The Weddings of Superman and Lois Lane

Men are from Krypton and women are from Earth.

That’s been true since the days of Action Comics #1 (June, 1938, by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster) when Superman (Clark Kent) and Lois Lane first met as newspaper reporters.  These two were just fated to get together, weren’t they?

But, when did the weddings start?

Early Wedding

Action Comics #206 (July, 1955) is when “Superman Marries Lois Lane”…in an issue drawn by Wayne Boring, where Superman did indeed marry Lois, and there were criminals trying to blow up the wedding cake…with Clark Kent as the best man?

What's going on here?

Sometimes, life is but a dream...

…but, there would be more attempts at a marriage for this duo during the course of the Silver Age coming up in the future (but, sadly, this tale has yet to be reprinted...)!

Truth in Advertising

A few other get-togethers were attempted over the next few years, but the oddest was Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane #15 (February, 1960, by Otto Binder and Kurt Schaffenberger).

There was indeed a marriage in the issue, and it’s not a hoax, not a dream or done by robots!

The cover truly says it all…except what happened inside!  This story is also reprinted in Superman #207, and in Showcase Presents: Superman Family Volume #3, so you can find out the trick used if you so desire (pretty sneaky, really!).

This is a Silver Age

Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane #37 (November, 1962, by Leo Dorfman and Kurt Schaffenberger) gives us (and the happy couple) a solution…where Lois ends up marrying Clark!

Lois and Clark were indeed at a wedding to each other in this one, but sadly, it didn’t hold up, though at some point, you have to figure that the Silver Age Lois and Clark do get together in matrimonial bliss (as the Legion of Super-Heroes and other future tales promise this….).

“Lois Lane’s Wedding Day” was reprinted in Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane #86 if you are interested in the full story....

A Golden Opportunity

In Action Comics #484 (June 1978 by Cary Bates and Curt Swan, with a cover by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez) Lois and Superman are getting married in “Superman Takes A Wife”…right on the cover…but, is that the Daily Star?  Where’s the Daily Planet?  Why is Superman’s Fortress of Solitude in the Metropolis mountains and not by the North Pole?  Why did the couple face the Wizard, a foe of the Justice Society of America?  Yes, it was the original Golden Age Clark Kent and Lois Lane who got married…once Superman was out of the triangle.  This allowed Clark Kent to be the hero who shaped the future (and beat Colonel Future…the foe of the issue; with a little later assist from Superman).

Mr. and Mrs. Superman even had further adventures set in the 1950s, in Superman #327 and #329, and issues of Superman Family from #195-222 before the Crisis on Infinite Earths took that Superman and Lois away for a time.  The tales of a married Superman and Lois have yet to be collected, but Action Comics #484 was reprinted in Superman in the Seventies TPB and in DC Retroactive: Superman – the 70s #1.

More Modern Times

That Crisis gave us a new Superman and Lois Lane with Man of Steel #1 (October, 1986 by John Byrne)…and they grew together over time.  Lois realized she couldn’t have Superman, but came to love Clark Kent…and the two even got engaged, and then married in Superman: The Wedding Album (December, 1996 by Dan Jurgens, Karl Kesel, David Micheline, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern, John Byrne, Terry Austin, Kerry Gammill, Murphy Anderson, Gil Kane, Bob McLeod, Stuart Immonen, Jose Marzan Jr., Paul Ryan, Brett Breeding, Jon Bogdavone, Dennis Janke, Kieron Dwyer, Doug Hazelwood, Tom Grummett, Denis Rodier, Dick Giordano, Art Thibert, Jim Mooney, George Perez, Curt Swan, Jackson Guice, Nick Cardy, Al Plastino, Barry Kitson, Ray McCarthy, Ron Frenz, Joe Rubinstein and Jerry Ordway, quite the all-star list of Superman creators!).  This wedding was to last forever (and was collected in Superman: The Wedding and Beyond TPB)…or at least until Flashpoint rewrote DC history again…making Lois and Clark’s relationship less perfect…


But, as Lois once said to Clark: “Perfection’s a hard thing to get your hands on…I promise that I will always have your back as you will have mine.  You’re my best friend, you’re my home, and you are my true love, and I am yours and will be forever.”

