Action Comics 252 (May 1959) introduced two enduring characters to the Superman mythos — one a foe and the other a friend (in fact, a cousin).
The first was Metallo, Superman’s kryptonite-powered cyborg enemy. And the second was Supergirl.
“Supergirl arrived on Earth in this story, her origin tale,” noted comics historian Michael E. Grost. “It is structured partly as a mystery: Supergirl arrives astonishingly full blown, complete with costume and a command of English, and Superman asks some very logical questions on how this can be, questions that get equally logical answers.”
“The primary function served by women was to resist the romantic advances of the superhero’s alter ego, pine for the superhero, scheme to get close to him, screw things up, get captured by the bad guy and await rescue by the hero,” wrote Bradford W. Wright in Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Your Culture in America. “The exceptions were Hawkgirl (who, despite the implied subordination in her name, served as a fairly equal partner to her husband, Hawkman), Wonder Woman and Superman’s teenage cousin Supergirl. The Supergirl character, in particular, seemed to be a concerted effort to appeal to young girls; her stories were whimsical adventures that also featured Streaky the Supercat and Comet the Superhorse.”
“Superman is also much older than Supergirl. She can represent new ideas, imagination; and he can represent established reality,” Grost observed.
A refugee from Argo City, Supergirl would spend a protracted period as orphan Linda Lee before finally being adopted by the Danvers.
Oddly enough, Salem Village, the place where the witchcraft hysteria happened, was located five miles from Salem, Massachusetts. It’s gone, and in its place is a town called “Danvers” — a name still associated with certain super-powered women.
Wesley Smith:
ReplyDeleteScience is such a flexible thing in the comics…
ReplyDeleteJohn Belli:
Not even Argo City back then. Just a chunk large enough to have "a street of homes".
Somehow the immediate atmosphere decided to stick around.
This was before the red run rationalization was cooked up.
There would have to have been microgravity. VERY micro! Yet no one had those outrageous super powers. She should have been even more super there than in Earth.
Kandor has been introduced the year before. She could have been established as a refugee who could not return.
Bruce Kanin:
ReplyDeleteThat issue of ACTION COMICS, which added two major cogs to the Superman world, was a classic as it rolled off the presses.
Vincent Mariani:
ReplyDeleteAh, that "taken aback" Superman pose in panel three. He often seemed WAY too easily startled, although the pose is warranted here. 🙂
Bruce Kanin:
You're making me notice how chubby Al Plastino made Superman in those days. I think it was his way of portraying The Man of Steel with muscles, but it made him look too chunky.
Johnny Williams:
ReplyDeleteDan - Action Comics 252 (May 1959) introduced two enduring characters to the Superman mythos — one a foe and the other a friend (in fact, a cousin).
Me - And repercussions have been felt from both of those introductions ever since.
Dan - The first was Metallo, Superman’s kryptonite-powered cyborg enemy.
Me - In ‘The Adventures of Superman’ vol. 1 issue #500 we were introduced to the Cyborg Superman, Hank Henshaw. Now the thing that drew my attention to the character at that time was the fact that of at that time, among the rogues galleries of the major DC superheroes ‘Clark’s’ had been rather staid (dull and old fashioned). Every now and then he’d acquire an interesting new for like Black Zero, Mogul, the Parasite and Terra Man, but for the most part it was an endless recycling of his old standard bad guys. The same Might be said to be true of Bruce and Barry both their enemies were sufficiently ‘colorful and imaginative’ so as to mitigate much of those criticisms. Enter the Cyborg Superman, a new, exciting and very dangerous and deadly opponent. But, was He Kal’s First cyborg foe? No, Metallo was in fact the first. I have been constantly amazed that people by-and-large don’t seem in their minds to classify Corben as a cyborg, because that’s Exactly what he is.
Sorry for the lengthy digression.
Dan - And the second was Supergirl.
Me - Yes it was and My ‘life’ and the World was changed forever by her arrival.
Dan - “Supergirl arrived on Earth in this story, her origin tale,” noted comics historian Michael E. Grost. “It is structured partly as a mystery: Supergirl arrives astonishingly full blown, complete with costume and a command of English, and Superman asks some very logical questions on how this can be, questions that get equally logical answers.”
Me - Logical and oh so exciting to this young boy back then.
Dan - Yes, Superman had met various “supergirls” before, but this one was clearly intended to stick around. And outside DC Comics, you’d had Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel’s sister. Introduced in 1942, she was an obvious inspiration for Supergirl.
Me - As much as I hate to admit it, Fawcett handled Mary’s in-universe presence Much better than DC did with some of Kara’s earlier adventures. Even as a kid I sometimes got the feeling that they were (often) unsure just what to Do with Kara. Mary Marvel was portrayed as a full blown, out and about ‘public’ superheroine from the word go. Subsequently Kara was hidden away from public scrutiny and only utilized as a ‘secret weapon’ for Clark. That wasn’t nearly as interesting as Mary’s status was.
Johnny Williams:
ReplyDeleteDan - “The primary’s function served by women was to resist the romantic advances of the superhero’s alter ego, pine for the superhero, scheme to get close to him, screw things up, get captured by the bad guy and await rescue by the hero,” wrote Bradford W. Wright in Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Your Culture in America. “The exceptions were Hawkgirl (who, despite the implied subordination in her name, served as a fairly equal partner to her husband, Hawkman), Wonder Woman and Superman’s teenage cousin Supergirl. The Supergirl character, in particular, seemed to be a concerted effort to appeal to young girls; her stories were whimsical adventures that also featured Streaky the Supercat and Comet the Superhorse.”
Me - Hawkgirl was very effective if somewhat under utilized during the Silver Age, as a hero in her own right, and I was not happy when She wasn’t inducted into the JLA at the same time as her hero spouse had been. It was a great missed opportunity for DC.
Wonder Woman had a really goofy (at times) Silver Age existence. I think they reached the height of the crazy-silliness when her villain ‘Egg Fu’ was introduced. Don’t get me wrong, I laughed at and bought a lot of her comics back then but it was difficult to take her stories as seriously as those of the other heroes.
DC would have been wise to have taken a look back at the old Fawcett Mary Marvel stories to get some decent insight and ideas on how to write such a character in an engaging manner.
Dan - “Superman is also much older than Supergirl. She can represent new ideas, imagination; and he can represent established reality,” Grost observed.
A refugee from Argo City, Supergirl would spend a protracted period as orphan Linda Lee before finally being adopted by the Danvers.
Me - The Supergirl television series changed aspects of her classic backstory. Personally I like both the original and the series versions.
Dan - Oddly enough, Salem Village, the place where the witchcraft hysteria happened, was located five miles from Salem, Massachusetts. It’s gone, and in its place is a town called “Danvers” — a name still associated with certain super-powered women.
Me - Funny how that worked out.
Stephen Leone:
ReplyDeleteI still remember the issue fondly. Sadly, it was one of those comics Mom threw out when I wasn’t looking.
Chris Weeks:
ReplyDeleteBrilliant Dan. Outstanding
Randy Sadewater:
ReplyDelete"The Menace Of Metallo" first appeared in the daily newspaper strip running from Dec. 15, 1958 through April 4, 1959, drawn by Curt Swan. The stories differ slightly, but it's the same character. In both the newspaper and the Action Comics version, John Corben dies.
Gerald Avance:
ReplyDeleteIn 1959, I'd've been the right age for Kara to babysit me, and now I'm the right age for her to put me in a care facility.
Joe Gall:
ReplyDeleteDon’t know why but, as a kid in the early sixties, all things Supergirl captured my fantasy imagination.