Superman Down


I’m among those who saw the early trailer for and the new extended look at James Gunn’s upcoming Superman and wondered just why so much time was spent on a bloodied, battered Man of Steel.

Superman lying beaten and dishelveled as another costumed character looks on with adoring woman hanging onto his neck / 'The Great Super-Hero Contest!'

Of course, I thrilled at the brief glimpses of him being heroic — flying with purpose
and protecting a child. And I get wanting to showcase Krypto; I do have concerns about the film, but not that shaggy fella beyond my perennial problem buying even the most impressive CGI.

The cover above is from one of my earliest comics, which once things shake out is
likely to be the first discussed at the long, long, long in the making survey of my collection, I Have Issues, announced here several years back. It had already prompted me to pull together a Covers Album featuring a Superman who’s been knocked around, humiliated, or defeated. While there were plenty of images in that vein in the ’50s and ’60s when goofy concepts reigned, they’re a more puzzling sight in comics of the late ’60s and ’70s amidst the sort of tableaux on display in my paean to the covers of Nick Cardy and drawn in the dramatic styles of Cardy, Neal Adams, and Bob Oksner (to be sure, also one of the great humor artists in the biz).

Superman prone on ground next to two floating, flaming letters L / 'Why do these initials mean death for the Man of Steel?' Eerie glowing purple figure punching bruised Superman / 'The Power of the Parasite!'
One flying Superman pounding another into the ground as Hawkman, Green Lanterns, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Doctor Fate of JLA and JSA look on Superman expired in front of giant metal door with sign reading 'This vault to be opened only in the event of my death!'

This rather odd trope during a span that stretched into my personal Golden Age of Comics presumably sprang from Superman’s ever-increasing levels of power, with editors hoping to pique readers’ curiosity about what could possibly lay the big guy low and how the situation would resolve, but although this gallery focuses on the process or aftermath of our Metropolis Marvel understandably getting punched or zapped in the line of duty by the likes of the Parasite, Solomon Grundy, and his own counterpart from a parallel world, there are a number of covers branded into my brain where he’s being subjugated, run out of town, or left behind as the last man on Earth. Not that his fellow heroes were absent from the derby of drubbings and dirt naps; witness the Justice League covers in this post or two others close to my heart shared here a decade ago.

Atom, Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow lying defeated as Black Canary, seen only from waist down, stands triumphant over them saying 'Now do you admit I can take wonder Woman's place?' Superman falling, as sandy figure in his image soars above him, saying 'I can't fly! That thing -- draining me of my powers!'
'Me Solomon Grundy! Me mightier than Superman! Me mightier than all other super-heroes!' / Grundy holds limp Superman above him as Flashes, Green Lantern and Hawkman lay defeated / heads of various JLA and JSA members in borders Boy on crutches zapping Superman / 'The Kid Who Knocked Out Superman!'
Superman being knocked down by figure of football uniform with nobody inside / 'Secret of the Phantom Quarterback!' Boy trying to rouse defeated Superman as winged dragon people approach / 'The World beneath the North Pole!'
Superman being painfully attacked over city skyline by old and new versions of Toyman / 'Target of the Toymen!' Superman being knocked about by disassembled robotic limbs, their head saying 'You smashed us to pieces, Superman! Now we'll do the same to you!'
Superman being walloped by Solomon Grundy Superman being electrified by antenna weapon of new villain Blackrock

I’ll leave you with a couple of the aforementioned covers that don’t quite fit this post’s remit, namely Superman kissing the boot of Star Sapphire and, in a late example of more once-popular tropes, the League behind bars while a gorilla looks on.

Superman kneeling to kiss boot of floating Star Sapphire as citizens look on / 'I command you to kiss my boot, Superman! Let the whole world see you've become my slave!' Superman, Flash, Atom, Elongated Man, and Hawkman in caged wagon reading 'Do Not Feed the Humans' as seal, tiger, bear, apes, elephant, and giraffe parade by

[Note: Apologies for a pair of the linked posts being under reconsctruction due to HTML gremlins introduced during supposed Blogger upgrades.]

