The ’90s saw many heroes receive controversial redesigns, but few stuck with fans in the same way as Superman’s mullet. Now, the Man of Steel’s iconic hairstyle is returning in hilarious new art, bringing back a look that’s synonymous with the hero’s death and rebith.
The mullet was first introduced in Louise Simonson and John Bogdanove’s Superman: The Man of Steel #25, part of the 1993 storyline Reign of the Supermen. This issue is famous for being Clark Kent’s long-awaited return after his death at the hands of Doomsday in 1992. The mullet then became a mainstay of the character for several years, before finally being cut during 1996’s Superman: The Wedding Album, written by Dan Jurgens, Karl Kesel, David Michelinie, Louise Simonson and Roger Stern, in a page drawn by Nick Cardy. The mullet has since become a combination of beloved and infamous among fans, symbolic of everything both adored and derided about DC Comics in the ’90s. One thing’s for certain though: there’s no more iconic image of Clark Kent during the 1990s than a mulleted Superman.
This November, as part of DC’s run of 1990s tribute variant covers, the mullet returns. Classic cover artist Roger Cruz contributes a variant cover of Superman for Action Comics #1049. This issue marks the conclusion of the Action Comics portion of the Kal-El Returns crossover, which crosses between Action Comics and Superman: Son of Kal-El. For months now, Superman has been trapped on Warworld, attempting to free its denizens from imprisonment while leaving his son Jon in charge of protecting Earth. Featuring Superman’s mullet during a crossover in which Clark Kent returns as Superman after a period of absence is only appropriate, given how the mullet symbolized his original return after his death. Check out Cruz’s cover below.
Cruz’s variant cover is part of DC’s ’90s Cover Month, which spans the month of November. During this month, over 15 DC titles will receive covers based on famous images, characters and moments from 1990s DC Comics. The cover depicts Superman in the process of drying his fabulous mullet to the dismay of Krypto the Superdog, caught in the backdrafts of the hair dryer. While he’s not sporting his black costume from his original return, the mullet still stands as a symbol of Clark Kent being back as Superman, and by the look of the cover, he couldn’t be prouder of it.
Kal-El Returns runs through Action Comics #1047-1049, and Superman: Son of Kal-El #16-18 from writers Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Tom Taylor, with artists still to be announced. Much like when Superman returned in 1993, Philip Kennedy Johnson describes the crossover as “a New Era for Superman.” The crossover also features the return of classic Superman villain Metallo, Johnson’s self-professed favorite Superman villain, with Johnson promising, “the strongest and scariest Metallo you’ve ever seen.”
It remains to be seen exactly how Clark Kent’s return will impact the DC Universe, especially his son Jon Kent, but this crossover promises to be an exciting one for fans of the character. There’s no confirmation of any hair-based changes to the character with Kal-El’s return, but this variant cover still allows fans to relive the 1990s by basking in the glorious sight that is Superman’s mullet.
Action Comics #1049 is coming from DC Comics this November.