Panic in the Sky! is a multi-part Superman storyline created in 1992 that ran through all then-current Superman titles published by DC Comics.
Brainiac has returned and is looking for revenge. Having been driven off by Superman, the Coluan has returned armed with something much more threatening than his psychic powers - Warworld, the massive man-made structure that had been liberated from Mongul during Superman's exile. Even worse, his massive blood-thirsty army is comprised of three powerful beings - the Matrix Supergirl, the alien princess Maxima, and the disgraced Warworld warrior Dragga. This is going to be more than a job for Superman; he's going to need a lot more help.
This story would set the stage for a number of things, including finally making Superman a member of the Justice League of America in Post-Crisis continuity and establishing him as the Big Good for the DC Universe.
Comics this storyline was told in:
- Supergirl in Action Comics #674 (Triangle Number 1992/8)
Features the prologue story, "The Past is Prologue" — written by Roger Stern, art by Bob McLeod and Denis Rodier - Superman: The Man of Steel #9 (Triangle Number 1992/9)
Features the "first strike" story, "Power Breakfast" — written by Louise Simonson, art by Jon Bogdanove and Dennis Janke - Superman #65 (Triangle Number 1992/10)
Features the "second strike" story, "Head Man" — written by Dan Jurgens, art by Jurgens and Brett Breeding - The Adventures of Superman #488 (Triangle Number 1992/11)
Features the "third strike" story, "Counter Strike!" — written by Jerry Ordway, art by Tom Grummett and Doug Hazelwood - Superman in Action Comics #675 (Triangle Number 1992/12)
Features the "fourth strike" story, "Divide and Conquer" — written by Stern, art by McLeod and Rodier - Superman: The Man of Steel #10 (Triangle Number 1992/13)
Features the "fifth strike" story, "Tidal Wave!" — written by Simonson, art by Bogdanove and Janke - Superman #66 (Triangle Number 1992/14)
Features the "final strike" story, "Our Army at War" — written by Jurgens, art by Jurgens and Breeding - The Adventures of Superman #489 (Triangle Number 1992/15)
Features the epilogue story, "Hail the Conquering Heroes" — written by Ordway, art by Grummett and Hazelwood - Superman in Action Comics #676 (Triangle Number 1992/16)
Features the aftermath story, "Man of the Hour" — written by Stern, art by Jackson Guice and Rodier - Superman: The Man of Steel #11 (Triangle Number 1992/17)
Features the aftermath story, "Mistaken Identity" — written by Simonson, art by Bogdanove and Janke - Superman #67 (Triangle Number 1992/18)
Features the aftermath story, "Another Panic in the Sky!" — written by Jurgens, art by Jurgens and Breeding - The Adventures of Superman #490 (Triangle Number 1992/19)
Features the aftermath story, "Blood and Sand" — written by Ordway, art by Grummett and Hazelwood
Tropes Featured in this storyline:
- Asshole Victim: Maxima attacks Brainiac and lobotomised him which though would be awful but considering everything he did including holding her home world hostage. It is only fitting that he ends up being lobotomised by one of those that he held under his thrall.
- Badass in Distress: Aquaman, Lightray, Orion and Metron all end up getting captured at one point.
- Big Bad: Brainiac.
- Big Good: This storyline finally establishes Superman as this.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Matrix Supergirl is put through this early on. Later, other heroes are attacked by head-mounted devices that puts them under Brainiac's control.
- Cool Chair: Metron's Mobius Chair. Dubbilex flies around in it when it arrives on Earth, but willingly gives it up when Metron's rescued.
- Continuity Nod: A few:
- When Superman goes to recruit Deathstroke, Deathstroke is shown mourning the death of his son Joseph. Joseph Wilson, alias Jericho, had died at the very end of Titans Hunt.
- Blue Beetle and Booster Gold muse that seeing all the heroes together made it feel like the Justice League hadn't been disbanded and Elongated Man wished the Martian Manhunter hadn't left Earth. The storyline Breakdowns had the team disband and the Martian Manhunter temporarily disappear.
