Spoilers ahead for Action Comics #975, on sale today.
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One of the biggest that’s been lingering since the start of DC’s “Rebirth” era is answered in today’s Action Comics #975, the second part of the four-part “Superman Reborn” storyline.
The question: Who is the mysterious Clark Kent who appeared in Action Comics #957. And the answer?
…Well, he was one of the names on our list, anyway.
That would be fifth-dimensional imp Mr. Mxyzptlk, whose relationship with Superman is antagonistic but who himself is often portrayed as more of a playful trickster than a straight-up villain. “Mxy” has often referred to himself as being a friend of Superman’s, with the two simply playing a long game together.
And that’s part of his motivation now: after years of showing up to harass Superman every 90 days or so without fail, Mxyzptlk was captured by the mysterious, hooded figure known as Mr. Oz and held in one of the cells that holds characters like Doomsday and Tim Drake. After escaping, he discovered that the rules had changed in his long game with Superman, as Clark Kent’s identity had been revealed to the general public. Even while nursing some ill will toward the Man of Steel, Mxy transformed himself into Clark Kent — with a convincing enough disguise to put the ol’ mind-whammy even on himself, right up until he saw “his” soulmate Lois sharing a happy family dinner with Superman and Jonathan Kent in Action #974.
It isn’t yet clear what, if any, ties this version of Mxyzptlk — who appears to be the version from before Flashpoint — has to the version who haunted the New 52 Superman during Grant Morrison’s run on Action Comics in 2011 and 2012. It’s possible, given Mxy’s fifth-dimensional nature, that they are the same character and that Mxy simply neglected to mention the New 52 Superman in this issue because it wasn’t pertinent to what he had to say.
It’s also not entirely clear whether Mxy will be the sole big bad of the story; we see that he was kidnapped by Mr. Oz, whose true nature has been teased since this story was solicited, and it seems more likely Mxy would team up with Superman against Mr. Oz than that he would help Oz against Superman, given all of the pertinent relationships.
Still, Mxy’s big move — he stole Jonathan Kent and has now made everyone but Superman forget that the boy ever existed — certainly doesn’t feel playful or low-stakes.
You can check out Action Comics #975 at your local comic shop or pick up a digital copy here.
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