And, Clark to Lois: “When I’ve been lost, you’ve always been there to bring me back….  You’ve always believed in me, and I believe in you.  And when you believe in someone, it’s not just for a minute, or just for now, it’s forever.”

(The above lines from Lois and Clark’s near wedding in the season finale of Smallville TV series with Erica Durance and Tom Welling)

It was the Lois and Clark TV series deciding to marry the duo that prompted DC to marry them in the comic at that time….(with Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain).

May all your weddings be this happy (and free of kryptonite!).

Sledge Hammer Comics!

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing."  The hero's tagline (and not always the truth) in the 1986-1988 ABC TV Series, Sledge Hammer!.

For two years, over excited and hyper violent police officer Sledge Hammer (played by David Rasche) kept his city by the bay safe, all the while talking to his trusty magnum and a car with an "I (heart) Violence" bumper sticker.

Partnered with Dori Doreau (Anne-Marie Martin) and ever frustrated police captain Trunk (Harrison Page), this satire lampooned the Dirty Harry movies in the style what Get Smart did to James Bond, and other pieces of the period (like Max Headroom and Robocop).  A great TV show (and creator Alan Spencer maintains sledgehammeronline to keep the show alive!).

This seems like an odd choice for a comic book series?

Well...think again!

Sledge Hammer...The Comics

Sledge Hammer #1 was cover dated February, 1988 and featured Sledge and Dori helping a late night horror host, patterned after Marvel's own Satana, in "The Attack of the Famous Monsters of Filmland!" in a story by Jim Salicrup with art by Alex Saviuk (who also drew the cover).

The comics broke the tradition of having Sledge work an unnamed city (as San Francisco wanted nothing to do with the TV show...).

Sledge Hammer #2 came out in March, 1988, also by Salicrup and Saviuk...and had Sledge facing off against a Spider-Man impersonator, and, in a failed attempt to get readers, claimed Sledge as a mutant on the cover (as, in the late 1980s, any relation to X-Men helped sell a comic....).

Didn't work though!

Still, the comics and the series remain as a tribute to a time when we all could laugh at ourselves, and not take things so seriously!

Artist George Perez

George Perez was born on June 9th, 1954, and is a well known artist (and later, writer) who has worked for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Gorilla Comics, CrossGen and Boom Studios.

George Perez is the man who has helped to bring wonderful fictional worlds to life, and he is particularly good at doing group shots!

And, to prove it....here's just a taste of his work over the decades!  George Perez is an Amazing Hero!

Early Avengers and Fantastic Four

Early Defenders and X-Men

White Tiger in Spectacular Spider-Man and Logan's Run

John Carter and more Avengers

Flash and Green Lantern

New Teen Titans and Justice League of America

Co-Creator of Arrow villains Deathstroke and Brother Blood

 

Legion of Super-Heroes and Dial H For Hero

Star Trek and Wally Wood's T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents

Crisis on Infinite Earths

Wonder Woman

Titans and Maxima

Infinity Gauntlet and Crossover Classics

Genesis and Sachs and Violens

Avengers

Crimson Plague

CrossGen

JLA vs. Avengers

Infinite Crisis

Legion of 3 Worlds

Superman and Supergirl New 52

...and more to come!

2014 San Diego Comic Con Mattel Exclusives

Here's a few of the exclusives Mattel has to offer at the 2014 San Diego Comic Con!

Masters of the Universe

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of She-Ra® and Princess of Power® with the first-ever Filmation-style Hordak® figure! Inspired by his ‘80s animated appearance, complete with blue skin and interchangeable cannon/”human” arms, this figure includes a snap-on claw hand for his cannon arm and a Horde magic staff. Joining Hordak® is his sarcastic sidekick from the series, Imp, in his first appearance as a Classics figure.

Added Bonus Only at SDCC! When you purchase this Hordak® figure at the show or pre-order the figure to be picked up at the show, you also get a bonus “Imp as a Treasure Chest” figure! Packed in a separate poly bag (not on the blister card with Hordak® and Imp above), this special item is available only at SDCC and will not be included with the Hordak® with Imp figure sold at MattyCollector.com after the show. First come, first served. (Not pictured...)

