Warning! Contains spoilers for Action Comics #1054!One of Superman’s oldest allies is completely changing what the hero’s symbol means. John Henry Irons, aka Steel, is reinventing the House of El crest as he begins a new chapter of his superhero career.
In Action Comics #1054’s backup story “Steel: Engineer of Tomorrow – Part One” by Dorado Quick and Yasmín Flores Montañez, Steel is caught up in the middle of a battle with his cybernetically-enhanced foe, Amalgam. John Henry Irons has a press conference to get to, but Amalgam catches Steel in a headlock and makes him pass out. While unconscious, Irons has a dream about how he became Steel and his first several meetings with Superman.
John remembers Superman telling him that it’s up to Steel to figure out what the ‘S’ symbol means for Irons. After regaining consciousness and defeating Amalgam, Irons makes it to his press conference where he reveals his superhero identity to the world. Steel tells everyone that he owes his life to Superman and that he’s living up to his example. Irons says that the symbol he bears on his chest stands for trust and that the public can trust both him and the projects his company Steelworks has planned for Metropolis.
Steel Changes Superman’s Symbol to Mean Trust
When it comes to superhero symbols, none are as iconic as the red and yellow ‘S’ emblazoned across Superman’s chest. While some may think it simply stands for ‘Superman’, the symbol is actually the crest of Superman’s Kryptonian family, the House of El. But Superman and his direct family aren’t the only heroes who wear the symbol. When Superman was thought dead after his battle with Doomsday, John Henry Irons took on the symbol to keep the spirit of hope alive in the DC Universe.
For a long time, Irons had no independent meaning assigned to his symbol. He was simply following in the footsteps of the Big Blue Boy Scout. But now, he’s finally figuring out what the House of El symbol means to him. John has a lot of plans for Steelworks and Metropolis, and they’re going to require the confidence of the public on his side. In revealing his identity to the public, John is giving the iconic Superman symbol a much greater meaning than it had before.
The New Meaning of Superman’s Symbol is Perfect
While the symbol has classically stood for hope, having it mean trust is arguably an improvement. Hope is good, but it isn’t exactly concrete. Trust, on the other hand, is a direct promise. When Steel says that the city of Metropolis can trust him, he backs that up by revealing his identity to the world. It’s a dangerous gambit in the superhero world, but it gives people a reason to believe in him, and by extension, anyone else who wears the ‘S’. Hope is a positive message for Superman and his allies to broadcast. But Steel’s association of the word trust and the crest will no doubt be a serious boon to the House of El in how the people of the world see them. Fans can see Steel give Superman’s symbol a new meaning in Action Comics #1054, on sale now.
