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Did Walter Simonson Murder Superman?

Started by SW3D,

19 posts in this topic

SW3D

SW3D

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Back in 1992, a few months before Superman was infamously "killed" by Doomsday, DC published a one-shot special by Walter Simonson, appropriately called: Superman Special #1 by Walter Simonson.

 

And what is so special about this comic book?

 

At the moment, it is the first of its kind. Not only is it the first graded example to be introduced to the CGC Census, giving it temporary OAK (One-of-a-Kind) status until others get graded, but it's also further distinguished by its triple signature provided by Geoff Darrow and Michael Golden (both artists contributed pin-ups illustrations), and by the man himself, artist and writer extraordinaire, Walter Simonson.

 

The other things which merit personal praise: it's my original owner newsstand copy I bought from the racks over 21 years ago, and, the grade it has achieved, a 9.2 with white pages (a decent grade proudly awarded sans pressing), assures me all the hard work and efforts I put into keeping my comics preserved have paid-off.

 

But the real speciality is in the controversy connected with the story: Does Superman die in this issue and come to be replaced by a being known as the Sand Superman?

 

The Sand Superman was originally conceived by writer Dennis O'Neil and debuted in 1971. This rather bizarre creation was to play an integral part of a character and mythos re-launch of Superman. The revisionist approach occurred during a time when DC campaigned to re-invent their main characters (Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, et al), in an effort to distance themselves in the wake and fallout of the campiness and puerile nature of the 60's Batman TV show.

 

In an effort to bring Superman to a more "mortal" level, O'Neil devised a way for Ka-El to lose two-thirds his power (much like John Byrne would later do in 1986 with The Man of Steel title). It all started in the pages of Superman #233 (cover art by Neal Adams) and ran through until issue 242. The Sand Superman was introduced as an incorporeal entity from another dimension known as Quarrm, who made its way to Metropolis by way of an extra-dimensional wormhole caused by a freak explosion.

 

The entity was able to siphon energy from Superman, construct a body in the likeness of Superman made of sand, and eventually used the absorbed energy for superpowers that mimicked Superman's. Several encounters and battles with Superman allowed this Golem-like thing to grow as strong as the Kryptonian, all-the-while draining and reducing Superman's powers to nearly one-third of his original level (thus accomplishing O'Neil's mission). However, with the absorption of Superman's powers, the alien parasite also absorbed an aspect of Superman's personality and spiritual make-up, changing its moral compass as it came to the realization that what it was doing was both harmful to Superman and mankind. Ultimately, "Super Sandy" returned on its own volition to its home dimension. This fascinating yet convoluted mess of a story can be read in greater detail through the following links: http://www.supermansupersite.com/1971.html or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarmer or http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Sand_Superman_(Earth-One).

 

In some vague and obscure way, I see some snippets of the O'Neil story, used in the ludicrous plot to the 1983 movie Superman III, where Clark Kent fights an evil doppelganger of Superman, created from the side-effects of the fission of Kryptonite and tar (I kid you not... tar). If you never seen the movie, the absolute best scene, and in my opinion, the only reason to see the movie, is the action-packed fight between the Evil Superman and his "pure" Spirit embodied as Clark Kent. You could see for yourself in two parts, brought to you by comiccollector87 and Christopher Gibbs (thank you both whoever you are):

; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL12bbRPUz4.

 

Jumping forward to 1992, Walter Simonson revived the Sand Superman. In this updated story, Lex Luthor, in an attempt to synthesize Kryptonite for a nefarious purpose, accidentally neutralizes its radioactive properties, leading to the creation of an energy parasite composed of sand. The creature forms a construct in the likeness of Superman. And after each successive encounter and battle with the Man of Steel, the sandy doppelganger not only drains and absorbs Superman's powers, but looks more and more like the real McCoy, until you cannot distinguish the fake from the genuine article.

 

AUTHORS NOTE: The following paragraph is my interpretation of the end of Superman Special #1, by Walter Simonson, which admittedly, I could be 100% wrong since it is based on a hazy and spotty memory of a comic book I read 21 years ago and may possibly be co-mingled with my own imagination. So here it is (or how I believe it ended)...

 

...In the climactic battle between Superman and Sand Superman in the Fortress of Solitude, where both combatants are indistinguishable, the ambiguous ending, in my opinion, lends the reader to believe that the Sand Superman has killed Superman either by strangulation or by completely draining and cannibalizing Ka-El of his powers and life-force. Victorious yet remorseful, the sand creature rises over the lifeless body of Superman, looks solemnly over his corpse, and vows to carry-on the heroic legacy of Superman. I can only assume from that point, Superman is dead and Sand Superman assumes the mantle of the new Superman. Or has he?

