{"product_id":"superman-the-man-of-steel-22-1993-nm","title":"Superman: The Man of Steel # 22 1993 NM-","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eSuperman: The Man of Steel #22\u003c\/b\u003e is a historic and highly celebrated comic book published by DC Comics on April 29, 1993 (featuring a June 1993 cover date). It serves as Part 2 of the legendary \"Reign of the Supermen!\" storyline. It is permanently etched into comic book history as the official first full appearance and origin story of John Henry Irons as Steel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe Plot \u0026amp; Storyline\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eFollowing the Death of Superman, four mysterious new individuals emerge to claim the mantle of the Man of Steel. This issue introduces the most human and grounded of the four:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"margin-top: 0in;\" type=\"disc\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;\"\u003eThe Folk Tale Opening: The story opens with John Henry Irons (living under the alias \"Henry Johnson\") telling a group of neighborhood kids the classic American folklore of John Henry—the legendary steel-driving man who fought a machine and won, but died in the process. John reflects that he is fighting a much deadlier machine.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;\"\u003eForging a Hero: A violent local street gang known as the \"Mustangs\" firebombs John's apartment building. Realizing nobody is left to protect the inner-city neighborhood of Suicide Slum, the brilliant weapons engineer constructs a towering suit of mechanized, iron-alloy armor equipped with a massive sledgehammer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;\"\u003eThe Debut against the Mustangs: Debuting his armored alter-ego, Steel tracks down the gang to disarm them and halt their crime wave. He demands to know who supplied them with their high-tech, military-grade energy weapons (the \"Toastmasters\").\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;\"\u003eThe White Rabbit's Snipe: Before a gang member can speak, he is sniped from a rooftop by The White Rabbit, a ruthless female underground crime lord with past ties to John Henry. She leaves Steel alive, viewing him as a potentially profitable adversary for the future.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;\"\u003eLois Lane \u0026amp; Lex Luthor: Meanwhile, an emotionally vulnerable Lois Lane tries to cope with Clark Kent's legal death while warding off the opportunistic advances of union leader Jeb Friedman. Over at LexCorp, a young Lex Luthor monitors news reports of this new \"Man of Steel\", confident he can eventually put this armor-clad hero on his payroll.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eCreative Team \u0026amp; Impact\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"margin-top: 0in;\" type=\"disc\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;\"\u003eCreators: This historic issue was written by Louise Simonson and beautifully illustrated by the fan-favorite artistic duo of penciler Jon Bogdanove and inker Dennis Janke.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;\"\u003eLegacy: John Henry Irons quickly became one of DC’s most beloved heroes of the 1990s, branching off into his own long-running solo Steel series and eventually being adapted into a 1997 live-action movie starring Shaquille O'Neal.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eCollectibility \u0026amp; Variations\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThis key issue was a massive seller during the 90s comic boom and features two prominent editions:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"margin-top: 0in;\" type=\"disc\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;\"\u003eCollector’s Edition (Die-Cut Cover): The premium comic shop version featuring a distinctive silver, die-cut outer cardboard cover shaped like Superman's shield. Opening it reveals a full-color splash page underneath, and the issue originally came packaged with a large, fold-out Steel wall poster.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;\"\u003eStandard Edition: A regular comic book printing featuring standard cover art of Steel leaping into action in front of a shattered glass background, distributed to newsstands and traditional retailers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BattleBuddyComics.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49268546175076,"sku":"BX28","price":3.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0728\/7606\/4868\/files\/IMG_2026_09_20_17_11_15_253.jpg?v=1789942345","url":"https:\/\/battlebuddycomics.com\/products\/superman-the-man-of-steel-22-1993-nm","provider":"BattleBuddyComics.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}