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Will Superman Wear His Underpants On The Outside Again For Action Comics #1000?

We mentioned the other day that Action Comics #1000 was missing from the upcoming Action Comics collections, with Vol. 5 going up to #999 and Vol. 6 beginning with #1001. We speculated that this may mean a trade paperback-sized #1000 along the lines of Fables #150. And we noted that the description of Vol. 6 seemed to suggest big changes were coming from Dan Jurgens.

Following the world-shattering events of THE OZ EFFECT, the Man of Steel must come to terms with a new status quo in SUPERMAN: ACTION COMICS VOL. 6!

Superman has never faced a challenge like this–how will it change his relationship with Metropolis? And more importantly, with his wife, Lois Lane, and his super son, Jonathan?

Will Superman Wear His Underpants On The Outside Again For Action Comics #1000?And it put me in mind of a post from classic Superman creator (though not working on the books now) Jon Bogdanove, back in April. It was a bit conspiratorial, based on the idea that Superman's trunks are one of the few remaining aspects of Superman that remain from the original pre-publication Superman strips created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster. And that depriving Superman of said red shorts deprived Siegel and Shuster and their estates of claims of ownership or payment.

Given that issues now begins with the credits that Superman appears courtesy of Jerry Siegel's estate, I am not sure how valid that would be. But Bogdanove says:

"For example, Superman's red boots replaced his Greek lace-ups AFTER Jerry and Joe signed him over. Likewise, the "S" emblem continued to evolve from the original while Jerry and Joe were under contract, as did much of his likeness and appearance– EXCEPT for the modesty briefs. Apparently, that's the one original characteristic that persisted unchanged from before the boys ever approached DC until the resolution of this case.

As a result, the briefs are the one thing Jerry and Joe's family were able to hold onto– or regain. DC can't use the pants without paying the heirs a little something— or so I'm told. Word on the street is that someone at DC or Warners is angrily determined never to pay for those shorts, so off they came!"

So what has this to do with Action Comics #1000, a change of status quo, and Dan Jurgens?

"Now, there is also buzz that Dan Jurgens, and others in the company, have campaigned hard in favor of the traditional, classic, populist brand, appearance and costume– and that Diane Nelson or someone up top recognizes the dollar value of that brand as being worth much more than what it costs to rent the shorts from the heirs.

This buzz suggests that Superman will be restored to his true self in ACTION #1000– which would be awesome in the extreme— an historic comics event tantamount to "The Death of Superman". I think it would heal and restore a great deal more than just #Superman. I think the effects would be restorative across the industry. I would expect a revamp and revitalization of the movie franchises to stem from it, eventually– worth millions in revenue."

Well, we could certainly do with it now. So could this be? Something more than wishful thinking? The return of the red underwear/pants/boxers/shorts/trunks to Superman?


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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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