Don't worry, folks. It'll take 19 years for this comic to reach its last issue.
Superman (1987) or Superman (Volume 2) was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1987 to 2006, totaling 228 issues, with 12 annuals and 3 specials. The comic was launched after John Byrne's 1986 revamp of the Superman mythos following Crisis on Infinite Earths, while the character's original solo title was renamed "Adventures of Superman" following this comic's publication.
After DC had given its entire universe a reboot after Crisis, former Marvel Comics writer/artist John Byrne was given the helm to revamp Superman and his world for DC's brand-new continuity. After finishing his mini-series The Man of Steel, which introduced the post-Crisis version of Clark Kent and his supporting cast, DC decided to give Byrne his own creative run by making a second volume of their solo comic, with a shiny new "#1". The comic was published with a cover date of January 1987. John Byrne's run lasted for over 22 issues, afterwards a whole host of writers and artists took charge of the book.
The comic ended on April of 2006 as the Superman books went through a restructuring after the events of Infinite Crisis and the Adventures of Superman comic soon reverted back to its original title.
Superman (1987) story arcs with their own pages include:
- "Superman #21-22: The Supergirl Saga."
- "Superman #28-30, #32-33: Superman: Exile."
- "Superman #54-55: Time and Time Again."
- "Superman #65-67: Panic in the Sky."
- "Superman #72: Crisis at Hand."
- "Superman #74-82: The Death of Superman."
- "Superman #90-91: The Fall of Metropolis."
- "Superman #100-101: The Death of Clark Kent."
- "Superman #106-108: The Trial of Superman."
- "Superman #136-139: The Dominus Effect."
- "Superman #160-161: Emperor Joker."
- "Superman #171-173: Our Worlds at War."
Tropes found in other issues of Superman (1987) include:
- Anti-True Sight: In #9, Superman actually makes this work to his advantage when facing the Joker. Joker claims to Superman that he has imprisoned a number of hostages in lead-lined coffins in various locations throughout Metropolis, anticipating that the superhero will have to spend at least a day frantically looking for them while Joker flees the city with the hostages. It turns out that all Superman has to do is a wide X-ray vision scan above the city from the air and the coffins instantly stand out as opaque objects to him. Thus, Supes is able to check the coffins quickly and has plenty of time to track down the Joker. Then Superman lampshades how the Joker is guilty of a common misconception that just because Superman can't see through lead, it means he can't see lead. More than one criminal makes the same mistake of lining a warehouse in lead, which might as well be putting up a neon sign that something shady is going on.
- Crystal Spires and Togas: Post-crisis, Krypton is more dystopian despite all the crystal-toga trappings.
- Death by Origin Story: Averted in post-Crisis Superman, where both Ma and Pa Kent are alive in the main continuity, with Pa Kent not dying until the Superman: Brainiac storyline, well after his adopted son had a seasoned career as the Man of Steel.
- Depraved Kids' Show Host: The Prankster in Post-Crisis canon used to be the host of a popular kids' show and turned to crime after his show was cancelled.
- Does Not Know His Own Strength: In Superman Annual #8 (1996), Pounder, one of a far-future League of Supermen who have each been genetically engineered to have one of Superman's powers, has support staff who have to do everything for him, because it's not safe for him to touch things.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good:
- In #2, Luthor notices that Clark Kent has some kind of connection with Superman and sets up a research project to find out the nature of the connection. When the researcher concludes that Clark Kent is Superman, Luthor fires her and scraps the project... because, to Luthor, it's impossible to believe that someone with that much power would want to "waste" time occupying such a humble persona.Luthor: I know that no man with the power of Superman would ever pretend to be a mere human! Such power is to be constantly exploited. Such power is to be used!
- Issue #13 has Superman stopping a disgruntled employee from killing Lex with a bomb. Lex assumes Superman set this up in an attempt to get in his good graces, as it makes no sense for Superman to save someone he knows hates him. As such, Lex ends up feeling pretty smug about the whole incident, thinking Superman is scared of him.
