Many heroes received controversial redesigns in the ’90s, but few were as beloved by fans as Superman’s mullet. Now, Man of Steel’s iconic hairstyle is back in a hilarious new art form, bringing back the hero’s byword for death and rebirth.
The mullet was first introduced in the works of Louise Simonson and John Bogdanov. Superman: Man of Steel #25part of the 1993 storyline Reign of Superman. This issue is notable for the long-awaited return of Clark Kent after his death at the hands of Doomsday in 1992.Mullet then became a mainstay of the character for several years before finally being cut in 1996 Superman: The Wedding Album, written by Dan Jurgens, Karl Kesel, David Michelinie, Louise Simonson, and Roger Stern, with pages drawn by Nick Cardy. The mullet has since become a combination of fan-favorite and infamous, emblematic of everything about DC Comics in the ’90s, both admired and ridiculed. But one thing’s for sure: The most iconic image of Clark Kent in the 1990s is none other than the mullet Superman.
This November, the mullet returns as part of a series of DC’s ’90s tribute variant covers.Classic cover artist Roger Cruz contributes variant cover to Superman Action Comics #1049.This issue marks the end of the Action Comics section Kal-El Returns cross, cross over action comics and Superman: Son of Kal-El. For months, Superman has been trapped in Warworld, trying to free its inhabitants from their prisons while leaving his son Jon in charge of protecting the planet. With Clark Kent returning as Superman after a period of absence, it’s fitting that the crossover would feature Superman’s mullet, considering the mullet symbolized his original posthumous return. Check out Cruz’s cover below.
Cruz’s variant cover is part of DC’s ’90s Cover Month, which spans the month of November. This month, more than 15 DC titles will receive covers based on famous images, characters and moments from DC Comics from the ’90s. The cover depicts Superman drying his magical mullet, much to the dismay of Crypto the Super-Dog, who is trapped by the reverse flow of a hair dryer. While he’s not wearing the black costume he originally returned for, the mullet is still a symbol of Clark Kent’s return as Superman, and judging by the look of the cover, he’s very proud of it.
Kal-El Returns Throughout Action Comics #1047-1049and Superman: Son of Kal-El #16-18 Created by writers Philip Kennedy Johnson and Tom Taylor, artist credits are still to be announced.Like Superman Returns in 1993, Philip Kennedy Johnson described the crossover as “A new era of Superman.” The crossover movie also includes the return of classic Superman villain Metallo, who claims to be Johnson’s favorite Superman villain, and Johnson is promising, “The most powerful and terrifying Metallo you’ve ever seen.”
It remains to be seen how Clark Kent’s return will impact the DC Universe, especially his son Jon Kent, but this crossover will certainly be exciting for fans of the character. There’s no confirmation yet that Kal-El’s return will feature any hair-based changes to the character, but this variant cover still allows fans to relive the 1990s by basking in the glorious sight of Superman’s mullet.
Action Comics #1049 DC Comics will launch this November.