The Return of ’90s Old Man Superman: In the latest turn of events in the DC Universe, Superman finds himself lost in the great cosmic abyss. Imagine being stuck in a never-ending expanse of space, with your only company a not-so-trustworthy new character named Hope. Sound grim? Well, Superman is undeterred. Still, even for the Man of Steel, journeying back to Earth proves to be a herculean task.
The latest issue in the Superman: Lost series — kudos to the creative team of Christopher Priest, Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz, and Jeromy Cox — places Superman in a dire predicament. He’s not just lost; he’s stranded miles from his home planet with a ship that’s about to disintegrate. Not to mention, he’s dangerously close to a black hole that’s more than willing to gobble him up.
Just as we’re thinking this might be the end of our beloved hero, enter Old Man Superman. If you’re a long-time comic book nerd, your memory might flicker back to 1995’s outlandish Superman: At Earth’s End. Back in the day, this older, grizzled version of Superman had to deal with apocalyptic Earth-scapes, twin Hitlers, and even a horrifying version of Batman. Basically, it was ’90s storytelling at its most bizarre and unfiltered. It was a wild ride, to say the least, ending with the apparent death of this old man Superman in a blaze of fire. Despite its unconventional narrative, this older Superman may be making a comeback to give his younger self a helping hand.
Now, the real kicker is the time-travel element. We’re talking about a black hole here, after all. While it’s unclear how Old Man Superman returns, one thing’s for certain: it has something to do with time-shifting science or black-hole voodoo (or both).
So, here’s where we’re at: Superman’s latest saga isn’t over yet, but one thing’s for sure — the Man of Steel’s road back to Earth is probably going to be a tag-team effort. The older, wiser Superman — once an oddity of ’90s DC storytelling — may be the unexpected mentor in this extraordinary voyage. Isn’t it exciting when the past and present collide in such a spectacularly nerdy fashion?
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