Reign of the Supermen #4: Super-Ant

Source: Action Comics #296 (1963)
Type: Red K transformationHide the picnic basket, it's one of the most famous Red Kryptonite transformations on record!

While giant ants are invading the Earth and apparently using Green Kryptonite to keep Superman at bay, he flies into a cloud of Red K (this thing's been hanging around since Superboy #101) that gives you temporary immunity to Green K AND whatever head you concentrate on. It's the Silver Age, folks, and stuff happens because the script says it does. Don't question it.

Superman flies in with his ant-head to save Lois whom they're trying to make their queen, and starts communicating with them with his new antennae. He discovers they're really friendly and have come with a message of peace. The humans on their world destroyed themselves in a nuclear holocaust, the fallout of which super-evolved them into giant, intelligent ants. They traveled to other worlds where the same thing happened, giving way to the rise of plant or mineral intelligences. Then they saw Earth was fooling around with atomic bombs, so they came by, but crashed. Unable to communicate with us, they were just trying to build a new rocketship (run by liquid Green K fuel, if you'll believe it, and you must --> Silver Age) and then jog Superman's super-intelligence by kidnapping Lois (SILVER AGE, I SAY!!!). They leave, it's all fine, Lois wins another Pulitzer. And Superman is left to transmit the ants' message of peace to the United Nations:
Cough, cough.

Comments

Anonymous said…
That speech to the U.N. is a red kryptonite moment all by itself.
Siskoid said…
Give ants a chance.
Austin Gorton said…
"I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords. I'd like to remind them that as a trusted TV personality, I can be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground sugar caves."


Superman flies in with his ant-head to save Lois whom they're trying to make their queen

Of course they are...
Siskoid said…
Their mastery of human relationships is impeccable.