`MAN OF STEEL' EXPIRES

Superman is dead!

"Not in Metropolis," says Clyde Wills, editor and publisher of the Metropolis, Ill. Planet. "He's alive and well here, and always will be."

Superman, who has been battling the "bad guys" for more than 50 years, met his match while once again fighting to protect his beloved city of Metropolis against his most lethal opponent ever the big, bad "Doomsday" in a battle which ended in the death of both hero and villain.

Many Metropolis residents today and Friday will wear black arm bands provided by the newspaper.

"We ran a black arm band with an S on it across the bottom of the paper this week," said Wills. "People are urged to wear it and some were wearing it Wednesday."

The scenario of Superman's death will be described in detail in DC Comic issue, Superman No. 75, which arrives at comic book retailers everywhere today.

"Earlier reports indicated that the comic would be on the stands Wednesday," said Andrew Johnson, owner of the Comix Strip, a comic book outlet at 1029 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. "But people who buy comics know that we receive comics each Thursday."

Johnson, who has ordered extra issues of this month's Superman, is expecting a crowd when he opens today.

"I have had numerous calls concerning the comic," said Johnson. "Even non-Superman fans are wanting to reserve a copy. I just hope I have enough left to put in the racks."

Don Kapfer, owner of the Record Store, 516 Broadway, also ordered extra copies. "We have received numerous requests for a copy of the comic," he said.

One of the requests was by Mark Whitehead of New Madrid.

"I'm not a big comic collector," said Whitehead, who works in Cape Girardeau, "but I usually purchase `special' issues.

Les Lindy of Cape Girardeau also will pick up a copy. "I dabble a bit in comics," he said. "But I will certainly buy this issue."

"We have a waiting list," said Larry Ward of B & L Comics, 85 S. Plaza Way. "We have ordered extra copies this month."

Forgive Ward, Johnson and Kapfer if they're not crying over Superman's demise. The telephones are ringing, customers are pouring into their stores, and advance orders are piling up all because of the death of Superman.

Comic book retailers will receive about three million copies of the special issue today and the Man of Steel's swan song is expected to smash all records for the New York publisher.

Buyers will range from the serious collectors to the curious; Superman fans to speculators, with a few nostalgic people thrown in, Johnson, Ward and Kapfer agreed.

"I didn't really believe that DC would kill off Superman," said Johnson. "But according to comic reports, people from Krypton don't really die, they're just laid to rest. I think that somewhere in the future Superman will be resurrected."

Metropolis officials hope it will be before the second week of June.

"We have our annual Superman Festival at that time," said a spokesman from the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce. "Our motto here is that he may die in DC Comics, but he won't die in Metropolis.

"In fact," added the spokesman, "We ordered a new statue of Superman Wednesday."

The 15-foot, bronze statue will be placed on an "S" base at the city's courthouse square.

"We'll be selling engraved bricks, which will be used for the base to help fund the statue, added the chamber spokesman.

Issue Number 75 will come in two editions collectors and standard.

"The collector's edition, which will cost purchasers $2.50 will include a special "computer" cover, a souvenir black arm-band bearing the Superman logo, a trading card, a poster of the funeral with Superman's friends, and an obituary from the Daily Planet.

The standard issue at $1.25 is just that, a standard issue with none of the frills. Superman No. 75 is expected to become one of the top sellers on the all-time comic book list, possibly even number two.

The all-time best-seller will remain last year's gala X-Men edition which sold more than 8 million copies. The X-Men edition was produced with five different covers to appeal to collectors.

The immediate results of the super hero's death will be a series of comic books titled "Funeral for a Friend."

"That series will start immediately," said Johnson. "They will be placed in a `cross-over' of different Superman titles."

Superman appears in four different DC publications Superman, Adventures of Superman, Action Comics, and Superman, Man of Steel.

It has also been announced that a long-term result of Superman's death is his resurrection some time next year, through an as-yet undetermined series of events.

"It'll be interesting to see how they intend to bring Superman back," said Johnson. "Right now, DC is keeping the details of his revival top secret."

Comic book dealers are hopeful that people will be as interested in his return as in his demise.