Welcome to Adventure(s) Time's 108th installment, a look at animated heroes of the past. This week, a two-parter from Superman: The Animated Series that felt like a dramatic new era for the character ... even if the follow-up occurred years later on a different series. Thanks to Matt Re for pointing out the original comics stories that likely inspired these episodes. And if you have any suggestions for the future, please contact me on Twitter.
Airing on Feb. 5 and Feb. 12, 2000, "Legacy" comes from writers Paul Dini and Rich Fogel, joined by directors Curt Geda and Dan Riba. The premise has Darkseid brainwashing Superman, using the hero as his pawn in galactic war. The episode opens with a masked Superman, in a design clearly inspired by Jack Kirby, causing chaos on a helpless alien planet.
From there, we have the dramatic reveal of the new super-soldier's identity, then a few scenes to establish Superman's life on Apokolips. He's Darkseid's favored son, a desired plaything of the Female Furies, and the victim of strange visions of another life. Meanwhile, Supergirl presents the facade that Superman and Clark Kent remain in Metropolis by manipulating an army of robots.
The producers made it clear when promoting the show they were wary of the reputation of the Silver Age Superman comics, but this bit is very much from the early '60s. Superman covering for his double life, and constantly pranking his friends, with robot duplicates isn't the kind of material we normally see on the show, but it works here.
Soon enough, we learn Lex Luthor has deduced the real Superman is gone, shortly before Darkseid sends Superman to attack Earth. Luthor joins forces with General Hardcastle and the government's secret Project: Achilles to fight against Superman and a Parademon invasion. They launch a Kryptonite missile, just as Superman defeats Supergirl.
The second chapter of "Legacy" explores the ramifications of the shocking opening episode. Lois Lane reacts in horror to what's become of the Man of Steel, while both Superman (who's awakened from his brainwashing) and Supergirl are being held captive by General Hardcastle, who's swayed by Luthor into ordering the hero's execution. (In one of the more memorable scenes in the show's run, a depowered Superman sucker-punches Luthor!) With Lois' help, Superman escapes, yet Supergirl is nearly killed in the process.
That leads to another shocking moment, when Superman takes Supergirl to S.T.A.R. Labs, but Professor Hamilton refuses to treat her for fear of committing treason. Superman gives into his worst instincts and physically intimidates Hamilton, demanding his aid.
It's only a momentary lapse in judgment, but we see what it does to Superman.
And, though the episode concludes with Superman returning to Apokolips and gaining that final victory over Darkseid, we see there is no happy ending. A news montage indicates the only Metropolis citizen willing to defend Superman is, well, Jimmy Olsen. The rest of the public is seemingly terrified of the Last Son of Krypton.
And while Lois gives him a few inspirational words -- and also a kiss, one of very few they share on the show -- it's clear this is a Pyrrhic victory. Future episodes were to deal with Superman's struggle to regain the public's trust and forgive himself for his actions. Yet, the crew was reassigned to Batman Beyond, so this two-part story marked the finale of Superman. As for that bit with Professor Hamilton, who confirms in the news montage that he can never look at Superman the same again ... well, that's a plot thread left dangling until the 2004 debut of Justice League Unlimited.
The exact details of how Superman's brainwashing are reserved for a brief flashback in the second installment's opening. There's a far more elaborate setup in the comics storyline that predates these episodes, however. During the early days of writer/artist John Byrne's revamp of the Superman line of titles, we had a similar concept explored in a crossover between the March 1987 Superman titles (a mini-crossover within the larger event of Legends, in which Darkseid's agent G. Gordon Godfrey stoked anti-superhero sentiment on Earth).
Superman #3, written and penciled by Byrne, starts at the beginning, with Clark Kent evading Darkseid's Omega Beams in the streets of Metropolis. They're set on "teleport," not "kill," however. When wimpy Clark Kent appears rather than Superman, the evil overlord is (seemingly) quite disappointed.
The rest of the issue depicts Superman interacting with the Hunger Dogs, the lowliest of the low on Apokolips. A battle with the monstrous Pacifier sends Superman into a fire-pit, to emerge in Adventures of Superman #426, from writer Marv Wolfman and artist Jerry Ordway. The scavenger Graggin rescues Superman's unconscious body, and Hunger Dogs leader Amazing Grace declares this man must be their savior from Darkseid.
