Warning: spoilers for Action Comics #1070!Superman there’s a reason he’s the most iconic superhero of any franchise. His latest mission is a perfect example of what makes him truly “super” – and it has nothing to do with his Kryptonian powers. Confronted first-hand with the suffering in the Phantom Zone, Clark Kent prepares to go inside and investigate, putting himself in incredible danger to do right by the criminals who already hate him.
Action comics #1070 by Mark Waid, Clayton Henry, Matt Herms and Dave Sharp pits Superman and Supergirl against a monster of three Phantom Zone prisoners fused into one being. The unnatural chimera demands in Kryptonian to be killed, making it clear that its existence is torture. Once the immediate threat has been eliminated, Superman decides to volunteer to go alone into the Phantom Zone to find out what might be happening to the prisoners.
Each creature has a personal vendetta against the House of Al, but Clark knows that what is happening there is wrong, and his kind, heroic heart will not allow him to ignore it, making him truly the greatest superhero.
Superman shows true heroism by entering the phantom zone
All to save the most dangerous criminals who hate him
Saving criminals is not a unique trait of Superman, and many DC heroes have unique relationships with their rogues, which often results in saving their lives and proposing reforms. Clark’s current predicament is a step far beyond that. The prisoners of the Phantom Zone not only blame several generations of the House of El for their situation, but also Superman doesn’t know what awaits him there.. He readily admits that the Zone is changing and is no longer the same space his father first discovered. His “ominous and disorienting,“And there is no consolation in this mystery.
Even despite this knowledge and the genuine fear he feels, Superman remains determined not to allow even those with the “darkest heart” to suffer.
The Phantom Zone had already spawned one monster that Superman and Supergirl were unable to defeat together, and only Jimmy Olsen unleashed a dose of golden kryptonite to complete the job. Clark won’t have as much support this time. Even with this knowledge and the genuine fear he feels, Superman remains determined not to let even those who have “the darkest of hearts” suffer. Superman is who he is because Kal-El’s commitment to treat everyone with the same unwavering sense of compassion.. Preventing suffering is the right thing to do. There are no warnings. This is the truest “superhero” quality, and he embodies it.
Superman’s Unyielding Kindness Could Be His Undoing
How will Superman survive in the hostile Phantom Zone?
The qualities that make him the greatest superhero could spell his undoing. Clark knows the danger is unprecedented and that where he’s going he won’t get any sympathy. This task is extremely dangerous, even for a person who regularly encounters the worst manifestations of the universe. Simple “intelligence“The mission could quickly escalate into more than the Kryptonian can handle, especially since he’s already been battling the horrors that something is causing in the Phantom Zone. If Superman facing his doom in the Phantom Zone, he will do so by protecting some of the most dangerous and ruthless criminals in the universe, as only the greatest hero can.
Action comics #1070 available now from DC Comics.