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Action Comics Vol 1 600

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"Different Worlds": Superman and Wonder Woman embrace and kiss, but the deer in the headlights look on Wonder Woman's face makes clear that this is not what she had in mind. Realizing he has overstepped, Superman offers an awkward, stumbling apology. He admits that he's been thinking of her cons

This is a first date, is it not? It should be about understanding, not consummation. Wonder Woman

Action Comics #600 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of May, 1988.

Synopsis for "Different Worlds"

Superman and Wonder Woman embrace and kiss, but the deer in the headlights look on Wonder Woman's face makes clear that this is not what she had in mind. Realizing he has overstepped, Superman offers an awkward, stumbling apology. He admits that he's been thinking of her constantly since they first met, even sharing that he had an "intense" dream about her, and when she contacted him about a date, he'd thought she felt the same.

Wonder Woman says she has a warrior's heart, but that she also has feelings, but she is new to a man's world and still trying to figure it out.

Superman offers to start over, and she agrees, so long as he agrees to call her Diana. They fly away and talk. She tells him that he is like a god on Earth, but he denies this, explaining that he has fought hard for his humanity, especially as he is in fact an alien. At heart, he's a Kansas farm boy.

Hermes summons Wonder Woman, and she breaks off the date, having to answer his call. Superman will not be left behind though, and flies through the portal to Olympus after her.

Arriving in Olympus, Superman finds the strange dimension negates many of his abilities. Odd gravity makes flying difficult and his super vision is highly hampered. He begins to search for Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman, meanwhile, quickly finds Hermes. She asks how this has happened, and he tells her that Darkseid has invaded Olympus.

Darkseid is displeased by the arrivals. His plans had so far progressed perfectly, and he doesn't want any interference. He send images to the heroes. First, Superman encounters an amorous Wonder Woman who throws herself at him. Wonder Woman encounters an arrogant Superman. The Superman turns out to be Kalibak in disguise, while the fake Wonder Woman is actually Amazing Grace. Both villains attack the heroes once their deception fails.

As Wonder Woman begins attacking Kalibak and Superman begins hammering away at Grace, both villains lead the heroes on a chase, bringing them close to each other before vanishing. As Superman and Wonder Woman encounter each other, they attack. Darkseid is pleased that the two heroes will destroy each other as he watches the titanic struggle. Soon, though, the battle crashes into the very room in which he stands, and the heroes face him, together. Superman explains the ruse. Both he and Wonder Woman realized the trick, and quickly knew who it was they fought. Under the cover of battle, they searched for Darkseid, and they finally found him.

Darkseid is unconcerned by this, planning to kill the heroes, but first he explains how Olympus owes it's existence to the creation of Apokolips and New Genesis. How energy from that creation struck Earth and spawned the gods, he will now take that and conquer Earth. Wonder Woman points out to him, though, that he has conquered nothing. The gods are not here. Without them, this is just a place. An angered Darkseid leaves, setting explosives to destroy Olympus and the heroes, but Hermes appears and tells them not to be concerned. The explosives go off, but Olympus is untouched. As Hermes explains, it is eternal. He returns the heroes home.

Superman is awed by what he has seen. She is a princess, a god, she visits Olympus and talks to the gods. He is just a Kansas farm boy and she is way out of his league. He asks that they just be friends. Wonder Woman agrees, on the condition that he call her Diana. Superman stumbles with this, but agrees to try... if she will call him Clark. They part friends.

Appearing in "Different Worlds"

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Synopsis for "True Love"

Lois Lane's cover has been blown and she's been caught by gunmen. She fights her way out, tying up the bad guys, calling in her story and catching a cap to the Daily Planet.

At the Daily Planet, the staff is all abuzz about an article out of Boston about the romance between Superman and Wonder Woman. This news has bumped Lois' article from the front page. Lois is upset by the news, almost as upset as Clark Kent who makes an attempt to assure Lois that the story is false. An upset Lois walks home, convinced it's true and that Clark's fumbling explanation proves it's true. Clark arrives at her apartment to talk, but while she cleans up, he gets a call from Jimmy Olsen and has to rush out as Superman. Lois comes out to find him gone, further upsetting her.

Appearing in "True Love"

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  • Criminals
    • Cholly (Cameo) (Single appearance)
    • Man (Unnamed) (Cameo) (Single appearance)
  • George Kozak (Cameo) (Single appearance)

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Synopsis for "Games People Play"

Maggie Sawyer meets with Lex Luthor. He's summoned the SCU to his office to discuss a truce. Maggie refuses to entertain that idea and declares that this must mean she's getting close to nailing Luthor. Luthor produces a dossier about Maggie, threatening to release it if she doesn't back off. It is strongly suggested that he has proof that she is gay.

Luthor slams his fist on the desk during the conversation, generating extreme pain in his hand. He screams and abruptly flees the meeting, demanding to see his doctor immediately. The doctor gets back the test results, indicating radiation damage from Luthor's kryptonite ring. He's going to lose the hand.

Sawyer and Turpin drive away. Sawyer has heard it before, and she's not ever running from anything ever again.

Appearing in "Games People Play"

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  • LexCorp Employees
    • Pearl (Single appearance)
    • Sandra (Single appearance)
    • Six Women Office Workers (Unnamed) (Cameo)
    • Two Women Scientist (Unnamed) (Cameo)
  • Metropolis Special Crimes Unit (Mentioned only)

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Synopsis for "A Friend in Need"


Appearing in "A Friend in Need"

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  • Krypton (Mentioned only)
  • Millersburg
  • Mount Fear Caverns

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Synopsis for "The Dark Where Madness Lies"


Appearing in "The Dark Where Madness Lies"

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  • Mount Fear Caverns

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Synopsis for "Pinups"


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Notes

  • This is the last monthly issue for 1988. Beginning in the next issue, Action Comics changes its title and publishing format to Action Comics Weekly.
  • This issue contains 5 pinups.
  • Different Worlds references the graphic novel Hunger Dogs, where New Genesis was destroyed. However, the place of that storyline in main continuity is unclear, since most Post-Crisis New Gods' stories ignore it.
    • This story is divided into the following sections:
      • Chapter One: First Date...
      • Chapter Two: Fallen Idols
      • Chapter Three: Broken-Mirrors
      • Interlude:
      • Chapter Four: Battle!
      • Chapter Five... This Hollow Victory...
  • True Love is reprinted in Lois Lane: A Celebration of 75 Years.
  • Games People Play is reprinted in Superman: They Saved Luthor's Brain.
  • The Dark Where Madness Lies is reprinted in The DC Universe by Mike Mignola.
  • This issue is reprinted in Superman: The Man of Steel Vol. 4 (2022 Edition).
    • This story continues in Superman (Volume 2) #18.
    • Originally, the Hawkman and, subsequently, Hawkwoman that appear in this story were intended to be the Silver Age Katar and Shayera Hol. However, with the restructured continuity brought about because of Hawkworld (Volume 2), their appearances here have been retroactively allocated to Fel Andar and Sharon Parker.

Trivia

  • The first indication of Maggie Sawyer's homosexuality is hinted at in this issue.
  • Superman states that the Kryptonite radiation is from the original explosion of Krypton. This means Krypton is within whatever age Superman is in light years.
  • In the Interlude to the story Different Worlds, the newspaper has the headlines "Mike Carlin revealed as Potts Clone" and "Karen I had Swamp Thing's Baby!".


See Also


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