DC Database
Register
Advertisement

"Superman and the New Doom Patrol: "Negative Woman Goes Berserk!"": Superman prevents a New Jersey power plant from overloading and causing a statewide blackout. After rescuing the plant workers, he notices the cause of the overload, a black energy shape in the form of

Quote1 Catch that chick, willya! She's going berserk... smashing everything in sight without rhyme or reason! She's absolutely nutsy-coocoo! Come back baby -- I love you! Quote2
Ambush Bug

DC Comics Presents #52 is an issue of the series DC Comics Presents (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 1982.

Synopsis for Superman and the New Doom Patrol: "Negative Woman Goes Berserk!"

Superman prevents a New Jersey power plant from overloading and causing a statewide blackout. After rescuing the plant workers, he notices the cause of the overload, a black energy shape in the form of a woman. The shape flies off before Superman can catch it.

Later that afternoon, Metropolis celebrates its 309th anniversary with a parade procession leading down 30th street. Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are on the scene covering the event. Suddenly, a strange villain calling himself Ambush Bug appears and seemingly murders one of the parade guests, District Attorney Syms. Before anyone can react, the criminal teleports away.

Adding to the chaos, the black energy being also appears in Metropolis and begins wreaking havoc. Clark changes into Superman and begins chasing the entity all throughout the city. While doing so, he encounters the new Doom Patrol who explains to him that the energy being is actually their ally, Valentina Vostok. Robotman tells him that Vostok has absorbed the Negative being that was once a part of his late colleague Larry Trainor. Unfortunately, fusing with the entity has driven Negative Woman berserk.

Superman and the Doom Patrol attempt to contain Negative Woman while also trying to capture the elusive Ambush Bug. Superman discovers that the Bug's teleportation capabilities are linked to a group of tiny, robotic insects that are always flying about him. Superman quickly gathers up all of the micro-insects and destroys them. With Ambush Bug unable to teleport, he becomes an easy target for Robotman's haymaker.

Now the only thing left to take care of is the frenzied Negative Woman. Superman dashes off to the Fortress of Solitude to fetch a giant lead container. Upon returning, he traps the Negative Woman inside until she returns to normal. Valentina Vostok's condition stabilizes, but she laments the fact that she must wear specially treated bandages or else risk losing control of herself once again.

Appearing in Superman and the New Doom Patrol: "Negative Woman Goes Berserk!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Arthur J. Harris (Single appearance)
  • District Attorney Syms (Single appearance; dies)

Locations:

Items:

  • Ambush Bug's robotic insects

Notes

Trivia

  • This issue establishes that the city of Metropolis is 309-years-old and the Daily Planet is 150-years old.
  • Some of the famous personages represented as parade floats include Skywise from Elfquest fame, Cerebus the Aardvark and Judge Dredd.
  • This is the first time Tempest has shown the ability to fly.
  • Before this issue, Negative Woman's "negative" form was portrayed as a silhouette engulfed in purple energy. Starting with this story, it is drawn as a black shadow, similar to Larry Trainor's.
  • Ambush Bug is a remorseless killer in this story, a far cry from how he will be portrayed in later stories.
  • This story, or events similar to it, appears to still be canon in the Post-Crisis continuity, as Superman is familiar with the Doom Patrol when they next meet in Superman (Volume 2) #20.


See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

Advertisement