SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Action Comics #999 by Dan Jurgens, Will Conrad and Ivan Nunes, on sale now.

As the comic book that introduced the world's most iconic superhero heads towards its landmark millennial issue, there are some changes put into place on the eve of Brian Michael Bendis' anticipated arrival on the title. Dan Jurgens uses his penultimate issue to usher in turning points for two notable characters oft-used during his nearly two-year run.

Action Comics #999, drawn by Will Conrad and colored by Ivan Nunes, features an unexpected change for one of Superman's most notorious villains. It also puts forth a change for an important supporting character who's not exactly a villain, although he's frequently been at odds with both Superman and Lois. Both alterations, though, are rather sudden, and their unforeseen implementation calls their permanence into question.

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One Last Appearance for a Familiar Foe

Superman is first seen casually doing the kind of thing he does best -- saving the planet. This time, however, he has an additional motive. After breaking up a large asteroid that threatens to collide with Earth, Superman carefully extracts an unknown mineral he's secretly been searching for. This mineral turns out to demonstrate super-strong tensile properties when exposed to Earth's atmosphere, which he intends to use to contain one of the deadliest villains in his rogues' gallery.

That villain is Hank Henshaw – aka Cyborg Superman – who was responsible for the death of millions when he helped Mongul destroy Coast City during "Reign of the Supermen." Henshaw was last seen in issue #984, after being sent into the Phantom Zone by General Zod, and left there by Superman despite having the opportunity to retrieve him. Supes noted at the time that Henshaw's stay in the Zone would be temporary, until he could find a better way to deal with him.

Everyone Deserves a Happy Ending – Right?

Fifteen issues later, Superman believes he's found that better way, and releases Henshaw into a newly constructed room at the Fortress of Solitude that he's reinforced with the extraterrestrial mineral. Kal-El reasons that the Kryptonian chamber would serve as a more humane prison than the cold, dimensionless, psychologically-damaging realm of the Phantom Zone. But beyond that he has another Kryptonian artifact he believes can soothe the psyche of the mass-murdering cyborg.

Retrieving one of his magical Kryptonian crystals, Kal hands it to Henshaw, and the crystal proceeds to allow Henshaw's mind to relive the happier moments of his past. Prior to this moment, though, Henshaw demonstrates some uncharacteristic clarity towards his past grievous deeds, only moments after engaging Superman and losing to him in a brief but raging fight. The unprecedented softening of Henshaw's character primes him for relegation to his current fate – reliving his past in a technologically induced mind trip.

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Cyborg Superman has arguably been one of the Man of Steel's more interesting modern-day foes, so the decision to take him off the board on the cusp of Bendis' run, and so quickly, is an intriguing one. Perhaps Bendis has indicated that he has no plans for the character, so Jurgens thought he deserved a happy, if illusory, ending. Or, the development perhaps provides a sort of clean slate for the character, allowing Bendis to use Henshaw in a non-villainous capacity.

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Cyborg Superman isn't the only character to undergo a sudden personality transformation this issue. While Superman has his share of villains he goes up against on a regular basis, there are other, more heroic, members of his supporting cast that nonetheless also oppose him. One of them, in fact, is his own father-in-law – none other than U.S. Army General Sam Lane.

Sam Lane was seen even more recently in Action Comicslast issue, in fact. While Superman and Booster Gold were off making repairs to the timestream after Superman's heist of the Flash's cosmic treadmill, Lois had launched her own covert mission to save her father's life. While the two had largely been estranged – in part over their opposing views regarding Superman – Lois couldn't allow her father to be executed by the Logamban army.

Sam Lane, of course, doesn't know Lois is married to Superman's alter ego, and therefore also doesn't realize his grandson Jon is half-Kryptonian – and not in nearly as much danger in the Logamban jungle as he believed. General Lane's attempted cordial visit to Lois and Clark's apartment is made instantly tense by this disparity, as father and daughter simply cannot come to terms. Their relationship is on the verge of severing completely, when Superman, or rather Clark, swoops in to save the day again.

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General Sam Lane – Friend or Foe?

Largely within the span of three panels, Clark mediates a truce between Sam and Lois, leaving Superman out of the conversation and instead reminding each of the other's accomplishments. In that short discussion, all is instantly well, at least for now, and a longstanding ideological family feud is cooled down. It's most certainly Clark's day for helping his opposition become better people, and Sam Lane is softened up even more quickly than Henshaw was.

Like Henshaw's transformation, Sam Lane's is equally and unexpectedly abrupt. Lane's purpose has largely been to serve as one of the complications in Lois and Clark's relationship. Where a kinder, gentler Sam Lane fits into future continuity remains to be seen – perhaps this is another character Bendis has plans for. Or maybe Jurgens just likes happy endings.

Action Comics #999 tidily wraps some of Jurgens' story elements in a bow, in advance of a comic issue nearly 80 years in the making. Action Comics #1000, the first American comic book title to reach this milestone, goes on sale April 18.