Action Comics #1050, from writers Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Tom Taylor and Joshua Williamson (with art by Mike Perkins, Clayton Henry and Nick Dragotta), recently went on sale and put one of the DC Universe's biggest genies back in the bottle.
Superman's secret identity has been known to the public for some time now, leading to one of the biggest status quo shifts in the character's storied history. However, it's once again a secret, and DC Comics has clearly taken inspiration from Marvel Comics' divisive "One More Day" storyline in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man.
Heck, there's even a deal with the devil...sort of!
In Action Comics #1050, Lex Luthor unleashes the power of a device that uses Manchester Black's telepathic abilities to make the world forget that Clark Kent and his son, Jon, and both Superman. While there's lots of evidence out there that reveals the true names of each Man of Steel, the mindwipe makes it so that people simply won't see it.
"It's not just that people have forgotten who you are," Batman explains. "The suggestion is so strong that it extends to any images or other media people see. If it contradicts what their mind is telling them, they reject it."
The exact same thing happened with Spider-Man, though the hero unmasking in front of anyone who previously knew his secret identity would restore their memories of him being Peter Parker. In Superman's case, many of his friends - like the Dark Knight - will continue knowing he and Clark are one and the same.
There's another interesting twist, however, when Luthor mentions that anyone who re-learns Superman's identity may die from the information due to the stress inflicted on their minds.
We see this firsthand when Perry White learns that Clark is Superman and ends up having a stroke, leading to The Daily Planet boss being hospitalised. Needless to say, we can imagine this leading to a lot of very interesting stories down the line!
Let us know your thoughts on Action Comics #1050 in the comments section below.