Superman II (1980) and the Comics

Silver Nemesis · Thu, 27 Jun 2013, 11:23

Sorry about the delay on this one. Thecolorsblend actually came up with a load of these references months ago, but I've been busy and only just got around to writing them up. Hopefully it was worth the wait.

As I mentioned in the Superman: The Movie (1978) thread, Mario Puzo spent several days at the offices of DC Comics researching the Superman mythology. He plotted the first two Superman movies at the same time, so if you're interested in reading more about his research then check out our Superman: The Movie analysis here: http://www.batman-online.com/forum/index.php?topic=2197.0

One storyline in particular which seems to have heavily influenced Superman II is the Phantom Zone arc that ran from Action Comics #471-473 (May-July 1977). This storyline was notable for introducing the female Phantom Zone criminal Faora Hu-Ul, who was the inspiration for the movie character Ursa, played by Sarah Douglas. It was also the most recent General Zod storyline at the time the script for Superman II was being written.

In the movies the Phantom Zone is a dimensional prison resembling a mirror spinning through space. In the comics the Phantom Zone is an insubstantial state of being in which criminals can see into our world, but not physically interact with it. In both the comics and the movie it is used as a prison to house Krypton's most dangerous criminals. It was first introduced in the comics in 'The Phantom Superboy!' (Adventure Comics #283, April 1961), which was also General Zod's debut story.

In the comics Dru-Zod was a Kryptonian general who attempted to overthrow the planet's government using an army of Bizarro clones. The Zod played by Terence Stamp is an amalgamation of the comic Zod and several other Phantom Zone criminals; most notably Quex-Ul. The first similarity to note between the film Zod and Quex-Ul is the physical resemblance. Zod in the comics was originally a bald, clean shaven man in a military uniform and cap. By contrast, Quex-Ul was depicted as a slender dark-haired man with a widow's peak and goatee.

From left to right: General Zod in Adventure Comics #283, Quex-Ul in Superman #157, General Zod as played by Stamp in Superman II

Quex-Ul first appeared in 'The Super-Revenge of the Phantom Zone Prisoner!' (Superman #157, November 1962). He was incarcerated in the Phantom Zone after being found guilty of genocide, having allegedly wiped out the Kryptonian species of Rondors (Superboy later discovers he was innocent of these charges). This is obviously different from the movie Zod, who, like his comic counterpart, was sent to the Phantom Zone on a charge of insurrection. However a similarity exists in the fact that Jor-El, Superman's father, was the presiding council member who condemned Quex-Ul to the Zone.

For legal reasons, Marlon Brando's Jor-El does not appear in the theatrical cut of Superman II. He does however appear in the Donner Cut. And he is the one who casts the deciding vote that sends Zod and his minions into the Phantom Zone.

Upon being released from the Zone, both Quex-Ul and Zod vow revenge against the son of their jailer.

As I mentioned earlier, Ursa is based on the comic character Faora. They are both man-hating killers with an aptitude for martial arts.

Non was an original character created for the movie. Both he and Ursa were introduced into the comic canon by Richard Donner during his run on Action Comics in 2007.

The idea of Superman going up against three Phantom Zone criminals dates back to 'The Untold Story of the Phantom Zone!' (Superboy #104, April 1963), in which Superboy faced off against three Kryptonian criminals at the same time. These three villains did not escape from the Phantom Zone however, but were instead frozen in suspended animation aboard a spaceship that then crashed on Earth. But the three-against-one dynamic is essentially the same as in Superman II.

The theatrical cut of Superman II kicks the action off with a terrorist situation at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Needless to say the Superman in the comics has visited pretty much every famous landmark in the world, and the Eiffel Tower is no exception. The following comparison is from 'The Superman Spectaculars' (Action Comics #211, December 1955).

When Clark learns of the crisis in Paris he dashes through an alleyway and changes into his Superman costume mid-stride. This visually recalls his transformation in the classic Bronze Age comic 'Superman Breaks Loose' (Superman #233, January 1971).

The scene where he lifts the elevator containing the nuclear bomb and hurls it into space is remarkably similar to a scene from 'The Electronic Ghost of Metropolis!' (Superman #244, November 1971), where Superman races to a power plant to prevent a nuclear explosion. In the comic the atomic pile has been tampered with by the villain and is about to explode. So Superman flies underneath the atomic furnace and hoists it up into the air, lifting it into space like he does the elevator in the movie.

