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Mild Mannered Reviews - Classic Pre-Crisis Superman Comics

Action Comics #484

Action Comics #484

Cover date: June 1978

Writer: Cary Bates
Penciller: Curt Swan
Inker: Joe Giella
Cover: Jose Luis Garcia Lopez

"Superman Takes a Wife!"

Reviewed by: Rafael Magat


Once upon a time in Metropolis long ago and far away... a group of people look up in the sky and are shocked by what they see, not a bird, not a plane, but the Mechanical Marauders, human sized flying robots. The Marauders have just stolen money from a bank. Someone notices that they're getting away and another asks where Superman is, just then he flies in to save the day! Superman knocks one Marauder's head off and the people realize that Superman has come! The Marauders fire lasers at Superman but Superman simply continues on destroying the robots, he begins to spin himself and the damaged robot, then throws it into the rest of the Marauders, just then someone says that Superman is unstoppable, but one man disagrees, this man is Colonel Future, leader of the C-F gang. One of his minions says that hundreds have tried but failed at killing Superman. Colonel Future then vows that he will be the one to wipe out the Man of Tomorrow.

Twenty-one minutes later, Superman flies into the thirtieth floor of the Daily Star and changes into Clark Kent in the storeroom, upon exiting, Jimmy Olsen comments on Clark's speediness in getting from the site of the defeat of the Mechanical Marauders to the Daily Star, Clark says that he found a way to stay on top of the traffic.

As Jimmy and Clark walk away, a female figure steps into the storeroom Clark changed in, thinking to herself that Clark may be able to fool Jimmy Olsen easily but not a news-hen such as herself. She wonders about Clark's fondness for the storeroom. It's Lois Lane, and she is removing an automatic movie camera she rigged up that morning. Lois takes the film to be developed only to learn that every frame has been fogged up as if they were exposed to intense x-rays. The developer says that it isn't likely and that she probably got stuck with defective film. Lois thinks to herself that Clark used a quick flash of x-ray vision to destroy the evidence, and vows that she will someday prove that Clark Kent is Superman.

Three days later in a room somewhere in Metropolis, two C-F men bring in a villain known as The Wizard to see Colonel Future. Colonel Future asks if he used "weird spells" against the JSA, what some might call magic. The Wizard asks if by magic he means things science cannot explain, he then turns the room upside-down, and says yes. The colonel is pleased. The Wizard asks why he was brought here, Colonel-Future then tells him that he brought him here so that he could remove Superman from the face of the Earth, Wizard asks him what they have to offer and they give him the Glatsonbury Wand, Wizard says that he already has it, Colonel- Future says that it's a fake. The Wizard then realizes that his is fake and says that he'll have to test it first and announces that he is a man of his word.

The next day, Lois and Clark walk on the street as Lois says tells Clark that they could work out a plan to nab C-F and get an exclusive for the Star. Clark tells Lois to leave him out and Lois says that he has incredibly good posture for someone without a spine. Clark pushes Lois out of the way of a blast and she wonders if his shove was accidental or deliberate. The blast hits an armored car and two C-F men with high-powered bazookas run past Lois and Clark and head for the truck. Lois gets up and wonders where Clark is. In a narrow alley a mugger prepares to mug Clark as he changes to Superman. Clark rips open his shirt and accidentally hits the mugger with his elbow knocking him unconcious. Superman flies out as the C-F gang members fly off using their bazookas as prepulsion. Superman quickly catches them and welds their bazookas together with his heat vision.

Just then the Wizard begins to cast his spell to rid the world of Superman, casting it on the S emblem. Superman begins to lower the two men and is whisked away to the emblem, Superman tells the Wizard that nothing on Earth can harm him, the Wizard counters that his magic isn't from Earth and he rids the world of Superman.

Hours later Clark Kent walks out of the emblem and walks toward Metropolis. At the Star, George Taylor, editor, asks where Superman is, Clark tells him that they were alright without him before and that they'll still manage. Lois ponders if that is really Clark Kent talking and indeed it is! In the following weeks, Clark proves himself to be a dauntless foe of crime! Clark even investigates Superman's disapperance. And when nothing can be found, Clark admits that they do need Superman against the C-F gang. Lois tells him that he's done more than what most people would attempt in fighting crime. Clark says that he needs to relax and asks Lois out on a date. Lois agrees.

The dates become more frequent and soon romance blossoms, Clark asks Lois if they could take a country drive, Lois agrees. Inside Clark's car, Clark proposes to Lois. Lois says yes and they liplock. They get married and enjoy their honeymoon at the beach, where Lois thinks to herself that she learned what love really is from Clark. Clark takes a dip in the sea where he is targeted by a C-F sub. They fire at Clark who doesn't even feel it. Lois screams "NOOOOOOO!" and the C-F men think that there's something wrong with the gun and submerge. Clark runs to hug Lois, who thinks that he's about to collapse but instead they hug and Calrk tells Lois that she has very luscious shoulders. Lois is confused and later that night, Lois tries to cut Clark's hair with scissors which break and thus Lois realizes that Clark Kent is Superman!

