Welcome to Adventure(s) Time's forty-eighth installment, a look at beloved animated series and their tie-in comic books. This week, we're going back to the times Superman exploited his massive powers to become a fascist dictator. Just typical Superman material, of course. Have a suggestion for future installments? Great! Just leave a comment with your ideas.
We'll start with "Brave New Metropolis" from Superman: The Animated Series. Airing on September 27, 1997 with a story by Stan Berkowitz and direction by Curt Geda, the episode is possibly the oddest of the show's run. Opening with Jimmy and Lois covering a story at S.T.A.R. Labs, the episode doesn't take long to travel to unusual places. The device Professor Hamilton has constructed from Kryptonian technology opens a window to another world, trapping Lois on the other side.
While there, she encounters an eerie reflection of Metropolis. Evening curfews. Terrified citizens. An abrasive, authoritarian police force. And, the greatest shock, a statue proclaiming allies Superman and Lex Luthor as "the men who saved Metropolis".
Lois explores the dystopian universe and meets alternate versions of her friends, including Jimmy Olsen as the leader of an anti-Superman rebellion. (The stress of this horrific world inspiring him to grow an even more ridiculous mullet.) As Jimmy helpfully points out, Lois shouldn't even be here. She's dead, after all.
Eventually, as the second act closes, Lois finally encounters this world's Superman. And if you think the producers were intentionally attempting to evoke SS imagery with this new emblem, you're apparently right. It's hard not to see it that way after that's been pointed out.
Stunned by Lois' arrival, this world's Superman begins to reflect on his actions. We learn how a devastated Superman turned his grief into anger, lashing out at the world. Determined to make the city obey his will, to circumvent any more tragedies, Superman transformed Metropolis into a police state. And to maintain the order he desired, he was forced to turn to the only other man powerful enough to help. Thus, the Lex/Superman alliance was born.
Most of the beats following are fairly predictable. Lois informs Superman of Luthor's excesses. Superman is humbled in the face of the rebels' resistance. Superman confronts Luthor. Luthor turns on Superman. Ultimately, the villain is defeated and Superman is inspired to return to his true self.
What is significant here is Superman's farewell to Lois, as the portal home is opened in the alternate version of S.T.A.R. Labs. They kiss goodbye, and it isn't a friendly peck on the cheek, either. The Superman/Lois romance just wasn't a major aspect of this series. Going back to early press interviews, the producers outright stated their unwillingness to replay the Clark/Lois/Superman love triangle. Sometimes we had hints of crushes amongst the cast, but no romance.
Here, the subtext is made plain. Superman deeply loves Lois, and the pain of losing her is enough to twist him into a different man entirely. Her embrace at the end, the sympathy she shows this broken man, indicates she shares these feelings. It could've been a significant moment for the series, and Lois' final line about them catching dinner hints at this direction. Recognizing what they mean to one another, and having witnessed the cost of Superman repressing his feelings, she has every reason to pursue the romance now.
Yet, the remaining episodes rarely touch on their true feelings. It would take several years, and a new series, for a return to these ideas. The Justice League two-parter "A Better World" shows another alternate world with a fascistic Superman, one with a strained relationship with Lois. The story shares many themes with this episode, which perhaps isn't a surprise. Both were written by Stan Berkowitz.
Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='Mark%20Millar%20and%20Aluir%20Amancio%20Do%20Their%20Take']
A year later, the Superman Adventures tie-in comic presented an alternate take on Dictator Superman. Superman Adventures #26 from Mark Millar and Aluir Amancio opens with two narrative threads. They wouldn't seem to have anything in common -- Mxyzptlk in the Fifth Dimension, agonizing over his next match against Superman...
...and thirteen years in the past, a typical day in Smallville for teenage Clark Kent.
Clark is wrestling with his recent discovery of his abilities. He understands he can no longer play on the football team, and has enough of a moral compass not to punch out a loudmouth bully named Brad. That doesn't mean he isn't tempted, though. And, decent guy that he is, this is a real conflict for Clark. Like many teenagers, he wants to change the world. And with his powers, he actually could.
Mxyzptlk, hoping to circumvent any future encounters with Superman, travels in time to take advantage of young Clark's confusion. He fits teen Clark with a Superman costume, and offers him a glimpse of his future. This being Mxyzptlk, however, the presentation is a bit dubious.
Fearful he can't control this lust for power, Mxyzptlk convinces Clark to exile himself to the moon. Confident he's played the ultimate prank, Mxyzptlk travels to the present day. He experiences a world without a Superman, a planet with no one to challenge his own godlike abilities. Worse, he sees how dark the Earth has become without Superman.
Realizing his awful mistake, Mxyzptlk revisits the moon, thirteen years in the past. He fesses up to his scam, and pleads with Clark to play their game. Clark refuses, perhaps because he's a teen with attitude, or maybe he already knows the best way to deal with Mxy. Frustrated, Mxyzptlk says his own name backwards twice, undoing his magic pranks and setting reality right. There is one consequence of his time travel, however. Pa Kent caught a glimpse of Mxy and Clark flying to the moon that night. Inspired, he's drafted a disguise for his son to don when helping others...
The Wrap-Up
Continuity Notes
The flashbacks in #26 ("Yesterday's Man of Tomorrow") take place in-between scenes of the second episode of the animated series. Since Clark is explicitly stated to be 16 in the flashbacks, set thirteen years in the past, that means he is the traditional "eternally 29" in this continuity. Krypto also appears in the flashbacks, as the non-powered dog Skip. (This is Krypto's own secret identity in the classic Superboy comics.)
"Huh?" Moment
"Brave New Metropolis" has Lois, even with an injured leg, holding her own against martial artist Mercy Graves in one-on-one combat. Actually, Lois pretty much kicks her butt.
Approved By Broadcast Standards & Practices
One of the doubles Lois encounters in the new world is rival reporter Angela Chen. This Angela, ahem, "walks the street" and assumes Lois is now competing in her new profession, as well.
Battle of the Kryptonian Despots
What's notable about the comic isn't that Mxyzptlk has duped a teenage Clark. The imagery of Superman as a ruthless dictator, drunk on power, could easily be dismissed as a lie. What makes Millar's story work is that he provides a convincing setup for why Clark could fall for the con. He fantasizes about punching out the school bully. Everyday life bores him. He's anxious to use his powers to change the world. And, because he is sixteen, doesn't understand his father's reluctance about an inexperienced youth wielding that power. This Clark, under these circumstances, is a perfect mark for Mxyzptlk.
And, by the way, what a wonderful portrayal of Jonathan Kent here. Contrast this with the figure presented to us in Man of Steel. This characterization shares similar qualms, but is far more sympathetic and true to the tradition of the Kents. Sure, Millar is a cynic, but his Superman work always feels genuine.
"Brave New Metropolis" is likely more memorable, however. It's a jarring interpretation of Superman, one that had to shock the core audience. Alternate reality stories tend to hit kids hard. Whether here or in the "imaginary stories" of the past, kids have visceral reactions to seeing their fantasies twisted inside-out.
Beyond the shock value, the episode also has something to say about the relationship between Superman and Lois. And, as Superman tended to avoid this topic, it leaves that much more of an impression. Plus, Superman going rogue after losing Lois...hmm. Does that sound familiar to any fans of the Injustice franchise? Heck, this was even going to be a major story point in the DC film series, if rumors are to be believed.
That’s all for now. If you have any suggestions for future installments, just leave a comment or contact me on Twitter.