Back Issue Box: Action Comics #548

Sometimes you find your joy in the bargain bins. 

Action Comics #548 was sitting in my local comic shop's buck box. There was a whole brick of Superman books from just before the Crisis reset. This was a time when I wasn't reading the Superman books. So these were new to me and that meant I bought a bunch.

But of the ones I have read, Action Comics #548, the first part of a two part story, is my favorite. As a Supergirl mythos fan, as a Superman amateur historian, and as a reverb to the ongoing Kneel Before Zod book, this one just hit me. Too much fun.

Where else will you get a story with Phantom Zone Villains, Jewel Kryptonite, Argo City, the Colossus of Hadrad, and Vrangs? Break out the Superman encyclopedia! Luckily, legendary writer Cary Bates gives us a bit of primer on all these things in this story, filling in gaps for people who aren't as invested in lore as me. 

Surprisingly, despite all those things being in this book, the issue is incredibly padded with Superman stopping muggers, Superman saving people from a scientific experiment gone awry, and the Daily Planet staff getting seemingly random stories to investigate.

Artist Alex Saviuk brings a sort of stiff, old school feel to the proceedings. The usual complaint of this era of Superman books is that it feels antiquated. Indeed, the Byrne reboot injected some life in the Man of Steel. Unfortunately, Saviuk's art is a throwback and definitely added to that sort of dusty feel.

Still, for me, this one is a huge win. Even if Kara isn't exactly in this story, as a Supergirl fan and a Superman fan, this was a find.

Back Issue Box: Supergirl #18

I have been thinking a lot about Argo City in recent times given the reconfiguring of Supergirl's origin in the current Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow mini-series. I have definitely looked at the city's history in the past on this site. 

Today I thought I would showcase one of the weirder wrinkles in the city's history, perhaps one best left unremembered. Supergirl #18 has our hero facing off against the Kraken ... a blackmailer, a sorcerer, a pilgrim looking for enlightenment, a scientist ... all in one?

I don't know if writer Paul Kupperberg remembers writing this particular issue. It is a little all over the place. I don't know if it 100% makes any sense. But there is a lot to think about that's for sure. The one thing that I do love about this issue is that is shows the best parts of these Bronze Age comics - subplots and supporting casts. This issue is as much about Linda Danvers and her love life as it is the Kraken. 

The art is by Carmine Infantino and Bob Oksner and they bring some great visuals here. Again, the Linda stuff is the highlight for me. But I also love the innovative panel layouts. Great stuff. And I love the cover  by Howard Bender and Dick Giordano!

On to the specifics!

Fandome And Argo City

I missed the first DC Fandome so I was very happy to see that a second one was being put together. 

I don't think much has been announced about this next all day virtual convention. But I am hoping that more attention will be spent on the comic side of the DCU whereas the first seemed to be concentrating on movies, television, and other media.

Maybe it is here that we will learn about anything regarding Supergirl.

Although with recent changes I doubt we'll hear about new titles.

And hat tip to Mart Gray for pointing out the aesthetics of the poster. While I am sure that the different floating cities represent different aspects of the DCU, you can't deny that they sort of have an Argo City vibe to them. 

A while ago I took a deep dive into Argo, looking at its history in all the different ages of the DCU. If you dig deep enough here, you can get some of those posts: http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/search/label/Argo%20City

Suffice it to say, Argo's destiny is usually tragic.

I might actually be able to 'attend' some of this Fandome. Let's hope we that we get some Supergirl news.

Supergirl Episode 320: Dark Side Of The Moon

Supergirl episode 320, titled 'Dark Side of the Moon' aired this week and was one of those episodes I mulled over for some time when it ended.

There was so much to love about this episode. There were some fantastic Supergirl mythology in the episode which was impressive. I mean I got to see a live action Argo City. There was a subplot involving Alex that really showcased her character nicely. We got some Winn moments and some Lena moments that were solid. And there is a Mon-El moment that feels a little foreboding.

There were also some things that just difficult to completely roll with in my head, specifically the Argo plot. I had issues with timelines, goals, and decisions.

