For the Man Who Has Everything
Encyclopedia
"For the Man Who Has Everything" is a comic book
story by Alan Moore
and Dave Gibbons
, first published in Superman
Annual
#11 (1985) and later adapted into a Justice League Unlimited episode in 2004.
, Robin
and Wonder Woman
visit the Fortress of Solitude
with gifts on Superman
's birthday, only to find him in a vegetative state, a large alien plant stuck to his chest, its tendrils wrapped around his body. As they analyze the situation, the alien Mongul
steps into the scene, revealing the name of the plant (the "Black Mercy") and how it has put Superman into a coma, feeding him an extremely realistic and plausible dream based on his "heart's desire". As he explains, Mongul touches the Mercy while wearing a pair of protective, oversized gauntlets. Interspersed with the scenes in the Fortress are pages of Superman's dream of living a normal life on his long-destroyed home planet of Krypton
, happily married with two children.
While Wonder Woman battles Mongul, whose power and strength exceed hers, Batman and Robin try to free Superman. Meantime, Superman's fantasy takes a dark turn. His father Jor-El
's prediction of Krypton's doom was unfulfilled in the fantasy, leading to Jor-El being discredited and embittered. Superman's mother Lara has died from the "Eating Sickness," which has further isolated Jor-El from his son and the rest of his family. Even the death of his brother Zor-El has not reconciled him to his sister-in-law Alura and niece Kara Zor-El.
The Kryptonian society within the dream is undergoing polarization and political upheaval. Jor-El has become chairman of an extremist reactionary movement called the "Sword of Rao" which calls for a return to Krypton's "noble and unspoiled" past. The Phantom Zone
, Krypton's other-dimensional prison system, has become a major point of contention in this dreamworld. As it was developed by Jor-El, the House of El is unpopular with the public. Kara Zor-El is brutally assaulted by anti-Zone protesters, who use the criminal Jax-Ur
(sentenced to an eternity in the Zone) as a martyr and symbol.
Superman gradually begins to wake up from the increasingly disturbing dream, with it finally dissolving with a scene of his "son", Van-El, slipping away from him as they visit the Kandor
crater. In the conscious world, Batman has resorted to trying to pry the Mercy off Superman's chest. Without protective clothing, the plant immediately attacks him, submerging Batman into his own "heart's desire" dream, in which the murder of his parents is narrowly prevented by Thomas Wayne disarming Joe Chill
. Superman awakens, infuriated by the Mercy's attack and the loss of the fantasy (as Mongul later describes, "escaping it must have been like tearing off your own arm"). He savagely attacks Mongul, who was about to kill the defeated Wonder Woman. The two adversaries battle across the Fortress, causing massive damage to it.
Robin, anxiously seeking a solution, puts on Mongul's discarded gauntlets and pries the Mercy off Batman. Thinking quickly, he stuffs the Mercy into one of the gauntlets, allowing him to safely carry it to the battle. Superman, on the verge of delivering a crushing blow to Mongul, becomes distracted by the sight of the statues of his parents, allowing Mongul to deliver a stunning counterattack. Mongul is on the verge of delivering a lethal blow to Superman when Robin drops the Mercy on him. Mongul is instantly seized by the plant and submerged into his own deepest fantasy, in which he swats the Mercy aside, kills Robin, then Superman, then goes on to conquer Earth and the universe.
In the aftermath, Batman and Wonder Woman's wounds have been bandaged up; Batman idly explains how his fantasy had included him marrying Kathy Kane
and having a teenage daughter, while Wonder Woman confesses envy that she couldn't find out what her heart's desire was. After revealing plans to imprison Mongul by dumping him in a black hole
on the other side of the galaxy, Superman unwraps his gifts; Wonder Woman had brought a replica of Kandor
made by "gem-smiths" of Paradise Island
, which prompts Superman to fly off, hide his own replica of the Bottle City, and return at super-speed before his absence is noticed. Batman’s gift, sadly, turns out to be another plant – a new breed of rose which has been named “The Krypton” – which had accidentally been stepped on and killed during the fight. Philosophically stating that it’s perhaps for the best, Superman volunteers to make coffee for everyone while he cleans up the mess around the Fortress. The final page documents Mongul's universal conquest fantasy - "The stars run red", "The nebulae echo with the screams of the dying" – leaving him at last content.
