I was nine in 1978, and I remember liking the Superman movie despite its flaws.

I had wanted to see a colorful, vibrant Krypton, and a black-haired Jor-El with green suit, red cape, and headband. My memories were of a blue-steel rocket crashing in Smallville, and a teenaged Superboy with his faithful dog Krypto. The Luthor I had learned to fear was also from Smallville, and favored a green-and-purple jumpsuit with bandoliers and jet-boots. The only Fortress of Solitude I knew was built into a mountain and protected by a giant keyhole. Accordingly, the Superman movies were my first big lesson in the sacrifices superhero movies demand.

Naturally, I grew to love the Reeve movies, and was pretty impressed with Superman Returns – but the lessons learned at nine are coming back as I imagine the inevitable sequel. SPOILERS FOLLOW, of course.

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First, I hope the sequel’s plot doesn’t get rid of Richard White. I thought his character, including his relationships with Lois and Jason, was handled realistically and with respect. It’s clear that Superman will have to come back into their lives to teach Jason how to handle his powers, but I don’t see any incarnation of Superman breaking up a happy family. All things being equal, I also don’t see Jason or Lois choosing Clark or Superman over Richard. Honestly, given Lois’ relationship to Clark in this movie, I think she’d go with Jimmy instead, maybe even if she learns the secret.

If the comics are any indication, Superman getting over Lois’ rejection might be more of a good thing than you’d think. In recent comics, dark alternate futures tend to follow whenever Superman loses Lois. In Kingdom Come he went into exile after she was killed (along with Ma and Pa Kent); and when she was zombiefied in JLA’s “Rock of Ages” he killed himself. Granted, none of those involved her dumping him, but you get the picture. Closer to the point, we know what he did to get her back in the first Reeve movie, and likewise we saw him give up his powers to keep her in the second. Unfortunately, no more Superman/Lois romance also means no film adapatation of DC One Million, or of the 1999 “King of the World” storyline, since Clark and Lois’ relationship was a big part of both.  (So were the Justice League, so maybe not the best examples.)

With this movie making the point that Superman was Krypton’s sole survivor, and that sentiment driving his feelings of isolation and alienation, it might seem like a cheat for the next one to introduce Supergirl (since the Helen Slater movie is no longer “in continuity”) or even Krypto. Similarly, while Brainiac (whether Coluan or Kryptonian) might be OK, the Bottle City of Kandor would be right out.

Still, a decent super-sequel could continue the theme of “anyone else like me?” by using the Forever People to give Superman a glimpse of Supertown. His quest to learn more about New Genesis would naturally draw him into the cold war between it and Apokolips, and from there he’d come up against Darkseid. Yes, the “Superman” and “Justice League” cartoons mined this extensively, but that’s no reason a movie couldn’t too. Besides, if the producers did want to kill Richard and write Jason out with some benign fate, the kid could do worse than relocating to New Genesis.

If the Fourth World would bust the budget, Jack Kirby’s Jimmy Olsen concepts might be more cost-effective. Bizarro could come from Project Cadmus (maybe as a result of Mxyzptlk messing up their cloning attempts); Simyan and Mokkari might rescue Luthor and Kitty from the island; or Clark’s new boss Morgan Edge could be revealed as one of Intergang’s top lieutenants. Of course, any Evil Factory confrontation could also pave the way for a future matchup with Darkseid.

Another idea of which I’m growing fond is the notion that Superman ran into some nasty folk during his five years in space, who now know where he lives and are coming after him. I particularly like the thought that he had just gotten rid of Brainiac/Mongul/whoever before heading into the homestretch for Earth, and that’s why he’s so out-of-sorts upon landing in Kansas. (Such a setup could give Superman the same oh-crap look as the rest of Metropolis when the inevitable invasion force shows up.) I have a feeling Singer’s deleted return-to-Krypton scene will prove me wrong on that last part, but you never know.

I doubt the invaders would use Warworld, since it would strike moviegoers as too Death Star-like, but it could be used to introduce Supergirl, with Brainiac/Mongul/whoever having picked her up as the last survivor of Argo City and brainwashed her into being his enforcer. (Maybe not … too Jeph Loeb-ish.  Also, in light of Fantastic Four 2, too Galactus & Surfer-ish.) Again, if Supergirl would violate a no-other-Kryptonian prohibition, the producers could substitute Maxima, and could even incorporate her plans to have Superman father her children. That would certainly provide a thematic contrast to this movie!  (Her name might have to be changed, though; you wouldn’t want moviegoers looking out for her colleagues Altima, Sentra, or Corolla.)

I have to think that, as fond as Superman Returns‘ creative personnel were of the original Reeve movie, Superman II must also hold a special place in their hearts.  That gives me hope that the next movie will feature more of Superman punching other super-powered people and things.  These adaptations tended to go easy on the other super-folk, so after enduring television versions of Spider-Man and the Hulk who didn’t fight the Green Goblin or the Abomination, my eleven-year-old self was very excited to see the Phantom Zoners on the big screen.  If the next Superman movie amps up the action proportionately, maybe these products of my wild imagination aren’t too unreasonable.

Indeed, regardless of the next movie’s overall plot, maybe the events of this movie will finally make possible the version of Superman to whom Young Tom had grown accustomed. That Superman had a Fortress full of weird, wild mementos, enough to make the Wonka factory look like a Wal-Mart. Visiting it, one got an idea of the real scope of Superman’s adventures, and while “big lonely citadel crammed with bric-a-brac” sounds rather eccentric, somehow Superman managed to keep his life in balance. With Lois conclusively established as having moved on, this Superman needs a hobby (outside of world-saving) either to take his mind off her, or to occupy his time now that he won’t have to worry about romancing her.  Maybe an interplanetary zoo, or raising the Titanic for his trophy room….  And hey, wouldn’t a big golden lock have kept Luthor out in the first place?

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 6th, 2006 at 12:00 pm and is filed under DC Comics, Grumpy Old Fan, Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.