All that said, this continued to build up the threat of Reign. It pushed a little into my prediction that Lena will ultimately kill Reign, driving the last wedge between her and Supergirl. And there was a bit more about the overall arc of this season of Supergirl trying to reconcile her alien heritage, her role on Earth, and her humanity. If Krypton exists, even a slice of it, why does Kara Danvers need to exist? Can you go home again?

On to the show.

Review: Supergirl #6

Supergirl #6 came out this week, the end of the first story arc of this new #Rebirth take on the character. And frankly, for me, it was the best issue of the run so far. I don't know if I would have started this new run with a Zor-El/Cyborg Superman story. I don't know if I would have had Argo City enter Earth air space. And I don't know if I would have retold yet another story where Supergirl accepts Earth as her home.

But there is an old saying about these things. "Don't give the reader what they want. Give them what they need."

Writer Steve Orlando wraps up this first storyline in the best possible way. This isn't a reimagining of Supergirl. The foundation of her being a hero who loved Earth, a far cry from the angry loner from the early New 52, had been established by Tony Bedard, K. Perkins, and Mike Johnson.

No, this was a reaffirmation of who Supergirl was. A refining of that character. This issue ends on such an upbeat and optimistic tone, in all aspects of Supergirl's life, that I feel as if the true #Rebirth is starting now. We needs to get out of the blocks and get running. But now we are sprinting. The last pages of this book truly encapsulate what I love about the character and I am on board.

It helps that Orlando really steeps this book in DC Comic lore. Rather than portray the #Rebirth universe as a reboot, Orlando looks way back, dropping verbal cues and visual images of DC's broad history. Whether it is pre-Crisis, pre-Flashpoint, or pre-Infinite Crisis, it all is in play here. And for a longtime fan like me, that is beyond spectacular. It even starts with the variant cover, the Bengal riff on the classic cover of Superman #233.

Brian Ching's art is consistent. There is a lot of energy here and a emotion. But it is the quiet scenes at the end where I think Ching truly shines in this issue.

So this was quite the finale. On to the book.

Luke Daab's Supergirl Profile

I have seen Luke Daab's superhero profiles in the past and have always been impressed so I was thrilled to see his take on Supergirl here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dc-superhero-3512084

Luke had contacted me and others to ask what elements should be in a profile and came up with this great design. Here are Luke's words:

Ever since I saw the trailer for the upcoming Supergirl television show, I've had Kara on the brain. Doesn't it look amazing? I can't wait! To celebrate and manage my own anticipation, I created Supergirl's well-deserved Superhero Profile. (I may have to make shirts of this design!)

This piece received the help of internet friends Dr. Anj  and Keith G. Baker who suggested Argo City and Kara's rocketship as iconography for the design. My original concept included Comet and Streaky. I dread thinking what I would have ended up creating without their insights. Thanks guys! The biggest problem this piece posed was whether or not to include Kara's 1980's red headband. It's cheesy and dated. In the end, however, I opted to keep it. I'm not a fan of it in the comics, but I like the way the red breaks up the yellow from Kara's hair and skin tone.

Now that I've seen my first image of Red Tornado from the show, you can only guess who I may design next!

Thanks as always for your support!

I have to say that I love this look, a call back to a classic Supergirl. Argo City, Comet, a retro-looking rocket ... this all works. As for me, I think the headband works for the time and definitely works here. It does seem so add a bit of flash to the Kara figure.

Anyways, head to Luke's Patreon to see his works and be impressed. And Luke, I would be down for a shirt if you make them!

Map Of Krypton

We have been seeing a bit more of Krypton this month what with Supergirl #0 and Superman #0 being primarily set on the planet. We also witnessed the clone uprising in Superboy #0 as well.

With that in mind I thought I would post a Silver Age map of Krypton.

I think it is pretty interesting to see how many of these Kryptonian landmarks and ideas have survived over time, having been utilized in the pre-Crisis world, the Modern Age of comics, and now the New 52.

My favorite landmark on Krypton has to be the Fire Falls. I covered some of the more memorable and recent Fire Fall stories over time on the blog. You can get to those posts here. The Falls have survived all the ages and were just seen in June in Supergirl #10.

Argo City also has had a pretty storied comic history. The concept of Zor-El encasing the city in a shield to survive Krypton's destruction has also survived the various reboots the DCU has gone through.

