DC Comics has retired the villain Metallo in the latest issue of Absolute Superman. After 67 years in the franchise, the character meets a surprising end in a story written by Jason Aaron.
The fusion of Christopher Smith and Metallo
In a narrative twist within Absolute Superman #22, DC Comics has reimagined the radioactive cyborg Metallo as Christopher Smith, better known as Peacemaker. According to the report, Brainiac saved Smith's life after a previous arc, using his body as the raw material to construct a new, deadly version of Metallo. This version of the character is not merely a man in a suit; the report says that Christopher Smith's very blood has been infused with Kryptonite, making him a walking weapon against the Man of Steel.
This transformation leaves Christopher Smith in a state of mental collapse. Due to Brainiac's experimentation, Smith suffers from severe brain damage and memory loss, struggling to reconcile his identity as a human being with his new existence as a monstrous cyborg. This internal conflict becomes the central pivot of the battle between the hero and the villain.
Darkseid's Omega energy and the Absolute Universe's darker tone
The events of Absolute Superman #22 take place within the Absolute Universe, a setting created by Darkseid. This universe is a part of the mainstream DC Comics canon but exists on an Earth saturated with Darkseid's Omega energy, which results in grittier, more hardcore reinterpretations of established characters. The reimagining of Metallo as a brain-damaged Peacemaker fits this trend of darker sotrytelling, where heroes and villains are pushed to more extreme physical and psychological limits.
This shift mirrors a broader trend in modern comic book publishing where "Absolute" or "Ultimate" lines are used to strip characters down to their core essence and rebuild them for a new generation . by placing Superman in a world where his enemies are more visceral and his allies are fundamentally altered, DC Comics tests the resilience of the character's optimistic nature against a backdrop of cosmic horror.
Kryptonite-infused blood and the struggle in Absolute Superman #22
The confrontation between Superman and the reimagined Metallo is characterized by a reversal of power dynamics. Because the Kryptonite is biological rather than external, Superman finds himself on the defensive during the brawl. Rather than relying on physical force, Superman utilizes Christopher Smith's fractured identity as a tactical weapon, attempting to trigger the man's memories to overload the Metallo persona.
The climax of the fight occurs when Superman invokes the memory of Christopher Smith's mother. This emotional breakthrough triggers a cardiac arrest in the fragile cyborg. Despite the immense pain caused by the Kryptonite-infused blood, Superman chooses to perform life-saving measures, prioritizing the survival of the man over the destruction of the monster.
The fate of Brainiac and the end of a 67-year legacy
The issue concludes with a definitive choice: Superman can either pursue the mastermind Brainiac or remain with the dying Christopher Smith. By choosing compassion and staying with Smith, Superman effectively retires the Metallo persona after 67 years of history in DC Comics. The story suggests that while the villain Metallo is gone, the man Christopher Smith has been reclaimed.
However, several narrative threads remain loose. It is unclear if Brainiac's escape provides him with a strategic advantage for future encounters, or if this "retrement" of Metallo is a permanent status quo for the Absolute Universe or merely a temporary plot point. Furthermore, the source focuses heavily on the resolution between Superman and Smith, leaving the immediate consequences of Brainiac's failure unaddressed.
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