| "Sidearm One! Superboy -- Zero!" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Superboy | |
| Title: | "Sidearm One! Superboy -- Zero!" |
| Volume: | 4 |
| Number: | 0 |
| Cover price: | $1.50 |
| Cover date: | October, 1994 |
| Publisher: | DC Comics |
| Credits | |
| Chief: | Jenette Kahn |
| Writers: | Karl Kesel |
| Pencilers: | Tom Grummett |
| Inkers: | Doug Hazlewood; Dennis Janke |
| Cover artists: | Tom Grummett |
| Cover inker: | Karl Kesel |
| Colorists: | Tom McCraw |
| Letterers: | Richard Starkings; Comicraft |
| Editors: | Frank Pittarese |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | Superboy #8 |
| Next: | Superboy #9 |
"Sidearm One! Superboy -- Zero!" is the title to the special "zero' issue of the Superboy, Volume 4 ongoing comic book series published by DC Comics. The story was written by Karl Kesel with artwork by Tom Grummett. It was inked by Doug Hazlewood and Dennis Janke, and colored by Tom McCraw. Lettering was provided by Richard Starkings of Comicraft. The story was edited by Frank Pittarese. This issue shipped with an October, 1994 cover date and carries a cover price of $1.50 per copy (US).
Synopsis[]
Professor Emil Hamilton arrives at the Honolulu airport from Metropolis, ready for a relaxing vacation free of tense fights between super-heroes and villains. His luck quickly runs out however as he encounters Superboy and Sidearm in the midst of a brutal battle. Sidearm finds himself on the losing edge against Superboy and swipes Professor Hamilton's prosthetic arm. He attaches it to his Techno-Vest and turns the would-be weapon against Superboy only to discover that the Professor's arm is nothing more than a suntan lotion dispenser. Superboy quickly finishes the villain off with his tactile telekinesis, but keeps Sidearm's robotic arm as a souvenir.
Tana Moon is present and catches the entire escapade on her mini-cam. Superboy and she race back to the KONA-TV station to edit the footage. While there, Tana overhears her co-workers speaking ill of her relationship with a sixteen-year-old boy. She goes back to Superboy's hotel room and engages in a brief moment of spite with Roxy Leech.
Professor Hamilton meets up with Superboy again and asks if he can examine him at S.T.A.R. Labs. Superboy and Tana fly down there and the Professor asks him about his earliest possible memories. He recalls waking up in the Cadmus cloning tanks and breaking free with the help of the Newsboy Legion. After securing his freedom, Superboy (calling himself Superman), met his very first super-villain – Sidearm. The two foes battled one another for the first time on the streets of Metropolis.
After the examination, Professor Hamilton gives Superboy a tool designed to aid him in his crime fighting career – a pair of X-ray glasses. He immediately tests them out on Tana Moon.
Meanwhile, members of the Silicon Dragons break a creature known as, Nanaue, out of the Kulani Prison on the East side of Hawaii. Nanaue shows his gratitude by tearing into the men, ripping them to pieces.
Appearances[]
Featured characters
Supporting characters
Villains
Minor characters
Flashback characters
- Big Words, Anthony Rodriguez II
- Carl Packard
- Flip, Walter Johnson II
- Gabby, Jonathan Gabrielli II
- Paul Westfield
- Scrapper, Patrick MacGuire II
- Superman, Kal-El
- Tommy Thompkins II
Organizations
Races
- Clones
- D.N.Aliens
- Humans
- Cyborgs
- Kryptonians (In flashback only)
Locations
Items
Powers
Notes & Trivia[]
- In October of 1994, all of the existing mainstream DC Comics titles released a special "0" issue to coincide with the "Zero Hour" crossover event. The purpose of the "0" issue was to reveal a previously unknown aspect of the title character's background. DC Titles under the Vertigo imprint were largely unaffected by Zero Hour and thus, no "0" issue specials were published for them.
- Superboy appeared last in Zero Hour #0.
- The primary events from this issue take place between Superboy #8 and #9.
- This is the earliest chronological appearance of Sidearm. The flashback sequence from this issue immediately follows scenes from Adventures of Superman # 500 but precedes events shown in Superboy, Volume 4 #1.
- Professor Hamilton appeared last in Superman: Man of Steel #37. He appears next in Superman, Volume 2 #94.
- This issue contains a flashback of scenes originally presented in Adventures of Superman #500.
- King Shark makes a cameo introductory appearance in this issue. His first full appearance is in Superboy, Volume 4 #9.
- Behind the scenes appearance by Lex Luthor (in flashback). Teen Titans, Volume 3 #26 establishes that Lex Luthor was present during Project Cadmus' attempts to clone Superman.
- Contains a cameo flashback image of Doomsday.
- Dubbilex makes reference to Krypto. This is the normal, powerless Earth dog once owned by Bibbo Bibbowski. The terrestrial Krypto has no connection to the Kryptonian animal of the same name.
- This is the first meeting between Superboy and Professor Hamilton.
- The visual design of Sidearm's mechanical arms is reminiscent of two pre-existing comic book characters; one is the Marvel Comics villain, Doctor Octopus, and the other is Morgan Stryker from Top Cow's Cyberforce.
- Superboy is seen speaking with Ray Garnes about their mutual obsession for the 1992 television drama, Melrose Place. Melrose Place was a spin-off of an equally popular drama entitled Beverly Hills 90210.