Superman's Bronze Age Of BAAAADness!

This week has been a rather exhausting and confusing one.  My general job has been another energy cruncher, and I cannot even BEGIN to count the number of bruises I've picked up.  And with such hectic pacing, it's been near IMPOSSIBLE to follow up on inquiries for applications I've sent out.  (Which have been surprisingly numerous, PRAISE BE!)  But this weekend is an amazing chunk of down time for me... at a price.  You see, because I was already scheduled for work on Friday, I was not able to accompany my girlfriend on a trip to visit her aunt in Niagara Falls.  Sigh... I know, I've made the trip about 2 times, previous, but still... I could have had poutine!  POUTINE, FOR CRIPES' SAKE!!!  So I volunteered to housesit for her, which at least allows me plenty of attention time with her cats, and making my own self-entertainment pacing.  Which includes this blog!  So, why don't I shut up and write about some comic book material, already?!?  (By the way, I want to thank EVERYONE that reads this blog, on and off, since it's inception.  When I first logged onto Blogger, this morning, I noticed I passed 4,000 views.  It's GREAT to know something I take a good deal of passion and enjoyment out of is being enjoyed, so often!  Only 17 more posts to go, and we can talk about some 100-post prizes for loyal readers!  REALLY!!!  I'll just have to figure out a way for readers to really EARN their Metal Mikey version of a "No-Prize".... er.... except you actually GET a lot of prizes!)

Today's entry was inspired by a few episodes of a Two True Freaks affiliated show called Trentus Magnus Punches Reality and the recently departed Superman in the Bronze Age hosted by proud new daddy, Charlie Neimeier.  These shows recently rekindled my interest in the Bronze Age for the Man of Steel, because contrary to what DC would have you believe, the 70's/80's for Superman wasn't just defined by Dennis O'Neil's interpretation of the character for the "Kryptonite Nevermore" storyline, or the many cross company/universe/REALITY (In the case of Muhammad Ali) tabloid comics published within that time frame.  We're talking about nearly 16 years of continuity where there were HUNDREDS of adventures that Superman participated in!  Heck, near the launch of the first Christopher Reeves motion picture, Superman even picked up a new COMIC for the occasion; "DC Comics Presents", which was like Kal-El's version of "Brave and the Bold"!  Of course, not only Superman and his fellow friends changed with the times; many of his classic villains received unique facelifts for the onset of the age of comic book "relevancy".  But we're not here to talk about newer versions of existing continuity... Because for a new period of Superman's life, we HAVE to talk about some of the BRAND-NEW threats that came a-knocking on the Fortress of Solitude's door to challenge Krypton's last son.

The Atomic Skull: In a way, for the Bronze Age, the Atomic Skull had TWO debuts.  One in his civilian identity as Dr. Albert Michaels, employee of S.T.A.R. Labs, in "Superman #303".  The other in his lemon/lime Grim Reaper identity as the Atomic Skull in "Superman # 323"!  (And I SUSPECT that he also featured in an early issue of "Super Friends #2".  I mean, the "Dreadful Duo" of Wendy and Marvin DID receive an Trouble-Alert message from A Dr. Michaels from the aforementioned Lab complex, and he DID look awfully similar to Albert's mild-mannered spiky blonde haired appearance!)  Like many comic book "scientist-types", Albert had a great mind... but a TERRIBLE personality.  Maybe it was because of his neurological disorder that caused short-circuits in the electrical brain impulses?  So who do you turn to for medical assistance for neurological disorders?  Other research scientists, and the best minds in the medical field?  What are you, STUPID?!?  NO!!!  The correct answer is to seek out your nearest contact with a highly-complex terrorist organization... like SKULL... with whom they will "promise" to cure you of your disorder, but instead will implant a radium device into your brain, which amplifies your short-circuits to the point where you can use them as physical "brain blasts" as your super-power!  And all you have to do in exchange for such a GRAND therapy is to become a super-villain, and swear misguided vengeance against Superman!

But for the record, at least those "brain blasts" were useful, because not only could the Sprite-themed villain use them to mentally influence regular people, but they were SO powerful, he could even knock Superman silly with some of those blasts.  During his criminal career in the Bronze Age, the Atomic Skull maintained a healthy criminal social life, combining his forces with Metallo, Titano, the forces of SKULL, serving the cause of evil in "Crisis on Infinite Earths".... and... ugh... creating his own "mate" from a female panther into a human female, complete with her OWN limeaide costume!  After the Crisis, the Atomic Skull DID survive in another form, as a pseudo "Ghost Rider" character in appearance, with a misguided view of reality based off of movies.  (This version of the Atomic Skull was the one that received the MOST media mileage, having featured in MULTIPLE DC Animated shows/features!)  And despite the fact that, so far, the character has NOT appeared anywhere else outside of the first "New 52" "Action Comics Annual #1", Max Landis... son of John, and noted mocker of the Superman legacy of the 90's... wrote a really "meh" short story for said annual about a new contender for the Atomic Skull legacy.  But we ALL know the true heir to the title is a man brave enough to try combining death imagery with citrus coloring!

Terra-Man: YEE-HAW!!!  Sit down a spell, hombres, as I tell ya about the kiddo of Jess Manning, and how he became the rootin'-tootin'est varmit to ever plague Superman with irons from the past, and abilities from beyond the stars!  In the 1800's, Toby Manning's father was killed by an alien visitor to the Old West.  But the kindly extraterrestrial murderer took a liking to the new orphan, and decided to take the human under his wing, teaching him the ways of killing, and how to use newfound alien technology.  As thanks for the years of instruction, Toby repaid his alien adoptive guardian by murdering HIM in turn, and using the technology to become an intergalactic outlaw.  Of course, seeing his advancement in life as putting him on an even playing field as the Man of Steel, Terra-Man would make time to fly to Earth on his winged steed... no relation to the winged steeds of the Black Knight or the Valkyrie... to test the abilities of Superman in duels.  And often Terra Man would be pretty darn close to successful... but obviously since Superman lived LONG after the Bronze Age of comics, close only counts in horseshoes and hand-grenades, Toby...  Such weapons that I recall include enlarging "throwing star" boot spurs, twin pistols that can fire growing bullets, and cheroot cigars that, when blown, create an obscuring smoke. 

