ACTION COMICS #252 (1959)
by Robert Bernstein & Al Plastino
This is the same issue where Supergirl debuts. I will eventually cover that story, but for now let’s focus on the new appearance of another staple of Superman’s villains: Metallo!
We begin with reporter John Corben (secretly a professional criminal) listening to a radio show and not being particularly impressed with it.
Maybe he should’ve focused on his driving.
That’s when his body is stolen by the most well-behaved mad scientist I’ve ever seen.
Apparently Corben was injured so much that he needed to be turned into a robot!
I was expecting Corben to murder the scientist, but SUDDEN AVALANCHE!
Then BY SHEER COINCIDENCE he gets hired as a Daily Planet reporter!
We all know how Lois behaves in Silver Age stories, but I’m always delighted whenever she displays the attitude of her modern version (which, to be fair, was how she was portrayed in the early Golden Age as well).
Aaaand everyone in the room has cancer now.
How is it possible that Flash carrying his costume inside a ring is MUCH less ridiculous than this insanity!?
Superman is rescuing an atomic submarine that is running out of oxygen. And either Bernstein didn’t think this through or Kryptonians exhale oxygen instead of carbon dioxide.
Well they do absorb sunlight and he’s even green in that panel, so… sounds legit?
Little known fact: in 1959 you couldn’t go ten feet before stumbling into something radioactive!
Awww, he didn’t actually name himself Metallo? I hate it when they do that!
Keep in mind that he basically never goes THIS far when it’s Lois.
He’s probably into it when Lois does it.
Speaking of Lois, Superman can’t leave Metropolis for five freaking minutes without someone trying to murder her.
So of course:
Then Metallo goes to steal a barrel of uranium (?????) from a military fort, pretending to be Superman… and throwing a random statue at the real Supes.
AMAZINGLY, the deer doesn’t stop the real Superman.
“I’ll stop him with this bronze deer”. I just love the Silver Age.
Almost as much as I love the fact that Superman doesn’t stop the super-strong criminal because he has to save a statue.
Turns out the mad scientist is fine, and this is the moment you’ve been waiting for: Metallo begins using Kryptonite!
As if Kryptonite wasn’t already absurdly easy to find, Superman brings his own to an exhibit he’s supposed to attend.
This is interesting: it takes over five minutes for Superman to melt Kryptonite with his heat vision. I really wish they’ve kept this idea, because WAY too many times you’re just left wondering how Superman could possibly have trouble with something he can vaporize by looking at it.
Turns out that Superman isn’t as dumb as he looked, because the Kryptonite he brought was fake… and Metallo dies once he loses power.
Well maybe Metallo wasn’t really all that smart.
Historical significance: 6/10
As iconic as Metallo is… this isn’t really THAT Metallo. More on that soon.
Silver Age-ness: 10/10
“I’ll stop him with this bronze deer”.
Does it stand the test of time? 7/10
It’s fine. Nothing spectacular and Metallo himself is pretty dull, but it’s a competent story with even a couple of twists that surprised me.
How close is this to the modern character? 4/10
He barely uses Kryptonite at all and doesn’t look robotic… he’s ALMOST there, but not enough.
John Corben actually DOES stay dead after this story. His identity is taken by his brother Roger throughout the Silver Age.
He looks like crap.
The post-Crisis version went back to the John Corben identity, where he gets a MUCH better look.
Well… most of the time anyway.
Honestly I’m not very updated on how Metallo is doing these days, but he’s earned his place in Superman’s rogues gallery. They can’t ALL be a Lex Luthor or Brainiac, sometime a hero needs an uncomplicated bad guy to punch into the stratosphere.
Shout out to what is easily the best appearance in other media: the DC Animated Universe, where he was voiced, by all people, by Malcolm McDowell. Yes, that one.
