Superman’s Iconic First Appearance Gets Genius Twist in Pop Culture Crossover with [SPOILER]

The Multiverse is an absolutely massive place with an infinite number of characters in it, which leads to an infinite number of potential crossovers. And thanks to the Multiverse, one of the most iconic and famous images of Superman was just given a brand new pop-culture twist in a truly wild team-up.

Warner Brothers owns a lot of IPs, from Animaniacs to Batman, allowing DC Comics to have some pretty fun crossovers now and then. There’s no better proof of that than the Multiversus: Collision Detected series. As part of a tie-in for the new Multiversus video game, DC is launching a new comic miniseries that explores the dynamic of these characters, something the game doesn’t have the time to get into. This has led to some pretty absurd covers, but perhaps the most hilarious is this parody of the iconic cover of Action Comics #1.

In Dan Mora’s cover for Multiversus: Collision Detected #3, Superman is shown lifting the Mystery Machine as several characters, such as Steven Universe and Bugs Bunny, look on in abject horror. While this cover situation is already funny, the history of Action Comics #1 makes it even more hilarious.

This Iconic Superman Image Isn’t What People Think It Is

Cover of Action Comics #1 by Joe Shuster

There’s been a fairly common misconception about what is actually happening in this famous cover image. Seeing Superman lifting a car over his head and people running for safety, most fans usually assume that Superman is stopping a speeding car or doing something to save the people in the immediate vicinity. But that actually isn’t true. As covered in a story from Action Comics #1, the characters on this cover are a group of fleeing criminals, and Superman lifts their car up to promptly smash it against some rocks, destroying the car and preventing the criminals from escaping.

This fact completely changes the context of the cover for Multiversus: Collision Detected #3. Superman isn’t lifting the Mystery Machine to simply protect or move it, but he’s instead, apparently, threatening to smash it into oblivion. This story context explains all the alarmed looks of characters like Bugs Bunny and Steven Universe. It also goes a long way to explain the terrified looks of Shaggy and Scooby-Doo, who are still inside the Mystery Machine. Why Superman would decide he’s going to obliterate the Mystery Machine is the true mystery of the cover, though perhaps Superman is finally fed up with all these crossover events.

Originally, Superman Completely Destroyed the Famous Green Car

Superman Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

Action Comics #1 is an old comic, having come out almost well over 80 years ago. Because it’s from another time, when the traditional narrative conventions of superhero comics had yet to be developed, even major fans of Superman aren’t likely to have read it, which is why some have mistakenly assumed that Superman is saving the other characters. The truth is that Superman was absolutely obliterating the car to stop criminals from escaping, making this Scooby-themed parody image even more hilarious. For whatever reason, it seems that Superman just isn’t a fan of the Mystery Machine.

Multiversus: Collision Detected #3 is available October 16th, 2024 from DC Comics!