Terra-Man, like the Atomic Skull, had a slice of legacy after the first Crisis.  Appearing BRIEFLY during the formative years of Superman's new run was an armored eco-warrior who named himself "Terra-Man".  (He also possessed a REALLY bizarre jack-hammer shoulder bazooka weapon.)  And in the wake of "Infinite Crisis", we had a more leather-clad appearance of the original Toby Manning cowpoke version of Terra-Man.  ... Where his main claim to fame was being torn in two by Black Adam.  (Gotta love that graphic violence, eh DC?)  But like with the Atomic Skull, that desperado of the Wild, Wild West is probably THE Terra-Man most comic readers associate with the character.

Faora Hu-Ul: By proxy, this criminal remnant of Krypton might be the MOST successful of the Bronze Age super villains in today's entry.  Ever since her debut in "Action Comics #471", she's appeared in some form in EVERY reality reorganizing existence in the DC Universe.  She's even managed to sneak in appearances in animated, television, and MOTION PICTURE media formats!  Which is amazing, since it must have meant Faora must have mingled with men, whom she hates with a PASSION.  Faora was originally sentenced to the Phantom Zone for the murder of 23 men of Krypton in her own personal "torture playground" complex.  (And this was ACTUALLY her origin in the 80's telling!  So occasionally the Bronze Age would dip into the grue, every now and then for stories.)  Her first appearance did involve her suckering an elderly Earth male to set her loose from the Phantom Zone, to take her revenge against her imprisonment on Superman... and probably crush some further "man meat".  And she's quite a contender for that ultimate goal!  Aside from having the standard powers of a Kryptonian under a yellow sun, Faora is also a scholar of the Kryptonian martial art, Horo-Kanu.  (Thankfully MORE realistic than having Lois Lane being a master of Klu-Kor... ANOTHER Kryptonian defense art... around this time period.)

Faora's survival after the first Crisis can be attributed to her being a spotlight Phantom Zone criminal during the Bronze Age, which leads to connections that ANY female Phantom Zone prisoner that has ties to General Zod HAS to be Faora.  Such was the case where Superman first took lives during his John Byrne post-Crisis period.  And it was the Christopher Reeves initial duology that blurred the lines further, insisting that a character that was PRACTICALLY Faora was recreated as Ursa.  That confusion between the two characters still exists in current "New 52" continuity, and even during the VASTLY too long "New Krypton" storyline that kind of helped close out the "Infinite Crisis" era of the Superman titles.  But one BIG feather in Faora's cap was her being featured PREDOMINANTLY in Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel", as played by Antje Traue.  I couldn't care less if Faora STILL hated men, in general, in the film continuity.  Antje could practice her pressure-point abilities on me ALL DAY LONG...

Vartox: Yesh, Ms. Moneypenny... This citizen of Valeron DOES bear an uncanny resemblance to a certain Sean Connery from "Zardoz".  Hairy chest and uncomfortable costume and all.  And I SUPPOSE Vartox doesn't "technically" count as a "super villain", since he has a noble spirit and has tried his best to make good with Superman, despite their MANY understandings.  But due to the fact that Vartox and Superman spent most of their appearances punching each other in the FACE, it's probably not a stretch to consider him not-quite-heroic.  How Vartox came to Earth was due to his wife having a "linked twin" on Earth, who was murdered... thus causing Vartox's own wife to die in a psychic backwash.  (Because... comics?)  Superman won't allow Vartox to kill the man that technically took his wife's life, because murder is NEVER good in Kal's regards... PERIOD!  This causes Vartox to unleash his "Hyper-Powers" on Superman.  How to describe "Hyper-Powers"...  Well, he's virtually a basic clone of Superman, in terms of general superpowers and abilities.  The extra powers are occasionally referenced in regards to how they seemingly appear out of nowhere to suit the convenience of the storyline.  But what makes Vartox kind of interesting is that he eventually BECOMES a middle-aged version of Superman in that well into his career... and after his first comics appearance... Valeron is destroyed, and Vartox decides to become an Earth citizen.  ... And like Superman in his Clark Kent identity, Vartox finds a bit of affection to follow at the Daily Planet.  Initially, because of her resemblance to his departed wife, Vartox decides to pursue Lois Lane.  But after YET ANOTHER fight between the testosterone titans, Vartox thinks chasing Superman's "sloppy seconds" in Lana Lang is a MUCH better strategy.  This, however, leads to a really confusing story that forces them to separate.  Something about Lana Lang acting like Kryptonite to Vartox, due to the scheming of a ghostly ex-lover of Vartox...  If you need "special substances" to try to piece this together in your head, I don't blame you.

Vartox DID manage to survive past the first Crisis... but it took him nearly 15 years to reappear, and I never even read the referenced reappearance in "Superman #148".  MY first introduction to a post-Crisis Vartox came from the Palmiotti/Grey issues of "Power Girl #7-8", where Vartox returned to Earth to seek a mate, and Karen Starr and her FANTASTIC set of... er... "powers" made the right match!  And Vartox was played up to his ridiculous 70's hilt, giving us a character that was almost in-line with Austin Powers for his retro-active cluelessness!