The Man of Steel will soon meet an unexpected figure from the wider DC Universe as the current Warworld Saga in Action Comics reaches its finale, according to writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson.

In an exclusive interview with CBR, Johnson hinted at the reappearance of a face familiar to DC fans in Action Comics. "I can tease that we're going to see the return of a fan-favorite DC character that you do not expect to see in this, but it's going to be a very different take on the character, one that is definitely going to get a reaction out of readers," he said. "It's going to be somebody that people recognize, but not the way they're used to, and I can say this with all confidence that they're going to lose their minds. It will be drawn by the great Riccardo Federici, who is the best choice to illustrate this returning character who will be showing up in the next couple of issues. Stay tuned!"

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Little else is known about this character at this time. Johnson's current run on Action Comics has already seen Superman make an unlikely alliance with the Authority as he works to free Warworld from the clutches of interplanetary tyrant Mongul. With the Man of Steel's powers diminished due to radiation poisoning and Warworld's red sun, the Authority have served as unorthodox companions who are more willing to kill than Superman and his typical Justice League companions ever were.

Despite working with morally gray allies, Superman has continued to serve as a pillar of hope on Warworld, even after Mongol stabbed him with a kryptonite spear and forced him to fight as a prisoner in the planet's titular gladiatorial arena. According to Johnson, the Man of Steel's ability to rouse fellow prisoners will lend the final part of the storyline strong revolution vibes. "Many of the people who have been living in slavery there for their entire lives, who have been brainwashed into worshipping Mongul, and who were initially not happy to see Superman, have come around and now support him, putting us squarely in the "Revolution" phase of the Warworld Saga," he said.

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Hints of the final outcome of the story arc, beginning in Action Comics #1030, can be seen in the 2020 one-shot Future State Superman: Worlds of War, which showed a possible alternate future for Superman. In this future, Superman had been stuck in Mongol's arena for years and defeated time after time. Nevertheless, he still became an icon to thousands of slaves, inspiring them to pick up swords and spears against their dictator.

Action Comics #1043 comes from Johnson, artists Federici and Will Conrad and colorist Lee Loughridge, with cover art by Brad Anderson and Dale Eaglesham and variant cover art by Julian Totino Tedesco. The issue releases May 24 from DC.

Source: DC