Action Comics #1088 continues to reintroduce Superboy into the main DC continuity. The last issue saw Superboy’s public debut, where he fought a mysterious villain in Metropolis and learned just how inexperienced he really was. The end showed a mysterious figure watching his debut on the news, and saying that he’s not a hero, he’s out of control. It ended with the mysterious man flying into the sky. The solicitations for this issue and future ones have promised that Superboy is going to come into conflict with none other than the original Man of Tomorrow. More specifically, it’s the Man of One-Hundred-Thousand-Years’ Tomorrow, Captain Comet.
Who Is Captain Comet?
Captain Comet’s real name is David Blake. He was born to two regular human parents, but just seconds after his birth, a comet passed by overhead. The radiation it emitted triggered latent genes and intense cellular evolution inside of him, mutating the young boy to the very pinnacle of humankind. He represents what humanity will evolve into in one hundred thousand years, and as such, has developed numerous powers. These include telepathy, telekinesis, clairvoyance, and a slew of other brain-related abilities. After discovering what he was and what he could do, David dedicated his life to battling off threats to the Earth and the universe. He is traditionally a sci-fi space-fairing hero, battling aliens and intergalactic enemies of all kinds.
Captain Comet is actually a very interesting character, publication wise. He emerged during the ambiguous gray time between the Gold and Silver Ages of comics, and sort of just hung on as the DC Universe developed around him. Although he debuted before Barry Allen, the universally agreed upon start of the Silver Age, he wasn’t moved to Earth-2 like the Justice Society of America and Golden Age versions of other characters were. He’s also very clearly a Superman-alike, featuring powers that functioned similarly to Superman’s early appearances and his parents being named John and Martha. Over the years, he’s grown more and more tied to Superman and his extended mythos. Now, he’s the one who is going to give Superboy the first run for his money, and probably teach him a thing or two about being a superhero.
Superboy’s Life Is in Transition
Following his semi-disasterous debut in Metropolis, Clark was dubbed Superboy by Perry White, after a young Lois Lane suggested it on a visit to the Daily Planet with her uncle. Embracing the name and his abilities, Superboy started tackling issues all across the United States, both in an effort to learn how to be a hero and keep anyone from finding out where he lived. One funny detail is that he had to carry a map to help him actually figure out where he was going, which isn’t something you think about with flying heroes but makes so much sense.
Yet as fun as his outings were, every summer must come to an end, and Superboy was forced to don his glasses to attend his first year at Smallville High. His first day seemed to be pretty average, between getting shoved into a locker and trying to catch glimpses of Lana Lang in Mr. Blake’s math class, but it took a turn for the worse when his science teacher started a fire in their room. Superboy put it out, but discovered that the company that was supposed to install sprinklers cheaped out and didn’t finish the job. At that point, he saw red.
Superboy tore into the company owner’s office and screamed at him. He smashed the man’s desk to smithereens and cocked his fist back to swing, but then realized what he was doing. He flew away, then immediately came back to apologize for threatening him. Superboy told the fire department what happened, but couldn’t shake the guilt he had over almost hurting a defenseless person. Everything only got worse when his teacher Mr. Blake showed up at the door, asking to speak with Superboy. Obviously, Mr. Blake is David Blake, otherwise known as Captain Comet, and he’s none too pleased with how Superboy has been handling himself. We’re still not sure why exactly he’s so mad at Superboy, or what happened to the rest of the superheroes of the previous generation, but one thing is certain. Superboy is going to go up against the peak of human evolution, and considering that he has yet to awaken to the true depth of his power, Clark might be in for the worst beating of his young life. Sit tight, because at least one person is getting knocked into orbit with this one.
Action Comics #1088 is on sale now!
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