Action Comics Focuses on the Crime Even Superman Can't See

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Action Comics #1001 by Brian Michael Bendis, Patrick Gleason, Alejandro Sanchez and Josh Reed, on sale now.

How does a city like Metropolis even have crime? Sure there’s your Luthors, your Parasites, your Toymen and Pranksters, but regular man-on-the-street crime? You’d think they’d all move to Gotham or Bludhaven or something. That’s not the case, however, as Metropolis has, and will always have, a thriving criminal underworld, usually in the form of Intergang; Darkseid’s own personal mafia who flood Metropolis with Apokoliptian technology capable of stopping even Superman in his tracks.

However, this week’s issue of Action Comics -- Brian Michael Bendis’ first full issue on the iconic title -- gives us our first look at the so-called invisible mafia operating in Superman’s home, right under his nose. The issue introduces us to the people responsible for committing crimes under the Man of Steel’s nose, how they get away with it, the man responsible for running the Metropolis crime families, what they have planned next and their secret weapon; a new villain capable of going toe-to-toe with Superman himself.

Invisible Mafia

Before the issue gets around to showing how the criminals of Metropolis operate, it sets a standard by following some of the criminals who aren’t doing things the smart way via a group of armed robbers attempting to steal a safe from Lex Luthor’s tower. The scene allows Bendis to have a little fun with Superman and the robbers, but also highlights the ridiculousness of trying to stop Superman. One of the crooks chides his cohort for resorting to gunfire and seems more embarrassed than anything else that his cousin would even attempt to stop the Man of Steel with such conventional means.

On the other hand, later in the issue, we see that there’s a dedicated network of criminals with sophisticated means to keep track of Superman and operate a complex organized crime cabal right under his nose. A man named Whisper surveils Superman at all times, allowing the criminals to keep track of where Superman is in relation to Metropolis with a giant bank of monitors that would make Batman or Ozymandias jealous. This menagerie of monitors allowing him to inform his bosses where in the world Superman is and when it’s safe for them to meet, plan and commit crimes.

Overseen by a crime boss by the name of Mister Strong, the criminal leaders of Metropolis meet at his mansion inside a giant lead tube completely imperceptible to Superman’s super-senses. There seems to be five underbosses, although we only get the names of two -- Lettuce and Yogurt. Yogurt has been busy setting fires to keep Superman distracted. He's also the one who floated Superman’s name as a potential suspect, compromising the hero’s relationship and involvement with the investigation.

However, the rest of the group isn’t happy with Yogurt’s plan, which is far less sophisticated and high-tech than the rest of the operation’s usual methods to evade Superman. The crook meets his fate as a cloud of red gas appears from nowhere and suffocates Yogurt from the inside out, shocking his fellow underbosses and sending a message to them that doing anything which might put them on Superman’s radar is an instant death sentence. That's because the red gas isn’t just deadly -- it’s sentient and the newest member of their crew.

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The Red Cloud

The Red Cloud is introduced to the gangsters by Mister Strong as the newest member of their family, but instantly it seems like there’s a hierarchy at play that puts her above the rest of the crew -- she introduces herself to them as “your new personal hell,” after all. It seems that Strong has brought her in with a focus on keeping his organization operating like a Swiss watch, with the main goal being to remain undetected by Superman at any cost.

The Red Cloud’s debut in Action Comics is definitely being treated as a big deal by DC Comics, because every DC book this week featured a full page feature dedicated to her arrival, confirming that she’ll be serving as an enforcer on the streets of Metropolis with the power to challenge Superman in a very physical way. The back-matter feature also poses the question of her true identity. If you just read Action Comics #1001, you might think she’s just a new villain on the scene but it seems that the reveal of her identity will be key plot point revealed in Action Comics #1005, with several suggestions floated by DC as to who it may be.

The first suggestion, that she is Lois Lane, is highly unlikely as 80 years of character development run counter to the idea that Lois would become a supervillain dedicated to fooling Superman. We also see her working across the city at the same time, giving her an airtight alibi. The feature also suggests that Daily Planet employees Robinson Goode and Trish Q could be the villain and, while Goode has been seen to have ulterior motives regarding both Clark Kent and Superman, her story seems to be somewhat separate.

The most likely candidate then is Melody Moore, the new deputy fire chief who you’d expect to be on the up-and-up, but time and time again in superhero comics we’ve seen that the people we expect to be the nicest and friendliest can actually be the most sinister. Her role as deputy fire chief in charge of investigating the rash of arsons throughout Metropolis may explain The Red Cloud’s contempt for Yogurt and why she killed him so coldly. Considering Mister Strong’s organization enjoys working right under Superman’s nose so much, who better to be his new greatest villain than his new, most trusted ally?

Whoever the Red Cloud actually is, it's great to see a new addition to Superman's rogues' gallery along with Rogol Zaar in the pages of Superman. Bendis seems dedicated to not just playing around with DC's most iconic character, but further adding to the mythos and story of one of the most recognizable fictional icons in the entire world.