The Super-Men (and -Women) of All-Planets

[Jim Kelly]

. . . however, his bride already has a ring on her finger.

When she takes it off, after some struggle, she reads the inscription inside the ring and tells Satdev that she can't marry him. He uses his multiple electronic mass-manipulator ring to teleport Lois back to Earth--her devilish features melt away, thanks to an after-effect from the geyser bath.

Satdev is left holding the ring that Superman gave to Lois, with the inscription: "I will always Love you, Lois--Till the End of Time! Superman"




Notes:

Obviously "Satdev" is a combination of Satan and Devil and "Nferino" is an anagram of Inferno. Funny that Lois let Satdev have her ring from Superman--maybe he sent it back to her by parcel teleport post.

This story has similar features to "The Unknown Superman" in issue 49--I doubt that's a coincidence. Did you notice that rings played a part in many of Lois Lane's adventures? It's something that struck me when I was reading these--a Ring Cycle!

[Jim Kelly]

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 454 (May 1989)--"Wayfarer" by Jerry Ordway
ACTION COMICS ANNUAL 2 (1989)--"Memories of Krypton's Past" writers: Ordway, Perez, Stern; pencillers: Ordway, Mignola, Swan; inkers: Statema, Perez, Breeding.
SUPERMAN 32 (June 1989)--"Gladiator" Stern/Gammill/Janke
ADVENTURES OF SUPRMAN 455--"Heritage" Ordway/Jurgens/Thibert
SUPERMAN 33 (July 1989)--"Two Destinies" Stern/Gammill/Janke

After having murdered the three Phantom Zone criminals in the Pocket Universe, Clark is ridden with guilt and ultimately decides to exile himself in outer space, which takes him on a space odyssey to many planets and encounters with alien civilizations. He is then picked up by a slave ship and transported to a prison planet of Warworld, where he is to fight in gladiatorial games for the amusement of Mongul.

The Cellkeeper, recognizing that this is a Kryptonian, secretly makes his way to an asteroid where the Cleric is hiding out. The Cleric, hundreds of thousands of years ago, came to Krypton and tried to free his believers from the tyranny of the Science Council--but learned to his everlasting regret that Kryptonians cannot leave their homeworld, due to a genetic defect. Kal-El is the only one who does not have this defect, because Jor-El made sure to correct it when he combined his genetic material with that of Lara--and produced an heir, Kal-El, who would be superior to all other Kryptonians.

Meanwhile, the caged Kryptonian is forced to battle a series of champions, before taking on Draaga, the greatest of all gladiators--his first appearance at the very end of ADVENTURES OF SUPRMAN 454 (May 1989) but not fully identified until the following chapter, in ACTION COMICS ANNUAL 2 (1989).



And even Draaga falls before the Superman. When the Man of Steel refuses to kill his opponent, defying the rules of the game, Draaga is dishonoured and Mongul infuriated. The ruler of Warworld himself battles the Kryptonian in a knock-down drag-out fight, before imprisoning both he and Draaga.

Nevertheless, Mongul has lost his grip on power as Warworld erupts in revolution and the Council of Overseers hand over authority to Draaga and dispatch him to kill Mongul. The once mighty Mongul is defeated and flees for his life from Warworld.

The Red and Blue Blur returns to Earth and resumes his life there.

[Jim Kelly]

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 458 (September 1989)--"I Sing the Body Elastic" Perez/Jurgens/Janson (behind the scenes).
ACTION COMICS 645 (September 1989)--"My Lady Maxima" Stern/Perez/Breeding; cover: Perez.
ACTION COMICS 650 (February 1990)--"Reflections" writer: Roger Stern; pencillers: Jerry Ordway, Curt Swan, George Perez, Kerry Gammill, Dan Jurgens; inkers: Brett Breeding, Bob McLeod, Art Thibert, Dennis Janke.
ACTION COMICS 651 (March 1990)--"Not of this Earth" Stern/Perez/Gammill/Breeding.
SUPERMAN 42 (April 1990)--"Krypton Man" writer/penciller: Ordway; inker: Janke.
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 465 (April 1990)--"The Last Son of Krypton" writer/penciller: Jurgens; inker: Thibert:



