Superman #141
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeSuperman #141 houses 'Superman's Return to Krypton!', a three-part novel-length story that fundamentally recast Krypton from a vague origin footnote into a breathing, culturally rich civilization that readers could walk through alongside its last survivor. By stranding a powerless Kal-El on Krypton before its destruction — where he witnesses his parents' wedding, falls in love with actress Lyla Lerrol, and watches Brainiac steal Kandor — Jerry Siegel and Wayne Boring gave the Silver Age its most emotionally substantial Superman narrative, one built on tragic inevitability rather than physical spectacle. The issue's downstream influence is immense: Lyla Lerrol was deliberately incorporated into Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' 'For the Man Who Has Everything' (Superman Annual #11, 1985) as Superman's dream-wife, a direct acknowledgment of how deeply this story had embedded itself in the character's mythology. Writer Paul Kupperberg has credited the story as a cornerstone of the entire Superman mythology and cited it as a direct inspiration for his own 1979 World of Krypton miniseries, the first dedicated Krypton spinoff in DC history.
In this landmark 1960 issue, Superman #141, the Man of Steel makes a startling journey through time and space to Krypton, where he encounters his parents, Jor-El and Lara, during a pivotal moment in their past. Written by Jerry Siegel and brought to life by Wayne Boring’s iconic art, with Stan Kaye’s inks and Joe Letterese’s lettering, the story unfolds with emotional weight and wonder. The cover by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye captures the moment with timeless elegance.
In a rare twist of fate, Superman finds himself transported to Krypton in the past, where he unexpectedly encounters his parents, Jor-El and Lara, just before their wedding—alongside the enigmatic actress Lyla Lerrol and a curious twist involving Krypto’s parents. The story unfolds with quiet wonder as the Man of Steel grapples with the emotional weight of witnessing his origins firsthand, all while navigating a timeline that defies his understanding.
In "[Superman's Return to Krypton!] Part II: Superman's Kryptonian Romance," Superman reconnects with his Kryptonian roots as he navigates a past filled with wonder and danger. Amid the ruins of Krypton, he encounters Lyla Lerrol, a woman whose bond with him echoes long-buried memories, while also facing the cunning deception of Snark McGill and the loyalty of Ken-Dal. As ancient secrets unfold and the fate of Kandor hangs in the balance, Superman must confront the echoes of his origins—before a sudden, terrifying arrival upends everything.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The story was written by Jerry Siegel — Superman's co-creator — during his return engagement scripting Superman titles for DC in the late 1950s and early 1960s, a period sometimes called his second Superman run, which produced some of the most beloved Silver Age stories under editor Mort Weisinger. Interior pencils were handled by Wayne Boring, a longtime Superman artist who had been working on the title since the early 1940s, with inks by Stan Kaye on both the interior and the cover; the cover itself was penciled by Curt Swan, who would become the definitive Superman artist of the era. The issue was published with a cover date of November 1960 and a cover price of ten cents, running 36 full-color pages structured as three self-contained chapters forming a single continuous narrative — an unusually ambitious long-form format for a mainstream superhero comic of the period.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Lyla Lerrol, described in-story as Krypton's most famous 'emotion-movie' actress, who becomes Superman's doomed romantic interest while he is stranded on the pre-destruction Krypton.
- The story is structured as a three-part 'comic novel': Part I ('Superman Meets Jor-El and Lara Again'), Part II ('Superman's Kryptonian Romance'), and Part III ('The Surprise of Fate!').
- Written by Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel during his Silver Age return to the character; interior art by Wayne Boring (pencils) and Stan Kaye (inks); cover pencils by Curt Swan, inked by Stan Kaye.
- Part II depicts Brainiac arriving on Krypton and shrinking and stealing the city of Kandor, and also shows Jonathan Kent's courtship of Martha Hudson (her pre-marriage name as given in this issue) — events Superman witnesses firsthand.
- Superman loses all his powers upon arriving near Krypton's red sun, making him genuinely mortal and trapped on a doomed world — a storytelling device that drives the story's emotional weight.
- Lyla Lerrol was deliberately referenced by Alan Moore in Superman Annual #11 (1985), 'For the Man Who Has Everything,' where she appears as Superman's dream-wife in the Black Mercy fantasy — a direct tribute to this issue's place in the mythology.
- The story has been reprinted in Superman #232, the trade paperback Superman in the Sixties, Superman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told Vol. 2, and Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years, reflecting its sustained canonical importance.
- DC published a facsimile edition of this issue (announced circa June 2025), selecting it as one of the key Silver Age Superman issues worthy of reproduction for modern readers.
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Reprinted in Superman Supacomic #20 (1961), Superman (2ª Série) #78 (1962), Gigant #1/1963 (1963), World's Finest Comics #158 (1966), Superman Annual #1967 (1967), Superman #232 (1970), MV Comix #7/1972 (1972), The Great Superman Comic Book Collection #[nn] (1981), The Great Superman Comic Book Collection #[nn] (1981), Superman in the Sixties #[nn] (1999), Showcase Presents: Superman #2 (2006), Superman: Cover to Cover #[nn] (2006), Superman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told #2 (2007), Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years #[nn] (2014), Superman Anthologie #[nn] (2018)
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