Superman #233
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeSuperman #233 stands as one of the most consequential single issues in Bronze Age DC history: in the span of a few story pages, writer Denny O'Neil and editor Julius Schwartz simultaneously abolished all Kryptonite on Earth, shifted Clark Kent from print journalism to television reporting, and planted the origin of the Sand Superman — three status-quo changes DC had never attempted at once in the character's 30-year history. The issue formally announced the end of the Silver Age Superman mythology built by outgoing editor Mort Weisinger, replacing its increasingly labyrinthine continuity with a more grounded, humanistic take that would define the character throughout the Bronze Age. Neal Adams's chain-busting cover image became one of the most reproduced visuals in Superman merchandising history, reproduced on posters, clothing, and collectibles for decades after publication. The arc that begins here — Superman's powers slowly draining away as the Sand Superman siphons them — was a direct precursor to the large-scale continuity-reboot thinking that would eventually culminate in Crisis on Infinite Earths.
In "Superman Breaks Loose," writer E. Nelson Bridwell and artist Murphy Anderson deliver a thrilling early tale of Jor-El, the Kryptonian scientist whose bold experiments with anti-gravity take a dangerous turn when astronaut Lara Lor-Van stows away on his test rocket. The story rockets into action when the craft crashes on Krypton's moon Wegthor, forcing Jor-El to mount a daring rescue. Neal Adams' dynamic cover captures the high-stakes drama, making this 1971 issue a standout in Superman's early history.
In "Superman Breaks Loose," Superman confronts a Kryptonite reactor explosion that hurls him into the desert, leaving a deep imprint in the sand. Though weakened by the blast, he discovers the green mineral no longer affects him—marking a turning point in his powers. As Clark Kent, he's assigned by Morgan Edge to cover a rocket launch, impressing the media mogul with his reporting. The story builds toward a striking transformation, culminating in a towering sand creature pulsing with energy rising from the very footprint left behind.
In "null," Super-Turtle visits the doctor for an eye exam, only to accidentally reveal his x-ray vision when he reads the headline of a newspaper from across the room—much to the doctor’s surprise and his own embarrassment. The moment captures the classic humor of Superman’s silly side, with the hero’s powers causing a lighthearted mix-up in the most mundane of settings.
In a bold experiment that defies Kryptonian convention, Jor-El pushes the limits of anti-gravity technology, only to find himself racing against time when astronaut Lara Lor-Van stows away on his test rocket—sending them both crashing on the remote moon Wegthor. With the planet’s harsh terrain and unstable gravity as their greatest threats, Jor-El must rely on his wits and the unexpected help of Kim-Da, Professor Ken-Dal, Fal-Thu, and Waz-Em to survive and find a way back.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
When Mort Weisinger retired from DC Comics after roughly 30 years, editorial director Carmine Infantino divided the Superman family titles among several editors; Julius Schwartz inherited the flagship Superman title starting with this issue (issue #232 had been a giant-sized reprint assembled by E. Nelson Bridwell). Schwartz's first move was to recruit Denny O'Neil — whom he described as his top writer at the time, fresh off a celebrated run revitalizing Batman alongside Neal Adams — to overhaul Superman's status quo, though O'Neil reportedly had little personal affinity for the character and departed the book after roughly eight issues. For interior art, Schwartz paired the dependable Curt Swan on pencils with Murphy Anderson on inks; Adams contributed only the cover, penciling and inking it himself, producing what became one of the most recognizable images in the character's history.
Trivia · 7 facts
- Origin of the Sand Superman (also known as the Quarrmer or Sand Creature): a humanoid entity composed of sand, rock, and psychic energy from the dimension of Quarrm that rises in Superman's silhouette at the story's conclusion — the first appearance of this character and the catalyst for the multi-issue 'Kryptonite Nevermore' story arc.
- All Kryptonite on Earth is transmuted into harmless iron by a freak chain reaction from a runaway Kryptonite-powered energy experiment, removing Superman's traditional primary weakness for the duration of O'Neil's run (though Kryptonite still in outer space was left unaffected, providing a later escape valve for subsequent writers).
- Clark Kent is transferred from the Daily Planet to television journalism: Morgan Edge, new owner of Galaxy Broadcasting System, reassigns Kent as a roving reporter for WGBS-TV — the beginning of a career change that kept Clark off the Daily Planet's masthead for most of the 1970s.
- Morgan Edge appears in this issue, though his first-ever comics appearance was in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #133 (October 1970), created by Jack Kirby as part of his Fourth World saga. His role in Superman #233 is his first prominent appearance in the main Superman title and establishes his relationship with Clark Kent.
- The issue includes a backup story, 'Jor-El's Golden Folly' (The Fabulous World of Krypton), scripted by E. Nelson Bridwell with art by Murphy Anderson, featuring Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van (Superman's parents), as well as a Super-Turtle humor page by Henry Boltinoff.
- The cover design deliberately mimicked a first issue, carrying the banner 'The Amazing New Adventures of Superman' and prominently featuring a large numeral '1' as part of the 'Number 1 Best-Selling Comics Magazine' blurb — a marketing choice Schwartz used to signal a clean creative break to readers.
- The issue has been reprinted numerous times: in Superman from the Thirties to the Seventies (Crown Publishers, 1971), Action Comics #485 (July 1978), a DC Millennium Edition (January 2001), Superman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told Vol. 2 (2006), DC Comics Classics Library: Superman — Kryptonite Nevermore (2009), a 2021 trade paperback, a 2025 Facsimile Edition, and DC Finest: Superman — Kryptonite Nevermore (August 2025).
Cast · 8 characters
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Reprints
↩ Reprints Superman #190 (1966)
Reprinted in Superman #8/1971 (1971), Superman #9/1971 (1971), Stålmannen #15/1971 (1971), Supermann #11/1971 (1971), Superman from the Thirties to the Seventies #[nn] (1971), Supermann #12/1971 (1971), Superman Supacomic #150 (1972), Superman et Batman et Robin #50bis (1973), Supermann #6/1976 (1976), 月刊スーパーマン [Monthly Superman] #2 (1978), Action Comics #485 (1978), Superman Géant #2 (1979), Superman Géant #5 (1979), Superman - La courbe du temps #[nn] (1980), The Best of DC #40 (1983), Superman Extra #9 (1984), Super-Homem #5 (1984), Superman in the Seventies #[nn] (2000), Millennium Edition: Superman 233 #[nn] (2001), Klassiker der Comic-Literatur #1 (2005), Superman: Cover to Cover #[nn] (2006), Superman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told #2 (2007), Superman: The World of Krypton #[nn] (2008), DC Comics Classics Library: Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore #[nn] (2009) + 8 more
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