Superman Is Turning His Back on His Own Motto for the Best Reason of All Time

Superman is officially giving up on the truth and justice if it means saving the child of one of his worst enemies.

Action Comics #1084 picks up not long after the events of the previous issue, during which Superman was utterly devastated by the murderous actions of Paul Booker, better known as Major Disaster. Although this classic villain isn't one for whom wanton death and destruction is unexpected, there is something about the situation that doesn't sit quite right with the Man of Steel. As it turns out, that is because Paul was never the one responsible for the death for which he in now incarcerated. Instead, it was Major Disaster's daughter Penny who murdered Max Boykin to save her father from being preyed upon. And, even though her father is paying for her crimes, Superman is willing to look the other way if it means giving her a shot at actually having a life.

Action Comics #1084

• Written by JOHN RIDLEY
• Art by INAKI MIRANDA
• Colors by EVA DE LA CRUZ
• Letters by DAVE SHARPE
• Main cover art by GLEB MELNIKOV
• Variant covers by JAE LEE & JUNE CHUNG, NICOLA SCOTT & ANNETTE KWOK, DANI & TAMRA BONVILLAIN, and HOWARD PORTER & HI-FI

Major Disaster has long been one of the most unhinged villains that the DC Universe has to offer, with his first appearance taking place all the way back in 1966's Green Lantern #43 by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane. Initially, Booker was a small-time crook, although his unexpected discovery of the identities of numerous superheroes quickly helped elevate him to a much more potent kind of threat. Once he began using high-tech weapons to terrorize the likes of the Green Lantern and Flash, Booker officially cemented his place in the world as a villain, and once he internalized the powers imparted unto him by that same technology, things only got worse.

This made it all the more surprising when Booker took Superman's offer to try and turn his life around as a hero mid-battle. While Major Disaster did indeed prove himself to be a capable hero across multiple stories, he always seemed to fall back into his classically villainous ways. This is true of the current, Prime Earth version of the character as well, who has largely followed the same trajectory as his pre-Crisis predecessor throughout the pages of his numerous DC Comics appearances.

Penny Booker, aka Minor Disaster, was introduced in 2018's Harley Quinn #52 by Sam Humphries and Sami Basri. After spending most of her formative years yearning for the attention of her generally absent father, Penny took it upon herself to embark upon a similar career as a villain in the hopes of garnering his favor. Penny created her own Disaster Dial, a device capable of evoking personal pratfalls and world-shaking catastrophes alike. Although Penny has only made a handful of appearances since her debut, she has made a name for herself as one of DC's most unexpected powerhouses.

Action Comics #1084 is available now from DC Comics.

Source: DC Comics