Action 593 – Mr. Miracle watches Superman have sex with his wife

I am not lying or exaggerating about Action 593 (Oct. 87), by Byrne and Williams.  Mr. Miracle comes home after a show one day, with scowly sidekick Oberon, and finds Darkseid sitting in his living room.  Darkseid has a tape to show them.

Sleez has been making some money off of Superman and Big Barda.

We get a recap of Mr. Miracle’s origin.  Son of Highfather, traded to Apokolips at birth as part of a peace pact.  Raised in Granny Goodness’ orphanage, and given a desire for freedom by Himon.  His relationship with Barda when she was a young stormtrooper.  His escape to Earth, and being mentored by Thaddeus Brown, the original Mr. Miracle.

Meanwhile, the director has a heck of a time getting the hypnotized heroes passionate enough for porno.

Mr. Miracle arrives to save the day, and his presence breaks the spells on Barda and Superman.  Superman pursues Sleez, who seemingly kills himself.  Barda winds up having to rescue her rescuer.

 

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Action 592 – Superman and Big Barda meet Sleez

Byrne and Williams begin a 2-part story in Action 592 (Sept.) that introduces a new Apokoliptian villain, Sleez.

Big Barda wanders into the bad part of Metropolis, and her bag gets snatched.  Unfortunately, it contains her mega-rod.

The thief falls prey to another, as things go.  But this one is bad, a former companion of Darkseid, whose innate ability allows him to dominate and control people, and have them fulfill his worst desires.  Eventually, he proved too depraved even for Darkseid, and Sleez fled to Earth.

He uses Barda’s own mega-rod to take her down, and once out, she will wake completely under his control.

Clark Kent has been investigating mysterious cases of good health in the street people living near to Sleez, and follows a radiation trail to the creature, who is unaware of his side-effects.  Superman breaks Barda of Sleez’s control, but when he stops her from killing him, she believes he is just one of Sleez’s games.  Sleez takes advantage of their fight to capture them both.

The story concludes in the next issue.

Action 591 – Superman vs Superboy

Keith Williams joins John Byrne on Action 591 (Aug. 87), the third part of a four-part story that clarifies the relationship between the Superboy from Legion of Super-Heroes, and Superman.

The story picks up from the previous issue of Superman, as Superboy freezes Blok, Brainiac 5, Invisible Kid and Sun Boy, taking them to the Time Trapper, but leaving Superman free.

We have the story of Superboy and the Legion explained a different way, by the Time Trapper.  The Trapper took a small slice of the newly-formed universe, and molded it to his own liking.  When the Legion believed they were travelling back in time to meet Superboy, they were really travelling into the Time Trapper’s pocket universe, and meeting the Superboy he had created.

Superman winds up in the pocket universe, and is discovered by Pete Ross.  He thinks this is Superboy under the influence of red kryptonite, and brings him back to the Kent home, where Superman meets two people who are the Kents, but not his parents.

Superboy shows up, and a fight breaks out, with Krypto getting into the fray. Superman notes how much more powerful Superboy is, with the plus of an invulnerable cape.

Krypto sacrifices his powers and intelligence to retrieve some gold kryptonite, in a failed attempt to save his master from the evil Superman.

Pa Kent tries every kryptonite there is against Superman, but they are powerless on his physiology, being from a different universe.  Superboy admits that he wanted Superman to beat him, hoping that together they could defeat the Time Trapper.

But in the end, the Legionnaires convince Superman not to come along with them for their final battle with the Time Trapper.

This sets the new relationship between Superman and the Legion, which will exist, with some minor modifications, until Zero Hour.