DC Superman pal Metal will get a shake up from Star Trek’s Michael Dorn

Star Trek’s Michael Dorn voiced the primary TV model of the superhero Metal in two episodes of Superman: The Animated Collection, and I wouldn’t blame him for forgetting. The present was made 1 / 4 of a century in the past (aired within the wake of the 1997 launch of the Shaquille O’Neal Metal film) and Dorn was busy sufficient evolving his best-known position of Worf by means of the latter seasons of Star Trek: Deep House 9.

However when DC Comics reached out to the actor, Dorn tells Polygon, he completely remembered the position. “It stands out as a result of he’s a Black character.”

This June, DC will publish Steelworks, a brand new collection written by Dorn and drawn by Sami Basri centered on John Henry Irons, the engineer who constructed his personal supersuit to guard Metropolis within the wake of Superman’s demise. Like Iron Man, if he wasn’t an asshole. For Dorn, the collection is all about John the superhero and John Henry the American legend.

Dorn advised Polygon that other than Metal’s rarity as a Black superhero position within the Nineteen Nineties, he remembered the Superman voiceover gig due to his personal vivid recollections of the American folklore determine John Henry, particularly in George Pal’s somewhat haunting 1946 stop-motion retelling.

“John Henry was this man who may drill railroad spikes quicker than anyone, and he goes in opposition to the machine;” Dorn stated, “he beats the machine however he dies within the course of.” As a baby, he remembers discovering John Henry’s demise disappointing and upsetting, and solely later developed an appreciation for the legend’s enduring theme of the need and risks of combating extra metaphorical machines.

“Ain’t no machine made can beat a person,” John Henry declares in Pal’s brief, “as soon as a person acquired a thoughts he can beat that machine.” For his John Henry Irons, Dorn says, the machine — the competitor John should finest with out dropping himself within the course of — is his personal supersuit.

Steelworks opens with John Irons precisely the place current Superman comics have at present positioned him: CEO of the Steelworks know-how big, unveiling his plan for the way forward for Metropolis. However John’s plans won’t be what readers, residents, and even the Superfamily may count on. Specifically, that he desires to attempt doing it with out the go well with (naturally, that’s precisely when a vengeance-minded supercriminal units their sight on Irons, his family members, and his firm).

Picture: Mikel Janín/DC Comics

Dorn says that if there’s one factor he desires readers to know, it’s “for them to to get a way that that is going to be completely different. It’s going to be within the wheelhouse — we’re not going to see him turning right into a clothier or one thing. However we could have twists and turns in there that we in all probability haven’t seen earlier than. I’ve delved into the comics and I’ve seen that there’s a sure really feel that they’ve, that I’d like to simply sort of tweak a bit of bit. Not up to now out that [readers] go ‘What the hell are we doing right here?’ However simply the concept that individuals will look and go, ‘Oh, take a look at this! Yeah, it’s lovely, however did you see what he stated?’”

Dorn, who has lengthy had artistic aspirations past the position of actor, appears completely delighted in regards to the making of Steelworks, from working with Basri to convey the characters to the web page to getting suggestions and steering from DC editors. However he’s additionally merely delighted to have his first official writing credit score.

“I’ve written possibly 4 or 5 screenplays and other people preferred my writing and blah, blah, blah, blah, however nothing’s come to fruition. The massive factor [about Steelworks] is, I’m a paid author,” he stated, laughing. Gone are his days of conversations that go: “Oh, I’m a author.” “What have you ever achieved?” “Oh, nothing, however I write.”

“No,” Dorn stated with a chuckle. As he places it, his new reply might be: “‘Written by Michael Dorn.’ And we despatched him cash.”

Steelworks #1 will hit cabinets on June 6.