Reviewed by: Steve Younis
Originally Aired: August 18, 2023
Story by Cynthia Furey
Directed by Diana Huh
VOICE CAST:
Jack Quaid as Clark Kent/Superman
Alice Lee as Lois Lane
Ishmel Sahid as Jimmy Olsen
Kimberly Brooks as Child, Woman
Darrell Brown as Perry White, Man
Joel De La Fuente as The General
Andromeda Dunker as Vicki Vale, Mrs. Quietly
Lucas Grabeel as Kyle/Mist, Teen Boy
Jake Green as Dr. lvo
Azuri Hardy-Jones as Flip
Mars Mittelman as Alex, Father
Catherine Taber as Siobhan/Silver Banshee, TV News Reporter
The cells housing the villains captured by Task Force X open up, and as the criminals exit their cells the electronic bands around their necks sizzle with electricity, bringing them to their knees. The General, Amanda Waller, Slade Wilson walk in, accompanied by Dr. Ivo (aka Parasite). The criminals are being relocated.
Clark wakes up, hearing voices. His newly acquired super-hearing allows him to hear the cries for help from people all over Metropolis. He zips around the city, saving people and helping everywhere he can… non-stop.
Jimmy arrives back from his time away visiting his mother to find that his Flamebird channel now has over 1 million followers due to Superman’s spree of rescues. Superman flies in, so happy to see Jimmy, and tells him about his super-hearing. It’s obvious to Jimmy that Clark hasn’t slept in days, but having heard The General’s voice using his super-hearing, and knowing he is planning something big, Superman doesn’t feel he can rest until he stops whatever The General has planned.
Lois arrives at the Daily Planet, and walks in on a room filled with flowers! They’re from Clark, celebrating their one week anniversary together. Overjoyed, Lois is still concerned about the image of an evil Superman projected by the globe Mxyzptlk showed her.
Lois’ concerns are quickly put to one side as Perry has a new assignment for her. She’s to accompany Vicki Vale on a new writing assignment. Lois is extatic! Vicki is her idol! Perry is hoping Vale will leave the Gotham Gazette and join the Daily Planet. All Lois and Jimmy have to do is help her write her exposé on Superman.
Disturbed by Vicki’s desire to write a scathing report on Superman, Lois and Jimmy introduce her to the people of Metropolis who were saved by Superman and only have great things to say about him. Concerned, Lois and Jimmy secretly meet with Superman, who tells them that the General is trying to find Kyle (aka Mist), who managed to escape when Task Force X captured his sister Siobhan. People have been reporting an “invisible man” and Superman flies off to find him, much to the concern of Lois and Jimmy, who are worried he’s burning himself out.
Nearly running on empty, Superman struggles in his search to find Mist, causing some damage, scaring the people of Metropolis. Vicki interviews Dr. Ivo’s assistant Alex, who has nothing but horrible things to say about Superman. It’s exactly what Vicki is after… what Alex says about Superman has Lois wondering if Superman could be true.
Finally catching up with Kyle, Superman offers to help him free his sister and friend from Task Force X. As they arrive at the facility they were being held in, a plane flies off with the detainees. Superman flies up to free the occupants, but the villains emerge to fight him. Silver Banshee, Rough House, Livewire, Heat Wave and Parasite all attack at the same time. Superman is no match for them all, and even though he fights back valiantly, and takes all of them out, Parasite latches on to him, draining his powers. When Ivo doesn’t listen to the General’s order to stand down, the electronic neck brace stops Parasite cold.
At the Daily Planet, seeing that Vicki Vale has used the Daily Planet’s staff to simply give herself a promotion at the Gotham Gazette by publishing her negative report on Metropolis’ Superman, Lois and Jimmy run to the park where the fight was taking place, only to see the military plane fly off… with Superman inside…
To Be Continued…
Rating – 5 (out of 5): I love Clark’s reaction to discovering he has super-hearing. It makes sense that he’d have a hard time turning it off or ignoring all the cries for help he’d be able to hear. It’s something he’ll have to become accustomed to. Burning himself out trying to help as many people as he can 24 hours a day just isn’t sustainable… not even for a Superman. It’s really well handled. The fact that his exhaustion plays into the hands of people who are trying to sew seeds of mistrust just makes matters worse.
The introduction of Vicki Vale as Lois Lane’s idol is also intriguing. The say, “Never meet your heroes,” and Lois finds out why. I think her estimation of who Vicki is has been brought down a few notches after this. It seems nobody in journalism is a very nice person, from Cat Grant and the senior reporters at the Daily Planet, to Vicki Vale at the Gotham Gazette, nobody is proving to have much integrity… beyond Perry White and now the three interns.
Seeing all the villains fighting together in a very “Suicide Squad” collaboration was epic. The fight with Superman was brutal. I love that he gets a “power up” at times when he seems down and out for the count. He keeps surprising the villains and himself with just how resilient he is.
Lois having doubts is understandable. She’s fighting the mistrust with every fibre of her being, but it’s becoming hard to ignore the signs (or what she perceives as signs) that Superman might be a threat… even though she knows in her heart that he’s a good person. I have a feeling it won’t be long until we learn for certain that The General is indeed General Sam Lane… her father, whom she’s mentioned in passing a few times already this season.
Another brilliant episode that just keeps building on the awesomeness that is “My Adventures With Superman”.
