Getting through all the "Dead Earth" annuals feels like a race against time at this point.

And, as Claremont would often say, the last lap's the hardest; but we'll talk about that later. First, one that was in my garage--actually in a box of Superman comics! By which I mean a longbox with various eras of Superman, Superboy, Supergirl, World's Finest, G.I. Joe #50, a random old Lone Ranger...look, the point is that I found it, that's what you should takeaway here. From 1996, Adventures of Superman Annual #8, "Superman Forever" Written by Tom Peyer, pencils by Derec Aucoin and Mike Collins; inks by Jason Martin, Karl Story, and Barbara Kaalberg.

All together now: "Earth is dead. Those who might have called it home are long scattered to the endless stars. But in that scattering, on a thousand different worlds, by a thousand different ways...earth's greatest legends live on." I feel like most of these annuals had that page, and some (like the Flash one) had another, separate title/credits page; but this one gets right into it. Namely, a flashback, I think to the Man of Steel #6: the hologram Jor-El (thinner than Brando, seems kind of snooty?) is putting Kryptonian knowledge in Kal-El's head, whether he likes it or not, until Pa Kent saves his boy with a well-placed shovel. The hologram disappears, leaving only a patch of scorched earth...which, in the far, far future, is now a veritable collector's item; a relic of the dead earth, on Colu. That's a name Legion fans know well, as well as that of Dox, the Coluan talking up how great the wad of dirt was. Maybe he should've kept it to himself, as both it and Dox are taken, by Sarkon pirates, led by Captain Grumbb. Grumbb makes a pretense of not being a pirate, but a fierce advocate for everyone's rights...except maybe the Curatti, but they hardly count. Grumbb berates tiny slave Willigig, as having slavery coming to it: the Curatti tried to conquer the Sarkon, and failed, so nyah. Dox intervenes, and Grumbb throws Willigig aside, and his pick impacts the earth...

...treating him to Jor-El's knowledge implant, already in progress! Dox realizes he's seeing something amazing, which is immediately stepped on by Grumbb, in an amusing panel of slapstick brutality. (I could'a sworn I had blogged that panel before, and I did, back in 2006! If I'd labelled it Legends of the Dead Earth I would've counted it!)

Still, Willigig realizes the truth: he wasn't a scummy horrible Curatti, he was a noble Kryptonian! Back at his slum home, he tells his parents he now knows the truth: that he was adopted, but he still loves them, at least as much as it's possible to love a Curatti. His parents are skeptical of his story, and his new, brightly colored costume. Meanwhile, Dox has figured out Grumbb's scheme: use earth's heroic legends, but slot the Sarkon in as the heroes instead, the better to conquer and oppress races like the Cur--Dox catches a punch in the mouth before finishing there. Willigig, now dressed as Superman, has to step in and save Dox, with heat-vision goggles and a rather powerful jetpack. Grumbb wants him found and killed immediately, but is stopped by his--gasp!--district manager, who wants Willigig broken before he's killed, to keep the Curatti from getting any ideas.

Willigig explains to Dox his loathing of the Curatti: they were the greediest, most evil race ever, until a millennium ago when the Sarkon resisted and beat them. Dox asks who told him that, then tells him a little about Superman. They are then surprised and captured by Grumbb, who helps himself to Willigig's gear, and has worked out the hologram message, even if he doesn't seem to get the knowledge dump. Dox knows, the Sarkon intend to twist the legend, just like they did with the Curattis' history: the Sarkons were always the invaders, and had lied to make the Curatti hate themselves for centuries! Even though he was no match for Sarkon, Willigig still throws down with him, yelling "if that's what it takes to protect our adopted people--Supermen welcome death!" (That is a baller line!) Triggering the jetback, Willigig outmaneuvers and defeats Grumbb, but refuses to kill him, as that wasn't what Supermen did. He frees Dox, then skywrites in flaming letters, "We're the natives! Sarkons lied" exclamation point and all! "This is a job for--everyone!"

Disgruntled at having to do some work, the district manager guns down the injured Grumbb, then takes out Willigig with a shot to his jetpack. Mortally wounded, Willigig dies in Dox's arms, but dies a Curatti; as his people begin a long-overdue uprising. Dox finishes telling the story, to a crowd of Coluans, how the Sarkons' injustice was so great, both Krypton and Earth had to take part in setting it right...by sending a Superman. 

The Jor-El on the cover is the Byrne reboot redesign, who always feels colder and less helpful than the classic headband superdad version; and I always think this issue is going to be about the hologram taking over some alien schmuck. And I didn't think this was my favorite of these, but on re-reading it...yeah, it's moved up the rankings a lot! Anyway, after I got this out of the garage, I went to the comic shop and bought three of the Legends of the Dead Earth annuals we haven't seen here yet. I still think there's two out in that garage, but that last one...it's been retconned anyway, do I have to? We'll see.