When Superman Was Almost Killed By a Robot Built By...Mel Brooks?

CBR

By Brian Cronin

Published Feb 1, 2020

In their feature that spotlights famous people in comics under different names, CSBG shows when Superman was beat up by a robot built by Mel Brooks

This is "My Name It Ain't Nothin'," a look at when comic books guest star celebrities, but their names are changed so as to avoid any legal problems.

Today, based on a suggestion from reader Michael M., we look at the time that Superman was almost killed by a robot built by...Mel Brooks?!

Action Comics #455 (by Elliot S! Maggin, Curt Swan and Tex Blaisdell) opened by showing a man who is clearly based on Mel Brooks, who had already released classic films such as Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, so many readers would recognize him (although probably not any little kids).

"Morty Rivers" gets the idea to build a robot out of junk for his movie (if this was a parody of anything Brooks was up to at the time, it's beyond me)...

Rivers goes to work while his publicity manager, Oliver Queen, sets up an interview with Clark Kent...

However, things go wrong while the Atom is trying to figure out a way to grow Kandor and a bunch of Kryptonian energy went flying and Superman uses the "Junkman" to temporarily absorb it..

However, while they think that they "junked" the Junkman, it comes back to life and it wants more Kryptonian energy, even if it has to suck some out of Superman!

It realizes, though, that Kandor is what it really wants, so it travels to the Fortress of Solitude and luckily, Superman, Green Arrow and the Atom stop it...