In terms of both variety of powers and power level, Superman is one of the greatest superheroes in all of comics. However, his physical prowess often overshadows that the Man of Steel has a mind to match his body. Action Comics #1063 by Jason Aaron and John Timms highlights this point, as he faces Bizarro in a mental warzone.
Teamed with Bizarro Joker (“The sanest man on Htrae!”) Superman must enter into his own mindscape to fight Bizarro’s efforts to control him. Upon arriving in Superman’s mental map of Metropolis, Bizarro Joker is surprised by how real and complete it seems. Superman replies that he’s tried to learn his neighborhood, like a police officer pounding a beat. It’s just that Superman sees all 197 million square miles of Earth as his neighborhood.
The cover and first five pages of Action Comics #1063 can be viewed below.
Superman has a Super-Mind to Match His Strength
The off-hand remark about knowing the world in good detail speaks to Superman’s modesty. However, it also is a subtle indicator of just how powerful his memory and mind are. It is easy for this point to be forgotten given how frequently the Man of Steel works with Batman.
While Clark Kent may not be as broadly educated as Batman, he is far from dependent on his muscles or his powers. This was more apparent back in the Silver Age, when the Fortress of Solitude was shown to have an otherworldly science lab. Superman was often shown performing experiments, like trying to find an antidote for Kryptonite. While the modern Fortress has a similar space, it is rare for him to be shown using it unaided.
However, some modern writers do make note of Superman’s enhanced intelligence. A prime example of this came in the New 52 Action Comics series. Here, Superman once read an entire medical library in seconds, to give himself the knowledge needed to perform emergency surgery on Lois Lane. Granting this feat also involved the use of his super-speed, it would not have worked if Superman did not have the mind to match his body.
Action Comics #1063 arrives in comic shops everywhere on March 12, 2024.