It will also be available at MattyCollector.com on August 5, 2014, without the bonus “Imp as a Treasure Chest” figure.

DC Universe Classics

The line might be rolling to an end, so what better way to end than with Doomsday?

One of the most demanded figures in the DCU Classics Signature Series finally arrives! This massive maniac had the ultimate face-off with Superman™ in the best-selling issue of Superman #75, and now, he joins our DC Universe Classics line. Standing at over 9” tall with 16 points of articulation, the unstoppable killing machine arrives in his containment suit. Doomsday comes in a custom window box that pays homage to the cover of Superman: The Man of Steel #18, the issue where he made his first full appearance.

DC Multiverse

In the video game, Batman™ battles all-new threats in Gotham City with the help of an arsenal-equipped vehicle. This Batman™: Arkham Knight Batmobile features premium, highly-detailed deco and authentic sounds straight from the game, and much more!

The vehicle comes with an articulated DC Comics™ Multiverse Arkham City Batman™ figure with a fabric cape allowing Batman™ to sit in the driver’s seat!

Total Heroes

Tech-equipped Cyborg joins the Total Heroes™ lineup! As homage to the Super Powers Cyborg figure, this figure has silver VUM deco, and arrives with two interchangeable heads, his classic look and an updated stylized version, as well as three sets of hands. This hybrid of man and machine brings with him a tool and gear for just about any job he might encounter, including a Mega Blade, a Concussion Cannon and a Sonic Scrambler (all  of which fit onto his arms), and a Jetpack with Airfoil Wings so he can take to the air!

Cars

Welcome to Japan! Shu Todoroki is hosting an endurance night race from Mt. Fuji to Tokyo’s colorful Ginza District. Get ready to experience the exciting world of neon racing!

In Japan, the presentation of a gift is as important as the gift itself. You can experience this Japanese tradition with the 2014 Special Edition Neon Racers Gift Pack. The specially designed furoshiki, Japanese wrapping cloth, features comic book-style illustrations of the Neon Racers story. Open the wrap and you’ll find a racing diorama with die-cast characters Lightning McQueen and Shu Todoroki illuminating the streets of Tokyo in their amazing customized lighting and neon deco.
Please enjoy! Tanoshinde kudasai!

These products will be available for pre-order at MattyCollector.com on June 24, 2014, to be picked up at San Diego Comic-Con. They will also be available for purchase at the show.

Remembering D-Day

Remembering the real heroes of D-Day (June 6, 1944) as the Allies invaded Normandy in World War II.

Here, the fictional hero Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos cover the duty in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos Annual #2 from June, 1966, in a cover by Dick Ayers and Jack Kirby, and story by Roy Thomas, with pencils by Dick Ayers, Jack Kirby and Marie Severin.

Both Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers were veterans of World War II, Kirby having been in the U.S. Army (and landing on Omaha Beach in Normandy, though about 2 and a half months later), and Ayers serving in the Army Air Corps.

Sadly, neither artist is with us now, Jack having passed on February 6, 1994, and Dick on May 4th, 2014 (and, thankfully, Roy and Marie are still with us!).

Their work shall live on!

Metallo The Man With The Kryptonite Heart

Metallo!

The Man With The Kryptonite Heart!

He's been menacing Superman on and off since 1959....but what do we really know about him?

Well, let's start with his beginnings!

A Real Man of Steel

The first Metallo first appeared in Action Comics #252 (May, 1959 by Robert Bernstein and Al Plastino, in the same issue which saw the introduction of Supergirl) in "The Menace of Metallo" wherein Professor Vale takes the crushed body of thief, embezzler and murder John Corben, and puts his brain into a robotic body with artificial flesh, powered by uranium, which frequently runs out after only a day.  So, while posing as a Daily Planet reporter, Corben gets close to Lois Lane, and from Vale, realizes that Kryptonite would be a better power source instead, and becomes known as Metallo.  While setting a trap for Superman, Metallo takes a prop piece of fake Kryptonite as his power source, and dies (and Superman escaped Metallo's trap).

