From the Comics: Superman Unchained

In DC Comics, Superman exists as a symbol of hope and one of the most powerful beings in the universe. However, what would happen if there was another being out there who was more powerful than Superman and did his job better than he did?

In today’s “From the Comics” exploration, we’re looking at a time when Superman’s powers and sense of morality were pushed to their limits. Superman Unchained (Review), written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Jim Lee, introduced the world to Wraith and explored Superman’s conscience while doing so.

Unchained

The events in Superman Unchained (Review) were kicked off when Superman discovered a secret government weapon. This weapon was an alien named Wraith. Wraith came to Earth from another planet and possessed the ability to capture and harness solar radiation to charge an array of superpowers, much like Superman. However, unlike Superman, Wraith immediately began a relationship with the United States Government.

This relationship led to Wraith altering the course of history. He had been used, over time, to influence the course of world events. Statements imply that he was present in Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis and in Russia during the Cold War. However, his most significant role was masquerading as the nuclear bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki (it is explained that, in the DC Universe, the US only had one nuclear bomb, not two). On top of all of this, Wraith came with technology that helped the government produce weapons.

Then, one day, the actions of an anti-technology terrorist group allowed Wraith to be discovered by Superman. At first, the two got along well and even fought together against the terrorist group.

However, the situation quickly escalated. After stopping the terrorist group, Wraith explained that his orders differed dramatically from Superman’s plans. Wraith went on threaten Batman, fight Wonder Woman, and then face Superman directly.

During the fight, it quickly became apparent that Wraith had an edge. He was stronger, faster, and had more powers then Superman. He also possessed the ability to emit radiation similar to the radiation emitted by Kryptonite. In essence, Wraith was the perfect Superman-killing-machine.

However, Superman is smart. He altered the battle by forcing Wraith deep underground. There, magnetic force from the Earth’s core was so strong that it essentially cancelled out both of their powers. Since Superman had more experience fighting solo hand-to-hand combat, he was able to topple Wraith in a fair fight. He left Wraith there to reconsider his actions.

Upon arriving on the surface, Superman’s real challenge began. He discovered that Wraith’s home planet did not send him to Earth as an act of benevolence. They sent him to Earth to help build up Earth’s technology and streamline their civilization. Once Earth had reached a certain level of progress, Wraith’s home planet would send in an armada to enslave Earth and use it to power their civilization, which would help them capture and enslave more planets. All of this was done without Wraith’s knowledge, preventing him from giving Earth any forewarning. Now, the plan had come to fruition and the armada had nearly arrived.

Lex Luthor, who was well aware of nearly everything going on, had a solution. He gave Superman an injection that would charge Superman’s solar-powered cells and cause them to explode with the force of multiple nuclear bombs. The act would destroy the armada but would kill Superman.

Superman agreed to the plan, flew out to space to meet the armada, and was on the verge of making the ultimate sacrifice, when Wraith stopped him. Wraith, inspired by Superman’s selfless actions and frustrated with his home planet’s betrayal, took matters into his own hands. He stopped Superman, forced him back to Earth, and injected himself with Luthor’s formula. Wraith’s body exploded and his action took out the entire alien armada, saving Earth.

Morals

Throughout Superman Unchained (Review), General Lane, the man in charge of Wraith and a staunch opponent of Superman, constantly insists that Wraith is everything Superman could and should be. He conjectures that Wraith is a good soldier who constantly gets the job done. Wraith’s orders are decisive and make an immediate change in the course of world events.

He then goes on to conjecture that none of this is true in Superman’s case. He believes that Superman has the ability to topple corrupt governments and fix major problems but refuses to in order to hold onto his idyllic public image. Instead of working as a solider, Superman sets himself up as a god, confident in his own superiority and totally above the world around him.

However, Superman’s actions and some backstory from Lex Luthor paint a different picture. Luthor explains that he traced Superman’s activities from the start and noticed a surprising pattern. Superman constantly makes mistakes but is constantly learning from these mistakes. “Superman, whoever he is, is trial and error. He takes down a dictator, a worse one is installed; he doesn’t do it again. He avoids a situation and it worsens; next time, he involves himself.” Luthor’s explanation proves that, at his core, Superman is just as fallible as anyone.

This is how Superman Unchained addresses Superman’s status as one of the comic book world’s greatest heroes. Though blessed with extraordinary powers, Superman is simply trying to do all that he can for the world around him. Every single person is capable of doing the same thing, on a different level, and, thus, is capable of being just as inspiring as Superman.

Recommended Reading

If you’re interested in reading these comic adventures for yourself, we recommend the following:

• Superman Unchained (Review)- This collection tells the entire Superman Unchained story and accompanies it with some stunning artwork.

“From the Comics” is ComicBookWire’s attempt at placing the spotlight on important, memorable, or just plain fun moments in comic history. For more articles like this check here. Also, make sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest.