TITLE: Action Comics Issue #0
YEAR: October 1994
COMPANY: DC Comics
Writer: David Michelinie
Artwork: Jackson Guice & Denis Rodier
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Colorist: Glenn Whitmore
Assistant Editor: Chris Duffy
Associate Editor: Frank Pittarese
Editor: Mike Carlin
Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
Back in 1994, DC Comics decided to unleash their new crossover “Zero Hour” in order to take on and fix the numerous possible futures and alternate timelines and literally set off a new Big Bang which would reboot the entire DC Universe. Unfortunately, it didn’t solve all continuity matters and DC Comics had to do another reboot again over a decade later with “Infinite Crisis”.
In “Action Comics” issue #0, The antagonist Conduit hit Superman with a blast of Kryptonite radiation and as Superman falls into the ocean, he quickly goes to check on Lois, finding Clark Kent’s apartment trashed thanks to Conduit.
We then earn that Conduit is the head of a major government backed company known as Pipeline. We get history on Kenneth Braverman, a friend of Clark Kent who was actually jealous of him growing up. He couldn’t stand being #2 to Clark and wanting to prove that he can outdo Clark Kent, he would become an experimented superweapon known as Conduit.
In charge of a superpower government-based group known as Pipeline but also mad with hate and arrogance.
Clark calls his mother Martha to find out if she had heard from Kenneth and she hasn’t. For Clark, the last time he saw her was in Metropolis with a woman named Ruby and how Kenneth got engaged to Ruby a few weeks later. But Ruby discovered the truth about Kenneth (and how his skin was metal). He threatens her that if he tells Clark about his secret, she and everyone she has ever loved will die.
On the day of a Daily Planet event, Conduit comes to stop the festivities and kill Clark Kent.
This would setup a battle between Superman vs. Conduit and while the result is no surprise. The final page was the biggest surprise.
As this issue came back not long after Superman returned from death, during a battle between Superman and Conduit, it left a hole in an area where Superman was buried. But when workers who have to clean the mess go inside, they see a dead Superman still laying on top of the coffin.
If Superman had indeed return…why is there a dead Superman in his burial area?
Overall, a good issue but it’s always interesting to find stories of people from Clark Kent’s past and how one is driven to pure evil because he always played second fiddle to Clark Kent. A bit farfetched but still an entertaining issue.