Action Comics #679 (July 1992)
Action Comics #679 (July 1992)
Superman vs. the imaginary terrorist, OR Superman vs. the Curse of the Abandoned Plotline from Another Comic! Supes' Washington vacation (which started when he traveled there to get rid of the Sons of Liberty last week) continues as he runs into Shellshock, a flying lady who can make anything blow up just by saying its name. And I mean anything, including "the air"…
…or "Superman's clothes" (good thing she couldn't decide if he was wearing boxers or shorts).
Shellshock is actually an enemy of superhero tag-team Hawk and Dove, but unfortunately they can't come to stop her because one of them went crazy and killed the other (#comics!). So, now it's up to Superman to figure out what’s the deal with this lady.
At the same time, a woman named Ruth Spencer is also visiting Washington and slowly starts noticing that Shellshock always shows up wherever she goes. Eventually, Ruth realizes what's going on and comes clean to Superman: Shellshock is actually a figment of her imagination, created by a traumatic event years ago (and also by Ruth's metahuman powers). Once she learns that, Shellshock quietly fades away, which is great because it means that Superman didn't have to punch a woman.
And so, Superman promises Ruth she'll get the help she needs and she presumably lived happily ever after… until she showed up as a villain again in Infinite Crisis, with no explanation. #COMICS!
Plotline-Watch:
Like I said, this was a plotline from the Hawk & Dove series, which ended rather abruptly when DC decided that Hawk should turn into the supervillain Monarch (instead of Captain Atom as originally planned). Very nice of Roger Stern to clean up for other writers. He even made sure to include the supporting cast from Hawk & Dove, such as Mike and Ike, two almost unbearably ‘90s members of the Washington Special Crimes Unit:
Weird how Clark Kent also happens to be Washington at the same time as Superman. You don't think… Anyway, Clark is there because Agent Liberty was a big fan of his latest Intergang expose and sent him all the evidence needed to write one about the Sons of Liberty. That way, all the members of that crooked group can finally be arrested (except the Agent himself) (and the ones he murdered).
Meanwhile, Congressman Pete Ross becomes ex-Congressman Pete Ross when he admits he would totally help kill that dude again to save Lana Lang's life, and resigns. It's a very romantic moment.
Lex Luthor II's Hairy Chest-Watch:
This is the second Action issue in a row in which Jackson Guice has had to draw Lex Jr.'s nude or semi-nude body, since there's a scene of Supergirl giving him a massage (before turning Japanese). Will this… streak continue? I'm scared to find out.
NEXT WEEK: Batman and Robin! Sort of!