Warning: Spoilers for Action Comics #1081Supermanmay be regarded as a paragon of justice in the DC Universe, but even the Man of Steel isn’t perfect, and his greatest failure demonstrates just how flawed he is. At long last, Superman has been forced to acknowledge that there’s one person he’s unable to save: his own brother. Despite his many successes, Superman must contend with a major shortcoming of his in a heartbreaking moment.
The preview forAction Comics#1081 by Mark Waid, Clayton Henry, Matt Herms, and Dave Sharpe sets the stage for an epic finale as thePhantom Zone’s escaped prisonersconverge on Earth to take out the Super-Family once and for all. As Xa-Du rallies his forces, Superman has a serious discussion withhis brother Mon-Elabout his current status.
Mon-El is becoming solid outside the Phantom Zone, which would kill him, so Superman forces him back into exile.Superman assures Mon-El that he will find a way to cure his condition, but the fact that he still hasn’t after all this time shows that he’s failed his brother.
Superman Finally Acknowledges That He’s Failed His Daxamite Brother
Mon-El made his first appearance inSuperboy#89 by Robert Bernstein and George Papp. When he first crash-landed on Earth, Superman mistook him for his fellow Kryptonian and declared him his brother, only to later learn that he is actually a Daxamite. Mon-El’s people possess thesame powers as Kryptonians, including super-strength and enhanced durability, but the key distinction between Daxamites and Kryptonians is the elements that they are weak against.While Kryptonians are weakened by Kryptonite, Daxamites are weakened by lead.In fact, lead is fatal to Daxamites, so any contact with it can kill Mon-El.
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During their childhood,Mon-El was exposed to leadand contracted lead poisoning. Therefore, to save his brother’s life, Supermansealed him in the Phantom Zoneso that the progression of the illness would be slowed down. He did so with the promise that he would find a cure for him, but years later, Superman still hasn’t followed through.Mon-El describes his time in the Zone as"a punishment I never deserved", yet he has no choice but to return to his imprisonment because of Superman’s shortcomings.Failing to save his brother’s life after decades is by far the biggest mistake of Superman’s career as a hero.
Superman Will Never Stop Trying to Find a Permanent Cure for Mon-El
Superman May Have Failed Mon-El, But He Still Cares About His Brother
Superman’s inability to help Mon-El is certainly frustrating, but that isn’t to say he isn’t making an effort. Although he doesn’t have any idea how to fix Mon-El’s lead poisoning, it’s clear that he is doing everything in his power to make things right with him and restore his freedom permanently. However long it takes,Superman will continue to fightfor his brother’s life. There is still a chance that, someday, Mon-El will be cured and officially join theSupermanfamily on Earth as a mainstay in DC lore - but until that day comes, he remains in the Phantom Zone.
Action Comics#1081is available December 26th, 2024 from DC Comics.
Superman
The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