, "For the Man Who Has Everything" is rich in detail, showcasing many of the minor elements drawn from Kryptonian history. The final page, detailing Mongul's universal conquest fantasy, includes appearances by numerous extraterrestrial DC characters including Hawkman and Hawkwoman
; Brainiac; Adam Strange
; Hyathis
(empress of Thanagar
); Bolphunga the Unrelenting (from a story in Green Lantern
#188, May 1985, also by Moore and Gibbons); an Oan Guardian
; J'onn J'onnz (the Martian Manhunter); and a bearded long-haired human representing Alan Moore himself bowing, among others. The fantasy also incorporates "a resurrected Warworld
", a copy of the planet-sized battle station used by Mongul but destroyed by Superman and Supergirl in DC Comics Presents
#28 (Dec 1980).
The 2005 comic Infinite Crisis
featured two references to "For The Man Who Has Everything". In Infinite Crisis #1, a panel showing Mongul Jr. confronting Batman and Wonder Woman at the remains of the Watchtower uses the same composition as Mongul's entrance in the earlier story. Later, in a tie-in story in Green Lantern
(vol. 4) #7 and 8, Mongul Jr. uses a Black Mercy to capture Green Lantern
(Hal Jordan) and Green Arrow
(Oliver Queen), although the two are trapped by the same Black Mercy rather than each being 'caught' by a separate plant. As a result, Queen is able to break free because Jordan's greater willpower allows his desires to override his fantasy and describe what he thinks Queen's perfect life would be, rather than what Queen himself would wish for.
Since then, the Black Mercy has been given an origin tale and Mother Mercy (which birthed the Black Mercy) is given a choice between joining the Sinestro Corps
or the Green Lantern Corps
and it chooses the latter, becoming the Green Lantern of Sector 2261.
In the JLA: Destiny
Elseworlds mini-series, a mysterious figure named Khouriga Edjem has turned a fictional Middle Eastern country Kamburu into a modern day Eden. It is revealed through the course of the miniseries that Edjem is in fact Mongul who has come to Earth to conquer it. He used a Black Mercy on Green Lantern Guy Gardner to incapacitate him and use him as a power source for the entire country of Kamburu.
"For The Man Who Has Everything" was parodied
in "Operation: U.T.O.P.I.A.", an episode of Codename: Kids Next Door
.
. In this version, Robin does not appear and most of his lines are given to Wonder Woman. The presents Wonder Woman and Batman bring are also changed, Batman now simply brings money while Wonder Woman brings the new Krypton rose (which in the comic is Batman's present). The Lyla character is renamed "Loana" and is an amalgam of both Lois Lane
and Lana Lang
, the two main loves of Clark Kent's life. Loana is voiced by Dana Delany
, who provided the voice of Lois Lane in the earlier series, Superman: The Animated Series
, as well as throughout Justice League Unlimited. Also, Batman's fantasy consists only of his father disarming and beating Joe Chill
during his mugging, which becomes progressively more violent and barbaric as Batman realizes its false nature. In the end, Mongul's fantasy of conquest is not shown, and instead represented with a soundtrack of screams and explosions as the camera zooms in on his slightly-smiling face.
A fun insert for fans can be found when Loana mentions a child named "Zod" referencing the Superman villain General Zod
.
J. M. DeMatteis
adapted the script from the Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons story; they are given credit at the beginning of the episode.
In 2006, a Justice League Superman action figure was released which included a Black Mercy accessory.
for Best Single Issue.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
story by Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
and Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons is an English comic book artist, writer and sometime letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries Watchmen and the Superman story "For the Man Who Has Everything"...
, first published in Superman
Superman (comic book)
Superman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character Superman began as one of several anthology features in the National Periodical Publications comic book Action Comics #1 in June 1938...
Annual
Annual publication
An annual publication, more often called simply an annual, is a book or a magazine, comic book or comic strip published yearly. For example, a weekly or monthly publication may produce an Annual featuring similar materials to the regular publication....
#11 (1985) and later adapted into a Justice League Unlimited episode in 2004.
Plot
BatmanBatman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, Robin
Jason Todd
Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Jason first appeared in Batman #357 and became the second Robin, sidekick to the superhero Batman, when the previous Robin went on to star in The New Teen Titans under the moniker of Nightwing.Though...
and Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
visit the Fortress of Solitude
Fortress of Solitude
The Fortress of Solitude is the occasional headquarters of Superman in DC Comics. Its predecessor, Superman's "Secret Citadel", first appeared in Superman #17, where it was said to be built into a mountain on the outskirts of Metropolis...
with gifts on Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
's birthday, only to find him in a vegetative state, a large alien plant stuck to his chest, its tendrils wrapped around his body. As they analyze the situation, the alien Mongul
Mongul
Mongul is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the character debuted in DC Comics Presents #27 and was created by writer Len Wein and artist Jim Starlin. The second version first appears in Showcase '95 #85 and was created by...
