Warning: Superman (2023) is a direct sequel to events in Superman (Phillip Kennedy Johnson), Superman: Son of Kal-El, and Dark Crisis, so Late Arrival Spoilers for those comics may be unmarked on this page.
Celebrating 85 years of Super.
Superman is the February 2023 relaunch of the DC Comics hero, written by Joshua Williamson, and art by Jamal Campbell. It is part of the Dawn of DC publishing initiative and Superman's 85th anniversary celebration.
Williamson's relaunch will pick up Superman's status quo in the aftermath of the pivotal events of Action Comics #1050 (and in tandem with Phillip Kennedy Johnson's Action Comics and Tom Taylor's Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent).
The series sees Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and the rest of their supporting cast coping with the ongoing repercussions (and benefits) of Clark's now-restored secret identity, the fallout from Dark Crisis, and threats to Metropolis both new and old — most of all a now-imprisoned, but ever still manipulative and dangerous Lex Luthor.
Storylines and events that are part of this run
Pre-release material for Superman provides examples of:
- Alliterative Name: Aside from the usual suspects like Clark Kent and Lois Lane, newcomer Marilyn Moonlight is a new Anti-Hero who warns Superman to leave the Daily Planet before recharging him with moonlight.
- And Then John Was a Zombie: At the end of the second issue, Superman starts turning into a Parasite clone after being infected by the staff of the Daily Planet.
- Anti-Hero: Marilyn Moonlight is described by DC as such, attacking Superman in the Daily Planet as a warning to get him to leave for his own good... but not before recharging him with some moonlight as she vanishes.
- Anguished Declaration of Love: Jimmy Olsen does this concerning Silver Banshee to the absolute befuddlement of Superman and Lois.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Mercy Graves presents herself to Superman as not being loyal to Luthor and believing in the good Superman can do. As soon as Superman flies away, she calls her boss to notify him about Superman's departure, making it clear that any apparent differences between her and Luthor are a mask. Superman calls her out on this when they meet again, as he could tell she was lying through her teeth due to her heartbeat.
- The Bus Came Back:
- Annual #1 features the return of Trish Q, Daily Planet's gossip reporter, who hadn't appeared since 2021, and photographer Miko Ogawa, who had been missing since 2012.
- #9/850 reintroduces Lex Luthor's daughter, Lena Luthor, who hasn't been seen since the end of Our Worlds at War back in 2001. Appropriately, she's given an Age Lift.
- Casual Kink: While they're alone on the roof, Lois asks Clark if he brought his overalls from Smallville, implying that they keep their sex life interesting through certain roleplay scenarios. This implication was previously established in Action Comics #1051, which revealed that Clark still keeps his rather-risque Warworld outfit in Lois and his shared bedroom.
- Character Development: As established during the Action Comics prelude, Lex has ironically gone from despising Superman and declaring the world doesn't need him to (grudgingly) conceding Superman is needed. Lex being Lex, however, he still took the wrong lessons away from that development.
- Continuity Nod: Lena literally still has the scars from when her father traded her to Brainiac-13, making her resentment of him understandable.
- Continuity Overlap: Williamson's Superman runs in tandem with Phillip Kennedy Johnson's Action Comics and Tom Taylor's Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent. Williamson's stated
he'll be emulating the 'Triangle Era' of 1990s Superman in terms of the inter-connectivity between the books. - Da Editor: With Perry White temporarily out of commission due to the events of Action Comics #1050, Lois takes over as the Daily Planet's Editor-in-Chief during his convalescence. She hates it, as it keeps her at a desk instead of reporting as she always does.
- Deal with the Devil: Thanks to Lex being in jail, Superman is given Lexcorp to do as he sees fit, even having the building modified to host a large S-Shield instead of the L and being renamed "Supercorp". Supes doesn't like this at all, knowing there's something fishy about it.
- Death by Secret Identity: Enforced by Lex. Using Manchester Black to restore Superman's secret identity also made it so that anyone who is reminded afterwards suffers a powerful brain hemorrhage. Perry almost died from it, and it's essentially a gun against the heads of everyone in the world.
- Didn't Think This Through: When Lex's enemies attempt to turn Superman against him using Red Kryptonite specially configured to provoke Superman into a rage, Lex points out that just provoking Superman into a temper doesn't mean they can guarantee what Superman will be angry about.