Logos and characters TM/® DC Comics.

Cover to Action Comics #451 © 1975 DC Comics. Pencils, Inks: Bob Oksner. Colors: Tatjana Wood. Letters: Gaspar Saladino. Editing: Julius Schwartz with E. Nelson Bridwell.

Cover to Superman #204 © 1968 DC Comics. Pencils, Inks: Neal Adams. Colors: Unknown. Letters: Gaspar Saladino. Editing: Mort Weisinger with E. Nelson Bridwell.

Cover to Action Comics #361 © 1968 DC Comics. Pencils, Inks: Neal Adams. Colors: Unknown. Letters: Gaspar Saladino. Editing: Mort Weisinger with E. Nelson Bridwell.

Cover to Justice League of America #74 © 1969 DC Comics. Pencils, Inks: Neal Adams. Colors: Unknown. Editing: Julius Schwartz.

Cover to Superman #213 © 1969 DC Comics. Pencils, Inks: Neal Adams. Colors: Unknown. Letters: Gaspar Saladino. Editing: Mort Weisinger.

Cover to Justice League of America #75 © 1969 DC Comics. Pencils: Carmine Infantino. Inks: Murphy Anderson. Colors: Unknown. Letters: Gaspar Saladino. Editing: Julius Schwartz.

Cover to Superman #234 © 1971 DC Comics. Pencils, Inks: Neal Adams. Colors: Unknown. Letters: Gaspar Saladino. Editing: Julius Schwartz with E. Nelson Bridwell.

Cover to Justice League of America #92 © 1971 DC Comics. Pencils: Neal Adams. Inks: Dick Giordano. Colors: Unknown. Letters: Gaspar Saladino. Editing: Julius Schwartz.

Cover to Superman #259 © 1972 DC Comics. Pencils, Inks: Nick Cardy. Colors: Unknown. Letters: Gaspar Saladino. Editing: Julius Schwartz with E. Nelson Bridwell.

Cover to Superman #264 © 1973 DC Comics. Pencils, Inks: Nick Cardy. Colors: Unknown. Letters: Gaspar Saladino. Editing: Julius Schwartz with E. Nelson Bridwell.

Cover to Superman #267 © 1973 DC Comics. Pencils, Inks: Nick Cardy. Colors, Letters: Unknown. Editing: Julius Schwartz with E. Nelson Bridwell.

Cover to Action Comics #432 © 1974 DC Comics. Pencils, Inks: Nick Cardy. Colors: Tatjana Wood. Letters: Gaspar Saladino. Editing: Julius Schwartz with E. Nelson Bridwell.

Cover to Action Comics #449 © 1975 DC Comics. Pencils, Inks: Bob Oksner. Colors: Tatjana Wood. Letters: Gaspar Saladino. Editing: Julius Schwartz with E. Nelson Bridwell.

Cover to Superman #301 © 1976 DC Comics. Pencils: José Luis García-López. Inks: Bob Oksner with Bob Wiacek. Colors: Unknown. Editing: Julius Schwartz.

Cover to Action Comics #458 © 1976 DC Comics. Pencils, Inks: Bob Oksner. Colors: Tatjana Wood. Letters: Gaspar Saladino. Editing: Julius Schwartz with E. Nelson Bridwell, Bob Rozakis.

Cover to Superman #261 © 1973 DC Comics. Pencils, Inks: Nick Cardy. Colors: Unknown. Letters: Gaspar Saladino. Editing: Julius Schwartz with E. Nelson Bridwell.

Cover to Justice League of America #131 © 1976 DC Comics. Pencils, Inks: Ernie Chan. Colors, Letters: Unknown. Editing: Julius Schwartz with E. Nelson Bridwell, Bob Rozakis.


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