Adventures of Superman #430 (July 1987)
Adventures of Superman #430 (July 1987)
Clark Kent goes through a vocational crisis after missing a bunch of Daily Planet assignments due to his side-job as a flying man in red underpants. On top of that he’s been organizing his parents’ anniversary in Smallville, but misses the party because he was fighting and losing against C-list supervillain group the Fearsome Five (who got tired of getting their asses kicked by superpowered teenagers and moved to Metropolis).
A depressed Superman shows up at his parents’ home after everyone left the party and announces his decision to give up his Clark Kent identity. Pa Kent gives him a pep talk and convinces him Clark is just as important as Superman. The next day, a renewed Superman goes after the Fearsome Five and kicks all of the asses. He even makes some money from the fight by writing a headline article about it as Clark Kent, so everyone wins. (Except the Fearsome Five, and the editor being scammed by the reporter who secretly writes about himself.)
Character-Watch:
The Fearsome Five, enemies of the New Teen Titans, are Shimmer, Gizmo and Mammoth. They used to have two more guys, but they left/died. Keen to keep the alliterative name (otherwise they’d have to throw out all their merchandise), the Fearsome Three seriously put out an ad for two more members and welcome in a guy named Charger and a chick named Deuce. I’ll let that last name slide.
Mammoth, whose power is being strong and dumb, is a fun character and will be back a few times. As for the mysterious Charger and Deuce (tee-hee), they seem more eager on killing Superman than making money, but that’s because…
Plotline-Watch:
…they are actually members of The Circle (last seen last issue). They don’t come out and say it in this issue, but it’s pretty obvious from the melodramatic way they talk. Superman has no idea of the existence of The Circle yet.
Also, to show just how busy Superman is, there’s an explanatory page establishing that the Green Lantern Corps crossover (and therefore the Hawkman one) happened on the same week as the fight with Rampage. However, Superman disappears for three days at the end of the Rampage fight, so the chronology doesn’t quite work out. I am writing a letter to DC Comics to demand my 75 cents back right now.
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