- Does Not Like Guns: When Mercy brings Superman a special cannon to subdue Silver Banshee, his immediate response is to crush it while complaining about how all of Lex's gadgets seem to be guns. Mercy retorts that Supercorp's weapons division is one of the most advanced in the world and necessary for Metropolis' defense.
- Double Date: Superman speaks up for Silver Banshee after managing to defuse the threat that she poses and her testimony that she was coerced into attacking Superman and Metropolis. This lets her be let off on community service, to her boyfriend Jimmy's delight. They then invite Clark and Lois on a double date, complete with a heavy metal concert.
- Dramatic Irony: The Chained wants revenge on Luthor for imprisoning him in isolation for years. To this end he wants to begin by punishing Metropolis, since Luthor loves it and the city loves him...in the past when he was first imprisoned. Definitely not much the case in the present.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Lex's enemies ultimately mount their attack using a weapon even Lex Luthor considered too horrific; kryptonite modified to affect humans at the same rate as it affects Kryptonians (as opposed to the more gradual infection seen in past instances such as Lex's near-death.
- Even the Loving Hero Has Hated Ones: Clark admits that Lex may be the only man he's ever fully given up on. Given Lex's many, many attempts to take over the world and otherwise cause lasting harm to Superman's friends and family, it's not hard to imagine why. Even still, Clark feels awful about it due to their history even as Lois tries to assure him that Lex is the one who gave up on himself. This is then subverted when Lex helps Superman save the day before returning to a cell without complaint. Given that Lex had every opportuntiy to escape and professed his desire to help Metropolis, Superman gives him a signal watch like Jimmy's as a sign that he's willing to hear Lex out and take his help.
- Fallen Hero: When Lex first came to Metropolis, he tried and failed to be a Science Hero for the city. Circumstances drove him to desperate action to the point that his mounting failures to uphold his noble intentions caused him to turn his back forever on going about things that way.
- Friendly Ghost: Downplayed. Marilyn is described by DC as an Anti-Hero and claims to be a hero who rose up to haunt the night in the wake of Superman's departure to Warworld. While she shoots at Superman as a "warning shot", she also recharges him with moonlight after his powers were drained by Parasite. Given how she asks if Superman believes in ghosts and slips through his fingers like fleeting mist, it's implied that she's a ghost from the days of the Wild West and Metropolis' founding. This is confirmed when we finally get her origin, by which point she and Superman are much firmer allies.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: Lena bears scars on her forehead matching the three circles the various Brainiacs have on their forehead. She's also turned out to be something of a jerk now that she's all grown up.
- Green Rocks: As well as all the other colors; the mysterious cabal of scientists modifying Superman's rogues are revealed to be doing so by experimenting with different colors of kryptonite. When they confront Silver Banshee in her civilian form, she is forced to revert after transforming by a clawed glove tipped in various kryptonites.
- Guns Akimbo: While engaging Superman in the Daily Planet, Marilyn Moonlight fires both of her Hard Light guns at the Man of Steel one after the other, adding to her Wild West-esque aesthetic.
- Hard Light: Marilyn Moonlight's horse and guns seem to be made of solid moonlight, glowing brilliantly against the darkened hallways of the Daily Planet after Parasite causes a blackout in Metropolis.
- Hazy-Feel Turn: Lex seems to be genuinely convinced of Superman's mission and that he could be a force for good... but only if he follow's Lex's terms. Lex constantly advocates for brutal pragmatism and efficiency that goes against everything Superman stands for about showing people a better way. He also hands Superman the reins to LexCorp all while trying to convince him to see things the way Lex does. It's later shown that Lex is sincere about working with Superman and even goes back to his cell without complaint. While Superman may not agree with Lex's methods, he understands that Lex's expertise is invaluable and gives him a signal watch as a sign that he's extending the olive branch.
- Heroic Willpower: Despite being infected by Parasite, Superman refuses to succumb to the effects of his ailment and remains conscious enough to come to Luthor and formulate a plan to stop Parasite while curing everyone of their afflictions.
- Horror Hunger: Superman is attacked by a rapidly multiplying horde of Parasite clones at the end of the first issue. It turns out that these "clones" are being created by microscopic offshoots of Parasite that act like a virus, turning anyone they infect into another parasite. This is why the number of Parasites has been growing exponentially as the night goes on, infecting Lois and the rest of the Daily Planet staff... and Superman.
