The character of Mongul made his debut in the pages of DC Comics Presents #27 (November, 1980). Created by Len Wein and Jim Starlin, Mongul was the exiled leader of the Wazoons, a warrior-like race. Not one to let a little thing like a coup keep a despot down, Mongul has plans to create the Warworld; essentially a Death Star-like artificial planet that Mongul would use to re-conquer his home world and then later the galaxy.
Superman and fellow Justice Leaguer J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, manage to destroy Warworld. But this still doesn't stop Mongul. His attack on the Throneworld of the Prince Gavyn Starman results in the death of several members of the royal family. Superman's actions result in an obsession by Mongul, with the Warzoon warlord plotting to first destroy Earth's sun and then later gifting Superman with a Black Mercy. The mind-altering attack of the extraterrestrial parasitic flower is so brutal that the resulting smackdown by Superman is one of the few times the Man of Steel actually loses control in the pre-CRISIS era.
Placed in a coma by Superman, Mongul would not return to comics until after the retcon of CRISIS. In the pages of Superman #454, Jerry Conway introduces a newer version of Mongul. With the Warworld returned to continuity, Mongul operates a sort of floating Las Vegas, where the villain oversees a series of gladiatorial games that eliminates any threats to Mongul's reign, while making himself very wealthy.
The Warworld comes across a dying Superman in the dark recesses of space. Despite being at such a point of his Post-CRISIS career, Superman's name has traveled far and wide. With an artificial red sun, Mongul gives Superman just enough power to compete as the Warworld's latest champion. Eventually, the Man of Steel manages to gain the trust of Mongul's former #1 warrior, Draaga ,and Superman leads a revolt of the Warworld sending Mongul once again into exile.
Numerous retcons since then have put Mongul back on the throne of Warworld. But the Warzoon's hatred for Superman has never abated. In the past couple of years, Superman and Mongul have butted heads with the 'Warworld Rising' storyline. In it, Mongul, leading a squadron of Warzoon battleships have the Earth back in their cross hairs.
Jumping to the 2022 Annual of Action Comics, the Warworld Rising arc has completed. As sort of postscript, regular series writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Si Spurrer (Way of X) craft a never revealed origin story for the character. Exploring Mongul's time as a child forced into exile with his mother for showing cowardice during the culling of the Warzoon tribal chief, also called Mongul; the Superman villain's childhood story is paired with a period of time from Clark Kent's youth. Mongul is having to learn how to fight for himself in a wasteland of poisoned pools, scavenger species, and cannibal warriors. At the same time, Clark is learning what it means to let others get the glory despite having powers that the last son of Krypton could use to his advantage to become the best at everything.
Dale Eaglesham (Shazam!) and Ian Churchill (Supergirl) are the artists for this annual. Based on the differences in the artwork and previous experience, I believe that Eaglesham penciled the Clark Kent origin. Franco Francavilla was the regular cover artist. Steve Rude crafted the variant cover that was printed on card stock with an extra dollar added to the cover price.
While the promise of a Mongul origin story called to me, I must admit, it's the pastel cover of both Superman and Mongul by the Afterlife With Archie artist was what sold me on this book. The story is both grim and gritty like a Mad Max movie and full of down home charm like Field of Dreams.
As of June 14th, 2022, Action Comics 2022 Annual was #20 of the list of Highest Rated Current Comics on Comicbookroundup.com.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
Completing this review completes Task #50 ( Is trending on the comicbookroundup.com top 20) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.
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