steps into the scene, revealing the name of the plant (the "Black Mercy") and how it has put Superman into a coma, feeding him an extremely realistic and plausible dream based on his "heart's desire". As he explains, Mongul touches the Mercy while wearing a pair of protective, oversized gauntlets. Interspersed with the scenes in the Fortress are pages of Superman's dream of living a normal life on his long-destroyed home planet of Krypton
Krypton (comics)
Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe, and the native world of the super-heroes Superman and, in some tellings, Supergirl and Krypto the Superdog. Krypton has been portrayed consistently as having been destroyed just after Superman's flight from the planet, with exact details of...
, happily married with two children.
While Wonder Woman battles Mongul, whose power and strength exceed hers, Batman and Robin try to free Superman. Meantime, Superman's fantasy takes a dark turn. His father Jor-El
Jor-El
Jor-El is a fictional character, an extraterrestrial in the . He was created by the writer Jerry Siegel and the artist Joe Shuster, and he first appeared in a newspaper comic strip in 1939 as Superman's biological father....
's prediction of Krypton's doom was unfulfilled in the fantasy, leading to Jor-El being discredited and embittered. Superman's mother Lara has died from the "Eating Sickness," which has further isolated Jor-El from his son and the rest of his family. Even the death of his brother Zor-El has not reconciled him to his sister-in-law Alura and niece Kara Zor-El.
The Kryptonian society within the dream is undergoing polarization and political upheaval. Jor-El has become chairman of an extremist reactionary movement called the "Sword of Rao" which calls for a return to Krypton's "noble and unspoiled" past. The Phantom Zone
Phantom Zone
The Phantom Zone is a fictional prison dimension featured in the Superman comic books and related media published by DC Comics. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
, Krypton's other-dimensional prison system, has become a major point of contention in this dreamworld. As it was developed by Jor-El, the House of El is unpopular with the public. Kara Zor-El is brutally assaulted by anti-Zone protesters, who use the criminal Jax-Ur
Jax-Ur
Jax-Ur is a fictional character, a Kryptonian supervillain in the . He first appears in Adventure Comics #289 and was created by Otto Binder and George Papp.-Pre-Crisis:Jax-Ur was an amoral and criminally deviant scientist on the planet Krypton...
(sentenced to an eternity in the Zone) as a martyr and symbol.
Superman gradually begins to wake up from the increasingly disturbing dream, with it finally dissolving with a scene of his "son", Van-El, slipping away from him as they visit the Kandor
Kandor
Kandor is the name of the former capital city of the fictional planet Krypton in the DC Universe. It is best known for being stolen and miniaturized by the supervillain Brainiac...
crater. In the conscious world, Batman has resorted to trying to pry the Mercy off Superman's chest. Without protective clothing, the plant immediately attacks him, submerging Batman into his own "heart's desire" dream, in which the murder of his parents is narrowly prevented by Thomas Wayne disarming Joe Chill
Joe Chill
Joe Chill is a fictional character in the DC Comics Batman series. He is best known for murdering young Bruce Wayne's parents , thus making him indirectly responsible for Batman's existence....
. Superman awakens, infuriated by the Mercy's attack and the loss of the fantasy (as Mongul later describes, "escaping it must have been like tearing off your own arm"). He savagely attacks Mongul, who was about to kill the defeated Wonder Woman. The two adversaries battle across the Fortress, causing massive damage to it.
Robin, anxiously seeking a solution, puts on Mongul's discarded gauntlets and pries the Mercy off Batman. Thinking quickly, he stuffs the Mercy into one of the gauntlets, allowing him to safely carry it to the battle. Superman, on the verge of delivering a crushing blow to Mongul, becomes distracted by the sight of the statues of his parents, allowing Mongul to deliver a stunning counterattack. Mongul is on the verge of delivering a lethal blow to Superman when Robin drops the Mercy on him. Mongul is instantly seized by the plant and submerged into his own deepest fantasy, in which he swats the Mercy aside, kills Robin, then Superman, then goes on to conquer Earth and the universe.