 

Check out this blog site for further speculation: http://siskoid.blogspot.com/2011/05/reign-of-supermen-210-post-crisis-sand.html

 

And still further speculation as channeled through dialogue exchange by fans making some interesting points: http://www.comicvine.com/superman/4005-1807/forums/post-crisis-era-superman-died-in-1988-645961/

 

Well... I met the man himself at NYComicCon, and after getting his inscription, point-blankedly asked him the question: "Did Sand Superman kill Superman?"

 

With equal ambiguity to rival the comic book, Mr. Simonson slyly smiled and replied: "If that is what you want to believe."

 

Well... to be honest, I don't know what to believe. I find it difficult to accept Superman's death at the hands of such an energy vampire, yet I am equally amiss to know Superman would choke a foe to death. That just seems too out-of-line with the Big Blue Boy Scout I've come to know and love. However, the Sand Superman was a bit of a crackpot with a pathological streak, and may have committed murder, only to pull a Talented Mr. Ripley.

 

What do you think?

 

SW3D

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Garlanda

Garlanda

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I've seen that issue before, but hadn't read it. I'm really developing a deeper appreciation of some of the early 90s DCs. I think this one goes right into the category with Killing Joke, after hearing Grant Morrison discuss that one on Kevin Smith's Fatman on Batman podcast. If you haven't listened, you may want to now, or just skip to the:

 

Grant Morrison asserts that Batman kills the Joker at the end, which is why the laughter ends so abruptly. It's also the only explanation for why the book is called "The Killing Joke. It's certainly possible from the text itself, but vague enough to allow the next creator to go whatever direction they choose.

 

 

Has Walt Simonson written Superman since then? If not, it may have been his way of wrapping up his contributions.

 

It also may have been sowing the seeds of a planned event that did not occur due to the results of the Death and Return of Superman storyline as it panned out. I wonder if they had planned to have Doomsday defeat and kill the Sand Superman, which would have caused all of Superman's powers to retun to Kal El, reviving him in the Fortress of Solitude. However, due to the nationwide media attention the "Death of Superman" event received, they decided there could have been too much negative backlash against revealing that the dead Superman was an imposter so this thread was abandoned. Just a hypothesis...

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Brandon Shepherd

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It would be cool to find that game and match the covers.

 

What do you make of the possibility of a Sand Creature taking over Superman's identity? True or False?

 

SW3D

 

Here is the Sega cover.

 

genesis-package.jpg

 

As for the True of False answer, I'm not sure, I want to say false but I'll have to read the issue first.

 

Brandon

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SW3D

SW3D

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Hmm... as much as I love Grant Morrison, I would need to hear it from Alan Moore. If he were to come out and admit that... that would be so AWESOME!

I'm tired of the Joker anyway... it's about time someone shuts him up!

 

"It also may have been sowing the seeds of a planned event that did not occur due to the results of the Death and Return of Superman storyline as it panned out. I wonder if they had planned to have Doomsday defeat and kill the Sand Superman, which would have caused all of Superman's powers to retun to Kal El, reviving him in the Fortress of Solitude. However, due to the nationwide media attention the "Death of Superman" event received, they decided there could have been too much negative backlash against revealing that the dead Superman was an imposter so this thread was abandoned. Just a hypothesis..."

 

Love your train of thought... I believe I have read simliar posits. I honestly don't know the answer. If the whole thing were true, I imagine there would be lots of pissed-off Superman fans. And DC doesn't want to anger its readers. So, in my opinion, I doubt anyone from DC would ever admit to it if it really were true. I believe this comic will remain something of a mystery shrouded in conspiracy speculations.

 

SW3D

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SW3D

SW3D

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Thanks for finding the video game cover. To be honest, I don't see the connection between the comic and this game. The comic's main villain is Sand Superman and to a lesser extent, Lex Luthor. The game's back cover shows Brainiac.

 

You're the resident Superman expert, so I would love for you to read the comic and give me your opinion.

 

I for one feel odd about it all. I love Superman, so I don't know if I could handle it if indeed it were true.

 

SW3D

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Brandon Shepherd

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I really want to find this comic now! A co-worker and I have been talking about a Mile High Comics run, this issue will be on the list if we make it. As for the video game connection, I don't recall where I got the notion that the Sega game and this comic were somehow tied, looks like there is no connection. If and when I find this comic, I'll let you know what I think.

 

Brandon

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Brandon Shepherd

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It would be ironic if you get your copy graded and it beats mine in terms of grade. :)

 

Still lookin' forward to your opinion: "Is Superman Dead or Alive?"

 

SW3D

 

I just got my copy in the mail today, I can't wait to read it and write a response. Also, the copy from mycomicshop is beautiful.

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Brandon Shepherd

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Did Walter Simonson Murder Superman?

 

Thanks to your link from MyComicShop, I now own this issue. I read, let it sit, then returned to the last few pages. I also returned to your journal and links contained within.