Once he is at a safe distance from the Earth, he hurls the furnace/elevator into space...

...and watches the nuclear explosion go off.

Elsewhere Lex Luthor is hatching a plan to escape from prison. I already covered the comic influences on Gene Hackman's Luthor in the Superman: The Movie (1978) analysis, and there isn't much to add here as he's only a secondary villain in this film. The one comparison I will highlight is that the film begins with him escaping from prison, as do so many of his comic stories. This example is from Action Comics #286 (March 1962).

Another storyline in Superman II sees Lois figuring out that Clark Kent and Superman are the same person. Jerry Siegel wrote a story in 1940 called 'The K-Metal From Krypton' that would have depicted Lois discovering Superman's true identity. The story was never published, but you can read more about it here: http://k-metal.cc/about-k-metal.php

Another story to depict Lois discovering Superman's true identity (and one which was published) is 'Superman Takes a Wife!' (Action Comics #484, June 1978). This story takes place on Earth-Two, the home of the original Golden Age Superman. The story begins with Lois suspecting a connection between Clark and Superman.

She decides to put her theory to the test. In the comic she conceals a camera in the closet where she suspects Clark is changing into his costume. In the movie she takes the more drastic approach of hurling herself into a river (or out of a window in the Donner Cut) in the hopes that Clark will change into his Superman apparel and rescue her. In both cases, the test proves inconclusive and Lois puts aside her suspicions.

Later in the comic Lois' suspicions are reawakened after she sees Clark struck by gunfire. She then examines him up close and observes his lack of visible injuries. A similar incident occurs in the movie, except instead of bullets it is a burning flame that fails to leave a mark. In both the comic and the movie, it is Clark's imperviousness to physical damage that betrays his secret to Lois.

In the comic Clark is suffering from amnesia and has forgotten he is really Superman. So Lois tests her theory further by attempting to cut his hair while he sleeps, only for the scissors to break on his super strong strands of hair. In the movie she just comes right out with it and confronts him on the matter, forcing him to admit his true identity.

Once Clark regains his memory, he flies Lois to the Fortress of Solitude where they are married. In the movie he also takes her to the Fortress. Although he doesn't marry Lois in the film, he does share his secrets with her and make a lasting commitment to her.

The Donner Cut shows Lois exposing Clark's true identity by shooting him with a gun. Clark then admits he is invulnerable, only for Lois to reveal the gun was loaded with blanks. Although this didn't happen in the comics, it does recall a somewhat similar scene from Superman #10 (May 1941) where a hypnotised Lois fires a gun at Clark and he interprets her actions as an attempt to prove he is Superman. It's unlikely this was an influence, but I thought it was worth noting the similarity.

Clark decides to sacrifice his super powers and become human so he can live an ordinary life with Lois. In order to achieve this, he steps into a molecule chamber which uses red sunlight to strip him of his powers. The Superman in the comics has been depowered by red sunlight on many occasions. It has the effect of simulating the red sun of Krypton, Rao, which renders him as powerless as he would be back on his homeworld. The following comparison is taken from 'Superman Under the Red Sun!' (Action Comics #300, May 1963).

In the comics the effect of red sunlight usually wears off once Superman is exposed to yellow sunlight. But in the movie the effect is permanent. In that regard, the molecule chamber in the film is closer to gold kryptonite insofar as it irreversibly deprives him of his abilities.

In the movie the Phantom Zone criminals deface Mount Rushmore using their heat vision. In Action Comics #473 Zod and his fellow criminals deface a statue of Superman in a similar manner.

Some people have criticised Superman II for giving the Kryptonians abilities they don't possess in the comics. Some of these abilities can be explained as creative use of super speed. For example, the way the villains appear to teleport around the Fortress during the finale, or the way Superman appears to produce copies of himself in the same scene. Alternatively, Superman's trickery during the denouement could be attributed to some illusionary device within the Fortress itself. This could also explain the shield emblem he hurls at Non in the theatrical cut.

One ability that is not so easily accounted for is the villains' use of telekinesis. Several times in the film Zod and his allies are shown to project energy beams from their hands. The only explanation I can give for this is that Kryptonian abilities and strength levels were not as consistent in the Pre-Crisis comics as they are today. An example of this can be seen in Action Comics #473 where Faora possesses certain psychic abilities the other Phantom Zone criminals do not. The most notable of these is her power to project super-psychic energy bolts with which she incapacitates the other Kryptonians. Perhaps Zod's telekinetic powers in the movie were inspired by this.

