Superman was temporarily controlled by Poison Ivy in the classic 2002 Batman story arc “Hush,” and his deadly ivy-encrusted form comes to life in a new McFarlane Toys figure.
Exclusively available for pre-order on the McFarlane Toys website for $19.99 with an estimated shipping date in October, the “Hush: Superman w/ Angry Laser Eyes Gold Label” figure is part of McFarlane Toys’ DC Multiverse line. It features the Man of Steel with a killing expression on his face, clearly on the verge of letting loose with his heat vision. The seven-inch sculpt has 22 points of articulation and comes with alternate hands, a collectible card featuring Jim Lee’s artwork and Kryptonite-infused ivy, which wraps around his neck and torso just as it did in the comic.
What Happened To Superman In “Hush?”
Superman’s mind-controlled state appeared in 2003’s Batman #611, part four of the twelve-part “Hush” story arc. As part of Hush’s far-reaching conspiracy to destabilize Batman by pitting his closest allies against him, Poison Ivy was given a special lipstick infused with synthetic green Kryptonite that she used to control the Man of Steel.
Superman attacked Batman while he was visiting Metropolis and was forced to carry out all of Poison Ivy’s whims. Thanks to the Kryptonite ring in his utility belt, Batman was able to stand a fighting chance. He resorted to several dirty tactics to hold his own against the Man of Steel, including forcing Superman to smash the wall of an underground power station, completely knocking out the lights in Metropolis for a few minutes. The fight — one of the more memorable clashes between Batman and Superman since The Dark Knight Returns — ended with Catwoman taking Lois Lane hostage and dropping her from a building. The sight of his wife toppling from the sky snapped Superman out of his Ivy-controlled state and forced him to save her, just as Batman knew it would.
McFarlane Toys has recently been mining other deep cuts for their DC Multiverse line. In July, the company revealed a Batman/Superman hybrid action figure inspired by the Superman: Speeding Bullets one-shot, a 1993 Elseworlds story that imagined a world where Kal-El was raised by Thomas and Martha Wayne instead of the Kents. The company has also released a figure of Batrocitus, a monstrous mashup between Batman and the Red Lantern Atrocitus who appeared in a few brief panels in 2020’s Dark Nights: Death Metal series.
Source: McFarlane Toys