At the end of ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 458 (September 1989) and continuing into ACTION COMICS 645 (September 1989)--"My Lady Maxima" by Roger Stern, George Perez and Brett Breeding--a simulacrum of Maxima, with her attendant Sazu, heads to Earth and arrives in Suicide Slum. She takes over the mayor's office and her soldiers battle Superman. Sazu is not impressed with the Man of Steel and destroys the simulacrum, while she herself is detained by the authorities.

A few months later, in ACTION COMICS 650 (February 1990), Draaga leaves Warworld bound to track down the Kryptonian and kill him or die trying. He's sewn together bits of Superman's abandoned costume and hires a transport to take him to Earth. The driver is named K'raamdyn--a parody of Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden.




The real Maxima also shows up for this special 650th, likewise intent on going to Earth and finding Superman---as she does in the next issue of ACTION--651 (March 1990).

[Jim Kelly]

The ruler of Almerac hunts down the Action Ace and declares her purpose to mate with him and produce a great bloodline. However the Last Son of Krypton spurns her advances and she ultimately decides he is not a fit mate.




Superman manages to take her into custody; however, the U.S. state department believe it in their best interest to release Maxima and allow her to return to Almerac--as they wish to avoid any further alien invasions.

[Jim Kelly]

Meanwhile K'raamdyn finally arrives with his fare at their destination and Draaga challenges the Man of Steel--in SUPERMAN 42 (April 1990) and continuing into ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 465 (April 1990)--cover Dan Jurgens.



To complicate things, Clark is going through a phase as the "Krypton Man." Hijinks ensue which have the two titans taking their fight to the moon, in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. When they met before, Superman's powers were depleted but now he is at full strength and under the influence of the Eradicator. Draaga doesn't stand a chance against "The Last Son of Krypton" and it's up to K'raamdyn to drive the unconscious gladiator back to his own space sector.

[Jim Kelly]

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN ANNUAL 3 (1991), "Beyond the Reach of Time," writer: Louise Simonson; penciller: Bryan Hitch; inkers: Bryan Hitch, James Sanders III, Joe Rubinstein, Ray McCarthy, Nick Napolitano, Jerry Acerno, Dick Giordano; cover: Hitch:

To discover if Superman will become the Monarch in 2001, Waverider tracks the Man of Tomorrow's possible future. In this timeline, Lois and Clark marry and she becomes pregnant; however, carrying the baby kills her and the Man of Steel quits the Earth to wander the cosmos, not caring if he lives or dies. He flies into the domain of the Almeracian Empire and is attacked by a rebel ship. However, Maxima herself saves him.

In this timeline, various alien civilizations within the empire have begun to rebel against Almerac. To consolidate her power, the tempestuous imperator has agreed to marry De'Cine the Cyborg of the Krenons. However, as she and Kal-El become closer, Maxima believes he would make a better mate and sets out to seduce the Kryptonian.

Angered by the Man of Steel's influence on her mistress, Sazu convinces De'Cine to attack and destroy the Earth. Meanwhile, as he considers starting a new life with Maxima, the Last Son of Krypton pilots a space-yacht back to his adopted homeworld to make peace with his past and deliberate his future.

After Kal-El has left, Maxima discovers Sazu's treachery and sets out for Earth, as well--arriving in the proverbial nick to save Superman from De'Cine and aid the Man of Steel in saving the Earth. Rather than become Monarch, Superman decides to return to Almerac, as Maxima's mate--to distract the Krenon rebels from attacking Earth.

[Jim Kelly]

Maxima and Draaga next show up in the "Panic in the Sky" event . . .

