason for this little plot element, but that can be said about a lot of things in superhero stories. The Daily Planet is one of the most important elements of the Superman mythos, and getting to see its genesis is one of the coolest little parts of the current Superman stories.

Superman Unlimited #2 is on sale now.

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