Warning: Spoilers for Superwoman Special #1!One of DC’s biggest surprises in 2024 is the reveal ofLois Laneas the newSuperwoman, drastically shifting the balance of theSupermanfamily. Not only that, but the team behindSuperwoman Special#1 has thrown a few Easter eggs into Lois' story for longtime fans, turning the worst Superman video game ever made into a key part of Lois' superhero training.
Superwoman Special#1by Joshua Williamson, Edwin Galamon, Laura Braga, Nikola Čižmešija, Rex Lokus, and Dave Sharpe revealshow Lois Lane mysteriously finds herselfwith her own set of Kryptonian superpowers after the events ofAbsolute Powerby Mark Waid and Dan Mora. No longer forced to sit on the sidelines while the rest of her family saves the day,Lois enthusiastically practices her new powers courtesy of a lovely training montageco-starring Clark.
Eagle-eyed viewers will notice that one of Clark’s tests for Lois' new abilities is suspiciously familiar: she must fly through a set of star-lined green rings,a task taken directly from the notorious video game flopSuperman: The New Superman Adventures,also known by fans as “Superman 64”.
Superman’s Worst Video Game Makes Its Comic Debut
To Become Superwoman, Lois Lane Must Master Superman 64’s Infamous Ring Levels
Released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64 console,Superman 64is a tie-in gameto the enormously popularSuperman: The Animated Series. The game is infamous for its rushed development and poor optimization, with the in-game excuse of a “kryptonite fog” used to try and explain away the game’s terrible graphics and draw distance.The repeated use of levels requiring Superman to fly through a series of rings was widely criticized, with the game’s strict time limits and poor graphics often leading players to miss a target and lose the challenge.
The Man of Steel has a terrible track record when it comes to video games.
Despite having a suite of powers seemingly tailor-made for gaming, the Man of Steel has a terrible track record when it comes to video games. AlthoughSupermanfeatured in a glut of titles between 1999 and 2006 such asSuperman: Shadow of ApokolipsandSuperman Returns,the games could not escape the same faults as Superman 64and offered empty-feeling worlds while struggling to reconcile video game mechanics with a canonically invulnerable protagonist. To date, Superman’s most successful game appearances as a playable character have only been in fighting games such as theInjusticefranchise andMultiVersus.
With One Easter Egg, DC Comics Unites Generations of Superman Fans
Superwoman Special#1 Has Something for All Audiences
Although Superman 64’s rings proved terrible from a gameplay perspective,they fit in beautifully as part of Superman’s training regimen for Lois.Not only is it in line with current canon that Superman would have the technology to project such rings, but the resulting obstacle course makes perfect sense as a way to test Lois' aptitude with her newfound flight powers. It’s both a cheeky nod to readers in the know and an excellent way to translate the attempted gamification of Superman’s powers into comic continuity - without needing to force “kryptonite fog” or some other element into the narrative.
DC’s New Superwoman Officially Settles the Best Kryptonian Superpower
DC’s new Superwoman has officially settled Superman’s BEST Kryptonian superpower, and fans will likely be quick to agree with the heroine.
If all holds (and that is always a large “if”), thenSuperwoman Special#1ushers in a new Superman era, with Lois and Clark acting as equal superhero partners. With all of this new, however, it’s good to see that the creative team hasn’t forgotten the old, and a 25-year-old in-joke about Superman’s “cursed” video game appearance hammers home that this new status quo aims to acknowledge new and old readers alike. It’s a lovely little laugh at the franchise’s past missteps, even asLois Lane’stime asSuperwomancarries theSupermanfranchise into the future.
