Inter-Action
"Ask Matt" Fan Forum Archives
Here are Matt Idelson's answers to questions fans put to him from May-June 2006:
Matt's Answers
sam (sam.brody@gmail.com) asks:How old are the Kents in current Superman continuity? You don't have to get into specific years... but if they are young, then what about the "Death of Superman" story in which they are old? And if they are old, what happens to "Birthright" and all the subsequent issues of Superman, Teen Titans, and so on in which they appear young? Thanks for helping clear this issue up!
Matt: This is a real point of contention, as you'll see in a moment. You look at the original work (and much of what followed), and Ma and Pa are definitely on the codger side of things. But then you move up the continuity chain a bit and they're young. Then old. Then young. Then - you get the idea. Kurt Busiek sees them on the older side: "My thinking is this - part of the classic Superman origin is that Jonathan and Martha wanted to have kids but had never been able to, and that's a part of why Martha latched on so hard to the idea of adopting baby Kal-El. Now, with modern medical science, she could have those feelings at age 22 if her doctors had told her she was infertile, or she could still not be giving up at age 45. But the concern isn't what's technically possible, but what feels right. So if Martha's a woman who feels her biological clock has likely ticked away, then I'm going to peg her at probably not a lot younger than, say, 36. Technically, she could be significantly older or younger, but it's a good age - she and Jonathan would have been trying for kids for over a decade without success. Jonathan would be a little older - say, 38-40. That's at the time the rocket lands on Earth. So if Clark is roughly 32-33 today, then Martha's almost 70 and Jonathan's either 70 or a touch past it. They could be younger - Martha's emotional concerns about motherhood could have kicked in earlier - but you can't really credibly get Martha under 60, not with a Superman in his early 30s. As for how that affects BIRTHRIGHT - well, Superman's a lot younger in BIRTHRIGHT, so his folks would be, too. It's not likely they look like they're in their 40s or anything even there." Boy, that Kurt can chat! Anyway, if you look at their appearance in this fall's ACTION COMICS #844, you'll see that Geoff has stayed with that line of reasoning. Hope that helps.
Ralph Silver (ralphsilver@msn.com) asks:
Hi Matt. I have been a Superman fan for a very long time. My question is one that was asked and answered many times in the letter columns of comic books from the Silver Age. I am wondering what the current answer is. Question: When Clark changes to Superman, where does he put his Clark Kent clothes? The answer from comic books in the 1960's: Clark's clothes are treated with a special chemical to prevent wrinkling and allow them to hold their shape. When he changes to Superman, he super-compresses his Clark Kent clothes down to about the size of a marble, and then hides them in a tiny secret pocket in his cape. I assume that this explanation did not survive the John Byrne reboot in the mid-1980s. What is the current explanation for where Clark puts his clothes when he turns into Superman?
Matt: That's something we haven't really gotten around to addressing in the short time we've been on the books, Ralph. It's a good question, and one we need to deal with. We do see a pocket in Supes' cape at the end of UP, UP AND AWAY!, but as Kurt points out, it's not like he can shove his glasses and shoes in there. I like the idea of him just stashing them somewhere and having to go through a whole rigmarole every time he wants to get dressed (is anyone around?, why won't those people get out of the broom closet so I can change?, etc.). Perhaps we'll do a big crossover event about it! Joke.
Carey Lester (track13d@yahoo.com) asks:
Since Superboy-Prime caused the disruption in the timestream, will things in Superman's origin go back to the way "Man of Steel" depicts, are we stuck with "Birthright", or will we get an amalgamated origin that takes the best of both, specifically Superman being in a birthing matrix, Lex being Perry's age and the symbol being designed by Pa kent, all of which are very important to the continuity as a whole? Thanks for your time.
Matt: That's a fair question, Carey. INFINITE CRISIS gave us (and everyone else in this place) a chance to tweak things a little as far as the back story goes, borrowing from BIRTHRIGHT, MAN 'O STEEL, and everything else that's been published prior. Kurt and Geoff are also setting up new things along the way, their contributions to the tapestry that is Supes' back history, both now and in future issues, so it should be a fun adventure finding out what's new-yet-old while new things happen in the present.
jeremy (jp1701@hotmail.com) asks:
Will you please tell your writers that red solar energy does not hurt Superman anymore and has not in twenty years? We have seen this too much recently... the modern Superman is supposed to be a solar battery who gains powers over a period of time and if he is away from the sun he gradually loses them. Not yellow light on/red light off.