The movie fight scene in Metropolis visually recalls the epic battle in Action Comics #473 where Superman fights Zod, Faora and numerous other Phantom Zone criminals in Metropolis.

At one point in the Donner Cut Ursa mocks Superman's chivalrous code, saying "What, you hit a woman?" Faora made a similar taunt when Superman first fought her back in Action Comics #471.

Superman uses both his heat vision and freezing breath for the first time during this sequence. He first used his heat vision in the comics in 'Clark Kent... Daredevil' (Action Comics #139, December 1949).

He first used his super breath to freeze something in 'The Death of Lois Lane' (World's Finest #64, May 1963).

At one point Ursa picks up a manhole cover and hurls it at Superman like a Frisbee. The super powered villainess Star Sapphire did something similar during a fight against Superman in 'Slave of Star Sapphire!' (Superman #261, February 1973).

Zod then lands on the ground and fights Superman one-on-one. On equal footing, Zod appears to be the better fighter of the two. This is consistent with their battles in the Pre-Crisis comics. The following example is from 'The Race to Save Time' (World's Finest Comics #199, December 1970).

Zod knocks Superman to the ground and tries to attack him while he is down, but Superman repels him with a double-footed kick. This comparison is from Action Comics #473.

In the movie Superman grabs hold of Zod, spins him around and hurls him into a neon sign. In the comic he does something similar to Jax-Ur, spinning him around at super speed and hurling him into Zod and the other Phantom Zone criminals. This is yet another scene from Action Comics #473.

Superman retreats from the battle when he sees innocent people being harmed in the crossfire. This is a good example of Superman's moral code in effect. He values the preservation of life, however small, above all else. And he would rather be perceived as a coward than risk endangering the people of Metropolis in his battle with Zod. He then retreats to the Fortress of Solitude and the villains pursue him. Superman also fled from the battlefield during his first battle against Faora in the comics. He realised he couldn't beat her in combat and so retreated to the Fortress of Solitude. But Faora went after him and infiltrated the Fortress' defences, just as Zod does in the movie.

The film ends with Superman stripping the Phantom Zone criminals of their powers using red sunlight. As I mentioned earlier, the permanent effect of red sunlight in this film is closer to that of gold kryptonite in the comics. And while the Pre-Crisis Zod never lost his powers in this way, Quex-Ul did at the end of the aforementioned Superman #157. This story concludes with Quex-Ul being exposed to gold kryptonite and being reduced to the status of an ordinary human.

Superman drops Lois back at her apartment, and in the Donner Cut she says "Up, up and away" as she watches him fly off into the night. This is the famous catchphrase Superman would often say when taking flight in the comics and radio series.

One of the most common criticisms people level at this film is the memory-wipe kiss Clark uses to make Lois forget he is Superman. A lot of people highlight this as a flaw in the movie, saying that Superman possesses no comparable ability in the comics. In reality though, this scene is perfectly consistent with the abilities of the Pre-Crisis Superman. For one thing, the Pre-Crisis Superman possessed the power of super-hypnosis. He could use this power to erase people's memories and would occasionally do so in order to preserve his secret identity, as seen in this example from Action Comics #247 (December 1958).

Here's a later example of this power being used in Superman Special #3 (April 1985).

The Pre-Crisis Superman was also capable of delivering a super-kiss that could knock Lois off her feet and leave her dazed and disorientated. This example is from Action Comics #306 (November 1963).

So while this scene may seem silly to some, it does actually have its basis in the comics.

And that concludes this analysis of Superman II (1980).

The Laughing Fish · Thu, 27 Jun 2013, 14:02

I suppose it was a coincidence when Faora came out around the same time when they invented Ursa for Superman I and II? I'd be surprised if that wasn't the case.

BatmAngelus · Fri, 28 Jun 2013, 03:49

Fantastic work as always. Love this and the 1978 Superman comic influences thread (I haven't seen Superman III or IV so I'm saving the reading on those until I do).

It's a shame that Donner couldn't get Hackman to wear the bald cap through the entirety of both films, as he obviously looked the most Luthor-like at the end of STM and the beginning of SII. Looking at the comparison to that comic panel strengthens my feelings.

I take it that there's no comic precedence for the infamous cellophane S

?