And even the shrunken city of Kandor in the end has been seen in the Silver Age, Modern Age, and DCnU.

Fort Rozz was seen last in the New Krypton story arc as being a citadel/jail that was flung into the Phantom Zone in its entirety. And the concept of 'weather control towers' was seen just a couple of weeks ago in Superboy #0.

I guess if I am a proud enough geek to have a favorite Kryptonian landmark then I should be proud enough to admit I have a second favorite too. There will always be a soft spot in my heart for the Scarlet Jungle, only because of the great Alan Moore story in DC Comics Presents #85.

I found this map in reprinted Superman Annual #1. The reprint was released in 1998. The original was published in 1960.

Will other parts of historical Krypton be seen in the DCnU?

Does anyone else have a favorite spot on Krypton?

Review: Action Comics #358 - Supergirl Meets Superboy

It is pretty clear that in the upcoming H'El on Earth storyline that there will be conflict between Supergirl and Superboy. In fact, I think that their interactions is going to have significant ramifications in how they relate to Superman.

With that in mind, I thought I would take a look back at a simpler time, back when Superboy was 'Superman as a boy' and Supergirl and Superman were cousins fighting for the same things. I have covered the first time  Supergirl met Superboy here: http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2009/11/back-issue-box-superboy-80.html

So I figured, in a Morrison-like twist, that I would review the 'other' first time the two met, here in Supergirl's story in Action Comics #358.

Superboy in Argo City was written by Cary Bates and drawn by Supergirl artist extraordinaire Jim Mooney and is one of those charming if somewhat dated Silver Age stories filled with twists, turns, and crazy plot lines.

But this story takes place in an interesting time in DC continuity. Krypton had exploded over a decade prior. Argo City is out in space and doing fairly well, to the point that families are growing. Kara is born on Argo; it is the only existence she knows. That means Superboy was active on Earth and simply unaware that a chunk of Krypton and a city full of his people were out there. Given his intergalactic jaunts and his interaction with aliens, it is surprising he didn't hear about it.

Of course, we know that Kara is rocketed to Earth as a teen and tells Superman about Argo. He can't learn about it until then.

So Bates decides to spin a crazy tale where the two cousins meet on Kara's home turf. And this unknown story is told to us when Supergirl wonders where she got that jewel she brought with her to Earth.

The story begins with Superboy out in space exploring. He finds a giant cosmic jewel and cleaves and carves a chunk to present to Ma Kent.

But while polishing the stone, he is hit over the head by a sort of space front-loader which scoops up his unconscious form. So what is this machine? And how could it knock him out?

It turns out the rock collecting probe belongs to Zor-El. He sends these things out to explore and learn about the space he is. And, as is usually the case in the Silver Age, it happened to be right where Superboy was. Being a 'Kryptonian' machine, it is strong enough to hurt Superboy.

Set on autopilot, the probe returns. And there is a young Kara, helping out her busy father by checking on things. And there inside Zor-El's machine is Superboy! I think it is sort of interesting that Zor already trusts Kara with such things. She must be pretty advanced, something we see in her adventures where she is a pretty decent scientist.

Reading this, Kara strikes me as probably 8 or 10. Superboy seems like 15 or 17. So the age difference isn't what I would necessarily expect to see given how they act in Action #252.

On Argo, Superboy is powerless.

And, like a bad TV show, he has amnesia. He has absolutely no recollection of who he is or how he got there.

Eventually, Zor-El and Allura (hmmm ... 2 L's) come back home. Being the kindly couple they are, they take Superboy into their house. And, as Silver Age coincidences would have it, Zor decides to name him Kal-El since he looks like his 'long lost nephew'. (At this point the S-shield was just a stylized S and not a Kryptonian family crest.)

So this obviously means this is before Zor-El has discovered Earth with his space telescope and learned about Superman's existence. In fact, that second panel makes it seem like he isn't even aware that Kal has lived.

Kara and Kal become friends and even have some 'super-hero' adventures, flying around Argo in jet packs and saving some pet birds.

Ah ... these were simpler times.

Happy to have a home and a family, Superboy gives Supergirl the jewel he was going to give Ma. And so we know how Supergirl ended up with it. I mean, Supergirl has been so swell, he had to give her something.

