A breakdown of references in Action Comics #1000

This historic issue has finally arrived, Action Comics #1000 is officially available for purchase. This heartwarming and entertaining issue is packed with a heavy appreciation for the 80 years of history Superman has maintained. We would recommend this comic to everyone, even those who have never read a Superman comic book. However, there are a number of references, throughout the issue, which may not be understood by everyone.

In order to truly make this comic accessible to everyone, we are attempting to break down every reference Action Comics #1000 makes. Some of these references are common knowledge among comic fans but may be unfamiliar to non-comic readers, while other references may befuddle even hardcore readers. Either way, we hope this breakdown helps further your appreciation for this comic and dispel any confusion you may have.

From the City Who Has Everything

• Superman’s marriage to Lois Lane happened back in 1996 in Superman: The Wedding Album. Though their marriage was retroactively deleted for a number of years, it came back into the comic book landscape upon the release of Convergence.
• Superman’s son is a more recent addition to the world of comics. Lois Lane gave birth to Johnathan Kent back in the Convergence: Superman series, a story now collected in Convergence: Flashpoint Book One.

Never-Ending Battle

• In this story, Vandal Savage utilizes something known as Hypertime to ensnare Superman in the past. Hypertime is a tremendously complex concept that explains the way alternate realities form and how different universes interact. The concept was introduced back in The Kingdom and is predominantly featured in comics written by Grant Morrison. Readers do not need to understand Hypertime to understand this story.
• Almost every page, in this story, shows a different piece of Superman’s history.
  • The first page shows Superman in his first ever costume, from Action Comics #1.
  • The second page shows the first evolution of Superman’s symbol. This change took place in Action Comics #7.
  • The third page gives Superman’s shield a black background. This change was first made in the 1940s Superman cartoon series.
  • The fourth page is a direct reference to “The Midget Menace”, a story from Superman #102.
  • The fifth page is a reference to the 1951 “Superman and the Mole-Men” film starring George Reeves. (big thanks to colonyofcells for this catch!)
  • The sixth page shows Superman being burned by a dragon in order to save Lois Lane. This page looks almost identical to the cover of Superman #142 from 1961. (big thanks to colonyofcells for this catch!)
  • The seventh page has Superman fighting other Supermen. This is a callback to Action Comics #418 from 1972. (big thanks to colonyofcells for this catch!)
  • The eighth page shows Superman being struck by lightning. This is a direct reference to when the same thing happens in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.
  • The ninth page shows Superman fighting Silver Banshee, who first appeared in Action Comics #595.
  • The tenth page shows Superman, Superboy, and John Henry Irons fighting Mongul in the “Return of Superman” storyline. His hair and costume have changed because he had recently “died” and needed to spend a long period of time in a regeneration matrix.
  • The eleventh page shows Superman imprisoned in the Phantom Zone by Jax-Ur and Mala. This happened in the two part “Blasts From the Past” episode from Superman: the Animated Series. (thanks to u/JGarrickFlash from Reddit for this correction)
  • The twelfth page is a direct reference to the Kingdom Come comic.
  • The thirteenth page shows four different incarnations Superman has gone through since the entire DC Universe was rebooted in Flashpoint (Review).
    • The furthest is the reintroduced version of Superman who first appears in Superman Vol. 1: What Price Tomorrow? (Review).
    • The next one is the pre-Flashpoint Superman who goes on adventures in the Superman: Lois and Clark (Review) series.
    • The third is the same Superman as the second but is now wearing his costume from Action Comics Vol. 1: Path of Doom (Review).
    • The final is the current Superman, a fusion of the first and second versions. This fusion happened in Superman: Reborn.

An Enemy Within

The final page of this story contains artwork originally from Superman: The Secret Years #2, which is indicated by a note in this issue. Besides the artwork, the two stories have little in common.

The Car

This chapter appears to tell the aftermath of the story found in Action Comics #1, the first ever appearance of Superman. The cover of Action Comics #1 also reflects the state of the “car” seen in this chapter.

The Fifth Season

This chapter does not appear to specifically reference any other stories.

Of Tomorrow

The death of Superman’s parents is brought up in this chapter. Action Comics #17, collected in Action Comics Vol. 3: At The End Of Days, shows that the couple died in a car crash.

Five Minutes

This chapter does not appear to specifically reference any other stories.

Actionland!

The robots Superman fights in this chapter were made famous by “The Mechanical Monsters”, an episode of the 1940s Superman cartoon series.

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet

This chapter does not appear to specifically reference any other stories.

The Truth

This chapter brings up the fact that Superman has not been wearing his famous “shorts” for a long time. Superman stopped wearing his “shorts” in nearly every comic published after the DC Universe was rebooted in Flashpoint (Review).

Hopefully our breakdown helps enhance your appreciation for this wonderful comic book. We tried to be thorough with our analysis but it is certainly possible that we missed something. If you believe this to be the case, comment below or contact us via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest and we’ll make sure to correct it. Also, free to follow us on those accounts for more breakdowns like this