Review: Superman #156

I continue to navigate the current COVID-19 world of no new comics by dipping into the collection and covering interesting back issues. If they include some sort of infection, it's a bonus.

A couple of weeks ago, I covered Action Comics #366 in which Superman being cured from his infection with Virus X, So I figured why not cover Superman #156, 'The Last Days of Superman', the first appearance of Virus X, as far as I can tell.

It is a classic Silver Age story, deemed on the cover to be 'Not a Hoax' and 'Not a Dream' but real! The cover is certainly a grabber. Superman is in some isolation booth, saying goodbye to Supergirl, Krypto, and the Kandorians. he is dying from Virus X. And he needs his friends to heed his last wishes. His will is unfurled before him. You can see the concern on Kara's face, This is a winner by Curt Swan.

As for Virus X, it is as deadly as it seemed to be in the other story. It cannot be destroyed by heat, cold, the vacuum of space, or time. It is impervious.

One thing that I love about this issue is that Supergirl is really the star here. You will see how she is in charge of enacting Superman's wishes, executing his will, and still working tirelessly to try and cure her cousin. Kudos to writer Edmond Hamilton for giving Kara the space here to shine.

Can you figure out how Superman survives this before the ending?

On to the book.

An added bonus to the story is that it is told in three parts. Most issues back then had multiple stories in them. But this is a novel-length tale, encompassing the entire issue. That means we get three mini-splash pages per chapter. And, interestingly enough, the page number for each chapter starts again at number one.

I wonder if there was a plan to put this in three consecutive issues as opposed to all in one.

Anyways, this is startling image. The dead Superman is being carried by his cape into the Fortress by the Kandorians. There is something rather Christ-like in that pose, isn't there.

The issue starts with one of those horrible Silver Age coincidences.

A rocket capsule is on a collision course with a Kryptonite chest. Knowing he is the only one who can help but has to from a distance, Superman chucks an abandoned booster rocket at the Green K, sending it crashing to Earth and out of the way of our brave astronaut.

Heading back to Earth to deal with the Kryptonite, Superman meets Jimmy who flew their in his mobile newsroom.

Ahhh ... but this is more than Green K. It is a chest holding the only specimens of Virus X, a deadly plague to Kryptonians. Before the wind can blow the germs towards Superman, he throws a huge boulder at it, driving the virus and the Kryptonite deep underground But was it too late?

And isn't throwing a rock at super speed into a germ cloud actually a way to disperse the germ even more?

Virus X jogs a memory in Superman's pre-Crisis brain.

Noted Kryptonian scientist Tharb-El was trying to find a cure for Virus X. As it is basically indestructible, it could have survived all this time in space.

Ironic that it would be something from Krypton that would end Superman's life.

Wracked with pain and feeling weak, it seems Superman is dying. He knows he has 30 days to live.

He also knows he has things he has  to accomplish before he dies. He tells Lois and Jimmy not to publish the story.

And lastly, he knows he cannot see Supergirl or he will expose her to the virus as well. He has to do this on his own. Hooray for social distancing! But also how terrible that he thinks Supergirl won't be able to take care of these threats in the future.

The virus seems to be giving Superman periods of extreme weakness. At other times he seems to be rallying. But as he tries to complete a canal system on his, while Jimmy covers the story for the paper, he is overcome again.

He calls on his Superman robots to build him an isolation chamber so he can communicate with Supergirl safely. He tells her the great threats she needs to take care of before he dies. She knows she is going to need help. So she calls on Krypto, Lori Lemaris, and the Legion to help.

Look at how brave Kara is. There isn't time for tears right now. She has to complete these deeds.

I rarely include full pages in my reviews. But this would be the page I would want to own in this book. Incredible!

End of Part One!!

Part two opens with a great half splash. The Super-Comrades of All Time opens with a scene of Supergirl, Krypto, the Legion time bubble, and the Kandorians flying over Metropolis.

This isn't the Justice League. This isn't Batman.

This is Supergirl leading the way like she should as the one to pick up the mantle of Superman.