The Laughing Fish · Fri, 28 Jun 2013, 05:20

I'm not fond of this movie any more because I don't like the idea of Superman casually giving up to be Earth's protector just so he could be with Lois Lane. Both endings in the original and Donner cut versions are arguably absurd but at least the original cut didn't copy the same ending as the one from the first movie. Otherwise I don't mind if Superman comes across omnipresent or too powerful in this movie. I can still appreciate that Superman on film at the time was inspired by the comics that were published in the previous three decades.

It makes me wonder though if the writers for the Man of Steel sequel will come up with the idea that Superman has the hypnotic ability to prevent people from figuring out that he is Clark in disguise.

Silver Nemesis · Fri, 28 Jun 2013, 22:07

QuoteFantastic work as always. Love this and the 1978 Superman comic influences thread (I haven't seen Superman III or IV so I'm saving the reading on those until I do).

You... you've never seen Superman III and IV?! My friend, you've never truly lived! Not until you've seen Richard Pryor ski off a skyscraper with a pink tablecloth around his neck. That may sound like a bizarre non sequitur, but once you've seen the film it'll all make sense.

QuoteI take it that there's no comic precedence for the infamous cellophane S ?

Lol, I'd love it if someone could dig up a comic where he does that. But I think it's probably just a product of Lester's whimsical imagination. But there was an episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold where Batman took the bat-shape out of his chest emblem and hurled it like a batarang. I always took that to be a humorous nod to Superman II.

QuoteI'm not fond of this movie any more because I don't like the idea of Superman casually giving up to be Earth's protector just so he could be with Lois Lane.

I really like the way the film handles that storyline. It shows Superman failing humanity by indulging self-interest over his vocation. Ultimately he realises his error – his "dreadful mistake", as Jor-El phrases it in the Donner Cut – and redeems himself. It neatly illustrates why superheroes can never quit. As long as they possess the power to help other people, they have a moral obligation to exercise that power for the greater good. By the end of the movie, Superman's come to realise this. And he vows he won't let us down again.

QuoteBoth endings in the original and Donner cut versions are arguably absurd but at least the original cut didn't copy the same ending as the one from the first movie.

I believe the time-reversal ending was originally intended for Superman II. But then hostilities erupted between Donner and the Salkinds and it somehow found its way onto the end of the first film. Donner's said that he and Tom Mankiewicz would have come up with a stronger ending if they'd had more time. But Donner was booted off the project and the rest is history. What you see in the Donner Cut is an approximation of his intended vision assembled from the limited footage available.

QuoteIt makes me wonder though if the writers for the Man of Steel sequel will come up with the idea that Superman has the hypnotic ability to prevent people from figuring out that he is Clark in disguise.

That's the explanation the comic writers used in the Pre-Crisis era. Well, that in conjunction with his glasses.

johnnygobbs · Fri, 28 Jun 2013, 22:23

QuoteI really like the way the film handles that storyline. It shows Superman failing humanity by indulging self-interest over his vocation. Ultimately he realises his error – his "dreadful mistake", as Jor-El phrases it in the Donner Cut – and redeems himself. It neatly illustrates why superheroes can never quit. As long as they possess the power to help other people, they have a moral obligation to exercise that power for the greater good. By the end of the movie, Superman's come to realise this. And he vows he won't let us down again.

Didn't they copy the 'sacrificing a normal life in order to be saviour of the universe' storyline for 'The Last Temptation of Christ'?

Silver Nemesis · Sun, 9 Jun 2019, 23:14

'The Sons of Batman and Superman!' (World's Finest Vol 1 #154, December 1965) presents a 'what if' scenario where Lois and Clark get married. And where do they go for their honeymoon?

There's a scene where the two of them are relaxing by the waterfalls when suddenly Clark has to run off and perform a rescue. In the movie he saves a kid from plummeting over the falls, while in the comic he saves an entire ship from a similar fate.

It's highly unlikely this was a deliberate reference, but I thought the two scenes were similar enough that it was worth adding to the list.

Silver Nemesis · Sat, 25 Jul 2020, 12:59

The scene in the Donner Cut where Lois tests her theory that Clark is Superman is adapted almost shot-for-shot from 'The Satanic Schemes of S.K.U.L!' (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane Vol 1 #63, February 1966). In the comic Lois is testing her theory that Superman will show up to rescue her whenever her life is in danger, and she believes that Clark can somehow contact him.