Warning: Spoilers for Action Comics #1082Since the 1940s, no villain has been a more constant, consistent, and continuous thorn inSuperman’sside than Lex Luthor. While other villains may come and go or appear periodically, Luthor has not only been a persistent threat to Superman’s well-being and interests, but also the villain most likely to succeed. The combination of these attributes —along with his ruthlessness— almost makes Luthor the perfect foe for Superman.
However, as revealed inAction Comics#1082 by John Ridley and Inaki Miranda, Master Disaster is another villain who, while not as intelligent, resourceful, or experienced as Lex Luthor, is arguably a more formidableSupermanadversary.
In this context, “more formidable” means thatMaster Disaster challenges Superman on a deeper level, striking at the core of how he perceives himself — specifically as Earth’s greatest protector of human life, especially the innocent and most vulnerable members of humanity. WhileLuthor often poses an existential threat to Supermanon a personal level, Master Disaster is a villain who threatens his very ability to “do his job,” which, for Superman, is as devastating as being defeated outright.
Master Disaster Is No Lex Luthor, But He’s a Better Superman Villain
Action Comics#1082 by John Ridley, Inaki Miranda, Ceci de la Cruz, and Dave Sharpe
Despite his recent appearance, Major Disaster, also known as the Count of Calamities, is not a new villain. He has been a longtime nemesis ofGreen Lantern and the Flash, dating back to hisdebut in Gardner Fox, Gil Kane, and Sid Greene’sGreen Lantern#43. Initially, he was a small-time “punk crook” who, by chance, stumbled upon thesecrets of Green Lantern and the Flashafter slipping into Thomas Kalmaku’s unoccupied apartment to evade the police pursuing him. Armed with this information, he decided to abandon his petty criminal ways and “go big.” Subsequently, he hired scientists to grant him the ability to create natural disasters.
Major Disaster may have Lex Luthor beaten as an interesting villain, but that doesn’t mean he’s irrelevant. Check out what Lex Luthor has been up to inSuperman#22 by Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora, available now from DC Comics.
Major Disaster canunleash natural disasters at will, ranging from earthquakes and tsunamis to hurricanes and floods. In other words, he can endanger millions of lives simultaneously. His threat is even more significant because it isn’t limited to a single location. For example, an earthquake could devastate an entire region, spreading destruction across a vast area. By no means is he considered anything near an “S-Tier” villain like Luthor. He’s often labeled as a “D-Tier” villain, putting him among the lowest ranks of super-powered criminals. However,Master Disaster’s abilities, especially when facing Superman, are uniquely devastating.
Superman’s first encounter with Major Disaster occurred in Len Wein and Curt Swan’sSuperman#341, where he attempted to secretly transfer his excess energy to an unsuspecting Superman. Their paths crossed again in Joe Kelly and Brandon Badeaux’sAction Comics#783, during a period of self-doubt for Superman. He was questioning his ability to protect humanity and wondering if fighting for justice was worth the effort. At that time,Superman successfully persuaded Major Disaster to abandon his life of crime. However, as revealed inAction Comics#1082, Major Disaster eventually returned to his villainous ways.
Master Disaster’s Power Is a True Threat to Superman’s “Save Everyone” Ethos
He Can Put Everyone in Danger All at Once
Over the years, Superman’s personality has become common knowledge among the villain class. This understanding has led many villains to believe that they can challenge Superman by creating situations where he must choose between saving innocents or stopping the criminal. Generally, however,Superman’s abilities and experience allow him to both save people and catch the villain. But in the case of Master Disaster, the potential number of people who could be affected by his powers is so great that saving everyone is nearly impossible, and catching a motivated villain is highly unlikely.
While taking down Major Disaster may not be asignificant challenge for Superman, what’s unsettling for the Man of Steel is the unavoidable risk of harm to innocent bystanders. Whenever Major Disaster unleashes his powers, Superman’s actions, whether directly confronting the villain or mitigating the disaster’s effects, inevitably put civilians in harm’s way. The harsh reality is that, once Major Disaster strikes,it’s nearly impossible to prevent all injuries or fatalities.
Superman’s values became cornerstones of his personality: immutable ideals that define him.
This dilemma was poignantly illustrated inAction Comics#1082. Despite Superman’s efforts to save everyone from the earthquake triggered by Major Disaster, he didn’t succeed, and that single loss weighs heavily on him. Other heroes may accept a few casualties out of thousands or millions, believing that it’s impossible to save everyone. ButSuperman is different. His humble upbringing in the Kansas farmlands instilled in him human values like empathy, the sanctity of human life, duty, responsibility, and the importance of helping others. These values became cornerstones of his personality: immutable ideals that define him.
Major Disaster Poses a Fundamental Threat to Superman’s Psyche
Continue FollowingAction Comicsfor More Major Disaster Action
When these values were paired with his near-omniscient abilities —the power to help virtually everyone on the planet— Superman developed an unyielding determination to save every life that could be spared. More often than not, however, he believes that in confronting a villain, he has theability to prevent all deaths within the area of operations. Allowing even a single loss of life runs counter to his idealism and aspirations. To him, it signifies failure and undermines his conviction that his extraordinary abilities can overcome any obstacle.
Lex Luthor is the perfect antithesis to Superman, which is why their rivalry is so compelling. Superman is humble and selfless, while Luthor is arrogant and narcissistic. Superman embodies physical strength, while Luthor relies on his intellect and cunning. They are two sides of the same coin. However, Master Disaster, at least on the surface, seems to havelittle in common with Superman. Their lack of any meaningful connection suggests that they don’t know each other well enough to be considered true rivals on a fundamental level.
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However, while Major Disaster may not rival Superman in direct combat, what he threatens is something far more profound: Superman’s personal reason for being. If Major Disaster succeeds, he won’t merely defeat Superman physically, but instead, he could shatter Superman’s very reasons for being a hero. If Superman begins to believe that he cannot meet his own exacting standards as a protector, it’s unlikely that he’ll continue to serve as one. In this way, Major Disaster surpasses anyone as a threat, as he could pushSupermanto abandon the fight altogether — something not even Luthor, his greatest rival, has been able to achieve.
Action Comics#1082is available now from DC Comics.
Superman
The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
