Chapter 113: The Mysterious Man Appears
With the powers Colin had now unlocked, he could have easily created enough *Superman* storylines in a short amount of time if he wanted to.
The reason he still entrusted Jacob with completing it was mainly to cultivate the latter's abilities, especially in comic creation.
After all, when Colin had invited him to join *Messenger Comics*, it wasn't just to find a colorist and background artist for himself. It was Jacob's inspiration and creativity, which he had demonstrated in his comics, that were the key reasons for hiring him.
Although the current serialized content of *Messenger Comics* was still dominated by the *Superman* story, Colin had long had the idea of developing it independently.
After all, the publication was called *Messenger Comics*, not *Superman Comics*. While solely printing *Superman*'s comic stories could boost sales, it also limited the publication itself. Superheroes were never meant to be a solo act, and *Messenger Comics* represented more than just the *Superman* comic.
Whether for the development of *Messenger Comics* or for Colin himself, more superheroes needed to be created.
After all, even Disney was working hard to create new animated characters.
In fact, the popularity of the character Donald Duck later surpassed even that of Mickey, Disney's very own symbol.
...
"Well then, I'll leave the newspaper office's affairs to all of you here. I'm counting on you, Old John."
"Don't worry, boss. I'll keep an eye on everything."
Inside the newspaper office, after giving his instructions for the work ahead, Colin rushed home to prepare for his trip to Los Angeles.
With an old employee like Old John around, he wasn't worried about any problems happening at the newspaper office.
After all, he was only going to Los Angeles for a few days.
"Jacob..."
Watching Colin's back disappear at the intersection, Little John let out a long sigh of relief and then eagerly approached Jacob.
"Be careful, don't get it dirty. I still have to color the original artwork later."
Seeing his expectant gaze, Jacob handed over the *Superman* comic pages, not forgetting to remind him.
"Don't worry, I promise there won't be any problems."
Carefully taking the comic pages from Jacob, Little John's stoic face flashed with excitement as he looked at the latest few issues of the serialized story.
An opportunity to read several issues of the comic in a row like this was rare.
In the past, the most he could do was see the plot of *Superman* a day in advance.
In the issues Colin had left behind, Mr. Mxyzptlk appeared again. The moment this unconventional villain appeared on the page, it drew a gasp from Little John.
Seeing the excited look on his face, Jacob, who was standing to the side, immediately grew tense. He stared, unblinking, at the comic pages in Little John's hands.
He was terrified that Little John might do something unexpected in his excitement. It wouldn't matter if Little John got hurt, but if something happened to the *Superman* comic pages in his hands, that would be a major problem. The newspaper's upcoming serialization depended on it.
Fortunately, what Jacob feared did not happen. Although Little John was excited, he understood the importance of the comic in his hands. Next, under Jacob's anxious gaze, Little John became completely engrossed in the comic's plot.
In this issue, Mr. Mxyzptlk once again displayed his cunning and trickery.
Through a series of legal maneuvers, this villain actually managed to swindle the English usage rights and then began levying a tax on everyone who used the English language. Even the *Daily Planet*, where Superman worked, was affected and had to pay a hefty tax. Because these were rights Mr. Mxyzptlk had obtained through legal means, even Superman was powerless to stop him.
Even Superman himself, when confronting Mr. Mxyzptlk, had to pay the tax while denouncing him.
"The English usage rights?!"
"Mr. Mxyzptlk is a criminal genius! Even Superman can't do anything about his crime."
Seeing the part in the comic where Superman was helpless, Little John marveled at the novelty and strangeness of Mr. Mxyzptlk's crime. At the same time, he worried about how Superman would foil it. The plot even made him wonder.
He wondered if the English usage rights really had loopholes like the ones mentioned in the comic. If someone in real life used such methods to obtain the English usage rights, wouldn't they all have to pay taxes like the citizens of Metropolis?
In the comic, the entire city of Metropolis was thrown into chaos because of Mr. Mxyzptlk's crime.
The *Daily Planet* was on the verge of bankruptcy because it couldn't afford the exorbitant taxes.
Lois and Superman were about to lose their jobs. Just when all seemed lost, Superman, while investigating Mr. Mxyzptlk's application process, used his Super-Speed to review all of Mr. Mxyzptlk's applications in a matter of seconds. He finally discovered a loophole in the legal procedure.
With this loophole, Superman proved that Mr. Mxyzptlk's method of obtaining the English usage rights was not legal. He turned the tables, saving the beleaguered Metropolis and also keeping his job at the *Daily Planet*.
"That was a close one. Mr. Mxyzptlk is a really tough opponent."
"Super-Speed is such a useful power. If I had that power, I could finish the work of the entire newspaper office by myself..."
"As expected of Superman. Even a guy like Mr. Mxyzptlk is no match for him."
When he saw the end of the comic, where Mr. Mxyzptlk lost the English usage rights because of Superman's announcement, Little John, who had been holding his breath, let out a sigh of relief.
He muttered to himself as he flipped through the pages of the comic pages.
Editor: "Kent, the front-page news we've been getting lately is all too dull. I'm even starting to just piece together headlines. I hear a Mysterious Man has appeared in Gotham City. Grab a camera. I need more reports and photos of this Mysterious Man. It would be even better if you could get proof of him committing a crime."
In the next installment of the serialized story, Superman's editor assigned him a job: go to a city called Gotham City and report on a story about a Mysterious Man.
"Gotham City? A Mysterious Man?"
"Is this another new supervillain?"
Reading the dialogue between the editor and Superman in the comic, Little John subconsciously assumed the Mysterious Man was a new criminal making his debut.
As he looked on with anticipation, Clark Kent, disguised as a reporter, grabbed his camera and boarded a train. He arrived in a city with a style completely different from Metropolis—Gotham.
(end of chapter)