Action Comics # 0 1994 NM-

Action Comics #0 is a special milestone issue published by DC Comics in October 1994. Released as part of DC's company-wide "Zero Month" initiative following the Zero Hour: Crisis in Time crossover event, every ongoing title published a #0 issue to clear up post-crisis timelines and delve into the main character's origin. It is instantly recognizable by its distinct "The Beginning of Tomorrow" banner emblazoned across the cover.

The Plot & Storyline

The main story, titled "The Yesterday Man" (functioning as Part 4 of the "Peer Pressure" narrative arc), bridges a cosmic universe reset with a deeply personal showdown:

• Surviving the Depths: Picking up from a massive cliffhanger in Adventures of Superman #0 where Superman was blasted into open water by a lethal dose of kryptonite radiation, the issue opens with a battered Superman dragging himself out of the depths, fueled by his thoughts of Lois Lane.
• The Climax Against Conduit: Superman faces down his most personal enemy of the era—Conduit (Kenny Braverman). Kenny was Clark Kent's childhood friend from Smallville whose body was permanently mutated by Kryptonite radiation on the day Superman's pod crashed. Driven insane by a lifetime of jealousy, Conduit targets the Man of Steel using specialized armor rigged with high-tech weaponized cables capable of firing raw kryptonite beams.
• Origin Revelations & Flashbacks: Because of the thematic rules of "Zero Month", the high-stakes battle is interspersed with critical flashbacks detailing Clark's upbringing. The narrative highlights the intense peer pressure Clark faced as a child trying to hide his godlike superpowers from his peers, contrasted against the deeply abusive, high-pressure upbringing Kenny received from his own overbearing father.

Creative Team & Significance

• Creators: The issue was written by prolific veteran David Michelinie and dynamically illustrated by the penciling and inking team of Jackson Guice and Denis Rodier.
• The Conduit Saga: This issue serves as the grand finale to the localized Peer Pressure storyline, cementing Conduit as one of the definitive, tragic villains of the mid-90s Superman mythos before launching into the broader Judgment Day saga.
• Easter Egg: The comic features a tongue-in-cheek reference to a "Professor Parker's photography class," which was widely recognized by fans as a sly nod to Marvel's Peter Parker (Spider-Man).

Collectibility & Variations

As a major cornerstone of the 1990s speculator boom, this issue is a fun, accessible piece of history:

• Direct Edition: Sold across specialty shops, featuring Jackson Guice's artwork of a modern Superman breaking out of the frame while a glowing green image of Conduit looms ominously in the background.
• Newsstand Edition: Distributed to grocery stores and traditional retail spinner racks, replacing the Direct Edition's stylized bottom corner logo with a standard barcode.