The Man of Steel (comics)

The Man of Steel is a 1986 comic book limited series featuring the DC Comics character Superman. Written and drawn by John Byrne, the series was presented in six issues which were inked by Dick Giordano. The series told the story of Superman's modern origin, which had been rebooted following the 1985–1986 series Crisis on Infinite Earths.

DC editors wanted to make changes to the character of Superman, including making him the sole survivor of his home planet Krypton, and Byrne's story was written to show these changes and to present Superman's origin. The series includes the embryonic Kal-El rocketing away from the destruction of Krypton and his birth upon landing in Kansas when he emerged from the artificial womb, Clark Kent as a teenager in Smallville learning that he was found in a crashed space ship, him being hired at the Daily Planet in Metropolis, the creation of his secret identity of Superman, his first meeting with fellow hero Batman, and how he finally learned of his birth parents and from where he came. The series also included the reintroduction of a number of supporting characters, including fellow reporter and love interest Lois Lane and archenemy Lex Luthor, who was re-branded from a mad scientist to a powerful businessman and a white-collar criminal.

The series' legacy persisted, as it set the new status quo for all of the ongoing Superman comic series for many years after it was published. The story stayed in DC Comics continuity as the origin of Superman until it was expanded upon in the 2003 limited series Superman: Birthright, which stayed canon until 2009. The title is a reference to one of Superman's nicknames which touted his invulnerability as making him the "Man of Steel". It was later used as the title of an ongoing comic series and in a film reboot in 2013.

Background

The character of Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. They originally intended for the character to star in a daily newspaper comic strip. He first appeared in the comic book, Action Comics #1, published in April 1938 by National Allied Publications (later renamed DC Comics). This book gave his origin, but was cut down to one page. Soon after his introduction, the character became very popular, and by summer of 1939 he was starring in not only Action Comics, but also his own self-titled comic Superman, becoming the first character successful enough to support two comic titles.

In the next few decades, Superman's story was expanded to include new characters and storylines. After Siegel and Shuster left, new writers and artists added their own ideas to the Superman mythos. In 1945, Superman's adventures as a boy in Smallville were introduced in More Fun Comics #101 with the concept of Superboy, while his status as the only survivor of Krypton's destruction changed in 1959 with the introduction of his cousin, Supergirl in Action Comics #252. Eventually, these new details began to conflict with earlier stories, especially with the transition of comics from the Golden Age of Comic Books to the Silver Age of Comic Books. New heroes were introduced and Superman joined with them as a full member of the Justice League of America, but his work with the previous generation of heroes in the Justice Society of America gave conflicting details of his story. These conflicts were resolved in an issue of The Flash #123, Flash of Two Worlds. The story introduced the idea of the DC Multiverse,McAvennie, Michael "1960s" in Dolan, p. 103: "This classic Silver Age story resurrected the Golden Age Flash and provided a foundation for the Multiverse from which he and the Silver Age Flash would hail". which presented the idea that these original heroes from the Golden Age were from Earth-2, while the current generation of heroes were from Earth-1. This created an infinite number of worlds on which any number of conflicting stories could occur, which resolved many of these conflicts in the Superman mythos.

The multiverse, however, turned out to be too complicated for casual readers of comic books. DC Comics wanted more readers for their comics and decided that they would ease the confusion of new readers by getting rid of the multiverse. They would accomplish this in the 1985 limited series, Crisis on Infinite Earths. DC decided that with the series they could reboot the history of many of its characters, including Superman, leading to The Man of Steel.

Production In the years before Crisis on Infinite Earths led to the reboot of the DC Universe, DC editors and Marv Wolfman had been wanting to do a revision for Superman. Nothing was ever developed until then-publisher and president Jenette Kahn asked for revision proposals from various writers. While regular Superman writer Cary Bates wanted the revision to still keep the then-ongoing continuity as it was, Wolfman, and other writers such as Frank Miller and Steve Gerber wanted to restart the continuity from scratch. Wolfman, Miller, and Gerber all wanted to do the same thing: get rid of Clark Kent's career as Superboy, cut down Superman's powers, make changes in Lex Luthor's character, and make Superman the only survivor of Krypton, avoiding the other Kryptonian characters if necessary. Regardless of wanting the same things, however, the way each writer wanted to approach the revision was different.

