The Passing of Marty Pasko; Superman #332

I learned on Monday night that writer Marty Pasko had passed away.

Pasko was one of those names that I learned to recognize and associate with a good story even at a young age. I was heavily into DC even as a wee lad and people knew I loved Superman even back then. So the books that I cut my teeth on, the books that cemented my love of Superman and super-lore often had Pasko's name on them.

Whether it was Bizarro or the Atomic Skull or the Kryptonoid, Pasko always meant a happy reader. And I was lucky enough to meet him and thank him for his impact on me a few years back at Terrificon (here on the far right next to Keith Giffen and Paul Kupperberg).

Now you might think that Action Comics #500 would be my favorite Pasko story and it is close.

But I have to say that Mr. Pasko also wrote what might be my single favorite issue of all time, First Issue Special #9 starring Dr. Fate. That issue is brilliant.

But Pasko also taught be about dramatic turns and mature story telling in comics.

Here is the climax from Superman #329. In this story, Kryptonian microbots have fused with a Superman robot and a General who loathes Superman, blaming the Man of Steel for an accident which cost the General his arm. At the end, Superman points out that it was the robot the man fused with who was responsible for that accident. The resulting mental anguish incapacitates the Kryptonoid.

As a kid when I read this I was floored. I remember these panels vividly. But those aren't the only dramatic panels that are burned into my brain.

Whenever a hero of mine from the Bronze Age passes, I always grieve with good friend Mart Gray. We both have similar comic histories so we can commiserate and talk about shared stories and favorite issues.

When the news broke, Mart and I decided to honor the man by reviewing one of our favorite stories, Superman #331 and #332. Head here to read Mart's coverage of part one. Here is my cover to part 2, one of those Whitman pack variants!

For me, I am thrilled to review part two because the last panels in this issue taught me how powerful a medium comics can be, how the art can complement the story so well, and how tough topics like adults and romance could be covered in books aimed for kids.

Godspeed Mr. Pasko. Read on for more coverage of this issue.

Last issue, a man in a prison guards uniformed and powered with the abilities of the Parasite and the Atomic Skull kidnapped both Superman and Lana Lang.

In 'The Eternity Cage' by Pasko with art by Curt Swan and Frank Chiaramonte, we learn all the background story and what is fueling this villain.

But already you can see this man is delusional. It seems unlikely that you truly love Lana if you kidnapped her and have her encased in a glass display. Moreover, having Superman be trapped in a prison forever is not a good look.

Get ready to be creeped out because the villain here is a terrible example of a man who believes he is owed the devotion of a woman who doesn't love him.

You see how he calls her feisty and tells her that she will be with him for the rest of her life.

Mr. Draper had been the architect behind a super-villain prison built with power dampeners. He was getting all the credit when Superman put the prison on a rocket platform to make it even more escape-proof.

Now utilizing the power dampeners to give him powers, this jailer is going to make Superman's life miserable and show Lana why he deserves her love.

Superman awakens to see he is trapped. The only way out is through a mirrored maze in front of him. Draper promises him that the way out is on the other side of the mirror if Superman can get there.

But it isn't just a maze. Superman is powerless, drained by the Parasite modules which are all around the place. And other traps like sections which flood are everywhere.

Still, Superman has little choice.

More of Draper's madness seeps out as he continues to tell Lana why she should be with him.

Superman has never returned her love. But he has never discouraged it. Instead, according to Draper, Superman has strung Lana along, making it impossible for her to seek out other men. Men, of course, like Draper.

There is a lot of hate here. And even if he says he loves Lana, you can see he is angry at her for not returning or even knowing his love. He seems to be the template of a possessive abuser.

He finally tells Lana his back story.

She knew him back in Smallville when he was an awkward, overweight teen named 'Moosie' Draper who secretly pined for Lana. Once, a school trip got lost within a cave. Moosie on his own found a way out but by the time he returned to be the hero, Superboy had rescued everyone and seemed to have one Lana's love.

That both motivated 'Moosie' but also filled him with self-hate.

Suddenly he knew he needed to change himself, better himself, all so he could win women like Lana.

He hit the gym, got plastic surgery, excelled in architecture and locksmithing.

Still, being fueled by self-hatred is a consuming drive. Unless you can turn that hate outwards.

In some ways, this could have been a heroic story of someone learning to better himself and learn to love himself and get confidence. Instead, it is a villain's origin.

Moving through the maze, Superman reaches the center where a hungry panther stalks him. Even without his powers, Superman is able to neutralize the big cat without killing it.

This enrages Draper even more. He could have been a magician or an escape artist. But instead he decided to help humanity with his prison designs. But just like in Smallville, Superman stole the headline when he put the prison in orbit. Was what Draper's victory was just another defeat.

Remember, Draper is doing this to prove his love for Lana. But all that anger. Talk about red flags.

Even here, when he dons a super-villain's mask and talks about how he has been slighted, he keeps coming back to how he deserves Lana's affections and that the only reason she hasn't fallen in love with him is because of Superman. Chilling.

And thus was born the Master Jailer.

Amazingly, Superman makes it to the other side of the maze.

But then the eternity part of the trap is sprung. He is blasted by a module charged with Atomic Skull energy. The maze turns as if on a turntable, putting Superman back at the beginning of the maze.

And moreover ... and I am not sure why ... he has amnesia.

Not a bad brilliant evil misguided trap by a villain.

Trying to figure out who he is, Superman finds the compressed Clark clothes in his cape pocket.

Meanwhile, Draper ups the 'icky' factor by telling Lana he is 'confident' that she will learn to love him even if it is 'the hard way' and then forces a kiss on her.

Yeesh.

Unfortunately, we still see this sort of toxic controlling behavior even today.

Luckily, while in his grasp, Lana is able to chuck his power modules into his prison control, destroying the whole thing.

With the Parasite dampeners off, Superman's powers return. And when he sees his reflection in the mirror (albeit when dressed in the Clark clothes) he remembers who he is.

He bashes into the Jailer's control room and takes him out easily. But how creepy that even as he falls unconscious he is still saying how much he loves Lana.

My skin crawls when I read this whole thing.

Back in Metropolis, Lana basically mirrors Draper's behavior.

She throws herself at Superman and talks about how he thought she would have to love him because he loved her. And yet that is just what Lana is thinking with Superman.

Look at Superman with his side eye and 'You're a fine one to talk.'

And then the panels that have stuck with me this whole time.

Superman calls Lana out on her misguided feelings and how she doesn't really love him. That first panel with the glass door between them is so similar to the glass case she was in with Draper. Moreover, it shows how Superman literally wants space from her.

And then those tall narrow panels of Lana banging against the glass until she lowers her head crestfallen.

I remember them vividly.

As a kid, I wondered why so much space was devoted to Lana. I pored over that ending trying to decipher the meaning knowing it must mean something. As a slightly older reader I loved how it silently showed Lana's self-realization of who she was and how she was acting.  As an old reader, I know it takes artistic courage to do something like this.

God speed Marty Pasko. You were a legend to this comic reader.

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