- How the Mighty Have Fallen: Thanks to the events of Action Comics #1050, Lex has wound up back in prison. Though, knowing Lex, he's only staying there because he's right where he wants to be.
- Ignored Epiphany: Kinda with Luthor's response to his aforementioned character development; it's complicated. Due to said development, Lex does acknowledge and accept now that the world does need Superman. However, this is Lex Luthor and so that realization is being filtered through his egomania. So Lex's acceptance completely misses the point and lessons of the epiphany, emphasizing a self-centered rather than selfless interpretation and perspective.Joshua Williamson Think about who Lex Luthor is, and his ego. For him to admit that, for him to actually come to the conclusion the world needs Superman, what does that mean for him? And how does Lex translate that?...And the way he does is, 'If the world needs Superman, it's going to be my Superman.' And it translates to, 'I need Superman to admit that he also needs me.'
- It's Not You, It's My Enemies: After being coerced into attacking Superman and Metropolis, Silver Banshee lies and said she never loved Jimmy, because if she has no one she cares about, the supervillains won't be able to hurt anyone she loves. Jimmy manages to talk her down and allow Superman to defuse her connection to the Phantom Zone that's making her powers dangerously unstable.
- Leotard of Power: Livewire terrorizes the wedding of her former employer while wearing a leotard and thigh-high boots.
- Lunacy: Marilyn Moonlight is "the Spirit of Metropolis" who began to ride through the city at night while Superman was away on Warworld. She seems to derive her powers from the moon and recharges Superman with moonlight as a "warning shot" at the Daily Planet after he was drained by an ambush from Parasite.
- Meet Cute: Jimmy and Siobhan McDougal, better known as Silver Banshee, meet while she's putting up flyers for her upcoming concert. One of those flyers is blown away by a stiff breeze before being caught by Jimmy, who remarks on how old-fashioned flyers are in the digital age. But he also likes old-fashioned, given his preference for bow ties, and the two soon enter a whirlwind romance and move in together.
- Mind over Matter: Sammy Stryker, the prisoner Superman unleashes in the "Chained" arc, was empowered by Luthor with immense telekinetic powers. He deflects Superman's heat vision and binds him before flying away. It's later revealed that he was a prototype for the tactile telekenesis given to Superboy.
- Mood Whiplash: Issue #5 is largely a light-hearted affair detailing Silver Banshee's whirlwind romance with Jimmy Olsen, with the worst thing to come out of it being Superman's Super-Hearing being damaged for a day or so. Clark and Lois enjoy a Double Date with Jimmy and Siobhan and everyone is happy. Then the villains take advantage of Clark's lack of super-hearing to stab Lex in prison with Superman blissfully ignorant.
- An Offer You Can't Refuse: Superman can't reject Lex gifting him Lexcorp because he has it set up that if anyone else takes control, everyone will be laid off. Since Lexcorp employs half of Metropolis, Clark's hands are tied.
- Oh, Crap!: Clark is clearly panicked when Jon tells him that he hasn't been able to find Lois since the night began and they had to quarantine all of Metropolis to keep an exponentially-increasing horde of Parasites from escaping. Clark has this reaction again when he discovers that the entirety of the Daily Planet's staff has been turned into clones of Parasite... and that he is turning into one too.
- Plague Zombie: Lex's enemies have somehow caused Parasite to start producing microscopic versions of himself that infect others and turn them into Parasites themselves. They rapidly infect everyone in Metropolis that the Superfamily is unable to evacuate, with Kara fearing that they could overtake the world by morning if they aren't stopped. Worse still, Superman has been infected too.
- Powerful and Helpless: The Superfamily is a group of Kryptonians, some of the most powerful beings in the universe under a yellow sun, but they can't do anything other than contain the people infected with microscopic versions of Parasite, as they have no way to cure them or even get close without risking infection.
- Power Glows: Marilyn Moonlight's hat, mask, Hard Light guns, and spectral horse all glow a bright white like the light of a full moon, illuminating the dark corridors of the Daily Planet after hours when she confronts Superman in the second issue. Superman instinctively dodges her bullets of light and she vanishes in a burst of moonlight that recharges his powers.
