Man of Steel Vol 1 5
From DC Database
Not Human?? Are you telling me this self-proclaimed Champion of the Earth is -- an alien being?? 
- -- Lex Luthor
Appearing in "The Mirror, Crack'd"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Lex Luthor
- Bizarro (Only appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Jimmy Olsen
- Doctor Teng
Locations:
Items:
- Battlesuit (First appearance chronologically)
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Mirror, Crack'd"
Superman apprehends a thug wearing a Lexcorp designed super-battle suit. He flies the goon to Lexcorp's Hong Kong branch office and presents him to Lex Luthor. Luthor claims that the suit was stolen from him and he bears no responsibility for any attacks made against Superman's person by whomever was wearing it at the time. Superman drops the goon off and flies back towards Metropolis.
Lex meanwhile, consults with one of his scientists, Dr. Cheng. Dr. Cheng is overseeing a classified program known as Project: Changeling. By scanning Superman's DNA, Cheng hoped to construct a perfect clone duplicate of the Man of Steel – one that would be completely subservient to Lex Luthor. However, Cheng did not take Superman's alien biology into account and the Superman clone crystallizes, transforming into a twisted Bizarro mockery of the true Superman. Disgusted by Cheng's failure, Lex orders the creature destroyed. Bizarro escapes however and flies towards Metropolis.
Some time later, Bizarro arrives in town and begins demonstrating behavioral patterns similar to that of Superman. He assists a disabled ambulance and saves the blind Lucy Lane from committing suicide. He then steals a cheap business suit and attempts to walk to the Daily Planet as if he were one of their employees.
Clark Kent notices the strange creature, and quickly changes into Superman. The two begin fighting on the streets of Metropolis, until Lois Lane arrives to witness the destruction. Bizarro shares many personality traits with Superman, including a fondness for Lois Lane. He leaves Superman be, and whisks Lois away in his arms. He flies her to Lois’ apartment and meets Lucy Lane for a second time.
Superman recovers from Bizarro's most recent attack and discovers that his foe’s skin secretes a chalky, white residue. Analyzing the dust with his microscopic vision, Superman learns that Bizarro is in fact an android.
He tracks his adversary back to Lois' apartment and the two foes begin fighting once again. They fly directly towards one another, but once they collide, Bizarro's body explodes into a cloud of white dust. Miraculously, the dust settles over top of the blind Lucy Lane, completely restoring her eyesight.
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in the Man of Steel trade paperback
- This story takes place eight years prior to Crisis on Infinite Earths.
- This is the first and last appearance of the first Post-Crisis Bizarro.
- Jimmy Olsen appeared last in Man of Steel #2. He appears next in Adventures of Superman #424.
- Lex Luthor appeared last in Man of Steel #4. His next chronological appearance takes place in Swamp Thing (Volume 2) #52.
- Lois Lane last appeared in Man of Steel #4. She appears next in Superman (Volume 2) #1.
- This is the first appearance of the Post-Crisis Lucy Lane. The details surrounding her blindness are expanded upon in World of Metropolis #3.
- This is the first appearance of Lex Luthor's Warsuit. It bears a strong resemblance to the special armor worn by the Pre-Crisis Lex Luthor of Earth-One. (Interestingly, in the splash page, it appears as if Superman was confronting Lex Luthor in his pre-Crisis battle armor.)
Trivia
- Luthor and Dr. Cheng's creation is never referred to as Bizarro in this issue. However, Who's Who: Update '87 #1 provides an entry for the android under the name Bizarro.
- All of the other covers for the Man of Steel limited series spotlights a feature character walking towards the reader's point of view. The cover to this issue however, shows Bizarro walking away from the reader. This gimmick is keeping in line with the Pre-Crisis stereotype of Bizarro as a mixed-up, backwards creature.
- The storyline from this issue is loosely based on the origin of the Pre-Crisis Bizarro Superboy as first published in Superboy (Volume 1) #68. In the original story, the object of Bizarro's affections was a woman named Melissa, not Lucy Lane.
See Also
Recommended Reading
Links and References
- Superman at Wikipedia.org
- Superman at DC Comics
- Superman Wiki
- Supermanica Homepage
- Superman Homepage
- Superman at TV Tropes
- Bizarro article at Wikipedia
- Lex Luthor article at Wikipedia
- Lois Lane article at Wikipedia
- Man of Steel series index at the Grand Comics Database
- Man of Steel series index at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
  After the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a 1985-1986 maxiseries which completely reset the continuity of the entire DC Universe, all of DC's major characters and franchises needed to be updated to reflect the changes in the events of their lives. Multiple story arcs were put out to explain these rebooted versions of popular characters. Man of Steel #1 • Man of Steel #2 • Man of Steel #3 • Man of Steel #4 • Man of Steel #5 • Man of Steel #6 |
