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"Different Worlds"
Action Comics 600
Action Comics
Title: "Different Worlds"
Volume: 1
Number: 600
Cover price: $2.50
Cover date: May, 1988
Publisher: DC Comics
Credits
Chief: Jenette Kahn
Ex. Ed: Dick Giordano
Cover artists: John Byrne; Curt Swan; Kurt Schaffenberger; Dick Giordano; Mike Mignola
Cover inker: George Pérez; Jerry Ordway; John Beatty; Murphy Anderson; Mike Mignola
Assistants: Renee Witterstaetter
Editors: Mike Carlin
Navigation
Previous: Action Comics #599
Next: Action Comics Weekly #601

"Different Worlds" is the title to the first story in the landmark 600th issue of the superhero fantasy series Action Comics published by DC Comics. It is a Superman & Wonder Woman team-up written by John Byrne with artwork by Byrne and George Pérez. It was colored by Tom Ziuko and lettered by John Costanza. The second story is a romance tale featuring Lois Lane called "True Love", which is a sequel to the first story. It was written by John Byrne & Roger Stern with artwork by Kurt Schaffenberger and Jerry Ordway. The third feature spotlights the villainous Lex Luthor and is called "Games People Play". It was written by John Byrne and illustrated by Dick Giordano and John Beatty. Next up is Superman's pal, Jimmy Olsen in "A Friend in need". Once again chronicled by the team of Byrne & Stern, it was drawn by legendary Superman artist Curt Swan and inked by Murphy Anderson. For the fifth and final vignette in this 80-page giant, all we can say is "Who the hell let Man-Bat into the room?" The tale is called "The Dark Where Madness Lies", and features the off-kilter team-up of Superman and Man-Bat courtesy of John Byrne and artist Mike Mignola. All five stories were edited by Mike Carlin with Renee Witterstaetter as assistant editor. This issue shipped with a May, 1988 cover date and carries a cover price of $2.50 per copy (US).

"Different Worlds"[]

Plot
Superman and Wonder Woman embrace and kiss, but the deer in the headlights look on Wonder Woman's face makes clear that this is not what she had in mind. Realizing he's overstepped, Superman offers an awkward, stumbling apology. He admits that he's been thinking of her constantly since they first met, even sharing that he had an "intense" dream about her, and when she contacted him about a date, he'd thought she felt the same.

Wonder Woman says she has a warrior's heart, but that she also has feelings, but she is new to man's world and still trying to figure this out.

Superman offers to start over, and she agrees, so long as he agrees to call her Diana. They fly away and talk. She tells him that he is like a god on Earth, but he denies this, explaining that he has fought hard for his humanity, especially as he is in fact an alien. At heart, he's a Kansas farm boy.

Hermes summons Wonder Woman, and she breaks off the date, having to answer his call. Superman will not be left behind though, and flies through the portal to Olympus after her.

Arriving in Olympus, Superman finds the strange dimension negates many of his abilities. Odd gravity makes flying difficult and his super vision is highly hampered. He begins to search for Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman, meanwhile, quickly finds Hermes. She asks how this has happened, and he tells her that Darkseid has invaded Olympus.

Darkseid is displeased by the arrivals. His plans had so far progressed perfectly, and he doesn't want any interference. He send images to the heroes. First, Superman encounters an amorous Wonder Woman who throws herself at him. Wonder Woman encounters a arrogant Superman. The Superman turns out to be Kalibak in disguise, while the fake Wonder Woman is actually Amazing Grace. Both villains attack the heroes once their deception fails.

As Wonder Woman begins attacking Kalibak and Superman begins hammering away at Grace, both villains lead the heroes on a chase, bringing them close to each other before vanishing. As Superman and Wonder Woman encounter each other, they attack. Darkseid is pleased that the two heroes will destroy each other as he watches the titanic struggle. Soon, though, the battle crashes into the very room in which he stands, and the heroes face him, together. Superman explains the ruse. Both he and Wonder Woman realized the trick, and quickly knew who it was they fought. Under the cover of battle, they searched for Darkseid, and they finally found him.

Darkseid is unconcerned by this, planning to kill the heroes, but first he explains how Olympus owes it's existance to the creation of Apokolips and New Genesis. How energy from that creation struck Earth and spawned the gods. he will now take that and conquer Earth. Wonder Woman points out to him, though, that he has conquered nothing. The gods are not here. Without them, this is just a place. An angered Darkseid leaves, setting explosives to destroy Olympus and the heroes, but Hermes appears and tells them not to be concerned. The explosives go off, but Olympus is untouched. As Hermes explains, it is eternal. He returnes the heroes home.

Superman is awed by what he has seen. She is a princess, a god, she visits Olympus and talks to the gods. He is just a Kansas farm boy and she is way out of his league. He asks that they just be friends. Wonder Woman agrees, on the condition that he call her Diana. Superman stumbles with this, but agrees to try... if she will call him Clark. They part friends.

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"True Love"[]

Plot
Lois Lane's cover has been blown and she's been caught by gunmen. She fights her way out, tying up the bad guys, calling in her story and catching a cap to the Daily Planet.

At the Daily Planet, the staff is all abuzz about an article out of Boston about the romance between Superman and Wonder Woman. This news has bumped Lois' article from the front page. Lois is upset by the news, almost as upset as Clark Kent who makes an attempt to assure Lois that the story is false. An upset Lois walks home, convinced it's true and that Clark's fumbling explanation proves it's true. Clark arrives at her apartment to talk, but while she cleans up, he gets a call from Jimmy Olsen and has to rush out as Superman. Lois comes out to find him gone, further upsetting her.

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"Games People Play"[]

Plot
Maggie Sawyer meets with Lex Luthor. He's summoned the SCU to his office to discuss a truce. Maggie refuses to entertain that idea and declares that this must mean she's getting close to nailing Luthor. Luthor produces a dossier about Maggie, threatening to release it if she doesn't back off. It is strongly suggested that he has proof that she is gay.

Luthor slams his fist on the desk during the conversation, generating extreme pain in his hand. He screams and abruptly flees the meeting, demanding to see his doctor immediately. The doctor gets back the test results, radiation damage from Luthor's kryptonite ring. He's going to lose the hand.

Sawyer and Turpin drive away. Sawyer has heard it before, and she's not ever running from anything ever again.

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"A Friend in Need"[]

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"The Dark Where Madness Lives"[]

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Notes & Trivia[]

  • This is a special 80-page landmark issue.
  • This is the last monthly issue of the series for 1988. Beginning next issue, Action Comics changes its title and publishing format to Action Comics Weekly.
  • "True Love" is reprinted in Lois Lane: A Celebration of 75 Years.

Recommended Reading[]

See also[]

Media

The World of Superman

Superman miscellaneous

External Links[]

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