In the aftermath, Batman and Wonder Woman's wounds have been bandaged up; Batman idly explains how his fantasy had included him marrying Kathy Kane
Batwoman
Batwoman is the name of several fictional characters, female counterparts to the superhero Batman. The original version was created by Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff. Her alter ego is Kathy Kane. This character appears in publications produced by DC Comics and related media beginning in Detective...
and having a teenage daughter, while Wonder Woman confesses envy that she couldn't find out what her heart's desire was. After revealing plans to imprison Mongul by dumping him in a black hole
Black hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
on the other side of the galaxy, Superman unwraps his gifts; Wonder Woman had brought a replica of Kandor
Kandor
Kandor is the name of the former capital city of the fictional planet Krypton in the DC Universe. It is best known for being stolen and miniaturized by the supervillain Brainiac...
made by "gem-smiths" of Paradise Island
Themyscira
Themyscira is a fictional island nation in the DC Comics universe that is the place of origin of Wonder Woman and her sister Amazons. Known as Paradise Island since Wonder Woman and the island's first appearance in All Star Comics #8 , it was renamed "Themyscira" with the character's February...
, which prompts Superman to fly off, hide his own replica of the Bottle City, and return at super-speed before his absence is noticed. Batman’s gift, sadly, turns out to be another plant – a new breed of rose which has been named “The Krypton” – which had accidentally been stepped on and killed during the fight. Philosophically stating that it’s perhaps for the best, Superman volunteers to make coffee for everyone while he cleans up the mess around the Fortress. The final page documents Mongul's universal conquest fantasy - "The stars run red", "The nebulae echo with the screams of the dying" – leaving him at last content.
Collected editions
As well as appearing in Superman Annual #11 it has been reprinted in:- The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told — hardcoverHardcoverA hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
compilation, 1987, DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, ISBN 0-930289-29-3; and trade paperback edition, 1989, DC Comics, ISBN 0-930289-39-0 - Superman: The Man of Tomorrow — trade paperback, 1988, Titan BooksTitan BooksTitan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
, ISBN 1-852860-49-9 (in black and white only) - Across the Universe: The DC Universe Stories of Alan Moore — trade paperback, 2003, DC Comics, ISBN 1-4012-0087-7
- DC Universe: The Stories of Alan MooreDC Universe: The Stories of Alan MooreDC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore is a 2006 trade paperback collection of comic books written by Alan Moore for DC Comics from 1985 to 1988, published by Titan Books...
— trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
, 2006 (TitanTitan BooksTitan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
ISBN 1-84576-257-6, DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
ISBN 1-4012-0927-0)
Outside references
As in such other Moore/Gibbons projects as WatchmenWatchmen
Watchmen is a twelve-issue comic book limited series created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colourist John Higgins. The series was published by DC Comics during 1986 and 1987, and has been subsequently reprinted in collected form...
, "For the Man Who Has Everything" is rich in detail, showcasing many of the minor elements drawn from Kryptonian history. The final page, detailing Mongul's universal conquest fantasy, includes appearances by numerous extraterrestrial DC characters including Hawkman and Hawkwoman
Hawkwoman
Hawkwoman is the name of several fictional superheroines all owned by DC Comics and existing in that company's DC Universe. They are partners, and sometimes spouses or lovers, of the various versions of Hawkman, and share many features with the character Hawkgirl.-Shayera Hol:The Silver Age...
; Brainiac; Adam Strange
Adam Strange
Adam Strange is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky, he first appeared in Showcase #17 .In May 2011, Adam Strange placed 97th on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time....
; Hyathis
Hyathis
Hyathis is a fictional extraterrestrial monarch published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Justice League of America vol. 1 #3 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky...
(empress of Thanagar
Thanagar
Thanagar is a fictional planet in the . Thanagar is the original home of the humanoid Thanagarian race, noted for the discovery of gravity-defying Nth metal...
); Bolphunga the Unrelenting (from a story in Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
#188, May 1985, also by Moore and Gibbons); an Oan Guardian
Guardians of the Universe
The Guardians of the Universe, alternatively known as the Guardians or Oans are a fictional extraterrestrial race in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #1 , and were created by John Broome and Gil Kane. Here they do not reveal their existence to Hal, bringing his...
; J'onn J'onnz (the Martian Manhunter); and a bearded long-haired human representing Alan Moore himself bowing, among others. The fantasy also incorporates "a resurrected Warworld
Warworld
Warworld is a fictional artificial planet published in several stories by DC Comics, most of which feature Superman. It first appeared in DC Comics Presents #27 , and was created by Len Wein and Jim Starlin.-History:...
", a copy of the planet-sized battle station used by Mongul but destroyed by Superman and Supergirl in DC Comics Presents
DC Comics Presents
DC Comics Presents was a comic book published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 featuring team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters of the DC Universe...
#28 (Dec 1980).