After time had passed with no revision being granted the green light, executive editor Dick Giordano found out John Byrne was no longer under contract with Marvel Comics in May 1985. He and Byrne began talking about what Byrne would do with Superman if offered the job.Man Of Steel #1, "Meanwhile by Dick Giordano" With DC agreeing with 99% of the revision, Byrne was given the go-ahead for what became The Man of Steel.Manning, Matthew K. "1980s" in Dolan, p. 221: "In the six-issue miniseries entitled [The] Man of Steel, the mammoth task of remaking Superman fell to popular writer/artist John Byrne...The result was an overwhelming success, popular with fans both old and new". Byrne's original pitch was to mold Superman through a story arc over six or eight issues which would bring Superman to the point where he wanted him to be, but because DC insisted on a reboot, Byrne used that approach instead.The John Byrne Forum MOBILE – Superman question for JB

The mini-series was designed to reboot the Superman mythos using the history-altering effects of Crisis on Infinite Earths as an explanation. Thus, for modern comics, The Man of Steel is the dividing point between the previous canon of the Silver Age, and the Modern Age. The two different versions are referred to in stories soon after and by fans as "pre-Crisis" and "post-Crisis", per Crisis on Infinite Earths being the major dividing line across the DC Universe as a whole. The pre-Crisis stories were drawn to a close in Alan Moore's Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?.

In the first issue, during Superman's public debut, he was originally going to save a landing space shuttle. After the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, the Constitution was changed to "an experimental space-plane".

Story The story was published in six issues from July to September 1986. Each issue focuses on a different time in the early years of Superman's career. In telling the story, Byrne drew from available media depictions of Superman for inspiration, including the Fleischer Studios cartoons and George Reeves' portrayal in the 1950s television series, Adventures of Superman.

Issue #1 The first issue chronicles the origin of Superman, beginning with his flight from Krypton to his arrival on Earth where he is discovered by his adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent.

As a teenager, Clark Kent wins a high school football game almost by himself. He has developed many of his powers: stamina, great strength, X-ray vision, and flight. Jonathan reveals to him that he is not Jonathan and Martha's biological son; they found him in a crashed spaceship. Jonathan explains that Clark needs to use his powers more responsibly, not for his own benefit. Clark decides to anonymously help others, and for the next few years, while studying in university, he secretly saves lives and averts disasters. While in Metropolis, however, he openly prevents the crash of an experimental space plane, revealing his existence to the public. He meets Lois Lane and the two start to connect when a grateful mob of people surrounds them. Clark, unable to deal with the sudden attention, flies away to consult his parents. In order to preserve Clark's privacy, Jonathan suggests that Clark adopt a secret identity. Martha makes a costume for him, and he decides to use the name he was given by Lois, "Superman".

Clark's abilities are shown to have developed gradually in the yellow sun environment of Earth, starting with resistance to injury, with his flying ability emerging last. His powers do not reach their peak until his late teen years; thus, Clark only adopts the Superman identity in adulthood and never was Superboy.

In some pre-Crisis depictions, the Kents surrendered baby Kal-El to an orphanage before having a change of heart and legally adopting him as their own. Here, the Kents secretly adopt Clark and pass him off as their biological son. Prior to finding Clark, Martha Kent had a history of failed pregnancies. Friends and relatives assumed that they kept Martha's "pregnancy" a secret over fear of losing another child. A blizzard that closed off Smallville for 5 months (later revealed to have been caused by the Manhunters) also helped in the Kents' alibi.

While the pre-Crisis Superman's costume was indestructible, being made from the blankets in the rocket that brought him to Earth, the post-Crisis Superman costume is made of form-fitting ordinary spandex. It was later explained that the post-Crisis Superman's body generated an invisible "aura" that surrounded him and contributed to his bodily invulnerability. Objects held close to him, such as his costume (which attached to his skin), were protected from harm; his cape, meanwhile, could easily sustain damage in battle. The cape is also larger and longer. While keeping every classic element to the costume, Byrne made adjustments to the Superman S-shield. The emblem is an original design by Clark and Jonathan, and Byrne significantly increased its size so that it almost entirely covers Superman's chest.

Issue #2 The next issue is set shortly after the first, where the costumed Superman debuts in Metropolis. Daily Planet managing editor Perry White assigns Lois Lane to get the full story on the new hero. In the meantime, Superman is all over Metropolis helping others, from stopping muggings to foiling bank robberies. After a series of failed attempts to even encounter him again, Lois decides to take a gamble and plunges her car into the harbor to lure Superman into the open. Her plan works, as Superman arrives and takes her back to her apartment. The pair have a quiet talk in which Superman vaguely reveals some details about himself, including confirming the name "Superman" that Lois gave him in her first article about him. Superman then departs, but not before asking Lois if she always carries an aqua-lung in her car. Lois finally has her scoop – the first sit-down interview with Superman – only to find out she's been beaten to the headline by the Daily Planet'''s newest reporter: Clark Kent.

In this series, Lois Lane was written as an aggressive reporter and personality from the start, and she never expressed a desire to find out Superman's identity or that he might have an alter-ego. Lois was given reddish-brown hair. Although she is clearly attracted to Superman, Lois is depicted as a driven career woman, with no thoughts of matrimony. She was also responsible for coming up with the name "Superman", as in other media iterations of the character (such as the film Superman and animated television series Superman: The Animated Series).

Issue #3