SUPERMANIA is overjoyed to present this ‘new’ discovery shared by Superfan and YouTube legend Oliver Harper –
This Japanese extended trailer for Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (a.k.a ‘The Strongest Enemy’ translated from Japanese) not only contains all the scenes shown in both US and International trailers, but also extra footage from the deleted scenes featuring Lex and Lenny Luthor, the Pentagon and the Kremlin and the kiss shared between Clark Kent & Lacy Warfield. All this with Japanese text and the unique title card at the end.
Astonishing that after 35 years, finds like this are still being made – here’s to many more in the future..!
Now that the site has been rebranded and revamped (thank you all so much for your support..!) its time to get back to what SUPERMANIA does best, showcasing rare and obscure collectables –
And they don’t come much better than this amazing curio from the Netherlands – a Superman – The Movie Promotional poster in four parts and over two metres long – making the figure of Christopher Reeve life-sized. This package was only available as a mail-away for collectors of the Monty Gum Superman Trading Cards – where ten empty packets plus 50p in postage would also enlist you in the Monty Superman Club.
In absence of the Topps trading card sets in some European Territories, local confectionary companies like Monty Fabrieken (of Leiden, Holland) picked up the licence and produced packets containing 3 cards and the obligatory stick of bubble-gum.
Whereas the cards and wrappers (produced in two sizes) occasionally pop up on auction sites, this particular piece of ephemera (complete with card cover and four postcards) is notable for its rarity and few complete examples are known to exist –
The copy above came to be in the SUPERMANIA collection from a folder of Dutch/German clippings, its previous owner obviously passionate Superman devotee from childhood. This set was pieced back together from the scrapbook with the posters in pristine condition tucked between the (mostly water damaged) pages. Until recently I had no idea what its origin was until another collector proudly posted his copy on Instagram…
Superman reunited with his old pal Jeremy in Downtown Metropolis on the eve of the World Peace Summit – an event marking over three decades of sustained Nuclear disarmament (Photograph: Andy Hanton)
Jillan Freisen, DAILY PLANET14:00 ET July 24th 2022 –
History repeated itself in The city of Metropolis earlier today when The Man Of Tomorrow came face to face with a friend from yesterday. For those who recall the bizarre chain of events leading to Superman’s campaign to rid the world of Nuclear Weapons exactly 35 years ago, they may also remember how it culminated in a global battle with a maniacal radioactive foe that almost triggered World War III less fondly.
Having hurled Earth’s Nuclear stockpile into the core of the sun and defeated criminal mastermind Lex Luthor’s monster, Superman later concluded world peace was ‘not his to give’ after all and has adopted a neutral stance ever since. While the fallout and collateral damage across the globe may have been enormous (with Metropolis alone left with a regeneration bill in the Billions) Superman’s ‘Quest For Peace’ is nonetheless cited as one of the turning points in Mankind’s history, with the ending of the Cold War one of its lasting legacies –
The Man Of Steel poses outside the UN Building in 1987 with the youngster who’s simple plea prompted a change in Earth’s history (Photograph: James Olsen)
As for the young student whose impassioned words ushered in the winds of change, he stands by his actions all those years ago and says he’s do it over again. Jeremy Brooke, now 48 and a leading force for UNICEF, maintains that some of the best wisdom still comes from the mouths of babes –
“Its difficult for people to understand now, but in the mid to late 80’s a Nuclear Holocaust was a very real fear, with tensions rising on both sides it often felt to us that war was an inevitability rather than a possibility. When I put pen to paper that day it just occurred to me that only one man could save us from ourselves ”
And on the subject of his Kryptonian pal Brooke continued-
“Superman took a lot of criticism from all sides for what he did – people said he was mounting this big campaign but that was wrong – he was answering a call for help like he always does and that’s a very different thing. I could tell he was conflicted about interfering in our destiny but he could also see how easily we could destroy ourselves. Thank god – and I mean this – thank god he did as if the arms race had continued it could only have had one conclusion…”
The original letter as penned by Brooke during class 35 years ago is now regarded as a significant historical document, worthy of preservation in the Smithsonian where it is currently on display.