This was also a time when Argo City actually had rockets and were tooling around the universe. (At some point, the rockets are destroyed leaving the city to drift). Zor-El keeps hoping he'll find a planet where the city can land.

The next solar system they encounter is your standard bizarre Silver Age one. After crossing the boundary, a powerful alien arrives saying that trespassers are not allowed. It will let the city go if someone will volunteer to accept the punishment for this indiscretion ... execution. Sheesh ... talk about frontier justice.

Zor-El says he'll go but Superboy shows just what a hero he is. He jumps into the death pod and gets taken away.

And then, in a classic twist, the alien decides that he doesn't want interference ... revenge ... and so he zaps the whole city with "cereb-radiance", a sort of amnesia ray. Thus, no one on Argo ever remembers Superboy existed so they can't try to avenge him. And so now we know why Zor-El and Kara don't remember ever meeting Superboy.

The aliens still take him away in order to kill him. But it turns out that where they are bringing him is a yellow sun system. Suddenly re-powered, Superboy is able to escape the death pod and his execution sentence.

Man, Argo City was that close to a yellow sun (something which they eventually do encounter).

Yet, despite regaining his powers, he doesn't regain his full memory. His time on Argo remains gone.

And so now we know why Superboy doesn't remember his time on Argo.

That is a whole lot of selective amnesia for one story. Incredible.

But that jewel remains. Supergirl has no recollection of how she got it, but remembers it from Argo. And Superman remembers carving it but can't recall despite his super-memory how he lost it! It will forever be a mystery and so the two cousins don't remember how they first met.

What a crazy story! Classic DC Silver Age!

In a Supergirl collection, I would rank this issue of moderate importance and only for the historic element of the cousins' meeting. Also, stories of Kara's childhood are pretty rare so it is a great issue to see what she was like as a school age little girl. Mooney's art has a sort of simpler feel to it in some places and even felt Ditko-esque in a couple of panels.

The issue itself will probably run anywhere from $15 to $50, and probably even more in high grade. The story was also reprinted in Four Star Spectacular #3, which sports a decent Ernie Chan cover. Probably a rarer find than the Action issue but also cheaper.

But the hook of this issue is seeing that young Kara, already intrigued with science.

Overall grade: B

Supergirl Origin Timeline Hypotheses

I know we have been told that the complete origin for this new Supergirl will be slowly revealed over years of stories. But we have seen some glimpses already of Kara's past, enough for me to try to put together a timeline of sorts. Part of the mystery here is that the glimpses of the past we have seen are from an indiscriminate time. So these are my guesses ...

My suspicion is the World Killer project was begun in Argo City on an intact Krypton. I doubt that the citizens of a displaced Argo would be interested in capturing embryos from other planets. They would probably be looking for a new world to inhabit. So let's start here.

So a couple of key things here. First off, my gut tells me that Zor-El was involved in the World Killer project. If I squint, the guy on the far right could be a young Zor-El. (Okay, I have to really squint.)

But more importantly, the 5th World Killer tube is shown to be empty here. So the fifth World Killer wasn't gestating with the rest of the brood. So at some point, that World Killer was added. It adds some fuel to the Supergirl being Number 5.

At some point after this, Jor-El figures out that Krypton is going to explode and tells his brother.

Zor-El decides he has to come up with some way of saving the city and comes up with the idea to use a force field. Now I am wondering if the force field ability is linked to the World Killers somehow. Maybe an innate ability in one of them that Zor exploited while they were in stasis. It would explain how NYC was encased. And why he 'designed' a force field but as machines that will provide atmosphere.

Obviously this is before Krypton exploded. Here Zor-El talks about Kara being put in a protective pod and sleeping through Krypton's destruction. So this would explain why Kara has no recollection of the destruction of the planet or knowledge of Argo's fate.

Given the context of the other stuff, Zor talking about his research sort of cements my belief that he worked on the World Killer project. But what does he need to tell Kara the truth about? What happened to ... what? Alura? Argo? The World Killers?

Or is it Kara herself. People thinking Kara is the 5th world killer could imagine him saying 'The truth about what happened to you. How I made you stronger.'

Unfortunately, Zor gets killed before he can let us know what he meant. He clearly recognizes the person who blasts him. Who would kill him? And why? Maybe he objected to what the World Killer project was all about and someone offed him before he could blow the whistle? Someone with a vendetta against the Els?