- In #2, Luthor notices that Clark Kent has some kind of connection with Superman and sets up a research project to find out the nature of the connection. When the researcher concludes that Clark Kent is Superman, Luthor fires her and scraps the project... because, to Luthor, it's impossible to believe that someone with that much power would want to "waste" time occupying such a humble persona.
- God Is Good: Rao is the God of Krypton, and Flamebird and Nightwing are His Children in the Post-Crisis continuity. In the New Krypton storyline, Supergirl isn't feeling particularly pious after her father's murder, and deems her friend Thara -who claims Flamebird is bonded with her- a nutjob. Yet still Kara is saved by literal divine intervention in the Hunt for Reactron when Flamebird manifests through Thara and stomps Reactron. Later Kara apologizes and confides to Thara that she's feeling hopeful now because if the gods are real, it means her deceased father is in a better place.
- I Work Alone: Post-Crisis Superman's reason for not joining the Justice League was that he was more comfortable working alone. That eventually changed.
- In Your Nature to Destroy Yourselves: Kal-El's belief in the innate goodness of mankind is sometimes tested by the violence he sees humans dole out to each other, as he admitted to a Catholic priest in issue #205 of the "For Tomorrow" storyline. He talks to the priest about how he put a temporary halt to armed conflict in a Middle Eastern region by using his super-speed and snatching all possible weapons from them, including guns, rocket launchers, mortars, knives, and grenades. However, one young boy decided to throw a rock at Superman, which was all it took to ignite the violence again, as everyone began brawling violently.
- Lilliputians: In the Post-Crisis universe, the Kandorians and their shrunk city were reintroduced in the 00's.
- Old Retainer: In the Post-Crisis reboot, Superman eventually inherits his father's faithful robot servant Kelex.
- The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: In the first issue, Superman's first battle with the Kryptonite-powered Metallo goes badly for the Man of Steel. Just as the villain is about to finish him, Lex's agents arrive and take Metallo away. In Superman Villains Secret Files, Lex explains the issue with "Well, I couldn't allow a fool like Corben to enjoy the killing blow, could I?"
- Power Crystal: In the Post-Crisis universe and other continuities Kryptonians use a kind of glowing crystals called "Sunstones" which perform a large array of tasks like building or information storing.
- Refuge in Audacity: Superman keeps his civilian identity secret by pretending he doesn't have one. He reasons that while a mask lampshades that you're hiding something, people will assume that a demigod who clearly doesn't need money or other material things does not have a day job and would not bother with the trivial nonsense of mortal life. Batman acknowledged this was genius. And indeed, one story has Lex Luthor firing a scientist for daring to suggest Superman has a secret identity at all (though this also says more about Lex's own mindset than anything else).
- Retcon:
- One of the biggest things was the origins of Superman's powers. Originally his powers were inherently genetic because he was from a race of "supermen" — this can be found in the prologue of several Fleischer shorts. But after the horrors of World War II thoroughly discredited such fascination with eugenics, it was rewritten that his powers came from Earth's yellow sun. Additionally, Superman's strength and invulnerability were attributed to being super-dense. Post-Crisis, his powers came directly from the yellow sunlight. When Superman met the "pocket Superboy", the latter wiped the mat with the adult Supes, because he had pre-Crisis power.
- Pre-Crisis, Superman's invulnerability and powers manifested immediately, leading to the adventures of "Superbaby". Post-Crisis, it took 18 years for Clark to develop his superpowers fully.
- Robotic Reveal: In an early story, the first Superman robot is so perfectly programmed with Superman's personality that he believes he's Superman even after his robot parts become exposed, at which point he thinks he has been somehow turned into a robot.
- Secret Identity Apathy: As opposite to his Pre-Crisis self (who never tried to discover Superman's secret identity because Lex had fabricated dozens of fake identities just in case, and he assumed that his nemesis was equally cautious/paranoid), Lex Luthor refuses to believe Superman even has a secret identity. The idea that someone with all that power would pretend to be a normal person just doesn't make sense.
