An unexpected foe of Superman’s is back at possibly the worst possible time. For those who haven’t been keeping up with the Man of Steel, Superman just went through the wringer in DC K.O.. Dozens of heroes and villains fought tooth and nail for the right to become King Omega, only for Superman to emerge victorious. However, instead of embracing the cosmic power at his disposal, Superman shared it with his fellow participants. He disappeared following the tournament, and as of right now, no one knows where Superman went. But don’t think the DCU is without a Superman.
In the last few months, Superboy-Prime has been on a hell of a redemption quest. He helped Superman rescue Booster Gold from a Darkseid-run future, and he worked with Lois Lane to get a much-needed message to Doomsday in DC K.O.. Now with Clark nowhere to be found, the Earth needs someone to step up as the Man of Tomorrow, and Prime is taking it upon himself to fill Superman’s shiny red boots. But he may have a huge problem on his hands as an old Superman villain is back for the first time in years.
Manchester Black is Back as Superboy-Prime Steps Up
In Superman #36 by Joshua Williamson, Dan Mora, Alejandro Sanchez, and Ariana Maher, the heroes are still dealing with the fallout of the Omega Tournament. As Lois tries to figure out what’s going on with her Superwoman powers, the Justice League is adjusting to the idea of a freed Superboy-Prime. No one has forgotten about the horrific things he’s done in the past, and without Superman there to Prime his blessing (not to mention Prime’s encyclopedic knowledge of the DCU), Terrific feels it best that Prime keep his distance from the Justice League.
Knowing that Superboy-Prime has indeed changed, Lois encourages him to get a job and live a normal life to prove how stable he is. However, Prime is way too focused on being a hero like Superman, so he opts to just be Metropolis’ new Man of Steel 24/7. He quickly realises how dangerous that is when Prime gets into a fight with Ignition and briefly contemplates decapitating him. However, hearing people cheer for him allows Prime to reel it in and bring Ignition to justice. Knowing that Lois was right, Prime decides to make roots in Metropolis.
Prime is able to get a job at a nearby comic store (because, of course, he is), and he also finds an affordable apartment in downtown Metropolis. It’s not much, but it’s the foundation of a new life for Superboy-Prime to show everyone he’s a different person. It’s not long after he finishes his move that Prime hears someone in trouble, and he races to help. Unbeknownst to Prime, he’s being watched by the spectral remains of Manchester Black, who sees an opportunity in a Superman who also knows every secret of the DC Universe.
Manchester Black Will Be Superboy-Prime’s First Real Challenge
You may remember that Manchester Black was the leader of the new-wave hero team, the Elite, and a staunch Superman critic. His last major role in the DC Universe was during the Warworld Saga, where he joined Superman’s crusade to liberate Warworld from Mongul (though he was secretly working on Lex Luthor’s dime). Luthor eventually kidnapped Black and used his psychic powers as part of a project that erased the knowledge of Superman’s identity from the world. It was successful, but Luthor’s project ended up killing Manchester.
So the question is, what is he doing back, and what does he want with Prime? It’s hard to tell, but it looks like Manchester Black might be living on, thanks to his unique psychic powers, since his ‘ghost’ has his distinct purple aura. I’d also be willing to bet that Superman’s going missing has something to do with Black’s reappearance, because the timing is just too much of a coincidence, otherwise. But what about Prime? Maybe the opportunity Manchester sees is a Superman that he can beat in an ideological battle.
This has all the makings of an interesting confrontation. Superboy-Prime, a character that is, for the first time, trying to do good and prove he can be like Superman, is being eyed by one of Big Blue Boy Scout’s worst critics. I don’t doubt Manchester Black would get a thrill out of derailing Superboy-Prime’s redemption journey, since it would prove that Superman, or at least a variant of him, is capable of the same violent things Manchester is capable of. Hopefully, Prime is committed to his growth, because Manchester Black isn’t going to make things easy for him.
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