But remember, this was taped before Krypton exploded. So Zor didn't live long enough to see Argo survive.

My guess is that Kara is already slumbering in the pod when he records this.

But what if a distraught Alura, figuring she and Kara were the next targets, decided that the best way to save Kara was to make her stronger, subject her to the World Killer tech and hide her in the fifth tube?

Regardless, Kara is somewhere (pod or tube) when Krypton explodes. And someone is around to watch over Kara during the disaster. My assumption is it's Alura, even while she mourns Zor.

Argo initially survives, drifting in space, until the force field for some reason dissipates. Is this because the World Killers were awakening? And as a result, the control over their abilities began to weaken.

If the city is dying, whoever is caring for Kara would want to save her any way possible.

That someone somehow sets up the stargates that lead to Earth. Someone had to put them there. And that had to happen when Argo got trapped in the blue sun's gravity well ... so, recently. It would makes sense for that person to be Alura. She would know of Earth from Jor. She (at least prior incarnations of her) would know the science to create things. And who else would care enough to set up a star gate connecting to Earth.

At which point, the pod is fired. Given that the pod shouldn't be fired before the gates get put up, it makes me doubt this was an automatic launch. Someone launched the pod. Could it be Alura? That would mean she would have been alive recently? And did someone tinker with Supergirl's genes before putting her in the pod. I still doubt that she is the World Killer.

Anyways, my guess is we will continue to learn more and I will continue to amend my guesses.

Anyone out there with theories?

Argo City - DCnU

I have been reviewing the history of Argo City in its various incarnations. Today is the final chapter, as I review what little we know of Argo City in the DCnU.

So how much of Argo's history have Michael Green and Mike Johnson chosen to keep intact? And how much do we simply not know yet. Both the Silver Age and the Modern Age history of Argo City was covered in a page or so of story.  But this Supergirl's origin is still a mystery. So there is much about Argo's fate that has yet to be revealed.

All this has been revealed over the last couple of month's in Supergirl.

In Supergirl #5, Supergirl flies into deep space to the coordinates of Argo City and finds the city in orbit around a blue sun.

It definitely looks to be the silent floating graveyard that we have seen in the Silver Age version of the city.
There is no dome here. I do like the wisps of atmosphere over the city, showing some remnants of atmosphere.

There are a lot of questions to be answered here. How did the city get here? What happened to it? And who put up the stargate that leads from Argo to Earth and vice-versa.

But it is clear the ground isn't Kryptonite. Supergirl is able to explore the city and finds it abandoned.

So if we assume that Krypton exploded more than 2 decades ago, then the city has been in space for that long. But how long has it been abandoned? When did everyone die? With the planet's destruction? Shortly thereafter? Years later? And, the question that I keep coming back to, where are all the bodies?

Thanks to the sun crystal, we get some more history.

In the DCnU, Zor-El creates a forcefield and an atmosphere machine he hopes will save the city. But this isn't a weather dome. And it isn't outright said to be Brainiac tech. It might just be Zor-El's smarts that made it.

But there's more.

 The force dome is still too risky for Zor-El. So to protect her, he puts Kara into a protective pod. It isn't a rocket! It's a pod. So we don't know who sent the pod towards Earth. The last survivor of Argo?

I just like to throw this in ... what does Zor-El hope Kara will learn the truth about?

Is there more to his successful saving of city than he is revealing? Is it how he created the dome that he hopes she discovers? Something about his saving the city? Or something else entirely about his research?

Zor-El gets assassinated in the next panel ... so it is therefore implied that he died on Krypton. Not on Argo!  Zor-El not being in the city to help lead the survivors is a big change from the prior Argo City's (assuming he didn't live to see the city get ripped away).

So some some more info about the city is then revealed by an unlikely source. Reign tracked the city and found it beneath a broken force field, its atmosphere gone, and the population dying.

But there are more questions raised here.

What broke the field? Meteors like in the Silver Age? Brainiac like in the Modern Age? Or something new?

More importantly, when did Reign find the city? Recently? Years ago? How long has Argo been a dead city?