Matt: Thanks a lot, Jeremy. I told the writers exactly that, and they yelled at me. To quote Kurt (and imagine him yelling this while his tie is up around his head and he's beating his unshirted chest): "Red solar energy has hurt him often enough in recent years to suggest that things have changed. Apparently, one of the effects of red solar energy, these days, is to hasten the loss of the yellow solar energy. The more concentrated the red solar radiation, the more pronounced the effect." Whew! I don't know about you, but my ears are STILL ringing.
Azor (azor_99@hotmail.com) asks:
Does Superman know that his past was altered in Infinite Crisis? If so, does he have two sets of memories?
Matt: Well, Azor, I could give you the long, Stephen Hawkings-inspired string-theory answer, but in a nutshell: Nope to the first, ergo, nope to the second.
Daniel (daniel15ark@yahoo.com) asks:
Since Superboy's death in Infinite Crisis where has Krypto been, is he staying with the Kents or is he living in the fortress agian??
Matt: The mysterious whereabouts of Krypto will be revealed - in due time. It's definitely not an element we've forgotten about, Daniel. I'm personally more worried about Ace, the Bat-Hound.
Carlo Carrion (shin_akuma1989@hotmail.com) asks:
Are there any plans in the future to include the mythology built up in the upcoming Superman Returns movie for either reference or plots in the Superman comics?
Matt: I had a pretty staid answer for that one, Carlo, but Kurt was more humorous in his explanation than me, so I'll just turn it over to him (and hope he's calmed down a little): It's possible we'd use bits and pieces of it here and there, just as the Superman legend has, over the years, included elements introduced in comics, on TV, in the 1940s Superman radio show, or in previous movies. But we're not going to throw out the comics in favor of the movie - more like picking and choosing what we think works best from the vast and rich buffet of Superman history in many media.
Mmmmm, buffet. (Editor's note: Kurt doesn't realize Geoff did the cooking).
Larry Margolis (lmargolis@dkdr.com) asks:
Welcome to this site and thanks for addressing the questions and concerns! First, and this may be moot by the time your answers appear next, but when will the new Action writers be announced and why has it been so delayed? I'm not complaining about the extra Busiek story but I would like to know who is following him. Also, do the Earth heroes, and Superman in particular, know that Alex Luthor is dead, at the hands of the Joker and Luthor?
Matt: While the announcement of who will be taking over ACTION is probably the worst kept secret in comics, Larry, we made the decision to delay the official word for reasons which I think will become evident when, well, we make the announcement. That announcement, by the by, should be happening at the end of this week when seven million of our closest friends are in attendance at San Diego's Comic Con. As for the erstaz Mr. Luthor, our heroes indeed know of his tragic passing (see 52 if you don't believe me), but not the whys and hows and such.
Carey Lester (track13d@yahoo.com) asks:
Last time you stated that you read back issues for continuity purposes aside from the sheer enjoyment upon taking over editing the Man of Steel. Is there a point where you the reader are confused of Superman's origin? Many elements can't exist if "Birthright" is used, the birthing matrix has to be continuity for most of the last twenty years important moments to fit, and the S shield not being designed by Pa Kent. Alot of readers want the stories to make sense, and not disregard continuity. With new earth, it seems a perfect time to have an origin that actually works, by using the remains of what Superboy-Prime did to the timestream, and combining them to fit into continuity. Anything you can reveal to help us straighten this all out?
Matt: Ooh, good one, Carey. I admit to getting confused here and there, definitely. But then, one of the many splendors to come out of INFINITE CRISIS was the opportunity to streamline or at least clarify things a bit. And as Kurt so loquaciously adds: "I can't say I think it's overly confusing not to know Superman's history in exacting detail - even the pre-Crisis Superman, whose history was delved into and added to for decades, had gaps in his life that we're only slowly explored. We don't want to replace a back story that was built up over twenty years (or more, depending on how you count) all at once - we'd rather have the same opportunity others had before us of doing stories about it, revealing it in the context of ongoing adventures, rather than a whole big info-dump all at once. So figure the backups in '52' give you the bare foundation, and let's show you the whole thing over time, just as our predecessors did, in various continuities." To which I can only add that Kurt's belly is full, so his mood is good.
Thanks once again for answering our questions... and in such detail.
Matt: You're welcome! I'm really sorry I let this slip by for so long.
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