ACTION COMICS 674 (February 1992) [triangle 8]--"The Past is Prologue" Stern/McLeod/Rodier
SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL 9 (March 1992) [triangle 9]--Panic in the Sky! First Strike: Power Breakfast" Simonson/Bogdanove/Janke
SUPERMAN 65 (March 1992) [triangle 10]--"Panic in the Sky! Second Strike: Head Man" Jurgens/Breeding
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 488 (March 1992) [triangle 11]--"Panic in the Sky! Third Strike: Counter Strike!" Ordway/Grummett/Hazlewood; cover: Grummett/Ordway
ACTION COMICS 675 (March 1992) [triangle 12]--"Panic in the Sky! Fourth Strike: Divide and Conquer" Stern/McLeod/Rodier
SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL 10 (April 1992) [triangle 13]--"Panic in the Sky! Fifth Strike: Tidal Wave!" Simonson/Bogdanove/Janke; cover: Bogdanove/Janke
SUPERMAN 66 (April 1992) [triangle 14]--"Panic in the Sky! Final Strike: Our Army at War" Jurgens/Breeding
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 489 (April 1992) [triangle 15]--"Panic in the Sky! Epilogue: Hail the Conquering Heroes" Ordway/Grummett/Hazlewood:

What seems to be Superman--but is in fact Matrix--walks into a bar on Kletus-4. The Cellkeeper who befriended Superman is in the same bar and believes it is the true Man of Steel. Later Draaga and K'ramdyn are at the same bar and Draaga thinks this his chance to even the score with the Last Son of Krypton. Someone else has made her way to Kletus-4--the Lady Maxima--and she's also intent on finding this Superman.

On a neighbouring asteroid, later, the Cellkeeper is disappointed to find that the Matrix Superman is not in fact the friend he knew--though they share some of the same memories and thus the confusion. Draaga arrives and instigates another fight as Warworld looms over the asteroid. The two combatants are transported into the arena of the technological wonder--Draaga not noticing that his opponent has metamorphosed from Superman form into Supergirl form.

The Lady Maxima stands at the side of the new ruler of Warworld, who is Brainiac. He has conquered Almerac, where he defeated Metron of the New Gods, although the Möbius Chair escaped in the melee. Brainiac has taken mental control of Matrix and Draaga and Maxima is powerless to challenge his authority over her.



As Warworld journeys to Earth, Brainiac has sent his headship in advance. Meanwhile, the Möbius Chair appears at the Cadmus Project and Dubbilex is able to control it.

Superman gathers a task forces of heroes (and villains) who take over the head ship and use it to storm Warworld as it approaches Earth, while on Earth, a goon squad from Warworld has invaded Metropolis and conducts a street battle against Batman and his ground forces.

But things get worse for Matrix and Draaga . . .

[Jim Kelly]

Brainiac is able to mind control many of the heroes on Warworld, but Matrix Supergirl and Draaga have overcome his mental commands. In the end Draaga sacrifices himself and Matrix assumes his form as tribute.

[Jim Kelly]

Witnessing this heroism, Maxima finally decides to do everything she can to take back her power from Brainiac. In the end, she nearly kills him, before being stopped by Superman. However, Brainiac is in a near vegetative state.



Jerry Ordway had originally planned that Maxima would take over command of Warworld, but Dan Jurgens wanted to use her when he began his run on JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA. So instead, it's Orion who is installed as the new leader on Warworld, with Lightray as his lieutenant.

Matrix decides that her place is back on Earth and commits to her role as Supergirl.

[Jim Kelly]

SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL 117 (October 2001)--"Total Abandon" Schultz/Mahnke/Nguyen:

Many years after "Panic in Sky," Maxima followed Draaga's example, sacrificing herself when she put her ship between the destructive beams of Brainiac 13's Warworld that would have destroyed the universe.

However, other versions of Maxima have appeared since Flashpoint.

