Adventures of Superman #432 (September 1987)
Adventures of Superman #432 (September 1987)
After gang members burn down a building in Metropolis’ poor side, a concerned Lex Luthor, pillar of the community that he is, starts a rehabilitation program to save these young vandals from themselves. Of course, what Lex is really doing is handing them machine guns and training them to be more evil. Superman knows Luthor is doing this, but can’t prove it. You know, all of this could be solved if Superman just carried a recorder in his pocket and taped Luthor confessing his crimes. Unfortunately, underpants don’t have pockets.
Meanwhile, Lois Lane has an interview/date with Jose Delgado, an honest teacher who cares too damn much and just wants to get his students out of the gangs. Naturally, they both end up getting trapped inside a burning carpet factory by the same gang members Jose wanted to help, which happens in equal parts because Luthor wants Jose dead and because Lois can’t stay out of trouble for fifteen minutes. Superman swoops in and saves Lois, Jose, and also the gang members who accidentally locked themselves in their own death trap. He still can’t prove Luthor did shit, though, because the kids ain’t talking.
Character-Watch:
Second appearance by Jose Delgado, who shows off his Batman skills by anonymously saving some kids from the burning building and then fighting off several hoodlums at the carpet factory. We also see Jerry White again, currently crashing at Jose’s place after fighting with his dad in Adventures #428. Despite Jose’s best efforts Jerry is now a full-fledged criminal – he sticks up a subway car with other gang members and all. However, he doesn’t sound so tough when we find out his real name is Perry Jr.
Plotline-Watch:
This is the first of a three-part storyline called “Gangwar!” which will end with the introduction of a new vigilante to Metropolis. Incidentally:
The Misadventures of Jose Delgado: This issue marks the first time Jose ends up in the hospital (after the fire), but it won’t be the last. This guy is seriously one of the unluckiest characters in comics. He’s like the opposite of Gladstone Gander from the Donald Duck comics.
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