Superman Knows Defeat, But His Most Unlikely Loss Made Him a Better Hero

Due to his incredible strength and speed, Superman defeats most criminals that he goes up against, but there was one criminal that Superman failed to defeat - and the loss actually made him a better hero. While Superman has had rematches against Doomsday and Darkseid, he should never fight Microwave Man again.

The shocking villain that managed to defeat Superman was revealed in Action Comics #488 by Cary Bates and Curt Swan. This issue saw the return of Lewis Padgett, a former super-villain known as Microwave Man. His return marked one of Superman's first defeats.

Lewis Padgett wasn't a major super-villain. He never attempted to take over Metropolis or murder anyone; he simply enjoyed robbing banks and stealing money. Eventually, his mastery over microwaves allowed him to contact aliens, who took him away from Earth for over forty years. When Lewis returned, he surprisingly brought Superman to his knees.

Microwave Man Is the One Villain Who Superman Can't Fight Again

Action Comics #488 by Cary Bates, Curt Swan, Francisco Chiaramonte, Ben Oda, and Gene D'Angelo.

Superman is a pretty powerful character, so when it came to a villain called Microwave Man, he really didn't expect much resistance. Unfortunately, Microwave Man was originally active forty years ago, when the world barely had any radio transmitters. Now, in the late 1970s, the world was full of them, making Microwave Man much stronger. He could easily resist Superman's strength and even outright overpower the Man of Steel. It seemed that Superman truly had no hope of defeating him, and ultimately, Microwave Man triumphed over Superman.

But as it turns out, Superman allowed Microwave Man to win. When Superman realized just how Microwave Man was gathering his powers, Superman intended to push him back in time to where there were no microwaves for him to feed on. This plan would have worked, and Superman would have easily won. But after having a brief conversation with Lewis' alien friends, Superman learned the true reason that Microwave Man had returned. The man simply wanted one last final send-off for his super-villain career, and fighting Superman was the best finale he could think of.

Superman Intentionally Let Microwave Man Win in a Moving Twist

That's Why He Can Never Fight Him Again

When Lewis returned to Earth, he made a request of his new alien friends. He asked that they de-age him by forty years. While the aliens were fully capable of granting his wish, it also meant that he would die only a few hours later. Lewis knew this risk and he fully accepted the consequences. All he wanted was a showdown with Superman, and that's what he got. When Superman learned of his impending fate, he realized that stopping Microwave Man and defeating him didn't really matter. Microwave Man hadn't put anyone in danger; all he wanted was to defeat Superman.

Faced with the options of defeating a super-villain or simply handing him a win as his literal dying wish, Superman decided to let Microwave Man win, and it's the perfect example of what makes him a hero. Superman didn't let something like ego get in the way. He could have easily beaten Microwave Man, but he didn't, because there just wasn't any reason to. Instead, he allowed himself to be beaten to give a dying man his final wish. That's why, out of all the villains that Superman has gotten a rematch with, he should never fight Microwave Man ever again.

Action Comics #488 is available now from DC Comics!

Superman

Created By

Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel

First Appearance

Action Comics

Alias

Kal-El, Clark Kent, Jonathan Kent

Alliance

Justice League, Superman Family

The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.

Race

Kryptonian

Franchise

D.C.

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