Another Accident

The second Metallo came about when an accident happened while Superman was facing some S.K.U.L.L. thugs...in Superman #310 (April, 1977 by Martin Pasko and Curt Swan).

This accident happened to Roger C. Corben, the brother of the original Metallo, who had joined S.K.U.L.L. to get revenge on Superman, and S.T.A.R. Labs saved Corben's life by making him into a cyborg as well, and he was also powered by Kryptonite.

Metallo blamed Superman and S.K.U.L.L. for his problems, and wanted revenge on them both.

In Superman #316 and #317 (October-November, 1977), Metallo did just that (in stories by Pasko and Swan, and stunning covers by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez and Neal Adams) and planned to take Superman's heart after the Man of Steel died from his Kryptonite trap (it didn't work out).

This didn't deter Metallo from returning again and again...being a prisoner in Superman #331 (January, 1979), facing Batman and Lois Lane in Brave & the Bold #175 (June, 1981) and Superman and Batman in World's Finest Comics #270 (August, 1981) in more schemes to power his heart...and keep himself alive!

Metallo even attacked S.T.A.R. Labs again, drawing in Blue Devil (who stopped Shockwave from getting some of the Labs' experimental Kryptonite, and himself was a man trapped in a mechanical suit, except Blue Devil was trapped by mystic forces) with Blue Devil #3 (August, 1984) which led Superman to take Blue Devil to meet the Justice League of America for assistance (though it didn't really work out...).

Metallo ended his pre-Crisis career with an appearance facing Superman in Superman #418 (April, 1986), being one of many Superman foes who didn't appear within the pages of the Crisis on Infinite Earths, which caused Superman's history to be changed (which was detailed a little in the Man of Steel mini-series, and led to...).

New Earth, New Man

Metallo returned to face Superman with Superman's new #1 in  January, 1987 (by John Byrne) for the first time in Superman's new reality!

This Metallo was more of a Terminator type robot, and kept coming back.  John Corben was a con man who was injured in a car crash, and restored by Professor Emmet Vale (as the cyborg Metallo).

In thanks, John killed Prof. Vale, and then went to attack Superman....who was saved by Lex Luthor (because Luthor felt only he had the right to kill Superman!).

Luthor used Metallo for research, but the villain came back a few times, facing Superman with the Doom Patrol (including Robotman, who had parts from LexCorp (see Doom Patrol #10 and Superman #20).  Metallo was revived again by Brainiac to keep Superman busy (Action Comics #647-649).

Mostly, Metallo was used by another villain...and Superman defeated him by taking his head off (his brain was on a separate system, so the villain survived, just wasn't threatening as a head!).

With this track record, Metallo needed an upgrade, and got one courtesy of soul-stealing Neron during Underworld Unleashed!  Now able to incorporate all metal around him into his body, Metallo became a bigger threat (but still vulnerable to having his head removed...ending his threat for a time!).

This put Metallo into conflict with Steel (the Superman substitute that became a hero on his own) in Steel #21, as well as Superboy and Robin in Superboy/Robin:World's Finest Three #1 and 2 (there, working with Poison Ivy).

Still, Metallo was mostly a pawn, even if he had quite a few appearances in this form!

Metallo had started to be a "big man", but compared to all of Superman's other foes, he was never quite the biggest!

Yet, not unlike Superman, Metallo also came back, time and again....

...when Superman had yet another historical revision with the six issue mini-series Superman: Secret Origin, Metallo was restored a little closer to his 1970s roots, being mostly a man-sized threat as John Corben, who thanks to fighting Superman in a super-suit, gets wounded and reborn as Metallo, with a kryptonite heart (thought this time, made by Luthor, and Corben is also a threat to the Clark and Lois relationship as well!).

New 52

That origin stood for a while, until DC started over yet again after Flashpoint.   This time, John Corben is a soldier in the Metal-Zero suit...and later becomes Metallo!

Seems Metallo will always return to plague Superman....he's as persistent as a heart attack!