- Power Parasite: Parasite himself appears near the end of the first issue just as Superman is about to go confront Lex about the Supercorp debacle. Unbeknownst to Superman, an entire pack of Parasite-like beings are hidden in the bushes and they all grab him as he looks on in shock.
- Reformed Criminal: Silver Banshee has no intention of hurting anyone and is forced to by Dr. Harm and the other mad scientists out to get Superman. Although Superman is ready to subdue her when she attacks him, her new boyfriend Jimmy Olsen pleads for the chance to talk her down before violence breaks out. While it takes a lot of coaxing to calm down the panicked Silver Banshee, it succeeds and she's left off easy thanks to Superman's good word.
- Remember the New Guy?: The Order of Mad Scientists. Justified, as they are a secret society (and it's also implied that Lex has been kneecapping the group for years).
- Secret Identity: Thanks to the events of Action Comics #1050, Clark's identity is now secret again. He and Lois will be adjusting to the simultaneous benefits and complications of the now-restored status quo.
- Sensory Overload: Clark wears noise-cancelling headphones at work so he can focus on writing without hearing every sound everyone is making around the world. In Issue #5, his Super-Hearing is temporarily damaged by Silver Banshee's cries, leaving him marveling at his ability to listen to Siobhan's and Jimmy's concert without needing to drown out the noise of everything outside.
- Shock Jock: Leslie Willis, aka Livewire, returns as a supervillain to terrorize the wedding of her former employer after her podcast, "Shock Talk", got pulled from streaming platforms for its content. Given her past history as a provocative radio host, this is hardly surprising.
- Small Steps Hero: As always, no job is too small for Superman. He spends a portion of the first issue officiating a wedding for a couple and helping them throw an amazing reception after their original officiant was scared off by Livewire's attack.
- Stable Time Loop: When Superman and Marilyn Moonlight are sent into the past, they inspire a young Marilyn to become a hero.
- Stating the Simple Solution: Superman disarms Parasite by pointing out that Parasite's countless copies have already eaten almost all of the power in Metropolis, meaning that an all-you-can-eat buffet is right there before him. Upon realizing this, Parasite instantly stops fighting Superman and goes to devour his copies instead. This has the side effect of making Parasite so full that he's completely immobilized, neutralizing him as a threat.
- Super Family Team: Superman's closest friends and family all arrive to help in the second issue, evacuating all of Metropolis and isolating it with an enormous wall of ice to contain a rapidly growing horde of Parasite clones.
- Super-Hearing: A plot point in issue #5. Due to the battle with the Order-enhanced Silver Banshee, Clark's super hearing's temporarily knocked out for at least the next day or two. This is exactly the outcome the Order was after, since they know Lex is using this to remain in constant communication with Superman. With Clark for all intents "deafened", they're able to successfully assault Luthor in prison — and all with Clark blissfully and ironically unaware that a desperate Lex is calling him for help.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Lex's mother Leticia Luthor comes back, representing the Board of Lexcorp, in a legal dispute over whether he really has the power to hand over the entirety of Lexcorp to Superman like he did.
- Unwanted Assistance: Superman is attuned to hear certain people above all others. Unfortunately for him, one of those people is Lex Luthor, who spends his prison sentence surveilling Superman's fights and offering "advice" on how to end them more efficiently (i.e. with brutal pragmatism Superman would never employ). He also hands Lexcorp over to Superman, which includes a mockup of Jor-El's hologram in Lex's image that gets Clark's hackles raised.
- Unwitting Test Subject: Parasite seems to have become one of these, as he claims to Superman during their fight that he was experimented on by an unknown group, which has increased his hunger even more and seemingly given him the ability to clone himself by infecting others like a zombie plague. The end of the issue shows that whoever these new antagonists are, they've gotten their hands on Bizarro as well, and are performing surgery on him for unknown reasons.
- We Interrupt This Program: The preview page at the end of the first issue is hijacked by none other than Brainiac, who delivers an ominous warning that Earth is doomed to be destroyed.
- Weirdness Magnet: Discussed. While swapping stories with his new girlfriend, Jimmy admits that's he's been turned into a monkey, a porcupine, and a giant turtle. As a result, she's able to accept her for who she is, even if she's also the supervillain Silver Banshee.
- Wham Shot: Annual #1 reveals that Brainiac has in his possession a miniaturized Czarnian city, meaning Lobo's vaunted boast of being the last of his kind is, unbeknown to him, false.