And if Reing came down and saw the dying population, where are they?  Maybe just aren't not shown in the comic? Or are they buried? Or somewhere else?

I still wonder if some of them are somewhere else, in a 'Survival Zone'-like Dimension. Part of that feeling is this vision of Zor-El and Alura, which seems like so much more than a vision. But if Zor died on Krypton from that shot to the chest, this seems impossible.

But then Argo City falls into sun. So there won't be a sort of permanent gravestone for Krypton any more.

So, in review, the DCnU Argo City maintained some of the key elements of the prior incarnations.

The El family saved the city by creating a force field and an atmosphere machine. The city is flung from Krypton's destruction city and the people survived. And the destruction of force field (however it happened) was key to its disaster.

But there are some differences or unanswered questions as well.
Was Zor-El in the city?
What destroyed the dome?
How long ago did Reign see the dying population?
Where are the bodies?
Who shot the Kara's pod to Earth and  who set up the star gates?

So there is definitely a sort of new shine on the old origin. But we need to learn more.

I tried to get some advance information. On Twitter I asked Mike Johnson if he could tease something about this new Argo. He said "Hmmm. How about 1) it's gone 2) we haven't seen the last of it"

My guess is we will learn more about the city via flashbacks.

So Argo City has had a relatively stable story in all its incarnations with some key changes to reflect the times. I have enjoyed this little research project a lot.

Argo City - Modern Age

We move ahead to the Modern Age in my review of Argo City in the history of the DC Universe.

When John Byrne took over the reins of Superman in the post-Crisis DCU, he brought back the idea that Kal-EL was the 'Last Son of Krypton'. As a result Supergirl was left in limbo as a character. And pieces of her history, such as Argo City, were cast onto the rubbish heap.

In 2004, after much of what Byrne stripped away had been brought back, Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner brought back the Kara Zor-El Supergirl. They decided to tweak her origin a bit. They did not have Argo City survive the destruction of Krypton. Instead, Kara is born years before Kal-El. And she is rocketed from the intact planet in a separate rocket towards Earth.

The early years of the Supergirl relaunch are something of an omelet and Zor-El is portrayed as a madman haunted by ghastly visions. Supergirl is a moody, confused, and angry girl. And as a character, she is difficult to like or root for.

It doesn't feel that long ago but it was almost 4 years ago that Geoff Johns decided to reinvigorate the Superman lines and as a result revisit and retell Supergirl's origin.

Zor-El, Alura, and Kara all live in Argo City. This time, the city is enveloped in a force field tinkered together with remnants of the Brainiac tech obtained during the shrinking of Kandor. I love that it is Alura (Science Guild member) and Zor-El that make it work.

So the idea of a domed and protected Argo is once again put into continuity. It is a nice homage and a needed updating for the concept though. As readers, we know how strong Brainiac force fields are. It is plausible the city could survive.

Johns' doesn't make it perfect. The force of the explosion wrecks the city but there are survivors. This includes the El family. As before, Kara is already a teenager, Kal's 'older' cousin.

While it is never implicitly said, I don't think the survivors lived comfortably for years in the city as they did in the Silver Age.

Brainiac arrives to claim what is his, destroying the city and slaughtering anyone felt to be redundant to his collection of Kryptonian knowledge.

So the citizens of Argo don't die from K-poisoning but rather by the sword.

I wonder if the ground would have eventually become Kryptonite?

And, in an interesting wrinkle, Zor-El knew the force field wouldn't last long. He had begun plans to rocket all the survivors to Earth. With only a one-person rocket at his disposal, Zor-El and Alura send Kara to Earth. They are captured and brought to Kandor by Brainiac drones.

We only have this one episode of Argo City in the Modern Age.

As a longtime Supergirl fan, I applauded this revamp/reboot for a number of reasons. First off, it brought back some of the uniqueness of Supergirl's origin. It didn't feel right that 2 rockets were fired from the exploding Krypton. That lessened the impact of both Supergirl and Superman's origins.

Second, Johns took the parts of Supergirl's original origin that worked (Argo City surviving, another rocket flight, caring Zor-El and Lara) and kept them. But he also took other elements seem a bit wonky and updated them. So a Brainiac force field and invasion rather than a weather dome and slow death by Kryptonite. Moreover, this really adds a lot of depth to the Brainiac and Supergirl interactions as characters.

