Warning: Spoilers ahead for Action Comics #976, out today.
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Twenty years and a couple of weeks ago, Dan Jurgens wrote Superman #123, the start of the “Electric Superman” era and a single-issue story titled “Superman…Reborn!”
Today, “Superman Reborn” — this time a four-part story written by Jurgens in his capacity as Action Comics writer along with the Superman team of Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason — wrapped up and changed the character’s mythology dramatically going forward.
“I’m tempted to play the cool card here and say, ‘Why, of course! We plan everything that carefully!’” Jurgens joked when we asked him about the coincidence. “But, quite truthfully, I honestly had no idea whatsoever!”
The story — which saw Mr. Mxyzptlk step forward as the “fake Clark Kent” who has been hanging around Metropolis since DC’s Rebirth soft-relaunch last May — utilized elements of the “Superman Red/Superman Blue” idea that Superman #123 eventually evolved into, although Jurgens downplayed the importance of that story to the development of the modern “Superman Reborn.”
“Once everyone reads Action #976 they’ll be tempted to draw some comparisons to that, and that’s somewhat valid. But at the same time, we obviously constructed something quite different,” Jurgens said. “The next two issues, #977 and #978, will delve into some of the changes and differences that are results of the story. There are other aspects of the story, such as the mechanics of who and what caused it, that will be told down the road.”
The biggest change, many fans already know, is that the New 52 versions of Superman and Lois Lane — the ones who first appeared after DC’s 2011 publishing reboot and who both died right around the time of DC Universe: Rebirth #1 — returned briefly as energy beings and were merged with their pre-Flashpoint selves, modifying their personal histories around those shared memories and apparently having a continuity-altering impact on the memories of those around them, as well.
For some, this has already become another unnecessary continuity tangle — although with the pre-Flashpoint Superman having stepped up to replace the New 52 Superman following the younger Man of Steel’s apparent death, the comics themselves will actually likely be less confusing on a month-to-month basis for casual fans who won’t have to play the “which Superman is which?” game.
“We spent a lot of time talking about the best possible solution for Superman and Lois. Ultimately, we decided that the best solution was to unify both versions of the characters that existed in the DCU,” Jurgens explained, adding that there was never a thought of not incorporating New 52 Lois Lane as well, saying that “she absolutely had to be treated with the same care and sensitivity as Superman.”
Jurgens also told ComicBook.com that the creative teams knew his new costume, which had been announced as appearing for the first time in next week’s Superman, had to debut here. Introducing a new look was key to establishing that this is a new Superman and that neither of the characters was “lost” in the other version when the merge occurred.
Besides merging the disparate mythologies of the pre- and post-reboot Supermen, “Superman Reborn” finalized the process of putting the toothpaste back in the tube as per the New 52 Superman being “outed” to the world as Clark Kent during the “Truth” storyline in 2015.
The idea of Mr. Mxyzptlk, a Fifth Dimensional imp whose power is nearly limitless and who has been harassing Superman for years, would be the one to lend Superman the assist on that point was something that Jurgens has had percolating in the back of his head for about two years.
“That actually goes back to one of the first things I was talking about back when I was wrapping up Superman: Lois and Clark and was moving onto Action Comics,” Jurgens said. “I talked about the idea of having a second Clark Kent, which would help us with the secret identity problem. Mxyzptlk was always the key to that. From the very beginning, the loose idea was that he was trying to help his ‘buddy’ Superman. As we developed the story, it became a bit more expansive and involved the idea of him kidnapping Jon.”
While Mxy has a funny look and a playful nature, his stunts tend to get a lot of people hurt or killed. In one of his most memorable showdowns with the pre-Flashpoint Superman, Mxyzptlk turned the Daily Planet building into a toddler, complete with a head and wide-brimmed hat in the form of the Daily Planet globe. It’s a fun visual and a silly idea…until you consider how much collateral damage and loss of life and property can happen when a skyscraper throws a tantrum in the middle of a major city.
Now that he’s set his sights on Superman’s son Jon, what can fans expect from Mxy going foward?
“I think Mxyzptlk should always fit into a slot where he seems quite playful — but in a way that can turn dangerous in a heartbeat,” Jurgens said. “So, is he a danger in the future? Yes. Would he see himself in that way? Probably not.”
You can get a copy of Action Comics #976 at your local comic shop or buy a digital copy.
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