Superman: Last Son of Krypton

Last updated
Superman: Last Son of Krypton
Last Son of Krypton.jpg
Author Elliot S. Maggin
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Superhero fiction
Publisher Warner Books
Publication date
1978
Media typePrint (paperback), ebook (html)
Pages238 pp (first edition paperback)
ISBN 0-446-82319-8 (first edition paperback)
OCLC 4562020
Followed by Miracle Monday  

Superman: Last Son of Krypton is a novel written by Elliot S. Maggin and based on the DC Comics character Superman. It was published in 1978. The novel was published as a tie-in to the release of Superman: The Movie , with an image of Christopher Reeve on the cover and (in its original edition) a section of photographs from the film. The novel is not, however, a novelization of the film, but rather a sequel, diverging from the film's story.

Contents

Plot summary

Last Son of Krypton is Elliot S. Maggin's first Superman novel. It tells the "life story" of Superman; from his birth on the planet Krypton, to his childhood in Smallville and his career as Superboy, to his arrival in Metropolis and his career as Superman. The main antagonist in this story is a mysterious alien ruler with ties to Superman's past. Superman and his greatest enemy, Lex Luthor, must join forces to retrieve a document written by Albert Einstein and stop the alien ruler.

History

From a 1996 amazon.com interview of the author, Elliot S. Maggin [1] (original removed from Amazon.com):

Last Son of Krypton started out as a treatment for a movie -- the Superman movie that I was trying to convince DC Comics needed to be made as far back as 1974. When Mario Puzo showed up at the office one day to tell me he'd gotten an assignment to write a Superman movie and would I spend a couple of days with him telling him who the character was, I was thrilled and disappointed. I spent two days with Puzo, telling stories and smoking enormous cigars, and had a fine time. Then I took my ignored little film treatment upstairs to Warner Books where a senior editor said go ahead and write a novel out of it. I did, and through a series of unlikely events, the novel was published the same day as the movie was released, and became a bestseller.


The book was released when I lived in New Hampshire, the day Superman: The Movie was released. I got a frantic phone call that week from the guy who was president of DC Comics saying that Alexander Salkind -- the producer of the movie -- wanted to sue me. Apparently someone had finally read him the book or something, and he thought there were too many incidents in common with the movie. I said that I had not seen the movie or read the script, but that I had handed in my manuscript a full year before Mario Puzo handed in his script, and owing to my conversations with Puzo. I told this guy where to look for proof of that, and said maybe I should sue Salkind.

Maggin said in 1997 that he knew that "nobody at DC with any clout" read the book, because no one prevented him from using the Xerox trademark when discussing an extraterrestrial criminal enterprise that smuggles the company's photocopiers (the best in the galaxy) from Earth. Maggin said that "the Xerox Corporation's response, by the way, was to buy fifty-thousand copies of Last Son for their employee book club". [2]

Audiobook

In 2018, Maggin did an audiobook reading of the novel on his podcast, "Elliot Makes Stuff Up". [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krypton (comics)</span> Fictional planet, native world of Superman

Krypton is a fictional planet appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly appearing or mentioning in stories starring the superhero Superman as the world he came from. The planet was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and was named after the chemical element krypton. The planet was first mentioned in Action Comics #1 and made its first appearance in Superman #1 (1939).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elliot S. Maggin</span> American writer of comic books, film, television and novels

Elliot S. Maggin, also spelled Elliot S! Maggin, is an American writer of comic books, film, television, and novels. He was a main writer for DC Comics during the Bronze and early Modern ages of comics in the 1970s and 1980s. He is particularly associated with the character of Superman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smallville (comics)</span> Fictional place in the USA; childhood and adolescent hometown of Superman

Smallville is a fictional town in American comic books published by DC Comics. The childhood hometown of Superman, Smallville was first named in Superboy #2. The town is the setting of many Superboy comics where Superboy defends Smallville from various threats.

<i>Superman</i> (1978 film) 1978 film by Richard Donner

Superman is a 1978 superhero film based on the character by DC Comics. An international co-production between the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Panama and the United States, it was supervised by Alexander and Ilya Salkind, produced by their partner Pierre Spengler and written by Mario Puzo from a story by Puzo, and is the first installment in the Superman film series. Directed by Richard Donner, the film features an ensemble cast including Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Jeff East, Margot Kidder, Glenn Ford, Phyllis Thaxter, Jackie Cooper, Trevor Howard, Marc McClure, Terence Stamp, Valerie Perrine, Ned Beatty, Jack O'Halloran, Maria Schell, and Sarah Douglas. It depicts the origin of Superman (Reeve), including his infancy as Kal-El of Krypton, son of Jor-El (Brando) and his youthful years in the rural town of Smallville. Disguised as reporter Clark Kent, he adopts a mild-mannered disposition in Metropolis and develops a romance with Lois Lane (Kidder) while battling the villainous Lex Luthor (Hackman).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krypto</span> Comic book superdog

Krypto, also known as Krypto the Superdog, is a fictional superhero dog appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the character Superman. In most continuities, Krypto is Superman's pet dog, usually depicted as a white dog of a generic pedigree. Krypto is sometimes depicted as resembling a Labrador Retriever, a plain white Dalmatian, a White Shepherd, or even a primitive dog such as a spitz-type dog such as a husky or a laika, a dingo, a pye-dog, or a tugou, but his specific breed is almost never specified.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jor-El</span> Fictional character appearing in DC Comics

Jor-El, originally known as Jor-L, is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, Jor-El first appeared in a newspaper comic strip in 1939 with Superman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eradicator (character)</span> Fictional character from DC Comics

Eradicator is the given name of four different fictional comic book characters, appearing in books published by DC Comics. The first iteration was an antihero character appearing in The Flash series of comics. The second was a superhero having a recurring role in Superman stories, and the remaining two first appeared in 2013 and 2017, respectively.