As Superman writhes in pain in his chamber, Supergirl gets down to business.

First off,  his  robots dig a vast canal system around Earth.

Next, Superman has calculated that in the distant future an uninhabited planet will veer off course and crash into Earth.

The solution?

Kara destroys that planet now so it can never endanger Earth.

Next, Superman knows that some cloud of intergalactic fungus will cross Earth and kill all Terran plant life. So Supergirl uses super-science and  the abilities of the Legion to create a metal interstellar fungicidal weapon. She then deploys it, saving the Earth again.

Superman is impressed. And when Jimmy needs to take Lois back to Metropolis, he feels a little surge of energy. Enough to head off for one last flight and a personal mission.

Meanwhile, Brainiac 5 has been off on his own trying to find a cure on his own.

He is still plagued by the evil of his ancestor. And, I'm sure, he'd love to impress Supergirl. But it's no use. He is stymied.

Superman is doomed.

End of Part Two!

And so starts Part Three, 'Superman's Last Day of Life'.

Another nice semi-splash as Superman slowly dies in the booth. Meanwhile, grief stricken, Supergirl and the Legion look on. Hmmm. who do we think Vi is leaning on. In my copy, it is someone completely white. I guess Invisible Kid given the headband. Is he invisible?

The next plan on Superman's final task list? Global warming!

Using the Legion again, Supergirl creates a miniature sun at Antarcitica, a way to slowly melt the ice cap so more Earth can be lived on by humanity.

Hmm ... fake news!

With a last surge of strength, Superman thinks revisits Smallville and thinks about his fondest memories.

He says goodbye to Batman and leaves a message for humanity on the moon, including his secret identity

Back in his isolation chamber with  Jimmy, Superman continues to waste away.

Meanwhile, Supergirl continues to check off the boxes Superman left her. She heads underwater to shrink giant sea monsters who might attack cities one day. Remember when Superman was worried she might not be able to take care of these threats in the future? She took care of them in the present!

And she uses her powers to head back to Krypton to try and figure out a cure there.
She learns that 'element 202' can kill the virus but that is as deadly. He destroys the virus.
There truly is no cure. but there is no sample either.

If he did destroy it, why did he keep it in a chest that said 'this houses the only sample of Virus X'?

(As an aside, how does she come back from Krypton with it being under a red sun and all?)

But if Tharb-El destroyed his sample of Virus X, how is Superman dying?

Turns out he isn't dying of Virus X. He is dying because any time he is near Jimmy, he is exposing himself to a chunk of Green K embedded in Olsen's camera. Mon-El from the Phantom Zone tells Saturn telepathically what the real reason behind Superman's affliction!

It neatly explains all the surges of strength which occurred when Jimmy would leave. And the lead glass protected Kara and the Kandorians.

With the camera-K removed, Superman is back to normal in no time.

Luckily, no one saw the moon message so he and Supergirl can erase the bottom line, keeping Clark's identity safe.

Of course, does that mean the canals are still feeding the deserts and the ice cap is still melting. Is that half message still on the moon? Ridiculous!

And how nifty that in a short period of time it is Supergirl who finishes Superman's 'to do' list.

I love this comic.

Supergirl is front and center getting things done. It is a bonkers Silver Age story filled with coincidences, Kryptonian artifacts, the Legion, a Brainy/Kara moment, and both Lois and Lana. It has those classic maudlin panels of Superman crying as he thinks of all the things he hasn't done. It has Lana and Lois swearing to stop harping on each other and instead learning to mourn together.

The art by Swan is so sweet. Supergirl is young and pretty and capable.

But wait, there's more.

You learn how to pronounce Mxyzptlk!

I'd say this is of mild importance for a Supergirl collection just for all the Kara goodness in it and the origin of Virus X. Plus the Mxyzptlk answer! I don't recall how much I paid for my copy. But you never know where you'll find deals these days.

And in this time of pandemic, it is good to know that sometimes a return to normal life can happen!

Overall grade: A