- Superman is forced to go to Professor Hamilton as S.T.A.R. Labs had been destroyed during Armageddon 2001.
- Credits Gag:
- Action Comics #674 changes "Editor" to "Crusin'".
- Superman #65 has the creators credited in the roles of "designer/shaper" (writing/pencils), "forms" (inks), "data" (lettering), "hues" (coloring), "navigator" (assisted editing) and "architect" (editing).
- Adventures of Superman #488-490 each change "Editor" to "Five Star Editor", "Benevolent Leader", and "Head Potentate" respectively.
- The Dog Bites Back: At the end of the story, Maxima finally has had enough of Brainiac and his schemes and not only does she aid the heroes, she nearly lobotomizes him.
- A Good Way to Die: Dragga returns, still seeking his honorable death at the hands of Superman. He soon starts to back away from such a thing, but heroically throws himself into an anti-matter superweapon to save the others.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Dragga using his body to block an anti-matter superweapon. Kilowog and Guy Gardner puhs the weapon far away, but sadly Kilowog can only use his ring to rebuild Dragga's body, not his life.
- Leeroy Jenkins: Orion and Lightray. The two head to Earth when they learn the Mobius Chair had arrived without Metron and the two race off to save their fellow New God despite Superman telling them to stop and set up a plan of attack. They're easily curbstomped by Maxima and Supergirl.
- Mythology Gag:
- The name of the story is taken from an episode of the fifties' Adventures of Superman show, where Superman had to stop a meteor. It was adapted to comics under a different name.
- The cover of one of the later chapters in the storyline shows a grieving Supergirl holding Dragga's body as the heroes look on in the background. It's a direct homage to the iconic cover from Crisis On Infinite Earths with a grieving Superman holding Supergirl's body.
- The title of the fifth chapter, "Our Army at War" reuses the logo for the 1952-1988 comic book series of the same name, which eventually changed its name to Sgt. Rock.
- '90s Anti-Hero: Guy Gardner. He spends most of the story advocating bloodily pummeling Brainiac's soldiers and even murdering Brainiac himself.
- Non-Protagonist Resolver: Surprisingly, Superman himself has little involvement in Brainiac's defeat. Flash is the one to sever Brainiac's connection to Warworld, and Maxima follows it up by assaulting him directly until he's finally down.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: After obtaining one of Brainiac's brainwashing devices, Metron gets an idea and starts laughing. Orion, Lightray, Mr. Miracle and Big Barda are suitably terrified because he never laughs.
- Psychic Static: To make sure Brainiac doesn't read off their plans, Superman makes everyone use Kryptonian language to communicate their next plan.
- Spanner in the Works: Metron. Him accidentally wandering into the remains of planet Almerac leads to Brainiac attacking him. Metron sends his Mobius Chair to Earth, effectively giving everyone a warning.
- Taking You with Me: As Maxima assaults Brainiac at the climax of the story, Brainiac declares, "I -- still -- claim victory!" and pulls a lever that unleashes the Swarm upon the Earth, which would be dealt with in Superman #67.
- Updated Re-release: The original 1993 TPB omitted the last 13 pages of The Adventures of Superman #489 (featuring Jimmy Olsen being rehired by the Daily Planet and the start of the Husque arc), but does include an extra page where Supergirl and Warworld's Cellkeeper exchange parting words before she leaves for Earth. The 2016 edition features the full version of the issue (with the extra page included), plus the aftermath issues Action Comics #676, Man of Steel #11, Superman #67, and Adventures #490, fully chronicling Husque's escape from Exile World and reunion with his sister, as well as Superman's encounter with the Swarm Brainiac unleashed at the end of the main story.
- Villains Act, Heroes React: According to the commentary in the 1993 TPB, one of the intentions behind the story is to avert this trope by having Superman act against Brainiac before the villain could invade the planet.
