SUPERMAN - BACK TO FULL POWER...

Copyright DC COMICS

It's hard for me to believe that this comic is over 21 years old, but sure enough, it first hit the stands back in 1990 - a whole other century away, in fact.  Wow, scary!  Anyway, the more discerning amongst you will already have noticed that the cover illo is paying homage to AURORA's fantastic SUPERMAN plastic model kit, which first came out around 1964.  The model was re-released a further four times over the years, 1974, '78, and '84, the last time being in 1999.  I'm fortunate enough to have all five versions of the kit, so below is a pic of one of them, just so that you can see what a great job JERRY ORDWAY did of the cover illustration.

It looks like Jerry was using a later reissue of the kit as reference, which had a different, updated head, and not the one featured in the accompanying photograph.  Still, it gives you the chance to see what a fine job he did in capturing the power-packed pose of the mighty MAN Of TOMORROW!

The model pictured is the 1974 release, with the addition of a 1964 nameplate which was only ever included in the first issue of the kit.  Below is the box which the model came in.  I'm not 100% sure, but the box art may be by DAVE COCKRUM.