The upcoming Action Comics #1071 will see Superman trapped throughout the Phantom Zone and introduced face to face with the dreaded Phantom King. The DC Universe is filled with harmful locations, however few are as harmful because the Phantom Zone. But regardless of the Phantom King’s intimidating moniker, he truly has a reasonably goofy historical past.

This is not Superman’s first time trapped within the Phantom Zone, however the brand new Action Comics artistic group is pulling out some previous characters that newer followers won’t be aware of. The Phantom King has been round for the reason that days of the unique Clark Kent Superboy, and he is gone by means of a variety of modifications over time — from the goofy Silver Age villain of Xadu to the Phantom King of the New 52.

ACTION COMICS #1071 (2024)
Release Date:	October sixteenth, 2024
Writers:	Mark Waid, Mariko Tamaki
Artists:	Clayton Henry, Michael Shelfer, Skylar Patridge
Cover Artist:	Clayton Henry
Variant Covers:	Wes Craig, Stevan Subic, Mark Spears
Trapped within the Phantom Zone! Investigating the ethereal jail created by his father, Superman finds himself helpless earlier than the dreaded Phantom King. But what shock reveal is in retailer for him? A clue lies in Superman’s teenage years! Plus, Supergirl finds herself on trial as she comes face-to-face with the choose of the United Planets’ highest courtroom!

The Phantom King has been by means of many modifications, and he is not the one menace that Superman could have to face within the Phantom Zone, because the terrifying Aethyr may even play a significant half on this upcoming story, which runs weekly beginning on October ninth with Action Comics #1070.

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The Superman Villain Xadu First Appeared In 1961’s Adventure Comics #283

“The Phantom Superboy” by Robert Bernstein and George Papp

After a mysterious container lands on Earth, Superboy investigates and discovers that it is stuffed with extremely harmful Kryptonian weaponry, from a rifle that may destroy something to a tool that may enlarge anybody. But by far probably the most highly effective machine that Superboy finds is the Phantom Zone Projector. And so readers get their first glimpse of the villain Xadu: after Superboy places on a really handy helmet that explains to him precisely what the Phantom Zone Projector does, Superboy learns of the felony Xadu, a superb scientist who was despatched to the Phantom Zone for his experiments with suspended animation.

It’s a really transient look, and Xadu actually is not within the story for something greater than an exposition dump of how the Phantom Zone Projector works, however this is not the final readers would see of Xadu. In Superboy #100 by Jerry Siegel and Curt Swan, Xadu and his spouse escape the Phantom Zone after a volcanic eruption.

The duo then instantly kidnap Martha and Jonathan Kent and take a look at to impersonate them to idiot Superboy. Thankfully, Superboy acknowledges the deception and rapidly exiles the 2 Kryptonians to a planet with a pink solar. Xadu returns but once more in Action Comics #434 by Cary Bates, Swan, and Vince Colletta, the place he impersonates Superman’s dentist to try to brainwash the Man of Steel.

Xadu Got a Major Makeover During and After DC’s New 52 Era

Panel from Superman #27 by Brian Michael Bendis, Ivan Reis, Danny Miki, Alex Sinclair, and Dave Sharpe

Between impersonating Superman’s father and his dentist, there is not any denying that Xadu was a ridiculously goofy Silver Age villain, however that every one modified through the New 52. DC’s reboot stored Xadu’s unique origin as somebody who was banished to the Phantom Zone due to his analysis into suspended animation, but it surely gave him a a lot darker twist. As the primary prisoner of the Phantom Zone, Xadu had loads of time to be taught the way it labored, leading to Xadu creating the Ecto-Suit, which permits him to bodily work together with issues each inside and out of doors the Phantom Zone.

With his Ecto-Suit in hand and a long time of planning, all Xadu wished was revenge on the El household, because it was Jor-El who found the Phantom Zone that Xadu was now trapped in. When the destruction of Krypton was underway, Jor-El initially deliberate to flee into the Phantom Zone together with his household, however this was prevented by Krypto the Super Dog, who managed to battle Xadu off. This twist additionally ended up saving Krypto’s life, as he was pulled into the Phantom Zone and prevented the explosion of Krypton.

From there, Xadu grew to become a recurring villain for the Super-Family, attacking each Clark and his cousin Supergirl on separate events. After the New 52, Xadu was a much more intimidating villain than his Silver Age counterpart. But as terrifying because the Phantom King is perhaps, he is not the one menace lurking within the Phantom Zone, and it appears Superman could have to deal with one other main drawback throughout his time within the Phantom Zone this fall.

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Aethyr Is the Only Native Inhabitant of the Phantom Zone

Panels from The Phantom Zone #4 by Steve Gerber, Gene Colan, Tony DeZuniga, Carl Gafford, and Ben Oda

Also often called the Oversoul, Aethyr is an enormous monster who lives throughout the Phantom Zone and is the one being within the DC Universe who is definitely native to the Zone. As such, Aethyr views every little thing within the Phantom Zone as its personal. Every individual in there, each object, exists just for Aethyr to devour. Aethyr is a horrifying being who’s able to devouring the souls of anybody within the Phantom Zone, which he has already tried to do to Superman on a number of events.

The solicitation for Action Comics #1073 calls out how Xadu and Aethyr are about to converge, and it will be up to Superman to stop this. Considering Aethyr is the undisputed God of the Phantom Zone, who’s even able to warping the Zone as he pleases, if Xadu good points that energy, he’ll go from being the Phantom King to the Phantom God. Unlike Aethyr, Xadu has proven he is not content material to merely keep within the Phantom Zone, and there is not any telling what he’d find a way to do if he gained Aethyr’s powers of consuming souls.

Superman Will Have to Face Xadu and Aethyr Once Again This Fall

The New Action Comics Arc Begins with #1070 on October ninth, 2024

Superman has confronted loads of harmful villains over time, and his reply to probably the most harmful is often throwing them into the Phantom Zone. This new storyline in Action Comics will flip this, as not solely will Superman himself turn into trapped within the Phantom Zone, however the menace itself will likely be coming from there. Superman could have to use every little thing he has if he is going to cease the Phantom King and Aethyr from turning into a menace that would destroy each the Zone and Earth.

Action Comics #1071 is on the market October sixteenth, 2024 from DC Comics!

Superman

The icon who launched the whole world of superheroes, the final son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world is aware of him higher as Superman, the Man of Steel, the chief of the Justice League, and probably the most well-known hero within the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies each small and cosmic in his limitless pursuit of reality, justice, and a greater tomorrow.

Created By

Joe Shuster , Jerry Siegel

First Appearance

Action Comics

Alias

Kal-El, Clark Kent, Jonathan Kent

Alliance

Justice League, Superman Family

Race

Kryptonian

Summary

The icon who launched the whole world of superheroes, the final son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world is aware of him higher as Superman, the Man of Steel, the chief of the Justice League, and probably the most well-known hero within the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies each small and cosmic in his limitless pursuit of reality, justice, and a greater tomorrow.

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