<i>Superman II</i> 1980 superhero film directed by Richard Lester

Superman II is a 1980 superhero film directed by Richard Lester and written by Mario Puzo and David and Leslie Newman from a story by Puzo based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the second installment in the Superman film series and a sequel to Superman (1978). It stars Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Terence Stamp, Ned Beatty, Sarah Douglas, Margot Kidder, and Jack O'Halloran. The film was released in Australia and mainland Europe on December 4, 1980, and in other countries throughout 1981. Selected premiere engagements of Superman II were presented in Megasound, a high-impact surround sound system similar to Sensurround.

<i>Miracle Monday</i> Book by Elliot S. Maggin

Miracle Monday is a novel written by Elliot S. Maggin, starring the DC Comics superhero Superman. It was published in 1981. A revised edition was published in 2017. This is Elliot S. Maggin's second Superman novel, following Superman: Last Son of Krypton. As with Maggin's first novel, the original edition was published as a tie-in with the then-current Superman film series, with the first edition including a photograph of Christopher Reeve as the character; the novel is not, however, an adaptation of any of the films, nor does it take place in the same continuity as the movies.

<i>Superboy</i> (TV series) American television series

Superboy is an American television series based on the fictional DC comic book character Superman's early years as Superboy. The show ran from 1988–1992 in syndication. It was renamed The Adventures of Superboy at the start of the third season.

Ilya Juan Salkind Domínguez, usually known as Ilya Salkind, is a Mexican film and television producer, known for his contributions to three of the four live-action Superman films of the 1970s and 1980s alongside his father, Alexander Salkind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Publication history of Superman</span> Aspect of history

Superman is an American fictional character that appears in DC Comic books. He debuted in Action Comics issue #1 in June 1938. This character has become a defining superhero.

<i>The Man of Steel</i> (comics) Comic book limited series featuring Superman

The Man of Steel is a 1986 comic book limited series featuring the DC Comics character Superman. Written and drawn by John Byrne, the series was presented in six issues which were inked by Dick Giordano. The series told the story of Superman's modern origin, which had been rebooted following the 1985-86 series Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Cary Bates is an American comic book, animation, television and film writer. He is best known for his work on The Flash, Superman, Superboy, the Legion of Superheroes and Captain Atom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superwoman (Kristin Wells)</span> Comics character

Kristin Wells is a comic book character, the secret identity of one version of DC Comics Superwoman. Created by Superman comic writer Elliot S. Maggin, Wells first appeared in Maggin's novel Superman: Miracle Monday (1981); he later introduced her into comics continuity as Superwoman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Origin of Superman</span> Fiction depicting the early life of Superman

The origin of Superman and his superhuman powers have been a central narrative for Superman since his inception, with the story of the destruction of his home planet, his arrival on Earth and emergence as a superhero evolving from Jerry Siegel's original story into a broad narrative architype over the course of Superman's literary history and as the character's scope continues to expand across comics, radio, television and film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman (Earth-One)</span> Comics character

The Superman of Earth-One is the incarnation of Superman that existed during the Silver Age and Bronze Age publications of DC Comics. He is also known by the following names: Silver Age Superman, Bronze Age Superman, and Pre-Crisis Superman.

<i>Enemies & Allies</i> Book by Kevin J. Anderson

Enemies & Allies is a 2009 novel by American science fiction author Kevin J. Anderson. The book is set in the 1950s, in the midst of the Cold War, and follows Superman and Batman. Though suspicious of each other, they confront Lex Luthor who stages an international nuclear conflict and spreads fear of an alien invasion so that he can sell advanced weapons to governments. Themes used in the novel, reflective of the 1950s era, include alien invasion films, nuclear threats, and Cold War paranoia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman (1978 film series character)</span> Fictional character in the Warner Bros film series

Superman (Kal-El) or Clark Kent is a fictional character portrayed by Christopher Reeve in the Warner Bros. Superman film series produced by Ilya and Alexander Salkind and Cannon Films, and is an adaption of the original DC Comics character, Superman. Many actors were interviewed for the part before Christopher Reeve was chosen to fill the role. Superman is portrayed as a superhero who stands for "truth, justice and the American way".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kandor (comics)</span> Bottled city of the fictional planet Krypton in the DC Universe

Kandor is a fictional city spared from the doomed world of Krypton in DC Comics' Superman titles. Before Krypton exploded, the futuristic city was captured by the supervillain Brainiac, miniaturized by his shrinking ray and placed inside a glass bell jar. Defeating Brainiac and taking possession of the jar, Superman brings the city to his Arctic hideout, the Fortress of Solitude, and spends many years attempting to restore it to normal size.

References

  1. "LAST SON OF KRYPTON by ELLIOT S! MAGGIN". www.fortress.net.nu. Retrieved 2017-11-21.
  2. Maggin, Elliot S. (1997). "Elliot S! Maggin Speaks!" (Interview). Interviewed by Great Rao.
  3. "Elliot Makes Stuff Up".