 

I do not believe the Sand Superman was victorious at the end. The bottom panels on page 44 show Superman knocked down to the ground. As the Sand Superman approaches, looking more like the real Superman, he kneels down to inspect the body, the Superman on the ground grabs the head of the Sand Superman, catching him off guard. The real Superman says "Surprise! It's here!"

 

There is a beam of energy, maybe heat vision? connecting the Sand Superman and Superman together, the Sand Superman looks to be in pain then there is an explosion. When the smoke clears, the remaining Superman is confused. The first thing he sees are statues of the Kryptonian villains he sentenced to death in Superman #22 (Oct 1988), which he destroys with his heat vision.

 

On page 47, Superman finds the body of the sand being and breaks down; this goes back to the statues, statues that were made by Superman in the beginning of the issue, as a reminder that he shall be a champion of life and to never take it away again. I believe this was the real Superman in a state of confusion, the blast which killed the sand being could also be a merger of Superman and the being's limited life experience.

 

Once Superman pulls himself together, he confronts Lex Luthor, telling him "The Sandman's gone and I can't prove a thing..."

 

Can't prove what?

 

That Sandman is dead?

 

That Luthor was involved in the creatures creation?

 

In the post-Crisis Superman, there was an ellipsis with Superman and Luthor. Superman knew Luthor was always behind the crime, that he was not the man the citizens of Metropolis thought him to be. Superman could never prove anything, Lex was too smart and always had an alibi, and the circles would continue to go around.

 

Superman also mentions to Lex about how the sand being gave up his life for him and that if the being won, then there would have been a Superman without remorse, and that would have been dangerous.

 

There is quite a bit of ambiguity to all of this, the comic almost reads like a Philip K. novel. There is also the issue of continuity; there were a few comments on one of the forums that you had a link to, noting that this issue was supposed to be a Superman Annual for 1989 or 90. With this issue published in 1992, shortly before the Doomsday storyline, the contents are off for this point in the Superman books. The direct edition of this comic has a Doomsday teaser in the UPC box, which would put the publication around fall, 1992. By 1992, Lex Luthor was posing as his son, Lex Luthor II. Luthor had contracted radiation poisoning thanks to a kryptonite ring he had made to keep Superman at bay. This cost Luthor his hand, the radiation spread to his body, causing Luthor to fake his death and clone a new body for himself, allowing him to return as his son. Simonson’s issue features Luthor Sr, the issue also shows Clark sneaking away from Lois, who does not yet know that Kent and Superman are one and the same. By 1992, Kent and Lane are engaged and Lois knows the secret. Seeing the date 1992 on the cover and reading a story that is late in terms of continuity was a bit distracting but only trivial. This alone does not make my case for the real Superman being victorious at the end but I think it is important to note this.

 

In closing, I do not believe the sand being won, Simonson did write a story with ambiguity but I think the read deal won the day. Simonson’s response to your question reminds me of James Cameron’s response when asked if the ending of Titanic was only a dream or something else, he says he will never tell, that he knew what he had in mind when he wrote the -script but it was really up to the individual viewer to decide. Maybe it’s up to the reader to decide who won.

 

Brandon

 

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SW3D

SW3D

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Awesome analysis! I'm glad you read it and I'm happy you gave me your honest opinion. And I'm always impressed by your knowledge of Superman history... didn't know the Lex lost his hand due to radiation from a Kryptonite ring. And he cloned himself? How cool is that! Luthor is a badass!

 

And you are 1000% right... the whole book reads so ambigously that one can wonder.

 

I'm going to ask a favor of you... Is there any way you can scan those pages showing the final battle between Supes and SandSuperman and the aftermath? I haven't seen it in a very long time... and I should have re-read it before submitting for grading but I didn't... so it would be nice to refresh my memory.

 

SW3D

 

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SW3D

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First off... thank you for scanning the pages!

 

Second... I can draw a theory... but nothing definitive...

 

One theory being more or less as you interpret it... Superman manages to defeat the Sand Superman, and kills him... probably one of the few times I've ever witnessed Ka-El killing a living being. So even if this theory is correct, historically speaking, this comic book has canonical significance.

 

Yet... somehow... because of its ambiguity... I believe...

 

...On the brink of death, Superman has transferred his entire life force and conscious into this parasitic being... and now Ka-El's conscious guides the Sand Superman. But the creature's own conscious is in a complete state of confusion and denial... not aware that Ka-El's conscious now inhabits the sand creatures body and will eventually take full possession. So only the corporeal body of Superman is dead, but Ka-El's conscious is very much alive in the body of the Sand Superman.

 

Now what is this all to mean? Immortality? The Spirit or Essence is Eternal?

 

I have no clue!

 

And maybe it's nothing at all and I'm just wasting time and energy speculating on nothing.

 

SW3D

 

 

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