InsaneJournal

Welcome to the final part of my look into the Cyborg Superman! From this point on is all of his appearances from the last three years. Which pretty much is the end of "Revenge of the Green Lanterns" and the "Sinestro Corps War". This marks the Cyborg Superman's rise back to not only being an actual threat but now he's not just a menace to Superman, but the entire Green Lantern Corps.

With that said, cue the opening theme to Terminator 2! :P






I really like Henshaw's words and actions here. Yep he so going to enjoy flaunting and abusing that S sign of hope that it represents to Kryptonians.




How very Borg and Cyberman of you Hank.

Ok, here's what I find interesting. From this set of dialogue and the one below of the Guardians interogation of Henshaw, we that the Manhunters freed him from the Source Wall, not Superman accidently. So it seems just about every appearance or what I said of Cyborg Superman's career post Final Night appears gone replaced with this. Ok the loss of the first two stories eh ok sort of bad. But when you account all those ammounts of horrible stories I say it's a bargain.



After the smack to the jaw on the Cyborg Superman, Hal reawakens the Lost Lanterns. They tear through the Manhunters and when they see Hally attack him. Insert Hal's not a bad guy and trying to redeem himself here.

Anyway as they take the plunge Henshaw after reattaching his jaw in an amusing way (wires from the broken area grab his jaw reattaching it) tells his horde:




Ok I just had to post that for the Hal abuse. I can never get tired of seeing someone smack around Hal. *ahem*

The issue ends with the Highmasters (with Guy stuck in one of them) killing one of the Lost Lanterns and Hal finding the reason he escaped the Willmasters, Arisia to be alive and well.

The next issue deals with the Lost Lanterns putting their grudge against Jordan on hold as they deal with the Highmasters, Jordan tries to free Arisia but finds her taken away from him, by the Cyborg Superman. Enter the retcon why she's alive and on Biot :






Hank and Hal continue to do battle when in the heat of conflict and the later has the Cyborg at his mercy Hank drops this the reason he nuked Coast City:





The Guardians are disturbed by Hal's report and of the possiblity Henshaw might know of the 52 so they decide upon that they themselves must capture him.

Three issues later in GL #15:



Ok, I just have to ask. Is that Sayd or Scar who took him? I'm guessing the former given she is the one who interogates him when we get to the Sinestro Corps Special.

Speaking of that particular scene this might interest the Blackest Night crowd the dialogue that Hank has during this:





And now Scar is all but preaching the very same song Hank sang above. Interesting, if only the smurfs would have been better prepared.

In anycase, Hank and Superboy Prime get busted out by the Sinestro Corps not soon after their fates revealed:



The past thirty years of big bads all together in one room (Anti-Monitor of the 80s, Parallax for the 90s, and Superboy Prime for 00 with Cyborg Superman and Sinestro thrown in for their malicious deeds). Yep, the heroes are gonna need a bigger boat.

The next part has a small amusing Henshaw cameo:



Lol.. nope the Cyborg Superman's not going to whine or relish these current events, he's just going to hang with his posse and pose.

The very next issue, #23 we get Henshaw all by himself with his part and place in this whole scheme revealed:




Yep a true turning point for the character. At long last a possible motive to why he kept picking fights with Superman and had a one dimensional plan for all those time's after Reign/Return of Superman and Hunter/Prey.

The next bits he appears in are pretty much like the one before. Just one panel appearances (with him telling Sinestro War World is ready and being there when the Sinestro Corps go into the massive War World. The true meat of Cyborg Superman's part come's in Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Cyborg Superman #1 written by Alan Burnett and drawn by Patrick Blaine. Some of you where hoping for some conversation with the other heralds and Sinestro well this one shot delievers this:




Interesting of Henshaw's view on Sinestro. We get a mostly retrospect of Henshaw's origin for most of the issue. The amusing thing about that besides it being told via from Hank's PoV is that throughout all of this it keeps his origin intact. Though of course he's not the most honest of narrators.

Regardless, we're on Superman Origin Mark II (with Geoff telling his own version of the origin just after Mark Waid did his take) since John Bryne's Man of Steel one and yet no matter how many time's its been retconned in the main books, Henshaw still finds the Bryne designed ship and thus the Birthing Matrix. I just find it wierd that no matter what Henshaw remains Henshaw with no altered origin YET.

As for Henshaw's PoV of his own origins it show's just how truly mad he gotten and probably the flood of information was probably all too much for his human mind to take once he hit the net. What he finds are files and records of Superman's battle with the Eradicator thus sparking the hatred and the blame game. Still back on Earth, Henshaw cannot help but halt the attack just so he can pay a visit to the grave of his dead wife Terri, whose body he rips out of the ground.



Wow... I mean just wow. That page still shocks me not just what Henshaw is doing primarly but so much his words also. The dude is totally gone and just wants it over.

Well after that "joyous" reunion, the invasion begins:



Henshaw begins the attack upon the Justice League Watchtower. Just as he's about to turn the Watchtower to toast, Superman appears. With all his modifcations the Cyborg Superman has made and five years since they last fought (or nine if we count Geoff's retcon)...





It's interesting to note that this is about the only time seen during this crossover that Henshaw actually uses ring constructs. During all of this he primarily uses his Kryptonian powers. But here in this special all his ablities where on display. Kryptonian, power ring, and technopath. It's a fun one shot I have to admit even with the errors.

Anyway, we get a brief different showing of these events in GL #24:



However, things turn for the worse for the Cyborg Superman behind the scenes as he next appears in Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman Prime:



Yep, Supes was saved by the team of Powergirl and Supergirl. God that must have been an awesome fight the three vs one fight. Not to mention just how far Superman went in beating the crap out of his foe. Henshaw's words always get to me and my mind always ponders just what the hell did Superman almost do to him.

A grand pity we never got to see it. Heck Patrick Blaine the artist above from the Cyborg special above was willing to draw it for DC. *le sigh*

Also you just gotta love that Superboy Prime calls the Cyborg Superman, "Mr. Henshaw." Now ain't that polite of the lad?

Still, though down the Cyborg Superman is so very not out as he take's on anyone that is near him in the Battle of New York. I mean seriously he just buries himself into the battle. But what else do you expect from a dude with a death wish:





I really dig the unique font they've given him now too. I hope that in his future appearances that the font is kept. Sort of another quirk added to him. Back to the battle:




Awesome simply awesome. Honestly when I read this I thought what a way for the character to go. That one happy eye just tells the entire tale. That Henshaw gets what he wants win or lose in this battle. He gets to possibly die and with it all the Manhunters on Earth deactivate helping the heroes more into beating the Sinestro Corps, Prime, and the Anti-Monitor.

But nope fate has one last cruel twist to give Hank:



HA! I love it. The Manhunters refuse to let the Cyborg Superman perish and bring him back from death. Thus even though he's leader to him, he's also a prisoner to the Manhunters. God that's great.

So there you have it. About all of the Cyborg Superman's appearances for the most part. As for the future of the character. Well we already know of one book he's slated to appear in:



Honestly I'm a little gitty at when this happens. It's Jurgens writing the character he created and hasn't actually wrote about for almost ten years (Fantastic Four/Superman was the last time Jurgens wrote the character).
It was recently confirmed at SDCC that the Cyborg Superman and the Manhunters would have a HUGE role in 2010. Not to mention last year at Wizardworld Chicago that Henshaw would have some role in Blackest Night.

Though personally as someone commented before I really hope he appears in the Blackest Night Superman mini fighting Black Lantern Excalibur crew members. That or he decides to try and get death again during this.