Strange Adventures has a direct nod to the much maligned Superman IV: The Quest for Peace in a guest appearance by the Man of Steel.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Strange Adventures #4, by Tom King, Mitch Gerads, Evan “Doc” Shaner and Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
Over its first four issues, Strange Adventures has been chock full of references and nods to the history of DC Comics, from nods to comics stories to behind-the-scenes moments and direct quotes from some DC’s most influential creators. Two of the most surprising allusions to DC’s past comes during a confrontation between Adam Strange and Superman on the Moon, with one moment referencing a moment from a classic comic book storyline while the other is a more subtle nod to the most maligned Superman film to date, 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
In an extended flashback sequence in Strange Adventures #4, a desperate Adam Strange goes around asking his old friends on the Justice League for their assistance in the war back on Rann threatening his wife’s people. After being rebuffed by Green Lantern, Strange turns to Superman, meeting up with the Man of Tomorrow after he stops an extraterrestrial threat on the Moon. As Superman replants the American flag left by the Apollo moon landings, he turns down Strange due to his own policy of not being personally involved in wars outside of saving lives. Frustrated, an incensed Strange punches the Last Son of Krypton square in the jaw, breaking his own hand from the impact.
Superman replanting the American flag occurs in The Quest for Peace, after the Man of Tomorrow fights Lex Luthor’s genetically engineered supervillain Nuclear Man. After taking the fight to the Moon and seemingly defeating his opponent, Superman takes the opportunity to restore the flag to its former position after it had been disturbed by General Zod and his fellow Kryptonian criminals after they escape from the Phantom Zone in 1980’s Superman II, attacking a joint lunar mission between the United States and Soviet Union. The reference is subtle but welcome nod to Christopher Reeve’s final turn in his most iconic role.
The idea of a superhero punching Superman’s jaw only to damage his hand occurred in 1988’s Batman: A Death in the Family by Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo and Mike DeCarlo. In Batman #428, while the Dark Knight is still grieving the murder of Jason Todd by the Joker and thirsty for revenge, the Caped Crusader has a heated confrontation with Superman outside the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan. As the Man of Steel warns Batman that he can’t carry out his vengeance on the Joker because of the villain’s new diplomatic ties to Iran, an enraged Batman punches Superman only to badly bruise the bones in his hand. The moment underscored the newly introduced antagonistic dynamic between the World’s Finest, influenced by the success of Frank Miller, Lynn Varley and Klaus Janson’s seminal 1986 classic The Dark Knight Returns.
With the positioning of the characters by artist Evan “Doc” Shaner in both of these moments in the flashback sequence between Superman and Adam Strange, the homage to two very different moments in DC history is visibly clear. Strange Adventures continues to reference the entire history of the DC Universe as it draws readers deeper into the murder mystery driving the story as Strange’s very credibility is called repeatedly into question.
While Strange’s standing in the DCU is progressively tarnished as the maxi-series continues, these moments reminding readers that Superman’s fight for truth, justice and the American Way speaks to his integrity while Adam Strange’s moral standing deteriorates.
