Action Comics #32 Discussion/Spoilers

[Xarek]

Thanks to Pak that we are now clear of that version of Metallo, the ugliest re-design of the New 52!

We truely had the worst of all worlds with this Metallo, a bland soldier-boy, blindly loyal to "America" (A.K.A. anyone who outranked him), with all the personality of a blank sheet of cardboard. Johns' shoe-horned infatuation with Lois was present and, of course, he happened to work for her father.

I can't wait for a new take on the character, which will hopefully be much, much better. This is supposed to be a heavy hitter of Superman's already limited rogues gallery.

Agree. His redesign was uninspired. Maybe after this "death" he'll reemerge as a much closer embodiment of the old concept.

[Jphu8414]

Agree. His redesign was uninspired. Maybe after this "death" he'll reemerge as a much closer embodiment of the old concept.

Was he really all that character-wise Pre-New 52? I always saw him as another average brute character (I need some more reading material though)
Although I do agree that the redesign is really lacking...hopefully he'll come back better.

[Xarek]

Perhaps you are right. There is really not much character depth there. Must be childhood nostalgia for I do miss the "Terminator" design from the John Byrne era.

[Ascended]

Perhaps you are right. There is really not much character depth there. Must be childhood nostalgia for I do miss the "Terminator" design from the John Byrne era.

Its nostalgia. Metallo was never a deep character. I'd say his best stories involve being someone else's muscle/pawn, and his subsequent quests for revenge against those same people. But Im having a hard time thinking of any good stories he's actually had. Though I did enjoy the 2000's era "techno-absorption" version. But even then, he's about as deep as a thimble.

However, his current look is ridiculous. Or was. You know, before his face got burned off. I suspect we'll get something closer to the Terminator look now, since originality doesnt seem to sell well.

[misslane]

I liked Smallville's Corben/Metallo. He was a war correspondent whose sister was murdered while he was away reporting on the war in Afghanistan by a prisoner who escaped a prison bus save that Clark botched. His animosity toward Superman, or "the Blur," was rooted in his grief for his sister, his anger at the Blur's mistake, and his discomfort with the fact that the Blur's choices can have far reaching effects on people (i.e. it's like he plays god). When he was just a reporter newly assigned to work at The Daily Planet alongside the Blur's biggest supporter, Lois Lane, he seemed satisfied with undermining Superman with exposes and critical articles. It was only after a rogue splinter group of Zod's soldiers performed experiments on Corben, so they could learn how to artificially gain the same powers as Kal-El, that Corben's revenge aims became more heightened along with his adrenaline and strength levels. All of this was neatly juxtaposed with Clark's character arc, with Corben clearly serving as a foil for Clark. The removal of Corben's heart and its replacement with kryptonite provided a particularly potent figurative or symbolic illustration of Clark's own struggles following the costly mistakes he made the previous season.

Metallo and Clark's first clash ended with Metallo deactivated and heartless, but his story didn't end there. Tess Mercer, a Mercy Graves analogue taking on a Lex Luthor like role, took Corben in order to perform her own experiments. She tried to give him a heart powered by red kryptonite and to install a computer chip which allow her to control him; her goal was to have Corben protect her like Clark protected Lois. Corben is able to briefly escape Tess and attempt to redeem himself. Lois helps him refuel on kryptonite, and Corben even helps Clark recover from exposure to red kryptonite. Corben was subsequently set on a path to have his red kryptonite heart installed courtesy of a Dr. Vale who Lois connected him with via her father, General Lane, who worked with Vale at a nearby military base. Unfortunately, Corben has become so hopeless and alone after so much loss, physical trauma, and transformation that he'd rather be controlled than to feel. He puts on the computer chip and next is seen collaborating with the Legion of Doom. He later shows up in the Congo working as a hired gun for the war lords a superpowered and green kryptonite infected Lana Lang is trying to thwart in an effort to protect the children there (Lois shows up to investigate and help Lana). Fighting Metallo with a new heart mechanism that automatically absorbs kryptonite leaves Lana without kryptonite and without superpowers, and it leaves Corben defeated and headed into D.E.O custody.

source: shadowcats

What's sad for me is seeing how Lois in her Brainiac form drives Corben to do terrible things in this issue of Action Comics when, in my previous experience with Smallville, Lois was actually a source of stability and hope for Corben.

[exile001]

Yeah, Smallville Metallo was cool. I also liked the Superman Animated Series version.

Personality wise, I'm more on the side that the re-launch was a missed oppertunity and used a lot of aspects from my least favorite version for the character. I appreaciate he's never really been a big thinker, but with the New 52 there's a great opportunity to up him as a threat.

[MajorHoy]

Variant cover was the only good thing about this issue.

[dumbduck]

Nevermind, my mistake.

[Superdoom]

Yeah, Metallo has never been too interesting. I liked that the new 52 version had a relationship with Lois. Of course, the New 52 Supes doesn't so that kind of negates that drama. My favorite Metallo story was after Supes got his electric powers. That was a fun story.