Warning: contains spoilers for Justice Society of America #3!magic is Superman’s primary weakness, but Bizarro, who flips the script on everything the Man of Steel stands for, is actually totally immune to mystic attack. In Justice Society of America #3, the team heads into battle against an entire army of Bizarros - all of them invulnerable to magic.
The issue is written by Geoff Johns, drawn by Mikel Janin and Jerry Ordway, colored by Jordie Bellaire and John Kalisz and lettered by Rob Leigh. As the story opens, a time-lost Huntress has enlisted the aid of Doctor Fate, Dean and Detective Chimp to take her to the Justice Society. The scene then shifts to the Justice Society, locked in combat with an army of Bizarros, invading from another dimension thanks to the machinations of the Angle Man. As the Justice Society fights off the hordes of Bizarros to get to the Angle Man, Jakeem Thunder and his Thunderbolt, both magic-based heroes, learn these creatures are invulnerable to it. The Thunderbolt rationalizes that because Superman is highly susceptible to magic, the Bizarros, who are Kal-El’s opposites in every way, are unfazed by it.
Bizarro Is Invulnerable to Magic
There have been multiple versions of Bizarro in the character’s 65 years of existence, but they all share one thing in common: each version is a dark and twisted mirror of the Man of Steel. First appearing as a foe of Superboy in 1958’s Superboy #68, Bizarro has gone on to become one of Superman’s greatest antagonists. Bizarro is just as strong as Superman, but lacks the moral center that makes Superman who he is. Usually depicted as brutish, violent and with child-like speech patterns, Bizarro is deadly without even realizing it. Depictions of Bizarro have softened over the years, to the point where he is often more of an anti-hero, but he still remains a wild card in Superman’s life. Bizarro does not mean to be evil, but he knows no bette - and his curse is to be unable to learn to be better, making him a tragic figure.
Bizarro Now Has a Serious One-Up on Superman
Now, Bizarro has gained an important advantage over Superman: he is invulnerable to magic - a big weakness for the Man of Steel. While Kryptonite is the best known way to harm, or kill, Superman, magic is equally potent, and far more common in the DC Universe than chunks of Superman’s homeworld. Brainiac is often most dangerous when used as a pawn in someone else's schemes, especially Lex Luthor's. If Lex should learn that Bizarro is immune to magical harm while Superman remains vulnerable, it would be child's play for him to make sure the Man of Steel faces his doppelganger at a potentially fatal disadvantage.
A character already given to constant reinvention, Bizarro has taken one of Superman's most glaring weaknesses and turned it into a strength. Hopefully, the JSA will let Superman know that Bizarro has such a major advantage, as the Man of Steel will need to be very careful to avoid this shift in powers leading to his doom.
Justice Society of America #3 is on sale now from DC Comics!
