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The comic series gives fans the perfect ending to the iconic film series that captures the spirit of the films.
Superman ‘78 #6 concludes the miniseries sequel to the iconic Superman films directed by Richard Donner and starring Christopher Reeve. As expected, Superman finds himself battling Brainiac as he tries to desperately save the Bottled City of Kandor, as well as his adopted home of Metropolis. By the issue’s conclusion, Superman not only defeats Brainiac but he finds a newfound bond with his home planet, whilst fully accepting Earth as his true home.
This perfectly concludes the narrative arc that Reeve’s Clark Kent had been on since the original film debuted in 1978 and further installments in the franchise never really addressed. With its ending, Superman ‘78 acts as the perfect sequel and ending to the original superhero film franchise.
The issue opened with Superman battling Brainiac in his ship high above the Earth’s orbit while the Coluan attempted to extract the city of Metropolis and place it in a bottle, much like he had done to Kandor years prior. As two were fighting, Brainiac warned Superman that if Metropolis is not bottled then humanity will be all but extinct and no trace of its history will remain. The battle became more personal when Brainiac pointed out that he had lost “everything” including his home planet, to which the Last Son of Krypton responded that he too had lost everything, but he did not let him “twist” him and despite all the destruction and evil he sees in the world, he still believes in good and that while Brainiac gave up, he never will. Superman then defeated Brainiac, whose battle armor exploded along with the rest of his ship, wiping out the A.I., before returning to Earth to catch a falling Metropolis and put it back in place. He then returned to the Fortress of Solitude where he was keeping the Bottle City of Kandor, promising his birth parents that one day he will find a way to restore the capital of his home planet, before flying off into space.
With its conclusion, Superman ‘78 offers fans the satisfying and emotionally rewarding conclusion to the original series of films that began with Richard Donner’s 1978 masterpiece, Superman: The Movie. Whilst the original film and its sequel Superman II are beloved classics of the superhero genre, the last two installments Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace were less critically praised, often known for the more comically outlandish plot points that would later be parodied in films, television series, and other comics.
This may be due to the fact that there was production trouble between the making of Superman II and Superman III, which would later lead to various script changes. Richard Donner had originally planned for Brainiac to be the villain in Superman III, and an original script treatment for the film (after Donner had departed) even included the Coluan menace and other fan-favorite Superman-foe Mr. Mxyzptlk, as well as Supergirl. Whilst this treatment departed from the comics and could have angered a few fans, the decision by Robert Venditti to make Brainiac the villain offers a perfect conclusion for Superman’s journey from the first two films due to him being an alien and relationship to Krypton.
Throughout his performances in Superman: The Movie and Superman II, Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent often struggled with his dual role as a Kryptonian god-like being who was raised as a human. This can be seen in the first film when his father Jor-El warns him not to intervene in human history, but also remembered Pa Kent’s words that he was “put on Earth for a reason” and contributes to his decision to turn back time to save Lois Lane. Superman II also sees Clark struggle with this dilemma, as he briefly gives up his powers to be with Lois, only to go back to them when faced by the Kryptonian villain, General Zod.
Superman ‘78 brings this narrative arc full circle, with Superman fully acknowledging his Kryptonian heritage but that Earth is his home and that it was the love of his adopted parents that made him who he is. Whilst still considering Earth his home, his saving the Bottle City of Kandor also reunites Kal with his home planet and his parents, offering him resolution and a happy ending. Superman ‘78, therefore, shows us a glimpse of what a true sequel to the Richard Donner films would have looked like, along with perfectly emulating the charm and magic of the original series.
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