Not content to make one big change to the Man of Steel, DC Comics are going for a double whammy in the latest arc 'Truth.' First, Superman's secret identity becomes public knowledge, forcing him to go into hiding. Second, his powers start to fade, leaving him unable to fly and locked out of the Fortress of Solitude. And to add insult to injury, the Fortress no longer even recognises him as Kryptonian, and decides to 'reclaim' Superman's costume. The whole episode leaves a drastically weakened Superman naked in the middle of the Arctic wastes. And you thought you were having a bad day. DC are currently gearing up for a series of significant changes across their entire line, and this is clearly an attempt to make the squeaky clean Superman a little bit darker and grittier. The reduction in his power levels comes with a number of other changes. The familiar cape and tights will be replaced with a variation of the t-shirt and jeans outfit worn in the earlier Action Comics issues. Without the ability to fly, Kal El looks set to travel around Metropolis on a motorbike. Of course, this isn't the first time that Superman's powers have altered in the course of his seventy-something years in business. He's been depowered on a number of occasions in the past. And then there was the whole business with the two electric Supermen in the 80's. But Superman is iconic - in fact, he's probably the most iconic hero ever created - and part of that comes from his standard power set. Yes, having a nigh-invincible character who's only weaknesses are magic and a very specific type of meteorite can sometimes make it difficult to come up with suitably challenging threats, but that's part of the fun of the character. And while the costume might seem a little outdated, it's still as much a part of the character as his powers. So although this arc is likely to have some lasting effects on the character, it won't be long before his identity is once again a secret and he's back up to full power. Normal service will resume: September 2016
With a (nearly) useless degree in English literature and a personal trainer qualification he's never used, Freddie spends his times writing things that he hopes will somehow pay the rent. He's also a former professional singer, and plays the saxophone and ukulele. He's not really used to talking about himself in the third person, and would like to stop now, thanks.