[Jim Kelly]

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 494 (September 1992)--"Kismet: The Road Not Taken" Ordway/Grummett/Hazlewood:

Having just been in another dimension, engaged in a battle with Lord Satanus and Lady Blaze, Superman is now having a vision that he failed to save the space-plane and Lois Lane died--in an alternate version of the events from MAN OF STEEL 1 (1986)--but as he awakens he realizes this did not happen, yet now he is floating in outer space except he can't be in outer space because he is breathing. Then a mysterious entity speaks to him, a being that we may call "Kismet"--she is in-between the Lords of Order and the Lords of Chaos.



The issue is essentially a discussion of Superman's free will--can he change the direction of his life and the lives of others or is there a pre-determined pattern that all life must follow? Ordway seemed to struggle with these questions. Perhaps da Ordster didn't like how John Byrne had Clark kill those Kryptonians because, throughout Jerry's run, he seeks to redeem the Man of Steel and give him dispensation for this morally questionable action.

Kismet leaves Superman, returning him to Earth, with the empty aphorism of a self-help guru, "The answer is in you. It always has been." <groan>

[Jim Kelly]

SUPERMAN 149 (October 1999) [triange 40]--"What?" Randall Frenz/Ron Frenz/Sal Buscema
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 572 (November 1999) [triangle 41]--"When?" Randall/Ron/Sal
ACTION COMICS 759 (November 1999) [triangle 42]--"Where?" Randall/Ron/Sal
SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL 94 (November 1999)[triangle 43]--"Why?" Randall/Ron/Sal:

Kismet subsequently appears several times to screw with the Man of Tomorrow's mind, until in an effort to escape her nemesis--Dominus--she is sent back in time and fuses with the body of a child, Sharon Vance, a friend of Clark Kent's in Smallville.

Sharon and Kismet become Strange Visitor when they are aboard an aircraft struck by lightning. As this new energy being, Professor Hamilton gives them one of Superman's containment suits (from back when he was an energy being--it was a whole thing, let's not get into it).

[Jim Kelly]

A version of the Alpha Centurion made his debut in the Zero Hour event--as the main title, ZERO HOUR: CRISIS IN TIME, counted down from 4 to 0--with a cameo appearance in issue 3 (September 1994), before his full story was given in . . .

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 516 (September 1994)--"The Hero of Metropolis" by Karl Kesel, Peter Krause and Jackson Guice:

As the Zero Hour event unfolds, Superman arrives in a Metropolis where he never existed and instead the Alpha Centurion had his adventures and became Lois Lane's lover.

As the Centurion explains, he was Marcus Aelius in Rome almost two thousand years ago, when aliens arrived on Earth and selected him to return with them to their homeworld. He was there for about ten years his time, but when he returned to Earth much more time had passed (presumably because of space-time relativity, but I'm not sure of the math on this) and the Alpha Centurion has been the hero of Metropolis for ten years now.




The Alpha Centurion then appears in the final issue 0 of ZERO HOUR, which presumably erases his timeline--but in a Multiverse is anything ever really erased?

[Jim Kelly]

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 527 (September 1995) [triangle 36]--"The Return" Kesel/Immonen/Marzan
SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF TOMORROW 2 (Fall 1995) [triangle 41]--"Pawns" Stern/Grummett/Breeding
ALPHA CENTURION SPECIAL 1 (September 1996)--"Protector of Earth?" writer: Barb Kesel; pencillers: Stuart Immonen, Dean Zachary; inkers: Wade Von Grawbadger, Pamela Ekland:

Marcus Aelius from Superman's own timeline makes his first modern day appearance on Earth in 1995, having the same origins as his Zero Hour counterpart, when he immediately rescues Lois Lane and attracts the attention of the Man of Tomorrow, who gives him the name "Alpha Centurion" based on his memory (and jealousy) of the one he'd already met.



Owing to his Latin roots, Marcus forms an alliance with the acting head of LexCorp--Contessa Erica Alexandra del Portenza--and makes over Team Luthor as the Centurions, a private security group protecting Metropolis, acting as allies of Superman.

ALPHA CENTURION SPECIAL 1 (September 1996) gave the full report on how Marcus Aelius was taken to the Vimuru homeworld and what he did there.

[Prime]

You guys ever seen Project A-ko?