Adventures of Superman #500 is an issue of the series Adventures of Superman (Volume 1) with a cover date of June, 1993.
Synopsis for "Life After Death!"
Jonathan Kent suffers a massive heart attack and is taken to the hospital. As doctors labor to save him, Jonathan's spirit leaves his body and he experiences visions of his past. He recalls being a soldier in the Korean War, trying to save the life of a downed airman. He sees his brother Harry, dressed in military fatigues, and knows that something is wrong. Harry Kent died in a farming accident in Smallville, not in Korea. He discovers that the man he is trying to rescue, is not some mysterious downed airman, but his son - Superman. He finds Clark's soul-self, but Clark is ready to go on to the afterlife. Jonathan won't allow it. Desperately, he pleads with Clark and tells him that it is not his time. Moments later, the true architect behind Jonathan's visions reveals herself - Blaze. Blaze is trying to sever the spiritual cord between Jonathan and Clark. She barters for Jonathan's soul, but he refuses. Kismet appears and leads Jonathan down the proper spiritual path - one that takes him to a facsimile of the planet Krypton where Clark is part of an elaborate Kryptonian funeral procession. Clark finds himself engaged in a tug of war between Jonathan and his birth-father Jor-El. Jonathan dispels the image of Jor-El and pulls Clark back to safety. Suddenly, Jonathan comes to on the hospital operating table. His wife and the attending physicians try to calm him down, but he manages to tell Martha that he has brought Clark back.
In Metropolis, Gangbuster breaks up a drug deal only to learn that he has inadvertently disrupted a sting operation. The police try to arrest him, but Gangbuster runs off. One of the officers opens fire on him, and a bullet strikes Gangbuster in the shoulder. He dives off a building into Hob's Bay and swims away. He resurfaces later and finds a man named Bibbo Bibbowski. Bibbo invites him to come to his place to rest.
Rumors and reports begin circulating that Superman has returned to Metropolis. Lois Lane is dubious, but has to learn the truth for herself. She contacts Inspector Henderson and they go to Centennial Park to inspect Superman's tomb beneath his memorial statue. When they arrive, they are shocked to discover that Superman's coffin is empty.
Appearing in "Life After Death!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Template:Apn
- Prankster (Oswald Loomis)
- Vincent Edge
Other Characters:
- Cleric (In dream sequence only)
- Harry Kent (Single appearance) (In dream sequence only)
- Gangbuster
- Kismet
- Charlie (Single appearance) (a police officer)
- Peter (Single appearance) (WGBS staff)
- Ty (Single appearance) (Daily Planet staff)
Locations:
- Korea (In dream sequence only)
- Krypton (Flashback only)
- Metropolis
- Stryker's Island Penitentiary
- New Troy
- Centennial Park
- GBS Building
- Hob's Bay
- Metropolis International Airport
- Northpoint Nuclear Power Plant
- Suicide Slum
- Smallville
- Lowell County General Hospital
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "First Sighting - The Man of Steel"
A young white-haired woman in a fur coat watches as two inner-city gangs battle it out, with one side armed with a powerful weapon called the Toastmaster. Soon the police show up, and the surviving gang members scatter. As the police get out of their cars to investigate the scene, a strongly-built African-American man emerges from a pile of rubble. All that he is says is that he must stop Doomsday.
Appearing in "First Sighting - The Man of Steel"
Featured Characters:
- Steel (John Henry Irons) (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- None
Antagonists:
- White Rabbit (Angora Lapin) (First appearance)
- Dragons (Single appearance)
- Homes (Single appearance)
- Hype (Single appearance)
- Wheels (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- None
Locations:
Items:
- Toastmasters (First appearance)
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "First Sighting - The Last Son of Krypton"
A car-jacker attempts to gun down a would-be victim of his that drove off on him when a mysterious shadowy figure in a cape appears, warning the car-jacker that he must pay for his crimes. The car-jacker fires on the stranger, hitting only the S-shield on his chest, the only thing visible on the person. The car-jacker flees in fear, but the shadowy caped figure pursues him, striking him with energy bolts that knock him off a roof and send him landing in an alley, burned and in pain. The shadowy figure lands, and we see that though he resembles Superman, he is wearing a two-toned Kryptonian bodysuit with a cape attached to his S-shield and a golden visor over his eyes. The figure tells his victim that "all who sin shall know the vengeance of Superman."
