Action Comics is still in the Superman Superstars era, and the latest issue gives readers the team of Ms. Marvel creator and current Poison Ivy writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Gavin Guidry, teaming for a story that takes Clark Kent to Greenland to report on a story about scientists trying to refreeze the arctic. However, things immediately go awry when they’re attacked by cybernetically enhanced polar bears. Clark Kent is going to be useless in this type of situation, but Superman is another story. The Big Blue Boy Scout shows up to save the day, but he’s wearing a very different Superman costume. Instead of the blue, red, and yellow union suit, Superman gets an amazing all-white number, and honestly, we’re kind of obsessed with it.
Superman has had some brilliant costumes over the years, and has several versions of the main suit. The white Superman suit is brilliant, and this isn’t the first time we’ve seen it. Over the years, Superman has worn white suits for special occasions. They usually aren’t just cool sartorial changes, but suits that help Superman win his many battles. The white Superman costume has something of a legacy, and its appearance in Action Comics #1085 is its latest addition to that.
all-star Superman
The white suit has made an appearance several times, but the last two major appearances of it has shown what the suit is for. In All-Star Superman #11, Superman has to go out and fight Solaris the Tyrant Sun. Solaris is a sentient, man-made star from the far future, and that makes it the perfect Superman foe. Solaris is able to transform the yellow rays of Earth’s sun into blue, taking away Superman’s powers, adding an extra bit of challenge to the situation. So, instead of wearing his normal suit, Superman puts on the white suit, which constantly charges his body with yellow sun energy, converting other frequencies of light into what Superman needs. The white suit in All-Star Superman gives Superman the power he needs to take down Solaris, but it is shredded in the battle, leaving Superman with less power than before to use against a superpowered Lex Luthor.
The white suit in All-Star Superman was crucial to Superman’s survival, and it’s next major appearance saw it become even more important. Superman: Lost began with Superman being thrown across the universe, so far that it will take him years to get home. Not every star out there has yellow sunlight, and Superman needed all the power he could get, so he was given a new white suit. This white suit did the same things as the one from All-Star Superman for his powers, but also had an onboard computer system which helped with navigation. It’s different looking than the All-Star Superman white suit, with a more traditional S-shield instead of the star one from All-Star. Much like the white suit in All-Star, this one was also heavily damaged over his years of use of it. White suits are apparently meant to charge Superman’s powers, which makes it a weird suit to wear in this situation. Lois tells Clark to bring something warm to wear, so this new white suit may just be a polar version of the ordinary suit. Regardless of which, it’s an awesome looking suit.
Superman’s costume is one of the best in the history of superhero comics. It’s a simple design, created using elements of circus strongman costumes, and other than the changing S-shield, it’s stayed basically the same as it always has. Superman’s costume is iconic, so any change to it is going to have some fans angry, but the white suits Superman has worn in stories like All-Star Superman and Superman: Lost are amazing. There’s something about seeing Superman in the all-white suit, and seeing it again in Action Comics #1085 was a treat.
Of course, looking at the white suits of the past, it’s hard to figure out whether this is a cosmetic change or one that is for a reason. White suits are usually suits that help him keep his powers, so maybe he needs it because of the amount of sunlight that Greenland gets? However, even if the change is just cosmetic, it’s still such a beautiful costume.
Action Comics #1085 is on sale now.
Action Comics is still in the Superman Superstars era, and the latest issue gives readers the team of Ms. Marvel creator and current Poison Ivy writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Gavin Guidry, teaming for a story that takes Clark Kent to Greenland to report on a story about scientists trying to refreeze the arctic. Read More