Man of Steel 6

"The Haunting" is the title to the sixth issue of the Man of Steel comic book limited series published by DC Comics. This series serves as a jumping-on point for readers to learn about the revised origin of Superman in the Post-Crisis publishing continuity. The story was written and illustrated by John Byrne with inks by Dick Giordano. It was colored by Tom Ziuko with lettering by John Costanza. The story was edited by Andrew Helfer. This issue shipped with a December, 1986 cover date and carries a cover price of .75 cents per copy (US).

Synopsis
Clark Kent returns to Smallville after a long time away. His adoptive parents pick him up. Jonathan Kent is about to tell him something but Martha shushes him.

Later that night, Clark cannot sleep as he wonders what his father was about to tell him. When he goes for a midnight snack, a “ghost” of Jor-El surprises him and touches him. Superman discovers himself to be on an alien planet where he encounters his biological mother, Lara. As the hallucination wears off, he is face to face with his old flame, Lana Lang.

In a flashback, it turns out that on the night that Clark learned his heritage he went to Lana and revealed the truth of his powers to her. She confesses her feelings to him. She realizes that Clark can no longer belong to her, that he belongs to the world and this fact had hurt her. She had gone through a period of depression and finally accepts the fact.

The next day, Superman thinks about what she said and starts wondering about where he truly came from. He goes to the location where Jonathan hid the rocket ship he was found in only to find that the ship is gone. The hologram of Jor-El reappears and tells him to be silent and to learn. It appears that Superman is under some kind of psionic attack, but the Kents arrive in time and break it off. Superman flies away, realizing that it was not a mental attack but a download of knowledge of everything about Krypton into his brain. He finally knows his biological parents and where he came from and though he appreciates the knowledge he has been given, in the end, he embraces his humanity even more.

Appearances




















Notes & Trivia

 * Superman was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster. He first appeared in Action Comics #1 in June, 1938.


 * This issue is reprinted in the Superman: The Man of Steel, Volume 1 trade paperback collection.


 * Many elements from this re-imagined origin story have since been excised from continuity in lieu of the Jeph Loeb continuity overhaul from 2001.

Quotes

 * Clark Kent: I may have been conceived out there in the endless depths of space... but I was born when the Rocket opened, on Earth, in America. I'll cherish always the memories Jor-El and Lara gave me... but only as curious mementos of a life that might have been. Krypton bred me, but it was Earth that gave me all I am. All that matters. It was Krypton that made me Superman... but it is the Earth that makes me Human!