Superman has faced an extensive rogues gallery of foes from across the DC Universe in his time as a hero, but the latest one might be the most unusual yet. Believe it or not, it’s pulled right from a popular TV show! Superman’s new enemy echoes a monster from the BBC’s Doctor Who, and it’s everything I never knew I needed.
In My Adventures with Superman #4 by Josie Campbell and Pablo M. Collar, Superman’s friends and family have taken in an Amazo robot and are keeping him hidden in a secret government facility. While in hiding, Martha and Jonathan Kent decorate for Christmas, which includes setting up a Christmas tree they found in storage. However, Lois notices that something is fishy about the tree.
This mutated Christmas tree that tries to attack the Kents reminds me of a similar enemy from one of Doctor Who’s Christmas specials, in a surprising crossover that puts a smile on my face as a longtime Whovian.
Superman Meets Doctor Who with This Fun Reference to a Holiday-Themed Foe
The Doctor Faced Superman’s Monster, Years Earlier
The clip above is from Doctor Who’s 2005 Christmas special, “The Christmas Invasion”. In this episode, a mysterious Christmas tree appears in the home of companion Rose Tyler and attacks her family. This moment shares a hilarious resemblance to the scene in My Adventures with Superman, as both Rose and Lois piece together that the Christmas tree is no ordinary tree and have to stop it as it attacks. The main difference is that the tree in the Doctor Who special is remote-controlled, while the tree Lois and Jimmy face off against is a mutant. Still, the similarities are impossible to ignore.
This clever nod isn’t the first time a Superman foe has resembled a Doctor Who monster in recent memory. In Absolute Power #2 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora, after being captured by Amanda Waller and the Brainiac Queen, Superman’s son undergoes a cybernetic transformation that bears a striking resemblance to the Cybermen. While in his cyborg form, Jon is unresponsive to his father’s attempts to reach him, much like how Cybermen have their emotions stripped away when they’re converted. They may seem like an unlikely pair, but Doctor Who and its creatures are a perfect fit for Superman.
Doctor Who and Superman Go Together Surprisingly Well
Superman Should Borrow More from the Doctor’s Sci-fi World
As a fan of both Superman and Doctor Who, this “crossover” is unexpected but appreciated. Superman isn’t the only DC superhero who has encountered foes inspired by iconic Doctor Who monsters, but Superman and Doctor Who are a match made in heaven that I’d never considered before. Doctor Who has plenty of unique villains that future Superman stories can draw inspiration from, and it would be a treat to see any of them fight the Man of Steel. Superman comics could always use more wacky sci-fi concepts like Christmas tree mutants, and no series pulls off wacky sci-fi better than Doctor Who.
My Adventures with Superman #4 is available now from DC Comics.