Appearing in "First Sighting - The Last Son of Krypton"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- None
Antagonists:
- Darryl Wilbur (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- None
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "First Sighting - Superboy"
The Guardian and special troops of Project Cadmus break into Lab 13, responding to a Code Red, when they and director Paul Westfield see a broken cloning chamber inside as well as Dr. Carl Packard tied up on the ceiling with metal tubes. Meanwhile, somewhere in Metropolis outside Project Cadmus, we see a hand knock away a sewer grating with little effort. The Newsboy Legion follow this person out of the sewer tunnel, who vaguely resembles a young Superman with a buzzcut on the side of his head. One of the Legion members gives him a leather jacket for a disguise, while another almost calls him "Superboy" -- to which the person angrily retorts, "Don't ever call me Superboy!"
Appearing in "First Sighting - Superboy"
Featured Characters:
- Superboy (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Silvestri (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "First Sighting - The Man of Tomorrow"
A sightseeing couple with a son tour through Metropolis when their son sees and directs his parents toward the Daily Planet building. Outside the front entrance they see a plaque mounted on the sidewalk, which said IN MEMORY OF SUPERMAN -- Killed on this spot while defending Metropolis. They solemnly look on at the plaque when a figure vaguely resembling Superman lands before them and takes a look at the plaque. He lifts the plaque off the sidewalk and uses his heat vision to burn it to dust. The father asks the figure why he burned the plaque, and as the figure turns his head around, they can see that though part of him looked like Superman, part of him also looked like a cyborg. The father asks, "You...! Are you--?" and as the figure flies away, he answers, "Yes, I'm back."
Appearing in "First Sighting - The Man of Tomorrow"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- None
Antagonists:
- None
Other Characters:
- None
Locations:
- Unknown
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Notes
- This issue is triangle #11 (1993).
- Seems as this issue shows a micro-retcon on Jonathan Kent's background: Kent originally fought at World War II, not in Korean War.
- Superman appeared last as a corpse in Superman (Volume 2) #77. He was killed fighting Doomsday in Superman (Volume 2) #75. Superman's next actual appearance is inside of a Kryptonian battlesuit in Superman (Volume 2) #80.
- First appearance of Hank Henshaw as the Cyborg Superman. He appeared last in Adventures of Superman #468.
- Steel (John Henry Irons) makes a chronologically earlier appearance in flashback in Superman: The Man of Steel #23.
- The "Last Son of Krypton" is not yet revealed as the Eradicator. He appears next in Action Comics #687.
- Superboy appears next in Adventures of Superman #501.
- The White Rabbit (Angora Lapin) makes a chronologically earlier appearance in flashback in Superman: The Man of Steel #23.
- Part of this issue is reprinted in the World Without a Superman and in the Superman: Funeral for a Friend trade paperbacks and another in the Superman: The Return of Superman and in the Superman: Reign of the Supermen trade paperbacks.
- Life After Death! is reprinted in Superman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told Vol. 2.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Superman Recommended Reading
- Action Comics (Volume 1)
- Action Comics (Volume 2)
- Adventures of Superman (Volume 1)
- Batman/Superman (Volume 1)
- Batman/Superman (Volume 2)
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest (Volume 1)
- DC Comics Presents (Volume 1)
- Superman (Volume 1)
- Superman (Volume 2)
- Superman (Volume 3)
- Superman (Volume 4)
- Superman (Volume 5)
- Superman (Volume 6)
- Superman/Batman (Volume 1)
- Superman Confidential (Volume 1)
- Superman: Son of Kal-El (Volume 1)
- Superman: The Man of Steel (Volume 1)
- Superman: The Man of Tomorrow (Volume 1)
- Superman/Wonder Woman (Volume 1)
- World's Finest (Volume 1)
Links and References
| Previous Superman #77 |
Superman Triangle Numbers (1993) |
Next Action Comics #687 |