Lastly, it simply erased the whole 'crystal hell, kill Kal-el' crazy Zor-El origin. That is explained away as symptoms of Kryptonite poisoning in Supergirl ... fever dreams. Look, Kara is even dressed in the rocket! She isn't parading around her father naked on Krypton.

So elements that are the same in the two incarnations: domed city, ultimately doomed, caring parents sending daughter to safety.

Differing elements: composition of dome, cause of ultimate doom, length of time on the city.

Again, kudos to Geoff Johns for righting the Supergirl ship and bringing back some of the special features of her origin.

Argo City - Silver Age Part 2

I am in the midst of doing a series of posts on Argo City and it's incarnations in the various DC Universes. Last week I did a review of Argo in the Silver Age but after some more research and a reminder from a Supergirl fan in the comments sections I realized I had a couple of more Silver Age moments to cover.

First up, the Supergirl story in Superman Family #207, "Look Homeward, Argonian!" by writers Jack C. Harris and Roy Thomas and artists Win Mortimer and Vince Colletta.

In the story, Supergirl is lured to a halluciation of an intact Argo City in orbit around a yellow sun. The citizens beg her to show them the site of powerful weapon that Zor-El had created. After showing them, the vision fades and Supergirl knows she has been duped.

To investigate who might be after the weapon, Supergirl travels to the real Argo City.

There it is, intact, floating around a red sun. So Supergirl can see her past but only from a distance. So I guess my hope of the 'floating gravestone' is intact.

It would have been nice to see the dome a bit more broken and shattered here, as it was the meteor strike which damaged the dome that was part of Argo's tragedy.

It turns out that the visions were planted in Supergirl's mind by Universo, who traveled back in time to obtain the 'density intensifier' but needed Supergirl's help to find it in the ruins.

In yet another twist of the tale, the ground is once again Kryptonite, not anti-Kryptonite. I think the anti-Kryptonite piece of this story was only around in the earliest parts of the Silver Age.

Turns out Supergirl knew all along she was being played and told Universo the wrong item to go for. Universo tries to attack the Legion with the intensifier which turns out to only be a table lamp! The real intensifier is still on Argo, safe and sound.

As she travels home, Supergirl sheds a couple of tears thinking about the tragedy in her life. In most stories, Supergirl doesn't dwell on the sadness in her past (let's say like Batman does). So this wasn't a bad ending.

And the ultimate fate of Argo is seen in DC Comics Presents #97, the final issue of that title. "Phantom Zone, the Final Chapter", written by Steve Gerber and drawn by Rick Veitch, is a crazy story for many reasons. It is a primer of the Phantom Zone's history and occupants. It is a sort of epilogue to the Phantom Zone mini-series, a story where the Zone is shown to be a living chaotic entity call Aethyr. And it is a pre-Crisis tale told in the early post-Crisis DCU. As a result, since this history has been wiped away, Gerber has some free reign to go crazy.

The story is barely comprehensible. In it, Aethyr feels violated and attacked by the presence of the Zone villains within its psyche. It therefore merges with Mxyzptlk to enact revenge on their common enemy, Kryptonians.

The Aethyr-Myx brings a massive Kryptonite meteor down on Metropolis which is only spared total destruction because Superman somehow is able to shatter it.

But look at what comes down with the chunks of Kryptonite ... bodies.

The 'meteor' is actually Argo City! It is a brutal and fantastic attack ... both physical and psychological. I mean, there is something downright Sauron-ian about raining bodies of friends and loved ones down on your opponent. On top of that, the ground is Kryptonite! Look at the devastation!

But the story takes another twist. Mxyzptlk was needed as a temporary anchor to bring Aethyr into our dimension. Aethyr fries Mxyzptlk, becomes a sort of crystal, once again takes the Phantom Zone villains back into itself, and takes off.

Look at the confused Superman!

"Wait! I still don't understand!" Frankly Supes, you and me are in the same boat.

So, if this story is canon, Argo's ultimate destiny was as a weapon, a bomb from space. And while it is a devastating and crazy ending to the city and a deliciously malicious blow to Superman's body and mind, I still like the silent tomb in space angle.

And that was Argo in the Silver Age.