After flying back to Metropolis, Lois goes over the files of the villains who claim to have rid the world of Superman, Lois goes for someone Superman would never suspect, such as the Wizard! Lois goes to visit the Wizard who is now homeless and lives on a bench in Metropolis Park. Lois convinces the Wizard to prove that he sent Superman away by bringing him back. At the Kent house, Lois thinks to herself that she likes Clark the way he is. The next day Lois kisses Clark on the cheek as he sleeps. At Metropolis Park, Lois announces to the world that the Wizard was the one who took Superman away and that he will bring Superman back. The crowd mocks the Wizard as he casts the spell to bring Superman back. Just then Clark wakes up and then disappears in a flash as the S emblem where Superman left begins to emit smoke as the Wizard finishes his spell, a familiar figure flies upward away from the site for, SUPERMAN RETURNS!

The crowd begins to hear a whistling sound as they look up in the sky, to find not a bird, not a plane, but Superman!

Superman waves his hand at the Wizard who is knocked cold. Elsewhere, Colonel Future says that he's going to be sick as a minion gives him medicine.

At the Kent house, Superman comforts Lois, who tells him that he should admit that if it hadn't been for the Wizard, they never would have wed, Superman admits it and tells her that if it hadn't been for the Wizard, he would never have realized how much he always loved her and asks her to marry him, the Kryptonian way!

So off they go heading towards Superman's secret citadel in a mountainous region of the world. Inside Superman and Lois wed by exchanging specially chosen bracelets while standing on top of the jewel of truth and before statues of Jor-L and Lora.

5Story - 5: Wow, first review, this makes me the youngest at 13. Anyway, as we all know, this entire issue is incredibly important to Infinite Crisis because with the union of these two, Superman of Earth-2 was fooled into believing Alex, fighting our Superman and affected me emotionally as I saw Earth-2 Superman die. So that's two points for that, one point for finding a way to allow them to wed and satisfy us, even thought the real deal wouldn't happen until '96. Another point for finding a way to get rid of Superman in a cheesy but highly plausible way and for showing what could happen to a villain upon accomplishing the goal of defeating the hero and half a point for the scene in which the mugger gets knocked out. Rounded off, 5.

4Art - 4: Okay, Swan and Giella, here were bad in a few panels, especially the eyes. In one shot, Superman's eyes are like tiny little beads with white. In another, Clark's eyes are the same. That and in the look up in the sky bit before the Mechanical Marauders, one of the hands is really awkwardly drawn. 99% of the blame, goes to the inker, while 1% goes to Swan for the hand.

4Cover Art - 4: Beautiful piece of art by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, but it didn't happen and it looks cluterred but it is mighty pretty.

Pre-Crisis Superman Comic Book Reviews

1938-1949

1950-1959

  • Superman #76 (May/June 1952) - “The Mightiest Team in the World”
  • Superman #80 (January/February 1953) - “Superman's Lost Brother”
  • Superman 3D (1953) - “The Man Who Stole the Sun”, “Origin of Superman” and “The Man Who Bossed Superman”
  • Superman #87 (February 1954) - “The Prankster's Greatest Role”
  • Superman #88 (March 1954) - “The Terrible Trio”
  • Superman #89 (May 1954) - “Captain Kent the Terrible”, “Superman of Skid Row”, and “One Hour to Doom!”
  • Superman #91 (August 1954) - “The Superman Stamp” and “Great Caesar's Ghost”
  • World's Finest #88 (May/June 1957) - “Superman and Batman's Greatest Foes”
  • Superman #115 (August 1957) - “The Midget Superman!”
  • Superboy #65 (May/June 1958) - “The Amazing Adventures of Krypto Mouse”
  • Action Comics #242 (July 1958) - “The Super-Duel in Space”
  • Superman #123 (August 1958) - “The Girl of Steel”
  • Superman #127 (February 1959) - “Titano the Super Ape”
  • Action Comics #252 (May 1959) - “The Menace of Metallo” and “The Supergirl From Krypton”
  • Superman #129 (May 1959) - “The Girl in Superman's Past”
  • Superman #130 (July 1959) - “The Curse of Kryptonite!”, “The Super-Servant of Crime!”, and “The Town that Hated Superman!”
  • Jimmy Olsen #40 (October 1959) - “Jimmy Olsen, Supergirl's Pal”

1960-1969

1970-1979

1980-1986

Compilation Volumes

Miscellaneous

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