TITLE: Superman vol. 1, issue #373
YEAR: July 1982
COMPANY: DC Comics
WRITER: Cary Bates
PENCILLER: Curt Swan
INKER: Dave Hunt
COLORIST: Anthony Tollin
LETTERER: John Costanza
EDITOR: Julius Schwartz
Rarely do you see men with a receding hairline, nearly bald, being treated like a sex machine in a comic book?
But the ’70s had Telly Savalas as the suave, bald New York Detective Kojak and then there was the quirky futuristic film from 1974 titled “Zardoz” starring Sean Connery in a leather knee high boots and red costume that somehow looks like a ’70s Vampirella costume today. Sure, probably not the best comparison…
But each time DC Comics featured the hyper-powered Vardox, he was treated like Mr. Sex Machine with super powers that was on par with Superman.
Vartox is from the Planet Valeron and how Superman defends Earth as the strongest superhero, Vartox is the same for Valeron. And while he had a hard time getting over his deceased wife, he found love on Earth with Lana Lang, he doesn’t know that Lana once had a super crush on Superman.
In issue #373 of “Superman”, Superman had to get rid of a huge rock that was growing uncontrollably every two seconds. While he takes it to outerspace and throws it out to the sun, he gets some help from Vartox who happened to be passing by the solar system and busts the rock up.
The two hang out but Superman knows Vartox is making his yearly visit to be with Lana Lang.
Lana loves Vartox because he treats her as an equal. Respects her for being a strong woman, who’s worked her butt off to be one of the top newscasters on television. For Vartox, he can’t understand why men and women are not treated as equals.
Lana absolutely loves Vartox but dislikes the fact that they are only together a few days in a year, because he lives in another planet. And she can’t go to Valeron because the atmosphere would be toxic for a human.
And as Vartox and Lana Lang are having fun in their few days together, some unknown being visits Lana and puts a mysterious glow on her which allows to her to live and breath Valeron air.
Needless to say, it would have been all good until Vartox who is seen chilling on a volcanic rock, peeks on Lana before he takes her home and sees her giving Clark Kent a kiss goodbye.
This sends Vartox in a jealous rage and wants Superman dead.
What I found interesting about “Superman” issue #373 is that it played out like a ’50s/’60s romance comic which both Marvel and DC were famous for many decades ago. The comic was like a romance soap-opera that had love, jealousy, anger, sadness and you got to see the love through Lana Lang’s thoughts (thank goodness) and a subject that is even appropriate today, the discussion of equal rights between a man and woman and a jealousy of a woman who advances in her career.
And who would imagine a man with a considerable receding hairline who dresses like a then-WWWF (before WWE) wrestler often treated as man that women find hard to resist.
This was all featured in issue #373.
But there is a second story featuring Clark Kent (Superman) and Linda Danvers (Supergirl). Linda is an actress for a soap opera and she gets Clark an acting stint as a reporter. But while they are doing a taping for the soap opera, both Clark and Linda can hear an ambulance nearby. Clark is pissed off that Linda isn’t leaving to become Supergirl to save lives immediately, like he often does with his job at the Daily Planet and leaving each time one is in need.
But its an interesting story with the two really snapping at each other but they manage to work it out because Linda loves Clark’s Spanish omelet.
A ridiculous story…but kind of funny at the same time.
But overall, a fascinating issue from the early ’80s.