The 2005 comic Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
featured two references to "For The Man Who Has Everything". In Infinite Crisis #1, a panel showing Mongul Jr. confronting Batman and Wonder Woman at the remains of the Watchtower uses the same composition as Mongul's entrance in the earlier story. Later, in a tie-in story in Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
(vol. 4) #7 and 8, Mongul Jr. uses a Black Mercy to capture Green Lantern
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
(Hal Jordan) and Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
(Oliver Queen), although the two are trapped by the same Black Mercy rather than each being 'caught' by a separate plant. As a result, Queen is able to break free because Jordan's greater willpower allows his desires to override his fantasy and describe what he thinks Queen's perfect life would be, rather than what Queen himself would wish for.
Since then, the Black Mercy has been given an origin tale and Mother Mercy (which birthed the Black Mercy) is given a choice between joining the Sinestro Corps
Sinestro Corps
The Sinestro Corps is a group of fictional characters, a villainous analogue to the Green Lantern Corps in the DC Universe. It is led by the supervillain Thaal Sinestro.-Before the Corps:...
or the Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
and it chooses the latter, becoming the Green Lantern of Sector 2261.
In the JLA: Destiny
JLA: Destiny
JLA: Destiny is a comic book mini-series that was published by DC Comics in 2002. Its writer was John Arcudi and its artist was Tom Mandrake. The series ran for four issues.The series was created as part of DC's Elseworlds line...
Elseworlds mini-series, a mysterious figure named Khouriga Edjem has turned a fictional Middle Eastern country Kamburu into a modern day Eden. It is revealed through the course of the miniseries that Edjem is in fact Mongul who has come to Earth to conquer it. He used a Black Mercy on Green Lantern Guy Gardner to incapacitate him and use him as a power source for the entire country of Kamburu.
"For The Man Who Has Everything" was parodied
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
in "Operation: U.T.O.P.I.A.", an episode of Codename: Kids Next Door
Codename: Kids Next Door
Codename: Kids Next Door, also known as Kids Next Door or by its acronym KND, is an American animated television series created by Tom Warburton and produced by Curious Pictures in Santa Monica, California.. The series debuted on Cartoon Network on December 6, 2002 and aired its final episode on...
.
Animated episode
The story was adapted for the second episode of the animated series Justice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
. In this version, Robin does not appear and most of his lines are given to Wonder Woman. The presents Wonder Woman and Batman bring are also changed, Batman now simply brings money while Wonder Woman brings the new Krypton rose (which in the comic is Batman's present). The Lyla character is renamed "Loana" and is an amalgam of both Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
and Lana Lang
Lana Lang
Lana Lang is a fictional supporting character in DC Comics' Superman series. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist John Sikela, the character first appears in Superboy #10...
, the two main loves of Clark Kent's life. Loana is voiced by Dana Delany
Dana Delany
Dana Welles Delany is an American film, stage, and television actress, producer, host and health activist.After various roles in the early career, Delany garnered her first leading role in 1987 in the short-lived NBC sitcom Sweet Surrender and achieved wider fame in 1988–1991 as Colleen McMurphy...
, who provided the voice of Lois Lane in the earlier series, Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series starring DC Comics' flagship character, Superman. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. Warner Bros...
, as well as throughout Justice League Unlimited. Also, Batman's fantasy consists only of his father disarming and beating Joe Chill
Joe Chill
Joe Chill is a fictional character in the DC Comics Batman series. He is best known for murdering young Bruce Wayne's parents , thus making him indirectly responsible for Batman's existence....
during his mugging, which becomes progressively more violent and barbaric as Batman realizes its false nature. In the end, Mongul's fantasy of conquest is not shown, and instead represented with a soundtrack of screams and explosions as the camera zooms in on his slightly-smiling face.
A fun insert for fans can be found when Loana mentions a child named "Zod" referencing the Superman villain General Zod
General Zod
General Zod is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, a supervillain who is one of Superman's more-prominent enemies. The character first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
.
J. M. DeMatteis
J. M. DeMatteis
John Marc DeMatteis is an American writer of comic books.-Early career:Born in Brooklyn, DeMatteis graduated from Midwood High School and Empire State College. He worked as a music critic before getting his start in comic books at DC Comics in the late 1970s...
adapted the script from the Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons story; they are given credit at the beginning of the episode.
In 2006, a Justice League Superman action figure was released which included a Black Mercy accessory.
Award nomination
This issue's story was nominated for the 1986 Jack Kirby AwardKirby Award
The Jack Kirby Award for achievement in comic books was presented from 1985-1987 by Amazing Heroes magazine, and managed by Fantagraphics employee Dave Olbrich...
for Best Single Issue.