Superman: The Man of Steel #23 is an issue of the series Superman: Man of Steel (Volume 1) with a cover date of July, 1993.
Synopsis for "Ambush!"
As Man of Steel takes down a gang of thugs toting around Toastmasters in search for him, he almost gets one of them to reveal the location of the White Rabbit, but is shot to death by the gang's camera person. Steel takes the gun and the camera away and turns both of them over to the police. Lex Luthor II acquires the tape from the police, and his video experts believe the man captured on film was going to say "Spire", as in the Metrospire Hotel. Luthor decides to use this information in his effort to snare a Superman for himself.
As Lois Lane goes in the Daily Planet helicopter to the waterfront to check out a battle between two gangs that the Man of Steel (the only Superman she hasn't spoken to yet) is trying to stop, Superboy shows up to draw the gangsters' fire away toward him. However, one of the charges hits the Daily Planet helicopter, killing its pilot and causing Lois to bail out, only to be rescued by Man of Steel. Lois asks him if he's also claiming to be Superman, to which he answers he never said he was. Man of Steel takes Superboy high on top of a bridge to tell him his foolish stunt cost somebody a life, and that life could have been that reporter who follows him around (Tana Moon). He warns the young hero to stay out of the shadows or else other people could get killed, causing Superboy to fly away angry.
Man of Steel is soon given a tip by Lex Luthor II about the White Rabbit's hideout being at the Metrospire penthouse, with the only provision being that he gets coverage by WLEX. Man of Steel accepts the tip, but refuses to accept any sponsorship. Luthor secretly planted a bug on Man of Steel so that they could track him. At the penthouse, John Henry Irons discovers that the White Rabbit is his former co-worker and lover Angora Lapin, who after his leaving the weapons company he worked for stole one of his weapons designs and used it to manufacture them to street gangs. After Irons turned down accepting any profits she made from the sales, but threatening to turn her over to the Feds, White Rabbit used a Toastmaster to blow him out the window, crashing into an oil truck and causing it to explode. Superboy, who was nearby, grabbed Man of Steel out of the flaming wreckage, burning his hands in the process, which startles the older hero, expecting him to have Superman's invulnerability. Superboy explains that he came to apologize to Man of Steel for his actions, feeling guilty for what he did. Man of Steel says he shares in the blame for making the very weapons that caused the pilot's death.
Meanwhile, Lois ponders about the Man of Steel. While the other Supermen she has met have his face, his body, and his costume, he is the only one who seems to have Superman's soul.
Appearing in "Ambush!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Digit
- Graham
- Template:Apn
- Sydney Happersen
- White Rabbit
Other Characters:
- Frame (Single appearance)
- Frank (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in the Superman: The Death and Return of Superman omnibus, the The Return of Superman trade paperback, and the Superman: The Death and Return of Superman Omnibus.
- This issue is Triangle number 17 for the year 1993.
Trivia
- As a sort of in-joke, Jimmy Olsen wears a Spin Doctors T-shirt -- the name of the band that performed "Jimmy Olsen's Blues" on their Pocket Full Of Kryptonite album.
Related Articles
See Also
- Cover gallery for the Superman: Man of Steel series
Recommended Reading
- Action Comics
- Adventures of Superman
- Steel (Volume 2)
- Superman (Volume 2)
- Superman: Man of Steel
- Superman: Man of Tomorrow
Links and References
- Superman: Man of Steel comic series at Wikipedia
- Superman: Man of Steel series index at the Grand Comics Database
- Superman: Man of Steel series index at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
- Steel article at Wikipedia
- Steel movie article at Wikipedia
- Steel article at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
- Steel chronology index at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
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