Now suffering from amnesia, Superman joins their cause when Darkseid's Parademons attack. He's seduced by Grace (and perhaps influenced by her "herbal bath"), and soon adopts another set of Kirby-inspired gear and leads a revolution.
Yet, there's another twist: Amazing Grace is, in fact, an agent of Darkseid, who's allowed this revolution, only to give the Hunger Dogs false hope.
So, Action Comics #586 (with story and art by Byrne,with Dick Giordano finishes) brings us the first chapter where we explicitly see Superman as Darkseid's agent. In a scene similar to "Legacy"'s opening chapter, we have Superman training under Granny Goodness.
After Darkseid is notified of his nemesis (and son) Orion's arrival on Apokolips, Superman receives a psychic pick-me-up from Darkseid, then goes off to fulfill the promise of the cover -- Superman versus Orion.
Orion discovers Superman believes himself to be the son of Darkseid (language also used on "Legacy"), and goes for the old "shock the brainwashed hero into believing the truth" bit.
Ultimately, Orion and his ally Lightray use a Mother Box to force Superman to face the truth, leading to an impressive fight scene between Darkseid and a severely peeved Superman. In the end, Superman is sent back home, unaware of just what he was forced to do as Darkseid's thrall.
As Orion explains, it'd be a horrible burden for Superman of all people to endure. Hey, is it possible the cartoon's producers read that ending and thought, "Oh, yeah...?"
DESIGN-Y
To be honest, many of the designs for Darkseid and his legion never quite worked for me. After being introduced in animation in more comics-loyal designs in the Super Powers era of Super Friends, he just seemed too ... squat in his DC Animated Universe incarnation. Also, while Michael Ironside's Darkseid voice is perfectly OK, it just lacks the gravitas and sheer creepiness of Frank Welker's version, which sounds like he gargles asphalt for breakfast every morning.
And, speaking of squat, what's the deal with Kalibak's anatomy? I know he's supposed to be stocky, but did Kirby intend for him to be this egg-like?
CONTINUITY NOTES
The fake origin Granny Goodness tells Superman features revised clips from the earliest episodes of the series. And Superman's attack on Earth will later be referenced in the Batman Beyond episode "The Call," alluded to in the Justice League episodes "Secret Origins" and "Twilight," and influence several Justice League Unlimited episodes during its arc devoted to the Cadmus conspiracy.
Another possible inspiration for this story is Superman: The Dark Side, a 1998 Elseworlds miniseries that featured a baby Superman landing in Apokolips, rather than Earth.
APPROVED BY BROADCAST STANDARDS & PRACTICES
Dialogue makes it clear Superman is "involved" with the Female Furies. In fact, there were plans for a Batman Beyond episode to establish Superman fathered a son with Lashina, who would go on to overthrow Darkseid.
It's possible there's another comics inspiration for Darkseid manipulating Superman into sexual hi-jinx...the rather infamous John Byrne story that had a brainwashed Superman and Big Barda possibly filming a porn together.
When Superman returns to Apokolips to face Darkseid, we see him wipe out a regent of Parademons with his heat vision. Given that Parademons were intended as mutated humans in this canon, that's surprisingly brutal.
A censor note had Granny Goodness's line "This time I won't leave you wits enough to wipe your..." changed to "This time I won't leave you wits enough to pick your..."
"SO IT ENDS LIKE THIS"
Both of these stories arguably fail to live up to their potential. The comics arc occasionally comes across as filler -- something for Superman to do while the truly momentous events are occurring in Legends. It's an entertaining story with solid art, but it doesn't feel like there's much ambition here. If "Darkseid brainwashes Superman into believing he's Darkseid's son" is your premise, restricting the action to Apokolips and a doomed slave rebellion seems needlessly limiting.
"Legacy," meanwhile, goes all out with its premise. It's epic, bold, and willing to go places we haven't seen in the typically tranquil world of this show. But the follow-through (even if this wasn't the producers' fault at the time) is non-existent.
We see the world now fears Superman, as he's left with memories of committing horrific deeds...and that's the series finale. While the opening season of Justice League, nearly two years later, could've explored this, a decision was made to go "continuity-lite" and present a more kid-friendly show.
Later episodes, beginning with Season Two's "Twilight" shift wildly in the other direction. And as the spin-off series Justice League Unlimited evolved, it became clear "Legacy" is perhaps the most significant story in the DC Animated Universe.
So that’s all for now. Until next time, check out the G. I. Joe novels I wrote for the Kindle Worlds project for free over at Smashwords.